by Dana Archer
She was in pain, and it was his fault.
“Tell Mira we’ve been delayed, and I’ll call her when I can.” He reached for the blanket’s edge, then stilled with his fingers fisted around the satiny trim. “Do not mention anything about Lena.”
Kade stepped into the room. Devin bared his fangs. No way would he allow another male, leader or not, near his mate while she slept.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Kade stopped. “If you don’t tell Mira about Lena until later, she’ll be upset.”
Devin slipped under the covers, careful to keep Lena’s body hidden from Kade’s view, and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed but didn’t wake. He took a moment to ponder how small the female he held was and how nicely she fit into the shelter of his larger frame. It left him with the impression he could protect her from everything, a tempting notion for a male who constantly let down everyone in his life, including the woman in his arms.
“Mira has never cared who I took as a lover. Why would she care about Lena?”
“Because Lena is not a random one-night stand. She’s your mate, and you’re in that bed with her because you care about her.”
Devin slid his hand over the bandage on her belly. “Being my mate isn’t a role she chose, so I’m not going to introduce her as such, and of course, I care. I’m the one who injured her in the first place.”
“But you saved her.” Kade pressed the heel of his hands to his temples. “It’s not your fault that your mind is fragmented. Blame Mira’s rapist and the prison where you were held for that.”
Devin rubbed his chin over Lena’s head. The soft brush of her hair against his skin tickled, giving him something to focus on besides his many failures. “My past doesn’t excuse my actions. I shouldn’t have hurt her. I allowed my rage to rule and blacked out. Lena called me on it too. I didn’t even know I’d clawed her. She could’ve died before I even realized what I’d done.”
“Fine. Feel guilty all you want, but every minute you spend with her will intensify your possessiveness.” Kade narrowed his eyes, the warning clear. “You need to focus on earning her trust and acceptance, not regretting the past. You heard Verna. Lena might die if you break your bond.”
“I have no intentions of cutting myself out of her. I refuse to hurt her any more than I already have.”
Kade breathed a sigh. “Good, then work on winning her over. Seduce her. Wine and dine her. Grovel. I don’t care how you do it, but you will earn your mate’s love and tie her completely to you.”
“I’ll talk to Lena.” Not a lie. He would talk to her. It simply wouldn’t be about soul-bonding.
Kade pulled the door shut. Before it blocked him completely, he muttered, “An aversion is as bad as a lie. I’m letting it go for Lena’s sake. She needs your comfort, not to listen to me lecture.”
Devin didn’t need it either. He knew exactly what was at stake. Lena.
After she woke, he’d get to know her before deciding on whether he was even going to bring up their bond or let her walk away, no strings attached.
If she woke.
His chest squeezed. He sat up and pressed his balled fist against the pain. Hoping to chase the disturbing response away, he lifted a lock of Lena’s hair to his nose and inhaled. The viselike grip eased. His rapid breaths slowed. He let the strands sift through his fingers and turned his attention to Lena, where it belonged.
The concoction of herbs the witch had given Lena left her in a relaxed state, easing her pain. It had helped some, but not enough. A fever still ravaged her body, leaving her weak and in misery.
He lifted her loose shirt and traced the edge of her bandage. Carefully, he peeled the gauze back, exposing the wound. Red and swollen, an infection puffed the skin around the scabs.
His pulse quickened. The glands associated with his cats filled his mouth with saliva. Their possessive demands mixed with the man’s need to care for his mate. He resisted, shoving hard against their forceful wills and reminding them who was boss. The consequence of licking her wounds was too great—emotionally and physically.
His compulsion to stay close to her would be difficult to resist, and she’d be drawn to him without understanding that it was his scent luring her close. Besides, Verna had said she thought Lena would be fine. There was no reason to intervene, not yet at least. He would not take the choice out of Lena’s hands. If she didn’t want him, he’d walk. She’d be stuck with a piece of him, but that would beat being stuck with all of him.
He reached for the ointment and fresh gauze on the nightstand to cover the wound again. The locket he wore swung with the movement. He left the supplies where they were and slipped the chain over his head.
Sisters. He traced the word with his thumb.
“I love Molly, and I’ll protect her with my life if I have to.”
She’d turned herself into bait. That was why she’d stayed. To lead the threat away from her sisters. She’d been willing to face death to protect them, just as he had done for Mira.
He looked over Lena’s small body and couldn’t get rid of the memory of her clutching the tiny rock. She’d refused to give up then, but nothing she did now would help her. He could, though. All it would take was a little saliva and some more blood—his gods-given gifts, meant for those humans important to him, and Lena’s significance grew with every moment he spent with her. Not simply as a mate but as a female he respected.
“Devin.”
His name breathed in a pained voice tightened the noose around his chest. Worse than last time. It felt like his heart might burst. He ignored his discomfort and laid his palm over her forehead. Her skin burned hotter than it had been in the car. His gut churned.
“I’m here.”
She blinked several times before focusing on him. “Everything hurts.”
He pressed kisses to her face, hoping to ease her. She sighed and rested a trembling hand against his chest.
“I know. You’ll be better soon.”
Her chocolate-colored eyes locked on to his. The wave of awareness he’d experienced the first time he’d looked into them washed over him. His heart skipped a beat before pounding hard.
“I see the lie in your eyes.” She fisted his shirt. “Tell me the truth. Am I dying?”
His body jerked from the force of his cats trying to claw their way out. He tuned out their roaring and focused on the small, brave woman waiting for his answer.
“No, my sweet Lena, I won’t allow that to happen.”
He kissed her softly, and she opened to him. Even sick and knowing he’d been the cause of her discomfort, she welcomed his touch. The rightness she brought rolled through him, filling him with peace.
“Obviously she loves you enough that she’s willing to accept a piece of your damaged soul. Why wouldn’t she want to help you shoulder your pain for eternity?”
Verna’s words repeated in his head. Lena didn’t love him, but there was something between them. He’d felt it even before he’d mated her. A connection.
All shifters were promised peace in the form of a true mate. Did that apply to damaged males? He didn’t know, but with Lena’s small hands on him, he couldn’t help but think it did.
If he were going to be blessed with a mate, she’d have to be strong and brave. She’d have to be tough enough to stand up to him. She’d have to tame him. Be the center of his world.
He pulled back and captured Lena’s gaze. Strength emanated from her despite her pain. He wanted to get lost in her. Protect her. Please her.
“Work on winning her over. Seduce her. Wine and dine her. Grovel. I don’t care how you do it, but you will earn your mate’s love.” Kade’s order skipped through Devin’s mind.
Yes, he wanted to win Lena’s love. He wanted her to willingly walk through time at his side. It was a selfish thing to desire. That didn’t stop him from yearning for it or her. He also didn’t have any idea how he’d prove he was worthy when he wasn’t, but he had to at least try.
“You’re not
going to die. Do you believe me?”
She nodded.
“Good. Close your eyes. I’ll take care of you.”
She did, sighing softly, and he extended one clawed nail. He slit the shirt she wore to give him better access and wiped the remainder of the ointment away with the soft towel he found folded neatly on the nightstand. With that done, he lowered his mouth to her belly and licked.
As he tended her wounds, he accepted he was sealing more than just his scent in her body with the intimate act. He only hoped Lena would find something about him to love.
Chapter 7
Lena woke with a smile on her face and stretched out her hand, seeking Devin’s warmth. Cold sheets met her fingertips. Her heart sank. He hadn’t left her side all night.
Why would he now?
She fisted the bedding and groaned. The stupid, feminine emotions she could never keep completely locked away always crept up at the worst possible times and with the worst possible men. She should be glad he wasn’t here, not feel abandoned or unwanted. Without him hovering, escape became a very real possibility.
She gingerly pushed her body into a sitting position, expecting dizziness to make the world spin. It didn’t. An unfamiliar room came into focus. She studied it, noting the single door and window, before turning her attention to her body.
Her stomach felt tender, more achy than anything. It wouldn’t stop her from running. She’d exercised through worse. The mental pep talk didn’t help. She couldn’t make herself move. Her attention remained locked on the evidence of the accident she’d barely survived. Or what was left of it. With a shaky finger, she traced the thin white slashes sweeping across her stomach.
No scab, no wide scar. He’d healed her. Awe left her as muddled as when she’d first woken.
The man might be a vicious predator, but he had a great bedside manner. Each time she’d regained consciousness he’d helped her drink more of the rich hot chocolate he promised would make her feel better. Amazingly, it had. And remembering the gentle way he’d cared for her, pressing cold cloths to her burning skin and repeatedly licking her wounds made her belly quiver. A reaction that had nothing to do with her injuries.
If she didn’t know he had an ulterior motive to making sure she lived, she’d delude herself into thinking she mattered to him.
Lena shook her head, trying to get thoughts of the man out of it. Hard to do when the bed smelled of evergreen and moss. Actually, she swore his scent clung to her skin too. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to move when all she wanted was to lie down and bury her face in the pillow they’d shared.
His muffled, deep timbre reached her ears. A breathy sigh slipped past her lips. He hadn’t left her.
What was wrong with her? Knowing her kidnapper was close should not fill her with elation. Dread, fear—those were the appropriate responses to have for a man who’d hurt her, accident or not.
Of course, nothing about Devin or her reaction to him made sense. The rules got tossed out the window or maybe they had been knocked out of her head back in those woods. Actually, she wasn’t even sure he was her kidnapper. Savior, maybe?
She clenched her teeth. Focus. She needed to focus. Her feelings didn’t matter. She didn’t matter. Gwen and Molly did. Her promise to her stepdad did. Nothing else.
Her stepdad’s face flashed before her—gray hair, a few wrinkles, and a warm, welcoming smile. Sorrow swept through her, making her chest tight and blurring her vision. The loss of him and her mom was sharp. They had been incredible people, and her stepdad had been her hero, not just because he’d welcomed her into his life and treated her as his daughter from day one. He had been honorable and strong. A noble, modern-day warrior.
Lena knew he’d walked through depravity each time he had gone on a rescue mission. The horrid memories had been a part of him, influencing everything he had done, but he hadn’t let them choke him. People had been counting on him to keep his cool and act. So he had.
That was what she would do too.
She threw off the sheet, her heart pounding hard as the full scope of her situation registered. Devin had left her alone. Did that mean he trusted her? Or that he didn’t think she could escape? Or that he really did want to take care of her?
A quick peek out the window answered her question. Kade, the frightening shifter who could’ve been a model, stood as a sentinel in the driveway, ensuring she wouldn’t get away. He’d be on her as soon as she opened the window. That left the door. She threw her legs over the side, toes meeting the soft plush carpet, and froze. Devin’s one-sided conversation drifted to her from the hallway. She couldn’t make out more than a few words of it, but as soon as he finished his call, he’d be back.
For a brief moment, she considered searching for a weapon. She dismissed it in the next breath. The thought of actually hurting Devin churned her stomach.
She glanced at the nightstand and grinned. A phone! She grabbed it, punched in Gwen’s cell number but hesitated with her finger over the call button. The line could be bugged. Her fingers trembled, heart and mind warring. She wanted to believe in Devin. Not all shifters were corrupt or control freaks. Taking a chance, she hit the button.
“Hello?” Gwen’s hesitant voice came over the line.
“Gwen, it’s me”
“Oh, thank goodness, are you okay?”
That was a matter of opinion. Lena blew out a breath. “Yeah, sweetie, don’t worry about me. How are you and Molly?”
Gwen cleared her throat. “Safe but worried sick about you. What happened? I got that text and—”
“Look, I don’t have much time to talk. I’m with the second set of shifters who showed up. They say they want to help us and—”
“Are they associated with Shifter Affairs?”
Were they? Lena nibbled her lip. Her gut instinct said no. Otherwise, they would’ve taken her to a hospital or a government-run safe house or maybe turned her over to the Colonel who’d sold them out. “I don’t think so. I get a civilian vibe from them.”
“Do you believe they can help us?”
The hope in Gwen’s voice added to Lena’s anxiety. Her little sister was too sweet and sheltered to deal with the horrors of the world. Lena hated that she’d put her in this situation. She also hated the reason they had to hide Molly from those who were supposed to protect her. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Lena could do about it. She wasn’t the one who’d tortured a child to the point of shattering her mind. Or betrayed her by selling her to a family who only wanted her genes.
“I want to trust them.” Lena lowered her voice more. “But I’m not sure. Let me talk to them. If they seem sincere, we’ll come pick you up. But if you don’t hear from me by tomorrow morning, get out of town.”
“I’m not at the hotel. I decided we’d be safer at—”
“No. Don’t tell me.” In case she was wrong and Devin wasn’t the sweet man she thought he was. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been wrong about a guy. “The phone might be bugged. Text me later this afternoon on my work cell and let me know.”
“Okay. Be safe. Love you.”
“Love you too.” Lena ended the call, setting the phone on the nightstand, then plopped on the bed to wait for Devin.
Several minutes passed before the doorknob turned and the scent of evergreen and moss swept into the room. The soft click of the bedroom door sounded overly loud in her ears. She froze, suddenly very aware of her racing pulse. Nerves or anticipation? She sighed. With the way her body reacted to Devin, probably both.
The bed dipped as he crawled toward her. He skimmed his fingers across her shoulder, then down her arm to linger at her wrist.
“Morning, Lena. How are you feeling?”
His rumbly voice made her stomach flutter. She clenched her hands until her nails dug into her palms. The bite of pain distracted her from thinking about the man she should fear but couldn’t help desiring.
“Better.” She swallowed hard. “I…umm, want to…” Strong hands l
ifted hers and the slight contact zapped her thoughts. The unexplainable mix of emotions—lust, affection, confusion, anxiety—returned. She couldn’t get her mind to work. Everything seemed fuzzy. Eyes closed, she shook her head, trying to clear it of the fog. The words she sought solidified into a thought. “Talk. I want to talk.”
“Me too. We have a lot to talk about.”
Instead of asking any of the questions she knew he had, he gently pulled back her fingers, kissing each one before pressing his mouth to her palm. His touch branded her and filled her with warmth.
“My sisters…I called them.” They needed to start this conversation somewhere.
“Are they safe?”
His question and the emotion laced into it eased some of her tension.
She nodded. “They’re safe.”
A long moment passed while Devin brushed his cheek back and forth over her inner wrist. “You’re not going to tell me where they are yet, are you?”
She shook her head.
“Look at me.”
Unable to resist him, she opened her eyes, and his breathtaking ones stared back at her. Strands of patchwork hair framed the face that had occupied her dreams all night. Harshly cut cheekbones, up-tilted eyes, and the wider, flatter nose made it unique, a mixture of beauty and power. Devin was the type of man you never forgot. One glimpse and you were hooked.
He knelt next to her on the wrinkled sheets, looking deliciously hot with his disheveled hair, bare chest, and loose sweats. She let her gaze travel over him from his bulging biceps to the lips she wanted on hers.
“You can trust me.”
She wanted to. “I need to make sure.”
He stretched on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. He didn’t say anything. He simply held her. The tension in her limbs drained, and she relaxed in his embrace exactly as she’d done in the hotel.
She didn’t know how long they snuggled, but finally he placed his palm over her heart.
“The answer is here. Do you feel it?”
