"I don't know. I think she put a blanket over me and stopped the pain. I guess the blood that was on me was...it must have been Mom's and not mine like I thought." She looked at Glad then and smiled that sort of half-smile. "You know that's what I meant, don't you?"

Glad nodded and didn't say anything. There were things going on that she didn't understand. They'd all known that Alexis was different, and after Judith died it had become more apparent that whatever she was, she was keeping it to herself. Glad wondered what else she didn't know about her niece. She left the children to go into the other room, her thoughts a jumble of everything.

The kitchen was her solitude. Glad began pulling out things to make some cookies without thinking about what she was doing. Her mind was a muddle of things that were really nothing she could narrow down, so she baked. By the time she'd gotten the batter mixed up and the first sheet of cookies in the oven, she finally came upon the note that Alexis left.

"I'm at the building making stuff for the shop. Please call me if you need me as I'll have the phone near me. Gordon and his brother may be in and out. I don't know what they're doing, but let them have free rein. A."

Glad looked out the kitchen window and saw that there were lights on in the building and that some of the doors and windows were open. Smiling, she wondered what sort of concoction Alexis was brewing up now, and she went about her baking. It was several hours and several batches of cookies later when Gordon and Dallas showed up.

Gordon could smell the other wolf as soon as he walked along the driveway. He knew that it was the same one that had attacked him and was very careful where he walked. He wanted his brother to get the scent too. After the two of them walked around where Paddy had been they went back up to the house and sat in the kitchen while Gladys filled a plate of cookies for them both.

"What do you think we can do to improve the way this place is locked down?" Gordon looked up at his brother as he shoved two warm chocolate chip cookies in his mouth. "This place has a better security system than we have. Not to mention all the power running through those lines. Who the h.e.l.l is she trying to keep out?"

Gordon hadn't told Dallas about the other wolf. He wanted him to come here and see for himself what they were dealing with. It made him feel better knowing that the place was secure, but he still had a feeling he was missing something.

"Oh he's a horror of a man. Why just before they divorced, he threatened me," Jessie said as she entered the room and before Gordon could talk around his cookies. "The nerve of the littler p.i.s.ser. I'll have you know that in my day I could shoot the eye out of a rat."

Gladys huffed. "Last week it was a knife. Get your stories straight, you old bat. And as far as I know, you've never even had a gun in your hands."

"I did too. Last fall when we had that turkey shoot. Remember? You said that I couldn't hit the broad side of a house and I proved I could."

"You did hit the broad side of the house. Nearly shot Alexis in the process. She told you if you ever picked up a gun again she was going to shoot you with it herself." Gladys took a gallon of milk out of the refrigerator and set it between him and Dallas as she continued berating her friend. "And it wasn't a turkey shoot you were at, it was the backyard where Alexis was trying to show us how not to use a gun. You failed. Miserably."

Jessie looked crestfallen for about half a minute then brightened. "Yes. I remember now. I did show her I could load a gun quickly. She was very impressed with that." She took the milk from them and then handed them both a beer.

Gladys took the beers, put them back, and handed them both a gla.s.s of milk. "Beer and cookies will make you sick. And yes, she was impressed with your ability to load a gun. But if you remember correctly, which you never do, she told you that she was impressed that you could load a gun so quickly with all the ammo that had already been used. It does little good to have a well loaded gun if all the bullets in it are already fired. You dolt. I swear you get nuttier every day."

Gordon didn't know how much longer the bickering might have gone on, but the children came into the kitchen at that moment and defused it. They were given milk and cookies too, and after a kiss to both aunts and a hug to both him and Dallas they were sent on their way into the backyard. Dallas grinned at him when the door closed behind them.

"You ready for a family? Seems they've taken to you all right." Dallas picked up another cookie and took a healthy bite. "I'm going to be the favorite uncle and enjoy spoiling them all very soon."

Every wolf that came near him knew that he was claimed and that he had a mate. Gordon's c.o.c.k jerked in his pants every time he thought of his mate and what they'd done in the forest last night. Christ, she was wonderful and he found himself wondering where she was right now and if he could go and find her. He looked up when the back door opened and there she stood. His wolf snarled for a taste of her too.

Dallas' laughter brought him back or he might have simply pressed her against the wall and taken her, d.a.m.n the people around them. He flushed and glanced back at Alexis, whose cheeks were red.

"Down, you two, or we'll never get this finished." Dallas got up, led Alexis to his chair, and then stood next to the counter. "The house is secure. There isn't anything I think we can add to make it any better. The building out back, is it just as locked up?"

Alexis nodded and turned toward Dallas. Gordon felt his breath swoosh from his lungs. d.a.m.n it, he felt like he had a constant hard-on around her and wondered if they would ever get enough of each other. Then he grinned. He certainly hoped not.

"I've had several different people work on the system since we've moved in. There are four...no five different alarm companies that have us online. As well as Dark Treasures in town. If someone so much as breathes on the door, the police will be there in seconds." Alexis started to continue, but Gladys chimed in.

"There are also b.u.t.tons all over the building to press if we are in trouble and open. Alexis showed us where they were and even gave us both a map so we didn't forget where in case somebody comes in." She pulled her map out and handed it to him. "There are a whole bunch of them in the front and a bunch in the back. She even put one in the bathrooms in case we're using the facilities when we get the call."

"We're not to push it if we need toilet paper and we're in there, though. The police were not amused when they busted in the door for that one." Jessie shook her head. "Nope, not one bit. I've had to do some pretty long community service for that one."

Gordon didn't even ask. Being on the force, he had heard about someone calling for help and it turning out to be nothing but a paper run, but he'd never heard it had been Jessie. He was going to call his brother Connor when he got some time and see if he had much information on it. Gordon could see that Dallas wanted to ask, but didn't.

With a shake of his head, Dallas continued. "I want to be able to have a look around the shop if you don't mind. When do you open for business?"

"I have to run some supplies in today. We're normally closed on Sunday and Monday. That's when I go in and replenish what we've sold through the week." Alexis got up and moved toward the door. "I'll let you know when I'm packed up. The van is nearly loaded now and I shouldn't be much longer."

When she went out the door, he stood to follow her. Dallas stopped him with a hand on his chest. The older women left the kitchen about the same time and they could hear their voices fade as they walked away.

"The wolf, do you think he'll try and get to the children? They go back to school tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," he answered Dallas. "I've already made arrangements to have one of the pack pick them up here and take them. They'll also bring them back at the end of the day. There are five teachers there that Austin has told to watch out for them and to protect them as well. Why?"

"Don't know, but I have a feeling that...well, I have something on my mind that I'd like to talk to you about when we're alone." Dallas looked at the door that Gladys and Jessie had gone through. "Do you think the other woman, Jessie, do you think she's as dumb as she appears?"

Gordon started to say she wasn't dumb just confused, but then he realized what his brother was asking. He too looked at the door. Could she be? The two women had been together since the beginning of this and neither of them seemed surprised by Jessie's behavior. Nor did it seem forced or an act. But still, he didn't know for sure.

"What are you asking me? If I think this is a scam and she's a part of it?" He had lowered his voice to nearly nothing, but he knew that his brother would hear him. "You think she's in on whatever is going on here?"

"I don't know," Dallas answered just as quietly. "But I can't believe that she's that stupid about things."

Gordon hadn't thought of it like that. He'd just thought they were funny together. He would wonder now and that was probably why Dallas had told him. He'd keep an eye on both women from now on. He moved toward the door again and out. Dallas said he'd be walking the perimeter again and would wait for the two of them.

Chapter 13.

Alexis was just putting the last of the barred soap in the box when the door opened behind her. She looked up at Gordon, but didn't stop what she was doing. She was suddenly very nervous around him and shy.

"You should have waited for me to load those boxes in the van for you. They look heavy."

She almost snapped at him that she was fine, but didn't. It wasn't his fault she was in a c.r.a.ppy mood.

"Alexis, what is it?"

"Nothing. I have to get these soaps out now. Those over there weren't ready to wrap yet so I'll have to take them down lat-"

He turned her around, took the bars out of her hand, and set them back on the counter. She looked up at him and bit her tongue so that she wouldn't say anything. He pressed her against the counter and she growled. His smile made her p.i.s.sed off for some reason. Before she could tell him off, he started talking in that low s.e.xy voice of his.

"You know that as a wolf, I have the ability to smell all sorts of things most people can't." He lowered his head to her neck and she nearly moaned. "Like I can smell that you're angry. At what, I can only guess. Like I'm thinking you're p.i.s.sed because I didn't make love to you this morning before you left the bed."

That wasn't it, but she was beginning to see why that might have been a good reason not to have come down here so early. Making love with this man was worth having a few less things in the store. But she still tried to hold onto her anger.

"I had things to do and lazing about in the bed with you wasn't going to get things done. I have to support this family and having you around isn't going to change that." She felt him laugh against her neck. She grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked him away. "This isn't funny, you overgrown pup. I'm p.i.s.sed at you."

"So I can tell." She was beginning to hate that calmness of his. "Why don't you let go of my hair and tell me what I did to make you so mad at me?"

She let go, but only turned away and started to load the product again. He didn't move and she could feel his heat as he brushed against her several times. She was nearly ready to tell him to get the f.u.c.k away from her when he pressed his hard c.o.c.k into her a.s.s. She stilled when he wrapped his hands around her waist to hold her.

"I want you. I've yet to take you this way, bent over something and me taking you from behind. I want to f.u.c.k you this way until you scream out my name. Then I want to turn you around and f.u.c.k you again with your a.s.s sitting up on this counter." He rocked into her again. "Christ, I need to be buried deep inside of you."

Before she could stop herself, she was moving against him. Her p.u.s.s.y was already clenching with need of him and when he growled she knew that he was going to do just what he said. After reaching around her, unsnapping her pants, and pulling the zipper nearly out of her jeans, he jerked them down around her hips then to her knees. She bent over to take them the rest of the way off when he turned her around and sat her on the counter, shoving everything out of his way.

With another growl her pants were off and so was her blouse and bra. She was naked in seconds. He didn't move, didn't touch her for several more, and she wondered what he was going to do. Without a word, he pulled her to her feet and turned her around. She braced both hands on the counter when he put them there and moved her feet back where he positioned her.

"This is going to be quick and hard. I can smell you're wet." His c.o.c.k pulsed at her entrance and she moaned. "There's no one around us, baby, so I want you to scream when you come. Scream loud and hard."

His c.o.c.k entered her hard and she pressed back. He wrapped his hand in her hair and pressed her down against the counter before he started f.u.c.king her. Her first climax tore through her and her second one caught her in mid scream. He was slamming her hard from behind and she couldn't seem to get enough. When he slid his fingers down her belly and into her p.u.s.s.y she closed her hand over his and showed him where to touch her.

"f.u.c.k, you're wet. Come again for me Alexis. Flood my hand with your c.u.m and I'll fill you with mine." He pinched her c.l.i.t hard and she screamed again.

Her voice was raw and she was sure she was going to pa.s.s out when he suddenly stiffened and then roared out his own release. His teeth bit into her shoulder hard as he filled her. When he released her shoulder his howl echoed in the room and she slid into a darkness that felt like home to her.

She was on the couch in her office when she woke. Her clothes were folded neatly with her shoes on top of them when she looked down. Smiling, she threw off the small blanket and started to pull on her panties when she realized she wasn't alone. Gordon was sitting in the chair watching her.

"Did I hurt you?" She shook her head at his question. "I could have. I'm sorry about treating you that way."

"Why? I said you didn't hurt me and I'm reasonably sure that you could hear how much I enjoyed it." She frowned at him. "What's happened?"

He got up, handed her her clothes, and sat down next to her. She started pulling on the rest of her clothes, not sure what else to say. When he spoke she wished she'd just loaded the van herself and stayed in town.

"Your brother-in-law has been hanging around the property. I've found his scent as close as the gate and a little beyond." He got up and started to pace. "I can't hurt him until he does something that will warrant it. Our laws, pack laws, are older than most human laws."

She looked around the room and thought about her sister and what she'd seen done to her. Alexis looked up at him when he stood by the windows, the sunlight streaming in from around him.

"I'm going to tell you what I've never told anyone else before. It's what happened at the house the day Judith was killed." She moved to the arm of the big sofa and stared at the floor. She didn't think she could look at him and tell him what she'd done. "I'd gotten a call from Judith the week before. She said that she thought something had happened to Paddy and that she was suddenly afraid for her children. He had visitation rights, you see, and she didn't want to hand them over to him any longer."

"Alexis, if you're going to tell me someone else killed your sister, I already know most of it. Darcy told me last night."

She nodded. Darcy had told her that she'd talked to the men. But she needed to tell him everything. "Yes. There was another man there. Tom Garrison was his name. He was there because Paddy had told Aunt Glad that he was his lawyer. When they got there, Paddy lost control. His...monster sort of came forth and attacked. But he didn't get far. He only got as far as. .h.i.tting Judith."

"You were there? I thought Darcy said you'd shown up later?" She nodded. "When is it that you came to the house?"

"That morning. I was there because I was helping them pack up. Darcy was sick and Sis was playing in her room. I'd heard the shouting and came down after locking Sis in her closet and calling the police." She wiped at the tears she didn't know had been falling. "Paddy was on the floor and he was a wolf. He'd been tranquilized by something strong. Tom had shot him with his cane just as I came into the room. It was already too late to save Judith."

He sat on the floor in front of her, took her chin in his hand, and brought her face to his. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull away. He kissed her gently on the mouth before he spoke.

"You tried to save her, didn't you? That's why you didn't want to help me. You were afraid of failing again, weren't you?" She nodded as he continued. "Did you... Honey, did you try to kill Tom? At any time, did you try to kill him?"

She pulled away this time and he let her. She wasn't sure why he had, but was more grateful than she'd ever been about anything. She nodded to him before she told him what she'd done. "I had a brief moment of murderous hatred and that was all. He'd already killed Judith, as I've said, but Darcy was...she was nearly dead too. I had to save her and if I had killed him, then she would have died too." She looked at him now. "You understand, don't you? I couldn't have let her die. She was my sister's child."

"Yes, love, you had to save her. And I'm very proud of you for doing so. Darcy will be all right soon, you'll see. You did just what you had to do."

She nodded and looked away. "But I wanted him dead. And every day I think about killing him, making him pay for what he did to my sister and her child. I'm a horrible person for wanting to see him suffer, suffer for everything he did."

Gordon was still sitting in the office when his brother came in. He glanced up at Connor, but didn't speak. He decided to ignore him when Connor sat in the chair across from him and said nothing. He had a lot to deal with and conversation wasn't going to help. When Austin and Dallas came in a few minutes later he knew that someone had told them that he was upset.

"I'm fine. Really, I am. I have a lot to think about and I'm just going to sort it out then I'll go and find Alexis and we'll talk." He hoped so anyway. She'd been so quiet when she'd left him that he wasn't sure what they'd said after she told him what she'd done.

"Okay, but you might want to take a look at the clock, buddy. You've been sitting here for over four hours." He looked over at Connor, sure he was kidding. "You were supposed to meet us at the shop over three hours ago. Good thing your mate is a bit more punctual than you are."

"Alexis," he said as he stood. Christ, he'd forgotten to go with her to keep her safe. He was nearly to the door when Austin stopped him.

"She's in the kitchen with CJ. They're arguing over dinner plans. Something about eating a frozen pizza over ordering Chinese. It seems neither of our mates can cook worth a d.a.m.n."

He sat back down and looked at his family. He didn't know where to begin. He didn't think they'd believe him anyway...h.e.l.l, he didn't believe it either. He got up again and poured himself a drink. He rarely drank, but felt that now would be a good time to start. He downed the hard liquor and sat back down. It was still burning his throat when he started talking.

"Alexis said I could let you know what she's done." He looked around again. "Christ, she's amazing."

Austin grinned. "You should know that we are already in agreement with you there. She's your mate so she already has our support. If she can twist you up like this, then she has another point in her favor."

Gordon knew what his brother was doing. He was trying to make it easier on him and whatever he thought he needed to tell them. He wasn't worried that they'd hurt his mate. They wouldn't do that, but they might ask them to leave, which he really couldn't blame them for once they heard what he had.

"Alexis has known for a while that she is different. h.e.l.l, not just different, but f.u.c.king different." He took a deep breath before starting over. "She saved me, as you know, but she also healed her niece. She can...she can heal people. Not just heal them, but nearly bring them back from the dead heal them. "

"We know that, buddy. When she saved you, you were all but dead. So what is it you think we don't know?" Connor asked him. "Has Phil told you anything more about what he thinks she is? Is that it, you know what she is and you're afraid we'll reject her for it?"

Gordon knew his brother was smart and he smiled when he got it so quickly. "No. He's still not talking to me. But I'm working on something that will hopefully get me on his better side. At least, I hope it does. And I'm not afraid you're going to reject her, but she is. And I'm having a hard time trying to convince her of it."

"Of course she would. She hasn't had a great deal of reason to trust any of us so far, but we're working on that. She's a h.e.l.l of a woman." Austin frowned before he continued. "Is she worried that we're going to put her brother-in-law down? The council has already said he must die. Once a were kills, especially the way that Patrick did, they feel there is no redeeming hope for them. I'm working on trying to get him a stay, but you know how they can be."

Yes, he did know. And Gordon hated to admit it, but he felt that after what he'd done to his ex-wife and daughter, Gordon didn't want him around either. He'd be up to something all the time and he'd be a shadow in their lives.

"No. I think that bothers her as much as it worries her. She wants both men out of her life. And the children's. She has custody of them, did I mention that?" He got up to go to the bar again and decided he didn't need it. "I love those kids as much as if they were my own. I can't let him hurt them again. Not ever. I have to do everything in my power to protect them. But she..."

"She what?" Austin asked. "She won't let you? She doesn't trust you?" Gordon nodded, agreeing to all the questions. "I see. Then we'll just have to show her what we can do."

He knew that they'd help him, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was he wanted to show her he could do it. But he knew that with what was going on, he'd more than likely end up getting someone killed or hurt and he didn't want that either. He knew them all well enough to know that they'd have a million questions, but they'd think them out. They were all alphas, had been born that way. Someday they'd all lead their own packs and this was what would make them great leaders.

"So you're saying that she doesn't want your help or that she is telling you to f.u.c.k off?" Gordon nodded at Dallas' question. "Oh, I like this one. She can not only twist you up, but make you question your manliness too. Yeah, I really like her."

"f.u.c.k you. And that's not all. The healing thing? She can control when her touch is needed and how she is to use it, but if she heals a person, that person has a small bit of her. Not a lot, just enough to heal them and maybe, and it doesn't happen often, maybe they can heal something too. But it will be on a very small scale. Like a plant or maybe a scratch." Gordon showed them the cut on his leg. "If you guys would have looked, she told me you would have seen the same cut on her leg."

Austin suddenly looked up. "Did she tell you what she took from you?"

She had. That's what he'd been thinking about all this time. What he'd given her and what...and what she'd given him. He started to pace again, knowing that this was going to be the turning point. His race just didn't like what his mate was.

"She is my mate, but I'm hers as well. When we mated and bonded...well, it was a two-way thing. I'm not sure I understand all of it, but basically, we're now a part of each other." He rolled his neck and didn't look at his brother as he continued. "She can shift into a wolf. She can shift into anything she wants. Alexis is a shifter."

Austin was very quiet. Gordon didn't look at him as he walked to the desk and leaned against it. He was actually excited, but also afraid. Wolf packs generally disliked shifters for several reasons. The most important reason was that they somehow messed with the balance of things. Gordon wasn't sure how, but he'd been hearing that since he'd been a small cub.

Austin nodded. "Let me get this straight. You think...or she thinks that because she's a shifter, we're somehow going to shun you and her? Am I right?" Gordon nodded, knowing that it sounded really stupid now that someone had said it out loud. "Of all the...and what did you tell her? That it was a part of our history to do that or did she read about it in some stupid fairy tale book?"

"Book. But she's right. We do shun shifters and any weres that mate with them. I've heard-"