The Sea Wolf's Mate Read online

  “I don’t know,” Arlo said, sounding honestly baffled. “I didn’t think this would go so easy.”

  “With a human?”

  “With anyone.” Arlo’s voice was rueful. “My life’s been one wrong turn after another. Hideaway Cove was the first good decision I made, and part of me thought that was it, I’d used up my quota. But you… you’re more than I ever dreamed of.”

  “Maybe we’re both having a fresh start,” Jacqueline suggested.

  “I like that. As for what happens next, I’d suggest we sail off into the sunset,” Arlo said, one hand stroking up Jacqueline’s back to cup the back of her head, “but it’s the wrong time of day for that.”

  Jacqueline bit her lip. A whole day of sailing with Arlo, watching the sun travel across the sky, the slow build of sensuous anticipation as they found a place to weigh anchor for the night and go to bed…

  Arlo groaned. “We have an audience,” he whispered in Jacqueline’s ear.

  “Oh.” Jacqueline twisted to look past him, to the beach. “So much for sailing off into the sunset. Tally’d probably kick up another fuss if we were gone that long, anyway, and I don’t want you struck down by another migraine just when you got over that one.”

  Jacqueline brushed the backs of her fingers over Arlo’s temple. She’d meant it light-heartedly, but he frowned.

  “I don’t know what it is. Harrison isn’t as badly affected.”

  “Maybe he just needs a longer exposure. You said you had her banging on your skull all day Friday.”

  “True…” His eyes caught hers, warm and tender. “You care about them.”

  “Of course I do! How could I not? I don’t think I’ll feel like I’ve done my job here until they’re settled. And I’m glad the Sweets are going to look after them until we track Eric down.” She slipped her arms around his waist. “You say they half-raised you and given how you turned out, they must know what they’re doing.”

  “Right.” Arlo’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”

  He pulled her close again, his arms strong around her. Jacqueline sighed happily. Even just being held by Arlo made her feel safe. Grounded, somehow, even though they were on the water.

  For the first time in a long time and despite all the magic, and dragons who messed with electricity, and seal shifters who gave people psychic headaches, Jacqueline felt as though she’d finally found a piece of the world where she fit perfectly into place.

  16

  Arlo

  Jacqueline was so obviously happy as Arlo rowed them both to the beach that he couldn’t tell her what was weighing on his mind.

  The Sweets.

  Dorothy and Alan Sweets had taken care of him when he washed up in Hideaway a hopeless, helpless teenager, that was true. But their ironclad protectiveness for shifters was matched by an equal lack of trust for humans. He had to warn Jacqueline that things might get tense when she met them and he told them who she was.

  Later, he promised. When we’re not around everyone. When she’s had a chance to get to grips with… everything else.

  The Sweets were away for the weekend. He had time.

  He helped Jacqueline out of the rowboat and shot Harrison an accusing glare over his shoulder. The kids’ excited anticipation was so intense he could almost see it.

  “Don’t just stand there like you don’t know what’s up,” he growled.

  Lainie laughed and clapped her hands together. “No, you don’t get off that easily! We want to hear you say it.”

  “You all already know?” Jacqueline leaned against Arlo as she got her footing on the soft sand.

  Dylan was jumping on the spot. Tally was standing next to him, in human form, and every time he jumped she bobbed up and down in imitation. Even Kenna was failing to hide an ear-to-ear grin.

  “How is anyone meant to keep any secrets around here?” Jacqueline asked, laughing.

  Arlo’s chest constricted. Luckily, Harrison answered for him.

  “If you want to keep something like this a secret, you need to be a bit subtler about it than Arlo here. Even the kids picked it up. Right, Kenna?”

  A prickle of uncertainty zipped off Kenna, but she caught it so quickly Arlo wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it.

  “Yeah,” she said out loud, shrugging. “It was pretty obvious. He looked like he’d been smacked in the face with a fish.”

  “If that’s not romantic, then what is,” deadpanned Lainie. She nodded at Arlo. “Come on. No getting off the hook.”

  Arlo took a deep breath that felt like it aired out his entire soul.

  “Lainie, Harrison—kids…” he began, and found himself grinning so wide he could barely get the words out. “This is my mate. Jacqueline March.”

  “And this,” Jacqueline echoed him, wrapping one arm around his waist. “is mine. Arlo Hammond.”

  Her eyes sparkled brighter than the sun on the waves.

  “Jacqueline March, from that little town across the hill? How lovely. I believe I know your colleague, Deirdre,” announced a thin, educated voice from the shadows in the tunnel that led up to the top of Lighthouse Hill.

  Arlo’s shoulders tensed. He knew that voice better than the back of his hand.

  “Well, Arlo? Do introduce us. I might have heard of Jacqueline but I don’t believe we’ve actually met.”

  Ma Sweets stepped out of the shadows. She was wearing her driving outfit, a neat aubergine skirt suit with a lilac scarf over her perfectly coifed hair. Her husband, Alan, wandered out behind her, looking as usual one good yawn away from falling asleep on his feet.

  Arlo cleared his throat. “Jacqueline,” he said, trying not to show how much he was panicking, “these are my foster parents, Dorothy and Alan Sweets.”

  *She’s human,* he added, speaking directly to the two alligator shifters, *and she’s my mate. I won’t have you say anything against her.*

  *Dear, why would I say anything like that?* Ma Sweets replied, and the skin on the back of Arlo’s neck prickled.

  Lainie set the table. Rather, it looked as though she’d been halfway through setting the breakfast table when Tally woke up and started crying. She put out an extra two places, reluctance in every line of her body.

  “So you know Deirdre?” Jacqueline said, sounding cheerful.

  “Through bridge.” Ma Sweets inclined her head. “Which is why we were absent this weekend. It is such a good way to keep abreast of what’s happening in the neighborhood. But of course we left the tournament as soon as Sharon called us with the news.”

  Sharon Warbol was a plover shifter, and one of Ma Sweets’ oldest friends.

  “Why the rush?” Arlo asked.

  Ma Sweets opened her eyes wide. “To meet the children, of course! And it will do Deirdre good to win a tournament for once, poor dear.” She smiled at the kids and they shuffled their feet.

  “Food’s up,” Lainie announced, sweeping between Ma Sweet and the kids. “Hope you all like pancakes.”

  The atmosphere lightened as they all dug into the food. Ma Sweets managed to maneuver herself into sitting next to Jacqueline, but refrained from saying anything rude about humans, even when Kenna retold the story about how they’d had to run away from their human foster home.

  “Well.” Ma Sweets winked at Kenna conspiratorially. “What a time you’ve all had! But never to worry. Pa and I are here now, and we’ll make sure you never have to do anything like that again.”

  Kenna frowned. “But—”

  “Sharon didn’t tell you?” Arlo cut in smoothly. His wolf’s coat was prickling with that sense of wrongness again. “They didn’t do it all on their own. They don’t need a foster home, just somewhere to rest up until their uncle Eric gets here.”

  Dylan wriggled in his seat and Arlo knew what was coming. He shot a warning at Kenna before she told Dylan to shut up and her mouth snapped shut in a surprised scowl.

  “What’s up, Dylan?”

  “He’s not really our uncle…”

  Arlo rubbed his forehead.
Jacqueline leaned forward. “Who is he, then?”

  “He’s just… another shifter… who found us, and said he’d look after us, and take us somewhere safe…”

  Until he abandoned you. Arlo gritted his teeth.

  “But he is responsible for you, isn’t he, my dear? He’s your pack leader,” said Ma Sweets, nodding.

  “Y-yes?” Dylan’s answer sounded more like a question. This time, Arlo wasn’t fast enough to stop Kenna from kicking him under the table. “I mean…”

  “What do you mean, pack leader?” Jacqueline said, frowning. “If he’s not related to you, I’m afraid I’m going to have some trouble explaining to my boss how you all ran away and ended up here.”

  Her eyes met Arlo’s and he could imagine what she was stopping herself from saying: that it would be even more difficult to convince the county to let the kids stay.

  “But that’s no problem at all, my dear!” Ma Sweets trilled.

  “But he’ll need to be registered as a foster parent. And—” Jacqueline’s expression tightened. “That’s hard, there are a lot of hoops to jump through…”

  “Oh, paperwork.” Dorothy Sweets waved the idea away with a dismissive gesture. “Required to keep the county off our backs, yes, but we all know it’s not really important.” She tapped the back of Jacqueline’s hand with one pointed fingertip. “Pack. That’s all that really matters. The bonds that all shifters innately understand. Any shifter would move heaven and earth for their pack. And rest assured, we will make absolutely certain that this little pack receives all the help they need to settle here in Hideaway Cove.”

  She tapped Jacqueline’s hand again. “Pack is the one thing, my dear, that we shifters value above all else. Don’t you all agree?”

  At the other end of the table, Harrison cleared his throat. “I don’t know about that,” he said, spearing a steak and exchanging a look with Lainie. “All sounds a bit wolfy to me. What do you think, Lainie? Are we pack?”

  “Nest, maybe,” Lainie suggested, wrinkling her nose. “Or—i-ree? Ee-rie? However you say that word. Eyrie.” She turned to Dorothy and wrinkled her brow. “Would you say alligators have ‘packs’, Mrs. Sweets? Or is there a better term we should use for you?”

  “The word isn’t important,” Dorothy snapped. “What is important is that, as shifters, we all look out for one another.”

  “That’s right,” Arlo interjected. He was starting to feel like the conversation was getting away from him. “And that includes our mates.”

  He took Jacqueline’s hand and she smiled at him.

  “Does that make me pack, then?” she asked.

  Yes, Arlo’s wolf yipped. Pack!

  “Of course,” Ma Sweets cooed. “We’re all so looking forward to Arlo and you starting a little pack of your own. I know it’s what he’s wanted ever since he came here.”

  “That’s true,” Arlo admitted. He felt as though the sun was rising in his head. Of course. Of course that was what had been grating away at the inside of his skull.

  Jacqueline dropped her fork.

  The hairs on the back of Arlo’s neck prickled. Ma Sweets was smiling, but Jacqueline had gone pale. Arlo bent to pick up Jacqueline’s fork and brought his head close to hers.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Fine.” Jacqueline’s smile was tight. Arlo straightened, feeling uneasy.

  “And when is it you’re due?” Ma Sweets asked Lainie.

  “A few months away still,” Lainie replied, one hand on her bump.

  “How lovely. It will be nice to have another griffin shifter around the place. Or a little human, of course.” Dorothy shrugged delicately.

  “Those aren’t the only options,” Lainie replied, her fingers white-knuckled on her cutlery.

  “Excuse me,” Jacqueline blurted out, and stood up so quickly she caught herself on the tablecloth. Arlo rose to help her, but she was already halfway out the door.

  “Oh dear,” said Dorothy. “I hope she didn’t eat something that disagreed with her.”

  Arlo glanced at her over his shoulder as he headed for the door, and his wolf snarled. Ma Sweets’ eyebrows shot up, and Pa actually woke up.

  What the hell was that? Arlo asked his wolf as he raced after Jacqueline. It was still growling low in its throat, as though it expected Ma Sweets to jump out and ambush them.

  More importantly, what’s wrong with Jacqueline?

  He found her in the bathroom, standing propped over the sink. Her eyes flew to his in the mirror.

  “What’s wrong?” Arlo asked, and she looked away. He touched her arm and she pulled away, folding her arms in front of herself.

  “I should have known it was too good to be true,” she whispered. She heaved a breath and straightened, turning to face him but still not looking him in the eye.

  “Please tell me what’s wrong. I’ll do whatever you need to help.” Arlo’s heart was breaking. Just a few minutes before, Jacqueline had been laughing with Lainie, and now she looked as though her world was falling apart. “Anything. Just talk to me, please.”

  “All right.” Even Jacqueline’s voice was guarded. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, almost but not quite meeting his eyes, as though she was trying to but couldn’t quite force herself to. Her gaze settled somewhere over his shoulder. “Is what Dorothy said true? You want a family. A whole family. Kids.”

  Pack, Arlo’s wolf barked, and before Arlo could stop himself or connect the dots, he said, “Of course. Wolves are pack animals. I need a pack.”

  And I’d do a better job than this Eric bastard.

  “Oh. Well. Good,” Jacqueline blurted, the words falling like bricks. “Good, that’s, that’s—that’s good to know.” She broke off suddenly and pressed her hands against her eyes. “Shit.”

  “Jacqueline, for God’s sake, tell me what’s going on,” Arlo pleaded. His instincts were screaming at him to help her, but he didn’t know how. He reached out for her again and she flinched back.

  Arlo stepped back and she raised her hands, palms out.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice scratchy, “I’m sorry, I need to go.”

  “If you need time, you just need to say,” Arlo reminded her. “I know this is a lot to take in—”

  Jacqueline made a noise that was half laugh, half sob. “Time isn’t going to help. This isn’t anything new to take in. It’s the same old—it doesn’t matter.” Her hands dropped. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Yes, it does.” Hesitantly, Jacqueline’s unhappiness like a scar twisting in his chest, Arlo stepped forward and put his arms around her. This time, she let him. Her head fell to rest against his chest.

  Arlo held her gently. For a few seconds she didn’t say anything, just breathed. He could feel her heart hammering through her back. Somewhere in the house, a phone rang.

  Then she shook her head and pushed herself away from him. Her eyes were dry, and hard, like windows with the shutters closed over them.

  “Arlo, I…”

  Someone knocked on the door. “Jacqueline? Sorry to interrupt.” It was Lainie, holding a cordless phone. “It’s for you.”

  Arlo was about to say Now isn’t a good time when Lainie caught his eye. Even he could see the steel in her gaze.

  He’d told her he wouldn’t hurt Jacqueline. And he had. Somehow. He’d failed at the most important thing a shifter needed to do: protecting his mate.

  Shame twisted in his gut as Jacqueline ducked around him and took the phone.

  “Hello? Oh, Reg… yes… Of course I’ve heard, I called you about them, remember? Oh…”

  She listened to the phone for a few more minutes and then hung up. She took a deep breath that pulled at Arlo’s heart—

  —and turned to Lainie.

  “That was the sheriff,” she said, not even glancing at Arlo. “He’s found Eric and has him at the station. Could we go and pick him up now, do you think? I know it’s no notice at all but—”

  “The kids need
him.” Lainie nodded.

  “And…” Jacqueline’s eyes did flick to Arlo now, but the pain in them made it hurt more than her ignoring him had. “I should go too. I think it would be best if I was there to vouch for him with the sheriff.”

  She held her arms straight at her sides, fists clenched.

  Arlo’s mouth was dry. “I can drive you—”

  “No.” Her voice was final. “Please. Let me go. You have to—this is for the best. I promise.” Her shoulders slumped. “If you want to know more, ask your mom. I can’t talk about it. Not now.”

  Everything moved too quickly after that. It was like looking underwater, with the light bending his perception of everything. Arlo felt constantly half a second behind everyone else.

  Then the Land Rover’s engine roared, and the world snapped back into focus.

  17

  Jacqueline

  “You might want to blink at some point.”

  She’d been listening to nothing but the sound of the Land Rover’s tires on the road that it took Jacqueline a moment to notice Harrison was talking to her.

  “Blink?”

  Harrison was staring straight ahead at the road. “You’ve been staring into space ever since we got in the car, and that was a few hours ago. Your eyeballs must be dry as a bone.”

  At least I’m not crying. Jacqueline gnawed on the inside of her cheek. She didn’t cry, though, not when she was sad. She got like this: eyes hot and dry, face and neck aching with tension. If she fell asleep without forcing herself to relax, she’d wake up with a three-day headache.

  It was all so… familiar.

  She made herself blink. Her eyes stung, but she still didn’t cry.

  I’m still the same person I was before. I was stupid to think that any new life I had, any new relationship, would be any different to before.

  Jacqueline sighed and pressed her hands against her eyes. “Sorry. I haven’t exactly been a thrilling conversationalist during this drive.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”