Guarding His Heart

by Serena Pettus

  “Easy, Jag. It’s not what you’re thinking,” Liam said, his voice low and measured.

  “What?” How did Liam know what Jag was thinking?

  “We’re not getting cozy. I was just comforting her. She was upset.”

  At that, the big cat’s attention shifted to her again. Did he really think she’d be interested in Liam that way? Then it hit her. Jag was jealous—possibly a tad possessive, too. If he was acting like this, surely, she had a shot at fixing things. First, she had to make sure he understood nothing was going on between her and Liam.

  “It’s true. I realized a few things tonight, and now, I have some things I need to think about.” With a deep breath, Lynn forged on. Here goes nothing. “Would you be willing to come by tomorrow evening to talk? I’m not sure what time I’ll get in, but Liam informed me that you rarely leave.” Jag slowly nodded, and she gave a watery smile.

  Liam stood and moved toward the kitchen. “Okay, now you know,” he told Jag. “Don’t maul me when I leave. I’d hate for cold pizza to be my last meal.”

  Jag gave a huff before turning to leave.

  “Did you know he was close enough to notice you comforting me?” she asked.

  Liam gaped. “Are you nuts? Trust me, I know better than to get between mates, whether they’re official or not. That’s just asking for an extended stay at the clinic.”

  Lynn shook her head. “Guess next time you bug me, I’ll just give you a big hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek.” Giving him a quick wink, she moved to the fridge.

  “Do you want to get me killed?” he exclaimed. “Sweetheart, Jag won’t tolerate another man’s scent on you, and that I can promise. Had I known he was near, I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to touch you for any reason. His first instinct would be to remove my hands from you, and if that meant removing them from my body as well, he wouldn’t hesitate. Do you get what I’m saying here?”

  Laughing now, Lynn set the tea pitcher on the table and grabbed two glasses. “Relax. I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Woman, you’re gonna give me my first gray hair.”

  “Could be a good look for you,” she teased.

  They ate in silence, listening to the leaves rustling in the breeze outside and enjoying the cool air flowing in through the open windows.

  Things were finally looking up. She’d return to work tomorrow, and now, she felt more hope for the future.

  * * * *

  Jag paced while he waited for Liam to leave for the evening. Luckily, Jag had had time to calm down. When he’d first peered inside and seen Liam’s arm around Lynn, her head resting on his shoulder, Jag had seen red. For a moment, all he’d known was another male touching his mate then Lynn’s sweet voice had soothed his burning jealousy.

  She wanted to talk with him, and now, his body thrummed for a totally different reason. A mixture of nervousness and excitement made it impossible to be still, so he walked and waited. A dozen questions ran through his mind as his legs carried him around the circular path he’d worn into the ground. Geez, he needed to get a grip.

  Did she like the gifts he’d left for her? Would she be able to forgive him? What if she asked him to leave for good?

  The last caused him to pause mid-pace, an intense ache blooming in his chest. He had no idea what he’d do if she ordered him away. Scratch that, he knew exactly what would happen. He’d stay out of sight, but he’d continue guarding her. How could he not? She was his other half, and without her, life didn’t hold much hope for happiness.

  Hell, the first time he’d ever seen her was like a punch to the gut. She was beautiful, that was for sure, but it was the reaction of his inner jaguar that had caused him to constantly frown at her. It took awhile for him to realize just why it was he and his animal were compelled to be near her so often. She was his mate. The animal recognized her right off, but the man was a little slower to catch on.

  With her take-no-crap attitude and how protective she was over Samantha, he was a little put off at first, but when Liam began his teasing flirtation, it was all Jag could do to keep from chewing the man’s face off. And that was when he knew, Lynn Edwards was his, and nobody would take her from him as long as he breathed.

  Lynn was a strong woman, capable of holding up under pressure and crazy enough to lend a hand—or a gun—in a shifter battle. True, the intensity of her personality had taken him off guard at first, but it had ended up being yet another part of her he found to be a huge turn on.

  Come to think of it, Lynn continued to prove her ability to protect herself and others. Why was it so hard for him to accept she’d done just that in the clinic? She’d known the risks but had an advantage against their enemy, so she’d taken it, even though the odds had been stacked against them. True, she ended up with some serious injuries, but they’d both lived to see another day.

  Of course, it had taken him just over two weeks to realize this. Still, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be protective of her. Hell, no. He’d do everything in his power to make sure she never had to endure anything like that again. At the same time, he was happy to know she could hold her own if the situation called for it. After all, he couldn’t be with her every second of the day.

  The door to the house shut, and Liam made his way to the tree line. A discussion was in order. Jag noted the change in Liam’s stride, how he seemed ready to pounce, and realized Liam still expected a fight.

  “I’m calm,” Jag called out.

  “Thank fuck for that,” Liam sighed. “Not saying I’m not up for a fight, but I hate going up against people I consider friends. Makes parties awkward later on.”

  “Uh, huh.” Jag knew Liam wasn’t a threat. The problem was with his jaguar. It didn’t understand anything but the instinct to protect, to remove any and all threats to the woman who belonged to them. “I’d steer clear of my jaguar though. He’s still not happy with you.”

  “Got it. Are you ready to finally talk things out?”

  “I need to apologize to her, that much I know. I just hope she doesn’t tell me to get lost.”

  “Nah, she’s understanding more about shifters and the whole mating thing. I think she gets why you said what you did. We’ve had a long chat regarding what happens when one of our kind loses their mate and also how important it is to be sure both individuals are on the same page when one happens to be human. She gets it, dude.”

  For the first time in his adult life, Jag felt the urge to hug another man. Liam had laid the foundation with Lynn, and Jag couldn’t be more grateful. Liam was turning out to be an amazing friend, not just to Lynn, but to Jag as well. “Thank you, Liam. I mean it. You’ve been helping me win her back, and you didn’t deserve my reaction earlier.”

  Not surprisingly, Liam just waved him off. “Don’t sweat it. Hell, I never would have touched her if I’d known you were close enough to see. I know how territorial males can be when someone moves in on their woman.”

  “I understand you and Lynn share nothing more than a good, if strange, friendship, but my instincts still scream for me to remove you as a potential rival. Just try to keep your distance whenever I’m in my jaguar form. I’d hate for things to get weird after I maim you.” Jag smirked at Liam’s incredulous look.

  “Yeah, roger that. Well, if we’re good, I’ll head home now. There was another report on some big animal over on the outskirts of town where Lynn works. I’ve been tapped to check it out. I’ll run with a few scouts tonight then we’ll head back out tomorrow to search while Lynn’s at the office.”

  “Do you think it’s safe for her to go in with this animal on the loose?” The last thing Jag wanted was for her to end up attacked by some beast while driving to the city. Just the thought had him plotting to follow her in his cat form until he saw her car safely enter more-traveled streets.

  “You can’t keep her from returning to her job, man. She needs things to get back to normal—or as close as possible—to help her recover mentally as much as physically from everything she’s
been through in the last few months.” When Jag merely gave him a blank look, Liam continued. “Think about it. She discovered shifters exist, saw us change then went through that crazy attack at your home, not to mention the birth of Sam and Dylan’s son. Oh, and let’s not forget how she came running when she heard you were hurt then ended up taking down that sick fuck in the clinic. It’s a wonder she can sleep at night! Most women, human or shifter, would be racked with nightmares after being subjected to any one of those.”

  Liam was right. Jag hated to admit it, but each and every night, he had to fight to keep himself outside when he would hear her cry out in her sleep. Lynn suffered from nightmares. He’d seen her sit bolt upright in her bed, sweat glistening on her body, as she shook from the nightly terrors. It killed him to know there was no way for him to protect her from them, too. “She does, almost every single night.”

  “Damn.”

  “Yeah.”

  What else was there to say? It wasn’t as if there was a therapist she could see regarding the trauma she’d been through. Well, not if she didn’t want to end up in a padded room. Perhaps he could get her to open up and discuss her fears. Maybe, there was something he could do to help, but it would be up to her to accept.

  “Okay, man, I’m off. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need to talk. I’ll answer, no matter the time.”

  “I appreciate that. Have a good night, and let me know what you find.” With any luck, the scout group would be able to identify the animal people had sighted. It wasn’t surprising the humans were feeling spooked by large, unknown creatures lurking around, but with it being so close to Pride land, it posed a threat to them too.

  “Will do.” Liam made his way back to his truck then headed out, leaving Jag to stare at the house as Lynn extinguished the lights until only the faint glow of a lamp illuminated her bedroom curtains.

  Sad to admit, he’d come to look forward to her trips back and forth in her room. They allowed him to gaze at her silhouette through the curtains. Yeah, he was in deep where she was concerned. Every glimpse of her, any way it happened, made his inner cat purr. This type of infatuation blurred the lines between protector and creepy stalker, but Jag couldn’t help his guilty pleasure.

  Tomorrow, he’d do everything in his power to convince her to give him another chance at her heart. He’d beg, crawl, grovel, whatever it took, whatever she demanded. He was that far gone. Knowing his need for her had already reached this level was scary as hell and yet strangely exhilarating all at once.

  For now, he’d wait, play things her way, but if she denied him, all bets were off. At this point, he wasn’t sure he could keep himself from going all caveman on her. Taking her back to his home and keeping her there until she surrendered to the intense, flaring heat whenever they were near one another seemed like a good idea.

  A loud rumble inside Jag’s head told him that his jaguar was onboard with that plan one-hundred percent. So it was settled. One way or another, tomorrow night was game on.

  Chapter Four

  Lynn’s first day back at the practice was met with ominous, low-hanging clouds dark enough to have her believe the sun had yet to rise. No doubt the weather would only get worse since it hadn’t begun to rain, so Lynn rushed through her morning ritual, grabbed a bagel and her travel mug of coffee then made a mad dash for her SUV just as the first drops came down.

  Liam was on daytime watch. She waved when she spotted his truck parked under the big oak that shaded her new house. They’d agreed she could go to and from work on her own, but only if she called to check in during the day and when she was heading back here.

  She had to admit she enjoyed living out in the country more than she ever would have thought. Trading in her apartment for Samantha’s newly acquired home had been the best thing to happen to her in a while. City living had made her tense. Constant noise, sirens going off during the night, drunks staggering down the hall of her apartment building at all hours… Nope, she wasn’t missing it a bit. Just the few weeks she’d stayed out here with Samantha had made a big difference, and now that little Eli had been born, her friend was living in the lap of luxury in one of the penthouse suites of the Pride’s new resort.

  Everything had been quiet since the attack, but if the precautions in place were any indication, they were all still worried. Having to check in like an errant teenager was a pain in the ass, but it beat being kidnapped by psycho shifters.

  Lynn was no dummy. There was no way she could defend herself against one unless she had her gun handy. Even then it would be a toss up. Most likely shooting would only slow them down, but if it allowed her to escape, she was fine with it.

  Now living well outside of the city, the drive to and from work had become a pleasant change from the stop-and-go, horn-honking downtown traffic. Rush hour really sucked. Because of it, Lynn tended to stay at the office until around six, when all the daytime commuters were done with their crawl home in the gridlock.

  The traffic congestion at only quarter past seven cemented her plans to stay late.

  Lynn dove back into work as soon as she arrived, catching up on charts, seeing patients, and doing ultrasounds, the last being the highlight of her day. Of course, it was how her day began because no pregnant woman wanted to hold a full bladder all day. Getting to be there when these new parents saw their child for the first time, heard the racing of the tiny heart, got to her every time.

  What had her in tears during her lunch break, however, was the stack of Get Well cards that had come in after her accident. Coworkers and patients wished her a speedy recovery, and a few even sent pictures of the babies delivered in her absence. It was nice to know people cared.

  The only people Lynn knew loved her were Sam and Lynn’s grandparents, though they were now deceased. Her mother had been single, with no idea who Lynn’s father was, let alone how to raise a child. When Lynn had been just five years old, her mother had dropped her off at her grandmother’s home then left.

  When Lynn was thirteen, she’d received her final letter from her mom. Short and to the point, it had simply stated that she’d finally met someone, was happy and they planned to marry soon. An engagement announcement came along with it, but no invitation for the actual wedding.

  Looking back, Lynn wasn’t terribly surprised. After all, who wants the child they’d all but abandoned showing up to say, “Hi, Dad!” to a man who’d likely known nothing about them? Adult Lynn understood, but as a preteen transitioning to womanhood, longing to do all the things with her mother that other girls her age did, she’d resented her parent and hated the woman who’d borne her only to leave.

  Lynn viewed relationships through the same lens. Yeah, she was picky as hell with the men she dated, but she wouldn’t end up pregnant and alone. She wanted a man who genuinely loved her and wanted a family some day, not one looking to dip his willy and dash.

  The shrill ring from her cell nearly made Lynn jump out of her skin. She’d been so lost in thoughts that her entire lunch hour was almost gone, and she wasn’t any closer to catching up on her charts.

  “Hello?”

  “Just checking in,” came Liam’s chipper voice.

  Sure enough, Lynn had forgotten to call when her break had begun. “Liam, I’m so sorry. I’ve been sitting at my desk, buried in charts my whole lunch hour. Aside from boredom, I’m at no risk of dying.”

  “Very funny. Well, you’ll be happy to know there’s been no activity around the house, except for Jag,” he chuckled.

  “What? Why?”

  “He’s driving himself crazy wondering how your talk will go this evening.”

  At the mention of her impending conversation with Jag, Lynn’s stomach gave a nervous flip. He’d expect her to start it too, and right now, she had no clue where to begin. Did she apologize first or thank him for the gifts? Perhaps, she should get him one too, out of gratitude for guarding her all this time.

  Confused and now stressing over this evening, Lynn groaned into the phone. “I don
’t even know what to say to him.”

  “Then don’t say anything,” Liam teased, followed by his off-key, “Bow-chicka-bow-wow.”

  “You’re no help,” Lynn snapped, while trying to stifle a giggle. “I need you to think with the head that’s three feet north of your ass, not the one six inches below your belt.”

  “Spoil sport. Besides, who said I’m joking?”

  “You can’t be serious. I can’t invite him over for a talk then try to sleep with him!”

  “It’s called body language. Totally counts as talking—to guys anyway.”

  Lynn’s heard herself growl before muttering, “No, no…well…no, no, no! No—” before Liam cut in.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Liam asked.

  “Nothing, I’m just trying to talk some sense into myself.”

  “O…kay. And why would you need to do that?”

  “Because, for a few seconds, I actually considered taking your advice!”

  Laughter erupted over the phone, and Lynn couldn’t help but join in. Since it was time for her next appointment, she quickly wrapped up their call then stepped out of her office.

  As Lynn headed to the front desk to get her first file, her assistant, Paula, stopped her in the hall.

  “Hey, if you’re feeling up to it, we’re heading over to Mason’s Jar Bar for a drink after we close up for the evening.”

  Lynn hadn’t graced that old place in a while. She smiled at the tiny woman before her. “What’s the occasion?” These girls weren’t usually up for a midweek night out, and since it was Tuesday, there had to be a special reason.

  “Oh, you don’t know,” Paula gasped. “I’ve been accepted into the medical mission to South America!”

  “You got it? Congratulations!” Lynn was overjoyed for Paula, and the two made plans to talk after work.

  As the rest of the day flew by, Lynn threw herself into work. In fact, she was so engrossed that the quick rap on her door nearly made her shriek.

  “Sorry, boss,” her receptionist replied. “We’re heading out now. Are you coming?”