Chapter Three
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The long drive gave EmmaLee time to think about Slater, Connor, and her research. She had been harsh with Connor—or rather she’d been a bit too stubborn—regarding her desire to stay in Billard. The Internet was everywhere. Her research was important but not more important than her life.
Be honest, Em.
Okay, the real reason she’d been hesitant to spend more time with Connor was that there was something about her bodyguard that made her want to hug him, tell him everything would be okay, and then give him some love. Why he needed it, she wasn’t sure. From what Vinea said, the McKinnon parents were loving and wonderful. The problem was if he rebuffed her, she’d be devastated.
Sure, Connor might have made a tactical error with that woman Caroline Andrews, but he seemed to be dealing with other issues too and had bottled them up. She was no psychologist, but all this turmoil couldn’t be good for his health. As much as she would have enjoyed peeling back his hard exterior, it would only make her want him more. In the end, she decided to steel her heart against his bad boy charm. She just wasn’t strong enough to resist him.
So why had she agreed to go with Connor to Silver Lake? Her sympathy for him had won out. Hopefully that hadn’t been a critical error on her part.
EmmaLee glanced over at him, his eyes straight ahead and focused on the road. All through Georgia, his hands had a firm grasp on the wheel, as if he feared relaxing them, even for one second, would result in something bad happening.
Once they crossed the Tennessee border however, the deep etched lines around his eyes and mouth softened. It was as if he believed they’d finally be safe from Slater—at least for a while—and his improved attitude helped her anxiety levels too.
Three and a half hours after leaving Billard, they arrived in Silver Lake, and she was quite impressed with the little town. Compared to Billard, the sidewalks were cleaner, the shops had newer looking awnings, and the business signs appeared to have been freshly painted. Maybe staying here would be a nice change. Yes, it would be tough to lose her income for a few weeks, but EmmaLee had paid April’s rent in advance, giving her some financial security.
Her coworkers always accused EmmaLee of finding the proverbial silver lining in everything, but right now she was struggling. All she could come up with was that this move would allow her to see Connor in a different light—as a leader of men, a controller of fate—and possibly learn more about shifters in general. She wasn’t sure how she could make it happen, but she’d love to watch him interact with the men who worked for him to see if he was as distant with them as he often was with her.
The downside to being here was not only the loss of income, it was not being in Billard when the archaeologist, Wilmer Crenely, came to town. He had discovered some ancient bones in Africa that were believed to be flying dinosaurs, claiming they might be the precursors to dragons. Dragons!! She could only hope that in the coming week or two she might be able to video chat with him.
“EmmaLee?” Connor asked.
She jerked her attention back to him. “Yes?”
“This is Silver Lake’s Main Street.”
She’d figured as much. “I like it. It’s very charming.”
One side of his lips hitched upward. “I like it too.”
They passed by some restaurants, a hardware store, and a rather brightly colored flower shop. Once through town, the area turned more rural. While the leaves had yet to sprout on the dormant trees, the many pines gave the roadside a welcome splash of green.
She’d never asked how far out of town his parents lived, but when he pulled through a gated entrance about two miles past the center, she couldn’t be more pleased. “This is really beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Connor nodded toward a side street. “Down that road is my house.”
Butterflies beat against her stomach. She’d be close to him, but she couldn’t be sure if that would be a good or a bad thing. Close meant he could check up on her if she decided to go for a walk, making her feel as if she lived in a fishbowl. The good part was that she might see him interact with his friends and maybe even his family.
The road turned to hard packed dirt. One block later, a two-story brick home, surrounded by elegant landscaping appeared at the end of a paved drive. He turned in.
“Your parents live here?”
He chuckled. “Yes.”
Wow! Without further explanation, he headed a hundred feet past the house where another home appeared. The one-story brick house matched the larger home in style, though not in size. “It’s really cute,” she said.
Connor pulled to a stop. “I’m glad you like it.”
He slipped out of the SUV, and she waited for him to open her door. When they were in Billard, he’d insisted she not jump out and become a target. Even though she doubted that applied here, she waited for him, appreciating that he still wanted to keep her safe.
Slater never opened my door.
Stop comparing them that little voice in her head said.
Once inside the guesthouse, he led her through the living room to the bedroom. “It’s small,” he said, “but it should suit your needs.”
“Small? You saw my place.”
Connor had the decency to smile. “You have a point.”
Deciding to unpack later, she followed him back through the living room into the kitchen. The rooms were open-concept, making them look large in the quaint home. Connor stepped over to the refrigerator and pulled it open. “I see my mom has been here.”
EmmaLee sidled next to him and peeked in. The fridge was stocked with eggs, milk, bread, cheese, and an assortment of fruit. “She bought all this? For me?”
Before he could comment, someone knocked on the door. When he didn’t tense, she figured he knew who it was.
“Must be my mom. She probably saw me drive in.” Connor opened the front door and once more EmmaLee followed him.
“Hey, Mom.” He kissed the older woman on the cheek then lifted something from her hands. “Come on in.”
As soon as his mother stepped in, Mrs. McKinnon’s gaze shot to her. “You must be EmmaLee.”
“I am.” She ran a hand over her mussed blonde hair. This was not how she’d expected to meet the family—tired looking and without makeup.
His mother was tall and trim, making EmmaLee wonder if shifters resembled their animal counterpart. Would werebears be quite large and dragons enormous? If she had been a shifter, she wondered what she’d have been. A fox perhaps? Assuming there was a blonde fox breed.
When his mom hugged her, EmmaLee tensed, mostly because she wasn’t used to affection. The aunt she lived with certainly never gave her much.
“Welcome to Silver Lake,” Mrs. McKinnon said.
“Thank you.”
“Is Dad home?” Connor asked, placing the casserole his mother had brought with her on the kitchen counter.
“He is.”
“Would you mind chatting with EmmaLee while I speak to him about something? I’ll only be a few minutes.”
This was totally uncharacteristic of him. He never trusted anyone before to watch over her.
“I’d be happy to.”
Since his mom was also a werewolf, she probably could defend both of them against Slater. As soon as Connor left, his mom faced her. “I’m so glad Connor was able to convince you to move here. I know how hard it must have been to leave your old life behind.”
She sounded like she believed EmmaLee would be here permanently. “I merely took a leave of absence. As soon as the man who attacked me is caught, I will return home.”
A dark shadow crossed her face but disappeared as quickly. “If Connor has anything to do with it, the man will be as good as gone. Have you two had lunch?” Her tone switched from proud yet serious to upbeat.
“No.” After they spoke with Drew, Connor had made her pack then rush out.
“Then how about some now? I made a casserole.”
EmmaLee was blown away by her kindness. “That would be great. What can I do to help?”
“Just rest. I’m not used to having Connor out of town for so long, and I miss doing nice things for him. My husband fusses too much to let me pamper him.”
She almost choked. In the last few days, after she started to feel like her old self again, she’d tried to cook for Connor, but he rarely let her, saying he was capable of taking care of himself. “He’s okay with that?”
His mom waved a hand. “No, but I try to do it anyway. If Finn—he’s my youngest son—weren’t so busy, I could dote on him. He and Connor are the last to find a mate, and I want to take advantage of them being single for as long as I can. I have Chelsea, who’s Finn’s twin, and she loves the attention. Even though my children are adults, and some are mated now, it fills my heart to take care of them in little ways.”
“It sounds like you have a wonderful family.” Vinea had mentioned how closely knit they were. Her friend had also commented how hard it had been for her to gain their acceptance. That wasn’t surprising, given she had been a goddess from the dark realm.
His mom smiled. “We do, and you? Do you have family in Georgia?”
A knife-like ache stabbed her. “Not any longer. Both my parents died fourteen years ago.” Or rather, they were murdered, but EmmaLee wasn’t ready to talk about that. The case had never been solved and most likely never would be.
“I’m sorry. Losing both must have been so hard.”
“It was.”
“Did you live with relatives then?”
“Yes.” At times, she’d believed it was worse than living on the streets and fending for herself.
*
“Do you have any idea where this Coghill fellow is?” Connor’s dad asked.
“No, and that worries me. The Billard police have no leads either. I doubt he’s left town for good. His things are still in his apartment.”
“As I told you before, we’re happy to have EmmaLee stay at the guesthouse, but wouldn’t you feel more comfortable if she stayed in the office safe room?”
“It’s occupied at the moment.”
His father padded over to the refrigerator. “I see. Will you join me for a beer?”
“Sure.” It didn’t matter it was only lunchtime.
His dad handed him a bottle and motioned they should sit at the table. “Tell me what’s really going on. What are you hiding?”
Connor debated not telling his dad the truth, but he needed the guidance. “I never could hide anything from you, could I? Okay, here it is: EmmaLee is my mate.”
His dad’s grin nearly touched his ears. “That’s fantastic, son. Then what’s the problem?” His eyes darkened, and his smile disappeared. “Doesn’t she want to mate with you?”
“I’ve not asked her. You must know how hard it is being around her now. Even if the safe room were unoccupied, if I put her there, I wouldn’t be able to get any work done. My wolf would go berserk if she were that close. Plus, EmmaLee doesn’t know she’s my mate.”
“Why not? When I first met your mom, I told her right away.”
“There’s a difference. Mom was a shifter; she would have already known she was your mate before you told her.” Connor had heard the story of their meeting many times. “Though if I recall, Mom told you to take a hike.”
Dad waved a hand. “She was playing hard to get.”
“EmmaLee is not that way. She likes me, but she’s cautious. It’s almost as if she thinks I might harm her.”
His father tipped back his beer. “She knows you’re a shifter, right?”
“Yes. She’s Vinea’s friend. Devon’s mate told her everything about our world and hers.”
“I don’t see the problem then.”
He didn’t need this pressure. Connor was under enough stress as it was. “Remember her ex-boyfriend beat her up, repeatedly. It’s why I’m protecting her.”
“Because of that you think she’s not ready to commit to a relationship?”
“Wouldn’t you be afraid?”
His father leaned back in his seat, twisting the beer bottle in his hands. “How well do you know her?”
“Just what I told you.”
His dad shook his head. “Son, if you plan to mate with her, you need to understand her.”
“I understand enough. She’s intelligent, inquisitive, and determined to get her master’s degree.”
“I’ll ask again. What’s the problem?”
“She’s obsessed with learning more about shifters—dragon shifters in particular.” He held his breath waiting to see if his all-knowing dad would shed some light on whether they existed.
“Dragons. Are you kidding me?”
Damn. “Yes. She’s convinced they are real.”
“Maybe they are.”
“Not you too!” Connor said. Was he the only skeptic?
“Listen. Figure out why she’s obsessed, and you might learn to understand her better. Communication is the key to a good relationship. Without it, life can be hard. This applies to everyone. Remember, EmmaLee isn’t a shifter, so she won’t get the signs like you do regarding being your mate. Be patient with her, son.”
His father’s words resonated with him. “I’ll try.”
“Good, now what else can I do to help?”
“Make sure nothing happens to her while I’m at work.”
“Fine. How much freedom are you willing to give her?”
*
Just as his mother pulled the casserole from the oven, Connor returned, and relief shot through her. For the last few weeks, Connor hadn’t left her side, and EmmaLee hadn’t realized how much she’d grown accustomed to him being close by.
His mom gave Connor a knowing look. “Have a good talk with Dad?”
“Yes.”
She smiled. “Good. I’ll leave you two alone then. The casserole is done. Let it cool a bit and then you both can have some lunch.” Mrs. McKinnon squeezed EmmaLee’s shoulder. “If you need anything else, please stop by. And feel free to make the place your own.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as she left, Connor motioned they sit at the table. “I hope she didn’t grill you too much,” he said.
“No, she was amazingly sweet. You’re lucky to have a mom like that.”
“I am. Sorry I left you, but I wanted to speak with my dad and ask if he could watch you while I’m a work.”
Talk about bursting her bubble. Not that she expected Connor to stay with her, but—well, she hadn’t thought he’d keep her jailed in the guesthouse with a babysitter. She had hoped he’d wanted her to stay at his office. He’d told her it contained a safe room. “Am I allowed to leave here?” It was one of the draws of being one state away from Slater.
“If you remain in the compound, you should be safe.”
“You mean this gated community?”
“Yes. We call it a compound because everyone here is a shifter. You’ll be safe. Dad and Rye will make certain everyone is aware of what’s happened to you. I’ve asked my brother to circulate a photo of Slater so they can apprehend him if he shows up.”
Having everyone know what a sap she’d been would make her uncomfortable, but that couldn’t be helped. “Do you have to give them the sordid details?”
“They needed to know what they’re up against, which is that Slater Coghill is dangerous. That’s all.”
“Okay.” Having all those shifters look out for her did help calm her. “Who’s Rye?”
“He’s my older brother. He’s also our Clan’s Alpha.”
“Oh. Does that make you the Beta?”
His eyes widened. “You have been doing your homework, but no, the Beta is Kalan Murdoch. His father was the Beta before him.”
She needed to change a few things in her thesis. “Got it.”
“I know this won’t be easy for you, but give me a few days to figure out where it’s safe for you to go outside of the compound.”
That was all she could ask for. “Thanks.”
He sniffed. “This casserole smells amazing. Let’s eat. I’ve missed my mom’s cooking.”
She inhaled but couldn’t smell much. Then she remembered about a shifter’s acute sense of smell. Connor stepped over to the kitchen counter, picked up the potholders, and carried the dish to the table.
“What should I do?” she asked.
He returned to the kitchen and removed two plates from the cabinet. He handed her one. “Just help yourself.”
What she’d really like to do was help herself to him.