Home For The Howlidays: David and Cassie: The Macconwood Pack Tales 6, Page 2

  The streets of Manhattan were always crowded and noisy. Exciting, sure, sometimes, but after five years, she longed to be home. Not that she’d admit it to Stephanie, her sometimes overbearing, but always loveable stepmother.

  “I blew it, Stephie,” she said in that small, little girl voice, that she hated. It always happened when she felt scared and emotional. At first, that voice had attracted a few producers and directors and she’d gotten jobs in a few decent shows.

  But that same voice cost her more than one starring role. She was a character actor, they’d said, not big enough to star. Then she’d simply lost her taste for the hustle and bustle.

  She felt her stepmother’s eyes riveted to her face and she turned her head, not wanting to see the pity she knew was there. Cassie had done her best, it was a short-lived kind of a life. Only the blessed few made their mark on Broadway, and she was not one of them. But she’d learned a lot, met dozens of great people, and had her first serious relationship with Mark, her ex-director and ex-live-in-boyfriend.

  Well, technically, she was the ex. He’d stayed in her studio apartment, taking over the lease and leaving her to get home via two Port Authority Buses and a long ride on a NJ Transit train. Fun times.

  Cassie sighed and looked around her. An exceptionally beautiful brunette with a lithe body strolled past. She was reminded, once again, why she, a short, chubby, thirty-year-old, was still single. FML.

  With all the tall, thin, and gorgeous women on hand, she felt utterly dowdy. At least she’d changed her flannel pants. Not that her black yoga pants were haute couture. Great, not only do I sound like a cartoon, but I look like a frump! No wonder Broadway hated me.

  That wasn’t entirely true. Cassie had landed a few supporting roles over the years and understudied a lot more. The hours were grueling and long, and the work was demanding. She’d loved it at first, but it wore on her.

  Dating one of her directors hadn’t turned out right, but neither had a brief flirtation with an actor. The entire experience left her feeling drained and, well, flat.

  She’d ben enamored with the whole life and the city itself at first, but after failing to get anywhere, she’d decided to throw in the towel. She finally learned to accept that she wasn’t cut out for it. Now, she needed to figure out what to do with her life.

  But first things first. Relax and enjoy yourself! The mani-pedi and facial were just what she needed! As long as she didn’t allow herself to be overwhelmed by the number of tall, sleek beauties that surrounded her, Cassie would be fine.

  It wasn’t like she didn’t love herself, she did. So, what if she had rolls and dimples and was shorter than most seventh graders these days?

  She was happy. Well, sort of. She was lonely, and yes, she wanted to find a guy to get all ‘tis the season-y with, but she’d be fine alone! Right? Ugh.

  Why did Stephie have to bring all this up now when she’d run home with her metaphorical tail tucked between her legs? Cassie giggled at the picture and pressed her back into the tap-tap-tap of the massage chair.

  She ignored her stepmother who continued talking about hair-cuts and new clothes for the singles ball. Ugh. Cassie simply wasn’t feeling it. Shopping for formal clothing for a short and chubby chick sucked.

  Her stepmom was awesome, but she didn’t get it. She was right up there with all the gorgeous women in the salon. Tall, blonde, and stacked with an athletic body and ageless skin, the forty-eight-year old looked at least twelve years younger than she was.

  In any fairytale story, she’d have made the quintessential stepmother on the outside, young and gorgeous. But Stephanie wasn’t like that. She was as kind and sweet as she was beautiful.

  There was also one other difference. A huge, furry, sometimes slobbery one. A secret that Cassie had unveiled when she was just a kid. Stephanie was a Werewolf. A real, honest to goodness, howling at the moon, furry and fangy, Werewolf.

  And she wasn’t the only one. Cassie’s hometown was a supernatural hub of sorts. Get Nailed! was one of several Werewolf owned and operated stores in Maccon City. Even though she was a normal, a non-shifter, Cassie knew all about the non-human world.

  From the time she was very young, Cassie had a sort of gift. She’d often gotten feelings. As a child, she’d told her father about the animal-people who lived with them, but he chalked it all up to her overactive imagination.

  Cassie knew better. Shifters were real, magic was real, the supernatural was all around. She could sense it. Even more than that, she could see it. Their auras glowed differently than normals.

  They were bigger, stronger, better looking, and sometimes a lot scarier than regular people. At first, she couldn’t understand why everyone around her couldn’t see what she could, the differences that were glaring to her, were somehow missed by everyone else.

  She’d never forget her first run in with a Bear shifter! The kid was a regular Winnie in kindergarten with his sugar addiction! Werewolves she had gotten kind of used to, but Bears, well, that had been a whole other story. One her father did not appreciate. Hmm…she wondered what happened to that little Bear. Marcus, she thought his name was. Anyway…

  Her father had chalked it up to a child’s wild imagination. The fact that he didn’t believe her, hurt Cassie deeply. So, she’d learned to keep it to herself. Of course, Cassie didn’t know exactly why she could tell what sort of Shifter a person was, she simply could. That was that.

  When her father started dating Stephanie Manning, Cassie had known immediately what she was. The stunning Werewolf had smiled at the toothless four-year old and Cassie knew instinctively that Stephie was a good person. She’d promised to love and protect her forever. And she had.

  The memories warmed Cassie’s heart. Stephanie had always been a fiercely loyal parent and a good friend. She’d warned Cassie that she couldn’t tell anyone the truth about her. It was a big secret.

  Normals could not know about Shifters unless they were mates or offspring. She was sort of a child of a Werewolf after Stephanie had married her father, but why take the risk and have the Council of Shifters get involved?

  Young Cassie readily agreed and welcomed her new mother with open arms. The DeMarco family had been happy for a few precious years, until a drunk driver stole Cassie’s father from them during her freshman year at college.

  She still teared up at the memory of the man who’d been her whole world since her own biological mother died shortly after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer when Cassie was still an infant. But she refused to wallow in any kind of pity. Cassie knew better than that.

  Her father had been a wonderful man. Her biological mother had brought her into the world with love and hope, and her stepmother was just awesome. Cassie DeMarco was one lucky girl! No really, she was.

  So, what if it was Christmas time again and she had no job, no man, and no idea what she wanted to do with the rest of her life?! She’d been through worse. Yay. Lucky me.

  “Now, stop that, Cass, you’ll find yourself, sweetie, I know you will,” Stephanie’s big blue eyes met hers and Cassie felt a wave of love for the woman.

  “Mom,” Cassie’s lip trembled as the pedicure technician got up to get some more peppermint scented sugar scrub for her legs. Thank god she shaved that morning!

  “What is it, honey?” Stephanie’s concerned voice quieted the sudden panic that welled up in Cassie’s chest.

  “What am I going to do now?”

  “Oh, honey, it will be okay. You’ll see. You’re home now, Cassie, and this Christmas ball will be a whole new beginning for you.”

  Carols played in the background and Cassie closed her eyes. She sure hoped Stephie was right.

  CHAPTER 3

  “David, Rayne here tells me she’s been seeing more and more cases of spontaneous Changing especially among the stronger Wolves in our Pack,” the deep voice of the Macconwood Pack Alpha commanded the attention of everyone in the room, as did his very presence.

  “Now, we are working in groups
to meet with those that seem more affected by the end of the Curse of St. Natalis across our entire territory. Now, Tate and Cat are working closely with teens throughout the county at the Outreach Center and the Greyback Pack are handling things with various smaller Packs in Europe. We are helping our Pack and making progress,” he continued.

  “That’s good news,” David replied.

  “Yes, it is. I’d like to know if you’d noticed anything else at the hospital, anything that concerns you other than that?”

  Dr. David Evangelos tilted his head in deference to the man in front of him. Power radiated off him in waves that the Wolf inside of David couldn’t help but submit to, he averted his gaze respectfully and answered his Alpha’s question.

  “Yes, I have more to add. The spontaneous Changing of those not yet used to the sudden strength in their connection to their Wolves is only part of the problem,” David cleared his throat, obviously his own problem with his Wolf bothered him, but now was not the time or place to bring it up.

  “You see, Alpha, I have witnessed many cases of hyper-aggression and more acts of seemingly random violence, over well, over mating.”

  A snicker went through the two large males who stood on either side of the Alpha. David rolled his eyes. The Wolf Guard were the Pack’s elite fighters and guardians, but they were also just guys. He knew Conall and Liam fairly well, and to say they were the youngest and most wild of the Guard was an understatement.

  “Seriously? Like Werewolves need to be what, fixed, or something?” Liam snorted. A few more snickers from his companion and some elbowing, but David ignored them and waited while the Alpha glared at the two Wolves.

  “Alpha-”

  “Call me Rafe.”

  “Rafe,” David nodded, not entirely comfortable with the idea of addressing his Alpha so informally, “the frequency of males fighting over unmated females has tripled in the last ninety days. I’ve set more broken bones, wired more jaws, and sewn more stitches in the last two cycles of the moon than I had in the previous six months at the hospital. And that’s not taking into account those Wolves who found their way to my home. Now, I’ve been doing some research and there are several legends of fated mates recurring in our histories, I wondered if perhaps, well, with the end of the curse, is it possible some long buried mating instinct is reawakening?”

  After David’s long speech, silence reined in the large office of the Macconwood Pack Alpha, Rafe Maccon. David took a moment to look around the room. Sturdy, highly polished furniture graced the space. Matching bookshelves filled with leather-bound histories, hardcover biographies, sports magazines, and one or two romance novels lined the walls.

  A large fireplace glowed on the furthest side of the room where a rocking chair and loveseat sat close together. Lastly, a closed playpen was propped against another wall.

  David grinned as he thought of the future of the Macconwood Pack. Those three little babies had been quite the surprise for the big man sitting across from him. The Alpha’s children were well-known and loved throughout the Pack, heck, they were royalty.

  “Yes, David, I think it is possible,” Rafe’s ice blue eyes glowed inhumanly and David knew it was the Wolf who answered.

  “You do know that Carlotta and I have shared a matebond since the second I saw her. She is my other half. I believe you are right, she is my fated mate, if that’s what you want to call it. I do know that nothing could have stopped me from claiming her, and if another Wolf dared go near her,” the rest didn’t need to be said, the deepening of the Alpha’s voice was enough. Threat implied. Got it.

  But that was hardly news. No, Werewolves were known for their possessive attitudes. What shocked him was the way Rafe easily admitted that his wife was everything, that he would do anything for her.

  It was not anything David had ever experienced in his lifetime. No wonder, with my father being the bastard he was.

  What was more astonishing to him was that David found himself envious. Grrr. This isn’t me. Knock it off. He admonished his Wolf.

  “So, we are agreed then that Werewolves have fated mates?!” Dr. Rayne Davis-Evangelos, David’s sister-in-law, exclaimed from her seat next to him.

  “I think it is a possibility-”

  “No fucking way, man!” One of the guards kicked off from the wall behind Rafe.

  “Fated mates, the hell with that bullshit! My dick ain’t chaining me to some piece of ass for the rest of my life! Uh- no offense, Alpha-” Conall’s sudden speech earned him a long growl from the Alpha. The entire room fell silent as they struggled under the force of his power.

  “First off, I don’t need you talking about your dick when I’m in the middle of a discussion, Guard. Remember your place. Second, being mated is an honor, and I’m sure my wife and mate would love to hear your feelings about the matter, and I will make sure she does, before Sunday dinner-” his threat was interrupted by a decidedly unattractive whine from the spiky-haired Conall.

  “No! Not before Sunday dinner! Please Rafe! I’m sorry!”

  “Ha ha! More meatballs for me,” Liam said in a sing-song voice which earned him a glare from both Conall and Rafe.

  “AND THIRD, David, Rayne, I want you to do some more research and I will send a message to Randall Graves, among other things, he’s our Keeper of Legends. He will know more about this, but if what you said is true, we will need to incorporate more than just basic control into our talks with the Pack.”

  “I agree,” David said, “it would be beneficial if everyone could focus on controlling not only their Change, but their overall aggression as well. If Wolves are finding their mates, they need to proceed with caution. Especially when the persons involved are normals.”

  “Agreed. We will have to install protocols about how to proceed in that case. Now, are there any changes in the she-Wolf population?” Rafe asked, his piercing blue gaze going from David to Rayne.

  “I’ve personally noticed an uptick in she-Wolf pregnancies,” she blushed and averted her gaze as she spoke.

  David inhaled. He beamed at his sister-in-law and stood to congratulate her just as the Alpha reached the same conclusion.

  “Congratulations, doctor,” Rafe said, and his ice-blue eyes glowed for a second. David closed his eyes and felt the magic of his Pack bonds rush and hum, delighting in the news of a new pup.

  “Rayne, that is wonderful! Does Cael know?”

  “Of course, in fact, your brother told me this morning. Right after we, uh, that is, well, he just told me this morning,” she murmured and turned a brighter shade of pink.

  “I’m going to be an uncle! Well, what do you know,” David smiled widely.

  He ignored the sting of jealousy that crept up his spine. It was unworthy of him. Rayne would be in for a difficult time. Female Wolves rarely birthed live young as the power of the Change often caused miscarriage.

  He worried for her and Cael, but perhaps with all the other changes occurring, this would be a good one too. Only time would tell for certain.

  “Well, now that we have that in order, how are things coming for the ‘Singles in Maccon City Annual Holiday Ball’? Is attendance up from last year?”

  “Ticket sales have increased by fifteen percent, and with the new board of trustees in place, we’ve invited our top benefactors to participate,” Rayne said.

  “David, make sure when you attend that you have a speech prepared thanking the staff and especially the trustees.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t planning on going-”

  “What? Of course, you are going! You’re the ER Chief! This is a hospital function and as your Alpha, I demand it.”

  Well, fuck me. Guess it’s time to break out the tux.

  CHAPTER 4

  Cassie sighed and groaned as she entered the heavenly scented and thoroughly packed Java Haus. The streets were covered in slush. It looked like everyone had the same idea she did. A little, late morning pick-me-up was just the thing she needed.

  She hated having to wait in such
a long line, but after hours of scrolling through job ads and filling out forms, she seriously needed some caffeine.

  Her stepmom had been great and all. Allowing her to move back home and getting her childhood bedroom ready for her to sleep in, but Cassie couldn’t stay there forever. She’d insisted on looking for a job first thing.

  In fact, she’d spent the morning going through all of the local papers and searching want ads online. When nothing turned up she decided to drive into town in the little yellow bug she’d had in college.

  It was a shock to see the old Volkswagen still running, then again, she should have known that Stephanie would take care of things. She always did.

  It made her feel safe and warm inside knowing she had her to depend on, but Cassie was a grown woman. She would not take advantage of Stephie’s kindness. Truth was, her dad had been struggling under her biological mom’s medical debts for years and had two mortgages on the house when he’d married Stephanie.

  She’d worked side by side with him and after he’d died, she’d used all her savings to clear the house of any debt. It was Stephanie’s house. Cassie had no claim to it, no matter how many times Stephanie insisted it was hers too.

  The last few years, Stephanie had quit her job in real estate and opened a florist’s shop. It was something she’d always wanted to do. She offered Cassie a job, and though grateful, it wasn’t for her. No, she needed to find that special something she was looking for. She just didn’t know how.

  Cassie sniffed the coffee-scented air and sighed. Yes, please. She waited patiently for her turn at the register. New York City had nothing on this place!

  Java Haus had the best non-gmo, organically grown, and Fair Trade harvested coffee in town. Totally worth the wait. She remembered hanging out there back when she was in high school. All the kids who thought they were so grown-up hung out there after school sipping their lattes and reading books. LOL.