by Jessica Lee
She tilted her head. “I care about you so much, Taylor, and it would have been unfair for me to have pretended what we had was enough.”
“Now you think what you’ve got with Mandrake is?”
“We’re taking it one day at a time. But I’d like to see where our journey will lead.”
Taylor’s jaw tensed. His lips drew tight right before he gave a brisk nod. “As much as I wish I was the one who made you feel what you apparently do for him, I want you to be happy. And if it’s not with me…” He lifted his brows and shrugged. “I’m glad you found someone who does.” Taylor removed her hands from his chest and brushed past her on his way back toward the other room. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Where did that leave them—their practice, and their friendship?
Olivia crept toward the opening to the den as Taylor plopped back down in his seat.
“Do you think we can still be friends?” It was too soon, but she couldn’t leave without asking.
He cocked his head, studying her. “Maybe,” he muttered. “I want to.” Taylor perched his feet back up on the table. A sad smile stretched his lips, and he dropped his gaze to the bottle in his hands. “But I need time. Okay?” He glanced back up.
“Okay,” she said, the word barely audible to her own ears. She moved toward the door. At the chair, she leaned forward, grasped her purse with one hand, and pulled the ring box from its center with the other. Olivia settled the velvet case on the end table beside Taylor. He glimpsed at the box, and before she could pull away, covered her hand with his palm.
“Good luck, Livvy Wilson.” His gaze met hers, and despite the bomb she’d dropped on his heart, she could swear he meant it. “Wherever your heart takes you.”
“Thank you,” she croaked and slipped her hand away.
***
Eion slammed the door of his Silverado and made his way across the serpentine sidewalk that took him to the front door of his childhood home. He glanced up at the two-story stone, glass, and wood structure. Like his father, it was old, foreboding, and immovable. Eion opened and closed his fist around his keys, hoping today would be different, and he could locate a crack in the elder’s façade where Liv was concerned.
At the door, he shoved the gold-colored key in the lock and let himself in. It was late Sunday afternoon, and based on his father’s normal schedule, the older male should be home.
“Mr. Mandrake!” A familiar female voice called out from the family room. Ms. Agatha, the family housekeeper since he was a child, rushed his way. “You’re home.” She clasped her hands in front of her neatly pressed light blue uniform dress. “Your mother and father will be so happy to see you.” She beamed. “Things haven’t been the same around here without you.”
More than likely, their dear old housekeeper was going easy on the alpha. He could only imagine the mood his father had been in of late, but of course Ms. Agatha, ever loyal to his family, would never allude to any difficulty in the home.
“It’s good to see you, Ms. Agatha.” He clasped her hands. “You’ve known me nearly as long as my mother. It’s just Eion.” He gave her a smile. “Mr. Mandrake is my father.”
She tugged her hands free, giving him a dismissive wave. “You’re nearly the alpha around here, and a grown man.” She nodded. “Mr. Mandrake suits you just fine.”
He shook his head. “I never could get away with anything around you.” Eion chuckled, and she grinned. “Speaking of Mr. Mandrake…is my father in his office?”
“Yes, he is.”
Eion moved forward, and she stepped aside. “Good.”
“Can I bring you and your father something cold to drink?”
“That would be nice,” he called out over his shoulder.
At the end of the entryway, Eion bypassed the turn that branched off to the kitchen and crossed the glass-lined breezeway that took him to the rear of the house and his father’s private study. Half-way there, his brother opened one of the French doors and stepped inside. Tristan’s brow shot up as he spotted Eion.
“Wow.” He smirked. “After our last conversation, you were the last person I expected to see coming through this corridor.” Tristan crossed his arms and blocked his path.
“Since our father hasn’t returned any of my phone calls, and his raids on the Wilsons haven’t ceased, I’m here to put a stop to it.”
“Good luck with that, unless you’re back to stay.” His brother cocked his head and gave him a you’d have better luck growing wings kind of look.
“When I’m back for good, you’ll know it,” Eion grumbled and edged his way around Tristan. The other male seized his arm.
“Hold up.”
Eion glanced up at his brother. Tristan’s nostrils flared.
“What kind of resolution do you really think you’re going to achieve with the alpha, going in there reeking of the human female?”
Eion’s blood pressure spiked. He jerked his arm free, his head buzzing.
“You said you were going to stay away,” Tristan began, his voice a harsh whisper in the open corridor. “You knew taking things that far was only going to make things worse.” Tristan pivoted, facing him head on. “What the hell were you thinking?”
Teeth bared, Eion surged forward, putting them chest-to-chest. “That she’s mine,” he growled. “I love her.”
Slowly, Tristan retreated two steps. “I can’t say I understand how you feel, Brother.” He shook his head. “Never lost my mind over a female before, and I’m not planning to.” A smug grin lifted his lips. “But if she’s that important to you—that you’d risk your entire pack for her…” His expression sobered, going lethally serious. “You let me know what you need.”
Eion gave Tristan a tight nod. “I appreciate it, man. I may take you up on that.”
Tristan turned and strode toward the kitchen. Bracing himself, Eion continued on his path to see their father.
At the door to the alpha’s study, Eion gave the wood a quick rap with his knuckles. Tension like a coiled snake in his gut had him curling both hands into fists while he waited for a reply. A few seconds later, his father called out.
“Enter!”
On a deep inhale, Eion depressed the lever and opened the door. His father sat behind a large glass top desk on the other side of the room. To Eion’s right, a solitary large window sliced a floor-to-ceiling view of the outside world. Ribbons of exterior lighting gleamed through the pane and shone off the hardwood floors. Built-in cherry wood shelving crowded with books wrapped about half the length of the room. Two sconces hung on the wall behind his father’s desk and at various intervals around the room, bathing the space in a warm glow.
Cyrus Mandrake lifted his gaze from the open ledger on his desk, the alpha’s salt and pepper hair trimmed close to his scalp. His brows rose as he leaned back against his seat.
“Well,” he drawled, stood, and rounded the large rectangle of glass and steel, “you finally came to your senses.”
“You could say that.” Eion crossed the threshold and closed the door.
Wearing a pair of dark gray slacks and a white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his father crossed the room, stopping short a couple of feet from Eion. “We’ve only got six months left to prepare. You need to be here garnering the support of your pack. Your priorities cannot be divided. I’m glad you see that.”
“I do see that.” Eion nodded. “And my priorities are where they need to be for right now.”
“Here with your pack,” Cyrus rumbled.
“My pack is very important to me. I care deeply for all our people.” Eion’s pulse bounded through his veins. “But I’m not here about them.”
A deep frown carved his father’s features. “Then why are you here?”
Eion edged past his father and stared out at the grounds. The evening sun hung low on the horizon, casting rays of orange and red across the Wyoming sky. Peaceful, beautiful.
“Because it needs to stop. And if you won’t speak to me on the phone…I�
��m here in person to assure it does.”
“Turn around,” his father barked.
Eion pivoted on his heels, facing the elder male.
His father’s lip curled in disgust. “You’ve disgraced your family.” In one large step, Cyrus closed what little distance remained between them and fisted Eion’s shirt. He bent his head at Eion’s neck and drew in a long breath through his nostrils. A low growl rumbled deep in the alpha’s throat right before he shoved Eion away. “You’ve taken the human to your bed!” Cyrus whipped around and marched across the room. “Fucking a human female is one thing,” he roared, “but this!” He spun, facing Eion once more. “The law is clear. No human and shifters are to mate! Especially a shifter male who is in line to rise to alpha status.”
“I haven’t mated her!” His heart raced. “Not yet.” His face and neck heated with a surge of adrenaline.
The alpha launched from the other side of the room, crowding out all of Eion’s personal space. His canine’s flashed in the light. “But you wanted to, didn’t you? Your teeth itched to score her flesh while you spilled your seed inside her, forever changing the course of both your lives.”
Eion broke away from the scrutiny of his father’s gaze and planted his palms on the alpha’s desk, glaring at his distorted image in the glass.
“We cannot risk the chance of contaminating the bloodlines,” his father raged. “Humans are beneath us. Breeding with them is an unacceptable risk, especially for a son of mine. There’s no guarantee what kind of spawn that will yield. It would be a roll of the dice whether your young would be human, shifter, or some freakish blend of both. Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if our people decided to procreate with whomever they were attracted to? We can’t risk hybrids littering the human population, diluting the bloodline with their weak DNA and putting us all at risk for extermination.”
Attracted to? Eion pushed away from the desk and jerked around. “It’s not that simple, and you know it,” he chewed out. “Liv isn’t just some girl I have the hots for. We’re bonded.”
His father groaned. “For Christ’s sake. Don’t go there.”
“I have to!” Eion straightened and squared his shoulders. “Ignoring it doesn’t make it disappear. God knows I’ve tried that for the last twelve years. My wolf chose her. Recognized that she was my other half before I even realized how much she meant to me.”
Shaking his head in denial, Cyrus stomped around his desk and plopped down in his chair.
“It doesn’t matter.” He shuffled a stack of papers on his desk. “Whether you want her as a pet or a mate, the point is moot.” His father glanced up at Eion. “You can’t have her. Not now. Not ever.” He bared his canines. “Get her out of your head, resume your rightful place, or the attacks will continue, and you’ll wish you’d never set eyes on that girl.”
His stomach made a free fall, striking the bottom of his gut with a nauseating rebound. Eion choked back the aftershocks in his throat. “Stop this now, Father.” he said, his voice calmer than he believed possible. “Don’t make me choose.” Eion narrowed his gaze, and eyes that mirrored his own, glowed from the predator that lurked beneath. “You won’t like the final result.”
Eion turned and strode for the door, every muscle a tight knot.
“Eion!”
He came to halt, his back to his father.
“There are no choices here,” the alpha continued. “You know what you have to do.”
He wrapped his fingers around the lever. “You’re absolutely right.” Eion yanked the door open and exited without another word.
His boots chewed up the hard surface of the corridor. He couldn’t get out of the damn house fast enough. He had almost made it when the front door burst open and Tawny rushed inside, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Eion!” she shouted the moment she spotted him in the entryway. “I saw your truck when I was driving by.” Tawny flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Finally! I knew you’d come to your senses and no human female could keep you from us.”
Eion flinched. “Tawny…” He reached up and grasped her forearms. “This isn’t…” He didn’t need to finish his sentence.
Tawny stilled. Her head tilted, and then she breathed deep along his neckline. Her arms slithered away from his shoulders and she retreated. A snarl curled her lips.
“Why?” She hissed.
“You know why. Liv and I are bonded.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You have so much more waiting for you here. You’ll be alpha in mere months.” She tipped her chin forward. “Why would you throw it away for some weak human who spreads her legs for you in that pathetic town?”
A growl rolled up out of his throat. “It goes way beyond that.”
“Really?” she drawled, arching one perfectly shaped brow. “Are you saying you’re actually in love with her?” Her eyes flashed.
Eion bit down, struggling to maintain his patience and control. “Yes.” Eion nodded. “I’m in love with her.”
She licked her lips and tossed her hair back with a flick of her head. “I see.” Tawny blinked. “Well, I feel sorry for you.” She brushed passed him on her high heels, her hips swaying to her own pissed-off beat. Eion snagged her arm, bringing her to an abrupt halt.
“What do you mean by that?” Eion made no attempt to hide the lethal edge to his question.
Tawny swiveled her head around and faced him, a twisted smile on her lips. “I’m just saying, humans are so fragile. You really shouldn’t get too attached. So much sacrifice on your part, and you probably won’t even have her for very long.”
Eion pulled his upper lip away from his fangs. “Is that a threat?”
A laugh bubbled up from her throat. “Me?” Tawny shook her head. “Just a fact—a little reminder, if you will.” Before he could pull away, Tawny pitched forward, sealing her lips to his. Eion jerked back, loosening his hold on her arm. His pulse hammered in outrage. She lifted her lashes, pupils dilated with lust. “We could be so damn good together, Eion,” she moaned.
“A fantasy, Tawny.” Eion reversed his step, swiped the taste of her off his lips with the back of his hand, and aimed toward the door. “Yours alone.”
Chapter Nineteen
Eion pulled the brim of his hat low on his forehead, blocking some of the early morning rays from his eyes. He tapped the sides of his Appaloosa with his heels, urging her through the narrow opening of the fence that separated the Wilson and Mandrake ranch.
It had been too late when he’d finally made it home last night to call Liv and let her know he’d returned. Even though he’d been bone tired, Eion had barely closed his eyes after hitting the bed. At dawn, he decided to saddle his horse and head out for his and Liv’s haven by the river. He needed some clarity—some sign—and a part of him hoped that sign would be Liv waiting for him there.
Fifteen minutes later, Eion cleared the tree line that bordered the stream. He scanned the bank on the other side. His heart galloped and blood surged to his groin at the sight of his bonded female sitting on a blanket a few hundred feet downstream.
Mine.
He patted his horse’s neck and nudged her across the shallow streambed to the other side. They climbed out onto the dry bank, and it was all Eion could do not to launch her into a full gallop. More than ever, he needed to hold Liv in his arms. Feel her warmth, her acceptance next to his skin. Know that what they’d shared hadn’t been some wild and crazy dream. He’d fantasized about having her in his life for so long that the reality felt surreal.
Liv glanced over her shoulder and a smile bloomed as he approached. Eion tugged on the reins, bringing his Appaloosa to a full stop near Liv. He dismounted, tossed the reins over a low-hanging tree limb, and turned to find the woman who owned his heart by his side.
“You came back,” she said, staring up at him, happiness and something that resembled relief in her eyes.
“I promised you I would.” Eion reached out and smoothed his
palms over her hair. She’d left it down today, and he loved the feel of it cascading through his fingers. He lowered his gaze, noting her shoulders were bare. She wore a pale yellow and green sundress with thin straps that disappeared around her nape, and a low neckline that accentuated her full cleavage. The bottom half of her dress stopped right above her knees and billowed in the early morning breeze. Beautiful. But it was Monday morning. Why hadn’t she dressed for work?
“Yes, you did.” Her smile grew even larger.
“Come here.” Eion pulled her in against his chest and claimed her mouth, showing her exactly how much he’d missed her. So damn good. Nothing felt more right than when she was in his arms.
Liv broke away with a gasp. “As much as I hate any moment not spent kissing you, I want to hear about your trip.”
He groaned and stroked a thumb along her cheek, savoring the soft and smooth texture of her skin. “And I would like to hear why you’re out here in your pretty sundress and not in your scrubs ready for work. Not saying that I don’t love the view.” He grinned and raked her with his gaze. “‘Cause I do. Believe me.”
“Ah. That.” She turned and headed back to her spot by the water. Eion followed. “Thank you, by the way.” Liv lowered onto the blanket, stretched out her legs, and smoothed her dress over her thighs. “I thought it might be best to give Taylor a little time at the clinic without having to see me.”
He reached out and clasped her fingers, bringing them up to his lips. Lowering her arm, he brushed his thumb pad over the back of her hand. “Do you think things will eventually smooth out between you two and you can continue to work together?”
“I really hope so. He said he wanted that too, but he was hurt and needed some time.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t blame him.” Liv shook her head and pulled her hand from his. “Everything happened so fast. For him, it was as if there was no warning. But believe it or not, after we’d officially broken it off, he said he wanted me to be happy.” A hint of a smile curved her lips. “And I really think he was sincere. Says a lot about the kind of guy he is. He’s a good man; it’s why I’d convinced myself that we should continue dating for as long as we did.” She turned and studied the babbling stream. “I just hope that one day we can reclaim at least a part of our friendship.”
