ChangingPaths by Marilu Mann Page B

of her
status could have been.
    “Micah asked me to come talk to you.” He settled himself on
the rail beside her, staring out as she had been, at the open ground around the
lodge. “Your aunt said you think your daughter might need some help with her
first shift.”
    “I…” She took a deep breath, still not quite sure exactly
how to respond to any of this. She’d never expected to be welcomed, of all
things, by the Alpha. Now to have one of his seconds seeming to offer to help?
It was all too much. And yet she wanted that and so much more. But not from
Gareth.
    “I know Rain is going to be able to Change. I just know it
in my heart. Even though I c-c-can’t.” She hated the tears that fell from her
eyes, hated that quiver in her voice, hated that any man saw her crying when
she’d vowed never to cry in front of a man again.
    “Hey, don’t…” He had gotten to his feet and moved closer to
her. He ran a hand down her hair as if knowing that anything else might be too
much. Of course Pete would have told Micah about the restraining order. Harmony
realized there was no reason Micah wouldn’t have passed that on to another of
his seconds.
    Turning her head slightly, she met Gareth’s gaze. The
shadowed light on the porch let her see just enough of his features to note the
concern there. Not the discomfort some men showed around a crying woman, but
what looked like real caring. This close she could see the pale stubble on his
face and the harshness of the scars on his cheek.
    “I’m sorry.” She covered her face with both hands, hunching
her shoulders as she tried to stem the tears. The stress must have finally
caught up with her though, because she couldn’t stop them, or the shakes that
gripped her. Slowly, so slowly she could feel her heartbeat between each step
he took, he eased closer.
    When she didn’t move he wrapped his arms around her to pull
her against his chest. Even through the heavy coat she wore, she could feel his
heat. This was something else she’d missed, how warm some shifters were.
    She leaned into him slightly and that seemed to be all the
encouragement he needed to truly gather her in. One of his arms around her
shoulders, his hand still stroking her hair, the other arm around her waist, he
just held her as she fell apart. If safety had a scent, it was Gareth. She
wanted to just stand there and be with him all night.
    As she sniffled her way back to some sort of sanity he handed
her a soft bandana that she used to wipe her face. Still enclosed in the circle
of his arms, she raised her head to thank him but the words stuck in her
throat.
    She could feel his strength through the gentleness with
which he held her. The patch covering his right eye rested just above his
cheekbone, so she could see the strong lines of his face. His clean aroma
pulled her in and without volition her thumb moved up to touch his bottom lip.
He made a sound deep in his chest and she raised her eyes again. The hunger on
his face nearly caused her to flee but he somehow sensed that too. She knew, as
all of those raised in a Pack knew, that she would have to make the first move
if she wanted to experience that hunger.
    Covering her hand with one of his, he tilted his head,
moving his face closer but still giving her plenty of time to pull away, turn
away, to move out of the circle of his arms. She didn’t do any of that. Instead
she gripped a fistful of his shirt at his back, pulling him closer, and stood
on tiptoe to kiss him.
    A heartbeat, a startled breath and then he was kissing her
back. And in a way she’d never been kissed. Despite the strength in his body,
his lips were gentle. She could feel, honestly feel, him holding back. It had
to be the stress because she didn’t want that. For once she wanted to kiss a
man without wondering when he was going to hit her. For once she wanted to take
control. So she did.
    Opening her mouth under his, she traced the seam of his lips
with her tongue until he yielded to