Chapter 2

Edmond looked at his truck. Well, what was left of it. When he’d meant to just park along the street to talk to her and he’d simply lost control. Or so he’d thought. What had happened was that the drive shaft had gone out and he lost control of the truck. Nearly hitting Mac in the process. Each time he looked at the truck, he was amazed at the amount of strength that it must have taken to get it bashed in like—

“Are you all right?” He looked up at the police officer who had been there for some time now if her pinched face was any indication. “I asked you if you’re all right, Mr. Frazier. I’d appreciate it if you were to stop looking like you’re stupid and answer me.”

“Who the fuck shit in your oatmeal, Donna. Go away. Can’t you see that he’s having enough to worry about rather than having you stand over him being the bitch that you are? I told your captain that you needed to keep away from people. Now, scoot along before I help you with that again. Go over there and see if anyone else was hurt. Or is that out of your job description, too?” Officer Donna called Mac a smart ass and a bitch. “I am. You’ve known me all my life, and you’re just now figuring that out? If so, then you’re not nearly as observant as you should be. Leave the man alone.”

As the officer walked away, glaring at Mac as she did, the other woman seemed to not mind that she’d just pissed off an officer of the law. He wondered if he was going to have to—

“What the hell was that for?” The slap to his face had him turning to look around to see where Brandy was, and he decided that she was too far away to save him from Mac. “I was thinking. Is that a crime nowadays, too?”

“Slow your oats, buddy. You did look sort of freaked out. Now that you’re talking again, I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I broke your truck. I didn’t know that I could do that.” He asked her if she was hurt. “No. I had a small scratch on my hand, but it’s gone now. I don’t…I didn’t know that I could do that. I mean, I was just putting out my hand—like that was going to stop the truck from coming at me—to, I guess, stop its movement. I didn’t know that I could…I keep repeating myself, but I honestly didn’t know that would happen.”

“Yeah, I heard you talking to my brother when you were standing over there. He had to drag me out of the truck. Nothing was hurt with me either, but it did scare ten years off my life, I will admit that to you. And only you.” She nodded and handed him the milky drink that she had in her hand. “Is this another peach shake? That is the best way to use peaches if you ask me. It’s like having a cobbler and ice cream. Thank you for this.”

As he drank right from the glass, he didn’t want to use a straw to get it clogged up again. She just sat there, looking around. Neither of them, it seemed wanted to look anywhere near where the truck was sitting. Finally, when he was ready to talk to her, she seemed to have found her tongue, too.

“You’re my mate. Correct?” He said that he’d only just figured that out himself. And that he was sorry about it. “Sorry, you’re my mate or that I’m your mate. Never mind, that made a great deal more sense in my head. My mind is going in about fifty directions right now.”

“I understood you. And not I’m not unhappy that you’re my mate but just the circumstances that it’s come about for us.” She nodded. “You told Brandy that you only just got this power or magic shit this morning. Before I came along, you told her.”

“I was being a bitch to her, not that I think she noticed. She’s sort of one herself, isn’t she?” He grinned and laughed while telling her that he’d never say that to her. “I, on the other hand, have no such trouble. But I was doing that to make her…I thought that she could tell me that she had heard of all the things I was telling her about myself getting this freaky ability and that it was nothing. I have a feeling that there isn’t anyone out there that can do this shit. At least, that I know of. Did you have any special shit going on with you?”

“I haven’t tried anything yet. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you’re my mate, and you’re very strong. Did you hit the truck or just put out your hand? I’m not sure that you answering either of those is going to make me feel less wigged out but if you can tell me I’m—” He was slapped again, this time he knew that he deserved it. “Thank you for that. I do believe that I was going off the deep end again. Not that I’ve ever done that before, but that’s what it feels like to me.”

“You should have seen me when I found that vine thing on my back. And then, when it moved, I swear to you, for the first time in my life, I fainted. When I woke up, it was still there, and I had a headache for about two hours until I noticed that it was gone. It faded out, the headache, not the vine.” He told her that he’d like to see if it went to him. “Are you sure about that? I mean, it’s not a wonderful feeling having even knowledge of the sucker freaks me out a bit. But I’m willing if you are.”

“Does it itch?” She told him no, but when it moved, she could feel it. “Then yes, I’m willing to see if it comes to me. I have this phobia about itching. Probably has a great deal to do with my upbringing. On the off chance that it does come to me, I want to check and see…did I tell you that I was a wolf? I’m not sure but I think you knew that already. Whatever, sorry. I’m still freaked out, as you put it, about the truck.”

She stood up, and he realized how tall she was. When she pulled her shirt up just enough for him to see the vine, it pulled from her body as if it were seeking him. Putting out his hand, he hated that it was trembling, but as soon as he put out his hand, the thing wrapped around his extended finger.

“Christ.” They both said it at the same time and he asked Mac if she was hurt. “No, it’s just I can feel it moving more than before. Like its in a hurry to get to you. I don’t know why, Edmond, but I’m going to pass out.”

He caught her just as she was going down. His own head was feeling oddly empty at that moment and he held onto his conciseness as tightly as he could. Lica showed up just as he was feeling the effect of the vine moving along his skin. Watching his brother’s face as he came to him, all Edmond could think about was fainting wasn’t all the manly.

Waking up, he was on the ground. He thought that he’d only woke up because the ground beneath him was so cold. Not sitting up but reaching blindly for Mac, he was surprised and comforted that she was close enough for him to touch. That was when he felt the vine moving along his arm to go to Mac.

“Edmond, that thing is moving across your hand.” He told Lica that he knew that. “Just like that? You knew that was going to happen? You’re so calm about this. Christ, I would be freaking the fuck out about now.”

“I was when it first came to me.” Mac sat up, and he asked her if she was all right. Nodding, she stood up and left the two of them there. “I didn’t mean to piss her off. What did I do?”

“I think she was looking for Brandy. I don’t know why I think that but that’s where I’m at right now. Also, the vine, it’s moving along your hand now. I don’t know what it wants, do you?” Several things popped into his head at just that moment. It wanted to touch his brother. However, he was looking at it like he was terrified of it, and he didn’t want him to hit him if he suddenly reached out with the vine and it hooked onto him. That made him laugh, he wasn’t entirely sure why, but he laid back while his humor seemed to consume him.

“You’re nuts.” Edmond agreed with his brother. “Well, I hope you understand that I’m going to leave the two of you to whatever is going on. I was supposed to be sleeping in when you called out to me.”

“I’m sorry.” Lica smiled at him and told him that he was only joking. “Then, thanks for being such an ass right now. Also, here you go.”

The vine at his command, he supposed that was what had happened had left his hand to reach out to Lica. It didn’t go very far before it broke off at his hand, but just a couple of leaves, not like it had done when he’d gotten a piece of it from Mac. Lying back, watching his brother have his little hissy fit in, trying to shake it off him, Edmond reached out to Mac to see if she was all right.

“Why would I not be? I didn’t know that…I’m not having a good time right now. Brandy is upset that you did something to her mate, and she’s taking it out on me. I’m going to see if I can give her some of the vine, too, just to shut her up.” When she laughed, Edmond was happy that Brandy had done the same thing as her mate. She was trying her best to shake it off as well. It wasn’t working . “She’s coming to find you. I don’t know why, but she’s really pissed off. I’m going to follow her to see what she tries to do to you.”

Edmond sat up and then stood with the help of one of the cars that was close enough to touch. His vine, he thought that it would more than likely have a name, too, just stayed where it was. Getting his feet under him seemed to take a bit longer than he had wanted, and he felt like he was spinning in circles. Just as Mac and Brandy came out of the diner, the police were hauling away the last of the four brothers. He had a feeling that they were beyond used to being hauled away and was really glad for the reprieve of their bitching about their sister.

“What did you do to him?” Edmond shrugged, then he told Brandy that he didn’t know what he’d done, but it seemed like the vine did. “Oh, are we listening to vines right now? Let me see, can you talk to the grass? I’d like to know why it doesn’t grow over the ground right next to the apple tree. Which is dying as well.”

“There is too much iron in its roots. Rocks, too, but they’re not as bad as the iron that is tangled up in its roots. The patch of ground, it’s had a very terrible person standing there when it died. Actually, the man was killed right there, holding onto the tree when it was…I guess you’d call it destroyed.” They all three looked at Mac. “Oh, you weren’t serious about asking us? Remember next time that I will do as you asked. I have no idea why. I’m not only not a wolf, but I’m not anything but a human.” Lica snorted.

“I think from the moment that vine took you over, you weren’t human any longer.” Lica backed up from Mac when she took a step toward him. “Look, like you, you asked the questions. Or I guess you made a comment that wasn’t correct. While I haven’t any idea what that vine will do to all of us, I’m feeling much more comfortable with it there than I had in a couple of days. I didn’t know, but it felt like…like something was missing inside of me.”

“I did as well. I thought it was just the fact that I’m carrying a child. But I feel even relaxed at that as well.” They both turned to Mac, and she took another step back. Edmond told them to back off. They were scaring her just as he moved around them and stood beside her. “I’m sorry, Mac, and you, too, Edmond. I just wanted to hug her.” Lica said that was his intention, too. “I’m sorry, Mac, I didn’t mean to scare you. But we…I don’t know what this is going to mean to us, but I’ve got a feeling that it won’t be long before we need whatever you’ve given us.”

“I don’t know either.” She had brought her coat out but hadn’t put it on. Smiling a smile that looked more fearful than humorous, the two of them stared at one another before she spoke again. “I have an apartment not far from here. Also, a car. It’s about as old as your truck, but it’s drivable. It’s not too bad in the snow when I have good tires on it, which I don’t. But you’re welcome to stay there until you do. Also, I’m off for the next couple of days, and I’m going home to sleep. You’re more than welcome to use the couch and only the couch until you can figure out what you want in the way of a vehicle.”

Mac turned away and he had a feeling that she was leaving, even if he didn’t follow her. Telling his brother and sister-in-law goodbye, he ran up to walk with Mac to wherever she was going. He figured that if they were to talk about things, perhaps they’d be able to figure out this vine thing.

~*~

Mac woke to the room being blindingly bright. Pushing the covers off of her, she staggered her way to the shower. But it was being occupied. It took her several moments to remember that she’d invited Edmond to her home to sleep. She’d been just too exhausted earlier this morning to talk much but had nearly fallen fully clothed in the bed as soon as the covers were pulled back. Making her way to the kitchen while he showered, Mac pulled her tin of tea from the cabinet and decided to make a nice cup of tea. It might get her in a better mood.

He came into the kitchen just as she was having her second cup of the strong brew. He was refreshed-looking, his clothing looked clean, and she was happy that he’d pulled his hair back in some sort of ponytail before sitting with her. For some reason, his hair was too much of a distraction for her.

“My brother brought me by some clothing. He said that he and Brandy would be staying the night here as it was much too far for them to drive back. I’m glad he thought of me needing clothing.” She asked him if he was babbling again. “I’m sort of nervous if you want the truth. I’ve been that way since I woke up. Not about you but just in general. How did you sleep?”

“All right, I guess. I do have to go back to the diner and put in a meat order. If you need something to drive around looking at what’s to offer, you can drop me off there and come back for me.” He asked her how long she’d be. “No more than a couple of hours, if that. I can walk back home from there if you’re not ready. It’s no big deal. I only use my car when it’s too cold to walk and not that much more. You’re welcome to it.”

“I’d like for you to go with me. For no other reason than Brandy told me that you can sort of read people—other than me, I guess. I don’t know that I can do that yet so I’d like to make sure that I’m getting a good deal. Please?” She said she could do that but he wasn’t to just depend on her for a good deal. “Why not? Are you saying that you’re not good at it? According to Brandy, you had her pegged at what she’d said to me and my other brothers.”

“I was a rude bitch. I shouldn’t have made it any of my business when she asked. But I was hurting, too, or not understanding, I guess you can call it. But I shouldn’t have done that to her.” Edmond asked her if she’d been truthful to her. “Yes. I don’t lie or fib if I don’t have to. It’s difficult to keep track of lies if you have to tell them over and over to people. So telling the truth, no matter how harsh it is, that’s easier. With that being said, don’t ever trust anything that my brothers tell you. They’re shitheads, but they are protective of me. Too much so at times, but I don’t care to be around them. The four of them get into more trouble than any one person that I’ve ever met.”

“My parents were like that. They were horrible, too.” She told him that most people think that their parents are horrible. “It’s a reality with ours. They beat the shit out of us all the time. Wouldn’t hold down a job—when we’d get a job, just working around the neighborhood, they’d take the money then beat all of us when it didn’t go as far as they thought it should have. When I was only about seventeen, my mother beat me so badly with her high heels that I lost a toe because of her. And I still carry the marks from it as well.” She said she was sorry. “I am as well. When they were finally jailed, it was their plan to beat one another up and then blame it on us. Or to kill us. They thought their lives would have been better had they not had us. Mother ended up killing Dad, and she still, to this day, blames it on the six of us. But I’ve heard that without their treatment, I might not have been the man that I am today.”

“Are you a good man?” He said that he hoped that he was. Then turned the same question to her. “I don’t know. I work hard for what I have. And, like you, I don’t want a handout. I’m sure that you thought that was what Brandy was doing to you, and you’d be right to a point. But she sees now that she didn’t do any of you any good by treating you like she had. I think she genuinely regrets offering you the money the way she had. But she still wants to help you guys. And if it were me, I’d want an apology before taking anything. She has a good heart deep in her bitchiness.”

“You knew what she had done.” Mac nodded at the man. “We, my other brothers and I, had made us a plan to go into Columbus today. To get things for the house. Up until Lica moved out, we were all sharing a home. It’s a piece of shit, but it was all we could afford after what our parents had done to the town. We paid the people back what my parents had taken advantage of and bought the farm that was just down the road from us. None of us wanted to live in the house we had grown up in. Too many terrible memories.”

“This place was my grandparents. When they passed on, the man who owns the entire building said that since I’d taken such good care of my family while they were living that, I could live here for what they had paid while this was their place. Then, about three years ago or so, the man died, too. He put it in his will that I’d be able to live here for as long as the building was standing. Otherwise, he had said that the attorneys for his estate were to tear the building down and then sell the land to the city. I guess they didn’t have an issue with that because I didn’t have a raise in rent. Where do you live? I’m assuming it’s not around the corner.”

“No. I live in Nashport. Still Ohio but a couple of hours away. Lica and Brandy gave me a house and a ton of money to fix it up. My brothers, too. But we got into—you know the rest. So I don’t have a place of my own.” She nodded and gathered up her clothing to take her own shower. “What is Mac short for? I’m assuming that no one named you Mac.”

“You have assumed incorrectly.” She laughed.” My first name is Mac, and my middle name is Kenzie.” He said that he was sorry. “Don’t be. I was just thinking that no one ever gets it right, and I just figured out that I don’t care that you didn’t. I’m named after my grandparents. Marlyn, Alan, and Caroline. My grandfather’s last name on my mother’s side was Kensington. He passed on before I was born. But I took care of Grandma Marlyn and Grandda Alan, Dad’s parents. Their last name was Pendleton. Grandma Caroline, on my mother’s side, the Kenzie part of my name, comes to see me sometimes but not all that often. She doesn’t like that I’m single and living in what she considers a two-room lean-to. Even though I have four rooms and plenty of water pressure. Why does that mean a great deal to people, having nice water pressure?”

“So your name is Mac Kenzie Pendleton. And I loved that you have that pressure in your bathroom. Seemed to knock out all the kinks I had from yesterday. But I don’t understand the obsession with it. No.” She told him that she was going to take a shower. That there was still some water in the kettle if he wanted any more tea. She was nearly ready to get into the shower stall when her phone rang. She was going to let it go to voicemail; it was a home phone, but Edmond came to the bathroom door before she closed it. “I’ll get it if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead. It’s more than likely a spam call.” She got under the hard spray and let hit get her kinks out as well. By the time she was scrubbing her hair for the second time, she felt like she could face the day. Going into the kitchen, where Edmond was still talking on the phone, she turned the kettle on again for another cup when he handed her the phone.

“It’s your grandma.” She took the phone from Edmond and didn’t get to speak until her grandma ran down a little. Something about having a check to lean on from the government. Mac told her hello as she paused for a breath.

“There you are, my dear girl. I was beginning to think that you went down the drain. That man, Edmond, Frazier I think he told me, he’s a nice man. Said that you were his mate.” Mac told her grandma that they were figuring things out. “Good for you. You need a nice, strong man in your life to keep up with you. He also told me that those idiot brothers of yours are back in jail. I believe that I offended him when I told him that’s where they should have been for a long time. They’re my grandsons, and I should be able to call them what I want.”

“You can. Under your breath or in your dreams. They’re my brothers, not just your grandsons and while they do get into a great deal of trouble, they’re still all the family that I have.” She scoffed and told her that she had her. “Do I, Grandma? That’s news to me since the last time I spoke to you I was told to not ask you for money. I hadn’t in all my life asked you for one cent, and I have no intentions of doing so now.”

“You’re in a mood, aren’t you?” She told her that she had started it. “I suppose that I have. I’m just lonely in my golden years.”

“You’re not going to be getting any new friends to take that loneliness away by finding anyone that will want to hang out with you if you keep picking at people the way you do me. What is it you want? I’m not being rude, just myself and I have plenty of things to do today without you adding to my list.” She told her that she was in town at the hotel. “Why? Why are you telling me this? Am I supposed to be impressed that you have the money to afford a suite of rooms plus have maid service coming in to help you out?”

That had come to her when she’d sort of, she wasn’t sure actually what to call this thing that she could do. And she assumed, since she’d never mentioned it, that Edmond hadn’t told her about the vine thing, either. She was ready to tell her that she was sorry but she and Edmond had plans for the day when she started sobbing.

“I wish that I’d…well, it’s too late for me to be mending bridges with you now, I suppose.” Mac asked her why she’d care to mend anything. “I deserve that as well. I was picking at that man of yours when he finally told me to shut up. Just as if he’d known me all my life, he told me to shut my mouth and do something rather than just thinking it’s too late. I like him for that.”

“He grows on you, I guess.” Mac hadn’t noticed that Edmond had taken her car keys and went out to her car. He wrote on a napkin that he was going to warm it up so that she’d not be cold when she got in. “Since you’re already in town, we’re going to go get some food. If you want to join us that is.”

“I found out that a friend of mine, she’s not a friend, but I knew her grandparents. Brandy Conner Frazier. Oh my. Do you think that they’re related?” She told them that they were brothers and sister-in-law. “Well, isn’t that a nice little tidbit?” After a few seconds of her not saying anything Grandma did speak again. “I’m sorry. I’m working on not being a snob. But I do know Brandy. And if she’s related to your mate or whatever he is then he’s more than likely got a bit of money too.”

“He doesn’t. Just because his sister-in-law and his brother have it doesn’t mean that he’s suddenly rich either.” She wanted off the phone. Mac wanted to rescind her offer of breakfast. Before she could say that she was going to be too busy with today when she started crying again.

“Mac, honey, don’t shut me out. Give me a chance to make it up to you. I’m working on it, I promise.” She told her that it was all right. “No, it wasn’t. I was being a bitch again, and I’d appreciate it if you were to point it out to me when I am.”

“Then you’d never be able to finish a sentence, Grandma.” The burst of laughter from her grandma had her smile. “Let me ask Edmond, and I’ll get right back to you. Hang on, he’s just come back in the kitchen.”

Asking him what he wanted to do, he said that things were perfect and that he had to meet his family at the hotel as well for late breakfast now. Relaying that to her grandma, she said that it was good for her, too. She’d see them there. Hanging up the phone, she screamed.

It was what she did each time she spoke to her grandma. It let out all the steam that she had built up while trying to be at least a little polite with her. It was difficult at times, but she did try. Edmond laughed with her.

“I was talking to her earlier, or I might not understand why you’re screaming. She’s trying, she kept telling me. I’m assuming that you don’t have a very good relationship with her.” She told him what they were to one another. “I can see that, too. She is a snob, as she said, but you don’t know why she’s working on the way that she’s treated you then?”

“No. The last time she was in town, all she did was pick at me until I told her to go home. She started off talking to me, this time picking…she never liked my dad. She never thought that he was good enough for her daughter. Markus Pendleton is my dad’s name. But he didn’t seem to care if she liked him or not, but Dad had a great deal of fun at her expense when she was around. Mom, her name was Nancy Kensington, let Dad do it because he was so good at it. When they come around, the first thing that my dad asked me is if Caroline is around, he was getting rusty with his insults.”

“So, where are your parents? I’m assuming since you said that they don’t come around often is because they live far away.” She told him where her parents were. “Oh, that’s wonderful. Delegates for this country while in Ireland is a great position to be in. I guess.”

“I don’t know. Dad only came into politics after I was born. I’m the baby of the family but there are only a couple of years between my brothers and me each. I kinda wish they were around more, but I think that we’d just argue about how the boys, what they still call my brothers even though the oldest is in his early thirties, are still getting into trouble.” Mac stood up. “I’m starving, so if you don’t mind meeting my family, they’re a lot, just so you know.”

Edmond stood up. “I have four more brothers at home. Meeting them is going to be a nightmare, too. However, they’ll be very nice about it. Just loud. You can handle loud, right?” She told him that she’d find out. “Good. I’m glad that you’re keeping an open mind. All right. Your car should be warmed up by now. I’m ready when you are.”

This wasn’t going to be pretty, Mac thought to herself, not pretty at all. But if he was willing to go meet them, it might be the best thing to do it now rather than later. If she were to fall in love with Edmond, it might be best if he knew what he was getting into from the very start.