Chapter 6: A New Beginning

Dr. Cummings gave me two gowns so I wouldn't flash anyone on the plane. He tried to hide his snicker of amusement, but I saw the look that passed between him and Evan. I ignored it, put my gowns on, and stomped off toward the main entrance.

The driver didn't blink, but the pilot openly grinned at my attire. I sighed and settled in for the flight. It was a pretty snazzy little plane. Large, leather captain's chairs (that swiveled!) in an elegant bone color, a small round cherry table bolted to the floor on one side, and plush navy blue carpeting set off the inlaid wood accents on the walls and the hand-blown glass light fixtures. I buckled in and thanked Evan for the blanket he tucked around me. I don't remember much after that until Evan shook me awake as we were getting ready to land.

"I called ahead. One of my pack will be waiting at my house with some clothes for you. We can go out shopping tomorrow if you like, but you seem pretty beat. Let's get you home and settled in for the day, okay?"

When the pilot opened the cabin door, a brisk wind whistled through my gown. I couldn't help the shiver that ran through me. The pilot handed me the blanket, I'd left on my seat.

"Here, take this. It's too nippy out for you to be out there without proper clothes."

I thanked him and grinned ruefully as Evan wound the blanket tightly around me. I wasn't expecting him to pick me up, but the next thing I knew we were out the door and Evan was sprinting across the pavement to the waiting car. A short ride later and we were in Evan's SUV heading for my new home.

It felt so weird to think of it as my new home. I had no idea where I was going, what it would look like, or what to expect. Evan was silent as he drove and I found myself reluctant to break the silence. So much had happened so fast that if I thought about it too long I started to panic. What was I going to do now? I couldn't be an accountant, the papers I signed expressly forbid it. I could go to college for something else, but I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do. It was all so sudden and permanent. I found myself wishing I could call Caleb and talk it over with him, but I knew I would never be able to speak with him again.

Bad enough to have to start over. Worse to be doing it completely alone. Though, I did have Evan. Sort of.

He seemed like a decent man. Sort of serious, quiet, but not somber. He'd laughed with me a few times, joked a bit here and there. I wondered what his house was like and if I'd be comfortable there. Would we get along or would we drive each other nuts? Why had he volunteered to take me home with him? Did he feel sorry for me or was it more an obligation because he'd turned me into a wolf? It was all too much to worry about so I tried to tune it out and look at the countryside.

We were on a little two lane road that twisted and turned through tree-covered mountains. The trees towered over us, taller than any I'd ever seen before. The pines were so odd; they grew straight up with almost no branches until the upper half sprouted out like a Christmas tree. The further we went, the more remote it became. As we drove, the more leafy trees began to arch up over the road until it looked like we were driving through a tunnel of leaves. It was incredibly beautiful but very different from the somewhat urban area where I used to live.

In only a couple of hours we pulled up outside a rather modern home. It was sided in cedar gone silver gray with age and there seemed to be windows everywhere. There wasn't another house in sight, so the windows weren't covered at all. The house was perched on the side of a mountain with trees surrounding it on three sides. The fourth side faced off the edge of a cliff with a breathtaking drop down the mountainside to the Pacific Ocean. There was an oversized deck with a dozen or so Adirondack chairs placed so that people could watch the ocean while chatting. I stepped out of the SUV and took a deep breath of chilly air that was full of the scent of brine. I could just barely hear the waves of the ocean far below us. It was utterly peaceful and I knew that while it wouldn't be easy, this refuge would help me find my place in this new life of mine.

I looked over and found Evan watching me. I couldn't help it, the smile started from somewhere deep inside me and spread over my face. "It's wonderful here. Thank you for bringing me home with you."

I could see the pleasure in his eyes at my words, "I'm glad you like it. C'mon, let's get you inside. We can sit on the deck later, if you like."

Evan grabbed his suitcase and my pitiful Wal-Mart bag and led me up the deck and into the house. The inside was open, spacious, and comfortable. There was a large, wood-burning fireplace in the center of one wall with a lot of chairs and sofas grouped here and there. His hardwood floors gleamed in the light with soft, wool carpets adding color and warmth. It had a welcoming feel that made me want to curl up in one of the chairs near the fire with a good book.

"Noelle, are you here?"

Who's Noelle? I wondered. Evan hadn't mentioned a girlfriend or a wife, and surely he would have. Wouldn't he have to clear it with her before bringing a strange woman home with him?

"I'm here, I'm here! I was just making sure her room was ready."

A beautiful young woman came running down the stairs. She was very petite and slender, with long black hair flying out behind her. She turned the corner to take the last of the stairs and stopped dead at her first sight of me. I had just enough time to take in her middle eastern complexion and dark eyes before she shot a glare at Evan that had me thinking, Uh oh.

"Why is she wearing a hospital gown? And no shoes? It's freezing out there!"

One corner of Evan's mouth quirked up, "Kimberly, this is Noelle Gregory. Noelle, this is Kimberly Sparks."

Noelle looked back to me, "It's very nice to meet you, but I'm still waiting for my idiot cousin to answer my question."

Cousin? Evan was as white as they come and Noelle looked like she belonged in an Arabian Nights fantasy. I wondered how that was possible, they sure didn't look related.

"I'm not an idiot. She lost her temper and shredded the clothes I bought for her, so she had to wear that."

Noelle glared at him, "Yes, you are an idiot. Are you telling me you don't have a sweatshirt and a spare pair of running shoes in that suitcase you're carrying? How about a pair of gym shorts?"

It was amusing to watch him squirm a little under her baleful stare, "Okay, I'm an idiot."

He sighed and slid one hand through his hair, "I'm sorry, it just didn't occur to me to give you some of my things."

I had to smile, "I didn't think of it either, so I guess we're both idiots."

Noelle rolled her eyes at us and gestured to me, "Come on up and see your room. I brought you some basic items to get you through the night. Evan said we could go shopping tomorrow so you can pick out stuff you like."

"Now, wait a minute. I said I would take her shopping tomorrow. I never said anything about you tagging along with us."

She shot him a look that would freeze anyone in place. One of her elegant black eyebrows arched up and she asked, "Since when do I need your permission to go shopping?"

"That's the whole problem. You enjoy it far too much. We'll be there for hours," he growled.

"Evan, this woman doesn't own a single piece of clothing of her own. You'd be there for hours anyway, so just stop growling and deal with it."

Noelle grabbed my plastic bag with one hand and me with the other. "Come on, I put you in the guest suite. It will give you some room and privacy when this house is full of wolves and you want some quiet time."