Chapter 15

That night while Candice was taking a shower in the upstairs bathroom, she was glad Demetria and Everett had a nice-sized, two-story brick home located way outside the suburbs of Dallas. The upstairs had three bedrooms and a game room where the jaguar couple had their computers set next to each other so they could play together. Candice thought it would be fun for her and Owen too, if he liked playing computer games. Or just to set up their computers side by side while they wrote. She was really loving the arrangement the jaguars had, and she couldn’t wait to sell her place and move. Then she worried. Could she fit some of her stuff in his home? She’d never even considered that. This had all been so sudden that they hadn’t really discussed her selling and moving, or anything.

Yet she really shouldn’t have cared. All that mattered was that she was with someone she loved and he loved her back. That she no longer had to be alone. She had a whole pack to love, the little ones too. She could even consider having kids of her own now, something she never thought she’d be able to do. She’d have all kinds of help raising them. She hadn’t known what would happen if she had unprotected sex with a human. Would she have had a wolf kid? Or not? She didn’t even know the answer to that.

She rinsed the soap out of her hair and turned off the shower. Grabbing a towel, she began drying herself off. Owen was still downstairs talking to Everett. Demetria had retired to their master bedroom.

There were so many things Candice didn’t know about the wolves, and now she could safely learn. The idea she could be with the wolves for Christmas had real appeal, making it more of a special holiday than it would have been for her alone, even if they didn’t make it home for Christmas Day because of the shifting issue. But having another woman to talk to, like Faith, who was just like her—fairly newly changed—was going to be wonderful. If Candice had children of her own, Faith would be a lifesaver. Candice couldn’t even imagine having to go through that all on her own with only a bunch of males surrounding her who were as clueless as those with Faith had to have been.

Candice tugged on her warm, purple polka-dot flannel pajamas. As she left the bathroom, she saw Owen looking out the game room window. She padded down the hallway to the large open area to join him. He turned and smiled at her. “What are you watching?” she asked.

Owen pulled her into his arms and kissed her, hugging her, warming her. “Two jaguars playing in the water and looking like they’re having a wild time of it.”

A small pine tree was decorated in Christmas lights and reflected off the water, adding to the cheeriness of the scene before them.

Owen held her in his arms as they watched the two jaguars swimming and playing and dunking each other, the smaller one leaving the pool and leaping back in, while the bigger male waited and tackled her. The lights were on in the pool, the water aqua, a mist rising from the warm water to mix with the cold air—just magical.

Candice laughed. “They are so cute.”

“Wait until we go swimming next summer in the lake.”

Her back was now to Owen’s front, and he was holding her close while they watched the jaguars play.

“I can’t believe they’re really jaguar shifters.”

“Just like they couldn’t believe we were wolves. They were dumbfounded when Corey shifted at the jaguar day care.”

“I can’t imagine how that would have been to witness firsthand.”

“They were so good to him.”

“Like we would be with one of theirs.”

He nuzzled her neck. “Want to go for a swim?”

“Brrr.”

“It could be fun. As a wolf.”

“I’ve been one way too many times today. I’ll pass. Do you ever worry you’ll turn and get stuck that way?”

“Early on, yes.”

She grabbed his hand and hauled him to the guest bedroom. “We can have just as much fun in here. And it would be lots warmer. But we need to hurry, just in case,” Candice warned. She hated worrying about getting the urge to shift when it was inconvenient at any time, but especially when she and Owen wanted to make love. Not that it had happened yet, but just the same, she worried about it.

“In that case…” Owen swept her up in his arms and she cried out, not expecting him to pull her off her feet. He cradled her as he quickened his pace to the guest bedroom.

She smiled up at him, loving him.

He entered the blue-and-white guest bedroom and shut the door with his knee. A little blue-and-white-decorated tree sparkled on top of the dresser. As soon as he deposited her on the bed, he began yanking off his clothes and tossing them on a chair, all but his boots. He dumped those on the floor while she watched him, smiling.

“My, oh, my.” She unbuttoned one of her pajama buttons. “Someone sure is ready for some action.”

“You bet.” Naked, beautiful, and all hers, he leaned over and tugged off her pajama bottoms. Then he unbuttoned her top and helped her out of it.

He joined her in bed and sealed her mouth with his, kissing her fiercely as she caressed his whiskery jaw. She gave him the same ardent response—nips on his mouth, her tongue tantalizing his, their kisses deepening. Leaving her breathless and wanting more.

She drank in every bit of him: the feel of his hot thigh pressed against hers, the sweet and spicy lime shampoo and body wash he’d showered with, the champagne on his lips he’d had to celebrate seeing Everett and Demetria again, the sound of his rapid heartbeat, and the delicious way he massaged her breast, making her nipple tingle with responsiveness.

He coaxed his fingers through her hair, then suckled a breast before sweeping his hand down her belly to the place between her thighs. She was needy and aching for his touch. She loved his hot mouth against her breast. Her hands swept down his sides, wanting to touch him as much as he was touching her, making her feel needed and desirable. His passion infused her, made her arch to his touches and grip his waist, trying to hold on to the sensations building deep inside her.

Their kisses were more insistent, hungrier, hotter, until she felt she was on fire. She let go and cried out with release. She was filled with joy that she had agreed to be his mate and eager to have him deep inside her so he could fulfill his needs too.

* * *

Owen loved watching Candice come, listening to her rapid heartbeat, and seeing her face flushed with ardor. “You’re beautiful,” he said breathlessly, his fingers touching her soft hair before he moved in between her legs, unable to wait any longer. And she was his.

He pushed inside where she welcomed him with her tight, silky heat, and he began to thrust.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him, her heels high on the back of his thighs, which allowed him deeper access. He slowed his thrusts, wanting to extend the pleasure, wanting to bring her to climax again, kissing her throat, her neck, her jaw. But he was losing control and began to thrust hard, consumed by her heat and eagerness, pushing home until he couldn’t hold on any longer and released. She groaned out his name with her own climax and smiled up at him.

He continued to thrust until he was completely spent and settled on top of her, burying her in his heat and pinning her to the mattress. He kissed her mouth again and thanked her for being his mate. She kept him in place, her hands and legs still wrapped around him as if she didn’t want the connection between them broken just yet.

Then he lifted himself off her and settled next to her, pulling the sheets and comforter over them. He wrapped her in his arms and caressed her back with a light touch. “I think I just found heaven.”

She kissed his chest. “I think I did too.”

He’d wanted her from the first time he’d set eyes on her by the White River, but more as a lustful male wolf needs a mate. He’d never expected to feel this physical and emotional attraction to such an intense degree as he did with her. He was still reeling from the aftermath of what they’d shared. The connection they’d forged.

Then she groaned and he knew at once what the matter was.

“I will never make it at this rate.”

“You need to shift again?”

She let out her breath and nodded against his chest, still not letting go of him, as if he could help her fight it. Which he wished he could. He kissed her mouth. “Do you usually have to shift this often?”

“Sometimes, mostly when I have a book deadline. I think some of the urge to shift at this phase of the moon is caused from stress.”

He rubbed her back. “Let’s talk about anything else then. Anything that will help you to relax.” It worked as he rubbed her back and kissed her, but he got himself all worked up until he was ready to have sex again.

She smiled up at him. “Let’s hurry.”

“No stress, right?”

She chuckled, and they hurried to make love. Half an hour after they’d made love and were settled in each other’s arms again, she sighed against his chest.

He knew she couldn’t hold off this time. “I love you, my beautiful wolf.”

“Just shove me out of bed if I bother you,” she said, sounding serious.

“Are you kidding? I didn’t think I’d ever be lucky enough to have a wolf companion whom I love as much as I do you. I’m thrilled to be able to share my bed with you in any form you take on.”

“You don’t know how much that means to me, Owen. But seriously, if I start kicking you, wake me and make me move. You won’t hurt my feelings at all.” She had barely spoken the words when she shifted, and he pulled her into his arms. She laid her head on his chest to get comfortable.

“I’m serious. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I’ll always cherish the day you said you’d be my mate,” he said.

She lifted her chin and licked his jaw. He laughed. “’Night, honey. We’ll get through tomorrow without a hitch.”

At least he sure as hell hoped so.

* * *

The next morning, Candice woke wrapped around her mate as a human, thankfully. They got up early, had breakfast, and said goodbye to Demetria before she headed to work.

“She wishes she could come with us,” Everett said.

“Hopefully, there won’t be any…well, too much drama.” Candice climbed into the backseat, ready to confront her impostor.

Neither Owen nor Candice shifted the whole way to Houston, and after getting a hotel for the night there, they ran over to the bank before they had any inclination to shift.

The bank clerk took them back to unlock the safe-deposit box, but when Candice tried to use her key, it didn’t work. “Why isn’t it working?” Candice asked the clerk.

“Did you find your old key? Is that it? The lock was changed yesterday. You came in a couple of days ago and said you’d lost your key, so we had to replace the lock. We took the money out of your checking for it, just like we automatically do with your safe-deposit monthly rental fee. You had us open the box after we changed it out.” The bank clerk showed her the signature paper where “Clara” had signed in yesterday.

Candice felt sick about it and angry at the same time. “Well, that wasn’t me.”

“She had to have an ID just like you did. I have to admit, she looked more like your photo ID than you do.” The gray-haired woman frowned a little at Candice, as if she wasn’t sure she was the right Clara.

Which irritated Candice even more. Though she could understand why the woman would think she was the impostor and not the other woman. But why would Candice make a stink about it? She wouldn’t, if she were the impostor.

She would have closed her account out right then and there, but it would be easier to transfer any money she might get from the inheritance to a local bank account and then transfer it again later.

Then she realized she would have another home to sell. She didn’t intend to live anywhere near Houston in the future, even though there were still a lot of wooded areas around the outskirts. She’d much prefer the solitude and quiet of northern Minnesota.

“Well, I haven’t had dyed hair in two years. She colored hers to match that photo. I want to cancel my box. She might have stolen all my papers, but I’m still the one paying for it!”

After more of a hassle, because she had to make a police statement stating that another woman had stolen her ID and the contents of her safe-deposit box, Candice canceled her box and they headed to the hotel for the night. After signing the paperwork tomorrow afternoon, they were driving back to Dallas with Everett.

Candice couldn’t get over being furious with the woman. It was bad enough that she was trying to steal Candice’s inheritance, but the pictures were priceless. And she’d put a pearl ring from her parents in there since she couldn’t wear it any longer. Which was why she had kept them secure in the safe-deposit box in the first place!

“I’m so sorry about what happened,” Owen said. “Unfortunately, there’s no recourse. Contents of safe-deposit boxes are not insured by the FDIC. But maybe the police can shed some light on the impostor. And maybe we can get everything back from her once she’s proven to be an impostor.”

“The documents are all replaceable. The photos are not. And the ring my parents gave to me isn’t either. I just hope that the woman doesn’t get away with this.” That’s what Candice was still worried about. That the woman would manage to lie her way through this and end up with the inheritance. It could be a long, drawn-out process to straighten out the situation, and it would put Candice and Owen more at risk, because she knew he wasn’t about to let her handle this all on her own.

As soon as they’d checked into adjoining rooms at the hotel and settled in them, Candice got a call from Rowdy, which she put on speaker.

“Hope the two of you made it to Houston all right,” Rowdy said. “Cameron said you had some trouble earlier. You should have ridden with me.”

“We have another friend helping out,” Owen said.

Candice was sure he didn’t want to tell the homicide detective that jaguar shifters existed, if he didn’t already know it.

“What did you learn?” Candice asked, eager to know if he had any more news.

“Felix Underwood has no record of any violations of any laws. He’s squeaky clean. The woman’s name is Dora Emerson. She’s Felix’s sister. She went to see Felix at his downtown office, which is how I managed to learn who she is from her license plate. I have to say, she looks similar to you. Considering you were unable to see your uncle right away, that must have triggered Felix’s scheme to pass his sister off as you. I have her address, but I don’t want anyone going there to confront her.”

Candice was shocked the PI would use his own sister to parade around as Clara Hart. Then again, they could keep all the money in the family. And if she fit the part, so much the better. “Sister. Felix Underwood knew exactly who she was and is a coconspirator in this.”

“Correct. Looked like easy money, no sign of a real Clara Hart, so he must have figured since you were a fake, it would be easy to pass off a different one. She’s been into some petty theft. Nothing big-time. She’s been married and divorced, but she still goes by her married name.”

Candice was furious with the PI and the woman. “She stole the documents and pictures from my safe-deposit box at the bank. I closed it out, but she has everything I’d kept in there, including a pearl ring from my parents. My birthstone ring for my birthday when I turned sixteen. I wore it constantly—until I couldn’t and was afraid I’d lose it one of these times.” If the impostor was wearing that ring…

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

She ground her teeth. “But you’re going to try to get my documents and the other items she stole?”

“I’ll try. I’ve got a couple of friends in Houston who are cops. I’ve alerted them to the fraud, and I’ll give them a call with the latest update concerning the safe-deposit theft. They already know who she really is, so they’re not surprised she’d try something that could mean a huge amount of money if she and her brother could pull it off.”

Candice still worried that these people would get away with the scam if they weren’t stopped. “What if my uncle believes her?”

“I’ve already spoken with him. He said he was willing to hear what you have to say…in person. I know how much trouble that is for you, but he can’t believe anyone with that much money coming to them would not want to sign for it right away.”

Candice sighed with relief. “Rowdy, thanks so much for helping us.” She still couldn’t believe a human knew what they were and was all right with it. After all the trouble he had gone through, she thought it would only be polite to buy him a meal. But she thought they should meet him at the hotel restaurant so she or Owen could make a fast getaway to their room if they needed to. “We’d love to buy you lunch at the steak restaurant in the hotel where we’re staying, if you haven’t eaten.”

“I’d love to. Meet you there in half an hour?”

“See you then.” Candice ended the call. “That’s all right with you guys, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, sure.” Owen rubbed her back and kissed her cheek. “I think it’s a real nice gesture.”

“Sounds good to me. Thanks for not telling Rowdy what I am. I’d prefer he didn’t know about us. He probably just figures I’m a wolf helping you out. I still can’t imagine he knows and no one has done anything about it though,” Everett said.

“Neither could we, but killing him could get dicey because he’s a homicide detective,” Candice said.

Owen agreed. “And turning him would mean he’d have to quit his job for no good reason and hide what he was until he had enough control over the shifting. Maybe the Montana wolves feel that no one would believe him anyway. Still, the more of us who know of him and that he knows of, the greater the likelihood of him getting turned, I’d say.”

“If I didn’t think it sounded totally crazy, I’d almost believe he wanted to be turned,” Candice said.

“Wouldn’t he be surprised if a jaguar turned him and not a wolf?” Everett said.

“When he doesn’t even know they exist?” Candice smiled. “Yep, he’d be shocked all right.”

They all headed down to the Longhorn Bar and Grille to get a seat before Rowdy arrived. Decorated in a Western theme—with paintings of longhorn cattle standing among bluebonnets, cowboy boots tacked to the wall, old photos of Texas ranch hands, and canvas prints of the Lone Star flag—it gave Candice a twinge of homesickness.

But as an Arctic wolf, she loved the winters up north, the fall colors. She really was going to enjoy living in Minnesota, especially the company she would be keeping. She could imagine sitting out on the deck in the mornings and taking in nature as she began warming up to write—blogging, sharing pictures—oh, pictures. The photos she could take!

As soon as they got a table, Rowdy joined them. He greeted everyone with a friendly handshake, but with enough reserve to let them know he understood he wasn’t one of them, an outsider, and had to be on his best behavior. Or someone might just…bite him.

Candice asked, “How did my uncle react to the news that the other woman was an impostor?”

“He didn’t say a whole lot. I think he was surprised, if the way his eyes widened a bit was any indication, but he’s good at schooling his emotions.” Rowdy glanced at his menu, while everyone looked over theirs. “He’s a businessman, and I imagine he’s not happy someone else tried to take him for a fool. I did tell him about my arrangements with the police, so when we all meet over there, they can take the two fraudsters into custody. Your uncle began grinding his teeth a bit, and I got the impression he would have liked to handle it himself. But this is the best way for everyone concerned.”

The waitress came and took their orders then. Rowdy wanted the deluxe Texas-sized steak. Everett and Owen got the same, and Candice ordered the petite filet mignon.

“I’m curious why, if you know so much about us, you let any of us know you know. Don’t you worry that some of us will feel you could be a threat?” Everett placed his napkin on his lap.

“Life is meant to be lived. If I go out with a bang, so be it.”

“Or a bite?” Everett asked.

Rowdy smiled. “I could have the same concern when working my job.”

“I think you want to be like us, but you’re also afraid to be like us.” Candice knew the feeling. If she’d been given a choice? Before she’d met Owen, no way. After meeting him? She would have had a hard time letting him go and not taking the jump into the world of the unknown.

“Not afraid, really. But it would be a challenge to do my job until I could control the shifting.”

Candice gave a ladylike snort. That was an understatement, if she’d ever heard one.

After a nice meal with Rowdy and Everett, they said they’d meet tomorrow.

When Candice went to bed that night with Owen, they made love, which helped to take her mind off seeing her uncle. But as soon as she snuggled against her mate, all she could think of was meeting Uncle Strom, turning, and the possible disaster that could be.