Lycan Christmas Page 5
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—”
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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.”
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“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 39
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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.”
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“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 stealt
h 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.
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“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.”
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Chapter Six
Lorent walked just behind Melony, mesmerized by the sway of her hips.
She was a tiny slip of a thing, but she packed some serious curves. If the dictionary had the cliché “dynamite comes in small packages,” he was sure a picture of Melony would be the only definition required. She amused and intrigued him. When she’d lit into him about her cat earlier, he’d found her protective nature endearing. He’d almost let his lips slip into a smile, until she’d glared at him. While she didn’t frighten him, he thought it best not to provoke her further.
And what had been the deal with the laundry? He could have sworn he’d smelled Shannon’s scent coming from the clothes, but why were they at Melony’s, and why would she be doing Shannon’s laundry? He figured the incident with the cat had sparked but a momentary lapse into anger born of her love for Puss. Her current mood, he was sure, was due to whatever Shannon was up to.
He found he wanted to ask her what had happened, wanted to comfort her, listen to her and assure her, but he didn’t quite know how to do so. As they walked on a path through the trees toward the Learning Center, she remained silent. Strangely enough, he found he wanted to hear her voice, even knowing that once she started talking, she’d probably ask him questions he didn’t want to answer. But most of all, he wanted to brighten her mood and make her smile.
He did the only thing he could think of to distract her from whatever was bothering her and started telling her about the trees and plants in the area.
“White spruce.”
Melony stopped when Lorent spoke and turned toward him. “Excuse me?”
“This is a white spruce. It’s an evergreen and can grow up to sixty feet tall.” Lorent laid his hand on the wide trunk of the huge tree he stood next to.
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“Oh.” She blinked as if clearing her head. She gazed up to where the top of the tree stretched toward the sky. “It is beautiful. I was admiring one last night while the moonlight glimmered through its branches.”
Yeah, he remembered and wondered what she’d think if he told her he’d been admiring her while she’d been admiring that tree. Would she think him a perv? Probably. Women didn’t tend to like men who stalked them, although had he found her sneaking a look at him, well, that wouldn’t feel creepy at all. It would turn him on to know that she’d been covertly ogling him. Hell, it would turn him on if she openly ogled him.
“If you liked that, wait until you see the moonlight on a quaking aspen.
The underside of its leaves shimmer silver in the wind. When there’s a light breeze and a full moon, it’s an amazing sight. Of course, you’ll have to wait until spring to see its leaves again.”
Melony pursed her lips and nibbled the bottom one with her teeth, watching him in silent contemplation. “What are some of the other trees here?”
Now that was a question he didn’t mind answering. “I won’t name them all, but some of the more abundant ones are red maple, tamarack, bur oak, and arborvitae. The arborvitae attract deer.” She continued to watch him as they slowly walked along the path. “If you had gotten here in September, I could have shown you the yellow flowers of the witch hazel and white flowers of the edible elderberry. The cranberry bush also has white flowers, and bears bright red fruit that the birds love to feed on. Those three are shrubs, though, not trees.”
She followed him as he searched through the plants. When he found what he was looking for, he turned around and motioned for her to come closer. He pointed to a wilted-looking bush. “This is wolfberry. They flower white in the summer, but in September and November, ripened seeds fall from it and attract wildlife. There isn’t much left of it because it’s late in the year.”
Melony looked around cautiously. “What kind of wildlife?”
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Lorent shrugged. “Just the norm—deer, fox, raccoon, opossum, rabbits, and the occasional black bear, elk, coyotes, and my favorite, wolves, to name a few.”
She swallowed hard. “W-Wolves?”
“No need to be afraid. They won’t bother us.” Good thing he hadn’t told her about the bobcats, mountain lions, and snakes. When he looked at her concerned face, he decided he wouldn’t tell her either, at least not for a while.
<
br /> “You are extremely knowledgeable of the environment, Lorent. I haven’t met many men that have bothered taking the time to learn about trees and plants. It’s refreshing.” Her eyes twinkled.
“When I first came to Sanctuary, learning about the local fauna and flora proved a welcome distraction from, um, things, and it quickly turned into a hobby that I enjoy.”
What he didn’t tell her was that learning about the trees and plants had been a way for him to escape when things started closing in on him. Once he was deep in the woods, the beauty of nature calmed him. It had been the next logical and natural step for him to delve deeper into the thing that gave him comfort. He was no expert by any means, but knew the basics about most of the indigenous species in the area.
She took a step closer to him, and the urge to reach out to her proved too much. He ran one finger down her cheek and nearly groaned. She did feel as soft as she looked, and her chocolate eyes sparkled at him.
“I hope to learn more from you. The forest is quite fascinating.” Her lids drooped, and she leaned into his touch.
Startled by her positive reaction, common sense finally bit him in the ass.
He jerked his hand away and continued up the path.
“Sorry.”
“Wait.” She hurried after him.
He kept walking until her small hand closed over his forearm, and he halted.
“What are you sorry for?”
“I had no right to touch you, Melony. I was out of line.” He stared at the ground, not wanting to meet her eyes, not wanting to see agreement in them.
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“Lorent?” When he still didn’t look at her, she gave his arm a gentle shake. “Lorent?”
Finally, he gave in and caught her gaze, amazed at what he saw in the liquid brown depths. No scorn, no agreement, only kindness glimmered in them.
“It’s okay. Friends do occasionally touch one another, right?” She raised one perfectly sculpted brow.
“Friends?” He’d never had a friend. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Knox, Rose, and the others at Sanctuary were his friends, but he saw them more as mentors or big brothers and sisters rather than friends. She was offering something he’d never had, something he never realized he wanted until now.