Chapter Seventeen
Emelise
She hated hospitals. Nothing good had ever come from visiting one. The tension in the air from so many sick and injured people and their worried families made it hard for her to breathe. As soon as the doors closed behind them she stopped and closed her eyes. Memories of the last time she was in a hospital threatened to overwhelm her and a soft mewl escaped from between her lips. Caine’s arms wrapping around her grounded her and brought her back to the present. She needed to get herself under control. Taking several deep breaths she let each one out slowly before she opened her eyes. “Thank you. I hate hospitals.” She felt the heat of embarrassment on her cheeks.
“No’ting to be embarrassed about, cher. You’ve had some bad experiences in hospitals.”
Emelise gave him a faint smile. “I suppose.” She refused to let the memories take hold again. “Let’s see if we can find Angie.”
A few minutes later found her sitting in a chair next to her stepmother. All four of her half siblings were there as well. “Have you heard anything yet?”
“Not yet but we should any time now.” Angie turned her attention to her children. “I know we were going to do this officially tomorrow but since we’re all here...Guys, this is Emelise. She’s the sister your dad told you about. Emelise, this is Connor, Gavin, Jaxon, and Ava.”
“Hi.” Eme nodded at each of them. “You can call me Eme. It’s nice to meet all of you I just wish it was anywhere else.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, finally. Dad’s told us a little about you. He didn’t really explain why he was never told about you, though.” Connor, the oldest of the four and several years younger than Emelise, watched her closely.
“That's a bit hard to explain. See, Mama never told me much about her side of the family and she never once talked about who my father was. I didn’t know until he and your Mama came to my club on opening night. I could wish it was different all I want but that won’t change the past. I just hope I get to know all of you now that we’ve been reunited. It was just me and Mama when I was growing up so this whole having lots of family members thing is new and a little overwhelming sometimes.”
“I like you.” Ava was the youngest. “You’re spunky.” She gave Emelise a shy smile.
Caine chuckled at Emelise’s side. “Dat she is.”
“Oh, crap. I’m so sorry. I’m forgetting my manners. This is my...boyfriend, Caine.” He was more than that but she wasn’t up to going into detail there at the hospital and she didn’t think it was appropriate to call him her ‘lover’ considering Ava wasn’t even in her teens.
“It’s all right, Angel. You’ve been a little distracted. Nice to meet y’all.” He nodded at her siblings before he noticed a doctor headed their way. “Looks like dey might finally have some answers.”
Emelise tensed at his side and leaned into him when he tightened his arm around her shoulder.
“Mrs. Winton? I’m sorry to keep you waiting so long. Your husband had a blood clot that broke off from a larger clot we found located in his right knee. Records show he had an injury to that knee a few years ago. Sometimes blood clots can form without there being any visible indication, as with your husband, which can make it difficult to catch before there is trouble. We’re giving him blood thinners to breakdown the clot and will keep him overnight to monitor his condition. He will have to be on blood thinners for six months after his release and he needs to follow up with his regular physician.”
“Oh thank God. I was so worried he’d had a heart attack,” Angie whispered. “Can we see him?”
“He’s being moved to a room in ICU. If you’ll follow me I’ll show you to his room so you can wait for him there.”
They all followed him to the elevators and stepped inside. Emelise felt almost weak with relief. She wasn’t an expert but she knew a blood clot in the heart could have killed her father just as easily as a heart attack could have. But that didn’t happen and she had time to get to know him after all. She hadn’t even had the chance to give him the letter from her mother yet. Eme would have never forgiven herself if he’d died without having had the chance to read it.
Emelise quietly followed behind her stepmother and siblings. It was still a little overwhelming for her to know she had such a large family when for so long it had been just her and her mother. When they reached the hospital room she hovered near the door to give the others some privacy.
Derrick lay in the bed with a disgruntled look on his face. “All this fussing over me, I’m fine,” he grumbled.
“You’re not ‘fine’, Derrick. You could have died.” Angie held her husband’s hand tightly. “I’m just so glad you didn’t try to hide it like you usually do when something is bothering you.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry, love. I just really dislike hospitals.”
From the door Emelise couldn’t help but snicker. “Good to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t like them.”
“Emelise? Don’t you have a big show at the club tonight?” He and Angie had planned on going before he’d started having the chest pains.
“I did, yeah. It ended a little bit ago. The club is in good hands. I trust my manager to close it up after the last customer is gone.” She stepped into the room and moved to the bedside. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to give you. I was going to do it tomorrow at dinner but since that’s on hold and I’m here now...” She pulled the sealed envelope from her bag. “I found this in a chest Mama had locked tight.”
Derrick took the letter and just held it.
“We're going down to the waiting room, give y'all some time together,” Emelise said before she moved to go to the door. She didn't want to barge in on their family time.
“Please stick around? I think you should be here when I read this,” Derrick told her.
“Sure,” Emelise agreed. She was quiet as she took a seat in the waiting room down the hall from his room..
Derrick
Half an hour later, Derrick was still holding the letter Emelise had given him. He'd cuddled with Sophie and joked with his sons, to try and ease the worry he saw on their faces. He hated that he'd put such fear in his children's eyes.
“Go ahead, honey. Read it. You've been holding onto that letter since Emelise gave it to you. Maybe the answers to some of those questions you have will be in there. I'll take the kids down to the cafeteria for a little bit and give you and Emelise some time together.”
“Thank you, love.”
“You're welcome.” She leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss. “I'll send Emelise in on our way to the elevators.”
Derrick was waiting when Emelise knocked. “Come on in.”
“Angie said you were ready to read the letter my Mama left you.”
“I am. Why don't you sit?” He waited until she sat in the chair beside the bed, with Caine standing behind her, before he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, here goes nothing.” He opened the envelope and took out the sheet of paper that was folded up inside it.
Dearest Derrick,
If you’re reading this then I’m gone and our daughter has done what I asked of her. I’m sure you have questions that I’m not here to answer in person but I’ll try to answer the ones I think you’ll have within this letter.
By now you’ve met Emelise and you’ll know she’s a bit of a firecracker, just like her Mama. If I know our girl, she’s told you everything she possibly can, including the fact that we’re shifters. I can just imagine your surprise. Oh, you knew, theoretically, that we existed, everyone does, but it’s so very different when you get to see it, isn’t it?
For the longest time, after I left, I thought about trying to get in touch with you. I admit, I kept some tabs on you because I wanted to know you were okay. I loved you and I didn’t want my Papa to blame you for me taking off. When I found out you’d gotten married, I knew you’d moved on, as you should, and I made myself let you go. There was always a place in my heart for you, though. You were my first love and you gave me the greatest gift a woman could ever ask for; an amazing daughter.
I’m sorry I never told you about her. When I realized I was pregnant, I panicked. I ran away because I knew my Alpha would make me get rid of the baby. He was a cruel man. Humans were beneath him and being with one, that was a sin in his eyes. I was sixteen and scared and I didn’t know how to tell you any of my secrets. I was afraid you’d want nothing to do with me or our baby. I was worried you’d be afraid of me. Or worse, that you’d be disgusted because I wasn’t human. So I ran and I kept the truth from you.
I know I should have contacted you, once Emelise was born. I started to. On more than one occasion I wrote a letter to you but fear kept me from sending them. Fear and shame.
Then you moved on. You started having babies with your wife. I told myself you didn’t need Emelise, you had them. It was selfish of me to keep her to myself. It took away your chance to know your daughter when she was a little girl, it robbed you of your chance to watch her grow up into such a wonderful young woman. And it took away her chance to know her father while she was growing up.
Please know that I didn’t maliciously set out to hurt anyone. I didn’t keep her from you out of spite or anger. I was a selfish girl who was too scared to admit she’d messed up by running in the first place.
I’m not proud of the choices I made. I’m not proud of the pain I know my choices have caused both you and our daughter. Emelise deserved better and so did you. All I can do is ask for your forgiveness.
~Adelaide
By the time he finished reading there were tears sliding silently down his cheek. “Oh, Adelaide, how could I possibly hate you when you gave me a gift too?” He shook his head and looked up at Emelise. “Although I wish I’d gotten to watch you grow up I’m glad I have the chance to get to know you now. Thank you for giving me this. It did answer some questions. You know you mother didn’t keep my identity from you to hurt you, right?”
Emelise
Emelise watched as her father read the letter her Mama had left him. She wondered what it said, but she would never invade his privacy by asking. At his question she nodded and smiled a little. “Yeah, I know. She wrote me a letter too. She also had one for both her parents. I gave them to her Mama since her Papa is gone. Mama didn’t mean to hurt anyone. She was sixteen, pregnant, and scared out of her mind. She did the best she could for me though and really, the way she raised me, it helped to make me the woman I am today. I don’t know that I would want it any other way.”
Caine leaned down and nuzzled her neck a moment. “I wouldn’t want you any other way, Angel. You’re perfect just as you are.”
Emelise smiled back at him. “Thanks.” She turned her attention back to her father. “We should get out of here and let you rest. I’ll go find Angie and let her know we’re leaving so she can come back. You need to focus on getting better because we still have that family dinner to do.”
Derrick chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
Eme leaned down and kissed his cheek. At the door she turned and waved goodnight then headed to the elevators. Once they were on the ground floor it didn’t take long to find the cafeteria. “Hey. We’re heading out of here. Would you like us to drop the kids off at your house? Or they could crash at my apartment,” Emelise offered to Angie, so that Angie wouldn't have to leave Derrick's side.
“Or dey can come out to da compound since I have more room den your tiny apartment,” Caine offered.Angie looked at her children for their input.
“I’m seventeen, I don’t need a babysitter,” Connor pointed out.
“Who said anything about a babysitter? Have you guys spent any time in the bayou before?” Emelise gave her younger brother an arched look.
“Not a whole lot, why?”
“Would you like to? Because that’s where Caine’s house is. He and his community have some land out in the bayou. It’s really pretty out there. You know, I’ll bet you know some of them and don’t even realize it. You’re only a little younger than my cousins, Adele and Auguste.”
“You’re cousins with Adele?” Connor perked up at that.
Eme knew that look. He had a crush. “Yep, I sure am.”
“I think it would be fun to go out to the bayou.” Ava said shyly.
Gavin and Jaxon both shrugged. “Sounds like fun,” they said almost in unison.
“Looks like you have your answer,” Angie replied. “Thank you for doing this, Emelise.”
“I want to. It’ll give us time to get to know each other a little. Come on, guys. We can go to your house first so you can get whatever you need for tonight and tomorrow. Call if there’s any change.”
“I will.” Angie turned to her children. “Be good and have fun, okay? Your dad’s going to be fine.” She hugged each of them in turn.
“Don’t worry about us, mom, we’ll be fine. Tell dad goodnight for us?” Connor was ever the spokesperson for the four of them.
“Of course.” Angie watched her kids follow Emelise out before she went back to the hospital room and her husband.
Emelise was glad Caine’s ‘car’ was an SUV because it had plenty of room for everyone. “You direct, Caine will drive, and we’ll go to your house so you guys can get some clothes and whatever else you need for tonight,” Emelise said once everyone was settled in the SUV.
“Do you think we’ll get to see any alligators?” Ava asked once they were on their way.
“Maybe. You like gators?” Emelise glanced back at her.
“Yeah, they’re really cool.”
“They’re also very dangerous,” Jaxon pointed out to her.
“I know that. I wouldn’t get close to one. I still think they’re cool.”
“You will definitely enjoy da bayou, cher.” Caine glanced back at her. “Dere are lots of cool tings, not just gators.”
Eme had a thought. Did Derrick and Angie fill them in on what she was? She sent a quick text off because she didn’t want something to happen to scare one of her half siblings. Angie, do the kids know I’m a shifter? I need to know how much I have to protect them from while they’re with me.
They know. Derrick wanted there to be no secrets. Expect Gavin and Ava to ask to see one of the leopards. They were really fascinated by it all.
That can be arranged. I’m glad they’re not totally freaked out by it. She couldn’t believe how accepting people were in New Orleans. It was so different from Phoenix.
She and Caine waited in the vehicle while Connor and the others headed into their home to pack a bag. Once that was done they headed to the docks. Emelise had spent so much time at Caine’s house that she’d left some clothes there in case she needed them. Now she was glad she did.
“Dad said you were a shifter. Is that true?” Gavin leaned forward in his seat as much as the seat belt would allow.
“Yes.” Eme waited to see where he was going with the question.
“How did that happen? I mean, dad isn’t a shifter.”
“No, he isn’t. My Mama was though. She died a little while ago. There was no guarantee that I’d be able to shift but I got lucky.”
“What do you mean?” This time it was Jaxon who spoke.
“When a shifter and a human have a child together, there’s a chance the child won’t be able to shift. He or she might have some of the other characteristics that mark them shifter- faster healing, greater speed and strength, that kind of thing- but they can’t shift to their animal form. Others are completely human.”
“How often does it happen that a shifter and a human have a kid together?”
Emelise was a little surprised to hear Connor ask the question. He’d seemed very disinterested in the discussion.
“Honestly, I don’t know but I’m betting it’s a good bit. Everyone wants to be happy, after all, and sometimes you can’t find that one person who seems to fit with the animal in you.” She glanced over at Caine. “And sometimes you get really lucky.”
“Will you change for us?” Ava piped up. “Or shift or whatever it’s called.”
“Sure, I can do that. I’ll have to do it in a different room though because I’ll have to get undressed first.” Her leopard was a bit smaller than Caine’s so it might be best if she was the one who shifted. “We call it shifting.” She smiled back at Ava. She was adorable. Between Mia’s newborn son, Elijah, little Lexi Caterini, whom she’d met the other day, her cousin Sophie, and now Ava, Emelise found herself longing for little ones of her own. What in the fuck was wrong with her? She shook her head and pushed the random thought away.
At the docks she let Caine help her onto the boat. “Watch your step so you don’t slip.” She reached out to steady Ava as she hopped down off the side of the boat. “Seriously, be careful Ava. You don’t want to fall into the water.”
“Sorry.” Ava gave a sheepish smile and settled down next to Emelise for the ride out to the compound.
“It’s okay. You’re just excited.” Emelise remembered that age. Ava was on the cusp of ‘teenage-hood’; still a child but rapidly speeding toward the hormonal upheaval that came with being a teen and learning to spread your wings.
When they reached the compound Ava slipped her hand into Emelise’s and walked tucked close to her side. She was excited but at the same time she was shy.
“I have an idea. My cousin Sophie is eight, so she’s a few years younger than you, but I’ll bet she would love to come over to our house for a slumber party. What do you think, Ava?”
“That sounds like fun!” She grinned up at her.
“Hey, babe, you go on to the house with the boys, Ava and I are going to stop and invite Sophie to a slumber party.” Emelise blew Caine a kiss and steered Ava down the path that would take them to Eliza and Ephram’s home.
Eliza was sitting on the front porch when they came up the walk. “Evenin’, Emelise. Who you got wit’ you?”
“Evening, Eliza. This is my half sister, Ava. Ava, this is my Mama’s cousin, Eliza. We were wondering if Sophie would like to come over for a slumber party.”
“Hello dere, Ava.” Eliza smiled warmly at the girl. “She probably would. Lemme go get her.”
Five minutes later Sophie came barreling out of the house with a bag on her shoulder. She had clothes in it along with her pillow and a stuffed tiger she slept with all the time. “Mama says you’re havin’ a slumber party!” She grinned at Ava. “Hi! I’m Sophie,” she said while she waved.
Ava giggled. “I’m Ava. Emelise said we could have a slumber party.”
“That’s right. We’ll do whatever you two want.” Eme wanted to take Ava’s mind off the fact their father was in the hospital.
“Sophie, you mind Emelise and have fun wit’ your new friend.” Eliza followed her daughter out onto the porch. “If she’s any trouble you can send her on home.”
Emelise shook her head. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. See you tomorrow, Eliza,” she said and ushered the girls off.
Back at the house Emelise soon found herself playing dress up with the girls. They then built a fort with blankets, which Caine helped to fortify because it kept falling, and then they made s’mores in the microwave. When Sophie and Ava were tired Eme read them a bedtime story and waited until they’d both fallen asleep before she finally joined her mate out on the back porch.
Jaxon, Gavin, and Connor had been joined by some of the boys in the compound, including Emelise’s cousins Auguste and Dempsey, and they were playing a game of football. “Are you refereeing or letting them play dirty?” Eme asked as she slid onto Caine’s lap.
Caine chuckled. “Dey don’t play dirty. It’s good to get dere minds off of dere Papa bein’ in da hospital.”
“Yeah. That’s why I had Sophie come over for a slumber party. Maybe next time I’ll plan something and they can have a few friends over as well so it’s not just the two of them.”
“You plannin’ on doin’ dis a lot, hm?”
“Yeah, I think I am.”
Caine
It wasn’t until much later, when the boys were playing football and little Ava, accompanied by Sophie, were asleep, that he had the chance to spend some time with his mate. “You’re enjoyin’ dis, havin’ dem here, aren’t you?”
Eme nodded. “I am. You were right. Bringing them out here was the better option. They would have been miserable at my apartment.”
He chuckled. “I know I was right.” He winked at her and continued, “You know, I'd had other plans for our evenin', Angel, but havin' dem here, where dey can let dere minds relax from worryin' is more important. Dere your family.”
Emelise rolled her eyes at him. “Ha ha, very funny.” She glanced over to where the boys were playing football. “Yeah, they are. Thank you. I know you had other plans for our night, but thank you for supporting my offer.”
“I will always support you. Dat's what you do when you love someone.” He watched her face a moment. “Move in wit’ me, Angel.” Okay, that wasn’t exactly the way he’d planned on asking her to do that. He’d had this idea in his head to be all romantic with her but it was already out there.
Emelise blinked at him. “I don’t know, Caine...”
“You practically live here anyway. How often do you sleep at your apartment?” They both knew the answer and it wasn’t very much. “You love it here, you know you do.” He caressed her cheek. “But more importantly, I love gettin’ to fall asleep holdin’ you every night and wakin’ up to you every mornin’. I know you have a hard time trustin’, I even know why dat is, but dis, what we have between us, it’s not goin’ to fade and I’m not goin’ to walk away. It isn’t just because we’re mates, either. Yes, my leopard wants you here, why wouldn't he? But I want you here, as well. Dis decision, it's coming from both parts of me, cher. Da human and da leopard. Dis isn’t just about us bein’ mates. I want to watch as da sunrise kisses your skin each mornin’. I want to watch you dancin’ around da kitchen while you cook. I want to be dere when someting makes you mad so you have someone to vent to. Move in wit’ me, Angel.” He wanted so much more than that but he didn’t have the ring. Still, everything he’d said was what he’d planned to say when he proposed. “No, don’t just move in wit’ me.” Fuck it. Ring or no ring, he was showing her how much she meant to him. “I’d planned to do dis next weekend but it can’t wait. Don’t just move in wit’ me. Marry me, Emelise. I love you. I want you by my side for da rest of our lives. I want to grow old wit’ you, cher. You drive me crazy both in bed and out of it, but it’s a good kind of crazy. From da moment you came into my life, you’ve lit up my world. I didn’t even realize I was livin’ in such darkness until you came along. You’ve changed my life, my world, for da better. I don’t have da ring, it’s bein’ made, dat’s why I was waitin’ til next weekend, but dis can’t wait. I needed to tell you ever’ting I was feelin’, ever’ting I was tinkin’.” Caine sat there holding his breath as he waited for her to answer.
Emelise
If someone had told her when she woke up that morning that her emotions were going to be run through the ringer she might have stayed in bed. Or told them to go fuck themselves. Or both. Yeah, both sounded about right. First she finds herself facing the fear of possibly losing her father so soon after finding him. She gets to the hospital and is bombarded by her memories of the last time she was at a hospital when she learned of her mother’s death. Then, of course, she is overwhelmed by nervousness upon meeting her half-siblings and worrying about what they think of her. But this, this took the cake.
She’d sat there on Caine’s lap listening to him, listening to all the reasons why he wanted her to move in with him, and she hesitated. Moving in together was a big step but if history told her anything, it was that living together didn’t mean it was for life. His next words blew her away. Emelise lost sight of everything else around them. All of her senses narrowed until the only two people who existed were her and Caine. The football game going on in the backyard faded out of existence. The girls sleeping in one of the spare rooms under a sheet fort, gone. The chirping of cicadas, the croaking of bullfrogs, the hiss of gators, the buzzing of insects, all of it disappeared.
Emelise felt tears stinging her eyes. She’d been so afraid of letting him into her heart because she didn’t know if he wanted a commitment with her and now here he was asking her to marry him. He said the one thing that let her know it was coming from him and not his cat. This isn’t about us being mates. He wasn’t being guided by the connection of their animals. “You mean it? It’s not your cat talking? This is all you? Because, I swear to all that is holy, if this is coming more from your leopard than it is from the human part of you, Caine, I just might have to hurt you. I don't want to get married just because we're mates.” She needed to know for sure.
“I really mean it, Angel. Dis is all me. You would make me da happiest, and luckiest, man in da world if you said yes.”
Eme laughed softly. “I’m sure every man who has ever married feels the same way,” she teased before she grew serious. “Yes. It scares the hell out of me but you make me crazy too. I want all those things, too, Caine. I want to wake up with you every morning, I want to fuss at you to stop working so hard when you get caught up in your office and forget to eat.” She bit her lip a moment. “I want to watch you playing in the backyard with our children. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“WOOHOO!”
Emelise blushed clear to her hairline. She’d completely forgotten that they weren’t alone. She looked over to where Dempsey and Auguste were grinning at them. “I take it you two approve?”
“Hell yeah we do! We’ve all been waitin’ for dis’. You’re a good influence on him, Cuz,” Auguste said and Dempsey echoed him.
Emelise laughed. “That’s good to know.” As much fun as she knew the boys were having with their football game, it was getting late. “You two should get on home. It’s late.”
“Uh huh, you just want to be alone,” Auguste teased. He winked at her. “But, yeah, it is late. Dis was fun. You should come out again. We can get a few more together and have a real game,” he added to Connor, Gavin, and Jaxon.
Connor looked to Emelise. “Do you think we could do that?”
Eme smiled. “Of course. You guys will be welcome any time.”
“Cool. See you later, then,” Connor said to Auguste and Dempsey before he ushered his brothers inside. They would take quick showers before heading to bed.
Caine wrapped his arms around Emelise and nuzzled her neck. “When do you want to pack up all your tings and move dem here?”
Emelise leaned back against him and sighed. “I don’t know. I like being in my own place. When Mama was still alive, she was always so worried about something happening to me that I couldn’t bring myself to move out of the house I grew up in. The few months I’ve been here, this is the first real freedom I’ve had and it’s not going to be easy to give that up.”
“I don’t want to take your freedom from you, cher. I just want to wake up wit’ you every mornin’.” He kissed her jaw. “Dere’s no rush. We’ll go at whatever pace you’re comfortable wit’.”
“Thank you.” She turned in his arms so she was facing him. “You know, I’d resigned myself to the fact I would likely never find my mate. Living in Phoenix, there weren’t that many shifters there, other than a group of coyote shifters. Talk about an annoying group of people. They were a bunch of tricksters, I swear. It’s like they heard native tales about Coyote, in them he is a trickster who frustrates all the other spirit animals, and they decided to emulate him.”
Cain chuckled. “I’ve met a couple coyote shifters during Mardis Gras. I tink you’re right about dem emulating da spirit animal.”
“Anyway, as I was saying, I’d resigned myself to most likely never meeting my mate. Yet, here we are. It’s crazy and scary and thrilling all at the same time.”
“I know what you mean, Angel. I didn’t think I would ever meet mine either. None of da females in da Pard were my mate and as Alpha, I couldn’t just go to other Pards to search for one.”
“Am I a bad person for sort of being glad my Mama isn’t here anymore? I never would have come to New Orleans, never would have met you, if she was still alive.”
“No, cher. Or, if it does, then I’m just as bad. Come on, let’s go to bed. You’ve had a rough day.”
“Yeah. I’ve definitely had better.” She let him lead her inside and down the hall to his bedroom. She paused to check in on Sophie and Ava, then, once they were in the bedroom, she stripped and crawled into bed. She curled up in Caine’s arms when he joined her and half draped herself over him. “Goodnight,” she murmured softly.
“Goodnight, Angel.” Caine pressed a gentle kiss to her temple and caressed her side, which soothed her into slumber.