Page 21 of The Brave (Black Arrowhead #6)

R obyn shrieked and slammed the front door. “It’s freezing out there! I didn’t realize Texas had a winter.”

From the sectional by the TV, I looked over my shoulder at her. “Did you find Catcher?”

“He’s still guarding the property,” she answered while kicking off her shoes. “He probably thinks those Vampires are still out there, so he’s being Mr. Stubborn and wants to circle the house like a lunatic.” Robyn rounded the grey sectional where we were all cuddled up in our pajamas. “Should we build a fire?”

Melody finished her mint ice cream and stood. “I couldn’t find the matches. Tak said it’s not cold enough to turn on the heater, so it looks like we’ll just have to freeze to death.”

Robyn plopped down on the sofa. “One crisis at a time.”

The stone fireplace was in the center of the room, whereas the television and sectional were by a central wall. The windows weren’t anywhere near us in the spacious room, and I didn’t feel cold, especially huddled together under blankets.

Mercy surged forward, captivated by the old movie we were watching. “This is my favorite part.” Instrumental music cued when Cary Grant kissed the leading lady. “I never thought love could be like that. Sometimes when I can’t sleep, Bear sits up and plays his guitar.”

“You got yourself a good one,” I told her.

After returning from the kitchen, Melody climbed over the back of the sofa and sat on the chaise portion to my left. “Which Van Halen song does he woo you with?” she quipped.

Mercy tossed a small pillow at her. Everyone knew Bear didn’t play that type of music because we heard him serenading her nightly. On occasion he played for the pack, but only at our request. He was a private guy—humble and always serving others.

“Is she still asleep?” I squinted at Hope, who was lying on the connecting sofa with her head turned toward the back cushion.

Cecilia leaned over and peered at her face. “She’s still knocked out.”

“Must be all those pregnancy hormones,” Robyn said. “Do you get sleepy like that?”

I shrugged. “Sometimes. More in the beginning. Now it’s just my body that’s tired, but my mind is always spinning.”

Melody tucked her knees against her chest and covered her legs with her oversized shirt. “I feel bad about all that work you were doing. Especially in the beginning when we were hauling lumber and rocks. And what about that week we spent pulling poisonous vines? I still remember how flushed your cheeks were.”

I put my arm around her. “You didn’t know. Besides, staying active is healthy for the baby. Imagine if you were pregnant and Lakota ordered you to sit here all day and do nothing.”

“I swear to the fates, if he ever does that, I’ll make him live in the heat house. One of my aunts did that to her mate after he wished out loud that she was carrying triplets. True story.”

A shiver danced through me as the wind blustered outside. My cami top and sleep shorts weren’t a practical choice, but since no one watched the news, we hadn’t realized a cold front would be coming through.

When the bell sounded, Hope sat bolt upright. “Are they home? What time is it?”

Melody stood. “That’s strange. Nobody called.”

Whenever the gate was opened, it activated a bell in the house to alert us. Lucian always kept an eye on the alarms, but since the men had gone to the Rabbit Lounge, they promised to call us before their arrival so we wouldn’t be startled.

We sprang to our feet and scurried toward the windows. When my phone vibrated on a nearby table, I checked my messages.

Atticus

Don’t be alarmed. I’ll be staying there for the week. I sent someone with my bags.

Joy

Tak is allowing it?

Atticus

Yes. Leave my luggage outside and I’ll take it to the heat house when I arrive. Be safe.

The thought of Atticus staying took me by surprise but also thrilled me more than I wanted anyone to know.

“I better get my weapon.” Melody jogged toward the back, but I caught her arm.

“Atticus sent a message. It’s one of his employees leaving his things. He’s staying with us for a few days.”

Hope jerked her head back. “Really? Tak said that was okay?”

I nodded. “In the heat house.”

“Shit.” Robyn stepped into Montana’s oversized shoes—the only pair by the door. “I better find Catcher before we have a bloodbath on our hands.” She clomped across the floor and rushed outside.

Cecilia stepped out onto the porch to watch.

Hope’s brows gathered, and she tapped her chin. “I need to prepare the heat house for a guest. Oh no! What about all those romance books?”

Melody put her hands on her hips. “I’m not embarrassed. Unless one of you packed a vibrator in there, I wouldn’t get worked up over it. Everyone knows what heat houses are used for, so it won’t be a big shocker if he finds your toys.”

Mercy’s eyes widened, and she flew out of the room.

Hope tamed her bedhead. “I’ll go put fresh sheets on the bed. Do you know if he wants anything to eat? Should we stock the cooler?”

I yawned. “He doesn’t need food. Only fresh towels.”

“I’ll put a few things in there in case.” Hope opened the coat closet in the hall and pulled out a long brown jacket. “Be right back.”

Catcher barked from the driveway as the car engine grew louder.

“It’s one of his delivery vans.” Cecilia closed the door and stood at the window to watch. “Whoopsie-daisy.”

“What happened?” Melody peered over her shoulder.

“Robyn tripped over Catcher while trying to hold him.”

“I should go help.” Melody jogged to the door while Cecilia and I remained at the window.

A black-haired man I recognized approached with two large suitcases. As soon as Melody opened the front door, Catcher flew inside like a hurricane, padded toward us, and then growled at the open door.

“I wouldn’t go in there,” Melody warned the driver from the porch. “You can leave those by the door. Is there anything else?”

“I got the rest!” Robyn shouted from the driveway.

Having stepped away from the window, I couldn’t see what was going on.

Melody walked in with a plastic bundle in her arms and presented it to me. “These are for you.”

I accepted the dozen white roses.

“Thanks so much,” Robyn said to the man before closing the door. The wind had blown her shaggy brown hair in front of her face, but she couldn’t swipe it back since her arms were full. “I’m so glad I wore flannel. This is for you.” In her arms were two boxes—one large and the other about eight inches. “I’m getting jealous. Where do you want to open them?”

I led her to the sectional. We had a console table to the left of the television where we charged our phones. It could be easy to lose track of them in a big house, so Lucian suggested a charging station so we could get into the habit of keeping our devices in one location while at home.

Cecilia briskly left the room, her ponytail swinging.

After smelling the roses, I set them on the table and switched on the lamp.

“Catcher, everything’s fine,” Robyn assured him. “Do you want to join our pajama party or go back outside?”

The brown wolf sniffed me again before trotting back to the door.

Both boxes had a card attached. I read the first one, which went with the larger box.

Melody craned her neck. “What’s it say?”

“It’s going to be cold tonight.” I set the card down and lifted the box lid, revealing an ivory cashmere blanket.

Robyn rejoined us. “ Wow. That’s gorgeous.”

Melody leaned against the table. “I always knew Atticus was a nice guy, but this blows me away. Did you know Tak was so jealous after you got all those roses that he scoured the property for every last sunflower to give to Hope? He put them all in their bedroom because he was afraid we might make jokes. These men are competitive when it comes to romance.”

“No complaints here,” Robyn said.

I took the card off the smaller box and read it aloud. “For the baby.”

This box opened differently, and I searched for the flaps at the bottom before carefully opening it and revealing a chocolate raspberry cake. “Gracious. He didn’t have to do all this.”

Melody leaned in and devoured it with her eyes. “Yum.”

“Here. You can put the flowers in these.” Cecilia returned to the room and held a crystal vase while I removed the flowers from the packaging. “We’ll cut the stems tomorrow since I couldn’t find the scissors.”

Melody rolled her eyes. “They’re probably hiding with the matches. This is what happens when people don’t put stuff back where it goes.”

I closed the box. “Virgil probably has matches. He lights those smelly incense sticks to ward off demons.”

Melody chuckled. “Sometimes I love that he’s a weirdo.”

Robyn smelled the flowers. “I read that white roses mean loyalty and innocence.”

I smiled and set the vase on the table. These gifts weren’t empty tokens but meaningful expressions of care.

Melody collected the box the blanket came in. “Have you slept with him yet?”

“Mel!” Cecilia gave her an admonishing look. “I’m sure that’s their private business.”

Melody twirled her pink hair. “Doesn’t hurt to ask. I’m just curious what has this man pulling out all the stops. We know how wonderful you are, but…” Her eyes skated down to my belly.

I knew what she meant. Melody couldn’t fathom why a successful, handsome man would court a pregnant woman, especially one carrying a lab experiment. It was a fair point.

I clutched the blanket. “I suppose it’s my perfume.” After returning to the sofa, I put the blanket over my lap and rubbed my itchy belly. “How well do you know him, Mel? Does he date many women? Have you ever seen a side to him that worries you?”

She collapsed on the connecting sofa and curled up on her side while Cecilia admired the flowers. “When he worked at my aunt’s bakery, women used to come in to catch a glimpse of him kneading dough and icing cakes. In the early years, he worked overnight to prep. But then he started helping her out in the daytime with large orders and stuff. People were curious why a Vampire was working for a Shifter, but he’s got that quiet charisma. His looks don’t hurt either. You really like him, huh?”

When Cecilia sat next to me, I shared half my blanket.

“I wouldn’t let just anyone court me. It shocks you, doesn’t it? Believe me, I never imagined myself in this position, but Atticus reminds me of who I am. I enjoyed staying in his home and getting to know him more intimately. To answer your question, we haven’t been together that way. He’s respectful. That’s not to say there isn’t chemistry between us.”

Robyn sat on the ottoman. “Is he loaded?”

Melody guffawed.

“What in the world’s so funny?” Mercy approached the back of the couch and rested her arms on it.

Sitting up, Melody said, “Robyn asked if Atticus is rich. Let’s just say he does well for himself. You know, he never struck me as a guy obsessed with wealth, and I didn’t even know how rich he was until he bought the club. He’s always been a humble dude who doesn’t brag. Some guys are obsessed with telling everyone how many cars or houses they own. Blah, blah.”

“Some immortals are bad with their investments,” Mercy added. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to date a Vampire? I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but Vampires do bad stuff.”

“And Shifters don’t?” Robyn pointed out. “Vampires haven’t cornered the market on evil. I used to live with a lunatic.”

“Me too,” Cecilia added.

I drew the blanket to my nose and enjoyed the soft feel against my face. “He’s not like other men I dated in the past. Atticus is sweet. Thoughtful. It’s easy to be around him, and he’s invested in my happiness. I can’t imagine what he has to gain from this.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Robyn played with a button on her shirt. “You’re a catch. I used to think how lucky Salem was to have a woman like you, but I couldn’t quite figure out how you two fit together. He’s so reserved, and you’re just warmth and light. Even now I think he missed his chance. But I get it. You can’t force love.”

“I don’t know if this thing with Atticus will go anywhere,” I admitted. “But he understands me in a way no one else does. That’s rare, and I guess I want to explore these feelings. He’s funny and genuine. When I’m near him, I get nervous.”

“Nervous?” Cecilia asked.

I smiled at her. “Not like that, honey. He gives me those butterflies you always hear about. But I have to be careful. My life is changing so quickly, and if I raise this baby, it’s important that I make the best decisions.”

The room grew quiet.

Hope returned while looking at her phone. “Salem’s on his way.”

As the words left her mouth, the gate bell rang. I offered to share my cake with the girls, but they refused to eat my gift.

When Salem finally waltzed in, he carried a concerned look in his eyes that made my belly tighten. A gust of wind blew his semi-long hair forward when he shut the door. After setting his medical bag down, he approached the couch and rested his hands on the back.

“I need to speak to Joy. Alone.”

To make themselves scarce, the girls collected the luggage on the front porch and went to work converting the heat house into a guest house for Atticus.

I gazed at the lush roses on the table while Salem paced.

“Gee whiz. You’re making me nervous, Salem. Have a seat.”

“I’d rather stand.” Salem rubbed his eyebrow as he often did when frustrated.

His brown eyes, short beard, and pensive countenance reminded me of a Rembrandt painting, and like a painting, he could be difficult to interpret. His cardigan jacket had a long thread hanging that I was tempted to snip off.

“How are you?” I began. “We haven’t spoken since this morning.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“You’ve been avoiding me. I know how you are, Salem. You don’t like anyone confronting your emotions. I’m sure you don’t agree that I told the pack everything, but I’m so tired of worrying who might find out my secrets. They need to know who I am. It’s exhausting always being afraid that someone won’t accept me, and we already know the baby is different. I can’t take the chance?—”

“It’s not that.” After a calming breath, Salem folded his arms and faced me. “You and I should be mated.”

I blinked at him in surprise.

“You know me. I’m a safe choice, and your child needs a father.”

“My child needs someone who will love them, and this pack seems willing to offer that. I’m not going to mate just so the baby has a father. There are plenty of father figures in the pack.”

“Who are busy with their own families and lives.” He sat on the chaise. “I can offer you companionship and security.”

“And the pack can’t?”

“You don’t work, and you have no position in the pack. Shelving a few books in the library isn’t the same as pack accountant or chef. What skills do you have to find work in a small town like this? Are you going to live off family funds forever?”

That truth had been plaguing my thoughts for some time.

Salem put his hand on my knee. “Now that you’re keeping the child, you need protection.”

“What makes you think I want protection?”

He leveled me with his gaze. “Isn’t that why you’re dating Atticus? A backup plan in case the pack doesn’t accept the baby? He’s obscenely wealthy, so it doesn’t take a genius to put the pieces together. That doesn’t have to be your only option. If the pack throws you out or you decide to leave, you’ll have me to depend on. We already know the fetus shifts, but we don’t know what other differences it might have. How do you know it’s not part Mage or completely defective?”

“Don’t call my baby defective! Atticus isn’t a backup plan. How dare you insinuate such a thing.”

“You’re a smart woman. A businesswoman. Maybe a little naive at times, but you’ve always been practical. You’re obviously planning for the day these people want nothing to do with a baby who might be a crossbreed or have… undesirable abilities. I don’t see you mating with a Vampire on a whim—that’s not you. Not unless he offered you something. Money? Security? You can have all that with me. Whether you stay or leave, I can take care of you.”

“But do you love me?”

He shrugged. “Does it matter? People fall out of love, and some are incompatible to begin with. It makes sense to choose a mate who will give you stability and predictability. Don’t you think?”

“If that were the case, I might as well marry Catcher.”

Salem scratched the back of his neck. “How much do you know about this Vampire? Does he have a temper? Will it be a problem if your child has a skinned knee and he smells the blood? Does he even want children? People lie to get what they want, and we don’t know his motives. Maybe it’s infiltrating this pack to steal Tak’s land and money. I can’t in good conscience let you make a choice because you think it’s the only one you have left.”

“You don’t think someone could want me?” My lower lip quivered, and I hated him for planting those seeds of doubt.

“You know me, Joy. We’ve slept in the same bed for months. Have I ever once crossed a line or tried anything with you? Doesn’t that prove how much I respect your privacy?” He gestured to the room. “All of this, I’ve done for you. When I broke you out of that lab, I could have dropped you off at a motel and given you pocket cash, but I didn’t.”

“Because I was pregnant.”

“Exactly.”

“And you were curious about the baby. That’s your nature, Salem. You’re a man of science and medicine, and I know how much this unknown variable inside me fascinates you.”

He sat back and shook his head. “That’s not it.”

I scooted forward and pushed myself up. “You’ve always been good to me—that’s not something I’ve ever questioned. But I’ve always wondered why .”

He hung his head. “Sometimes I wonder if I would have done anything if I’d known what was going on in that lab from the beginning. Every day I question what kind of man I am.” He looked up at me, and his spirit was broken. “You’re my responsibility, and yes, I’m curious about the baby. Maybe understanding its condition will allow me to help it.”

Though Salem didn’t have the best delivery, I now understood his intentions. He wanted to be there in case my baby ever needed an expert who could help.

He wanted to atone for his past mistakes, and not just with me.

“Having you here in the pack is enough security,” I assured him.

“You just told them about the baby and your wolves this morning. It hasn’t sunk in for everyone, and you don’t know if their minds will change after the baby’s born. If you leave this house, you’ll leave alone. But not if you have a mate—someone who understands how to help the baby. Someone you trust. Don’t pick a random suitor because you think it’s your only option.”

He stood and looked down at me with sullen eyes. Now it was clear he didn’t think my feelings for Atticus were genuine. He knew me better than anyone in this house and how guarded I was with my heart.

Salem offered me a rare smile. “I’ve given this a lot of consideration. The offer stands. Don’t make your decision in haste.”

“I don’t love you.”

“Love doesn’t matter. We get along, and you’ll never have to fret about uninvited attention in town. Have you considered how others might treat you and the baby if you mated a Vampire? With me you’ll have a peaceful life. You won’t have to deal with public scrutiny.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “Do you really trust a Vampire with your child, Joy? One firm grip and he could inadvertently break an arm. They can’t help it. Does he have enough control around a toddler throwing a tantrum or a ten-year-old who decides to push his buttons? I’m not reactive, but you’ve known him all of a week.”

That gave me pause. I’d never considered if Atticus was impulsive or had a temper. I thought about the guy he punched at the bar to protect me. Atticus could have easily shattered that man. Would I ever feel safe leaving the baby alone with a Vampire? On the other hand, who better to protect a baby than a Vampire? Atticus had assured me he had control over his gifts. I was torn.

Salem let go of my shoulders.

“Why would you want to be in a loveless relationship with me?” I asked. “I know why you think you need to do this, but what do you get out of it?”

“Imagine the security benefits for each of us. Once I gain the trust in this town as a family man, that’ll lead to more jobs. I’m still trying to secure a role as the primary healer for an animal group. Most prefer Relics, but there aren’t many options around here. Maybe women will stop zeroing in on me as mate potential. I’ve had offers, you know.”

“Maybe you should consider them. I don’t want love to be transactional. Mating is for life.”

“Is friendship not enough? Look at the foundation for every relationship in this house. I can’t watch you throw away your life because you think you don’t have options. You should’ve talked to me first. Must you go through with this courtship? Think about it. I meant what I said. Every word.”

The bell rang for the gate.

Salem stepped back. “Do let me know when you’ve made your decision.”

When Salem made his exit, I was left staring at a vase of flowers with no absolute certainty of which direction to go. It wasn’t about me anymore—I had to make the best choice for my baby.

And Salem made a compelling argument.