It was clear that Caleb didn’t want any part of Eira. She would just have to hide her feelings. That she was good at and could handle. Besides, there was a new house that would need attention and Eira was excited at the prospect.
Eira and Indigo had moved around a great deal, but they had met many different people along the way and learned a great deal. Eira couldn’t wait to organize the new house from the ground up. At least she could give Caleb that, even if he didn’t want anything else from her.
Eira sat quietly, not really hungry and pushed her food around the plate. No one spoke to her. They had clearly picked up her humanity by her scent and the way they were looking at her, every so often. Eira watched happily as Indigo perked up with all of the attention she was getting. Indi wasn’t an attention seeker, but she, like her animal, reveled in it. She felt more at peace and looked much happier to be around a clan.
I can do this. Eira thought. For Indi, I can do this for three months, and then she’ll have a clan. Eira would do anything for Indi to be happy and content, and this would be worth it. She hoped.
Chapter Six
Eira couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The house had to be over 15,000 square feet. And that was just the inside. The entire house was surrounded by a huge covered porch. It was big enough for the entire clan and then some to lounge on. Or a few big cats, wolves, birds, and the lot, she added to herself. The house was a tan color that blended in well with the surrounding forest, and had dark green accents.
Eira had been expecting some modern-style monstrosity, but was happily surprised. The house looked like an old Victorian. Eira had always thought that homes in that style were cozy and felt like home. Caleb was talking to her about the house but she wasn’t listening. She was too excited at the prospect of turning this place into a home for their clan. Eira shoved the unacceptable thought away. His clan. Not theirs. Nothing was theirs.
“Do you want to go inside?” Caleb asked her. Eira nodded, excitedly.
“Yes. Oh yes. This house is beautiful, Caleb.” Eira let out a sigh. Caleb flashed her a full-out smile and grabbed her hand, pulling her up the front steps, and through the door. At the contact, Eira’s blood heated. Caleb seemed to realize what he had done, and dropped her hand as soon as they were inside.
“This is it. There are fifteen bedrooms, seventeen bathrooms, a library, and the gym is out back in a separate building that includes a pool. The dining room can seat fifty people easily, and there are two offices.”
“Why are there two offices?” Eira asked looking around the large empty space. There was room for large couches in the family room and much more.
“One for me and one for anyone who needs it. I run my business from home and Owen and Nico also have Internet-based businesses. We all share a large office on the first floor. The basement is one large rec room with a few bedrooms, and a small kitchen.” Caleb started walking toward the back of the house, and Eira followed. When he stopped, she stepped around him to see the room he had come to. Her breath caught in her throat at the magnificent kitchen.
“Oh, Caleb.” Eira couldn’t keep the sigh in. The cabinets were a rich, warm, cherry-colored wood, and they looked handmade. There were quartz countertops in a brilliant beige that went well with any accent color Eira could think of. There were four wall ovens, stacked side by side, a large professional cooktop with what looked like ten burners, a huge refrigerator, and freezer. The floors throughout the house were a zebra-striped bamboo. Eira was in love. This house, although gigantic, was her dream home. She had already seen three fireplaces for those cold winter nights when she and Caleb would curl up together in front of the warmth. She could see the clan all around the house making noise. It would be like a large family. Everything Eira had ever wanted. She could even see a few kits running around that looked like Caleb. She might be a good mom. She would do everything in her power to give her children the one thing she had never had. Love. Her biological family had been cruel beyond belief, and Eira hated every speck of DNA that came from them. She wanted her life to be different than it had started. At night, she and Caleb would go to their room and have amazingly hot lovemaking until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
“Eira. Eira? Hello? Are you all right?” Caleb’s voice snapped Eira back to the present, where Caleb didn’t want to curl up next to the fire with her. Where he didn’t even like her and where he was going to mate another woman.
“I’m fine,” Eira said, blushing at being caught daydreaming. Caleb scent the air and growled quietly, causing Eira to back up. Her back had hit the counter to the island, and she had nowhere to go as he advanced. He stopped a hair’s breath away from touching any part of her body and breathed her scent in deep.
“You are aroused.” It was an accusation, and Eira couldn’t deny it. Every time she was in his presence, she became aroused. Eira had been lucky to hide it until then. Even simple things, like thinking about curling up by the fire with kits running around them made her think of Caleb. And sex. And Caleb and sex together. She and Caleb having sex. There was the arousal coming back.
Eira just stood there not denying it. Caleb would probably smell the lie anyway. It was embarrassing that she couldn’t hide from him. Especially considering he didn’t want her. Caleb suddenly bent his head to nuzzle into her neck and smell her. Caleb suddenly started purring, and the vibrations made Eira moan. Liquid heat poured from between her thighs and she could feel his huge erection against her hip.
Caleb started kissing her throat and scenting her at the same time. He kept purring and started growling seductively. Then Caleb’s tongue came out and licked Eira from her collarbone to her ear.
“Mmmm, you taste good,” Caleb groaned out. Eira’s arms encircled his neck. Pulling him closer, Eira encouraged him to continue exploring.
In the back of her mind Eira had the thought that she should stop this. The reasonable part of her recognized that it was probably the mate scent that was causing this for Caleb, and he would pull out of it, and be furious with himself and her. But the other part of her won. For now, she would take what she could get.
Caleb’s arms encircled her, pulling her against his hard, muscled body. One hand went to the back of her head and pulled her to him for a heated kiss. Caleb gently licked the seam of Eira’s lips, asking for entry. She couldn’t deny him and opened her mouth. His tongue conquered her. He teased, caressed, and even nipped occasionally. Everything he did just drove her higher and higher, until she realized she was rubbing up against him in her passionate state.
Caleb’s other hand roamed down her body to her ass, and he grabbed the flesh, squeezing sensually. Then he brought her leg up to slide around his thigh. Eira was too short for her leg to wrap around his waist, but it didn’t seem to matter. Caleb rubbed his erection against her hot pussy through their jeans. Eira gasped at the sensations coming at her.
“Ummmm,” Eira moaned into his mouth.
“That’s it. Rub all over me. Damn, you’re so wet. I can feel your hot, wet pussy through our clothes.” Caleb took a deep breath, and purred some more. “You smell good enough to eat.” Caleb growled against her mouth.
Eira got bold and trailed one of her hands down his solid chest and down his abs to his hard cock. She squeezed him through his jeans and he moaned and rubbed into her touch.
“Touch me,” Caleb demanded, kissing down her throat. Her tentative hands slipped the top button on his jeans free. Then, she slowly drew his zipper down. His cock popped free and into her hand. His hard length pulsed against her hand and she tried to wrap her fingers around him but they wouldn’t reach. Holy shit his cock is the size of an actual lion’s. Caleb laughed against her, and she realized she must have spoken out loud. They were both panting from the passionate kisses, and every touch made them even hotter for each other.
Caleb’s hand left her hair and headed for the zipper on her jeans. Suddenly the front door slammed, and Caleb stiffened against her.
“Shit,” Caleb
hissed, as he released Eira abruptly and zipped himself back up.
“Cale,” Owen called from the front room. Caleb put as much distance from her as possible and headed to open the back door. He took a big lung full of fresh air as Owen walked into the room. Owen scented the room and turned to look at Eira.
Eira’s cheeks heated at his appraisal. It was clear that Owen could smell the lust in the air.
“What’s up?” Caleb asked, drawing their attention to him. Owen regarded his alpha with a smirk and a raised eyebrow that Eira didn’t see.
“Tommy called. He needs us in Oregon for a few days,” Owen explained.
“Damn.” Caleb shook his head and ran his huge hands through his beautiful golden-brown hair. Eira loved that hair. It was shoulder length and she wanted to run her fingers through it, while he ran his gigantic hands all over her body. After what had just happened, maybe that wasn’t such a long shot anymore.
“All right, pack a bag and tell Nico. We’ll leave in an hour. Call Terrence at the furniture place and let him know Kalli will handle the delivery times and whatever’s left for selecting furniture. Kalli can take care of starting the move-in process while we’re gone. I’ll go get my stuff and tell Lena.” With that statement, Eira’s breath caught in her throat and she had to try like hell not to start crying. He was putting Kalli in charge of the duties that were supposed to be hers. His opinion of her clearly hadn’t changed.
Eira shoved the tears aside and spoke up.
“Isn’t that supposed to be my job?” Eira asked in a monotone voice. He had already hurt her over and over, and she wasn’t about to let him see how he had done it again. Caleb silently regarded her for a moment, but she wouldn’t back down. She saw the anger overwhelm his face.
“Why would I treat you like a mate, when it is clear that all you are is a deceptive human who uses her body to get what you want? Did you really think that I would have mated you, just because you let me fuck you?” Caleb’s laugh was harsh, and just as degrading as the words he had just spoken. “I can promise you that I will not be swayed by you, or your body. At the end of three months, you will be gone, and Kalli and I will start our lives together. You better get used to the idea, because I would rather die than mate a deceptive, cheap, poor excuse for an alpha-mate human.” He enunciated every word in her face. “Do what you want. Anything, I or my future mate, don’t like we’ll get rid of.” With that, Caleb walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him. It made Eira jump, which just made her feel like more of an idiot.
“I’m sorry.” Owen’s words drew her gaze to him. He looked at her with pity in his eyes. “He isn’t usually so harsh. I think that he feels more for you than he could have imagined, and he’s taking it out on you. He hasn’t had great experience with human women. If you are patient, I think Lena could be right. You two were made for each other.”
“That might be true. But I will not take his attitude any longer. Take the time away to talk some sense into him. Because if he comes back with the same attitude, the next three months will be a war zone. I am not the pushover human that he seems to think I am. I will not be his verbal punching bag.”
Eira left calmly, and made her way back to the Inn she and Indigo had been staying in. She packed all of their things and went to get her best friend. She had a house to furnish and a scheme to hatch. That big lion wasn’t going to know what hit him when he came home. Eira smiled to herself and went on her way.
Chapter Seven
Over the next several days Eira stayed busy. She oversaw all the furniture deliveries and she shopped. Eira had never really needed to shop for much, but now there was an entire house to buy things for. She invited some of the pack members to come along and many did. There were some members who didn’t like her. Those were mostly Kalli’s friends, and thought that Eira was butting in to the future alpha’s life.
Everyone else seemed to like her fine, and she had made friends in town, too. Indigo was practically blooming from all the clan closeness. Everything was going great, but Eira still worried what would happen when Caleb got home. They hadn’t left things well, and Eira had been so mad that she had done something that she wasn’t sure had been the best idea. She thought about changing it every time she had a free moment. Indi had even caught her trying to fix it, and had turned her in the other direction reminding her of the way Caleb had treated her. He deserved much worse than he was getting from her, so she let it go.
In the afternoon, Caleb, Owen, and Nico were supposed to return there was a ring at the door. Eira and Indigo were in the kitchen with Lena, and two eagle-shifters from the clan, Sade and Nia. They were working on cooking a large meal for the alpha, and everyone in the clan to have as a celebration of the new house.
The women all looked at each other in confusion, wondering who could be at the door. All of the clan members simply walked in. Eira went to answer the door with Indigo and Sade right behind her. Nia and Lena waited in the opening connecting the front room with the kitchen and family room. Indi was never far from Eira, but Sade had become like a guard for the temporary alpha-mate. Sade always made sure things were safe and that she was there to help Eira in any way she could.
Eira opened the door and met two very tall, very blond, and gorgeous lions. The smile dropped from the female’s face when she took a breath and scented Eira. Eira could already guess who these people were, and she started to say welcome when the female growled, and pushed through the door and tackled Eira.
“Who are you and where is my son?” the lioness demanded, her weight pinning Eira to the floor.
“Get off me!” Eira insisted glaring at the lioness. Sade and Indigo darted their eyes between the female on top of Eira and the male slowly walking into the room.
“My son would never let a filthy human into his house. So if you don’t tell me who you are, I will rip your throat out.” The woman growled and brought her hand up toward Eira’s throat. The lioness had claws coming from her hand and was ready to tear into Eira.
“Indi, stop. I’m fine. Don’t do anything.” Eira comforted her friend who was about to do something that would not turn out well. Eira turned to the lioness and smirked. “You can try to rip out my throat, but I’ll bet I can have yours cut before you even draw blood.” Eira pressed the tip of her knife into the lioness’s throat so she could feel the blade.
Shock showed in the female’s eyes, and then what looked like a little respect. Her hand backed away from Eira’s throat as Lena spoke.
“Grandma, this is Eira. She and Dad are in an Induco.”
“What?” the lioness demanded, as she got to her feet. “How did this happen? We were supposed to be meeting Kalli, your father’s mate.” Eira winced a little at the title given to the other woman, by Caleb’s mother.
“I requested the Induco. I did it because Eira is dad’s mate, but he was being stubborn. They both deserve to be happy, together,” Lena insisted, acting far more grown up than her fifteen years.
“Welcome to the clan house. Caleb is expected today. As Lena said, I’m Eira and this is my sister, Indigo. Sade and Nia are clan members as well. I can have a room made up for you, if you would like.” Eira thought she was being pretty polite, considering the woman had threatened to rip her throat out. The female growled under her breath, and the male stepped forward.
“We would very much like to stay. I am Lawrence, and this is Serena, my mate.” The lion was clearly being cautious, but polite, so Eira didn’t voice any unflattering remarks.
“If we are to stay, I demand to know where Kalli is,” Serena said hotly.
“She isn’t here. I don’t know where she is. I expect she will be here tonight when Caleb is home,” Eira explained.
“Very well.” Serena started and looked around the house, making her disdain clear. “I will run the house until my son returns. That way his homecoming will not be tainted with whatever you might have decided was good enough for him.” Serena clearly didn’t like humans, but Lawrence wasn
’t ready to show his hand yet. Eira wasn’t about to become a speed bump for this lioness to flatten.
“Actually, everything is well in hand for Caleb’s homecoming. Thank you so much for the offer to help but I can handle it. Sade can show you to a room upstairs and you can rest after your trip. I will let Caleb know that you are here as soon as he arrives. Should Kalli show up before Caleb, I will tell her you wish to see her. If you need anything, feel free to ask or take it. We are pretty informal around here. My house is your house, for the time. I have to go finish cooking so I will be around if you need me.” With her speech complete, Eira went back to the kitchen to finish the meal preparations. Indigo followed her while Nia and Sade took the couple upstairs.
The lioness was fuming mad, and Eira got some satisfaction to see her mate keep on the track up the stairs, and not allow her back down. Once the group was gone Indigo turned her attention to Eira.
“I almost harmed her,” Indigo said in a plain voice. Eira reassured her friend.
“I know. Don’t worry, Indi. It’s a natural response to protect family. Nothing happened, so it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I stopped myself. I didn’t want to hurt her if I didn’t have to. You could have died because I hesitated.” Indi was really upset with herself and Eira couldn’t have that. Eira walked over and sat on the barstool next to Indi.
“Indi, look at me,” Eira requested. Indi looked. “You and I have been together for twenty years. In all of that time you have hurt people only when necessary. But every time you did, I could see it in your eyes. It hurt you. You have a kind nature. You don’t need to hurt people Indi. Even to help me. I did fine. I always have and always will.” Indi hugged Eira tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Eira was glad she and Indi had each other. They understood each other in ways no one else could.
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