Chapter Four

 

 

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Gage! Wake up!”

Bang! Bang-bang-bang-bang!

“Wake the hell up, you lazy asshole! Get the hell outta bed!”

Head popping up from the kitchen table where he’d fallen asleep sometime right before daybreak, Gage’s back hit the rungs of the chair behind him as he whipped his feet out from under the table. Sliding his butt around on the seat, he planted his feet on the floor and his palm on the table and pushed himself up a split-second before falling flat on his face.

Pins and needles assaulted his feet, ankles, and legs just as the banging on his front door started again, along with an accompanying thump-thump-thump on the side door, and the rat-a-tat-tat of fingers tapping on the sliding glass door at the back of the house.

“Just use your frikkin’ key,” he yelled, mumbling, “Asshats! All of ‘em. Mom and dad shoulda stopped with me,” under his breath.

Crawling on all fours away from the table, he’d just gotten himself up onto his backside and leaned against the cabinet doors under the sink when Tree and Zach appeared before him with ‘the Twins’ popping in at the rear.

“Please tell me you did not sleep on the floor last night,” Heath scoffed, the sound of the refrigerator door opening right before the light from the appliance filled the room and he continued, “’Cause if you did, your back’s gonna hurt like a son of a bitch. You old guys have to worry about that stuff, ya’ know?”

“Don’t call me old,” Gage grumbled. “And I didn’t sleep on the floor.” Getting to his feet, he went on, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I slept at the kitchen table.”

“What the hell did you do that for?” Tree asked, picking up one of the old tomes from their grandfather’s extensive library. Raising his eyebrows and looking at Gage like he’d sprouted three heads and another set of eyes, the second oldest of the MacAllen boys groaned, “Please tell me you weren’t doing research all frikkin’ night.” Dropping the antique book and pulling out the chair in front of him, he turned it around, straddled the seat, and leaned his arms on the back as he added, “That just never bodes well for any of us. Nine times outta ten it means long trips, manual labor, and more often than not getting furry, scaled or both.” Taking off his well-worn John Deere hat and tossing it on the counter behind him, he adamantly went on, “And none of that hogwash, coyote crap is happenin’ today.”

Picking up the book and examining the spine to be sure his brother hadn’t damaged it, Gage grumbled, “Yes, I was doing research, but it has absolutely nothing to do with anything you just said.” Glancing up at the clock, he realized it was only six-thirty and asked Heath and Colton, ‘the Twins’ to most people, “Since y’all are standing with the door open and eating everything in sight, can you hand me the coffee tin?”

“Sure,” Heath nodded with a mouth full of ham as Colton reached in, got out the canister of ground beans and turned with a smile, “Here’s your caffeine and…” Lifting his opposite hand which held a Tupperware container, went on, “this turkey is really good. Did you cook this or is it momma’s and I somehow missed out?”

“Glad you like it. I made it,” Gage scoffed, taking the canister and turning towards the coffee pot. “I’m guessin’ y’all want a cup, too?” He called over his shoulder to Tree and Zach who’d made themselves comfortable at the table by moving his books and pads of paper to the side so Heath and Colton could empty the refrigerator onto the wooden surface.

“Yeah, sure, I never turn down coffee,” Zach replied as Tree chuckled, “As long as it’s not so strong it smacks me and so thick I have to eat it off a spoon.”

“I like my coffee like I like my women, strong and hot,” Gage teased to which all of his brothers scoffed and gagged, making the oldest MacAllen brother laugh out loud, “Y’all are just sorry I beat you to the punchline.”

“Yeah, right. Whatever you say, Bro, ‘cause we all love your stupid jokes.” Tree snickered.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re just jealous,” Gage laughed out loud, feeling better as the scent of coffee filled the air.

 “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be goin’ with dad to the Courthouse?” Tree asked with his mouth full.

“Oh shit, yeah, I completely forgot.” Huffing out a breath as he spun around, Gage leaned his butt against the edge of the counter after once again looking at the clock. “Alright, can I trust you losers not to drink all the coffee if I go up and get a shower?”

A less than believable round of, “Sure!” “You know it.” “Yeah.” and “No problem.” had him giving a doubtful nod before heading out of the kitchen and down the hall.

In and out of the shower and dressed in less than fifteen minutes, Gage had just shoved his feet into his boots when the sound of yet another knock at the front door had him racing down the hall. Whipping around the corner, he opened his mouth to yell, “Come in,” just as his dad took the initiative and opened the door himself.

Stopping as soon as he’d crossed the threshold, Owen looked at Gage then over the breakfast bar at his other four sons then back at Gage before shaking his head and chuckling, “I told your mom you were all over here raiding this refrigerator before hittin’ ours.”

“Yeah, it was a raid alright,” Gage sighed before raising his voice and warning, “But there damn sure better be at least a cup of coffee left for me or there’ll be hell to pay.”

“Thank the Heavens he didn’t say turkey,” Colton attempted to whisper.

“Or ham,” Heath added before raising his voice and going on, “’Cause we cleaned ya’ out.”

“You’ll need to get some OJ, roast beef, and cheese, too,” Tree chimed in with a grin.

Turing around, Gage glared at Zach as he asked, “Anything to add?”

Throwing his hands up in mock surrender, his brother joked, “Nah, I’m gonna sit here, shut up, and enjoy my coffee.”

“Good choice,” Gage nodded, crossing the kitchen and filling his mug to the brim with hot coffee. Taking a long, slow sip, he sighed, “Damn, there’s nothing like that first taste of java.”

“I won’t mention that I had to add half a pound of sugar and a pint of cream to the tar you call coffee,” Tree teased. “But, if I may make a suggestion…”

“You may not,” Gage interrupted. “I drink your hot, colored water when I’m at your house. You can drink my nectar of the gods when you’re at mine.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Owen butt in, the twinkle in his eyes undermining his harsh tone as he continued, “Y’all are embarrassing me. It’s coffee, not a prime cut of steak or a rack of ribs.” Busting out laughing, he added, “Next thing ya’ know, y’all’ll be driving to the nearest Twinkle Dinkle Coffee Joint and drinkin’ a frappe-machi-mocha-chini-frou-frou-nonfat-something-or-another.”

Nearly spitting a mouthful of coffee across the kitchen as the room erupted in laughter, Gage had to admit, if only to himself, that he truly did have a pretty cool family. Jumping in as the merriment began to die down, he pointed to the clock and advised, “Hey Pops, we better get a move on.” Then to his brothers, he warned, “Clean up your mess before you head over to eat mom outta house and home.”

“Gotcha covered, Bro,” came Heath’s quick reply which didn’t bode well for the kitchen getting cleaned up but Gage had to give his youngest brother props for at least answering when the others didn’t even look up.

The trip to Valentine was filled with companionable silence and the slow tunes of classic country and western that his dad loved. Gage thought about everything he’d read the night before and what Carrick had told him.

He’d looked up all the feathered shifters his Grandfather had written about and even went farther back in their Tribe’s history but could find nothing but the legends of the Rain Bird. Although beautiful in their simplicity and full of hope, he had his doubts that even the Universe would go so far as to mate a Rain Bird and a Dragon. It simply didn’t make sense. Talk about oil and water…or fire and water as was the facts of the matter.

Crossing the city limits and driving into Valentine, Gage was energized with the sweet, fresh, powerfully evocative aroma of fresh rain. Wrapping around him, infusing into his every cell, it was as if the water was seeking him and only him, filling him with a need to know its origin and the desire to hold it close.

The low appreciative growl of his Wolf joined the deep rumble of his Dragon as the soft caress of feathers stroked his cheeks. Looking up as the truck came to a stop and the rumble of the engine faded away, Gage’s eyes landed on the back of what he could only imagine was a beautiful woman.

The swing of her long raven-haired ponytail was hypnotic and moved in perfect time to the mesmerizing sway of her hips. Her confidence and strength surrounded her like an impenetrable shield and the set of her shoulders assured him that she took no shit from anyone.

Shifting the leather shoulder strap of her briefcase, the swooping neckline of the back of her light cream-colored blouse moved to the side uncovering a perfectly drawn wing covered in feathers of blue, purple and gold. Images of the Rain Bird flashed in Gage’s mind. His dragon roared and his Wolf howled as one word flashed in his mind, Mate.