Perfect Mate (A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance #2)(7)

Damien nodded, and swerved slightly in their direction. Sure enough, it was only a half-minute before Kyle and Katherine walked into sight. They had already shifted back into human form.

"What did you find?" he asked.

"We followed the trail from the lake to the highway," Katherine said. "It was only his scent. No other wolves."

"His car is parked on the side of the road," Kyle said. "We looked inside, but didn't break in."

"I told Kyle not to break the window," Katherine said. "I thought that it would be best to talk to you first."

"Good," Damien said. He considered his options for only a split second before deciding.

"Jordan, you come with me," he said. "We'll check out the car."

"What about me?" Julia asked.

"Kyle and Katherine will follow you back to your grandmother's house. They'll watch over you."

"I don't need a security guard," Julia said.

"What, we're going to be glorified babysitters?" Kyle said.

Damien growled under his breath.

"The shifter said he was after Julia. Until I have proof otherwise, you're going to be protecting her." He took Julia's hands. "Julia, be careful."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I need to find out who this shifter was. If he has a pack in town. If he's been following you for a while."

A new ripple of dread pulsed outward from Julia.

"It's alright. The pack will be around if you need them." He bent down and kissed her, and from her lips drew desire and fear, intermingled. Though he did not want to leave her, he did not want to leave the mystery unsolved for any longer than he needed to.

He motioned to Jordan. "Come with me."

They would find out who this shifter was, and why he had come.

And why he had come for Julia.

CHAPTER FIVE

On the car ride back to the house, Julia ignored the other shifters pointedly, and they seemed happy to ignore her back. Katherine made a few comments about the town, but they fell flat, and the rest of the way was passed in a dull, awkward silence. As they pulled into the front of the old Victorian-style home, Julia was relieved to find that the shifters did not intend to go inside with her.

"We'll wait in the back," Kyle said. "If they come as wolves, we'll smell them before they get too close."

"Sure," Julia said, closing the car door and walking toward her house without hesitation. Katherine always looked at her as though she had no idea what Damien saw in her. And Kyle—she didn't know anything about him, but he seemed skittish. Unnerving.

Creepy. That's what her girlfriends would call him if he came up to them at the bar. There was something about him that didn't quite add up. But as soon as Julia closed the door behind her and smelled the delicious scent of her grandmother's apple crumble, she forgot all about him.

"Granny Dee!" Julia cried out, coming into the kitchen. "Are we celebrating something?"

Her grandmother sat at the table, her head in her hands. She looked up sadly.

"What... what's wrong?" Julia said. She sank into the seat next to Granny Dee.

"The bank called this afternoon," Dee said. "Someone bought the house."

"Oh, Granny Dee—"

"I'm afraid we'll have to leave. I thought this was a good place. Safe, perfect for us. But now—"

"Wait, no," Julia said, her excitement bubbling up through her. "It's Damien. He bought the house."

Dee knitted her eyebrows together.

"Damien?"

"The guy who came over. The blind man."

Granny Dee's face dropped, and for a moment Julia thought that she would explode. Her face twisted into a grimace, then back to a more neutral expression as she calmed herself.

"It's not like that," Julia hastened to explain. "He says that we can still live here. They just want to build cabins on the land."

"Why?" Dee hissed. Julia paused, shocked by her reaction.

"Why? Be-because he likes me. He wanted to help."

"By buying a house?" Granny Dee's frown wrinkled her brow. "That's more than just help. What did you promise him?"

"Me? I didn't promise anything! He likes me, that's all! And I like him. And... and..." Julia stuttered, unable to tell her grandmother the raw truth behind the decision. On the surface, it must certainly seem strange that Damien would be so accommodating. It must seem like she had done something else for him. Julia flushed a fire engine red as she realized the implication of her grandmother's words.

"It's not like that, Granny Dee, I swear!"

"How is this even possible?" Dee muttered, half to herself. Julia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What do you mean? Are you saying someone like him couldn't like me?" Tears welled in Julia's eyes. "I know I'm not beautiful—"

"Shh, no, child, that's not what I mean," Granny Dee said, her face softening. "Forget I said anything. But we can't live here with them alongside us. We'll have to move."

"But—"

"If they move in, we move out, and that's final," Dee said.