Heart's Sentinel

by PJ Schnyder

  “I didn't have time to go to the cabin and get your clothes.” He apologized over his shoulder. “I thought it would be more comfortable.”

  “Thank you.” Too much had happened and the fear remained. “What happens next? What can Van do to me?”

  “It's not a full bond.” He turned back to her, gathering up her clothes. He gave her a light nudge to sit on the couch, but after taking a good look at her, he sat instead and gathered her into his lap. It wasn't sexual, more the comfort of physical contact. “Exchanging blood gives him a connection to you. It probably explains how he found you so quickly. With training, you should be able to find him too.”

  “It would help you, wouldn't it.” She wanted to hope there could be some good to come out of it.

  “Yes, maybe. I wouldn't ask you to do anything to risk yourself though.” He tucked her head under his chin and amended his statement. “I wouldn't let you do anything to risk yourself.”

  “Is it permanent?” Curled up in the safety of his arms, she dared hoped things were better than they seemed.

  “I don't know.” He ran one hand across her back in soothing circles. “I've never initiated a bond, and every bond I know of was completed fully and by choice. It shouldn't be permanent without the full exchange.”

  The fear seeped back, a cold thing creeping across her skin and into her heart. “So he might always be able to find me.”

  “But he'll never get to you, Kitten.” He gave her the promise. “Never.”

  She hid from the fear in the nest of his arms, letting his heartbeat soothe and scent wrap her in safety. Outside, the rain began to fall, a new sound for her. The city apartment where she lived before had been too insulated to hear the rain. The rhythmic percussion against the roof of his home lulled her into a sense of calm. She finally gave in to exhaustion and let herself fall into the warmth around her.

  Chapter 9

  She didn’t sleep peacefully, hadn't since the attack. Darkness suffocated her as whispered words of love and violence circled in her mind. Eyes darker than the night burned with passion, and insanity, watching her.

  She struggled to escape, but hands caught her, held her down. Fingertips dug into her skin, marking her, sharpening into claws. Those claws pierced her, parting her flesh in a searing violation.

  She called out. She hadn't had a name to call out before, but she did this time.

  “Adam!”

  The hands holding her down released her and those burning black eyes faded into the night. A different touch whispered across her skin.

  She shivered with the unexpected pleasure of it and gasped. The darkness around her lightened, and when she breathed, she could smell open forest and trees kissed by fresh morning dew.

  Gentle hands soothed her tortured skin, a healing balm of touch and energy. The words reached her, comforting, promising safety. Lips pressed against the inside of her wrist, causing her pulse to quicken.

  She dreamt, she knew, but for the first time in forever, she didn't want to wake.

  Those hands explored, passing over her flat belly and wandering lightly over the rise of her breasts. Slowly, they woke a different kind of heat in her. They found sensitive places along her arms and the backs of her legs, teasing her with feather light strokes. She writhed a little, arching her back to press her body into those palms.

  A low voice hushed her gently, those hands slowing, bringing her back down from the rising tide of desire. The words whispered were promises of pleasure later—for the time being, she needed to sleep.

  Daylight came slowly into the forests of River Gap territory, filtering through the leaves and gradually dispelling the mist from the shadows.

  Mackenzie woke slowly too, breathing in the scents around her as she turned on her back and stretched luxuriously in the satin softness of the sheets. The down comforter felt like a warm cloud, as did the feather pillows. Her cat loved the feel of the bedding and loved a good stretch even more. Her nightmare barely echoed in her mind and she felt well rested, another first.

  Enjoying the novelty, it took a good couple of minutes for her to realize she lay in someone else’s bed and sure as heck wasn't in the bed at the guest house.

  Her eyes shot open fully and peering up through a canopy of tree leaves to the dawn streaked sky. She froze. A huge cat lay perched on a large branch stretching over the bed, actually, the bedroom. It took another minute or so for her eyes to pick out the transparent plasteel frame of the skylight.

  “Adam.” Her voice came out as a whisper, but his ears twitched, letting her know he heard. The jaguar stood in perfect balance on the big branch and took his time about stretching.

  She could have sworn she saw humor glinting in those golden eyes.

  He leaped down through the skylight, a streak of shadow passing through the sunlight, and landed a few feet from the foot of the bed with pure feline grace.

  She snapped her mouth shut and searched for something to say. “It's going to take me forever to get used to these see-through walls and ceilings.”

  In cat form, he obviously couldn’t answer her, but he sat back on his haunches and began to clean his shoulder as much as to shrug and say she'd get over it.

  She watched the way his muscles slid under the sleek fur. The backdrop of his coat was a brown so dark to be almost black, his markings true black. Beyond color, his coat looked different from the kitten she'd held the night before and Mackenzie wanted to touch and feel the difference.

  He left off his grooming and stared at her with gentle eyes. He stood slowly and padded to the bedside, coming within arm's reach as if he'd read her mind.

  He waited. Mackenzie guessed he didn't want to frighten her, but probably knew she wasn't because of her scent.

  She reached out a hand, but it froze an inch short of his shoulder. Images of wicked claws shot through her mind. She knew what those claws felt like, ripping her skin. But Van's coat had been a dark tawny orange, not this burnished black on black. She could do this, do this and learn to deal.

  Fear was a reality. No escaping it after what she'd survived. But, a person could learn to work through and still function.

  So ,she reached out the rest of the way, first grazing his shoulder with fingertips. His outer coat was silken with a little more solid texture to each hair than the kitten had. Then she plunged her fingers fully into his thick coat and reveled in the softness beneath the outer guard hairs.

  A rumbling began, originating in his wide chest and resonating through his shoulder into her hand. His eyes half shut and he rested his chin on the bed beside her.

  “You like to be petted,” She accused him, giving him a little shove. “And here I thought you did this to help me get past trauma.”

  The big cat turned his head an inch without lifting it off the comforter, and she saw the surprising pink of his tongue peek out.

  “Hah." Despite her best effort, a smile stretched her mouth and a bubbly feeling rose up, escaping as a soft giggle. “You big kitty.”

  She let her fingers continue to wander through his fur until they found the base of one ear. She paused there, massaging gently and he rewarded her with even louder purring.

  “So what happens if you Change?” She'd been curious about how it worked. “Do you still have…clothes..?

  He answered her literally. One minute there had been a large jaguar under her fingers and the next a large man stood by the bedside.

  Naked.

  Mackenzie knew her eyes were wide open. Well, he hadn't completely answered her question. “So…do clothes disappear during the Change or does it mean you stripped before you Changed?”

  “Yes.” He watched her with eyes the color of molten gold, drawing her in. Okay, and the rest of him was pretty impressive too. He had well-defined muscles in all the right places. Other assets were looking like they had a whole heck of a lot of potential, too.

  Dropping her eyes to the sheets, she cleared her throat. “Yes to which?”

  “Yes, clo
thes disappear during the Change, and yes, I stripped before the Change.” He clarified for her before turning to a closet built into one of the interior walls, taking his time about it. “There's no point wasting clothes, so I strip down before I Change if there's time. Otherwise, the clothing disappears and doesn't come back.”

  Catching up, heat finally rose in her cheeks as he presented her with his very well-shaped back end. He had incredibly broad shoulders too. Like a reverse peep show, she watched him dress and it still had a pretty strong affect on her.

  “So, nudity isn't a taboo out here, is it?” She tried to ignore the arousal she knew he could smell from her.

  “It depends.” He turned to face her with a pair of jeans on. “We keep a lot of clothing stashed in all of the cabins, like the one your friend is staying in right now. We also keep clothing stashed all around town. There's no real reason to be walking around naked. It's not considered appropriate in public areas like the town.”

  “Oh.” She barely managed a whisper, completely distracted by Adam standing there half dressed, the morning sun playing across his muscular torso. A soft, almost invisible dusting of dark hair made a V across his chest and trailed off at his defined abdomen. It picked up again below his belly button and led the way to other things, now hidden by his jeans. Well, sort of hidden. His interest filled out those jeans pretty thoroughly, the pink tip of his cock peeking out of his waist band where it sat low on his hips.

  Adam gave her a slow, lazy smile when she forced her eyes back up to his face, waiting to continue until he had her attention back on the conversation. She blushed hotter. “Between family and close friends, or between lovers,” Adam's voice became husky and his expression very smug, “nudity is pretty common.”

  "Oh." She squeaked.

  He crossed the room then, leaning over her where she still sat curled up in the bedding. “I figured since you're only half dressed, Kitten, I'd do the same.”

  She opened her mouth to retort, but realized she had nothing. Still dressed in his t-shirt, she wore little else. She'd been about to ask what this thing was between them, but his ploy warned her away. They were still finding out, and he had let her know he'd take his cue from her.

  Fascinated by the potential, she bit her lower lip.

  Adam almost groaned, fixated on her utterly kissable mouth. His cat had fun, pleased there had been only the one spike of fear. She had reacted better than he'd hoped for when he'd taken the risk of letting her wake up to him in his jaguar form. Being a panther variant of the species, he’d worried his form would trigger worse nightmares.

  Everything about her called to him, her arousal a sweet and heady signal hanging in the air around him. Curled up in his bed wearing only his t-shirt, wrapped in his scent, it was almost enough for his beast.

  Almost.

  Those dark, dark brown eyes searched his and hunger wakened in them. He felt his own desire grow even harder in response and soon his cock strained at his jeans. Clenching the bed covers, he held steady and waited for her.

  He was going to go at her pace, damn it.

  She reached out a hand and those gentle fingertips traced a line of burning heat from his jaw to his collar bone.

  For his cat, she’d given signal enough, and he lunged forward, claiming her mouth. He would have tried to pull the jaguar under control, but her arms wrapped around his neck, her hands burying themselves in his hair.

  He braced his weight on one arm as he explored her sweet curves with his other hand. She gasped into his mouth as his hand slid along her waist and over her hip. As she returned his kiss, her tongue dancing with his, she pressed her breasts into his chest.

  “Kitten.” He struggled to keep some part of his brain thinking. “You need to tell me when it's too much.”

  She pressed kisses into his jaw.

  “If you don't…”

  His kitten growled at him and nipped his ear.

  Growling back, he buried his free hand into her hair and held her firmly so she had to look him in the eye. He kept his hold firm enough so if she turned her head it would hurt, in a good way.

  Those wide eyes regarded him for a minute, glazed with desire, and she started to speak.

  His cell phone rang from the night stand.

  They both froze, breathless, and then Mackenzie turned into a bundle of giggles as she hid under the down comforter.

  “There has got to be a special kind of hell for people who interrupt moments like this,” Adam muttered as he climbed off the bed, strode out of the room, and answered his damned phone. “Yeah.”

  “The stray's girl is asking for Big Mac.” Not a morning person at the best of times, Marcus seemed to be in a particularly bad mood. “I left Aaron with her, and she's giving him all sorts of grief.”

  “She's a danger to Mackenzie.” Adam wouldn’t allow danger anywhere near her.

  “Agreed. But I got the impression Big Mac wanted to see her friend.” Bad mood or no, Marcus remained logical. “Big Mac is no submissive. She will find her way out on her own to see her friend if you don't take her yourself. Better if you don't make her slip your guard.”

  “She couldn't.” Feline arrogance took hold. Adam let it fill his voice, clenching his jaw and expanding his chest.

  “Don't make her try,” Marcus shot back at Adam. “It'd suck for both of you.”

  He fell silent, considering.

  “See if you can find out more about the new girl's Change.” Marcus added his other concern, “There's something off about her story.”

  “All right,” Adam agreed, thinking it over. “But, I need you to send another Enforcer patrol in too. Looks like the stray had some of Mackenzie's blood and made her take some of his in return.” And that was more than just a thorn under his skin, it was a continual cut at his temper.

  “He mated her?” Marcus' voice sharpened exponentially.

  “Not that I can tell - no scar.” There were no words for the relief Adam felt. It must have taken incredible courage and a huge leap of faith for Mackenzie to let him check her for the scar. “But, I'm guessing he can locate her with what connection he did create.”

  A pause. “One thing at a time. Check the girl's story for holes. I'll take care of the additional guard. We can focus the search better since we know he isn't blundering around trying to lock down her location. He's homing in on her.”

  “You got it.”

  Marcus ended the call, and Adam slipped the offending cell phone back into the pocket of his jeans.

  His eyes fell on a couple of packages sitting on the kitchen counter. He grabbed one with a plan in mind before he headed back into the bedroom, his jaguar under firm control.

  Mackenzie watched Adam return with a completely different attitude. It must have been the call. Being honest with herself, she had to admit it had been both timely and incredibly frustrating.

  They'd been moving too fast, but she'd been swept away. Without all of his light and easy-going facades, his intensity drew her in irresistibly.

  She hadn't been alone either. The look on Adam's face had been priceless. The sudden release in tension and the expression of frustration had set loose the butterflies trapped inside her.

  Recovered from her giggle fit, she basked in the effervescent mood it left behind. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt the tickling sensation in her diaphragm, a bubbling joy gone too long.

  “Your friend is asking for you.” He spoke in a brisk tone as he walked back into the room. “I guess we'll go see her, if she can keep herself under control.”

  She burst out of the bedding, bracing on her knees at the end of the bed. “Really?”

  He looked her up and down with one eyebrow raised. “Like bouncing on beds, Kitten?”

  The bed hadn't been the only thing bouncing. The tee had been woven of very comfortable, thin material. Narrowing her eyes at him, she crossed her arms over her chest and sat back on her heels.

  Chuckling, he put the package he'd been holding on the
bed next to her. “Someone went to the guest house and retrieved most of your stuff. I figured you'd want to wear your own clothes out.”

  “Underwear would be a good thing.” She tightened her arms across her chest. His eyes fell on the curve of her breasts under his T-shirt, as she intended. “Wouldn't want to be bouncing around causing anyone any issues.”

  Okay, a little bit of gratification felt good when he had to visibly tear his eyes away to respond to her. “Friends, family and lovers,” he reminded her, his voice dropping to a deeper tone on the last word.

  She blushed despite herself.

  They were on their way in under half an hour. Mackenzie had made use of Adam's shower and fallen in love with the multiple shower heads. The gorgeous, perfectly solid and not transparent, stone tiles made her very happy. It still had the natural feel of the rest of the house, but maintained absolute privacy.

  A matching tub for soaking had been built in as well and Mackenzie thought it had water jets in the sides. She had no doubt the tub was designed to be big enough for at least two people. She tried to ignore the insistent vision of two people in particular sharing the tub. But candles could easily be placed along the edge and scented oils added to the water. It had the depth to allow two people to lay neck deep and a broad enough ledge to support a little fun half in and out of the water. The possibilities danced through her mind and she wondered if she should take another quick, cold shower to wash away the scent of arousal.

  So, her mind lingered on baths and luxurious tubs as they descended from Adam's aerie. When he bent to lift her in his arms again, she started out of her reverie.

  He arched an eyebrow. “It's safer for me to carry you than for you to walk out of here and leave a scent trail.”

  “Sorry.” She dropped her eyes away from his, suddenly shy. “I know. I had other things on my mind.”

  A moment of consideration. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”