27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Pike

Of all the places he expected Kimble to direct him, the east side of Palomar Mountain wasn’t it. As he drove the dark, winding, rural road, Pike watched for wildlife or shifters out having a good time. This was the kind of area both could be found in large numbers.

Behind him, Cora continued to quiz Kimble on his past. She’d started asking questions the moment they’d gotten in the car and hadn’t stopped since.

“What’s the earliest thing you can remember?” she asked.

“You’ve already voiced that question,” Kimble reminded her. He’d been patiently answering everything to the best of his ability while hugging Cora to him. “I’m not sure which memory is the oldest, they’re still forming themselves into a cohesive timeline.”

“Right. But give me an example of a really old memory,” Cora pressed.

“I have a vivid image of my maker,” Kimble answered. “She was beautiful, but the moment you spent any time with her, you’d realize the beauty covered a rotting core.”

Words poured out of Cora. “What did she look like? Why did she decide to turn you? When was this? Do you remember anything before being turned? Do you remember what it was like to eat food? What—”

“Cora!” Pike exclaimed, feeling pressured even though Kimble didn’t seem to mind. “You’re acting like you’re in grade school! Pick one question and give him a chance to answer it.”

Kimble laughed. “I don’t mind Cora’s questions. Both of you spent so much time without any knowledge of my past that it’s only fair that I answer everything to the best of my ability.”

“Pike’s right,” Cora said with a wry smile. “I’m acting like a kid. How about we sit down one evening, and you start telling us about your life when you're ready? I can be patient if I know the story’s coming.”

“I would enjoy that immensely,” Kimble agreed. “If possible, I’d rather not talk about my maker. She was a deeply unpleasant person who hurt me badly.”

Cora made a pained sound, and Pike wished he could reach back and embrace Kimble. “When we get to where we’re going, I want to hug you.”

“I’ll accept every kiss, hug, or touch you wish to bestow on me,” Kimble agreed.

They’d been driving for over an hour, and Pike still couldn’t get over the change in Kimble. Not only was he speaking normally, but his speech pattern and vocabulary was that of a well-traveled and educated person. Pike hadn't met that many vampires, but he’d been told that it was common for the older ones to sound like college professors.

Kimble’s improved language skills wasn’t the only thing that had changed. He carried himself differently now. Before, he’d always seemed uneasy, even when they were inside his apartment or Cora’s house. When they’d go out, he would watch the world around them as if an attack was imminent. Pike never saw him relax apart from when the sun forced him to.

Except maybe after sex, but even then, he wouldn’t rest easy for long.

Now Kimble was practically lounging in the back seat of the Caddy, back resting against the side of the car, one leg stretched out across the bench seat and Cora tucked securely against his body.

It made Pike think Kimble was used to being chauffeured around. For the first time, Pike got a slightly uneasy feeling. It hadn’t bothered him that Kimble had a life before because the vampire couldn’t remember it. Now that he knew who he was, Pike worried he wouldn’t fit into Kimble’s world.

Pike hadn’t even attended the last year of high school. He’d hated the way the other kids teased him for his size, and some would even try to pick fights to show how tough they were. His mom helped him test out early so he didn’t have to do his senior year.

He wasn’t a big reader, like Kimble, and he wasn’t a skilled tradesperson with his own business like Cora. Despite his tall stature, Pike felt small compared to his lovers.

A warm hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed. “I can feel you fretting, but don’t. You’re perfect, sloneczko . You were perfect when I found you, and you’re perfect now.”

As Kimble said the words, Pike felt a warm rush of love push through their bond. Before, the best Kimble could do was press his anxiety on Pike. Now he could share all kinds of emotions including the one Pike needed the most.

“Were those Pike’s feelings?” Cora asked.

Kimble kept his hand on Pike’s shoulder, massaging the muscle there as he spoke to Cora. “What did you feel?”

“I got suddenly worried about being good enough and felt like I wasn’t worthy.”

Mortification made him glad he was alone in the front seat. “Sorry. I’ll try not to bleed my emotions onto you over our connection.”

“That isn’t what you should be apologizing for,” Kimble admonished.

“It’s still there, maybe even a little stronger now,” Cora said. “Pike, how can you feel embarrassed or as if you're less than either of us? You’re the best of us. Anyone can learn shit; you are naturally kind and caring. That’s damn near impossible to learn!”

“She’s correct,” Kimble said, sending him another wave of tender emotions. “You’ve proven to both of us over and over again that you have no end of patience and love. Someone as pure in heart as you are is rare. You’re a treasure.”

Cora’s hand landed on his other shoulder. “You’re the best bear a girl could have.”

His worry didn’t completely vanish with their words, but most of it dissipated as he felt Cora and Kimble’s honest adoration of him come through their link .

“Here,” Kimble called out suddenly, startling Pike into slamming on the brakes. The Caddy screeched to a halt with groans from the frame and ancient suspension. A glance over his shoulder showed that Kimble had kept Cora secure against him during the sudden stop.

“Damn, we can always turn around, no need to make Pike park in the road!” Cora grumbled.

“Now it is I who is embarrassed,” Kimble said, giving Pike’s shoulder one more squeeze before letting go to point out the window. “I’m sorry. My excitement at being home got the better of me. Please turn into that drive on your left.”

Pike slowly nosed the car around until he was on the road Kimble indicated. There were several signs declaring the place private property and warning people not to trespass. No sooner had he passed the second set of signs than he started smelling wolf shifters. Lots of wolf shifters!

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Pike asked. “I don’t want to upset a wolf pack by entering their territory without permission.”

“Are we talking about real wolves?” Cora asked.

“Shifters,” Pike answered.

“They won’t hurt either of you,” Kimble promised.

“Should we call someone?” Pike asked, slowing the car to single digit speeds. “We should really contact the pack’s alpha. Good alphas are protective of their people.”

“I know the alpha,” Kimble said, then his voice lost a little confidence. “Or I knew the alpha of this pack. I’ve been feral for a few years; I hope she’s still in charge.”

That didn’t give Pike any confidence at all. The car was going so slow that when he lifted his foot off the gas pedal, it rolled to a stop almost before he touched the brake.

“I won’t go any further,” Pike declared. He didn’t want to go against Kimble, but he couldn’t risk getting attacked by a large wolf pack in their own territory. The drive had trees on one side and large rocks on the other, making it impossible to turn the large car around. He was going to have to back up. Finessing the Caddy into reverse, Pike put an arm on the seat to help look through the back window and almost yelped in surprise .

Standing right at the Caddy’s rear bumper were half a dozen people, their angry expressions well-lit by the bright reverse lights.

“Oh shit!” Cora cursed, giving voice to Pike’s startlement. “Where did they come from?”

“What are you doing in our territory, bear?” a person shouted from the front of the car. They looked forward to see seven more people gathered there. A round woman glared at Pike through the windshield, her eyes glowing with power. This had to be the alpha.

“Annette!” Kimble called out, a wide smile on his face.

Annette’s mouth dropped open, and she put both hands on the hood to lean forward. “Maksim?”

“Yes,” Kimble said. “I’ve returned.”

“Is it really you?” Annette cried out as whispered conversations broke out among the other shifters.

She marched around the car and rapped on the window insistently. Pike rolled it down and then was forced to lean away as Annette pushed most of her body into the car. She took a few deep breaths while staring at Kimble intensely, as if searching his face for answers.

“It is you,” she whispered. Her face rapidly went through a bunch of emotions: surprise, pain, relief, and finally impatience. “It’s about fucking time you got back!”

***

Cora

Cora’s first impression of the wolf pack, once they got the Caddy parked and everyone inside, was friendliness.

There were roughly fifty people in the pack and about half of them lived on the Palomar Mountain compound with the rest visiting on a regular basis. The building Annette led them into reminded Cora of Caleb’s dorm. The first floor was mostly an open floor plan with a large industrial-looking kitchen at one end and the rest of the space full of tables, chairs, couches, and TVs in various configurations. Unlike Caleb’s dorm, this place was tidy with the only mess confined to a small area scattered with children’s toys.

Kimble radiated happiness as he took it all in. “I remember all this. ”

“Half the rooms are empty because we’ve sent the last of the teenagers to college,” Annette explained with a wave of her hand to indicate the upstairs. “All the cabins are full, and two of our families are expecting cubs soon.”

“The pack is healthy under your leadership, Annette,” Kimble praised.

Annette blushed. “As our benefactor, you’re responsible for our prosperity as well. We were a struggling pack of ten when you first took us under your griffin wing.”

“That was many years ago,” Kimble said with a dismissive gesture. “The pack has paid me back tenfold over the last century. Besides, I probably wouldn’t even have a home right now if it wasn’t for this pack. You have my deepest gratitude and a promise to reward all of you properly.”

“Did he say century?” Cora asked Pike. She tried to whisper but realized too late that everyone was going to hear her no matter how quietly she spoke.

All eyes turned to her, and she pressed back against Pike. “Um, I’m sorry if my question wasn’t appropriate or something. This is all kind of new to me.”

“We’re happy to help you learn,” Annette said without a trace of mockery. “Maksim and my great-grandfather made a Blood Pact. He let the pack live on his land and provided shelter for our human forms. In exchange, we kept him safe during the day. It used to be a common exchange between packs and vampires, but unlike other vampires, Maksim never took advantage of us. He paid us wages, paid for our children to attend the schools of their choice, encouraged us to open businesses, and even wished anyone well if they wanted to leave. I remember the day my beloved uncle, the old alpha, died.”

Annette turned to face Kimble. “You cried for him.”

“He’s cried for all of us,” someone else said. “He’s been at the bedside of almost every dying wolf.”

“I’ve loved all of you as family,” Kimble said, his voice thick with emotions. Cora felt a little jealous of all the history these people had with the man she’d always seen as alone in the world except for her and Pike. The addition of this wolf pack was going to take some getting used to .

Annette looked like she was ready to shed some happy tears. “How could we not love the vampire who mourns like a wolf?”

Then she flung herself at him in a hug. Kimble started to hug her back but to Cora’s absolute shock, Pike growled and moved past Cora to pull the alpha off Kimble.

“My vampire!” Pike said, stepping between her and Kimble. Seeing Pike’s blatant possessiveness made Cora feel a little better about her own insecurity.

Kimble wrapped his arms around Pike’s middle and hugged him tightly. “Be at ease, sloneczko . This pack is like a family to me. As with your parents, they want me to be happy and that means adding you to their lives.”

Annette’s eyes moved from Pike to Cora before settling on Kimble. “Are they your flock then?”

“Yes,” Kimble answered, and there was no mistaking his pride. He stepped around Pike and held out his arm to Cora. Once they were standing on either side of him, Kimble addressed the gathering crowd.

“Meet Cora Walsh and David Pike. My human and my bear. My flock. Treat them as you would treat me.”

Everyone clapped and cheered. Annette smiled and greeted Cora and then Pike with the same words.

“Welcome to the Laske Pack. It’s good to have you home.”