I changed into a pair of baggy jeans but kept Lorenzo’s red flannel shirt on. It made me feel connected to him in his absence, and occasionally I’d bring the cuff to my nose and breathe in.
Lexi kept her cell phone glued to her hand since neither she nor April could leave the house. That left her candy shop in the hands of the part-timers. April created a rotation schedule and made sure there were two people on site at all times, but they had to close the store earlier than usual since none of the girls could commit to working past eight. Lexi was on call for emergencies, which mostly consisted of her explaining how to assemble and wrap up a gift order. Only she and April handled special orders. Naya called and had Lexi pacing the living room floor. She was a good friend to Lexi, also a Shifter, and wanted to stay with us after hearing about our troubles.
Austin decided against bringing in outsiders. It had taken a full day to introduce William’s wolf to the pack. That was one reason Prince’s men couldn’t just show up to help us fight off rogues; his wolves could turn on us in the heat of battle. Something like that could not only prevent us from defeating our enemies, but could drive a wedge between allies.
Throughout the afternoon, Jericho repeatedly checked the locks on all the doors and windows. He had a pregnant mate, and the protective instinct of fatherhood was in full gear. His brothers had once written him off as the rebellious, self-absorbed rock star, but he’d proved them wrong when, earlier that year, he’d fallen in love and mated with Izzy. He’d even gone against Shifter custom and given her a diamond ring. The love shone in his eyes when he looked at Izzy, and there was no question he’d move mountains for that woman. Watching his behavior made me long for that kind of devotion.
Dark clouds rolled in, and at around eight in the evening, a gunshot went off. Everyone rushed to the windows.
“What is it? What happened?” April tossed down her paperback and hurried toward the front door.
“Keep away from the windows!” Austin shouted. “We don’t know if they’re armed, so let’s not make targets of ourselves.”
“Reno,” she whispered, covering her mouth.
A minute passed before the front door opened and Reno came in. April rushed to his side and frantically looked him over. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before setting the butt of his rifle in the corner. On the wall behind the door was a row of nails used to hold keys, each with a letter directly below. I didn’t have a car, so sometimes people hung an umbrella on mine. Reno hooked his hat on my nail.
“There’s a panther on the property,” he said, closing the door. “He’s just inside the line of trees by the road. He’s been circling the perimeter. I took a shot, but it’s too damn dark with the clouds blocking the moon. This shit keeps up, I’m gonna put a floodlight out there and see how they like that.”
Austin cursed under his breath. “How long have they been out there?”
“Since noon. Fox isn’t planning an attack; he’s keeping us penned in. He’s got at least one Shifter watching us at all times. I don’t like this one bit, Austin. That bastard looks like he weighs about one seventy. I may have alarms on the house, but something that size can crash through one of these windows. They’re not double paned. I told you we should have upgraded them this summer, and not just to save on the electric bill.”
“Can we talk about windows later?” Lexi complained. “What should we do?”
He scratched his head while April curled against him. “I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it for you. Anyone who can’t handle a gun needs to get their ass in the basement. That’s a sturdy door no animal can break down. There’s also a lock I installed on the inside.”
“Wait a minute, I’m not going down there,” Lexi said, rising to her feet from a chair by the fireplace.
Reno tipped his head. “Then you better sit outside with me for the next hour and practice shooting a gun. I got a moving target just beyond the tree line if you need something to aim at. That goes for anyone here who can’t handle a firearm.”
“That won’t be necessary for me,” Lynn said, smoothing a wrinkle on her sleeve. “I grew up shooting tin cans on my granddad’s ranch.”
“I didn’t know that,” Lexi said with a gasp. “I thought you hated guns?”
Lynn swept her faded blond hair back and then straightened her blouse. “I didn’t want them in my house, but I could hardly make your father get rid of them. I was always afraid you kids would find them and get curious, so I made sure he locked them up. I haven’t picked up a gun in almost thirty-five years, but it’s not something you ever forget. I can’t promise I’ll hit a target, but I’m not letting anyone hurt my family.”
“Lynn, this is too dangerous,” Austin said. “You’re human, and these are men who will stop at nothing. There’s no reasoning or bargaining with a Shifter when they’re on the attack.”
“Nor is there reasoning or bargaining with a mother protecting her children,” she retorted.