by T. Cobbin
Chapter 3
Grey watched Maddy sniff at the breakfast he placed in front of her. “I didn’t poison it,” he smirked.
As she tucked in, he started telling her story.
“You were found on the steps outside a small church in Wittering, Cambridge. The woman who played the church organ found you, and you were named after her. After an extensive investigation where no parents were located you were placed up for adoption.” He watched her push the half-eaten breakfast away from her. “You were two when Donald and Penelope Kade were killed in a car crash. They had no family that could take you in, so you spent several years being shipped from foster parents to children homes. When you were fifteen you ran away from your last foster home after an altercation with another foster kid.”
He paused, waiting to see if she added to the story. He knew the reason for the fight, being one of his pride had talked to the now man in question, but he wanted her to tell the story. But when she reminded silent, he continued.
“We lost track of your whereabouts for about five years until you popped up after registering for a college course. You lived with Frannie Plad, an elderly woman who had no family of her own, for the entire course while working several jobs at the same time. After she died you squatted in her place until you raised enough money to get your own one-bedroom apartment where we picked you up.”
“Where you kidnapped me,” she snapped.
Ignoring her, he continued. “After finishing your college course you managed to get a secretary job, where you were working for a slimeball who liked to caress your arse as you walked past. I actually wonder just how long you would have put up with him.”
Maddy stood up and started clapping her hands. “Well done. Bravo. You know all about my life.” She stopped to place a hand on a cocked hip. “Do I get to know why now?”
Standing to put a little height over the sassy woman, he replied, “I know about your natural parents.”
He watched all her pluckiness drop from her persona.
* * * *
My parents? No fucking way! She’d been left in a white blanket on some church steps twenty-three years ago. No one knew where she had come from.
“My real parents? Yeah, yeah. Give the poor orphan a lollipop then take it away from her. Screw you, buddy, and the horse you rode in on.”
Turning, Maddy ran for the door. She managed to grab hold of the handle and swing the door open before once again she was swept off her feet and carried over the caveman’s shoulders. This time the jerk didn’t have hold of her hands, so clenching her fists, she swung as hard as she could and pounded on his back. After a few good punches she found herself thrown down and landing in a sitting position on the leather couch. She kicked out at him, but he caught her ankles. When he pushed them to the floor she punched at him, but this time he caught her wrists and held them against her knees. Geeze, he had huge paws.
“Calm,” he barked. “I do know who your parents were.”
“Were?”
“Yes, were.” He didn’t release her hands. She wasn’t sure at that particular time if she wanted him to.
“I’m listening.”
“First I have to tell you a little about me and the pride.”
“Pride?”
“Yes, pride. The Tranquil Hunters Pride. We are a group of people who live close to each other—”
She blew out a breath in frustration and interrupted him, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. “Here we go...come join our group, we will look after you...”
“Enough,” he growled. “Listen to me.” He walked to a bookcase and pulled out a photo album. Bringing it back to where she sat, he shoved the open book into her hands. “Your parents. May and Trevor Compton.”
Looking down at the open page before her she saw two people smiling back at her. She had always wondered how she would feel if she happened to find her parents. How would she cope? Would her parents love her? And if so, could she forgive them for abandoning her and love them in return? Looking at the photo, she saw some similarities, like the woman’s features and the male’s eyes, but she felt nothing. Numb. Pulling the photo from the book, she held it between her shaking fingers, hoping for some kind of emotion. Anything. Dropping both the photo and book on the floor, she looked up at Grey. She suddenly found her emotion—pure and utter anger.
“I don’t want to listen to any more. Those people may look similar, but they are nothing to me. Even if they were my parents, I don’t feel anything but anger. They left me on church steps in the middle of nowhere. You kidnap me, bring me to this god-forsaken place, tell me my life fucking history, and then expect me to believe you know about my parents. Listen to me, jerk face, no one knows them. I didn’t have anything on me when they found me, not even a fucking note. Even if you did know them, why the hell am I only finding out now? I was in the newspapers and on the television when they found me, someone could have come forward then.” Standing up, she stomped her feet, letting some of the anger she’d felt all her life at being abandoned roar through her, and then she screamed to release some more.
Pure shock reeled through her when she found herself lifted and placed over his knees. Her tight work suit skirt ripped up the back, leaving her backside feeling fresh air. She howled as his hand came down on her butt several times. Tears flowed freely, falling on the floor beneath her head.
“Are you going to hear me out?” he asked, halting after the fourth spank. Her arse burned.
“Jerk,” she shrieked at him, not ready to give in.
Slap.
Filling her lungs with air, she let out another scream of pure frustration and annoyance and then slumped over his legs, grief, sadness, and pain hitting her all at once. Why had she been left? Why did everyone leave her?
“Okay, arsehole, I give in,” she whispered, sobbing.
Her whole world twisted and turned again until she was sitting—on her very sore butt—on his lap. He just spanked me like a fucking naughty child. Anger bloomed deep inside her, but it couldn’t stop the tears as they leaked down her face. He didn’t say anything, just held her and cooed gently until her sobs finally began to stop.
“I’m not a child, you know,” she grumbled.
He carried on talking about her life as if she hadn’t just cursed the shit out of him and he hadn’t spanked her like a child. She sat in stunned silence, listening.
“First, let me explain about the Tranquil Hunters. We are one of three lion shifter groups in Britain.”
“Come on...lion shifters? Bullshit!”
“Are you going to listen?” he growled. His amber eyes flickered to a lighter amber and the shape became elongated.
“Yes, I’ll listen,” she squeaked out. A little belief began creeping in.
“Your parents lived with our group for many years. Your mother was a soothsayer, and your father was a shaman who managed the wards around our property. A year before you were born your mother predicted that their one and only daughter would be my mate, along with the fact she would be powerful in her own right.”
Looking up at him, she could feel the truth in his words. She had always had a gift of knowing when the truth was told or not. Rolling her eyes, she realized her life was heading further into the twilight zone.
“I was four at the time. My parents, although they were dubious, accepted that this may happen. However, Jerrick, my father’s beta, didn’t take it well. He and his mate had a two-year-old daughter. She and I were very close, which had him believing we were mates. He became unpredictable, unstable, letting his jealousy overcome him. It was a hard time for my father. He watched his closest friend, someone who’d had his back and trust for so long, come apart. He knew the day would come when he would have to do something about it. When your parents announced they were pregnant it sent him over the edge.”
She watched the man holding her take a deep breath and close his eyes. She could feel the sadness come from him in waves.
“Your mother foresaw that Jer
rick would attack them, and she went to my father and informed him. Once confronted, Jerrick denied it, and without proof my father couldn’t do anything, he could only watch and wait. My father couldn’t even remove Jerrick from the position of beta or kick him out of the pride. Our law states proof of any crime is needed.”
Maddy saw a tear form then drop from Grey’s amber eye. She couldn’t help but curl tighter against him. She knew he was telling the truth, could feel it in her bones.
“Without Jerrick knowing, my father put a few enforcers on protection duty around your parents. He himself took a role in it. One night while he was patrolling Jerrick slipped into my parents’ house and killed my mother. My father knew it was Jerrick, his scent was all over my mother’s dead body. Jerrick ran afterward with his family.
“In my father’s grief he half-blamed your parents for causing this and sent them away. Just after you were born my father realized what he’d done and phoned them to ask if they would return. He knew what it was like to lose a mate and he didn’t want his son to lose his. Unbeknown to either my father or your parents, Jerrick had already found them, and he attacked as soon as they left their warded house. Your father fought valiantly, giving your mother time to hide you. We found her body nearly ten miles away from the church you were found in.
“My father told me he knew about you being found but chose to leave you in the system. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know. I know he felt guilty about sending your parents away. He felt it was his fault they were killed. He did, however, bring the bodies of your parents home and we buried them in our cemetery.”
What was she to say to that? Her mother and father had tried to protect her? They hadn’t just left her because she wasn’t loved or cared for? Her real parents had actually loved her? She couldn’t hold back the tears from the years of pain she had experienced. They had really loved her.
Chapter 4
Grey watched the small female in his arms cry. He could smell the emotions coming off her. The pain she must have held onto all her life was now freely falling with her tears. He couldn’t imagine living the life she had. To go from one home to another, to know you were left on some church step and never have your parents come forward to be claimed, and then to be kidnapped and told about your life... He could only hold his potential mate while she was in a world of pain. A sliver of anger crept through him at his father—how could he have left her and not brought her home to be protected and cared for?
Her sobbing abated and she drifted into a restless sleep. All the emotion she had gone through in a short time had worn her out. Her eyes flittered back and forth under her closed eyelids, her still damp lashes fanning out against her cheek. He had found out about her and her family from his father shortly before the old man died. He knew part of the story being his father had hunted Jerrick for years. The ex-beta was still out there. Grey knew one day the lion would come home to die—that had also been foretold by Maddy’s mother.
Standing, he gently placed the sleeping woman on the couch and pulled a blanket from the back and draped it over her. He didn’t know what was waiting for him when she woke, but he would try to help her and persuade her to stay. He winced, hoping he wouldn’t have to keep her here against her wishes. That wasn’t going to help him mate her at all. And she was his mate. The first time Mace had brought home a piece of her clothing after tracking her down, he knew her scent, and his cock had hardened at her sweet aroma. He had taken part in the hunt after that, so close to her and yet so far.
Looking down at her now, he knew he couldn’t let her go. He bent down and pressed a light kiss to her forehead then went to the kitchen to phone Mace.
* * * *
Maddy knew she was dreaming. It was the kind of dream where you could try to change things that happened. Currently, she was flying in a field of clouds. She felt light and airy; all around her was white and fluffy. She closed her eyes and opened her arms, enjoying the floating sensation.
“Oh, sweetheart, she is as beautiful as I foresaw.” The sweet, angelic voice had Maddy opening her eyes. In front of her were the two figures from the photograph Grey had shown her.
“I’m dreaming.” Her words stumbled from her mouth.
“Yes, in a way, dear. When you were born your father and I gave you a little of our magic, so combined with your own you will be pretty powerful when you learn to use it. This here,” the female said, gesturing around her, “is just the last lingering spell we left on you. I’m afraid it’s a one-off, sweetheart. I’m sorry we couldn’t do it before now, but you wouldn’t have understood.”
Maddy glided toward her parents, but no matter how much she tried she couldn’t get within touching distance.
Her mother watched with sad eyes and shook her head slightly. “We can only talk briefly, daughter, you can’t touch us as we can’t you. You were name Leia at birth. Your father and I very much wanted and loved you. I’m sorry we couldn’t be with you during your life, but we watched over you as often as we could. Time moves differently here.” Her mother glanced at her father then looked back to Maddy. “We’re glad Greyback finally found you. It was destined before you were born that you two would be mates. Don’t be scared of this, sweetheart. I know you will accept it. He is a good man and will protect you with everything he has and is. If you doubt this in any way, it could hurt you both. We wanted to make sure you knew that there was never any doubt that our love for you was never-ending. Things that are seen can be changed, Leia, remember that, sometimes you have to be careful how though.”
Her mother held out a pale hand as if she wanted to touch Maddy’s face.
“It’s time for us to go, but remember we always loved you and things can be changed if seen. Seek out Amier, she can help with controlling your powers. She may be gruff around the edges, but she has a good heart.”
Maddy watched her parents begin to fade. “Wait,” she cried. “I have so much to tell you and to ask.”
“We love you...” The faint, angelic, sing-song voice of her mother drifted away through the white, fluffy fog.
“I love you too,” she whispered.
* * * *
After calling his beta to watch over things for a few hours, Grey sat down on the floor in front of the couch, watching over Maddy. Her scent had slowly been drifting and combining with his, making the cabin more homely. He didn’t want to leave her to wake up on her own. She’d already had a rough morning.
Was it creepy to sit there watching her? He didn’t care. He would be doing a lot more of it in the future.
He looked up and down her body, thinking about her luscious curves. How he would love to get his hands on them, feel the softness of her skin against his. He wanted to feel how wet she got when he was deep inside her. He had been dreaming about his mate ever since his father had first told him about her. He wanted a family, a big one. He’d been an only child, a lonely existence really. His first and best friend had been Rainy, Jerrick’s daughter. When she left and his mother died he had found it hard for a while to socialize with any kid. When he hit his teens Mace had been his best friend in all things. The crap they had gotten into was unbelievable, it still made him laugh.
Her plump lips began moving as if she were talking to someone. Her small hands also began twitching, then she gave a tiny cry and her beautiful aqua eyes opened with a start.
He reached out, stroking his knuckles along her cheek. “It’s okay, little one. You’re safe.”
Her eyes sparkled with tears as she lay there relaying her dream. “They really did love me. For the longest time I thought I wasn’t loved or wanted. I barely remember my adoptive parents either, and going from home to home I forever felt unloved, and now I find out...”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. He felt like a bastard as his cock thickened, becoming uncomfortable in his jeans. She was upset, dammit. But he couldn’t wait any longer, he wanted another taste of her. Lifting himself up from the floor, he leaned forward, grabbing the back of her neck, and
kissed her. He groaned as her taste flooded him. He could feel her chest expand to touch his, her hard little pebbled nipples rubbing against him. He angled his head slightly to gain better access, delving his tongue inside and sliding it along hers. She moaned, her arms wrapping around his neck.
He broke away, leaving both of them panting. The scent of their combined arousals filled the air.
“Your tongue is coarser than...someone else’s...” She blushed.
“Kissed many then?” He winked, watching her face turn even redder.
“Only those who kissed me first.”
“Sassy, aren’t you, princess?”
“You seem to bring it out in me.” She smiled. “If I am to stay here to talk more, can I take a shower? It’s what—about noon?”
He looked at his watch and nodded.
“I would also like to visit my parents’ resting place.”
“Okay. How about something to eat while we talk?”
After helping her stand and gesturing for her to go down the hallway first, he noticed her torn skirt. He sure had done a number on it. He could see her pale arse cheeks sway. That didn’t help his arousal in the slightest. He wanted to find the nearest flat surface and see just how tight she really was.
Clearing his throat, he muttered, “I’ll find you something to wear.”
Chapter 5
Maddy stood under the shower, the water raining down on top of her, soothing her tattered nerves. With her head ducked between her hands resting on the wall, she just stood there going over everything in her mind.
Her parents loved her. It was like a record stuck on repeat in her head. That little fact made her feel better, lighter in a way. Her parents were magical. That’s when other stuff started to click together. During the years of searching for anything to do with her parents she had come across the newspaper clipping of her adoptive parents’ car crash. She’d survived that with only a single scratch, and yet it had killed them both. Had magic helped her then?
