A Summer in Paradise Page 3

  He didn’t really care one way or the other. All that really mattered was that she belonged to them. They’d known all along it was Gemma Alexander’s sister that ogled them at the lake during their visits so long ago. They just didn’t know which one. At first they’d thought perhaps it was Gemma and that was why she’d stayed, but then realized it wasn’t. That was when they realized it had to have been one of her younger sisters. He grimaced at the thought that they may have bared themselves to a fourteen year old Crystal and almost gagged. Neither of them were pedophiles.

  They should have known it wasn’t Gemma. She had always had a thing for the two men who eventually became her mates. What was it about the two Alexander girls that made them able to be around the men who would eventually become their mates without triggering the el calor? Was it the fact that they were human, or was it because they hadn’t been mature enough?

  Duncan liked to think it was because the girls hadn’t been adults. The last thing he wanted to do was kill a man because he’d gone mad while waiting for his mate to become an adult.

  Deep in thought, it almost didn’t register when he felt another nibble on the line and jerked the pole. The fish on the other end tried to escape, pulling and yanking on the line, giving him a good fight. It felt like a big one.

  “I think she’s Pearl.” Jarrod tilted his head to the side. “I think Crystal was a blonde.”

  “Yeah. She was. And, at the time, Crystal was way too young to want to look at a couple of naked guys.” Duncan said with a chuckle as he pulled the large fish from the water.

  As he had suspected, the fish was a big one. It was probably worth stuffing, but he was more worried about providing for his mate at the moment than seeing this whopper of a walleye hanging on his wall.

  “See, you asshole. There are walleye in this lake.” He grinned as he held the fish up for Jarrod’s inspection. “Hell, this one’s huge. I won’t need to catch anymore today.” He took the fish from the line, hooked it to the stringer and dropped it back into the water. “What do you say to heading back to the cabin to start cooking dinner for her while she cools off in the river?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Jarrod smiled. “She needs the swim if she’s even half as worked up as I am. With the way she smelled, she was worked up.” He stood, walked over to the bushes and picked up their clothes and tackle box. “You go ahead and get the fish. I got all of this.”

  The two of them made their way back to the cabin, raided the garden and started their meal. They left Pearl to herself to get used to the idea that she’d spend her evening with them.

  Duncan couldn’t wait—even if they did nothing more than talk all night. He’d waited years to see her, to scent her once again. Both he and Jarrod had spent the last several years worrying about her and wondering if they would find her too late to claim her. As much as they might have wanted to, they could never have attacked a human male for loving her the way they had planned.

  It was their fault she’d gone without warning. In fact, neither of them could blame her for doing so. He and Jarrod thought they had years to get to know her, to court her, when they had noticed her so long ago.

  They’d been planning a coup d’etat with the current alpha and hadn’t wanted to involve an innocent female. If they would have been caught, she could have been punished whether she knew about it or not. With the way the old council was, he had no doubt her punishment would have been severe.

  They had hoped to come home one more time to get her and her sisters out of Paradise before the battle, but she’d disappeared, taking her siblings with her, or so they had thought.

  It wasn’t until after the battle raged for months that they learned her sister, Gemma, had remained with their adoptive parents and had endured a shit-storm of abuse. That alone drove every shifter worth a damn to finally take action at the treatment of an innocent, human female and join their cause. It had turned the tide of their war. Even the elder shifters who had thought themselves too old to join the battle took a stance when they learned of the abuse poor Gemma suffered.

  Afraid to make the little human even more self-conscious, no one told her that she was the reason for the final revolt that had decided the outcome of their years long war. The influx of the experienced elders helped them win Paradise back from the tight grip of tyranny.

  They finally won and that was what mattered. The town and its people had taken a long road to healing all of the deep wounds, but finally, they were reaching the end. Only a few remained who needed the love and guidance of their people to return to their rightful home in a town that could, once and for all, live up to its name.

  “Are we ready?” Jarrod looked over his shoulder. “It smells like dinner is.”

  “Yes. It’s almost ready, but not because you did anything to help.”

  “Hey! I’m the one who dug up the potatoes, carrots and onions to make this meal complete, you ass.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Duncan said with a grin. “I just hope she likes it.”

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  They had just opened the door to go find Pearl when they heard her scream.

  Chapter Seven

  After an hour and a half in the water, Pearl began to wonder what the guys were up to. She trusted them not to take off with her gear. Heck, she’d practically known them for years. If Pearl knew even one thing about them, she knew they were honorable.

  That was the main reason she never approached them before. She knew they would never make a move on her until she turned eighteen.

  She’d also known she couldn’t stick around long enough to reach an appropriate age. Crystal had been safe as long as she hadn’t started her menses, but at fourteen, her time was running out and they knew they had to get her out of Paradise before her scent changed.

  The two of them knew they had to get their fourteen year-old sister out of Paradise before some sick bastard took a liking to her and forced himself on her. It was bad enough that she and Gemma had to endure their sick pawing. They had both refused to allow their little sister to be subjected to it as well.

  It had taken Pearl years to heal. She suspected it took Gemma at least as long. The road back to mental health had been a long one, filled with pitfalls and many, many winding side roads. It had felt like forever before she could look at a man without wondering if he was trying to figure out a way to get her alone so he could violate her. It had been even more years before she overcame her fear of the dark, elevators and just plain being alone.

  After thousands of dollars spent on counseling sessions, Pearl was her own woman once again. Fear no longer ruled her actions or her life. The sick bastards who took away her right to choose, who stole her control over her life for that space in time, lost the hold they had over her.

  Now she had the control. She lived her life for herself. Pearl was through hiding from solitude and the darkness. She had come home this one last time to prove it—to herself as much as to any man left who was party to her violation.

  Pearl drifted on the current, the cool water washing around her, but not fully cooling her blood. She relaxed, listening to the silence and enjoying her time alone. She smiled, knowing that just two short years ago, doing this very thing would have terrified her.

  A sound in the bushes drew her attention and she smiled. It was most likely one of the men coming to see what was taking her so long. She sat up and looked toward the shore, her smile still in place.

  She turned warily when she heard the sound again. It couldn’t be one of the men. The noise came from the wrong side of the river.

  As quietly as she could, Pearl made her way to the bank. It was most likely nothing and she could laugh at herself later for freaking out over a rabbit scaring the crap out of her. However, life had taught her to be cautious. Just as she bent to retrieve her towel, a feral boar charged from the brush and headed for the river.

  With a scream, Pearl took off running, glad that she had decided to wear her river shoes into the wa
ter. At least she wasn’t running through the woods with bare feet.

  Damn! Wasn’t this just her luck? Sure, she’d had the thought that she just might get eaten tonight, but this wasn’t quite what she had in mind.

  Pearl ran as fast as she could toward the cabin, looking back occasionally as she heard the boar getting closer and closer. It crashed through the woods behind her, making the most fearsome noises she had ever heard in her life.

  With one last yelp, Pearl dove toward the nearest tree with a branch low enough to climb onto. Once higher in the tree, she sat and waited. Sooner or later, Duncan and Jarrod would wonder where she was and come looking. She only had to hold on until then.

  It was a good thing she wasn’t up here on this mountain alone like she’d originally planned. One thing was for sure, once the wild boar got a good look at what the two men could shift their shape into, it would take off. Either that, or it would stand and fight and the three of them could make use of the small smokehouse situated behind the cabin.

  She had only been in the tree for a minute or two when two large Jaguars burst into the clearing. The largest of the two hit the boar hard. They went tumbling into the brush as the jaguar growled, its large paws swatting at the animal. The boar squealed its frustration at losing its prize to a larger predator and fought back for a moment. It must have realized it was outmatched. After a few lunges where it met air or a large clawed paw, it turned and ran.

  Pearl stared down at the remaining cat and smiled. “I knew you’d get here in time to save me from that porker.”

  The air shimmered around the big cat as it shifted, finally changing into the man who stood grinning at her, naked.

  Returning his grin, Pearl rested her hands on her thighs and tilted her head to the side. “Why is it that I’m always seeing you naked?” She slapped her hand over her mouth too late to keep from revealing herself.

  Duncan just shook his head and chuckled. “What makes you think we weren’t getting naked just to impress you?

  Heat rushed to her face and Pearl pressed the palms of her hands to her cheeks. Had they really came here just to sun themselves in the nude, just for her?

  Duncan laughed again as he turned to look through the woods where they had last seen Jarrod chase after the boar. “I don’t believe you thought we always got naked like that.” He shrugged. “We like each other, but not that much.” Turning back, he winked at her. “If you know what I mean.”

  Oh, she knew what he meant all right and she never once thought that of them. Not that it would have mattered. She wasn’t sure the thought of the two of them being into each other would arouse her, but it didn’t quite turn her off either.

  “You were fast.”

  He looked back up at her. “We were on our way out the door when we heard you scream.” Smiling, he held his hands up. “Need help down now?”

  Pearl climbed down a few branches until she felt his hands circle her waist and lift her down. Her heart slammed in her chest when he set her down and turned her around to inspect her for injuries.

  Though, he seemed only to touch her to see if she was all right, Pearl’s nipples hardened with anticipation. She felt her face heat once again. If he noticed she would just die. She looked everywhere but him as he ran his hands lightly over her skin.

  “You’re all right then? He didn’t bite or gore you?”

  “No.” Pearl shook her head. She held her fists pressed against her sides. As he continued his inspection, she made one of her own. “I managed to get to the tree before he caught me. I’m just glad I heard him coming to the river.”

  “Me too.”

  As Duncan knelt down to inspect her legs and ankles, Pearl studied his broad, sun-kissed shoulders. He’d always been muscular, but she thought perhaps he’d thickened up a bit since she left.

  “So, what were you two doing up here besides losing your fishing gear?” Pearl wanted to keep their conversation light. She didn’t know what she would do if he stood and realized she’d practically been drooling over him. Die from mortification came to mind.

  “We were just contemplating leaving Paradise to go in search of our mate.”

  Pearl didn’t expect the shaft of pain that shot straight to her heart at the thought of her men with another woman.

  “Your mate?” Pearl squeezed her eyes shut. God, did that pathetic sounding voice really come from her?

  Taking a deep breath, she swallowed. She didn’t need a man, or men. If she could, she’d get these two to screw her brains out, hopefully get her pregnant, then leave for Scotland. She wanted a baby, but she didn’t necessarily need a man, or two, in her life permanently. She pushed the melancholy thoughts away and stepped back. She needed to keep her distance before she fell in love with them all over again.

  Too late. The warning came from a little voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like herself.

  She looked at Duncan and bit her lip. God help her if she’d really fallen in love with these two again. She shook her head slowly as she continued to stare. It didn’t matter now. In a few weeks, she would be on her way to Scotland in search of a new life and a new career. She just couldn’t take the chance that Glenn would find her here. Pearl wanted a life and children, but she knew she couldn’t bring her troubles to them. She would have to stick to her original plans. A summer in Paradise was all she could manage.

  Chapter Eight

  Jarrod plowed into the boar, his claws digging into the other animal’s flesh. Death was on his beast’s mind as it attacked the large boar that threatened his mate.

  The other animal squealed when he bit down on its neck and Jarrod came to his senses. He couldn’t kill this animal for being hungry or just being itself. Perhaps Pearl was near its home and he attacked to protect it. Jarrod knew little about feral swine.

  The boar took advantage of his hesitation and scrambled free of his hold. Jarrod gladly chased the other animal through the woods. He wanted it away from Pearl. He didn’t want to hurt the thing. He only wanted to scare it off.

  It never crossed his mind that the boar could be another shifter, until it reached the edge of a cliff and leapt over the side. An animal would have felt cornered and turned to fight.

  Running to the edge, Jarrod looked down to see the large hog plunge into the river below. It surfaced as a man and swam to the other side. The only distinguishing characteristic he could see was that whoever it was had light-colored hair.

  He snarled down at the man, his jaguar pawing the ground. He would have leapt over the cliff as well, to continue his pursuit, but his animal side fought him. It wanted to return to its mate. Jarrod didn’t fight it. He wanted to make sure Pearl was all right as well. Turning around, he headed back to the cabin, sure that Duncan would already have her inside and protected.

  He wanted to know who would do such a thing and since when did they have shifters that could turn into boars? Was it an all-shifter? They could turn into a person’s living room sofa if they wanted to.

  One thing was certain, whoever Pearl’s assailant was, he had a death wish, because no male would ever touch his mate with malice and live.

  Jarrod made his way back to the cabin. He used a longer circuitous route that spread his scent far and wide. If another shifter wanted to come for his mate, he would damn well be forewarned that she was protected and by what.

  After about an hour, he made his way to the cabin door. His dinner would be cold and it would most likely be dry, if Duncan didn’t eat it all. Still, it wasn’t the food that drew him, but the scent of their mate.

  He didn’t bother to knock. Instead, he opened the door and looked inside. What he saw, made him want to laugh, to shout with joy. Their mate was there and she was safe. Her luscious scent filled the room and made him feel welcome.

  Fire burned in his gut as he looked at her. Her scent nearly drove him wild. He burned for her in a way he had never burned for another woman. What was it about mates that cause such an intense reaction? He’d heard about i
t before. Others had told him about how a mate could seemingly turn him inside out.

  He never really believed it until now.

  “Don’t just stand there. Come on in.” Pearl smiled at him. She sat at the table in front of a clean plate.

  “Why haven’t you eaten?” he asked when he heard her stomach growl.

  He glared at Duncan. “Why haven’t you taken care of her needs?”

  “Don’t give me that look.” Duncan returned his glare with one of his own. “She wouldn’t eat without you.” He grinned. “She was worried.”

  Worried? What could she have been worried about? That boar couldn’t hurt him, even if it was a shifter—unless it was an all shifter. Then it could have changed into anything and ripped him to shreds.

  Jarrod was leaning toward it being a part of a species they didn’t know existed. Otherwise it would have changed into something else to gain the advantage. Instead, it had taken the cowardly way out and jumped over the cliff.

  Whoever the shifter was, Jarrod had his animal’s scent. If he ever changed back into his boar again and Jarrod was around, he would know and he would pursue it.

  No one threatened his mate without suffering the consequences. Animal instinct was one thing. Attacking as a shifter was another matter entirely.

  Turning his attention back to their mate, he watched nearly mesmerized as she reached over and patted the chair next to her. “Sit down. I’m starved. I can’t wait to eat. The fish smells wonderful.” She looked at Duncan and smiled. “It’s a good thing he didn’t cook it all the way before you guys went to get me. Otherwise it wouldn’t be fit to eat.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered as long as you had something for yourself.”

  “But what about you two?”

  He exchanged a knowing look with Duncan then turned his attention back to her. “I would have found something even more delicious to eat.” He lowered his eyelids and gave her a practiced look. “Perhaps I would have found something that would serve as a nice, creamy dessert.”