Triple Dog Dare

Chapter Six

Elain awoke late the next morning after a blissfully dreamless sleep. Getting herself boinked senseless by her men tended to do that for her.

At least insomnia’s a problem I don’t have.

She left her men sleeping in bed and grabbed a quick shower. Instead of dressing, she grabbed her bathrobe and wrapped it around her before silently slipping out of the bedroom. The entire house lay quiet, all their guests still asleep.

She started the coffee. When it finished, she poured herself a mug then took it outside onto the lanai where she sat in a lounger. Staring at the woods beyond the backyard, she tried to process everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. Between her mom’s bombshell, meeting Lina and her gang, and then Liam showing up…

Dad, she thought. My dad.

How many countless times had she longed for a dad growing up? Latching on to friends who had seemingly perfect families with a dad and a mom? Or, at the very least, one parent and one stepparent? All the while mourning the fact that her father was either “somewhere” or a “no-good louse,” depending on when in her life she’d asked her mom about him.

How many times had she watched moms and dads, or at least divorced parents but the dad showing up sometimes, cheering their kids on the sidelines at track meets or karate competitions?

Yes, her mom was always there for her. Always her rock, always dependable and making time for her no matter what.

But…

She sat back in the lounger, stretching out and staring at wispy clouds that drifted into view in the distance across the pasture to the east of the house.

Inside the house behind her, Elain now had her complete family gathered under one roof for the first time in her life. Men, Mom, Dad, and the siblings-slash-cousins she’d always longed for.

Let’s not forget it looks like I’m a wolf, too.

She snorted in amusement. Somehow, that factoid had slid down the importance scale with the arrival of everyone else.

She heard the sliders to the living room open. Cail, dressed in shorts, stepped out. He carried a mug of coffee.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

She nodded to him.

He kissed her. “You all right?”

“Yeah.”

He studied her for a moment. “You want company, or do you need some space?”

She took a deep breath and held it for a moment to think before letting it out. “I think,” she quietly said, “I need some space. No offense.”

“None taken. That’s why I asked.” He leaned in again and kissed the top of her head. “Ain and Brodey are up and moving, too. I’m going to grab me something to eat and head out to the barns with Brodey. Unless you want me to hang back?”

“I’m good.” Truth be told, the irony was she did need to be alone, even though her life was suddenly filled with all the people she’d wished for over the years.

“Let me know if you need me, okay?”

“I will. Thank you.”

He returned to the house, leaving her to her contemplation. He must have passed the word to the other men, because neither Ain nor Brodey came out, although she sensed Brodey left with Cail and Ain stayed behind.

No one else appeared to be awake yet. Not even the two lovebird horndogs.

She snickered at that. In light of recent developments, what had happened between Micah and Jim now fell even farther down the scale of importance, as well as provided a humorous note to her life.

Familiar sounds of birds and distant traffic on the road beyond their driveway came to her. She closed her eyes and listened with new attention based on the revelations of the night before.

The breeze picked up a little. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the scents of morning dew drying on the cypress and pine trees in the nearby woods. The sweet scent of the backyard grass, which had been mown the day before. Even the faint but still detectable aroma of the cows in the pastures beyond the woods.

Maybe I should take a ride. Brodey had bought her two horses. She still wouldn’t consider herself an expert rider, but the men now let her venture around the ranch by herself without worrying themselves to death. A ride would help me clear my mind.

She had a house full of people, over half of which she’d just met. All of them, apparently, related to her in some fashion. One of the things she’d always wished she had—a large, supportive family—and now…

Sigh.

She had no clue what to do with all of them.

The sliders opened again a little while later. When she looked, Liam offered her a tentative smile. “May I join ye?”

She nodded. She wouldn’t tell him no. She just wasn’t sure what to say to him yet.

He took a seat in a chair facing the lounger. “Are ye doing okay?”

“Honestly?”

He nodded.

She shook her head. “Not really. It’s all so overwhelming.” Why not tell him the truth? “I’ve had my world upended several times already over the past few weeks. Meeting the guys has changed my life and my perception of the world. Now I’m finding out all this other stuff.” She shrugged. “It’s like what is going to fall out of the sky on me next? I don’t know what I’m supposed to be thinking.”

“No one expects ye to act a certain way.”

“I expect it from myself. I had my life pretty much planned out. Then I met the guys. Okay, great, shape-shifters are real. Fine. I love them. I’ve been processing that. I was just starting to get the hang of that. Then all of…this.” She focused on the woods again. Maybe what she really needed was a run. Not to be chased, just to…run.

“Can ye ever forgive me?” he softly asked.

His question startled her. She refocused on him. “What?”

“For leaving your mum. For not being there for ye.”

“There’s nothing to forgive. You did what you had to do. I’m just…overwhelmed,” she repeated. It was the only word that seemed to apply.

“I can understand Carla being mad at me all these years. In her place, I can’t imagine I’d think much different. All I’m asking is a chance to get to know ye, be a part of yer life, if ye’d consider giving it to me.”

Over. Whelmed.

She took a deep breath and let it out again. “I feel like I’m losing my mind. Like I’m going to wake up and find out I was stuck in a coma or some weird stuff.” She thought for a moment. “Of course I want you in my life, Liam… Dad.” She smiled. “I’m sorry. That feels weird saying it. I’ll get used to it.”

He returned her smile. “I won’t lie. It sounds good hearing ye say it.”

“So why Bolivia all these years?” It was a question she’d neglected to ask the night before. She’d been too busy processing and crying to think of many questions.

He smiled. “It’s one of the last places any Abernathy would ever set foot on the planet. There’s a large jaguar Clan there who despises them.”

“Why?”

“Because Rodolfo stupidly thought he could have his way. About a hundred years or so ago, at a large Gathering, he tried throwing his weight around. He ended up insulting one of the jaguar leader’s daughters. His youngest daughter, who happened to be nineteen at the time.”

“Ouch.”

“Exactly. One of Rodolfo’s sons showed up the next morning with scratches across his face. His story was she attacked him. Her story was he tried to rape her and she barely got away. Rodolfo called her a lying…eh, rhymes with runt.”

Elain smiled. “Didn’t go over so well, huh?”

Liam rubbed his chin. “It was only because everyone else held back Ortega, the leader of the jaguar Clan, that Rodolfo and his ilk escaped out of there with his bollocks intact. Ortega invited Rodolfo to come down to Bolivia and settle it like a man. Needless to say, he didn’t.”

“So any of Rodolfo’s enemies are automatically Ortega’s friends now?”

“Exactly. I’m not the first person to head to Bolivia to escape Abernathy’s reach. In return, Ortega left me alone and offered me freedom to stay as long as I kept my eyes and ears open and passed any information along to him that he might need about anything I saw.” He sighed. “I hated every second of being away from ye. I suspected I’d do ye more harm than good if I showed up.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yeah?”

She smiled. “Yeah.”

They talked for a little while longer. Carla joined them, a mug of coffee in her hand. She kissed Elain, but looked at Liam.

“Honey, would you mind if Liam and I talked for a little while? Alone?”

“No problem.” She hugged them both and headed inside.

Elain was making her way from the lanai to the kitchen when Lina and Zack emerged from their respective rooms.

Lina gave her a hug. “How you holding up?” Elain felt a wave of compassion wash over her. When Lina let go of her, the feeling disappeared.

Elain wanted to opt for a brave face, but she felt tears building inside her.

Lina squeezed her hand. “It’s okay to be overwhelmed. It’s natural. This isn’t easy stuff to deal with.”

“How did you deal with it?”

“She blew up a pine tree in our backyard,” Zack snarked.

“That was accidental,” Lina shot back. “I haven’t accidentally blown anything up in a long time now.”

“What about on purpose?” Elain asked.

She grinned. “Oh, all the time. I have to keep my guys on their toes.” Her smile faded. “How are you doing? Really?”

Elain sat at the kitchen table. “Can we focus on something besides me for a minute? I’m tired of being center stage. What, exactly, is your deal?” She pointed at the two of them.

Zack and Lina joined her at the table. “If we could label that,” Lina said, “it would make my life easier.” She looked at Zack. “Long story short, I’m the reincarnation of a really kick-ass lady goddess from a long time ago. Jan and Rick are the reincarnations of my mates from then.”

Elain stared at her for a moment as she tried to process that. “I’m sorry I asked.” Shape-shifters. Goddesses. Reincarnation.

This isn’t helping.

Lina smiled. “I know. It’s a lot to take in. I didn’t want to believe everything at first, either. I’ve found it’s easier to just sit back, admit I don’t know everything, and go with the flow.”

“Forget flow. I feel flooded,” Elain said.

“The short version,” Zack offered, “is magic is real, basically. Critters you thought were just myth really do exist. You know, sort of a variation on the theme of, ‘Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.’ Well, just because everyone else thinks these kinds of things don’t exist doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

Elain stared at him for a moment before dropping her head into her hands and moaning. “FuuuuUUUUCK!”

She didn’t even care if Ain heard her swear. She’d gladly take the spanking. At least it would be something to take her mind off this craziness.

Carla sat down in the lounger that Elain had vacated. For so many years she’d imagined what would happen if she had Liam sitting in front of her, how the conversation would go.

Now, she couldn’t recall a single scenario.

“You look good, Liam.” He’d barely aged, while she’d lived literally an entire lifetime since she’d last seen him. She felt a little self-conscious about that.

He kindly smiled. “Yer as pretty as ye ever were, Carla.”

She felt herself blush and looked down at her coffee. “You don’t need to lie to me to make me feel good, Liam.”

“I’m not. I mean it. And again, I cannot tell ye how much I appreciate ye raising Elain. I promise I won’t do anything to come between ye.” He wistfully looked at the sliding glass doors through which Elain had returned to the house. “Yer her mum. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there to help ye take care of her, to help support her.”

She nodded. Unlike her daughter, she’d only had less than twenty-four hours to come to grips with the fact that shape-shifters truly existed and it wasn’t some figment of her imagination after years of denial.

“Do ye hate me?” he asked.

She harshly laughed. “Honestly? I spent a lot of time hating you over the years. And now I feel pretty guilty about that, considering the truth.” She sighed. “You need to give me some time to get used to all of this, Liam.”

“I know. I’m sorry ye didn’t get a say in the matter.”

“No, I had a say. I could have turned you two away when you showed up.”

He reached over and touched her knee. “I always liked ye, Carla,” he softly said, his voice sounding serious. “Maureen was the love of my life, my mate. Had I met ye first…” He sat back. “I don’t want that to sound childish. I knew from the moment Maureen introduced us that ye were a special woman.” His voice choked up. “She loved ye, Carla. Ye were the closest thing to family she had who she could confide in. I cannot tell ye how thankful I am she had ye in her final days.”

Carla choked back tears. She’d sworn she’d hold it together, at least in front of the others, for Elain’s sake. “I still don’t understand why she died,” she quietly said. “It’s like she gave up.”

He wouldn’t look at her. With his gaze on the ground, and in a voice she could barely hear, he said, “She had soul sickness. It sometimes happens when a woman loses a mate, especially if she’s with child. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it can. I don’t know why it happens.”

Carla stifled a flash of anger. “So if you had come back, she wouldn’t have died?”

He shrugged, still not looking at her. “I dunno. Maybe. Don’t think there isn’t a day gone by I haven’t cursed myself for leaving. At the time, I thought it was the only way to keep Elain safe and keep those bastards from forcing her into a life no one would ever want for their child.”

They sat in silence for a few moments. “Maureen asked me to tell you she loved you,” Carla finally said. “That if I ever saw you again to tell you that.” She took a deep breath. “She also made me promise to tell you that it was her decision, too. That she didn’t blame you.”

Liam’s shoulders began to tremble as he silently wept. First hesitating, Carla put down her mug, stood, and walked over to him. If she couldn’t release the anger and resentment she’d held all those years, she knew it would eat her alive and only serve to drive a wedge between her and Elain. Her daughter deserved to have her father in her life.

She stood in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’ll be all right.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against her stomach as he cried.

Carla closed her eyes and tried to ignore the other old feelings still swirling around inside her.

After lunch, which overflowed their kitchen and tested the seating capacity of their already large dining room table, Brodey made an announcement. “Elain, we’re going to take you out to the pasture and show you some things.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Wouldn’t the bedroom be more convenient?”

“I—” He groaned as he caught her meaning. “No, babe. That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“For once,” Cail added before taking a sip of iced tea.

Brodey shot him a glare. Ain didn’t intercede. He sat there with an amused smile and watched his brothers go at it.

“We’re going to give you a ‘Shifters 101’ class this afternoon,” Brodey said.

Elain wasn’t sure she was ready for more surprises. “Don’t you have to wait thirty minutes after eating before shifting?” she snarked.

Lina, sitting next to her, hooted with laughter and gave her a high five.

Brodey rolled his eyes, but trudged onward. “After lunch, you’re going to learn how to shift.”

“We don’t know for sure if I can shift.”

“True, but all the evidence points to the fact that you can. So humor me, okay? I’m going to take you out and teach you.”

“Yay,” Elain blandly said with more than a pinch of sarcasm behind it as she pointed her index finger up and twirled it around.

Elain didn’t bother fighting Brodey when it was obvious Ain supported the plan. Liam and Carla stayed behind at the house to do some more talking of their own. Ain and Cail returned to work at the barns because the business had to be tended to regardless of their crazy personal life. Micah and Jim were most likely boinking each other’s brains out in their bedroom. So Elain headed out with the others after lunch.

They took a couple of work trucks. When they reached one of the most remote pastures, where they stood no chance of being accidentally spotted, they parked the vehicles and piled out.

“So,” Brodey said with a twinkle in his eye. “What do you want to learn first, babe?”

Elain looked at Lina’s guys. “You three are shifters, too?” she asked as she pointed at Kael, Rick, and Jan.

The three men nodded.

“Can I see you guys shift first?” Elain asked.

They shrugged. “Sure,” Rick said. “We like it here, because we can shift to our largest form.”

Elain fought the rising heat in her face as all three men immediately began nonchalantly shucking their clothes.

She’d seen her men shift into wolves. But when the air appeared to shimmer around the three men, Elain let out a terrified squeak as she realized she was now staring at three large dragons.

Her jaw gaped as she stumbled backward a few steps.

No one said anything. Only birds and the wind through the nearby trees stirred the silence.

Elain stared.

After a few minutes, a concerned Brodey asked, “Um, babe? Say something.”

Elain stared. “They’re dragons!” she whispered, stunned.

Zack grinned “Yeah. Pretty cool, huh?”

“Dragons!” Elain said again. Even though Cail had once mentioned to her that there were other kinds of shifters, she really thought he’d been messing with her when he’d told her there was such a thing as dragon shifters.

Brodey stepped behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “No weirder than us shifting into wolves, when you think about it.”

Elain stared. “Wolves are real! You said they were shifters. But… they’re dragons!”

“Yep,” Brodey agreed, nonplussed.

They let her stare for another minute while her brain tried to absorb the sight.

Lina walked up to Elain and slipped her arm around her waist. “I actually fainted the first time I saw them shift. This is their largest form. When I saw them for the first time, they’d only shifted into their smallest form,” she said. “It was a shock.”

Elain looked at her in disbelief. “Ya think? That’s like the understatement of the…forever!”

Lina laughed. “I know. Hey, Brodey?”

“Yeah?”

“Original recipe, or crispy?”

He howled with laughter. When he finally composed himself, he snorted out, “Crispy, kiddo. Definitely crispy.”

Elain realized this had to be a joke between them. She waited for the explanation. By the time Lina and Brodey got the story out about how Lina fried Lenny the cockatrice in Yellowstone, Elain was laughing with them and finally getting used to the fact that she was now staring at three dragons.

“It wasn’t funny at the time,” Lina said, “but looking back at it, I can laugh my ass off.”

Brodey sighed. “You know, babe,” he said, slipping his arms around Elain’s waist, “Lina’s the reason I found you.”

“Yeah?”

He kissed the top of her head. “Yep. I’d forgotten it while it happened, but after the fact, I remembered. She told me we’d find you at a Highlands games festival.” He turned her around so he could stare into Elain’s eyes. “She gave me hope. When Lina and I first met, I was in a pretty low place emotionally.”

“After you broke up with Kimberlie?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

“I told furface here to not give up,” Lina said. “That they’d meet you in a few years. And here you are.”

She broke free from Brodey and hugged Lina. “You feel like a sister. I never had a sister before.”

“Ditto. I’m telling you, adopted family is the way to go.” She laughed. “That way you can disown anyone you don’t like, and no one can guilt you about it at family dinners.” She thought for a second. “Well, they can try, but if you’re me, you can threaten to freeze or fry their ass so they think twice before giving you any grief about it.”

With the worst of Elain’s shock out of her system, Kael, Rick, and Jan took off. Literally. With each one shifted into their largest form, they launched themselves into the air and began soaring on the thermals.

Elain watched with her mouth gaping again. Somehow, it was easier to deal with the truth when the three men…eh, dragons, were sitting on the ground in front of her.

This took her sanity to a whole new level of strained.

“Aren’t they neat?” Lina asked. She lifted one hand to shade her eyes from the afternoon sun. “They love coming here because they can fly in the daytime without worrying about being spotted. Our property isn’t this big, and we’re pretty close to the interstate.”

Elain thought of something. She spoke to Brodey, but still stared up at the sky. “Brodey, do you guys have alternate forms, too?”

“Nope. Just wolves. Dragons are actually an older shifter race than wolves. You ready to try learning how to shift?”

She shook her head as she watched Kael do a lazy cartwheel fifty feet over their heads. “Nope.”

Zack chimed in. “Brodey, I think you need to let her settle into this new reality first before trying to teach her about shifting.”

Elain, still gazing skyward, slowly nodded. “Yep.”

“But it’s easy,” Brodey insisted.

“I don’t care,” Elain said, her eyes never leaving the dragons.

“Brod,” Lina gently said, “give her some time. Seriously. Take my advice.”

Brodey grumbled, but he wrapped his arms around Elain’s waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I want to be the one to teach you, babe,” he softly said into her ear.

Now Elain understood why this was so important to him. Not so much what he said as what she felt from him, the protectiveness, the desire to be the one to usher her into this new phase of her life.

She turned in his arms and kissed him. “I promise I’ll let you be the one to do it,” she said. “Right now, Lina’s right. I’m too overwhelmed.”

There’s that damn word again.

She looked up as Jan’s shadow gracefully flowed over and past them. “Way too overwhelmed.”