Saving the Beast (Interracial Shifter Romance) (Awakening Pride, Book Four) by Lacey Thorn

by Lacey Thorn

  “I’d like to talk to you first, Kenzie,” Tah said. “Go over a few things with you.”

  Kenzie nodded.

  “I’d like to talk to Diane, as well,” the Professor said. “Follow me to my office,” he told her and turned and left.

  Abby grabbed Diane and hugged her close. “Find your mate and bring him home,” she whispered.

  “I plan to,” Diane whispered back.

  Chapter Four

  “Damn!” Kenzie grumbled as the Professor slid the needle from her arm. “Hope you’re happy,” she told Diane with a glare. “I’m heading out of here before he decides you need another shot, and I end up taking it first.”

  The Professor grunted, not meeting anyone’s gaze as he grabbed another needle and put more of the liquid in it. Diane knew he was angry with her again. Kenzie turned and left the lab, and Diane felt guilty. Kenzie had come down to ask a quick question and had ended up taking a shot meant for Diane when she’d blanched at taking it. The Professor hadn’t wanted to give it to Kenzie, but the other woman had been insistent so Diane would feel better about taking her own shot.

  Funny thing was, Diane had given plenty of shots to wounded animals in her time, but every time she was forced to take one, she turned into a child complete with sulking fits. She didn’t like needles.

  “I still don’t understand why I need a tetanus booster?” Diane grumbled as the Professor prepped her arm for the shot he was so adamant she needed.

  “Better safe than sorry is the phrase I believe most people use,” he said as he slid the needle in. “You have no idea what might occur once you’re out there. This is just a precaution. Kenzie will be fine,” he muttered, almost as if talking to himself. Then he glared at Diane again. “Shifters and their mates have remarkable healing capabilities. We’ve both seen that. You on the other hand are not mated yet and are still susceptible.”

  “I’m sorry,” Diane told him.

  He glanced at her as he took care of the used needle. “For wanting to leave me all alone to fend for myself down here?”

  She squirmed and felt her face flush with heat. How did he manage to make her feel like a little girl being scolded for disappointing her parent?

  “I’m hoping once you and Zane are mated all that will cease, and you’ll decide to stay here.”

  “If I’m his mate, then yes, I’ll stay wherever he wants,” Diane admitted.

  The Professor turned back to her then. “You’re his mate. He won’t be able to keep his hands off you when you get close to him.”

  Diane flushed brighter red. Good grief! She prayed the Professor wasn’t about to give her a sex talk.

  “Remember he’s primal right now. He could be a little…rougher than he intends,” the Professor told her, clearing his throat in the middle of the sentence and attesting to how uncomfortable he was, as well.

  “Yes, I know,” she muttered, hopping off the stool and standing. “Is that all? I still need to throw a bag together.”

  He nodded then called after her before she stepped into the hall. “Diane.”

  She turned back to him. “Yes?”

  “I may not always say it, but I think the world of you. You’ve become like another daughter to me.”

  “Thank you, Professor,” Diane said. She often thought of him as a father figure.

  “There’s very little I wouldn’t do to help those I love. My methods and means may not always be easy to accept, but everything I do is geared toward taking care of those who mean the most to me, family.”

  She nodded. “I know that. I won’t share your secrets.” Was he still worried about her venting session upstairs when she’d almost thrown him under the bus? It had been an empty threat on her part. She’d never do that to him.

  “I know that,” he told her with a nod. “I want you to be happy. I thought from the beginning you could be happy here if you allowed yourself. I’ve watched you bloom, creating friendships and becoming a viable force. They look to you. I look to you, and maybe you find that terrifying, but you shouldn’t. We don’t expect perfection from you the way it’s been demanded of you in the past. We merely want the reassurance that you are in this with us. Remember that when you’re out there, attempting to save Zane. He’s not just a man, and you can’t just save the man. There is a darker side to him, a beast that lives inside and, at the moment, has more control. That beast needs saving, as well. You need to accept and love them both, to be claimed by them both.”

  “I understand that. I promise. I do.”

  “Be safe,” he whispered and cleared his throat. “Come to my office when you get back. I’m sure we’ll have plenty to discuss.”

  She nodded and on impulse rushed over to give him a hard hug. “Thank you, for everything.”

  He patted her shoulder and sighed before easing back and shaking his head at her. “Go. You’ve waited long enough as it is.” He glanced at his watch. “How soon do you expect to leave?”

  “Tah and Reno want to go over a few things with Kenzie and me,” Diane said. “I’m guessing at this point it will be early morning before we set out.”

  He appeared thoughtful. “Great time to leave. I’ll see you when you return.” With those parting words, he turned and headed to his office.

  Diane left the lab and hurried up the stairs, eager for the day to be over so she could leave. Now that she’d made up her mind to go after Zane, to believe she was his mate, she wanted to head out immediately. Maybe Tah would let her and Kenzie leave this afternoon instead. Diane’s heart raced with anticipation and a touch of fear. She’d be foolish not to be afraid.

  The rest of the day flew by. Tah was still not completely on board with Kenzie and Diane leaving. He ordered them to see him and Reno again in the morning before they headed out on their own. Diane spent half the night fretting Tah would change his mind at the last minute and forbid them. The other half was consumed with worry over Zane, and whether or not she’d taken too long to go after him. When morning finally arrived, she was anxious to be on her way. Maybe she’d get lucky and find Zane today.

  “Please, God, let Zane be okay. Let me save him, all of him, and bring him home,” she whispered in the quiet of her room as she tossed clothes haphazardly in the backpack Clara had loaned her. She made sure to grab the clothes Murphy had left for her to carry for Zane. His boots were going to take up a huge portion of space in her pack, but she knew he’d need them.

  She’d have to hurry to make the mandatory meeting with Tah and Reno. She sent up another prayer that Tah hadn’t changed his mind overnight. He’d made no pretense about the fact he didn’t like the idea of sending two females out on their own to hunt for a primal shifter. She didn’t think he liked sending two females out alone, period, but she wasn’t going to call him on it. She’d learned just how alpha these male shifters were, and Tah was the alpha of them all.

  This was the second day in a row she wasn’t headed straight to the labs. It was strange to her. The labs were where she felt most at home, even on the mornings she was busy cleaning up after others who’d used it for personal reasons. So far all three couples currently living at the cabin had given in to sexual need while in her lab. Her thoughts skittered to Zane. Maybe it would be her turn to use it when they got back. Her insides clenched at the thought.

  There was a sharp knock on the door before it was pushed open. Kenzie poked her head around and Diane’s reprimand disappeared at the woman’s engaging grin.

  “Ready to go?” Kenzie asked.

  “Almost,” Diane said. “Should I bring my bag down with me to the office?”

  “No office,” Kenzie said. “I already spoke to Tah and Reno. We’re good to go as soon as you’re ready.”

  “Really?” Diane practically squealed with excitement.

  Kenzie nodded. “If you hurry, we can miss most of the crowd and get going with minimal fuss.”

  Diane cinched and snapped shut the bag and pulled one strap over her shoulder as she turned. “I’m ready.
”

  Kenzie shoved the door all the way open, revealing her own backpack. “I’ve got the other things we’ll need packed on one of the four wheelers. Tents, sleeping bags and food and water. We can take the ATV to the boundary and leave it there. From that point, we’ll be hiking. Your shoes good?”

  Diane glanced at her very comfortable hiking boots. “Yeah, I’m good.”

  She and Kenzie headed down the stairs. They were dressed similarly in jeans, boots and T-shirts. Kenzie had a flannel thrown over hers while Diane had opted for a light jacket. They stopped in the kitchen and grabbed several bottles of water. The house was eerily quiet.

  “Where is everyone?” Diane wondered.

  “Tah went down with Logan and Clara to talk to the shifter, Dillon. Reno and Amia made a quick trip into town for supplies. Holt’s at the monitors. I think Vic’s on patrol with Finn and Murphy. There’s been a lot of hikers out and about lately. Tah’s afraid one of them might wander in here by mistake,” Kenzie said as she rummaged and grabbed several things from the cabinets.

  “Should I be grabbing more stuff, as well?” Diane asked. She’d never really gone on a trip like this and thought Kenzie had already gathered supplies.

  “Nah, I’m just being overly cautious,” she replied with that grin of hers. “Let’s go.”

  They made quick time, running into no one, which surprised Diane. Tah had been very adamant that he wanted to talk to her. But Dillon was becoming more and more of an issue with his constant threats and hatred spewing out. He refused to tell them what he’d given to Lydia and thus bound their hands in trying to help the woman. To top it off, Dillon was constantly shifting and ramming the door, trying to get out—unless Murphy was down there. Dillon seemed to be terrified of Murphy, which made sense if Murphy had really broken his arm. Diane didn’t doubt it at all.

  She regretted not getting the chance to say goodbye to Abby. Diane had wanted to check on Abby one last time before leaving. Orsai and the Professor were there. She knew Abby would be in good hands if she went into labor before Diane returned. Hell, Abby was probably in better, more qualified hands with Orsai than she would be with Diane.

  The engine cut off and Kenzie hopped off quickly, glancing around. “This is as far as we can take it. Let’s grab these bags and get going. I want to make as much time as we can before we need to stop.”

  “No scent of him?” Diane asked as she grabbed her share of the bags and slung them over her arm. Kenzie reached for the rest and immediately set off into the woods at a brisk pace.

  “Not yet, but we would have known if he was this close,” Kenzie said.

  “If you don’t find his scent tonight, will we camp together?” Diane asked.

  Kenzie shrugged. “Have to see. I think the safest thing for you is to be away from me, just in case Zane picks your scent up and heads toward you. Female or not, he might not like me with you.” Kenzie inhaled and glanced at Diane. “Especially now.”

  Kenzie was keeping them at a quick speed as they moved farther and farther away from the cabin. Was the other woman in a hurry to get rid of Diane?

  “Why especially now? Because he’s primal? I thought you were still supposed to be safe since you’re female?” Diane didn’t want to put the other woman in danger.

  “Normally, yes. But you’re getting ready to come into heat. I can smell the change in your body.”

  Diane shook her head. “No, not for another few weeks, yet. I have longer cycles but they’re regular.”

  Kenzie gave her a funny look then turned her glance back in front of them. “I’m telling you, you’re getting ready to ovulate. Probably the next couple days. The scent is strong. If Zane is anywhere near us, he’ll smell you and head straight to us. I hope you’re ready for a wild male.”

  “What do you mean?” Diane asked, fear catching in her throat. She couldn’t be ovulating. It wasn’t time. She recalled exactly what Abby had told her about being with Tah when she was ovulating. Diane swallowed and fisted her shaking hands at her sides.

  Kenzie looked apologetic. “Zane is completely dominated by animal instincts at the moment, which means he might be a little…forceful when he takes his mate.” She looked embarrassed to speak so bluntly with Diane. “Add to that the fact you’re coming into heat…” She shrugged again. “Any control Zane might have been able to maintain could disappear completely. He’ll have one thought in mind and only one.”

  “Me?” Diane asked with a voice suddenly weak.

  “Claiming you,” Kenzie said. “In any and every way he can.”

  “Oh, God,” Diane panted, stopping and leaning against a tree as she tried to catch her breath.

  “I didn’t smell it on you until we were already out here, or I would have warned you,” Kenzie said, coming up beside her. “It’s good in a way.”

  Diane choked on a laugh. “How is this good? What if he’s so far gone that I can’t reach him? Will he still take me? Mount me and coerce me whether I want it or not?”

  “Diane, he won’t rape you. Mates don’t do that,” Kenzie assured her.

  “Are you sure about that? Have you ever known of another mated couple in this exact position? One ovulating while the other’s under the influence of the feral cat fever virus?”

  Kenzie shook her head.

  “Then we have no idea what I’m walking into.” Diane groaned as she pushed away and began walking again. Her mind was filled with everything Abby had shared with her about mating with Tah while in heat. Diane knew cats. She understood how the barbs worked on the male feline’s penis. She also remembered the look on Abby’s face and how the other woman had assured Diane the sex had been pleasurable. Unfortunately, hearing wasn’t the same as knowing, and her already strained nerves only frayed more with the uncertainty.

  Kenzie resumed a quick pace, and Diane kept up as her mind spun with possibilities. She had no idea how far they’d walked, her thoughts and the occasional conversations with Kenzie managing to keep Diane distracted. Thankfully, it seemed as if Kenzie knew exactly which direction they needed to head in, or she was just making a good guess.

  “If you’re cycles are normal, then why are you getting ready to ovulate?” Kenzie asked when they stopped briefly for a drink of water. “Maybe it’s your body’s way of making sure your mate can find you,” she offered.

  Oh, no! No! That son of a bitch! “Or maybe it’s one mad scientist’s way of making sure Zane finds me,” Diane stated angrily.

  “The Professor?” Kenzie asked.

  “He said he was giving me a tetanus booster, and I didn’t even really question him. I’m such a fucking idiot. I should’ve known better than to trust that sneaky bastard.”

  “I’m sure he only meant to help you,” Kenzie offered, almost mirroring the Professor’s earlier words.

  “He’s gone too far this time. He’s not only risked my life but yours, as well. And when we get back, I’m going to knock some sense into him. It would serve him right if I left despite his little plan.”

  “You’re planning to leave? With Zane?” Kenzie didn’t sound happy.

  “I would never tell Zane what to do,” she promised.

  “If you leave, he’ll go with you, whether he wants to or not. Mates come first. If for one minute he thinks you’re unhappy and wish to leave us, he won’t hesitate,” Kenzie informed her.

  “I won’t do that to him,” Diane swore.

  “Then be careful of your emotions. They become his, as well. You’ll be unable to hide anything from him.”

  “Shit! What about you?” Diane asked.

  “What about me?” Kenzie replied.

  “He gave you a shot, too.”

  “I’ll be fine. My body might not even react to it.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “It hasn’t, yet. You’re the one we should be concerned about. You going into heat could make the animal in Zane even more predatory and unwilling to relinquish control.”

  Not to mention the changes to his physiology that Diane was
n’t going to share. Besides, Kenzie was a shifter. She might already know and just not want to scare Diane. Either way, Diane wasn’t bringing it up.

  “Maybe the Professor should have thought of that before he gave me something to force my body to ovulate,” Diane gritted out between clenched teeth. They were going uphill, and she was panting a bit.

  “He definitely should have,” Kenzie agreed. “Mates can be very protective. Your anger becomes theirs. The bond mates share… It’s a love like no other.”

  Diane glanced at Kenzie. “Is Holt your mate?”

  Kenzie laughed. “No. I think Holt hoped for us to be mates, but we weren’t meant to be. He’s not mine.”

  “Have you…?” Diane cleared her throat, uncertain of finishing the question.

  “Had sex?” Kenzie offered then smiled. “Holt’s an amazing lover, but that was a long time ago. We’re just friends, now. He’s my best friend.”

  “So from lovers to friends?” Diane asked.

  “More like from friends to friends with benefits to best friends,” Kenzie said, sharing her infectious grin again.

  “I’ve never had a lover,” Diane admitted out of the blue. “Unless toys count, in which case I’ve had several, and they’ve all been perfect.”

  Kenzie stopped and turned with an incredulous expression. “Holy fuck! You’ve never been with a man and you’re planning on taking a primal shifter on as your first? Jesus!”

  Diane swallowed, nervous tension spreading from her stomach outward at the look on Kenzie’s face. If Kenzie was that worried, Diane had a feeling she should be terrified.

  “Yes,” she managed to squeak out.

  Diane’s phone began buzzing in her pocket, jolting both of them.

  “I wouldn’t answer that just yet,” Kenzie said anxiously and headed them farther through a thicker copse of trees.

  “Why not?” Diane asked, giving Kenzie a piercing glance the other woman did her best to avoid. Kenzie was hiding something.

  “Well…” Kenzie started to answer then sighed. “God, what a mess this is turning into.”