Authors: Kate Douglas
“Anton, this is Mei Chen. Mei, Anton Cheval, our pack’s leader.”
“Hello, Mr. Cheval.” She held out her hand, but tilted her chin down, apparently too shy to look at him.
Anton took her proffered hand in his right and tilted her chin up with the fingers of his left. “My name is Anton. We are not formal, here.”
Oliver grinned but he didn’t say anything. Later, maybe, when Mei felt more comfortable around all these new people. Anton had absolutely no idea how formal he sounded, nor how intimidating he could be. Even now he smiled at Mei, but there was still a frown puckering his expressive brows. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he smiled, broadly. Oliver relaxed a little more. That surprised smile changed Anton’s entire appearance from austere and threatening to something he could only describe as beautiful.
Anton was nodding, as if agreeing with himself. “And you, my dear Mei…I can see that you are indeed special. Very, very special.”
He pulled Mei against him for a quick hug. Then he reached for Oliver and pulled him into a tight embrace. Oliver breathed deep of his mentor’s scent and hugged him close. It felt good to be home. Good to have Anton in charge once again.
“You’ve found a treasure, Oliver. An absolute treasure.”
Oliver cupped his hands on Anton’s broad shoulders and kissed him. Then he stepped back beside Mei and dropped his arm around her waist. “Eve gets the credit for finding Mei. However, I intend to be the one who keeps her.” He tempered his promise with a kiss to her temple.
“I certainly hope so. Anything to keep you home. You have no idea how badly we’ve missed you.” Anton grinned and slapped him on the back.
Keisha called down from the deck. “When Oliver sees the mess you’ve left in his kitchen, he’ll have a much better understanding how badly he was missed.” She laughed. “Welcome home, Oliver. And welcome, Mei. Please, come in. I’ll be out shortly. The mistress of the manor is calling.”
Xandi laughed and turned to follow Keisha as the sound of crying babies filled the air. “From the sound of things, she just awakened the master. We’ll be back in a bit.”
Oliver glanced at their luggage, piled in the backseat. “We’ll get this later. I want Mei to stay with me in the cottage.”
Anton paused. “Actually, I’d like both of you to stay in the main house, if you don’t mind. At least until Mei gets through her first shift. Is that okay with you?”
Oliver looked to Mei. She shrugged. “Fine with me,” she said. “This is a spectacular home. It’s really beautiful.”
“Thank you. Good.” Anton reached for a couple of bags. Oliver grabbed the rest. Eve joined them when they went back to the house, but Adam and Stefan stayed behind. The two of them were still crawling all over the truck.
“Mistress of the manor?” Mei cocked her head and stared at Oliver.
He laughed. Damn it felt good to be home. “Keisha’s daughter, Lily Milina. The master is Xandi and Stefan’s son, Alex. They’re both just a couple months old, and from the sounds I hear, their lungs have continued to develop.”
“And they’re all like you? Everyone can shift into wolves?”
“Everyone except the babies. They’re not old enough.”
Anton held the door for them. “I will apologize in advance for the mess I’ve left you.”
“You left a mess?” Oliver stepped into the broad foyer. “I thought Stefan offered to cook.”
“Cooking is not Stefan’s forte.” With that succinct statement, Anton led them into the house.
“Wow. You weren’t kidding.” Mei stood in the doorway to what had to be the biggest, most gorgeous kitchen she’d ever seen in her life. At least it might have been gorgeous, except for the black smear running up the wall behind the stove, the dishes piled in the sink and all over the kitchen table, and the trash compactor that was too full of garbage to close.
“He certainly wasn’t.” Oliver shook his head. Mei didn’t think he was upset. He looked more like someone trying really hard not to laugh.
“At least it looks like you didn’t starve.” Oliver pointed at a garbage bag filled with the sort of plastic containers frozen dinners came in.
Anton appeared to be biting his lips and trying not to laugh. Mei glanced at him again and was almost certain of it. Maybe he wasn’t as scary as she’d first thought.
“No. We did fine, once we discovered the amazing selection of frozen dinners at the grocery store. That brilliant bit of information came to light after Stefan caught the stove on fire and singed the wall the day you left. I forbade him from using it again.” Anton cleared his throat. “The microwave oven is a truly wonderful piece of technology. Much better than a gas stove.”
“I wondered about the black spot. Soot, eh?” Oliver folded his arms across his chest. “So, you saved this for me? You expect me to clean up this mess?”
Anton shook his head, chuckling. “No. I expect you to show me how to run the garbage disposal and turn on the dishwasher. A few loads should just about take care of it.”
“Roll up your sleeves, boss. You’re getting a lesson in kitchen maintenance one-oh-one.”
Anton nodded, and the crestfallen look on his face tipped Mei over the edge. Laughing, she found a seat on one of the bar stools that ran the length of a long bar.
Eve joined her a few minutes later. “I had to go see the babies. They are so cute! The guys are still climbing all over the truck. It’s going to be a long afternoon of guy talk, and there’s no way I’m going to miss watching Anton Cheval do dishes.”
Anton glanced over his shoulder. “I heard that. Be careful what you say, sweetheart, or Oliver’ll put you to work.”
Eve laughed and batted her eyelashes at Anton. Mei just sat and grinned, soaking up the banter, the beautiful surroundings, the sense of family and love that permeated every bit of this place. Plus, Anton Cheval wasn’t at all bad on the eyes, even if he was an old guy.
He’d rolled his snow-white shirt sleeves up above his elbows and wrapped a towel around his lean waist. Standing at the sink with soap bubbles everywhere, he looked perfectly at ease washing the dishes. He was also one of the sexiest men Mei had ever seen. He had to be old enough to be her father, but the man was drop-dead gorgeous. He was also smart and funny and it was obvious he loved Oliver like a son.
Or a lover? She hadn’t really thought of that, but knowing how the Chanku libido worked and from what Oliver had explained about the dynamics of the pack, they could be lovers. She felt a spike of white-hot arousal course through her veins.
Arousal that had been simmering ever since this morning…or had that been last night?
If Oliver and Anton were lovers, would he soon be hers, as well? Mei turned and looked at Eve. Eve smiled and nodded, like she was agreeing. Damn. Mei realized she’d have to block her thoughts a little better. She hoped Anton hadn’t picked up on that little slip.
Just then Oliver walked into the room with a stack of clean dish towels. He smiled at Mei, that dazzling smile that made her feel loved and wanted and unbelievably horny, all at the same time. He leaned over and kissed her, then knelt down in front of one of the cupboards and began stacking the towels inside. Watching Oliver’s perfect ass inside those faded, tight jeans took her mind entirely off Anton Cheval.
Anton realized he actually enjoyed doing the dishes. The light banter among his audience was easy enough to follow, and it gave him a perfect opportunity to ramble in and out of everyone’s thoughts.
Only Oliver and Stefan truly understood the scope of his mental power. And Keisha, of course, but she knew him even better than he knew himself. The most amazing thing was that she loved him in spite of what she knew.
The Goddess had definitely blessed him when She brought Keisha into his life. But what about Oliver? Would Mei prove to be a blessing or a curse?
Oliver didn’t know what was coming. Neither did Mei, but Anton knew she was more than ready to shift. Thank goodness she hadn’t figured it out before, when they were still on the road, or Adam and Oliver might have lost her forever in the darkness.
Anton rinsed the plate he’d been scrubbing for a good five minutes. At least it was clean, and he was actually making some headway on the mess they’d left over the past week. After Stefan caught the stove on fire and the dishes and chores somehow began to pile up, Anton decided it might be good for Oliver to know just how much he was needed.
For a lot more than just household chores. At least, though, that was a start. There was a chance, once Mei shifted, Oliver might choose to leave. Of course, it depended on Mei, on her ability to adjust, but Anton couldn’t bear the thought of losing Oliver.
Mei was lovely. Beautiful inside and out, a perfect mate for Oliver in so many ways. Not so perfect in another.
If only it weren’t such a big other.
Eve got up and opened the refrigerator, acting as comfortable in his home as if she’d always been here. She’d actually lived here for less than a week. He wanted Mei to feel that way. Comfortable. At home. Eve grabbed a chilled bottle of white wine and checked the cupboard for glasses.
“What? No clean wineglasses?”
Anton laughed. “Not yet. There’s clean crystal in the dining room.”
“Nah. These’ll do.” She grabbed a couple of water glasses and plopped them down on the counter in front of Mei. “And to think I was bragging about what a classy joint this is.” She gazed back at Anton with a decided twinkle in her eyes. “I am so disappointed.” She poured his really good, extremely expensive Chardonnay into the tall glasses, emptying the bottle when she topped off Mei’s.
“Not so disappointed, obviously, that you’re leaving me any of that Chardonnay.” He flashed her a companionable grin. “However, you’re teaching Mei bad habits. Mei, the rest of us would have gone for the crystal, but then we have a lot more class than Eve.”
Eve laughed, tipped her filled glass in a salute to Anton, and took a swallow. “You might have the class, but I’ve got the good wine and the best seat in the house. Great entertainment, by the way.” She leaned close to Mei and nudged her shoulder. “Hasn’t he got a great ass?”
Mei snorted and almost spewed wine out her nose. Anton threw back his head and laughed. Thank you, Eve. Maybe now she’ll relax.
You’re entirely welcome. She’s a nervous wreck. I hope you don’t mind my taking advantage of your hospitality. It’s not as if I really know you all that well. He felt her laughter in his mind and had to school his features not to respond. He didn’t want Mei to know he and Eve conversed.
I mean, we’ve never slept together. Not once.
That can be remedied. Once you and Adam bond. Are you truly ready for him, Eve? I know you weren’t when you left.
Yes. I am. And thank you. I owe you a lot.
As I owe you. Do you have any idea what your finding Mei has done to my bet with Stefan?
Ah, the old fate versus coincidence. I imagine you’re ahead.
Damn straight. And loving every minute.
He turned around. Mei caught his eye. I know you’re talking about me. Your blocks are too strong for me to read what you’re saying, but don’t think, just because I can’t shift or that I’m shy, that I’m stupid.
“Ah, Mei. You are going to give our Oliver a wonderful run for his money. Welcome to our pack.”
Eve looked from one to the other, obviously aware she’d missed something. Anton knew he was grinning like a fool, but Mei smiled serenely and nodded. “Just so you don’t underestimate me. People do that a lot. Oliver doesn’t.”
“Nor will I, Mei Chen. Nor will I.” Unable to stop grinning, Anton turned back to the job at hand. She was growing stronger by the minute. The nutrients had brought Mei’s body fully into her Chanku heritage. Her self-assurance was as great a sign as was the sense of the beast about her. He knew her alter ego ran swift and sure, just beneath the surface.
The mess in the kitchen was almost under control. Oliver came back with more dishes he’d gathered from the dining room, stopped beside Mei and kissed her soundly. He was obviously as anxious as Mei for night to fall and the dark forest to beckon. Not that they didn’t run in daytime, but for a first shift, only the night would do.
Keisha and Xandi should have the babies fed by now. One of them would stay tonight and watch Lily and Alex so the other new mom could join them when they ran. All of them.
Including Mei. Only a few more hours. She rubbed her arms and Anton remembered that feeling, of bones and muscles wanting so badly to leap through the thin barrier of skin. She may be feeling the same things they all had when the nutrients first took effect, but Mei was unique. That much he knew. How unique, how different, Anton wasn’t sure. Excitement coursed through his veins. A sense of expectation. It was always like this when a new Chanku shifted for the first time, but in Mei he sensed something beyond anything they’d known. Whatever, in a few more hours, Mei Chen would finally embrace her true heritage.
Chapter 10
“It’s beautiful out tonight.” Mei smiled at Anton, but her lips trembled. She clung tightly to Oliver’s hand and her every move radiated anxiety.
Anton ran his hand over her sleek, black hair. “It’s a perfect night for a first shift. Relax, Mei. You are more than ready tonight.” He turned away and led them out into the meadow. Generally they’d all just strip down and shift on the big front deck, but he’d chosen the meadow and moonlight for tonight.
Mei needed the ceremony, the trappings of occasion. Anton realized as he walked out into the open area, he needed it as well. His sense of events moving beyond his control was strong tonight. Foreboding followed every move. Expectation drew him onward.
The moon was full, a perfect silver orb hanging high in a velvet sky. The meadow shimmered in quicksilver and shadows and the dark forest surrounded them. They’d gathered many times here, for many different reasons. None as potentially life altering as tonight.
If only he had a better feel for what was to come. Anton glanced at Oliver and caught his friend’s eye. Oliver nodded. He too, was remembering other times in this meadow, but from a totally different perspective than Anton’s. Where Anton saw the meadow as a gateway to knowledge, Oliver had to be remembering the many times he’d been excluded from rituals and spells.
Excluded because he was not fully Chanku.
No longer, thanks to Adam. Anton studied the rangy mechanic as he sauntered across the meadow. He seemed to glow in the moonlight and his dark blond hair glimmered with silver fire. There was power in Adam he’d not yet figured out. Power beyond the mere ability to shift. Anton turned his attention back to Oliver and Mei. There was power in Mei as well, but it was foreign to him. Alien. Was it her Asian heritage? Hard to tell. He’d never come here before with so many questions.
Knowledge was his power. Anton recognized knowledge as his ultimate strength. For that reason, among others, he was glad Adam and Eve had chosen to stay on in Montana. Though Eve was essentially an open book to him, Anton realized he had much to learn from Adam.
Pulling himself out of the track of worry his mind refused to ignore, Anton glanced back toward the house. Would Keisha or Xandi be the one to stay behind and mind the babies? Selfishly, he hoped it was Xandi who remained.
He’d missed running with his mate, missed the sleek alpha bitch racing beside him, but babies definitely took priority. He looked away from the house and caught Stefan’s eye. Stefan grinned and shrugged. Obviously, he hoped Keisha would be the one who watched their young.
Anton tipped him a brief salute. At least one of them would be paired. Adam and Eve arrived at the center of the meadow at the same time as Stefan. Anton noticed a movement on the deck and glanced up just in time to see Keisha close the door behind her, step out on the deck and walk across the grass. Anton’s heart pounded thankfully in his chest. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Stefan.
He didn’t have to. He sensed Stefan’s disappointment and it made him ache. Not enough, though, to ask Keisha to stay behind with Xandi.
Ready to shift, Keisha walked proudly toward them clad only in moonlight. Dark and lush and unbelievably lovely, she took his breath. Rounder and softer now, since giving birth, her breasts were full and they swayed in a hypnotic rhythm with each step she took. Her nipples, luscious and larger than before her pregnancy, glistened. Anton’s gut clenched, hot with need. She’d just fed Lily. He wished he’d been there, watching their baby suckle those luscious breasts. He licked his lips and felt foolish. What kind of pervert was jealous of his only daughter?
At least tonight Keisha would run with him. Possibly they would make love…two wolves in the forest, the nature of the beast their most powerful connection of all. His cock swelled and his testicles ached. He wished everyone else would just go away and he’d take her here, in the meadow with only the moon as their witness.
“She’s asleep and I’m free!” Smiling, Keisha leaned close and kissed him. She smelled of fresh, clean baby and rich mother’s milk. Once again, his groin tightened. “It’s Xandi’s turn to run tonight, but Alex is being a fussbudget and she doesn’t want to leave him.”
Thank the goddess for small favors. Keisha had absolutely no idea the power she held over him. None. Oblivious to Anton’s compelling need, Keisha smiled brightly at Mei. “Are you ready, Mei? This is so exciting!”
Anton practically groaned. If he didn’t hurt so much from wanting her, he’d probably laugh out loud.
Mei nodded. Exciting wasn’t the word she’d have chosen. Terrifying. Impossible. Scary as hell. Definitely scary.
Anton unbuttoned his shirt and the others followed his lead. Within moments, all of them were nude, all of them tall and beautiful and perfect. She couldn’t see Oliver. He stood behind her, but every one of them—Eve and Keisha, Adam, Stefan and Anton—all of them so utterly gorgeous it was unbelievable.
Mei clutched her pale yellow sarong around herself, overwhelmed by the beautiful people surrounding her. Especially the men. Their cocks were hard and curved, crowns flared, shafts thick. She knew her eyes must be bugging out, but she’d never seen so much hard male flesh at one time in her life.
Oliver stepped up behind her and nuzzled her ear. You can play with as many of them as you want. Later.
She giggled, and her nervousness slipped away. “Sorry.” Mei shrugged and felt totally stupid. Again. “You’re all so gorgeous. It’s a bit intimidating.” She turned around and grinned at Oliver. “But Oliver just said I get to play with you later.”
Keisha and Eve both laughed. “He’s right, but you’re just as beautiful,” Eve said. “Don’t worry. It’s okay, feeling a bit nervous. I was so embarrassed the first time we all got naked together.” She glanced shyly at Adam. “In fact, this is the first time I’ve done this with everyone, with Adam here, too.”
Adam stepped up behind her and cupped her shoulders in his palms. He didn’t say anything, but the kiss he planted beneath her ear spoke volumes.
Anton slapped his hands together in a quiet clap that immediately drew everyone’s attention. “Okay. Listen up. Mei, when you tried to shift before, what did you do?”
She straightened her shoulders, well aware she was, and would continue to be, the center of attention tonight. “Oliver and Adam shifted first. They told me to link with Eve and follow her lead. I had no problem linking, but when I’d try to shift, it was like hitting a brick wall.”
Anton nodded. “We’re going to try something different. You’ve had five days of nutrient, more than enough for a woman to make her first shift. I sense the beast in you. She’s strong and alive. She’s ready for her freedom. Do you feel her?”
Mei closed her eyes and searched. She didn’t have to go far. The power was there, barely banked. She rubbed her hands along her arms. “I do. It’s very strange, like another entity inside me. I hadn’t noticed that feeling before.”
“Good. I want you to forget everything you watched with Eve. Everything you might have seen when Adam and Oliver shifted. You are unique, Mei. You’re not Eve, not Oliver. Not me. You need to follow your own path, and find your own form.”
They stood around her, a protective circle filled with energy. She’d been alone most of her life, but now Mei felt Oliver’s powerful love, Eve’s encouragement, Adam’s excitement. Keisha, Stefan, and Anton stood together and their joy for her was almost palpable. They felt like family. For the first time in her life, Mei was surrounded by family.
She closed her eyes and raised her face to the moon. There was no warmth in the glow, but she felt the pull, as if her body was the sea and her tide rushed onward to the shore. She found the other in her mind.
Chanku.
And it was beautiful, really, in all its amazing simplicity. She understood, finally, why she’d not been able to call the wolf. What a fool! What a silly fool she’d been. So blind to the truth, so trapped on the narrow path she’d assumed was hers to follow.
She’d not understood her own reality. Truly unique, undeniably perfect. Smiling, Mei leaned forward, her body stretched, her entire being shifted, winked out, and changed.
Her broad paws hit the ground, her long thick tail swished the air and she snarled. Then with a single powerful leap, she went over the top of Adam’s crouching wolf and raced for the forest.
“Holy shit. Mei?” Oliver grabbed Anton’s arm. “What the fuck was that? What happened to Mei? What is she? A jaguar? Some kind of leopard? What happened? We need to go after her!”
The rest of them stood speechless, staring at the forest. Keisha and Eve held hands, as if clinging to one another for support. Adam paced a moment, still in wolf form, and then shifted back. Stefan merely shook his head in disbelief, then he glanced down at the ground and picked up a tiny metallic coil. He held it in his palm and showed it to Anton.
Mei’s IUD.
Totally bemused by the unexpected, Anton took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Not a jaguar, Oliver. I believe she is a snow leopard. Solitary animals. They’re quite rare, actually. They come from the same part of the world as our ancestors. Damn. She’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”
Shaking his head, Adam held up his hands, palms out, in wonder. “Explains why we couldn’t help her shift into a wolf.”
“That it does.” Anton grabbed Oliver’s shoulder to steady him. “We need to go after her. She is an unknown. I’m not even sure we can communicate with her in this form, but she could be in danger in unfamiliar country.”
No one questioned him. Thankfully, they rarely did. That was a good thing, especially now, when he had absolutely no answers. Anton shifted and raced across the meadow. The others followed, though Oliver quickly passed him, nose to the ground as he followed Mei’s scent.
Moonlight barely penetrated the thick forest bordering the meadow, but the musky scent of cat was an easy trace to find. Unique in these woods along the Rocky Mountains, there was nothing like it to confuse the sensitive noses of the pack of wolves following Mei’s trail.
She was powerful and fast, but her body wasn’t built for running long distances. She wasn’t ready for them to find her yet, either. Not until she’d had a little time to come to terms with this absolutely amazing thing that had happened. Mei slowed to a trot. Fat paws brushed the earth, a long, furred tail balanced her. She followed what was obviously a well-traveled path and the scent of wolf was strong here. She recognized Anton’s and Stefan’s odors, but she wasn’t so sure about the others.
Right now, she wasn’t all that sure about much of anything except the fact she wasn’t at all like she’d imagined. She’d done exactly as Anton told her. She’d called up the beast within, but she sure as hell hadn’t expected this! Mei snarled and the sound seemed to roll up out of her chest. If she could, she’d be laughing right now. Little Mei Chen…jungle cat!
Unfortunately, she had no idea what kind of cat that was.
Still, it was amazing. Absolutely amazing. Slipping off the trail and angling downhill, she found a small pool of clear water beneath a steep rock face. Lapping quietly at the water’s edge, she tried to assimilate all the differences in this new body. She was powerful. Her muscles rippled beneath her skin, and while she wasn’t all that tall, she was long and sleek with a magnificent tail.
Her coat was a mottled pale cream, almost white, with irregular dark brown to black rosettes of color. She ran her long tongue over the front of her left leg and then lifted her paw and licked at the thick pads. She lifted her left foot, turned it over, flexed the paw and watched her claws come out.
She wished she knew what kind of cat she was. She wasn’t big enough to be a leopard or fast enough to be a cheetah, and she didn’t know any other types. Whatever species, she damned sure wasn’t a wolf! No wonder she’d not been able to follow Eve and shift.
It was not her nature to be a wolf. Such a simple explanation, but not really an answer at all.
The sound of animals rushing headlong down the trail caught her attention. Chanku? Had they followed her? Well of course they’d follow her, once they got over the shock of her shifting into something totally unexpected. She wasn’t ready to face any of them. Not yet. She wanted more time to experience this new body without interference. Glancing around, Mei chanced to look up. A rocky ledge almost eight feet overhead appeared large enough to hold her.
With a powerful thrust of her muscular hind legs, she leapt directly to the ledge, turned and settled down to watch. There was so much to think about. A wolf was one thing, but a cat? She’d never expected anything like this. Nothing could compare to the feel of her muscles, the way they seemed to flow over her bones.
She heard the sound of rustling vegetation, the scurry of tiny creatures through the brush as they ran for their lives. Six wolves moved silently into the tiny glade. They sniffed the ground, whining, tails wagging as they picked up her scent. She tried to listen, but the mental speech in their wolven form was difficult to understand. She watched them and wondered why they didn’t look up.
Wondered what she would do if they saw her. She recognized Oliver and her heart stuttered in her chest. How could he love her now? He’d talked of the mating bond, how they would finally link when they mated as wolves.
Well that’s not going to happen. Could he possibly love her now? She felt absolutely no attraction to him in this form. Knew she loved him as a human, realized she couldn’t as a cat. Pondering the question hurt her head.
She’d rather be hunting. She raised her head and sniffed the air. There was game in the forest. A lot of it. Deer and rabbits, fat squirrels and small mice and voles. She salivated, imagining their taste, picturing her huge paw coming down on some scurrying creature, her razor-sharp claws extending, holding it.
How could she know these things? How could she taste blood on her tongue and know it was deer? How could a young woman from Florida know exactly how to be a spotted cat in the forest?
The wolves lapped water at the pool. Then, one by one, they turned to leave. All but one of them. The largest wolf among them, black and powerful with shimmering amber eyes paced back and forth beneath the ledge. Paced until the last of the pack had melted into the thick undergrowth.