Jessica’s Wolves(3)

Chapter 2


Jessica kneeled on the floor, one hand rubbing the little girl’s back, the other holding her hair while she vomited once again. Poor Miranda had obviously succumbed to the flu just like half of Jessica’s first grade class. Fortunately, her brother Jeremy had fallen victim before school had started this morning. He’d stayed home. Unfortunately, that meant his mother was at home also, with her hands very full, unable to come pick up Miranda.

It had been a coincidence Miranda had ended up in Jessica’s class. Nevertheless, Jess had a special bond with the child, who was also a shifter. Tessa, Miranda’s mother, was Justin and Ryan Masters’ sister.

As soon as the child had looked a little green, Jessica had phoned Tessa at home, but someone else was being sent to get the child. One of their many family members.

Jessica smiled. That family was huge. Surely someone would be along shortly. Luckily, the rest of the class was at recess in the gym, so Jessica had headed to the nurse’s office with Miranda.

Of course, no doubt next week she’d probably be sicker than a dog, but she couldn’t leave the little girl to suffer alone. It tore at her heartstrings.

Plus Jessica really liked Tessa. Neither of them had mentioned the huge elephant waltzing around them every time they’d met, but that had only been a handful of times so far. Meet the teacher night. A parent-teacher meeting. The baby shower for Kara last week. A few other times in passing at Kara’s house.

Miranda moaned and lifted her head, dragging Jessica from her musings.

“I know, baby. You don’t feel well.”

“Is my mommy coming to get me?” Her voice was barely above a squeak, which said something coming from the usually loud, exuberant youngster.

“No. But someone is. One of your uncles I think.”

“Uncle Charles?” Her little eyes were red and watery, but they lit up ever so slightly at the idea.

“Not sure, baby. Isn’t your Uncle Charles in Texas?” When did Justin say he was coming home?

“He got back last night,” she mumbled, closing her eyes and plopping her tiny self on the bathroom floor.

The child moaned and curled into a ball in the corner. Jess picked up her little frame and carried her back to the small cot in the nurse’s station. Thank God there was an attached bathroom.

She set her down, smoothed her hair out of her face, and then froze, her fingers still tangled in the mass of blonde curls, her gaze still glued to Miranda’s burning forehead.

Her spine stiffened. Confusion warred with her senses.

Even though she’d only heard stories about this experience and hadn’t ever once acknowledged the actual validity of the idea, there was no doubt someone was in the vicinity whose pheromones called to her.

No. No. That wasn’t precisely true. More than one alluring scent filled her nostrils.

Fuck.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was exactly what she’d been worried about. The very reason she’d vowed to stay away from shifters, live a human life. Not that there was any guarantee she’d not meet a human mate at some point, but surely she could have avoided him if she did. After all, the man wouldn’t really realize what was going on, and she’d be long gone before he did.

But the two scents assaulting her right this second were both wolves. Could she have avoided this moment if fate hadn’t matched both her roommates with local shifters, thrusting her into a world she’d denied for all these years?

She couldn’t move yet. Her gaze rose to the wall behind Miranda’s head. She untangled her fingers from the little girl’s hair but clenched her fists and held herself rigid for several seconds, afraid to turn around.

“Uncle Charles!” Miranda bolted to a sitting position, pushing Jessica out of the way.

Charles? Was it possible? Fuck. Again that inappropriate word popped into her mind right here in the elementary school.

“I don’t feel so well, Uncle Charles.” Miranda lay back down and curled onto her side, the action of sitting up so quickly having upset her stomach once again.

Jessica laid her hand on Miranda’s shoulder and slowly turned her gaze toward the door, where the only sound so far had been deep breaths.

When she finally swiveled around completely, she gasped. In the doorframe were two of the sexiest men she’d ever seen. And both of them had their gazes locked on her, neither acknowledging the child.

Jessica sucked in a breath, which was a mistake, and held it. The man on the left was taller, maybe six feet two. Clearly this was the prodigal son, Charles, because he looked so much like the other men she’d met from the family. Brown hair in need of a cut, a shade lighter than Justin’s and Ryan’s, the two older brothers. His deep brown gaze burrowed into her soul. He was rock solid and stood like a statue, rigidly holding his own breath.