by Khloe Wren
He was now standing quite close to her, breathing in her feminine scent. She shocked him when she raised a hand and rubbed her thumb over his bearded cheek. "We're a breed apart, Dale. Not that it matters anymore-"
Caught off guard, Dale was slammed into the wall as a high pitch screech rent the air. What the hell?
"Get your filthy paws off my man, Jennifer. I lost him once to Gloria. I will not lose him again to you."
Dale pushed himself from the wall. "Damn it, Robyn, what the hell are you going on about?"
"You are mine. We were always meant to be together."
Dale's mind still spun a little from the fast meeting with the wall, but he focused on Robyn's twitching, dilated eyes. Her whole body vibrated with rage.
When had her crush turned so psychotic?
He caught Jennifer's movement out the corner of his eye. It looked like she'd hit something on the underside of her desktop. A small amount of relief washed through him. She had a panic button. Help was on the way. He just hoped it would be in time.
"Robyn, can you take a couple of deep breaths for me? You need to calm down so we can get a doctor to check you over. You have burns that need care. We can talk about Dale after you get fixed up if you like."
He watched with his heart in his throat as Robyn turned her full focus from him to Jennifer. "There is no need to talk about Dale. He is mine. No one else's. You hear me?"
The door slammed open and a male nurse ran in, straight in front of Robyn. Stupid idiot.
The next minute rolled past like he was watching a movie stuck on slow motion. Robyn grabbed the nurse and brought up a needle she'd been hiding, aimed at the side of his neck. A roar from his right caught his attention and a large snow leopard pounced forward knocking both Robyn and the nurse to the ground. With a loud thump, both were left unconscious, their heads bouncing once on the hard floor. Conner sprinted into the room with Tina wheeling in behind him.
Time sped by as Tina approached him. "You okay, Dad? You're not hurt?"
He looked back to the large cat now pacing back and forth in the room.
"I'm fine. But there's a leopard… Where's Jennifer?"
His gaze searched the room, finding no sign of her. His heart rate sped up again, had the leopard injured Jen? Where was she?
"It's okay, Dad. I'll explain it all but you need to calm down first. Here, sit down."
As he sat, Conner's deep voice caught his attention. "Clint, we've got a situation down in Jennifer's office. I need a change of clothes for Jennifer, then we're going to need a couple of stretchers and the police need to be called. Robyn attacked a nurse in the office. Yeah, everyone's okay. The nurse is out cold, as is Robyn. She's also got some nasty looking burns by the look of it. Yep, okay see you in a few. Oh, can you bring a bottle of water. Dale's looking like he's seen better days."
Dale's brain refused to process what he'd seen. It couldn't be possible, could it?
"It's crazy, Dad. I know it is. But it's real. Shape shifters are very real."
Shape shifters? He glared at his daughter, thinking maybe she had lost her mind...but there was a large cat pacing the room with them and no sign of the good doctor.
Clint raced into the room with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Sorry, Jen, I know it's not your usual attire but it's all I've got for now." Clint went over to the desk and set the clothing on the corner before he moved to check first the nurse then Robyn.
The leopard padded behind the desk where a blue bubble engulfed it and the cat shimmered into a female human form. With her back to him, Jennifer dressed quickly before turning around to face him.
"Like I said, Dale. We're just a breed apart."
Dale managed a jerky nod before his brain called it quits. Sorting out the whole damn mess seemed near impossible. Black spots swam before his eyes as he heard Tina call out for someone to grab him.
~ * ~
Tina focused on her father's pale face. Conner had thankfully caught him before he fell from the chair and now he was lying in a hospital bed. He'd had one hell of a day she supposed. She knew how freaked out a person could get when they first discovered shape shifters were not only real, but all around them. The nurse had told her he should wake up soon. He was simply in shock. His small groan had her gripping his hand.
"What happened?"
"Well Dad, that rather depends on what you remember last?"
Her father rolled over and gazed into her eyes. "A snow leopard saved that nurse from Robyn."
"Well, after that you went into shock and passed out. Conner caught you before you fell off the chair, and now here you are."
His eyes narrowed. "What happened to the leopard?"
"Ah, you don't remember that bit. Jennifer is a shifter. She can be either human or snow leopard," she swallowed her rising nerves, "just like Conner can."
Her dad's eyes opened wide before narrowing again. "Your fiancé is part animal?"
"It's not like that Dad. Get Jake to explain it. I'll forget bits if I do it."
"Wait, Jake's one too? How many are there?"
"I don't know exactly. There's a whole Leap here in Rosebery. That's what a group of leopards is called; a Leap. I thought it was a Pride, but that's lions. Anyway, most of the firefighters are shifters. Obviously Jennifer is one. Not sure who else. But you don't have to worry, Dad. They're protectors, guardians. They won't ever hurt anyone without good cause. Look at Robyn, Jennifer could have killed her, but she just knocked her out."
Her father sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed so he was looking down into her face.
"And you're sure you want to marry one of them?"
"Yes, Dad. Conner and I are meant to be together."
"Meant to be together? You're sounding like a movie, Tina. Not like a woman who has thought this all through."
"Trust me, Dad. I've looked at this from every angle. And I will admit, initially I said yes mainly because I wanted to get away from Robyn. But it didn't take long at all to see that there was a lot more to my feelings for Conner. Male shifters start dreaming of their mate when she turns twenty-one. But he'd first met me weeks before my birthday. Without knowing I was his mate, he attempted to help me. So, it's not just that we were predestined to be together. He truly cares for me, protects me above all else. You know he got injured getting me out of the fire? A burning roof beam fell into him, knocked him into a wall. He'd wrapped his turnout coat around me so his shoulder copped the full force and heat of it. But even then, he didn't stop. He knew I couldn't get myself out. He pushed the beam off, grabbed me up and lunged out the door. Dad, if he weren't supernatural, we'd both be dead."
"What about you? Are you one of them now too?"
"No, Dad. Conner told me it's a DNA thing. I'll always be fully human."
She searched her father's gaze and saw he was worried and confused.
"It's okay, Dad. Conner makes me really happy. Even Dr. Reid said I'm looking better."
"I just worry about you, sweet pea. I didn't see Robyn for who she was, I didn't protect you from her. I won't allow a man to get a hold of you and hurt you more."
"Oh, Dad. Stop blaming yourself for Robyn's behavior. And I know in my soul that Conner would never hurt me."
A knock on the doorframe brought a halt to their conversation. Tina hoped her dad could forgive himself for Robyn. She didn't blame him, no one did. Robyn was crazy all on her own. Unfortunately, Robyn had become obsessed with her dad and her craziness snowballed from there.
"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Anderson, but I need to talk to you."
Tina watched the police officer enter the room and approach the bed.
"I'm Constable Alex Ross, I've been investigating Ms. Robyn Taylor and need your side of things."
Tina smiled up at the officer. "I'll leave you two to discuss it. I need to go check on Conner."
"Thank you, Ms. Anderson. I believe Conner is down the hall making sure Robyn doesn't escape."
Tina felt the blood drai
n from her face. "She's not under arrest yet?"
He chuckled with a slight shake of his head, "Oh, she's under arrest all right. We're still compiling a full list of charges against her, but she'll be getting locked up soon enough. Her medical issues need seeing to first. She is cuffed to the bed and has two officers at her bedside. She's not going anywhere. Conner is simply being over protective. All his kind are that way, especially when it comes to their women."
He gave them both a wink and Tina was relieved he knew about the shifters. She wasn't sure her Dad was up to making up something viable to cover the facts.
"Well, I'll go do my best to drag him away from hassling your men then."
He gave her a nod and smile. "I'm sure they'd appreciate that, Tina. They get nervous with a cat pacing around them."
"Perfectly understandable."
She rolled out into the hall and began looking for her man. Thankfully, the hospital was small and it only took a matter of minutes to find him pacing the hallway outside a shut door. He looked so tense, clenching and unclenching his fists. Adele was standing in front of the closed door, talking softly to Conner and he was shaking his head.
"Conner?"
At the sound of her voice, his head snapped up as his feet ground to a halt.
"baby doll."
She watched his powerful strides as he strode to her. Damn, he was so sexy when he was on a mission. In one smooth movement, he scooped her up out of her chair and brought her up to his chest. A low purr emanated from him as he nuzzled into her neck.
"Let's go back to your place, Conner. You're creating a scene here."
She smiled as she noticed the light blush staining his cheeks when he pulled back from her. He gently returned her to the chair.
"You know the police have Robyn covered. She's not going anywhere."
Adele threw in her support that they leave the hospital for some fresh air and Conner looked a little defeated. Tina almost felt sorry for him, having been outmaneuvered by a few women.
"Okay, okay. We're going. You'll let me know as soon as anything happens?"
"Of course I will, Conner. Go, take your mate out and relax a little."
Tina waved her thanks to Adele as Conner wheeled her toward the exit and out into the midday sun.
Chapter Ten
Conner could feel the ache in his shoulder as he pulled Tina's chair from the back of his Prado. He wished it would hurry up and heal. With everything that was going on he couldn't afford to be anything but at the top of his game. After he settled Tina into her chair, he locked the car up and walked her down the main street, staying by her side but allowing her to control their speed. She needed clothes, and they needed somewhere of their own. He knew Tina was uncomfortable sleeping with him under his parents' roof. He saw the bright green and yellow of the real estate agent's office just ahead.
"Do you mind if we stop in at the real estate's place for a minute?"
"Ah, yeah, sure."
She looked so fragile in that moment, he was certain she was thinking about the burned shell they'd visited that morning. He'd crept in and grabbed a couple of small things that they'd seen but it wasn't much. He hadn't wanted to touch too much, especially in the front of the house where the fire had started. Nor did he want the remaining structure to fall in on him.
He cupped her face in his palm. "We're going to need a place of our own, unless you like living with my parents?"
"Ah no. Don't want to live with anybody's parents forever. Just, it's all so quick and so much has happened. I need a little time."
"Take all the time you need, baby doll. How about, I leave you at the clothes store while I nip in and get some brochures? We can look them over at home, whenever we want to. No pushy agents to deal with that way."
She smiled shyly up at him. "That sounds better. I don't want some agent pressuring either of us into some run down shack while we're not thinking clearly."
"Wise words indeed."
They continued in comfortable silence until they reached a large clothing store. Kissing her on the cheek, he went on to the agent as she went inside. Not wanting to be parted from her, he hurried into the office, quickly acquired brochures for relevant houses and made his way back to his mate. He found her looking sad as she rolled down an isle toward him.
"Hey, baby doll, what's wrong?"
"I, um, can't afford anything. I didn't think before we came in. I have no money. I'll have to talk to Dad-"
Conner cut her off by pressing his lips against her soft mouth. He pulled back slightly to whisper, "Hush, sweetheart. I've got it covered. And before you tell me I'm not allowed, I'm going to be your husband, your mate. It's my duty to provide for you. Let me do this for you? Please."
She leaned in, delivering a quick kiss before she responded, "when you put it like that, I can't very well refuse now can I?"
"So glad you understand."
His heart lightened as she giggled and headed back down the aisle. He'd always hated going shopping with women, but with Tina, he soon found himself enjoying the experience. Tina didn't fluff around but went straight to what she wanted and found her size. He answered questions when asked and didn't think he'd made any blunders with his answers. Well, she was still talking to him when they reached the checkout, so it was looking good.
Tina held her bags on her lap and Conner pushed her out to his car. The afternoon sun was shining bright and a fresh breeze blew past them. He drew in a deep breath and let his happiness radiate throughout him. He had his mate, and she was safe with him.
"The sun feels so nice against your skin, doesn't it?"
"Sure does. The sun hasn't got that summer bite yet. There's nothing quite like spring sunshine."
It didn't take him long to get everything loaded up and they headed back to his parents' place. As he drove, he slipped one hand onto Tina's thigh, she placed hers over the top, interlacing their fingers. He loved touching her, feeling her close to him. He moved his hand to change gears, and she kept hers with his the whole time. He grinned like a fool knowing she didn't want to break the contact either.
It didn't take long for them to arrive. He was almost disappointed that the trip was so short. As soon as he saw both his parents' cars missing from the garage, his mood picked up.
"What you are grinning about? You look like a cat that's just got the cream."
He turned his gaze on Tina and watched as she shuddered under the intensity.
"Not yet. But I am a cat who is intent on getting his cream. We've got the house to ourselves for the rest of the afternoon, baby doll."
She returned his grin. "Is that right. So, why are we sitting out here in the car then?"
With a low growl, he jumped from the car and prowled around to her door. Ignoring the chair and the shopping, he scooped her up and strode toward the house. He was a man on a mission.
~ * ~
Tina snuggled into Conner as he lifted her from her chair into the car. She was worn out from her session with Nina in the pool but she also felt content. Finally, she was making headway with her rehab. The talented physio was sure Tina would be walking soon—albeit with crutches for a while.
Conner kissed the top of her head as she rubbed her face against his hard pectoral. "You all right, baby doll?"
"Yeah, just worn out from the session."
He placed her into the seat before he pulled back to cup her face. "I'm so proud of you, Tina. You've come so far in such a short amount of time. Let's head home, I've got another lot of brochures to look through, if you're up to it."
She smiled up at her fiancé. He'd been scouring the town for the perfect house. He had saved enough money and wanted to buy a home for them. But he was so damn picky! Tina would have been happy with any of the ones he'd brought to her to check over. It was fun to watch him pull apart each property, listing everything good and bad about each one. She'd been living with Conner and his parents for a full week now. Jake and Sophie were lovely. They gave her and Conner plenty o
f alone time and privacy and were kind and considerate to her all the time.
Her dad had stayed there too for a couple of days but he was now in a rental house near their old place. He was currently in negotiations with the builders that the insurance company had sent out to quote on fixing the house. Funny how things turned out sometimes. He'd been chatting to the foreman about needing work. Ken, the foreman, had been saying how hard it was to find workers with a good worth ethic. Her dad had a lot of experience with fixing mechanical things on the rigs he'd always worked. Ken was sure he'd pick up building houses in no time. So, her dad now had a job on the island. No more leaving for offshore rigs.
A shudder ran through her as she remembered some of the not-so-good things that had happened in the last week. Robyn had been granted bail. She'd shut the salon and had disappeared along with Barbara. Tina prayed they had both left town and were far away from Rosebery, but she knew in her heart they hadn't.
"You cold?"
Conner flicked up the heat in the car. "Not really, I just had a bad thought run through my mind, that's all."
"What bad thought was that, baby doll?"
"Just about what Robyn is up to."
"The police are looking for her. She has to slip up soon. She's too unstable to remain hidden. And until she does get caught, you will always have someone with you to keep you safe. I promise, she won't get to you again."
Thankfully that was when they pulled up outside his house. Tina needed a change of subject. "So, how many houses did you find today?"
"Just the one today. But it's a real gem."
She chuckled at the proud look on Conner's face as he helped her into the chair and pushed her inside. He had turned finding their house into mission impossible, his 'had to have' list was getting rather long.
They moved into the lounge room and Conner handed her a folded slip of paper. She unfolded it to find a large picture of a house surrounded by the most spectacular view of the Cradle Mountains.
"Oh my goodness! Look at that view."
"Yeah, it's the view that caught my attention first off. It's got no steps, wide sliding doors in the back. Open plan living areas. Three bedrooms."
