by Dana Archer
He glanced between the two humans who were important to him. No matter what answer he gave, he’d anger them. He settled on the truth. “Getting involved with Mira is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Lena tilted her head. “And why is that?”
The curiosity on her face demanded an answer. Too bad it wasn’t one she’d like hearing.
He slid his attention to Josh. “What happens if you fall in love with her? Are you going to marry her?” Devin lifted a brow. “Come on. Fifty years from now when you’re old and wrinkled, Mira will still look the same. And when you die, her heart will break. Is that what you want?”
“No, that’s not what I want. But don’t you think she deserves a little happiness?”
“Sure, I do, but it won’t be with you.” Devin shook his head. “How many times do I have to say it? You cannot break the rules of the heavens.”
Josh stepped even closer until they were inches apart. “I like breaking rules, Devin. Been doing it all my life.”
“Yeah, well this one’ll just kill you. You’re not the first human male to try. The gods have spoken.”
“Your gods aren’t mine. I don’t care what they’ve decreed. I’ll make my own rules.”
Lena stepped between them and shoved with a hand at both of their chests. She wasn’t strong enough to move either of them but they both backed up.
She settled her annoyed gaze on him. “Enough. I came here to eat, not watch two stubborn men fight.”
“Oh, I like her,” the familiar voice of his twin exclaimed.
Devin turned and opened his arms. Mira wrapped hers around him. He rested his cheek over her head. “Hey, love.”
Mira gave him one last squeeze before separating them and stepping closer to Josh. She smiled—a shy smile—not a look he’d ever seen his sister wear except around the human.
Devin wasn’t an expert on relationships—look at how he’d screwed things up with Lena—but Mira acted as if the sun and moon revolved around Josh.
Something would have to be done about her infatuation before it turned deadly. He just didn’t know what. Trying to keep them apart had only made their attraction grow.
“Hi, Josh. You look nice tonight,” Mira purred.
Josh twirled a lock of her hair but kept an appropriate distance from her. After the many arguments he’d gotten into with Devin, he knew better. “You too, Mira. I’m glad you could come out tonight.”
With Josh’s attention centered on her, Mira beamed. She inched closer so her side touched his. Devin pushed back his anger. He didn’t want to start a fight with Josh in front of Lena. Besides, the arguments didn’t do any good. Josh wouldn’t accept the fact that he could never be with Mira. Biology and the gods’ mandate prevented it.
Mira inspected Lena head to toe, focusing on Devin’s arm wrapped around her. Mira’s brows pinched. She inhaled deeply, lips parted, then flicked her gaze to him.
“You’re together?”
“Yes.” He tucked Lena closer and gave his twin a warning look. It didn’t deter her.
Mira glanced at Lena. Devin couldn’t see her expression but Lena’s raised brow and straightened shoulders suggested it wasn’t a welcoming one. No doubt his mate was ready to defend him. Or stake her claim.
“You’re lovers?” Mira asked Lena.
“I’m moving in with Devin.”
Lena hadn’t acknowledged their bond, but he wasn’t surprised. He’d told her he wanted to announce it.
Mira tilted her head and studied Lena for a long moment. “I must say I’m surprised he chose to get involved with you. Not only are you human, but you’re so…fragile and small.”
“Lena’s fearless and brave. Strength in a compact, beautiful package,” Devin added before Lena opened her mouth. Mira wasn’t much better around humans than he was, but he was learning. She would too.
Mira lifted her gaze to his and held it for a long moment before Josh stepped between them, effectively stopping the battle of wills. Mira sensed Devin was hiding something where Lena was concerned. Devin could see it in Mira’s eyes. She knew him too well to blindly believe he’d simply decided to make Lena his live-in lover.
Mira had been his confidant and conscience for too long. She knew his yearnings and his doubts. They were the same ones that had plagued him after mating Lena. That his damaged soul would hurt her. That no female should have to share his crazed cats. Most importantly, that he didn’t deserve peace. Lena had eradicated every one of those beliefs.
“Let’s go sit and have a drink.” Josh’s fingertips touched Mira’s arm lightly before he motioned them toward the booth in the back corner of the main bar.
Devin urged Lena to slide in and sat next to her, tucking her into his side. Josh scooted next to Mira and leaned forward, elbows on the tabletop. “Megan wants to know why she can’t see her sister. I’m running out of excuses.”
“I’ll come over and talk to her. Maybe she can get through to Molly.” Because if she couldn’t, Devin was going to beseech Molly to shift and help her sister because nobody else could. It wasn’t a lie, either. Megan did need help. Instead of being born with a Royal feline ancestor as Molly had been, Megan was partially linked to the ancestor of a single shifter wolf pack. Devin suspected the species difference was the cause of her problems.
“I can’t wait to meet Megan.” Lena smiled but her grin drooped a moment later. “Molly often talked about her and the hospital they’d lived in.”
Josh sat up straighter. “Did she talk about the woman who smuggled them out of that place?”
“Nurse Ryanne?” Lena nodded. “Yes, but the details haven’t helped locate her. Molly wants her found. She loves her.”
“So does Megan.” Josh traced a watermark on the table. “Does Molly ever talk about what happened to them while they lived there?”
Lena squeezed Devin’s hand under the table. Offering comfort or taking it, he couldn’t be sure. “They weren’t hurt, if that’s what you’re asking. They were just segregated from everyone except Ryanne. She tutored them, cared for them, and played with them. She was their only connection to humanity.”
“She did a fine job too if Megan is any indicator. She’s a great kid.” Josh’s pride was easy to pick up on. After Josh’s brother was killed, he’d become Megan’s guardian, and he treated her as if she was his child.
“Megan’s a sweetheart, that’s for sure, but she also has a dominant streak.” Yeah, Devin was proud of the little girl too. Everyone in the pride had become wrapped around her little finger.
“Molly’s the same, loving and protective.” Lena’s proud grin drooped. “And once she shifts, it’ll be fun to watch them together.”
Silence descended at the reminder of Molly’s situation.
Finally, Mira turned to Lena. “You’re more than just Devin’s lover, aren’t you?”
Lena peeked at him. He nodded. There was no point in delaying the conversation. The stubborn look on Mira’s face warned she wouldn’t back off until she had answers.
She faced Mira. “Yes, I’m his mate.”
“His”—Mira shifted her gaze from Lena to him—“mate?”
The bar wasn’t the right place to discussion the events leading up to his decision. Then again, maybe it was the perfect spot. Mira likely wouldn’t cause a scene.
“Lena is my true mate. I mated her to save her life, and we plan to soul-bond.”
Instead of stirring Mira’s bad memories, longing showed on her face. She cut a quick glance at Josh before meeting Lena’s gaze.
“That’s wonderful news. Congratulations.” Mira flashed an overly bright smile. “When will we be having your mating celebration?”
Lena didn’t respond. She studied the water-stained table as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
Devin cleared his throat. “Soon. I want us to have one of those weddings like Jazz and Rafe had. The party afterward was fun, and Lena will look lovely in a white gown.”
“Then we sh
ould start planning now. Weddings take time to arrange. Nobody in the family expected Devin to take a mate. Our friends from around the world will want to celebrate.” Mira covered Lena’s hand on the table. “I can help.”
Lena pulled her hand free. “There will be no wedding.”
“Why is that?” Mira asked.
“Because unless Molly returns to us fully, I have no family to sit on my side of the church. And my friends? They’re not welcome in this world, not fully. I have nobody. Do you understand? Nobody.” Lena shoved at him to get out. He did and took her hand.
An apology simmered in Mira’s eyes, easy enough to see even with her contacts. He inclined his head and followed Lena out the back door.
Crowding her against the wall, he sifted his fingers into her hair and cradled her head. “Mira didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know that. I’m just having a really hard time trying to think about the future when I have nobody to share it with.”
“You have me.”
“I do, and I’m grateful for that.” She pressed a hand to her chest, right over her heart. “And I know this is depression. My guilt is eating away at me. For everyone’s sake, I need to let it go or accept it. I’m just finding it hard to do. My mind keeps drifting to the what-ifs and the shoulda-coulda-wouldas. I know they’re not healthy thoughts. I’m trying to ignore them and think positive.” She rested her cheek against his chest. “But I suck at it. I’m pathetic.”
“No, you’re not. It’s natural.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself. It’s not helping.”
“Then let me help you.” He tipped up her chin. “Soul-bond with me tonight. Once I can move freely in your soul, I can ease you better. You won’t be alone, and you’ll be able to draw on my strength or seek comfort from me with only a thought.”
They’d already discussed the process. She knew he’d be inflicting a mortal wound, but her trust in him was solid. He didn’t worry she’d fight him when the time came.
“Tonight? But we’ve only arrived today.”
“I don’t want to wait. It’s killing me to watch you suffer when I know I could bear your pain. I want to shield you from every horror, but without access to your soul, all I have to offer are words and my embrace.”
“Yes. Tie us together, Devin.” She snuggled against him. “But I’m not agreeing because I want your help. I’ll eventually beat this pain. I want to bond with you because I don’t want to exist without you. Not even for another night.”
A weight lifted from his shoulders. He kissed her, showing her with each sweep of his tongue how much her words meant to him. Her sigh wrapped around him, and her grip on him tightened.
He savored the moment, but eagerness rushed up. He couldn’t wait to bind them completely. Even the act itself didn’t dim his excitement. Lena trusted him with her life. That was the kind of devotion that males craved.
With one last brush of his lips to hers, he broke their kiss. “Then we’ll tell the others we’re leaving.”
“Aren’t more of your friends coming, though? It’d be rude to just up and leave.”
“They’ll understand.”
He led her to the door. She stopped him with a slight tug on his arm. He glanced at her.
“I’d like to meet Rafe’s human mate.” She licked her lips. “So I know what to expect.”
Rafe and Jazz’s mating hadn’t been ideal, but the process was the same—painful, frightening, and thrilling at the same time.
Devin inclined his head. “Then you will.”
Chapter 36
At the sudden silence in the bar, Lena glanced up. Two of the most beautiful people she’d ever seen strolled across the room, drawing looks from men and women alike. The man had to be Kade’s twin, Rafe. The woman, however, was too short and soft to be a shifter. She had golden hair, tanned skin, and a body Lena would kill for.
Kade entered behind them. His piercing gaze zeroed in on Mira before he stopped his twin with a hand on his shoulder. He whispered something to him, and Rafe also glanced at Mira.
Devin’s leg tensed under her hand. His lip lifted in a snarl. Luckily, no sound came out.
“Are you okay?” she asked him.
“No, I’m not.”
Mira reached across the table and lightly touched his hand. “Just because he wants to talk to us doesn’t mean he has bad news.”
“What other kind is there that he’d leave Molly and come out here?”
Mira flinched. Kade and Rafe approached before any of them could say more.
“Where’s Molly?” Lena asked Kade.
One corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile. “Molly’s safe. I wouldn’t endanger her, but she’s not too happy with me at the moment. I had to use the crate.”
Her mouth hung open. Lena snapped it closed and glared at him. “You put my sister in a crate? Like a dog?”
“I gave her the choice. Shift and spend the night watching cartoons with Zach or be treated as a lion cub. She glared at me, then walked into the crate. It had surprised me that she’d take that option, but”—Kade shrugged—“I figure if she gets annoyed enough, she’ll shift back.”
She studied everyone’s expression. None looked happy with Kade’s statement, but resignation showed too. Every day that passed made Molly’s situation more pressing. For that reason alone, she bit back her anger. Desperate measures called for desperate tactics.
“Let’s hope so, but I don’t like it.” Lena let her displeasure bleed into her tone.
“Neither do I, but we need to get through to her. She’s only being stubborn now, but none of us have given up on her. We will do everything we can to help her understand why she has return to us.” Sympathy filled Kade’s eyes. “You must understand, though, she’s tried attacking everyone besides me and Devin. The crate was an unfortunate necessity. I had to come out here tonight, but I have a wolf shifter sitting in the kitchen in case she needs anything. She’s safe.”
Lena nodded, resignation settling in her shoulders.
Rafe stepped closer to his twin, his equally piercing gaze on her. “Welcome, Lena. I’m Rafe. This is my mate, Jazz.” He wrapped an arm around Jazz’s shoulders and tucked the woman against his body. “We’re so very glad to have you as a part of our extended family.”
Lena grinned. It was impossible not to. The warmth in Rafe’s expression was contagious and chased away the uneasiness Molly’s situation brought.
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone.” Devin’s pride wouldn’t take the place of Gwen or her parents, but she couldn’t sulk in the shadows any longer. Devin’s words to her had convinced her of that. She’d been holding him at arm’s length while she’d wallowed in guilt. No longer. She’d take his strength and use his love to patch the crack in her heart.
Kade cleared his throat, effectively putting an end to the warm greetings. “Devin, I need to speak with you and Mira.”
“About Molly?” Lena asked.
“No.” Kade closed his eyes and took several deep breaths that visibly calmed him, easing his tense posture. “This is something else.”
Devin leaned close. “Do you mind? I won’t be long.”
“Of course not. Go.”
Kade motioned toward the employee hallway. “Let’s use the office.”
Devin brushed his lips over hers, then slipped from the booth. As they walked away, her gaze landed on Josh, the one person everyone had ignored. The man adored Mira. It was clear from the expression of longing on his face and the way he tracked her every move, but he didn’t follow the shifters. He watched Mira until she was out of sight before facing them.
“I’m going to help out at the bar. Yell if you need anything.” Josh strode away.
Jazz took the spot he’d vacated. “I hate this. It’s not fair. Josh is so in love with Mira it’s not funny.”
Rafe took the seat next to Jazz. “I know. I wish things could be different but they’re not.”
“Beca
use Josh is human?” Lena asked.
Rafe nodded. “Only Royal males can take human mates, not Royal females.”
“Why not? If mating just involves a bite and sharing your cats, Mira can do that if she wants.”
“No she can’t. A shifter female is meant to share in her mate’s strength and immortality, not the other way around. She can’t give a piece of her soul away. You understand?” Rafe raised a brow. “Only a male can take it, claiming her, not the other way around. Right or wrong, this is how the gods deemed mating to work, and their decrees cannot be broken, even by them. It’s…”
Rafe pinched his brows, looking as if he was searching for the right words. “It’s part of their divine law, and since we carry their essence, we are bound by it. It’s a…a mystical line that can’t be crossed. If they decide to push it, Josh will die. Mira will rip his soul to shreds if she tries to take a piece of his soul.”
Lena looked in Josh’s direction. He caught her gaze and grinned, but it was a fake smile. It never reached his eyes. “That’s unfair.”
Sympathy softened Jazz’s features. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, shifter culture is nothing close to being fair. Some customs are changing, but their tie to the heavens isn’t something that’ll go away just because we don’t agree with it. They hold a piece of their goddess.”
Curses rang out, stopping her next question. Rafe slid from the booth and stood in front of it, arms loose at his sides.
Vader stormed in, the bar patrons moving for him without prompting. No wonder. An aura of danger clung to him. He wore all black, from his leather jacket to his boots. At his back, three other equally tall men dressed in similar clothes followed. But it was his expression that betrayed the predator inside. Fury rolled off him.
He stopped near their booth. “Where’s Devin?”
Rafe stepped closer to Vader. “Why do you want to know?”
Vader dug an envelope from his coat pocket and waved it. “Because the Council gave me one last job to do before they’d accept my resignation, and I’m here to deliver it so I can get on with my life.”
