“As you wish.” Richard tilted his head in deference to Steven’s request. “The rest of us will remain on the ranch and stand our ground.”
“You’re not insisting us gals take cover with the vamps?” Kerry asked with genuine surprise. “How very un-Amoveo male of you.”
“True.” Richard’s lips curved into a smile as he looked from one man to the next. “Keeping Amoveo mates apart is never a good idea, but if things get worse, I will insist the women leave for safer surroundings. Call it a royal prerogative.”
“Now that’s what I call progress,” Layla said with a wink to her sister. She elbowed William. “You should take a page or two out of Richard’s book, babe.”
William shook his head and gave his wife a doubtful look.
“We will take turns patrolling the property in groups of two or three. No one goes anywhere alone.” Richard turned to Tatiana, and his voice softened. “I would understand if you wanted to leave, to go home to Oregon and forget you were ever here, but I think it would be unwise. As much as you loathe to acknowledge it, you are half Amoveo, and that makes you as much of a target as the rest of us.”
“I’m not leaving.” Tatiana tightened her hold on Dominic though he sensed she was fighting the urge to bolt. “I want to find out what the hell is going on as much as all of you do. My life will never feel like my own unless I face this head on. I can’t live with the unknown hanging over my head. Not anymore.”
“Yeah, girl.” Kerry winked as she rested her head on Dante’s shoulder. “Let’s kick some ass.”
“That shoot was gonna be a big old bore anyway,” Layla said on a heavy sigh. William looped one arm around her waist and straightened his tie with the other. “I’m sure William and I are going to enjoy stamping out these Purists once and for all, right?”
“Correct.” William planted a kiss on the top of her curly red hair. “I would suggest we take stock of our weapons and lay out the patrol shifts as swiftly as possible.”
“I’ll fill Eric in as soon as we get back to the ranch.” Dominic gave Richard a solemn look. “Your majesty, I think it’s best if the others leave directly from here. I don’t think they should risk time exposed on the ranch if they don’t have to. Besides, if they leave from here, their energy signatures will be untraceable.”
Dominic held Tatiana closer as they watched the others say good-bye to their mates. Malcolm and Richard kissed their wives and snuggled their daughters before the air filled with static, and they vanished. A lump formed in Dominic’s throat as he saw the somber but resolute expressions on the two men.
“We’ll finish this, Richard.” Dominic’s voice cut through the heavy silence. “I promise you, we’ll finish this and bring your family home.”
“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Matt whispered from the back of the arena. Urgency laced his voice as he tapped his fingers on the smooth surface of one of the platforms, and guilt tugged at Dominic because he’d forgotten Matt was even there. “I’m getting the fact that you are about to have some kind of holy war, but I gotta tell you, I feel like I’m going crazy. Who, or what, are you people?”
“You are not crazy, Matt,” Richard murmured. “We are not pod-people or aliens, but we are shapeshifters. Welcome to the world of the Amoveo.”
A low, rumbling growl filled the room, and everyone looked at Richard. His blue eyes glowed brightly and were locked on Matt. He uttered the ancient language, and the air around him shimmered as he exploded with an earsplitting roar into a massive lion.
Matt gaped, but no sound came out as Richard approached. Dominic was certain Tatiana wanted to say something reassuring, but she didn’t. She, like everyone else, was in awe of the magnificent beast.
Richard stalked slowly toward Matt, muscles rippling beneath his tawny coat, his proud face surrounded by a thick, dark mane. A growl rumbled in his throat as his eyes glittered. As Richard moved closer, Matt mumbled something incoherent and passed out cold.
Oh, yes. Richard’s voice touched their collective minds. He’ll be a big help.
***
Once they left the council chamber, Tatiana wasted no time getting back to the barn to take a closer look at Spirit’s body, but the examination didn’t yield new information. Richard and Malcolm used their Amoveo visualization abilities to remove the animal’s body, and though she was curious as to where it went, she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
Tatiana wanted to connect with one of the horses but wasn’t sure which, so she decided to observe them for a while to get a bead on which one would be most receptive to that type of connection. She suspected the mares would be more receptive than the stallions and had her eye on Obsidian, a gorgeous, jet-black mare who seemed the most disturbed by Spirit’s absence. However, as much as she wanted answers, Tatiana knew that pushing the issue wouldn’t get her anywhere.
Matt didn’t leave Tatiana’s side for the next few hours as they worked in the barn and tended to the horses. The stalls, usually cared for by Salinda, were getting dirty, so they worked together to muck the stalls and reevaluate each horse. Matt said little—most was in response to direct questions—but she had to give the guy credit for sticking around. It’s not every day that a person discovers the world is full of supernatural creatures or that his friend is one of them.
Tatiana’s only regret was the distance that now lingered between them. She could only hope that with time, he would come around, and things could be like they were before, but she had a gut feeling that wouldn’t be the case.
Matt wasn’t the only one hanging around.
Dominic became her shadow the moment they emerged from the council chamber. On one hand, she was comforted by his presence, but on the other, it was a bit unsettling to have anyone watch her so closely. To his credit, he didn’t simply stand guard and watch them work. He actually pitched in and got dirty right along with them.
The man was nothing if not tenacious.
Tatiana wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her gloved hand as she stole a glance at Dominic, and when she set eyes on him, all the breath rushed from her lungs. At some point when she wasn’t looking, he’d disposed of his T-shirt, which left his broad, well-muscled back exposed in all its rippling glory.
Sweat glistened across his hulking shoulders and trickled a tempting trail down his spine as he hoisted a bale of hay to one of the stalls. She couldn’t help but stare as the thick layer of muscle moved beneath suntanned skin, and the veins in his arms bulged with effort.
Tatiana rested her chin on her hands, gripped the top of the rake, and simply allowed herself to enjoy the sight of him. Memories of his skin rushing beneath her fingers came flooding back, and as she sucked in a slow breath, her eyes tingled and snapped to their clan form.
“I’m sorry, Tatiana, but that’s totally fuckin’ weird,” Matt whispered.
Tatiana jumped at the sound of his voice. Her chin slipped off her hands, making her stumble awkwardly over the rake. Dominic smirked at her over his shoulder as he tossed the last bale of hay into the stall.
What were you thinking about? His teasing voice drifted into her mind. She steadied herself and let out a nervous laugh as her eyes shifted back to their human form. Nothing I care to admit to right now, she responded playfully.
However, her smile faded when she saw the way Matt was looking at her.
He stared at her as though she was a complete stranger, and in a way, she was.
Tatiana barely recognized herself. Somehow, over the past several hours, she had begun to embrace her Amoveo nature. She looked briefly at Dominic. Yup. Embraced her powers along with everything and everyone who came with it. Yet what surprised and unsettled Tatiana the most was how natural and absolutely right it felt.
“Matt,” she said, reaching for his arm, wanting to reassure him she was still the same person. He stepped back, avoiding her reach. Tatiana dropped her hand. “I’m still me.”
“Right,” he said in a shaky voice. “You’re yo
u, but you can make your eyes glow, and apparently, you turn into a wolf.” Hurt carved into his features, and his mouth set in a frown. “You lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie exactly.” Tatiana leaned the rake against the wall and pulled the work gloves off, wishing like hell a cool breeze would come along and calm her body and mind. “It was more like an omission.”
“Same thing.” He glanced past to her to Dominic, who she sensed behind her. His presence was thick and radiated heat. Like the sultry summer air she felt him there, strong and ever-present. “What about you?” Matt jutted his chin and gave Dominic a defiant look.
“Tiger Clan.” Dominic’s voice, deep and gravelly, skittered around Tatiana temptingly, and she fought the urge to growl. Amazing how one note from that voice made her want to strip naked and maul him. “Bengal Tiger to be specific.”
“Besides,” Tatiana said through a shaky laugh, “I’m only half Amoveo.”
“Right,” Matt scoffed. “That’s like saying you’re a little bit pregnant.”
“Tatiana and I might be from two different clans,” Dominic interjected, “but we are both Amoveo.”
And mates…
The unspoken words hung in the air, but he may as well have said them out loud again. He may not be claiming her with his words, but his meaning was clear.
Dominic moved silently as he took his place beside her but kept his gaze on Matt, who looked as though he might throw up. Tatiana could tell Dominic still didn’t trust Matt, and she supposed there wasn’t much she could do about that. Truthfully, she felt like there wasn’t much she could do about anything, and feeling helpless sucked.
“The horses need new feed,” Matt grumbled. He took his rake to the tool rack and hung it in its place. “I can go pick some up if you’ll tell me where it is.”
“No,” Dominic said in a surprisingly sharp tone. “Richard already placed an order, and it will be delivered this afternoon. Besides, I think it’s best if you stay here on the ranch. Given everything that’s going on, we can’t guarantee your safety if you leave the property.”
“Bullshit.” Matt’s eyes narrowed, and he threw his work gloves onto the tack table by the open barn doors. He shot a look of pure hatred at Dominic. “You aren’t worried about me at all. You still think I had something to do with what happened to Spirit, don’t you?”
“No,” Dominic said evenly. “However, it’s not just your safety I’m concerned about. If Moravian or any other Purist Amoveo makes a move, then abducting a human that Tatiana cares about would be a good way to get to her.” His body tensed, and his eyes flickered to their clan form. “No one leaves the ranch.”
“So, what? Now I’m prisoner here?”
“No, Matt.” Tatiana closed the distance between them and placed her hands on his shoulders. “That’s not what he’s saying.” She glanced at Dominic. “Right?”
“Of course not.” Dominic’s jaw clenched, and his eyes flickered back to their human brown. “As soon as we eliminate the threat, he is free to leave.”
Tatiana looked at Matt and saw hurt in his eyes.
“But you’re not leaving, are you?” His face twisted in anger as he nodded toward Dominic. “You’re staying here with him, right? So I guess I’ll have to find another job.”
“I—I didn’t say that,” she said hesitantly.
Tatiana dropped her hands and turned her body as she looked between the two men who were staring at her intently. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. The truth was, she hadn’t been thinking about anything. Her hormones and emotions had been running her from the second she arrived at the ranch and found Dominic.
“Right,” Matt said under his breath. He walked to the back door of the stable and stopped. “I’m going back to the cabin to take a shower.” He glared at Dominic. “If that’s alright with you.”
Tatiana watched him disappear around the corner, and her heart sank. How could she go back to her life in Oregon? Her practice? Any of it?
Everything was different, and the very thing she had been fearful of had actually happened. The rug had been pulled out from under her, and her existence was turned upside down because of the Amoveo and their insane world.
“He shouldn’t walk back to the cabin alone. Eric’s patrolling with Malcolm and Richard—I’ll ask him to split off and keep an eye on Matt.” Dominic stared at her intently and scoffed, “I can’t blame him for being upset. I mean, obviously you’re going to stay here.”
“I’m sorry.” She blinked, not quite sure if she heard him correctly. “What did you say?”
“I’m Guardian of this ranch.” He inched closer, his large frame invading her space easily. “And given the climate for our people right now, I certainly can’t leave.”
Tatiana took a breath to steady herself, but his spicy, masculine scent filled her head, making concentration difficult. Hay and sweat with a touch of something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on filled her head. Based on the shameless way her body reacted, it was likely some kind of pheromone.
“Tatiana,” he breathed. Dominic brushed a sweaty lock of hair off her forehead and ran his thumb along her cheek. Heat rippled off his chest as muscles flexed beneath damp skin. His fiercely intense eyes glowed down at her from under thick dark lashes. “You are my mate, and your place is with me.”
“What did you say?” Tatiana blinked as the words came in a rush.
Lust was swiftly replaced with anger, and her body stilled as she grappled for the ability to speak. Her brain and body were at odds as she tried to form a coherent response, opposed to simply punching him in the nose.
“My place?” Tatiana seethed as she batted his hand away. Hands on her hips, she glared up at him furiously as familiar fears and pent up emotions rose to the surface. “My place is wherever the hell I say it is. You and I may be mates, but I will be goddamned if you or anyone one else tells me where my place is. I refuse to have my future dictated by you, the Amoveo, Purists, Caedo, or some stupid fucking legend that I had no say in being a part of.”
Dominic didn’t flinch. He held his ground as he stared at her, meeting her challenge and not backing down. He stood there like the immovable force he was, and it made her crazy. Strong and silent? Hah! More like stubborn and irrational.
“Say something, for Christ’s sake.”
Frustrated, she shoved at his shoulders, but her hands slipped off his sweaty skin. As she fell forward, he grabbed her wrists and yanked her body against him.
Heat from his torso seeped through her thin tank top and rippled straight to her very core, causing her body to respond on a primal level.
A pulsing need throbbed between her legs, and her eyes shifted to their clan form as ferocious, carnal desire burned through her. Tatiana’s heart raced as she stared at him, but she’d be damned if she’d show any sign of giving in.
Movement over Dominic’s shoulder caught her eye as the horses galloped past. That’s what she needed—to run free and embrace the wolf. Her wolf was fearless and invisible, capable of disappearing into the woods and hiding from the world.
“Tatiana,” Dominic breathed her name. He leaned down and brushed her lips with his before resting his damp forehead against hers. “Do you have any idea what you do to me? Any clue what you’ve done to my life, my perception of myself, or my place in this world?”
Dominic loosened his hold on her wrists and held her hands against his chest, their bodies still pressed tightly together. He pulled back and looked her in the face.
“You aren’t the only one who’s feeling confused,” he rasped. “Before you came along I had a really clear bead on things.”
Dominic’s fingers trailed along her bare arms, sending shivers through her as he stared at her through glowing eyes. He cupped her face with one hand as the other wandered down her side and finally rested at the dip of her waist.
“I think it’s safe to say I’m in touch with that emotion,” she murmured.
Tatiana’s hands rested on his chest
, and she tried not to notice how his muscles moved beneath her fingers, or the erotic way his body hardened as it pressed against hers. He hummed with power, desire, and restraint. His jaw clenched, and a tiny muscle flickered beneath the ever-present five o’clock shadow as his fingers gripped her hip.
“I want you, Tatiana,” he ground out. “I can’t escape you. No matter how hard I’ve tried to get you out of my head, it’s no use. You’ve bewitched me, put me under a spell so that I can’t see, hear, or feel anything but you.”
As Dominic spoke, he walked her backward, toward one of the freshly cleaned stalls, and she moved with him, knowing what his intentions were. His hands drifted up her rib cage, brushed along her arms, and found their way once again around her wrists.
Tatiana’s breath came quickly, and her skin tingled as he branded her with his stare. She let out a gasp as her back bumped into the wall, and Dominic pinned her there. His erection pressed enticingly against her belly as he lifted her arms over her head and leaned his taut body against hers.
“Before you,” he whispered, his face hovering an inch away, “the only thing that mattered was doing my job as Guardian, but now… it’s you, Tatiana.”
Dominic ground himself against her as he nudged her legs apart with his knee, trailing kisses along her neck. With every breath, her breasts crushed against his chest, sending jolts of pleasure through her. Dominic had her wet and panting, and if he didn’t kiss her soon, she might scream.
Yes. Her mind touched his on a whisper.
A growl rumbled in his chest as Tatiana tilted her head to the side, allowing him better access to the hypersensitive skin on her neck. She wrapped one leg around him, pulling him against her most sensitive spot. Dominic lifted his head and locked eyes with her, their lips a breath apart, and she whispered the words into his mind… I want you, Dominic.
On groan of pleasure, he covered her mouth with his, running his tongue along the seam of her mouth as she opened to him. Warmth raced through her as he linked their fingers, pressed her wrists against the wall, and drank from her greedily. His kiss was hard and demanding, taking everything she had to give and more. Her body screamed with need as the fire he started raged out of control.
Unclaimed Page 12
