by Kari Thomas
“Aiden, I’m not hurt. Stop already…” He hid his relieved grin when she started fussing. Her voice was shakier than he liked to hear. “But I do need to sit down.” He didn’t hesitate a second and scooped her up into his arms and turned toward the den. When she stiffened, her shock-glazed eyes automatically drawn to the carnage scattered around the open space, he wanted to kick himself and started swearing at his own stupidity. If he had been thinking of anything but her physical wellbeing, he would have thought to warn her to close her eyes. Even though the staff were working feverishly to clean the mess, there was so much of it.
“Check everything. I want answers. Tonight,” Aiden ordered and headed towards the den. Gavin nodded his head, an assurance he would take care of things, as Aiden kicked the door closed, shutting them away from the macabre sights and sounds of the cleanup.
Instead of laying her down on the sofa, he sat down and cuddled her on his lap. With a sigh that felt as if it had been wrenched from the deepest part of his soul, he rested his chin on top of her silky curls and closed his eyes, savoring her scent, holding her as close as he could. He forced back a shudder at the memory of what he had seen. He swore his heart had stopped beating when he’d seen Gavin fighting with that crazed lion while Kira had stood frozen, vulnerable.
If Gavin hadn’t been patrolling, prowling downstairs…if he had arrived even a moment later, Kira would be dead. Killed by that mountain lion.
And, damn it, where had it come from? How had it managed to get into the house? Someone had to have let it in. But who? The staff were all shape-shifters, loyal beyond question. It didn’t make sense.
He knew every local creature, shape-shifter or not, by his or her distinctive scent. And the animal had carried a non-distinctive scent. Oddly familiar but…still strange. He frowned, trying to remember where he had smelled it before.
He blamed himself for her near-death experience. It was his fault, and no one else’s. He’d heard her leave her room, had heard her tiptoeing down the hallway. He hoped she’d go to the nursery and stay with Marissa, not go exploring, or try and leave.
Her furtiveness had made him grin, his heightened senses empathizing with her unease and restlessness. He’d forced himself not to follow her, his control teetering on the brink of nothing. The way he had been feeling it would have taken more strength of character than he had to leash the primal lust eating away at his control.
She belonged back in his bed.
His inner demon had been chanting that litany every moment since he had seen her sleeping so innocently, looking delectably ripe, tucked in his bed. It had prodded him, teasing him with thoughts of what he could do with that body, those lips, how he could make them feel. It had pushed and twisted his thoughts until he had thought he would explode. His prevalent need was to have her there, in his bed.
But not sleeping.
If his willpower had been strong enough he would have tracked her down and confronted her, made her go back to her own room. Then she wouldn’t have been downstairs, in danger. Gavin would have discovered the big cat on his rounds and taken care of the situation without Kira ever being any wiser. Fury burned anew at the thought of someone seeking to harm someone under his care and he wasn’t aware of squeezing Kira until she made a soft protest and tried to squirm away.
“Sorry, baby,” he whispered, relaxing his hold, but not releasing her from his grasp. For a moment she remained stiff then her body went soft against him. She sighed as if too tired to fight anymore.
It nearly killed him, that sigh.
She was such a fragile woman.
When he found out who was responsible for tonight’s mayhem, he’d show no mercy. He wanted to growl, to roar his rage, but stopped himself. He didn’t want to do anything that would remind Kira of what had almost happened.
“This is just a nightmare, isn’t it?” Kira’s soft voice sought reassurance, her words muffled against his chest. He wanted to lie, let her believe nothing had happened, but she was too intelligent to accept any fabrication.
“It’s over now and you weren’t hurt. That’s all that matters.” When she slowly raised her head and stared into his eyes, her own sparkling with unshed tears, his gut wrenched.
“What exactly happened?” She chewed on her bottom lip, drawing his gaze to her mangling of that sweet mouth. “I saw it. Three animals. Fighting. Over me. And then the bear. How—’’
Aiden sighed. There was no way around this. He needed to tell her the truth, or at least as much as was safe for her to know. “The mountain lion must have been a rogue cat. It wasn’t one of ours. I don’t know how he managed to get into the house. We haven’t found out how that happened. Yet. The wolf is one of ours. You met him before. We let him roam the house. He makes an excellent ‘guard dog’. You should have known there would be a good chance of meeting him. It was lucky he was there to protect you.”
“And then the huge black cat…where did he come from?” Kira closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the dangerous power of the sleek cat. “Is he a – panther – or a cougar?”
“Cougar.” Aiden couldn’t meet her direct gaze and glanced away. The way she’d said the word ‘panther’, her voice filled with fear and loathing, made his heart skip a beat. Damn it, why is she so afraid of animals? He was sure it had something to do with her ragged scar and made a mental note to find out the truth.
Later.
“Lena surely told you we let certain animals roam the house. They are trained to protect us, as well as guests within the compound. The cougar must have heard the commotion and decided to help the wolf defend the house. They are very loyal. They’ve always worked well as a defensive team. There was no chance the lion would have ever reached you while they were around.”
“They saved my life.” Kira’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head slightly. “As much as I want to, I can’t believe it. I thought for sure I was a goner. And the bear…where did it come from?”
“You have no reason to fear them, Kira. Ever. They would never hurt you. And you saw how fast the wolf jumped in to protect you. The bear stood guard, protecting you from harm. She wouldn’t have ever allowed the fight to get too close.”
Kira glanced over her shoulder at the closed door, wondering about what was happening in the hallway. “Where did they go? Are they ok?” She shuddered visibly and he tightened his arms around her, offering what comfort he could. “I saw Gavin helping with the...mess...but there wasn’t any signs of the cougar, or wolf. They didn’t get seriously hurt, did they? I thought I saw gashes…there was blood…but…”
Her genuine concern, despite her fear, touched his heart like nothing else had in a long time. He bent his head and kissed the top of her head. “They left to lick their wounds but they were fine. By tomorrow you won’t even notice a scratch on them.” He knew what her next question would be and answered her before it could be asked. “The bear is actually Marissa’s personal ‘guard’ pet. She went straight back to the nursery after leaving you. You probably have never noticed her since she is usually curled up in a corner at night, keeping watch. I’m sure the wolf and cougar are already settled in for the night, too.”
“Oh. I’m glad.” Relief that the animals had not been badly hurt covered her face and his heart grew lighter.
He frowned when she chewed her bottom lip, avoiding his eyes. Perhaps…
“Do you want to see them? Maybe thank them?” This might be shaky ground, especially after everything she had been through, but he had to push.
“I—’’ She shook her head. “No. Not really. I mean I’m very grateful for their interference tonight. I’m not much of an animal lover. I think I’d just rather stay away from them.”
“Why? They wouldn’t hurt you.” Aiden knew his voice sounded accusing but he couldn’t help it.
She squirmed and tried to pull away from him but he wouldn’t let her. When she realized he wasn’t going to release her, she scowled at him. “Aiden, it’s personal. Would you please stop
holding me so close?”
Her tantalizing squirming incited banked feelings of primal possessiveness, making the reasons behind her unnatural fear almost obsolete. When he repeated his question, his tone was deep and rough, “Why?”
Kira blinked rapidly a few times as if confused by his insistence. “Why? Why what?”
When she pushed on his chest he forced back a groan of pain. She had no idea that a particularly nasty, long scratch was slowly healing under his shirt, in that exact spot. Thank God shape-shifters healed quickly, or he’d still be bleeding through his shirt. That would have taken a hell of a lot of fast talking to explain.
She balled her small hand into a fist and aimed it at his vulnerable chest, but he managed to catch it in mid-swing. “Stop showing your claws, little cat,” he rumbled sexily. He suddenly realized he loved the way she reacted to him. She was so responsive, every time they were close, whether she realized it or not. “Why is it bothering you that I’m holding you?”
“Because you shouldn’t be,” she muttered. “I’m fine. And I think it’s time I went back to bed.”
Bed sounded good to him. As long as it was his bed they went back to! In one swift move he lunged to his feet, holding her securely in his arms. He hid a smile when she emitted a little squeal.
“What are you doing? Aiden, put me down. Now.”
He started toward the door, grinning at her returned feistiness. “You said you wanted to be in bed. I’m taking you there. Since my bed is bigger than the one in the guestroom, we’ll be more comfortable in my room.”
“Stop right here!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed threateningly. “What do you mean your bed?”
He gave her a mock look of surprise. “I’m assuming that since you don’t want our pets to watch over you tonight, you’d want to stay with me. Strictly for protection, of course.” She paled at the mention of the animals and, for a brief moment, he regretted reminding her of earlier events. He…almost…felt bad for using her fear to his advantage.
Almost.
As long as it kept her in his arms, he didn’t care what method he had to use.
“Why would I need protection?” Her voice was shaky as she looked around warily. “Are there any more wild animals loose in the house?”
Damn. So much for that idea.
“No.” At least there had better not be any more rogue animals roaming the compound. He clamped down on the returning surge of anger. Someone’s head would roll tomorrow when he found out who was responsible for letting that cat in. He made his tone teasing. “You’ll be a lot safer in my room. With me. In my bed.”
“Right.”
Her tone was bravely derisive but he felt the shiver that shook her small body. Was she afraid of him? He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Especially when his body was on fire from doing nothing more than holding her.
“Are you afraid of me, Kira?”
Kira gazed into his eyes, the heat she saw causing her to suppress a different type shiver – one of acute sensual awareness.
Was she afraid of him? Or herself? He made her feel things she’d never experienced, kept her constantly off balance. She wasn’t sure she liked the feeling.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “When you look at me like that—’’
“Like what?” he asked hoarsely, his eyes darkening to molten mercury.
“Like you—’’ She took a deep breath, then rushed on, “Like you want to eat me.”
“I do,” he purred, his tone dark and heated. “I want to devour you. Taste every silken inch of you. Lick you. Bite you.”
“Aiden—’’ Her heart beat erratically, her pulse racing in instant reaction to his raw words and the smoldering flame she saw in his eyes.
He growled softly, the sound a clear warning of his intention, and slowly lowered his head to hers, his hot gaze holding hers captive.
Chapter Nine
A bold knock sounded on the den’s closed door.
Kira jerked her head back from Aiden’s descending mouth and he snarled out a word that made her blush. He slowly released her, standing her on her feet, and she backed away, a shaky step at a time, putting some distance between them.
“Come in!” he barked as the knock impatiently sounded again.
Kira glanced at him, noting his handsome, sensual features were once again stormy. Her heart raced erratically.
He’d almost kissed her. Again.
And she’d wanted him to! Desperately.
She shook her head. She had to still be in shock. Yeah.
It was the only explanation for why she had willingly leaned into his kiss when she knew it wasn’t the smartest thing she could do.
Gavin walked into the room and she backed away another step. She needed space to think clearly, to get control of her confused feelings.
“We need to talk.” Gavin glanced first at Kira then back at Aiden. Kira sensed he’d discovered something about the cat and wanted to talk to Aiden privately. She was torn between wanting to insist on hearing the news and fleeing to the safety of her own room, where she could think more clearly.
But did she have the courage to go back out into that hall…back to the place where the horror of her night had begun? She hesitated. She knew Aiden was watching her closely and it embarrassed her that he could probably sense her cowardice. She sighed.
Would this night ever end?
Aiden strode to the door and called out, “Barcel.” A stocky man hurried in from the hall.
“Sir?”
“Take Miss Douglas back to her room.” Aiden lowered his voice. “Stand guard at her door.” He turned back to Kira, his tone soothing, reassuring. “Barcel will you back to your room, Kira.”
He suddenly grinned, a pure male smile of seductiveness. “Or would you rather go back to my room?”
“I—’’ Kira took a deep breath then sighed loudly. He was taking advantage of the situation with way too much pleasure! She lifted her chin, determined not to let him see how badly she was tempted. “I’ll go back to my room, thank you very much.” She forced herself to walk out of the room with as much dignity as possible. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to walk into the foyer without cringing, and she purposely avoided looking toward the cleanup.
She shuddered. It felt surreal; a nightmare that was more real than any she could have ever imagined. Kira groaned and felt her stomach quiver alarmingly, the emotions of this night catching up with her.
She was going to be sick.
*****
“He came in through the kitchen doors,” Gavin reported. “The locks had been tampered with, the alarm and cameras turned off. It was definitely someone in the house.” A deep guttural sound of raw fury grew in volume, pushing for release and Aiden forced back the compelling urge to roar out his anger, to change into his cougar form and immediately hunt down the betrayer.
“No traces of scent anywhere? Any way of telling if the ‘helper’ was human or shape-shifter?”
Gavin shook his head, rumbles of frustrated anger sounding clearly in his clipped tone. “It was a well thought out plan. All traces of human, or shape-shifter, scents had been washed clean with disinfectant. They threw it over the doors, floors, outside walls, and back steps. The rain from the storm helped mask anything else.”
“Damn,” Aiden muttered. Who would dare to attack them in their own home? And why? “There have to be clues. Somewhere.” He’d find them and then make the bastard pay. He called one of the staff over and told her to let Riana know he and Gavin were going out. He knew Riana would guard Marissa with her life and he trusted Barcel to keep Kira safe, and in her room.
Rage, mixed with lingering traces of desire, was a potent combination.
With a fleeting thought his clothes disappeared and he changed into cougar form in mid-stride to the side doors. Blackness swirled around him with the force of a small twister. The den’s French doors flew open from the force of the swirl and he sprang out into the
night. Gavin, in his wolf form, followed closely on his heels.
They separated after reaching the back lawn. Gavin took to the woods, his wolf howl, warning the night he was on the prowl, broke the silence of the clear night. Aiden headed toward the highway, his gleaming eyes narrowed in furious, deadly intent.
The cat had been wild, which meant it had to have been transported to the compound by someone. But the storm and the damage done to the roads from flash flooding, posed puzzling questions. How had they managed to get past the debris-blocked road?
Aiden cautiously approached the mountain road, his eyes and ears constantly scanning the area for signs of danger. He sat on the side of the road and surveyed the damage the storm had left behind. It didn’t seem possible anyone could have maneuvered through the flooded road and he didn’t like the only other explanation.
That they were still on the estate. Hiding. Waiting.
A powerful punch of renewed fury made him surge to his feet and he began pacing back and forth. He sniffed the air then the ground. The rain had washed it clean. There was nothing; no scents, no tracks. He meticulously widened the circle of his search, his simmering rage providing strength and patience. The faint glow of dawn touched the horizon before he was forced to finally admit defeat.
His frustration ate at him and he roared over the loss of control. That someone had dared to threaten his family again, had tried to harm them, incensed him.
And he wasn’t about to let that affront go unpunished.
*****
Kira’s stomach eventually calmed down but only after she’d emptied it several times. Drained, emotionally and physically, she fell into a restless sleep. Darkness swirled around her and fear paralyzed her. The ominous sound of an animal’s harsh breathing echoed in the inky blackness.
