Stalking His Mate: League Of Gallize Shifters

by Dianna Love

  “There’s a bed in the next room.” He gave her an odd look. “Have you ever spent the night in a hotel?”

  She flashed back on her life in one work camp after another and would have laughed if it hadn’t been so sad.

  Shaking her head, she said, “No.”

  He surprised her by taking it in stride and explaining, “Then you’re going to love this one. It’s a suite, which means you get a living room and a bedroom. You must have made some impression on my boss to be given an upgrade like this.”

  He was trying to make her feel comfortable and not like a clueless fool. Her heart sighed at the way he treated her.

  She said, “Oh, I made an impression all right. Your boss wanted to hang me until you showed up.”

  “Huh.” Rory scratched his jaw. “Then this might be an apology.”

  “Pfft. Would that man apologize to anyone?”

  “You’d be surprised. He’s powerful and tough, but he’s the most fair and decent person I’ve ever met besides my teammates.”

  She tried to match the admiration in his voice to the man who had threatened that she might not see tomorrow. “Think we’re talking about two different people.”

  Rory stepped over and placed his bag on the floor by the sofa and hers on the coffee table. “I didn’t say he wasn’t vicious when crossed, but he has our backs no matter what happens and is generally a stuffy gentleman.”

  “Must be nice to have so many people to depend on,” she murmured to herself.

  Returning to where she stood, Rory said, “It is. I’m sorry you didn’t have someone like him watching over you.”

  She’d had no one until Baatar ... and now, apparently, Rory. Thinking that way was dangerous. It led to wanting something she could never have.

  Baatar would be yelling at her for even talking to Rory.

  She didn’t care. She’d been alone for years and Rory couldn’t be put into the category with bad shifters. He was nothing like the jackals she despised.

  Her mind might have a hard time accepting Rory’s kindness when Baatar’s words kept hounding her, but her heart recognized sincerity.

  Rory had been staring at her just as she’d been staring at him, but he seemed to snap out of whatever had held him still so long. He asked, “Do you want to clean up and go out to get something to eat or do you want me to order room service?

  “Go out to eat? Where?”

  “Anywhere you want. What kind of food would you like?”

  She hadn’t eaten in a restaurant since she was six and that had been only in places with the entire menu available twenty-four hours a day.

  She wasn’t a heathen. She’d been taught table manners, but the idea of eating in a restaurant both excited and intimidated her.

  Then the reality of her situation slammed into her moment of happiness. “What if someone like the Cadells or Black River pack recognizes me?”

  “Hide your hair under the hat, but your eyes ... ” He frowned a second, then snapped his fingers. “Get a shower. I have the perfect place to go where you’ll be fine.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” He grinned and her heart noticed.

  Rory probably got all the women he wanted with that smile.

  What woman wouldn’t want a man who treated them well and had a protective streak a mile wide? He’d make a considerate and caring husband some day. He did have a grumpy side, but all he’d have to do is smile to own a woman’s heart.

  She frowned, thinking about women throwing themselves at him and Rory owning their hearts.

  His irritated face returned. “What’s wrong now?”

  She would not admit she hadn’t liked the idea of him making another woman’s heart flutter or ... those women sleeping with him. That was too insane for even her to understand.

  Instead she blurted out, “I don’t have any makeup.”

  His eyes twinkled and that might be more dangerous to her heart than his smile. He stepped over and ran a finger down the side of her face, raising chills on her arms. “When you’re pretty, and you are, you don’t need any.”

  This man had to be too good to be true.

  No one had ever made her feel pretty, but he’d done it twice already. At the building, he told her she had the body of a goddess and now he said she didn’t need makeup.

  He’d also stopped talking as if he’d said too much.

  If he only knew how he’d raised her self-esteem with so few words. She wanted to see him happy again. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers lightly over his face, but couldn’t find words to speak.

  Rory closed his eyes as if her touch soothed him.

  She brushed her fingers over his lips. So fast she didn’t see him move, he caught her wrist and held her hand there, sucking her fingers.

  His eyes opened and her favorite golden gaze held hers as he kissed her fingers, then he lowered his head, bringing those lips to hers.

  Energy sparked, but it wasn’t painful. She shut her eyes to absorb everything she felt more powerfully. His mouth moved tenderly over hers and she wanted more. His fingers drove through her hair, cupping her head in a careful way. His other hand covered her back and eased her to him.

  Oh, yes. Being closer improved everything, except the kiss. She didn’t think it was possible to improve perfection.

  She’d been kissed only a few times by one boy.

  She’d never been kissed by a master.

  Heat and energy filled the space between them. Hers, his, she had no idea where one ended and the next one started. He smelled like the outdoors and a warm summer night.

  He never pushed for more, but she couldn’t say the same for herself. Her body complained about Rory not touching her everywhere.

  When he broke away, he said, “I can’t be doing this.” Sounded as if he were talking to himself and not her.

  Don’t stop yet. If he did, her world would go right back to the crapfest it had been before he’d given her a little mental holiday. She gripped his shoulders and pulled up to kiss him again.

  He caught her head in both hands, returning the kiss and not so gently this time. Yes, that’s what she wanted. His mouth plundered and she welcomed him. Time drifted, but not slowly enough when Rory once again ended the kiss.

  When he did, he set her backwards a little, on her feet but away from him.

  She feared looking into his eyes to find he was angry for her not listening to him the first time.

  But his golden eyes still glowed with a hunger that took her breath. He said, “My boss would have my head for this.”

  He didn’t sound the least bit sorry, and that tickled her beyond belief.

  She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I liked it.” Would he deny that he had?

  “I did, too, but I can’t be doing that again.”

  Disappointment washed away her joy. She would not allow him to see her hurt. Rory was being good to her. She couldn’t ask more of a man than that, could she?

  He said, “You get showered and dressed so we can go eat.”

  She’d completely forgotten about the meal. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready.”

  “Take all the time you want.”

  “No way. I’m excited to eat in a restaurant, but I’ll warn you, there’s only one more set of clothes in that bag and it’s not fancy. Just jeans and a blouse.”

  “That’ll be perfect. I’m not much for fancy.” He walked past her and opened a door, revealing the bedroom. Pointing to another door inside that room, he said, “That’s the bathroom.”

  There he went again, making it easy for her to find things that should be obvious for normal people, so she didn’t feel like an idiot.

  She snatched up the tote and hurried into the room he’d indicated, which was not like any bathroom she’d ever been in. This was a bathing room for royalty.

  Closing the door, she poured everything from the bag onto the marble counter that stretched eight feet wide.

  Sorting out the supplies they’d in
cluded, she grabbed what she needed to shower. She’d have stayed an hour in that hot shower if her stomach hadn’t growled.

  Not true.

  She’d have made her stomach wait, but not Rory.

  He was taking her to a restaurant.

  She didn’t care what they served. She’d eat anything that didn’t bite her back.

  When she had her hair dried and her teeth brushed, she took a moment to consider the finished look. Meh. She hated to hide her hair under the hat again, but wouldn’t risk getting recognized or putting Rory in danger.

  Backing away from the mirror, she gave herself thumbs-up for at least looking human again.

  Then lost her grin.

  She wasn’t human. She didn’t know what she was other than a ghost magnet, and since Dyson had attacked her, an unexpected lightning rod.

  Way to kill her happy mood.

  Shaking it off, she straightened the bathroom and walked out to the living room.

  Rory had his mobile phone at his ear, but took one look at her and quickly ended the call. The hungry expression that filled his face gave her ego a helium injection. Some instinct she could not name whispered that the man had more on his mind than dinner.

  Why did that thrill her when he was a shifter?

  When he looked at her that way, she forgot all she was supposed to not like about shifters.

  All she saw was a man in a body cut with muscle, a sincere person who had shown her more kindness than anyone except Baatar, and a man who had trusted her touch.

  A sexy man with a smile that turned her insides upside down.

  She didn’t see a bad shifter or even just a shifter when she looked at Rory. Maybe she should, and had every reason to based on the life she’d been forced to lead, but living free of the Cadells was making her reassess how she looked at others.

  Her breasts didn’t give a fig what he was either. Must be that weird energy humming to life that woke up the girls. They ached, wanting to be against him.

  This could be the most perfect night of her life. She had a fabulous hotel room to sleep in and a sexy-as-hell man taking her to dinner, almost like what she envisioned a date to be.

  But the night would not end well.

  Much as her body wanted to find out what hid behind Rory’s heated gaze and spend the night sleeping hard on a real bed, she couldn’t risk falling asleep.

  Baatar needed her and Rory’s boss had not committed to a time for releasing her.

  If she relaxed too much, she might miss her chance to escape.

  Chapter 18

  Rory checked their surroundings, then helped Siofra out of the cab in an older part of Spartanburg where he knew the owner of a restaurant. He cupped her arm and kept her between him and the buildings while they walked along, enjoying a ten-degree drop in temps since the sun had gone down. Perfect for an early evening stroll. Not bad humidity, either, for August in the south, but that wouldn’t last.

  He’d like to take her somewhere fancier than the Italian restaurant he had in mind, but he didn’t want her to feel out of place.

  The one thing he understood about women was to not walk them into an uncomfortable setting. That would normally mean to inform them ahead of time of all details so they could prepare with everything from hair to clothes to makeup.

  He’d learned that lesson as an awkward teenage boy.

  Siofra needed no dolling up. She had a special flair all her own and outshined any woman in the room just by smiling. He loved her smile.

  But that smile would be as recognizable as her hair and eyes. For that reason, he didn’t want her out in the open much.

  This short walk was to give her a moment to feel normal.

  She’d never eaten in a restaurant or spent the night in a hotel.

  She said the Cadells had captured her when she was young and she’d only recently escaped from them.

  What kind of hell had she been through, living with them?

  This whole night could be a first and he liked being the one to share firsts with her. He could tell that just walking down this sidewalk like a normal person was special for her.

  His heart clenched at the life of imprisonment she’d lived. She was clearly educated and knew the basics she needed for functioning in life, but she probably had little experience with things most people took in stride.

  He now understood why she had not been quick to tell the truth. He wouldn’t have trusted anyone after living in captivity since childhood.

  She could have tonight to be herself. Tomorrow would take care of itself.

  He would watch over her and dare anyone to interfere or try to harm her. No one should know that she was in Spartanburg, but in the preternatural world you had to expect the unexpected.

  Especially if the Cadells were involved.

  At the next entrance, he led her into a building and took a roundabout way to reach the rear of the structure, then out and across a short parking lot to a steel door where he pushed a buzzer.

  He’d kept up a constant scan of their surroundings the entire time. No one had followed.

  When she took a half step away, he snagged her arm and towed her back between him and the door.

  She stiffened. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t want you out of my reach.”

  He expected her to snipe at him, but she looked up as if he’d just given her a gift.

  Before he could ask her what she was thinking, the door opened and a deep voice said, “Yes?”

  Rory brought on a country twang. “Do you know how to make those little round spaghettis?”

  His friend snorted, opened the door wider and said, “Get in before I turn you into a stew.”

  Hustling her inside, Rory said, “Siofra, meet Domenico.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She sounded shy. Cute.

  The Italian chef made a half bow, then straightened and said, “It will be my pleasure to serve you in spite of the company you keep.”

  She laughed, a tinkling sound that warmed Rory’s cold heart.

  Domenico led them through the kitchen where cooks were busy preparing food and grousing at each other. They followed the chef through a narrow, dark walkway for ten steps.

  He paused and turned to wave an arm to the left. “As you requested, my friend.”

  Rory gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I really appreciate this.”

  “Good. Enjoy. Marcia will bring you everything.”

  Rory showed Siofra to a booth separated from the rest of the patrons by sheer privacy curtains. That allowed her to see out, but no one could see her. It was the closest he could give her to being in a restaurant without being exposed.

  He’d called Domenico and explained he had a nervous guest who had not dined out much, and that he was protecting her. Rory had done a favor for Domenico a year ago and the chef had been waiting on the chance to repay him ever since.

  Rory didn’t date many women who wanted dinner, only dessert.

  Sharing a meal with a woman like Siofra felt like a first for him, too. In fact, he hadn’t felt this way since back when he’d gone to his prom.

  Siofra was sitting so carefully, as if she’d make a wrong move and embarrass him, that watching her snagged at his heart.

  He could imagine her worry over choosing from a menu so he leaned over close and said, “This guy is great, but he won’t let me order. Says he knows what we need. Hope you like everything.”

  She let out a pent-up breath. “I’m sure I’ll love it. Just the smells in here are amazing.” Then she finally relaxed.

  What did you talk about with a woman who had led a life like hers? He didn’t want her to feel like he was interrogating her, but the ability to chitchat had not been a requirement for his job. If it had been, he’d have needed remedial courses.

  She had asked him to wait until tomorrow to hear about living with the Cadells.

  He’d intended to respect that, but he wanted to learn more about her. “Would you tell me about the
Cadells, Siofra?”

  Her face paled and she stared at the tablecloth.

  Well, he’d fucked that one up.

  He sucked.

  Ferrell sent Rory an image of Siofra dumping a bowl of spaghetti on his head. Hard to argue with his jaguar.

  “They came to our apartment. My father was terrified of them. He handed me over.” She paused and swallowed hard. “They still killed him and took me as slave labor,” she started slowly. “We were in Indiana in a city called Gary. At least, that’s what I remember, but it’s been so long and I’ve had no one to talk to about it, so I might have some things wrong. I’m guessing they had some run-in with my father.” She lifted her shoulders, sounding unsure what else she could say.

  He put his hand over hers. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up after you asked me to wait. I just ... it was bugging me. We don’t get a lot of information on the Cadells. Hearing you’d been with them was ... bizarre.”

  “It’s okay. At least you didn’t act as if I was with them voluntarily like your boss did.”

  “He’s protective of his people.” The Guardian had probably wigged out the minute he heard the word Cadell from the lips of someone who had knocked Rory off his feet with her power. Rory hadn’t heard much of that conversation and Siofra had a way of dodging answers that had more than likely ruffled the Guardian’s feathers.

  “Eh, your boss made up for it with the hotel room.” She seemed to brush off the insult easily, but he could tell she was tired of being persecuted for things out of her control.

  After that first dumb question, he wasn’t sure what to say next. He might as well be that skinny teenager on his first date again, terrified of saying the wrong thing.

  Siofra lifted her gaze to him and her eyes sparked with challenge. “Payback time. Tell me who you are, Rory.”

  When she looked at him like that, he wanted to give up all of his secrets, but he had enough self-discipline to not make that mistake.

  If he wanted her to talk, this was his opening. He didn’t share things about his family, but then again no one had asked about them in many years. “I grew up in Virginia. I was the oldest of three boys.”