Swallowing His Pride

by Serena Pettus

  Lynn caught onto his confession, her eyes narrowing, and Dylan found himself wondering if Sam had taken his advice and purchased any firearms. God, he certainly hoped not.

  “What do you mean it’s all your fault?” The false sweetness in Lynn’s voice had his cat’s tail twitching nervously in his mind, and even Liam took a step back, his eyes trained on Lynn.

  “It’s something I’d rather discuss with Samantha alone, if possible.” There, surely, she couldn’t argue with that.

  Samantha, on the other hand… “I don’t keep anything from Lynn. She’s the closest thing to a loving family I’ve ever had.” Once again, she gave him a single look, and he found himself caving, utterly willing to do anything for her. Sadly, anything included Dylan owning up to his failure to use protection in front of a very upset Lynn.

  “I don’t want to say anything that may embarrass you,” Dylan began, motioning to Liam, who quickly stepped around Lynn and exited the front door. When he was sure they were alone, he continued, “Do you remember what happened the night we were together?” She blushed prettily, nodded, and he couldn’t help but smile. “After we made love, I came out of the bathroom to find you curled up on the bed like a sleepy kitten, so I climbed right in with you. I’ll tell you one thing Sam that was the best night’s rest I’ve had in years. When you began to move in your sleep, I couldn’t help but try to soothe you, but one thing led to another, and…all I can do is tell you the truth. I was so caught up in my need for you I didn’t use a condom that second time. I know it sounds lame, but there it is.”

  Dylan sighed, waiting for her anger, for her to lash out, tell him to get lost, curse him even, but she just turned a shy smile his way. His heart sped up at the sight.

  She’s not mad!

  “If that’s the case, then I’m just as guilty as you are, because I certainly didn’t think about it.”

  Now there was a reaction he hadn’t expected, and from the looks of it, Lynn hadn’t either.

  “Seriously?” Lynn demanded. “You were barely awake, but apparently, he was with it enough that he should have gloved before he shoved. Gah! I can’t believe whatever higher power designed mankind only allowed enough blood to power one head at a time,” she huffed.

  “Lynn!”

  Lynn ignored Samantha’s exasperated response and continued glaring daggers at Dylan. “I swear, if you hurt her—ever—ending up in a zoo will be the least of your worries.” And with that, Lynn turned to a clearly confused Samantha, her expression now sweet as could be.

  “A zoo? What the hell does a zoo have to do with anything?” Sam asked, looking back and forth between him and Lynn.

  “Don’t worry about it, Sam. Now, I’m going to run you a hot bath. With everything that you’ve been through today, a nap might not hurt either.”

  As dizzying as Lynn’s abrupt change in mood was, Dylan had to agree with her. Samantha appeared utterly exhausted, more than a little stressed, and he didn’t like it one bit. “Lynn’s right. You go rest while Liam and I tackle the work outside. Oh, and for the record,” he added, pinning Lynn with his gaze. “I will never intentionally hurt her. Ever.”

  “Then be sure that she knows everything. The sooner the better,” she ordered as she left the room.

  “Sorry about that. Lynn’s kind of like an overprotective momma bear sometimes.” Her fingertips ran softly over Dylan’s hand as she spoke, and his cat purred loudly in his head.

  “She’s just worried about you. It’s good to have a friend who cares so much. You’re very lucky.”

  Sam smiled. “I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world.”

  “The two of you have a really close bond, almost like sisters. It’s great that you have her for support, but don’t hesitate to come to me if you need anything.”

  “I appreciate it. It’ll be nice to spend time with you again.” She paused, and Dylan could almost see the nervousness rolling off of her in waves before she added in a whisper, “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.” Holy shit, had he ever. The girl had no idea how much. “I can’t tell you how many times I almost came by and knocked on your door, just so I could see you. Even if you’d yelled at me, it would have been worth it.” She didn’t need to know these thoughts had run through his head while he’d lain beneath her window in his lion form.

  “I wouldn’t have yelled. I’ll admit, I did wait by the phone for an embarrassingly long time, hoping you would call.” Samantha turned, letting her feet drop off the couch until she was sitting upright, her elbows on her knees and her face mere inches from his. “When I read that note, I thought the worst. My self-esteem isn’t that great—something I’m working on—but my first reaction to it was pain. I felt something with you that night, had hoped to explore it further, but what you wrote had me thinking I was about to receive a brush-off when you returned.” Her head down, her voice going soft, she confessed, “I couldn’t have handled that, not if all I was to you was a one-night stand.”

  Using his fingers to raise her chin, Dylan waited for those sweet baby-blues to look his way before replying, “I am so, so sorry. Sweetheart, I had every intention of being back to the room before you woke up that morning. I wanted to continue seeing you once we returned home, but when all you left was your number, my confidence took a nosedive. Sadly, it took Liam reading my pathetic attempt at a note then reaming me for being an idiot for me to see it the way you must have.” Cradling her cheek in his hand, Dylan swiped his thumb out to catch the tear that escaped her eye. “Can you forgive me for being an idiot?”

  He held his breath as he awaited her answer then nearly cursed aloud when Lynn came back to announce Sam’s bath was ready. He rose and offered his hand to help her up. When she got to her feet, he ended up with her body pressed to his, her slender arms wrapped around his waist as she held on tight, and he couldn’t resist planting a kiss to the top of her head as he returned her hug.

  Lynn stood at the entrance to the hall, and her face clearly reflected her growing concern over the situation. Dylan could relate. After all, he still had a few things to clear up, the biggest ones being his feline half and that Samantha’s pregnancy would be progressing at an alarming rate for a human.

  He made a mental note to speak to the shifter physician. While having Lynn care for Samantha would be great, he’d feel more secure if there was also a shifter on the case. There were just too many things that could go wrong, and he wasn’t willing to take any risks where Samantha was concerned.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he promised, giving her a little squeeze in return. “Why don’t you go before your water cools, and I’ll check back with you when we’re done outside?”

  “Okay.”

  Releasing her into Lynn’s care, Dylan let himself out and found Liam busy planting the palms near the porch. They both decided to put the tree off until the next day, so Samantha wouldn’t be disturbed by all the noise and instead focused on creating her lava-rock garden and water feature.

  Despite the heat that threatened to suffocate them as they worked, Dylan was proud of what they’d accomplished and couldn’t wait to see Samantha’s face when she saw it. It had taken them several hours, but the pond was dug, the liner put in along with the pumps for the waterfall, stones were placed all around the border, with several larger flat ones built up for the water to cascade down.

  Since they weren’t certain if she would want to put any of those fancy little fish in it, they made sure the oak tree shaded the pond so the water wouldn’t get too hot. With the waterfall and the lush plants and palms she’d chosen, Samantha’s home looked like a welcoming oasis on the vast piece of land she owned.

  With that thought in mind, Dylan recalled that he still needed to have a conversation with Jag. The last thing he wanted was for the reclusive feline to wander around Samantha’s property and scare her again, so he quickly sent out a text. Jag might live out in the wooded parts of the Pride’s property, but he kept a satellite phone
on him for emergencies and to report any perimeter breaches.

  Dylan received a response almost immediately. He asked Jag to come back to the property, so that he could explain things and present him with the somewhat unusual security job then he returned to working with Liam, spreading lava rocks around the porch.

  The sound of the front door opening drew his attention, and Dylan found himself perking up at the idea of showing Samantha her new garden. Instead, Lynn stepped out with a tray laden with drinks and sandwiches.

  Perhaps, she’s making a peace offering, he thought as he watched her come down the porch steps, her eyes surveying the work they’d done.

  “So what do you think? Is there anything else she might want done?”

  “It looks great. You two sure work fast,” she replied, presenting a glass of iced tea and what appeared to be a ham-and-cheese sandwich for each of them. “I wasn’t sure if you guys would be hungry, but I figured you would at least be thirsty.”

  Ah, so it seemed she did want to extend an olive branch. “Thank you. This is perfect.”

  Shifting from one foot to the other, she appeared to be gathering her courage to say something, and Dylan saw Liam trying to hide a grin behind the rim of his glass. “So, uh, do you guys, like, eat people? I mean if you are lions, do you need raw meat to eat?”

  Liam laughed aloud, no longer able to contain himself, and Lynn scowled at him, as he replied, “Seriously? Lynn, babe, we wouldn’t have been able to keep our kind a secret from humans if we went around eating them. Yes, we do like to eat raw meat on occasion, but we tend to get it the traditional way, by hunting. Once a month, we’ll shift and hunt down a deer or maybe a rabbit to satisfy that craving, but we’ve not hunted humans.”

  “First of all, I’m not your ‘babe’. Second, would you quit referring to me as ‘human’? It’s seriously creeping me out. Hell, I’m still not even sure I believe all of this—”

  Lynn’s words trailed off as her face paled and her eyes bugged. Looking behind him, Dylan noted Jag had just stepped out from the trees…as a jaguar. “Damn it, Jag! Shift and come back out.”

  When the cat just stood there, staring back at them, Liam apparently realized the problem. “He doesn’t have any clothes,” he told Dylan, before calling out to Jag. “Come on, I’ve got some pants in the truck you can use.”

  The large, sleek black cat moved forward, and Lynn dropped the tray as she stumbled back a step.

  “Easy,” Dylan soothed. “Remember, he’s here to help, not hurt. He’ll be a great guard for whenever I can’t be here. With my position in the Pride, I have to be there often to ensure things go as they should and all of our laws are being adhered to. I’ve also got to oversee the construction of the resort we’re building, so there will be days when he will be my eyes and ears here. He’ll be able to detect any trespassers long before you ever see them.”

  “Trespassers?” Lynn asked, her eyes still on the feline that disappeared behind the truck. The odd thing was Jag’s eyes remained trained on her, as well.

  “Yes. Remember, I told you that there are some who might take offense to my taking Samantha as my mate. Well, Jag will be able to tell if any of those shifters come onto or even near this property. The three of us should be the only scents on this property besides that of you two, so he’ll easily pick out any others.”

  “So this isn’t a joke? You guys really do turn into big cats?” Lynn’s questions were whispered, but Dylan didn’t have the heart to tell her that both Liam and Jag could hear every word.

  Too bad, his brother wasn’t as considerate. “We can still hear you, sweet cheeks.”

  And just like that, Lynn’s irritation at the pet name overrode her discomfort. “Liam, I’m warning you,” she snapped.

  “You know you love me,” Liam shot back, completely unaware of the glare Jag cut his way.

  Hmm… Why the dirty look? Dylan thought, as he stepped closer to Lynn. Quick enough, Jag’s eyes shot his way. Surely, he wasn’t thinking what Dylan thought he was thinking.

  “All right, let’s just settle down so we can discuss the problem at hand.” Dylan placed his arm around Lynn’s shoulder as he guided her over to the porch swing, not missing the narrowed glare Jag sent him.

  Interesting.

  Taking a step back, once she was seated, he proceeded to explain the situation to their wary visitor, who remained standing by the stairs. When Dylan finished, Jag’s expression remained guarded, but Dylan noted a hint of aggression coming from him.

  “So she is your mate?” Jag asked, his deep voice startling Lynn as she jumped slightly where she sat.

  “Me? No!” she quickly clarified.

  “Apparently, I’m not her type either,” Liam put in, sending a wink her way.

  “So sorry if I’m not into playboys.”

  “Oh, honey. I play, but I assure you, I’m no boy.”

  A vicious snarl from Jag had both Dylan and Liam jumping in front of Lynn, who curled up on the swing.

  “Calm yourself. Now,” Dylan commanded.

  Jag lowered his head, but his eyes stayed trained on Liam. “I apologize if I frightened the female, but he should not speak to her that way, Prime.”

  “Liam is only teasing her. They pick on each other regularly, and I’m sure he was only trying to lessen the tension, not insult her in any way,” Dylan explained.

  “Trust me, if he really annoys me, I’ll just toss a big ball of yarn into the yard.” Lynn’s response had all three men turning to stare at her with equal looks of disbelief. “What? Would catnip work better?”

  Returning his attention back to Jag, Dylan just shook his head and smiled. “See?”

  “Okay.”

  The four of them continued discussing the problem at hand, including that of the delicate pregnancy and Lynn’s role as Samantha’s physician. When Lynn excused herself to go check on Sam, Dylan took the opportunity to clear up a few questions of his own.

  “Are you going to be able to do this?”

  “What do you mean?” Genuine confusion shown on Jag’s face, and Dylan knew he’d have to get very specific.

  “I realize you’ve had a bad past when it comes to humans, but I’m entrusting you with my mate—the Pride’s new Prima—and my unborn child. I need to know your history won’t jeopardize her safety in any way.”

  “It will be just the two women here?”

  “Yes, as far as I know, there shouldn’t be any others.”

  “No males will be coming to see the other female, Lynn?”

  Dylan grinned. He had a feeling Jag was especially interested in that answer. “No, the only men around should be either me or Liam. None of the others are aware of the Prima yet. I’ll make an announcement at the meeting later this week to inform the council of her existence.”

  “And you fear the one’s who dislike humans will try to harm her?”

  “I don’t see any of them suddenly being okay with a human female having any authority over them, do you?”

  “No, you’re right. I will do this for you, Prime. They will be protected as though they are my own.”

  “Thank you, Jag. I owe you for this.”

  “You and your brother saved me. I am honored that you would choose me.” Jag lowered his head once more in a show of respect. “I will go and get a few things before I return. I would like to meet the Prima so I can be familiar with her scent, and also with her and she with me.”

  “I understand, but I’d like to hold off until tomorrow. She’s had a stressful day, and I’d rather she rest right now. Come back in the morning, and we’ll do it then.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Jag turned and walked back to the woods, disappearing into the foliage before the borrowed jeans came sailing back out, only to land on a low-hung branch.

  Liam barked out a laugh. “I hope he was just leaving those for later, because I don’t intend to wear them again after he’s had his bare ass in ‘em.”

  “Whatever.” Dylan chuckle
d. “I’m going to check on Sam.”

  Lynn was just stepping from the bedroom down the hall when he closed the front door. She held a finger to her lips, letting him know Samantha was asleep. As he followed her into the kitchen, he noticed Lynn looked rather tired also.

  “You should get some rest, too.”

  Lynn turned, her green eyes looking lost and a bit scared in the harsh fluorescent lighting. “I’ve just had my perception of reality forever altered. Stories I’ve always enjoyed reading, now include characters that are real. If I hadn’t witnessed that guy change shapes right in front of me, I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to believe you.”

  “Not long, I’d wager, because there are still things about my kind you’ll need to be aware of.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like what to expect with Sam’s pregnancy,” he offered. “I’d like for you to meet the physician who treats my kind. The two of you will need to work together in order for Samantha to have a safe pregnancy,” he explained. Of course, Dylan should have known better than to hope for no questions.

  “Is there some major difference between a human and shifter pregnancy? The kid won’t sprout claws or change into a cat while inside her, will it?”

  What the hell type of books did she read? “No, our children don’t shift until puberty.”

  “Just another fun change to their bodies at that age. Aren’t teenagers crazy enough?” she asked, looking appalled at the thought. “I mean, do they generally handle it well?”

  “They grow up knowing what they are and what to expect as they mature. We all have keen senses from birth, though the added strength and the ability to change arrive later. Personally, I view it as a blessing. Can you imagine what it would be like to have an infant or toddler turn into a lion cub?” he asked. “Our secret never would have survived this long.”

  “Fair enough, but what’s different then?”

  Tenacious, that’s how Dylan would describe Lynn. The woman would have made one hell of a reporter. “Well, we tend to have shorter gestation times, for one thing.”