My Second Chance Read online

  MY SECOND CHANCE

  Shelley Munro

  Middlemarch Shifters, book 10

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Chapter Bonus

  Excerpt – My Plan B

  About Shelley

  Other Books by Shelley

  Copyright Page

  Blurb

  Lion shifter Leticia Huntingdon has FIV, the feline version of AIDS. For months she’s been in remission, treated by Gavin Finley, the Middlemarch feline doctor. Now the disease has returned. Her feelings for Gavin can’t go anywhere because of the FIV, so it shouldn’t hurt when Gavin turns to Charlie, the new male cop.

  Gavin can’t believe how good sex is with Charlie, can’t believe he’s found a mate. The loving is amazing and hot, but Gavin can’t forget Leticia. He wants her in his life. He wants Charlie too. Confusion and jealousy create torrid undercurrents for the trio.

  Charlie McKenzie falls for Gavin quickly and can’t understand why he’s attracted to Leticia. A nightmare changes everything, drawing the three together and bringing new possibilities. A ménage a trois. Raw need and passion brings them closer. If only the disease threatening Leticia’s life didn’t loom on the horizon…

  Chapter One

  Leticia Huntingdon scrutinized the hair in her brush and knew the FIV or feline immunodeficiency virus was no longer dormant. A healthy feline shifter didn’t lose this much hair during the grooming process. Fear, stark and frightening, kicked her in the gut and her legs trembled so much she thought she’d fall if she didn’t sit. She sank onto the bed, the tremors speeding to her hands and her legs.

  “Damn,” she whispered.

  A glance at her wristwatch confirmed she had little time before someone thumped on her bedroom door. The last thing she wanted was to socialize at a birthday party, but if she said she’d prefer to stay at home, her brother Lucas and his partner Saul Sinclair would worry. And she didn’t want that. They’d both been so good to her—Lucas leaving the pride in South Africa to stay with her, and Saul and his leopard-shifter friends accepting her without hesitation.

  Her gaze drifted to the tufts of blonde hair clinging to the black bristles of her brush and this time anger bloomed, hot and consuming. It wasn’t fair. Nothing about this was fair. Her ex-lover, who had given her the disease by raping her and ripping open her shoulder, had never faced justice, his position as a lawyer keeping him safe.

  His word against hers.

  She’d thought she’d discovered a home in New Zealand, yet the disease, the feline equivalent of HIV in humans, would steal that from her.

  No cure.

  The two words echoed through her head. Mocking and final. Gavin Finley, the local vet and doctor to the shifters, had told her the prognosis was good, that they might not cure the disease but could manage it. According to him, although she had the disease, the symptoms were mild and only exacerbated by stress. So manage it they had, and pretty well. Thanks to Gavin, her health remained stable, apart from the latest sign. Not so good. Gavin had mentioned the symptoms to look for and losing hair sat at the top of the list along with weight loss and difficulty breathing. A harsh sigh whooshed up her throat, burning all the way.

  AIDS. Such a little word. Such a big disease.

  Tears obscured her excellent vision, making her reflection waver in the mirror.

  A tap sounded on her bedroom door. “Leticia, sweetheart. Are you almost ready? We’ll arrive late to Saber’s party. We still have to drive to Middlemarch.” Saul.

  Leticia sucked in a deep breath, fighting anxiety and dredging up anger to hide her fear.

  “Bite me. Don’t you know you always have to wait on women?” she added, dragging the brush through her hair again and forcing humor into her voice despite the terror curling across her face. “Always in a hurry.”

  “Sweetheart, I’d love to bite you, but I don’t want to upset your brother,” Saul countered.

  Leticia couldn’t help the involuntary smirk when she heard a familiar masculine growl in the background. Lucas. It was all a front. Her brother and Saul were crazy about each other. Mates.

  Unthinking, she drew the brush through her hair again. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw more loose strands glinting amongst the bristles. Setting it aside, she picked up a comb. It didn’t stop the fall of hair. Apprehension lurched through her mind, her recent weight loss taking on a sinister meaning.

  How could this happen almost overnight? Dammit, she’d followed Gavin’s instructions, eating healthy foods, vegetables even. Cosseting herself and keeping stress to a minimum. True, things were difficult at work, the pressure of a big case making for long days. She’d thought she was coping.

  By the time she finished, her long blonde curls appeared tidier and less. Thin. Too thin. A hat. She’d have to wear a hat. She’d get through tonight and after that…

  Well, she didn’t want to think about that now. Dying at a young age wasn’t something she wanted to dwell on tonight. She shoved the thought aside and stood.

  Leticia dressed rapidly, rejecting the black trousers she’d intended to wear in favor of a short red skirt. Tonight, she needed to distract, and bright colors and long legs would do the trick. Deftly, she twisted her hair into a loose knot at the back of her neck. A low-cut red-black-and-cream top covered her upper half and hid the scar on her shoulder from public view. With her makeup already done, all she needed to do was add dangling earrings and a jaunty black hat. She slipped her feet into black slides, the heels giving her three extra inches in height. After grabbing a black clutch and looping the long strap over her shoulder, she pasted on a smile to prepare for the best acting job of her life.

  “About time,” Lucas said when she strolled into their den. He and Saul stood close, and she knew she’d interrupted a romantic moment. Envy washed through her in a wave, followed by self-pity.

  Gavin. Every time she saw him she wanted to jump him. They were compatible. Possible mates.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to leave?” Leticia aimed for light and teasing. She surprised herself with her acting abilities, but then she’d had plenty of practice, pretending she cared nothing for Gavin Finley, the shifter doctor. “It looked as if you were having a private moment.” She arched a brow, letting the ghost of a smile quiver her lips.

  Yep, award-winning performance.

  “Shut your mouth, brat,” her brother drawled, the familiar South African accent bringing a yearning for home. She was home, she reminded herself. The savannah land of the veld was no longer her habitat.

  “She needs to get her own man,” Saul said, his green eyes glinting with mischief. “Gavin wants you. Why don’t you stop running and let him catch you for a change?”

  Lucas nodded agreement, and Leticia had to swallow to force back the building emotion. She would not cry. She would not. “There’s no magic between us,” she said, once again forcing out the lie without flinching or lowering her gaze.

  If things had been different, she might have mated with Gavin by now. After meeting him, she’d realized the feelings she’d had for her ex were a pale imitation. No. No matter how much she craved the same closeness Saul and her brother experienced, she refused to put Gavin through the trauma of being with her and unable to bestow the mark. One taste of her blood and she’d pass on the FIV virus. Unthinkable to place Gavin under the same death sentence she struggled with
on a daily basis.

  When she realized both men still studied her she added, “Besides, I’ve seen how it is between you and Saul. Why would I settle for anything less? Why would Gavin settle for me when we all know he can’t complete the mating process? It would be difficult for both of us because we couldn’t have a proper feline relationship.”

  “She has a point,” Saul said.

  Any other day Leticia would have snapped back a witty rejoinder, thriving on teasing the two. Not today. She turned for the door.

  “Emily said there are other single males attending,” Lucas said. “Maybe you’ll hit it off with one of them.”

  “Maybe.” Leticia kept her reply noncommittal. Let her brother and Saul think there was hope.

  She knew better.

  * * * * *

  Charlie McKenzie stepped outside onto the tiled courtyard in Emily and Saber Mitchell’s garden, joining the partygoers who had spilled into the night air. He spotted Gavin Finley over on his left, his heart lurching and his feet heading in that direction almost before he’d decided to give in to his curiosity and the weird attraction he sported for the feline doctor.

  Embarrassing. From the moment he’d spotted Gavin a few weeks ago he’d thought of him sexually, the yearning spilling over into explicit dreams that had him waking in a sweat and with a dick hard enough to cause damage. Initially, he’d fought his attraction to Gavin—to no avail. Something compelled him to seek the shifter male, and since Gavin seemed to welcome his company, Charlie had given up his fight. He liked Gavin, and the physical attraction didn’t repulse him since he’d experimented in his late teens. Recently, fate had led him to date only women, and in small country town Middlemarch, he’d expected to continue in the same way.

  Maybe not.

  The shifter community had welcomed him and Laura Adams, the other Middlemarch cop, and he enjoyed the forward thinking of a species some would call beasts. Laura had hooked up with a shifter, so the thought of becoming romantically involved with one didn’t perturb him. So far, the feline shifters he’d met were decent, and he was proud to call them friends.

  “Charlie,” Gavin said, sweeping him into a manly hug before he could speak or avoid the contact.

  When their chests touched, Charlie’s cock bucked and an electric current surged through his body. A soft groan sounded and, mortified, he realized it came from him.

  “Damn,” Charlie muttered, realizing this was more serious than he’d thought. He wasn’t sure what to do next, where to look. His stomach roiled with nerves and mortification.

  Gavin pulled away, his curly black hair falling over his forehead. His green eyes sparkled, crinkles of humor forming at the corners. Gradual heat replaced the amusement. He raised his right hand and brushed his fingers over Charlie’s jaw, the rasp a soft sound in the night, barely discernable above the chatter of the other guests. “Good.”

  Charlie groaned again at the heat in Gavin’s eyes, the weight of his fingers now resting on Charlie’s shoulder, and moved out of the light into the shadows cast by a large oak. As he hoped, Gavin followed to the private spot.

  “You knew?” He shook his head, still unsure of where to look. He ended up scowling at his feet. “That’s embarrassing.” Perplexed, he glanced at Gavin, apprehension a jumpy sensation hollowing his stomach. “Good?” he demanded, Gavin’s words piercing his self-consciousness to make sense.

  The dim light screened Gavin’s expression, which gave Charlie hope. If he couldn’t see Gavin, then the feline wouldn’t witness the tinge of color creeping into his cheeks. Memories of an awkward first date came back to haunt him. He’d thought age and experience would get him past discomfort and give him confidence.

  Not today. No, right now he possessed the self-assurance of a green kid, panicking about how to kiss without bumping noses.

  “It’s only embarrassing if I don’t return the feelings,” Gavin said, his voice a shade huskier than normal. He lifted his hand and stroked his fingers over Charlie’s cheek again before letting his arm fall to his side. “And I do, so what are we going to do about it?”

  Charlie’s body pulled tight, awareness arcing between them, the silence throbbing with possibilities. He cleared his throat. “Damn it, man. Did you have to pick a public place to tell me?”

  “I’ll be happy to tell you later, in private.”

  “Are you flirting with me?” Bloody stupid question. The man teased with each sly caress.

  “I must be out of practice.” Gavin paused a beat. “Yeah, I’m flirting with you. You know how it was between Jonno and Laura?”

  “Yes.” Charlie stirred, shifting his weight from foot to foot, recollecting the atmosphere when the two were in the police station together—the way he’d felt like a voyeur. “You mean the mating thing?” He drew in a sharp breath when Gavin’s meaning hit him. “You mean we’re mates? That’s why I’ve been jumping out of my skin each time I see you?”

  “Yeah.” No mistaking his tone for anything but satisfied. Gavin glanced over his shoulder. Charlie followed suit and saw no one was watching them. Gavin turned back to him and, after a slow grin, prowled closer, pushing into Charlie’s personal space. Disquiet had Charlie edging back until the tree trunk at his back halted his retreat.

  “You’re not frightened of me?” Gavin whispered, his breath warm on Charlie’s face. “I’m a real pussy cat.”

  Charlie’s fingers curved into Gavin’s muscular shoulders, neither holding him off nor drawing him closer. “That’s reassuring. I’ve seen Jonno’s teeth. I suspect yours are just as sharp.”

  “All the better to nibble with,” Gavin said with a wolfish smirk.

  “I suppose I should thank the gods you’re not a wolf.”

  Gavin barked a laugh. “You fancy yourself in Little Red Riding Hood’s shoes?”

  “Yeah, must have a fetish of some sort.” Amusement faded. “Seriously, what does this mean?” Charlie wanted to know even though he admitted deep down what other people thought wouldn’t matter a damn. His desire for Gavin held more power than the thought of public condemnation.

  He might worry about the speed of the attraction if he hadn’t witnessed Jonno and Laura together along with the other feline couples. To hear them tell the story, the attraction was instantaneous and strengthened by sexual contact. It took a strong person to resist. “The mates’ thing between men. How does the shifter community view same-sex relationships?”

  “About the same as humans. Some think gays are an abomination while others don’t mind. I’m hoping Saul Sinclair and Lucas Huntingdon will come tonight. Emily said she invited them. They’re mates.” A chorus of welcomes had Gavin glancing at the door. “Speak of the devil. Leticia’s arrived.”

  The way Gavin’s voice softened had Charlie frowning, glancing at the doorway.

  A tall, slender woman stood with Emily and two men. One male looked like many of the locals—tall with dark hair—while the other man was a big blond. But the woman, she stole his breath. She seemed all legs in her short red skirt. Her low-cut blouse showcased a set of stunning breasts without tipping over into obvious and tacky. Her profile promised beauty, but he couldn’t tell what color hair she had because she wore a black hat.

  “That’s them now. Come on. I’ll introduce you. Charlie?”

  “Yeah?” He couldn’t take his eyes off the woman and wondered if she’d come with anybody. Probably. In his experience, men gravitated to women with her eye-candy appeal.

  “Charlie?”

  Fuck, what was up with him tonight? He’d just admitted his attraction to Gavin. He was genuinely interested in seeing what happened between them, but this woman…this woman drew him too.

  Weird. Plain weird.

  He couldn’t blame it on alcohol because he hadn’t had a single drink. Swallowing his unease, he dragged his attention off the stunner to give Gavin his total concentration. He hoped Gavin hadn’t noticed his fascination with the new arrival.

  Gavin wore an intense expression,
a glitter of arousal darkening his eyes. “Don’t bother looking at anyone else tonight. You’re coming home with me.”

  “I’m not a pushover.” While Charlie liked the idea, he didn’t like orders.

  “Not what I meant to imply. My bluntness is so you know where I stand. I want you.” Gavin squeezed his forearm before stepping away.

  And that was what Charlie wanted. His gaze swept over Gavin’s face before darting over his upper body. Like the rest of the Middlemarch shifters, he stood over six feet, a couple of inches taller than he did. Muscle packed his body without making him bulky. Yeah, it wouldn’t be a hardship being with Gavin. His cock twitched, reiterating the sentiment.

  “How long do we have to stay?”

  Gavin smirked. “Long enough to meet a few people and act polite. Sing happy birthday to Saber Mitchell. Two hours tops. Come and meet Saul and Lucas. You’ll like them.”

  Charlie followed Gavin back into the house, taking pleasure in watching the other man move. He prowled yet didn’t seem to dawdle, his tight buttocks flexing beneath his blue jeans. A man who knew what he wanted from life, and who bore confidence and charm. Oh yeah, Charlie looked forward to the coming night. At least now that he knew the attraction wasn’t one-sided.

  “Hey, Saul,” Gavin said. “Great to see you. Lucas, how are things?”

  Charlie bit back a protest when Gavin gave both men a quick hug. It seemed his…mate…liked touching.

  Gavin stepped back. “This is Charlie. He’s one of the new cops here in Middlemarch. Oh, and you can trust him. He knows about the feline thing.”

  “You might trust him,” Lucas said. “But that doesn’t mean we have to.”

  Charlie had to concentrate to interpret the South African drawl. They were all staring at him, including the woman. A blonde he saw now that she stood a few steps away from him. Nice. He’d always had a thing for blondes.

  Charlie turned his attention back to Saul and Lucas. He thrust out his hand. “That’s understandable. You don’t know me. But for what it’s worth, I like living and working in Middlemarch. For the first time, I’ve found a home, and I don’t want to screw with that.” He grinned at Gavin. “It’s kinda of funny because neither Laura nor I wanted to transfer here and now neither of us wants to leave.”