Kane (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 1) Read online

  Damesha moved to the living room where several old black and white pictures decorated the wall above the fireplace. “Are any of these Elspeth?”

  Children, adults; a variety of people populated the old portraits but Damesha had never seen a picture of Effie, the woman she was now calling Elspeth. It was the name she chose for herself; after all, Effie was her slave name. Kane walked over to the picture and pointed at one of an older woman with a tiny baby draped all in white, or what could only be taken to be white in the colorless picture.

  Her face was deeply lined and Damesha thought some of them must be scars they were so deep and ragged. Her eyes shone out defiantly though, and Damesha felt a connection to the woman with her hair wrapped in a scarf in a plain black dress.

  Usually, Damesha’s visions, psychic ability, premonitions, whatever you wanted to call them, came in the form of flashes of disasters, large and small. From an early age flashes of buildings burning, car crashes, and other accidents had plagued her. She’d even seen the boulder tumbling off the hillside and crashing down on her fifth-grade teacher on a class field trip before it happened. She’d learned to hold her tongue about the things she saw at an early age, people didn’t like being told how they were going to die. In this old house now, with her senses straining to catch anything, she caught something like an echo, a memory of a life lived. Pain, heartache, and misery but also strength, joy, and love. Walking back over to Kane Damesha felt the moment slip away and she looked back at the picture.

  With a sigh and a last push to concentrate, Damesha held her hand over the picture, straining for a last echo of something, anything, that might tell her more about the woman.

  “She looks strong,” Damesha said.

  “Yes, I suppose she was bound to be after all she’d been through.” Kane pushed his cap into his back pocket, a habit it seemed, and walked into another part of the house.

  “I, uh, talked with the family that owns the property now. Not many people come out here anymore, just descendants wanting to show their children about Effie. There’s a guest house the ranch owners built. They’ve said you can stay there while you do your research if you want.”

  Damesha followed Kane into the next room. There was a large wardrobe, an old brass bed covered with a handmade quilt that was obviously quite old. As she looked into Kane’s beautiful eyes, Damesha found herself wondering how comfortable the bed was.

  “You can stay there tonight if you’d like.” He looked down into her blue eyes, lost in their color for a moment, but then she smiled and her bright white smile distracted him.

  Damesha took a shuddering breath as she saw his eyes fall to her lips and stepped closer to the man. Just one kiss. His lips came down to hers, drawing closer, and Damesha felt her heart stutter. It was going to happen.

  The bedroom door slammed shut as a breeze blew through the house.

  “Oh!” Damesha gave a startled cry and jumped away from Kane.

  “Right, let’s get out of here for now. We can come back tomorrow when we bring your stuff over. Do you want to see the guest house?”

  Damesha knew from the missed moment that she needed to stay in the strange smelling motel room with the lumpy bed. At least for one more night, especially after all those dreams she’d had about Kane’s strong naked body to the moonlight. She felt her pulse quicken at the thought and she turned to Kane with a guilty smile.

  “I’ve paid for tonight, might as well stay there. Shall we have dinner?” Damesha called for Annie and walked out of the house to the truck. She didn’t mind romance but if she didn’t watch she was going to be in bed with this man in no time at all. She was here to write a book, not for a romp in the hay.

  Chapter 3

  Damesha stared in amazement at the brown folder sitting on the table in the amazing guest house Kane brought her to that morning. Guest house, right, it could be operated as a small, luxurious hotel there were so many rooms. The entire front of the place was covered in clear privacy glass, giving a gorgeous view of the surrounding landscape.

  The file was far more interesting though. Damesha opened it, forgetting the sadness she’d felt when Kane turned down her offer of a cup of coffee. He had things to do today he’d said, his hands stuffed down in his pockets as he gave her an apologetic look. Let on her own, she’d wandered around the house.

  Now sitting in the kitchen with the file, she read the note on the top. In handwriting she didn’t recognize, the note said the files had been passed down through Elspeth’s family but they’d left them with the ranch owners in case other family members or researchers showed up looking for clues to the woman’s life.

  Damesha went through the file, working to catalog each piece, making note of useful information and a week later she had a full outline. Elspeth, the free woman, had had an eventful life, not just through her advocacy work, but in her private life. She’d had three life-partners, stating often that she’d never make herself a slave in any way, including marriage. Elspeth saw marriage as a woman giving herself to her husband, becoming his slave, and she refused to ever be a slave again. That didn’t stop her from having eight children or holding her head up high.

  Elspeth was a crusader, a woman who understood her own worth, and wasn’t afraid to kick out the first man who tried to beat her into submission one night. She went out and found a pitchfork in the shed, running him off her property. Damesha learned all of this from newspaper reports. The first partner had been laughed out of town when he complained to local law enforcement. A woman running a man off with a pitchfork, the sheriff had scoffed, then told the man it sounded like he’d deserved it.

  That incident had endeared Elspeth to many, but a few in the area were still full of hate and a need to cause mayhem. They hadn’t liked Elspeth writing tracts about abolition, and some simply hated the fact that she could read and write. When local papers started printing Elspeth’s work her house was burned down. Undeterred, Elspeth pitched a tent until a new house could be built. The second house was nicer. By the time it came to build a third one, Elspeth had learned her lesson and built a serviceable home that would not be hard to replace.

  Damesha was in love with the fiery spirit and resolve of the woman and gazed down at her outline with pleasure. It was going to be a joy to write. If only Elspeth had kept a diary! Damesha made a note to ask Kane about that later. She hadn’t seen Kane all week but she was hoping to see him this weekend.

  A tolling of the doorbell brought her back to the present. She went through the house, down a long hall and to the front door. She saw Kane through the glass and smiled as she opened the door to him overburdened with bags.

  “Speak of the devil! What’s all this?” Damesha laughed as she took a few of the bags and went through to the kitchen. Kane kicked the door closed and followed.

  “I come bearing food and groceries and get called the devil, what’s up Damesha? You don’t love me anymore?” Kane teased, setting his bags down on the long table, away from Damesha’s obvious work area. “You know we have an office for work right? On the second floor?”

  “Oh, I was just thinking I hadn’t seen you, and then you show up! I know there’s an office but I feel more at home in here. Now, what’s all of this for?” She looked at the bags, pulling items out.

  “The family said you haven’t left the house all week and told me to go get you some groceries before you starved to death. Been busy have you?” His grin let her know he hadn’t minded shopping for her.

  “I’m in absolute heaven! There’s so much information in the file! I’ve been creating an outline for my book because I’ve decided it’s going to be full novel-length. I’ve lost track of time. In fact, I don’t think I’ve eaten today. Shall I cook something?” She gave him an inviting smile and he sat down gratefully.

  “I’d love that! I got two steaks to cook on the grill in hopes you’d invite me for dinner. Shall I get it started?" He headed to the back door which led to a deck with a full cooking area and a pool.

/>   “Sure! I’ll put this stuff away and see what I can put together for us.” Damesha was happy to take a break from work, especially when one that included Kane’s company.

  An hour later they had steaks, Spanish rice, refried beans, and a salad set out on a table outside. They each put food on their plates and spent a few minutes enjoying the food.

  “You made that rice? I don’t think I’ve ever had Spanish rice that tasty!” Kane looked as though he’d been transported to heaven as he mixed a little of the rice with the beans.

  “It’s good isn’t it? A lady my grandmother knew taught me how to cook it. She was from Mexico so she taught me how to cook the stuff found in restaurants but also the real deal too. Between my Grams and Isabelle, I learned a lot about cooking.”

  “I’m just going to take a room upstairs and let you cook dinner every night then!” Kane sipped at his beer as he spoke, a teasing light in his eyes.

  He put his hand down on the table and Damesha couldn’t help brush it with her own. Their eyes met as sparks flew between them. Damesha took a deep breath.

  “That might be a good idea. You could use some fattening up.” The man was perfectly fit but Damesha couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “Arf!” Annie was beneath the table waiting for the morsels of delight to fall her way. She was usually very quiet, never even barking, but if she wanted some attention she’d make a small sound.

  Damesha fussed at Annie with a kiss to take away the hurt and gave her a piece of gristle she’d saved. Annie licked her human and chewed happily.

  “Tell me about you Kane, I can’t let you move in until I know more about you, can I?” Damesha meant it to be teasing but Kane shifted uncomfortably.

  “There isn’t much to tell. I was born and raised here in Henderson. I have quite a few siblings, brothers and relatives. I work for the ranch, live not far away, and I’m thirty-two years old.” He put more food on his plate, not looking her in the eye.

  “Did you go to college?” Damesha prodded, hoping to learn something more.

  “Yes, I have a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.” He stuffed his mouth with food.

  Damesha wondered if his unwillingness to answer in depth was because he was married. There was no evidence of a wedding band on his finger but in today’s world that didn’t mean much, not everyone wore rings now.

  “Do you have a wife? Children?” She leaned her head towards him, probing for answers he did not seem very willing to give.

  Kane almost spit his food out. “What? No! Neither. Oh man, no, not at all, not even a girlfriend.”

  “So why don’t you want to talk about any of your family? What are you hiding?” She poked him in his ribs, a bit put out he was so reticent in answering.

  “Nothing! I just don’t get on with all my brothers very well. I’m a bit of a black sheep really.” For a moment he looked away and Damesha saw something like hurt darken his features before it slipped away.

  “Ah, trouble-making bad boy are you?” Her eyes glittered at him as she tried to keep that darkness at bay.

  “Not at all. It’s politics, really. We just don’t see eye to eye on how things should be done and who should be in charge of matters that impact everyone.”

  “Oh, I hear you. Politics can be killer in families.” Damesha did not have any family left that she knew but her friends had called her more than once in tears over a fight with their own family members.

  “That it can. Especially when, well, let’s not get into politics ourselves.” Kane finished his food and pushed his plate away.

  “No, I suppose we shouldn’t. What a lovely sky.” Damesha looked up at the night sky. “I can see the Milky Way. You never get to see that in the city, there’s too much light pollution.”

  “I guess that wouldn’t be a bad thing if you were afraid of the dark. But how do you get to sleep with all the light?” Kane was looking at the stars himself, finding the planets and constellations as his gaze roamed.

  “Oh, we use blackout curtains and anything else we can find to block the light out.” Damesha turned for a moment holding her hand out to Kane in a “don’t you see” sort of way. He mistook her meaning and gently took her hand. At his touch, Damesha felt peace flow throughout the rest of her body. It wasn’t a fluke then, Kane really did bring her peace. Sort of. Her heart started to race and she could feel heat rising into her cheeks so he disturbed her in other ways.

  Damesha’s breath halted in her chest and she looked away, shocked at how much she enjoyed holding his hand. She was far from a virgin, but Kane made her nervous with the thoughts that filled her mind as his strong, warm hand took hers.

  Picking her drink up with the other hand she went back to stargazing and let her thoughts wander. This wasn’t so bad, out here in the country. Sure, she could not call out for any meal that she might desire, she wasn’t near public transport, and everything seemed so far away but it was peaceful, quiet. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes, her left hand warm in Kane’s, comfortable. No this wasn’t bad at all. It actually felt like home, the first place that had that feeling since her grandmother passed away.

  She went to take another drink from her bottle and realized it was all gone.

  “Do you want another drink?” she asked, turning her head to his. She saw him start and open his eyes. He looked over at her with a smile, but shook his head.

  “No, I’d best head home for the night. It’s getting late. I’d like to take you to a real, genuine, honest to God swimming hole tomorrow though, if you’d like to get out of the heat and into some real country. I like swimming pools but there’s something about a natural swimming place that just can’t be beat. You game?”

  “Well, yeah! I can’t come all this way and not experience a swimming hole, now can I? Awesome!” She’d have to dig out a swimsuit from somewhere, she remembered seeing some down in the laundry room, maybe she could borrow one. “I can’t wait!”

  Kane stepped up to her just before he walked out the door and something told her he was going to kiss her. Maybe the heat of awareness in his eyes, maybe it was the way his lips parted slightly as he stepped up to her. A noise outside stopped him though and he turned away.

  “Is that a wolf howling?” Damesha asked, frowning.

  “Yeah, we have them here. We sometimes get a lot of…strange animals here.” His face had gone kind of funny for a moment but he caught himself. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

  “Yeah, thanks for the groceries and everything. It’s been a lovely night.” She gave him a grateful look before he got into the truck and disappeared.

  Damesha stood waving as he drove away, her mind wondering what would have happened if they hadn’t heard the wolf howling. She knew it wasn’t going to help those dreams she’d been having but she was kind of starting to look forward to them. She hadn’t had sex in a very long time and those dreams were hot.

  She reminded herself once more she wasn’t going to be here forever but the memory of Kane’s eyes as he looked down at her pushed the nagging voice aside. He might be poor, he might live in a different state than her, but he was oh so tempting. Grabbing one more beer from the fridge, Damesha went back out to the back porch. No, life wasn’t bad here at all.

  Kane cursed as he steered the truck to the ranch house. He knew what that howl had been about. He was being summoned by his big brother. He wanted to punch the steering wheel. No, he wanted to punch his brother, but knew that would not go over well with the family. It would not go over well at all.

  Pulling up to the front of the house, a monstrosity of local wood and rock piled together to create a mansion, Kane stopped the truck and got out. He had a few secrets he was keeping from Damesha, secrets he simply couldn’t tell because too many lives depended on keeping them. The fact he was one of the people that owned the ranch wasn’t necessarily a secret, it was just something he hadn’t mentioned yet.

  He walked into the house, scuffing his boots on the rug outside to knock
off any dirt, and walked past the winding staircase in the large front room to a door beneath it. Cade’s Lair, that was what Kane called it. His brother’s lair. Cade was the eldest of his brothers and the leader of the clan. His word was law, but Kane often bucked it.

  Kane pushed open the door and entered his brother’s office, a dark room with little light filled almost to the brim with furniture and books. The office was where Cade did most of the family business.

  “Nice of you to answer the call, little brother. Have a seat.” Cade waved at a chair in front of his desk.

  “I’ll stand. What do you want Cade? I was kind of busy.” Kane leaned against the closed door, his arms crossing over his chest. His face was a mask of boredom; a mask he’d learned to adopt a long time ago. Cade could be tough, Kane knew the man had to be, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

  “That’s actually why we called you in here. You need to stay away from that woman. Don’t distract her, don’t go falling in love with her, don’t have an affair with her. Leave her alone. Take her food, show her around, then leave her be. She isn’t for you. She’s not one of us.”

  Cade had noticed his interest then. As Kane suspected, his family didn’t like his new interest either. This was his warning, stay away or face the consequences. He didn’t mind consequences, he decided.

  “I’ll tell you what, you mind your own damned business and I’ll mind mine. Laters, Cade.”

  “You’ll do as you’re told, Kane. You’re my business. This family is my business.”

  Kane stuck his middle finger up over his head as he walked out the room, heading for his own house. He didn’t have time for this.

  Chapter 4

  Bright morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, piercing Damesha’s eyelids, rousing her as Annie snuffled at her neck, wanting out already. Damesha stretched and scratched at Annie’s ears, giving her a kiss on her head before she slid out of bed.