Lycan Christmas

Chapter Five

An insistent banging on Melony’s door awoke her the next morning around nine. She was normally up before now, but she had apparently needed the rest. She stumbled down the hall, still half asleep, and made her way toward the knocking only to find none other than Shannon standing outside, holding a laundry basket.

“Hi, hon.” Shannon pushed past her and set the basket of clothes on the floor just inside the door.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Melony mumbled before a blast of cool air hit her sleep-warmed backside, sending a shiver down her spine, spurring her to hurriedly close the door. Wow, what a difference in the weather from last night. And what had Shannon called her? Hon? Hon? She was definitely not “hon” to Shannon.

Shannon’s hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and she wore dark jeans that looked as if they’d been painted on—probably skinny jeans—knee-high black boots, and a furry white coat with a thick hood that hung behind her head.

“I was just wondering if your washer and dryer are working?”

“I have a washer and dryer?”

“Yes, you silly goose. Almost all of the cabins have them. Well, not a washer and dryer in the ordinary sense, but a washer/dryer combo. It’s in the hall closet.”

So that’s what that door hid. She’d only taken a quick tour of the place with Rose and hadn’t bothered investigating any further last night, figuring she’d explore all the nooks and crannies today before she was supposed to meet with Lorent.

“Oh. I hadn’t found the laundry room yet.”

“Would you be a doll for me and do this load? My washer is broken, and I’m late for my meeting with Rindy to discuss the Thanksgiving menu.”

Shannon started for the door.

“But—”

Shannon waved a hand at her as she started out the door she’d just opened. “Thanks so much, hon. I’ll swing by later and pick them up. Oh, and please be very careful with my unmentionables. They can only be washed on delicate. Ta-ta.”

And just like that, Shannon was gone as quickly as she’d blown in.

Melony stared at the offensive basket of laundry. Puss wandered out of the bedroom, down the hall, walked up to the basket, sniffed it, turned her back, and walked away.

I feel the same way.

What had made Shannon think that Melony should, would, or wanted to do her laundry? The girl was probably still irritated at Sherry’s dismissal from last night, but she’d bet her favorite pink sweater that Shannon wouldn’t ask Sherry to do her laundry. Anyone with eyes could tell Shannon had it bad for Lorent, but what did that matter? And why was she getting punished for it?

Because she’d sat by him last night?

Wow. If that’s the case, I’m in big trouble if she finds out he walked me home. She shrugged it off, glared at the laundry basket, and started for her bedroom to shower and get dressed. But before she’d made it too far down the hall, another knock sounded on her door. She sighed and shuffled back to it while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. This time Rose stood outside.

“Hi, Aunt Rose. Come in?”

“If you don’t mind. Just for a minute.”

Melony stood aside and let Rose come in before closing the door. “It’s gotten so cold overnight.”

“I think the unusually balmy day we had yesterday was a fluke. It likely won’t be that warm again until March or April.”

“Lovely.”

Rose laughed. “You’ll get used to it. I stopped by to see if you would help us prepare the food for the Thanksgiving feast. It’s less than a week away, and it would be nice to have an extra pair of hands. We prepare anything in advance that will keep or that can be easily frozen. It makes it much easier on Thanksgiving to just heat everything up.”

“Sure. I’m not much of a cook, but as long as I have a recipe to follow, I should be okay.” Maybe. She hoped.

“Good. I’ll let the others know. Why don’t you have Lorent walk you to Brent and Rindy’s cabin after your lesson? We usually gather there for the holidays because it’s big enough to accommodate everyone.”

Melony started to tell Rose about the laundry situation with Shannon when Puss gave out a loud bellow then butted her head against her legs.

“Okay, okay,” Melony muttered to Puss. “She’s gets a bit testy when she feels I’ve ignored her for too long.”

Rose laughed then gave Melony a quick hug before she turned to leave.

“See you later.”

“Bye.” Melony started for the shower again, determined to ignore any further knocks on her door that may come until she was dressed and feeling human.

No one else stopped by, and after she’d showered, dressed, and done her hair, she made breakfast for her and Puss. Once she’d cleaned up the dishes, she glanced at the clock, which told her she had a couple hours to kill before Lorent was due. She supposed now would be a good time for a more thorough investigation of her new home.

Two hours later, she felt she knew her place from top to bottom. It was stocked with all the basics, even cleaning supplies. The dark hardwood floors were beautiful and were throughout the house with the exception of the tan slate-tiled bathroom. All in all, she’d been pleasantly surprised by the overall modern amenities and rustic decor. It was something she could see picking for herself had she been house hunting.

The furniture was a subtle sage color, and the coffee and end tables were the same pecan color as the dining table. A few small personal touches and the place would feel just like home. She decided to make a list to give to Knox of things she’d need, but she’d only jotted a couple things down when someone knocked at the door for the third time that day.

This time it was Lorent.

“Hi.” Melony stepped to the side of the open door, but he made no move to come in. “Don’t just stand there. Come in.” She smiled and motioned for him to enter. “You’re a tad early, and I have a list I’d like to finish up before we leave if you don’t mind.”

He hesitated, and she laughed.

“I won’t bite. Come on.”

After a few moments, he sighed—probably in resignation—and stepped inside. Damn, he looked good. She licked her lips as she eyed the way his snug jeans hugged his delectable backside. But when he turned around and caught her ogling him, her cheeks flushed hot. She caught a brief flicker of light in his eyes, and what gorgeous eyes they were. While she’d been able to see that his eyes were hazel by the firelight last night, the daylight enhanced the beautiful color.

The pure hazel color had just the right amount of gray and blue to make it impossible to call them one color or another. “Hazel” was the only way to describe that perfect blend. She’d seen people with hazel eyes, and the first thing that had always come to mind was gray. His? Not so simple. His were mesmerizing, unique, beautiful. Whew wee. There isn’t one thing about this one that isn’t perfect. On a scale from one to ten, he’d be a twenty.

He cleared his throat, and she jumped.

“I’m sorry. I was admiring your eyes. They are quite striking.”

He opened his mouth several times as if to speak, but never actually said anything. She wondered if he’d ever had a compliment because right at this particular moment, he looked as if he wished the floor would open up and swallow him. She smiled, and he just kept right on staring back at her, not moving, not saying a word. After a few seconds, she began to think that she’d done something horribly wrong.

“Did I offend you in some way?” She’d never gotten a reaction like this from someone for a simple compliment.

“Um. No. It’s just. Well—” He rubbed the back of his neck as if he could coax the right words out with his fingers.

Finally, as if to let him off the hook, she said, “Some men aren’t good with compliments.” She went back to the kitchen to finish her list. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

“If you change your mind, let me know. I should only be a couple of minutes. Make yourself at home.” She sat back down, picked up the pen, and started jotting down the rest of the things she needed on the list.

In between writing down items on her list, she glanced at him—from under her lashes this time so he didn’t catch her ogling him. He wandered around the living room for a few seconds before sitting on the couch. His movements were graceful, and it was a little unsettling how he made no noise as he moved about the cabin. Was stealth a lycan trait, or was it just natural to him? She had tons of questions she was dying to have answered about lycans, but had decided to let him teach her how he saw fit. At least that way he’d be doing most of the talking.

She’d save the questions for those times when he was lagging with the conversation. Quit staring at the gorgeous man, and get the list done so you can put him out of his misery. But a small part of her thought it was good for him to wait.

She focused back on her list, and just as she’d written down the last item, a commotion from the living room caught her eye.

“What the hell is that?” Lorent stood staring down at Puss, who had obviously decided to get acquainted with him.

“It’s called a cat. Her name is Puss.” She watched them as they stared each other down, trying hard not to laugh at the scene. Finally, Puss sauntered away with a flip of her tail.

“I know what it is, but what’s it doing here?”

“She’s my pet. You know, pet? People do have them from time to time?”

He rubbed at the back of his neck again.

“You got a problem with my cat, Lorent?” She put her hands on her hips and fixed a stare on him that would rival any mother about to scold a disobedient child.

Melony stood across the room glaring at him, daring him to touch one hair on Puss. A smile tugged at his lips, but quickly vanished. The fact that he was entertained by her protective nature of her beloved pet irked her.

“I said, you got a problem with my cat? Because if you have a problem with my cat, you have a problem with me.” Her hands balled into fists.

“No. I don’t exactly have anything against cats. I just wasn’t expecting to see one. I mean, I scented it when I came in, but I assumed the scent was on something you’d brought from your previous home. I was startled when it jumped in my lap.”

“Puss is not an it. She’s a she.”

“Honestly, I didn’t mean any harm. I simply wasn’t expecting a cat to jump on my lap.”

After a couple minutes, she smiled. “Okay then. We’re good. Let me get my coat, and I’m ready to go.”

“I’ll make sure to remember that if you fuck with Melony’s cat, she’ll turn into a hellion and rip a few strips from your hide,” he mumbled under his breath.

She raised a brow. “I didn’t quite catch that. What did you say?” She’d caught every word of it.

“Nothing.”

She started down the hallway, but stopped as she reached the basketful of clothes she’d moved earlier. She stared down at the thing, wishing it was human so she could do it bodily harm, before picking it up, sliding the door open to the laundry area, and dumping the contents into the washer. She set the empty basket on top of the washer, added soap, and started the cycle. If Shannon wants her unmentionables washed on delicate, she can do it herself. She went down to the bedroom to get her coat, one of her favorites—black wool with tiny pink dots. The dots were barely noticeable unless one looked hard, but the shade of pink matched her hair perfectly.

She was extremely irritated about doing Shannon’s laundry. However, she’d be irritated more if she didn’t do it, Shannon showed up later, and decided to stick around to do it herself. After all, Melony couldn’t refuse to let Shannon use her washer. What would be the excuse? Sorry, Shannon. I don’t like you, so you can’t wash your clothes here. No matter her feelings toward Shannon, she wouldn’t act like a spoiled brat.

She walked by Lorent to the front door. “Let’s go.”