Shifting Positions (11 page)

“Frank, dear. Please call me Frank.” He sighed. . “I’m afraid I’ve let that boy run free too long. It’s been so hard, trying to raise three rambunctious cubs and run a business. Then when their mother left us alone…well.” He let out another sigh.

You could have tried being a father instead of a sperm donor, Tess wanted to rail at him.

Hell, the man made it sound like Mrs. Kolter died when her children were only little boys. She hadn’t. About nine years ago she’d packed a small suitcase, gathered her substantial amount of jewelry and simply left. According to Tess’s mom, it was the smartest thing the woman had ever done. Especially since the whole town knew Frank was a lecherous whore. The concept of wolves mating for life meant nothing to him, nor did the vows of marriage.

Tess remained silent because, really, what could she say? Thankfully Frank shook out of his phony morose. “Kyle just needs to find a mate.” He smiled suddenly, the expression putting her on guard. “When I heard you were back in town, I’d hoped you two might make a go of it.” Bile burned in her throat.
No way can he think that is a compliment or that Kyle has a
chance in hell of getting in my pants.

Her face must have shown surprise because he quickly added, “But I hear that’s impossible now. What with Caleb claiming you as mate.” He squinted at her neck and shoulder as if he could see through her sweater. “Of course if he hasn’t marked you…” She nearly choked. This was another thing she hated about shifter logic. If she said Caleb hadn’t, she would be considered fair game. If she said he had, the whole town would be planning a wedding. Since she didn’t like either option she settled for a noncommittal, “Hmm.” Though her sense of smell was, at times, unpleasantly acute, her hearing and eyesight was only marginally better than human, so when lights flicked through the bare branches lining the dirt road leading to her house, it caught her by surprise. Thankful for any interruption from Frank’s shrewd gaze, she flicked her eyes away from his, keeping him in her peripheral. The lack of attention made the shifter frown and he swiveled on his heels. “Expecting company?” His tone held a bite of accusation Tess found more than a little annoying.

Her hands fisted and she wrapped them around her middle. Oh yeah she was expecting company. And hot, sweaty monkey sex, with a steamy, dreamy shifter. But she only cleared her throat, and lied. “No.”

The nearly full moon showcased the vehicle as it came into view and Tess nearly sagged against the doorframe in relief. Caleb. She slanted her eyes at Frank, and then pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at his expression. He looked as if he’d just swallowed a lemon.

Wonder what that’s all about.

Silence spread as they watched Caleb drive into the clearing. Just when Tess thought he would wheel right past the house and head straight into the surrounding woods, he braked hard, sending a large plume of snow to cover both his truck and Frank’s seventy thousand dollar gas guzzler. Frank muttered something unflattering under his breath and Tess coughed to cover a laugh. Evidently the animosity was reciprocated.

When she caught sight of Caleb, her pulse shot into high gear. He didn’t just walk toward her, he stalked, his gait smooth and purposeful as the strong column of his thighs ate up the short distance. His dark eyes gleamed hot when they settled on her, then he glanced at Frank and back again, the dark depths questioning. Though she gave a barely noticeable shrug, she knew he saw the huge SOS in her own eyes because his jaw tightened and his eyes went cold and flat.

“Kolter,” Caleb said in a way that made Tess think of broken glass, cool and sharp.

“Sheriff,” Frank tilted his head back slightly in a pompous greeting.

The lines drawn, Caleb sauntered up the porch steps to her side and then shifted to stand slightly in front of her, which in turn forced Frank back a few paces or risk being stepped on.

Though he didn’t touch her, Tess could feel Caleb’s warmth and protection wrap around her like a velvety blanket, and she welcomed the sensation. This was more than the mating heat working its strange magic to overpower her fierce independence. This was trust. The last man she trusted had left when she needed him the most. Her father. Though as an adult she understood the reasons, logic didn’t enter in the psychology of a broken home and the potential everlasting affects. The need for baby steps was paramount. Her wolf half, on the other hand, wanted to howl in satisfaction and pounce, clawing for a mile when Tess could only handle an inch.

First things first. Every shifter knew the strength of Caleb’s loyalty to Dean, which included Dean’s righteous trouncing of Frank to become alpha of the pack. In his own right, Caleb could easily squash the older shifter like a bug, but Frank was crafty and never forgot a slight. Two wolves at odds, and obviously hating each other, could make the current situation turn into an explosion of temper and fur.

“Sheriff,” Tess said, purposely softening her voice to create a calming effect. “I’m glad you stopped by. Something was brought to my attention earlier which requires your professional opinion.” She glanced at Frank, flashing the man a sheepish smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I do apologize, Mr. Kolter. I have a private matter to discuss with the sheriff. As a concerned citizen and wealthy business man, you’ll understand how something that at first might seem a small glitch can quickly turn into a costly obstruction.”

As expected, the purposely inflated and vague explanation confused the shifter if the way his forehead creased in a frown was any indication. However, the element regarding his status in the community played to his ego, as Tess knew it would. His shoulders straightened and his face smoothed into a look of pure benevolence. “Of course, my dear.” He reached for her hand, ignoring Caleb’s subtle growl of warning. “Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.” Then, as if he had a death wish, Frank pressed his lips to her knuckle.

Tess willed away the instinctive need to yank her hand away and scrub it on her jeans.

“Thank you for stopping by.”

“As if I could resist.” Frank nodded once to Caleb who responded likewise. The silence stretched while the two shifters stared each other down.

Rolling her eyes, Tess said, “Sheriff, please come inside. I’d like to get this over with as quickly as possible.”

Caleb’s lips twisted in a feral grin as he answered her, his eyes never leaving Frank’s.

“I’m all yours… mate.”

Groaning silently at the ring of possession in his words, Tess backed into the house and headed at a fast clip to the kitchen where she could make some soothing tea. She was freezing.

Unlike the males whose body temperature ran at a canine’s level, female shifters had a core temperature a few degrees below a normal human, and the cold affected them deeply. By not allowing Frank in the house she’d subjected her body to the icy night air. Not enough to do any serious damage, but enough that she had a numb nose and ached down to her bones.

She pulled out a mug from the cabinet, filled it with water and popped it in the microwave to heat. Then she dug around for a teabag.

“What the hell was Frank doing here?”

Tess looked over her shoulder to see Caleb glowering at her, his mouth hard and angry.

“Supposedly to apologize for his son’s behavior.”

“You need to stay away from him,” he bit off.

She turned to face him, leaning against the counter. A since of deja vu crept over her.

While Caleb was, once again, angry, this time she was only mildly annoyed. “I know that, Caleb.

I do possess a strong sense of self-preservation, not to mention a black belt in karate.” He just stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “He’s a slippery SOB. You can’t trust him.”

“Well then I guess I’ll just have to rescind my invitation to tea tomorrow, won’t I?” As thunder brewed in his eyes, a noise that sounded like laughter tinkled up from her hip.

They both looked at her waist for a moment before she remembered. “Kaylie.” How could she have forgotten her sister?

She plucked up the phone, saying “All’s well. Thanks and nighty-night.” Hanging up over her sister’s protests, she turned the phone off and set it on the counter.

“And that?’ Caleb asked, shoving his hands into his jean’s pocket. His coat hung over a kitchen chair, revealing his change of clothing. Instead of the plaid flannel from earlier, he now wore a dark green, long-sleeve Henley that molded to his chest. Knowing what was under that shirt made her mouth water for a taste, and a nip or two.

She fought to get back on track. “Kaylie. We were talking when Frank stopped by.” Caleb’s lips turned down at the mention of the other shifter’s name and Tess quickly concluded,

“She wanted me to keep the line open to hear what he said.”

He seemed stunned for a moment and the microwave beeped. She added the tea bag and some honey to the water. “Just as a precaution.”

“You two do that often?”

“Only in uncomfortable situations.” Or to cover their butts.

“Smart.”

“Necessary.”

With her tea doctored, she returned her focus to Caleb. He stood across the kitchen from her, as far away as the room allowed. It was disconcerting, the distance, the lack of heat in his eyes. So at odds from the slow burn making her chest ache and her thighs quiver that she actually wanted to run away and hide. Did he no longer want her? She gave herself a mental smack in the head. This mate thing was making her crazy. Wading into new territory always played havoc with her confidence and this budding relationship, yep, she was going there, was as foreign to her as the Chinese language. Of course he still wanted her. He just hadn’t stopped by to jump her bones. He’d come to talk with her about what she might have seen on the highway.

She dropped her head back on her shoulders and sighed, unintentionally exposing her slender neck.

Caleb made a harsh sound of raw frustration low in his throat and Tess raised her head.

His brown eyes had bled to amber, his features shifting from professional detachment to furious hunger in the space of a heartbeat.

“You’re killing me,” he growled in a strained tone, one hand dragging roughly through his hair. “I want you so much my hands are shaking. I know the second I touch you I won’t stop until I have you under me. Until I’m deep inside you, and I can’t do that right now.” Her face flushed, pleasure zinging through her at his words. All her hormones could think was
now, now, now.
Right here and now nothing was more important than having this man between her thighs. The rush of moisture that gathered between said thighs was proof enough.

Caleb’s nostril’s flared and he cursed. “Damn it, Tess. I’m barely holding on to my control here.”

He looked anguished, his breathing rapid, the muscles in his jaw twitching. She couldn’t help herself. She glanced down at his groin. A delicious bulge pushed against his fly with enough force that Tess could see each individual straining button. Her breathing quickened. The anticipation of releasing all that hard flesh had her blood heating faster than hot tea ever could.

The remaining part of her brain that still functioned warned her to wait, get the police business over with and then go for broke. Her inner wolf snarled in fury.
Take now, work later
. Here was a dilemma. Should she listen to the good girl or bad wolf? She licked her lips in consideration and Caleb pressed a hand to the very spot she ogled, groaning softly. Oh yeah. Bad wolf is taking charge. She took a step forward.

Caleb held up a hand, palm out as if to ward her away. “You’re not really having tea with Kolter tomorrow, are you?”

She sighed, resigning to good girl mode. “No, Caleb. I was being sarcastic.” His eyes narrowed. “Did he touch you?”

She shook her head. “Only the slobber on the hand and he only did that to piss you off.”

“It worked. Did he… smell odd to you?”

She wrinkled her nose in memory. “Actually, he did. Like coffee and watermelons. I didn’t know if it was a funky cologne that combined with his natural scent or what.” Caleb grunted. “Shifters don’t normally use perfumes. Strong scents can give us headaches. Besides, Frank doesn’t normally smell like coffee and watermelons.” The last was little more than a murmur as he frowned in thought. “Did he say anything else?”

“Just that he blamed himself for allowing his sons too much freedom. Oh, and of course how the loss of their mother made taking care of his family harder.”

“Huh.” He seemed to process that information. “How long ago did she die?” Tess nearly choked on a snort of laughter. “Geez, Caleb. How long have you lived here?

Melissa didn’t die. She left them, as in packed her bags and skedaddled. About nine years ago.

The boys were definitely old enough to take care of themselves, even if they did still live at home. Frank rarely talks about his wife and when he does, he uses roundabout words in a sad tone so people think she died. Maybe that’s how he deals with her leaving.”

“Maybe he’s an ass.” He rested his hands on his hips.

She grinned. “Most of the town agrees.”

“Okay. Did he threaten you in anyway?”

As their conversation had taken an easy albeit interrogational flow, she automatically responded. “Only by suggesting his hopes that Kyle and I…”

Caleb’s sudden roar obliterated her words. Yes, the man actually roared. He tilted his head back and let out a sound so loud and full of wrath that the windows shook. “Fucker!” Tess watched the loss of temper and subsequent swear words and death threats in silence, though she needed to smoosh her lips together to stop the giggle tickling the roof of her mouth.

A minute went by. She took a sip of tea. Another minute passed. She finished her tea and set the mug in the sink. Finally Caleb reigned in his rage. “Sorry,” he said, his voice hoarse, face red from anger or embarrassment. Probably some of both.

She nodded once, one side of her mouth curling up in an easy smile. “Accepted.” He held still, watching her carefully as if waiting for some kind of retaliation or criticism.

When it became apparent that neither would occur, he let out a relieved sigh. “Tell me about your drive back from the hospital this afternoon.”