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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright 2017 Dominique Eastwick
Editor Wizards in Publishing
Cover design by Ravenborn
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Prowling for His Mate
Guarding the pride’s queen is an honor Jaison is happy to take on. He spends hours preparing for every contingency. He is ready to lay down his life if the necessity arises. What he isn’t expecting and couldn’t have planned for was when his mate crosses his path in the form of human librarian Paighton Knight.
Paighton Knight believes love is the stuff of fairy tales and has no time for those kinds of stories. Raised to be the perfect librarian, she is unprepared for feelings she doesn’t believe are real to wash over her. The second she comes into contact with Jaison Karatasos her world begins to turn and her eyes see what they weren’t able to before.
With the moon rising into the reign of Leo, Jaison has one month to show Paighton that love does exist, or he must wait until the next Leo cycle. When his responsibilities to his pride clash with his needs for his mate, will he be able to merge the two worlds?
Prowling for his Mate
Zodiac Shifters
By
Dominique Eastwick
Dedication
Dedicated to all the readers who are simply looking for a couple of hours to get away from the real world.
Special thanks to Kate, Nan, Rebecca, and Nadine
Chapter One
The street appeared to be like any other road in the world, nothing particularly unusual. In fact, as usual as one might get in this part of the world. Yet something sent an uneasy itch down the side of Jaison Karatosis’ neck, through his shoulder, down his arms, and culminated in the tingling in his fingers. He paused, pulling his queen, Kalista, behind him, searching up and down the fairly empty street for any signs something was amiss. At this time of morning, midweek, there weren’t a great number of people strolling down the small Southern town’s main street. A mother pushing a baby pram while juggling to keep her toddler at her side. A man sitting outside the barbershop. Every now and again, a car would drive by faster than the posted speed limit.
“Jaison, what?” Kalista asked, stumbling and hanging on to him for support.
“Something isn’t quite right.”
She pushed him to the side. “You say that every time.”
He supposed he did, but this time was different. “Kalista, I’m serious.”
She pointed to the name of the store painted on the window. “It’s a bookstore. What nefarious intent would someone have for me in a bookstore?”
“You are supposed to listen to me when your safety is involved.” He grabbed her wrist both gently and firmly.
“You are like the boy who cried wolf. Or perhaps that’s lion.” She paused. “Do you smell another lion?”
“No?”
“Another shifter?”
“No.”
“But you could if one was near or in the area, right?”
He gave her the look he always did when she questioned his abilities. “You know I can.”
“Then I’m in no danger.” She wrapped her hand in his. Not in the way a lover does, but the way a sister would when leading her brother into a situation they both knew they shouldn’t be in. He begrudgingly followed. Not that he had a choice, being guardian to the prime’s mate was both an honor and nerve-racking. “Leonidas knows I’m coming here.”
“He also called and said he didn’t want you to,” Jaison added, trying to make her see reason.
“He doesn’t get it.” She rolled her eyes, not deterred from her direction.
“Neither do I. There is nothing in this bookstore you can’t order online.”
“It’s not the same. I love the smell of books, the feel of a store. To be normal for a few seconds. The pride cannot keep me locked up on the island all the time.”
“When you mated with Leonidas, your life ceased being normal,” he pointed out, though he knew he didn’t need to. She had sacrificed a great deal for his prime and all the Leo Shifters, and not everyone had been sold on the great lion prime mating with a human. He, on the other hand, had been in awe of her strength and bravery from the start. In the end, her grace and generous heart had him standing here, yet again kowtowing to her requests.
She snorted. “It happened long before that, like the moment I set foot on your island.”
“It’s our island, Kali, more yours than mine. You are the queen.”
She pushed at his shoulder. “Knock it off. Let me support the brick and mortar store while I can. Besides, there is another reason we are here.”
“Which is?” He dreaded the answer.
“I can’t find a librarian online.”
“Librarian for what?”
“What? When was the last time you went into the library in the main house, let alone the other two on the island?”
He didn’t dare tell her it was before she had been born. His kind lived long, long lives and didn’t come out of adolescence until they were in their forties. “I don’t know. It’s been a while.”
“No kidding. When any of the betas go in to take what they are looking for, they leave it a mess. I can’t make heads or tails of it.”
“That might be because it’s in other languages. Some I don’t even know, and I’ve been around a while. Some, I’m not sure anyone can read anymore.”
“That is why it needs to be dealt with.”
He pulled her out of sight around the corner of the building. “Kali, there are family secrets in those documents and books. I mean, things like how we were created and the story of our people.”
“And what would a normal human think it was?”
“Folklore, I suppose.”
“Exactly. Leonidas is on board.”
“No, your mate doesn’t want you to complain.”
“That, too. But as long as I can get the librarian on and off the island before Leo’s rule, he says he welcomes the organizing of the libraries.”
“That gives you about a month. We enter Cancer tomorrow.”
“That’s why we’re here. I can’t bring someone to the island I haven’t met. I won’t put anyone in danger. I need to meet them face-to-face, and I need you here to sense their intent.”
“I see.” He hated to admit she might be right.
Slipping back onto the main street, she peeked through the large plate-glass window. “Mrs. Porter is behind the sales desk.”
Good god. He felt like a child sneaking in after being told he couldn’t go out. He too, peeked inside. An older lady, the picture-perfect image of a librarian, sat helping a customer. Gr
ay hair pulled into a tight bun, small, round spectacles on the bridge of her nose and a yellow cardigan, despite the summer weather, completed the look. “She’s been cast correctly.”
“I know. She is pretty perfect,” she giggled. “And when I talk to her, she is so sweet and soft-spoken. Makes me want to adopt her as my grandmother.”
He was just about to say something when the bookshop’s door opened, and a scent hit and nearly knocked him on his ass. Growling, he became aware of his lion screaming—mine.
Paighton Knight held her breath. She, the woman who had never had her heart flutter at the sight of a man or woman for that matter, was about ready to swoon. She eased to the window to get a better look at the tall, well-built man with hair as dark as night. He and his companion, a Rubenesque blonde beauty, were in the middle of what appeared to be a heated argument when she finally took his hand. Uncontrollable jealousy engulfed her, as if the other woman was daring to touch her man.
She turned away as the dreamboat took the woman out of sight. Paighton closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the large bookshelf. In through her nose and out through her mouth she breathed, trying to relax. Images of the two wrapped in each other’s arms in an intimate embrace nearly brought her to her knees in soul-deep pain. The bell above the door chimed as a mother and her young son left. She turned, determined to go into the backroom and work out her frustration on the pile of cardboard boxes waiting to be broken down.
But when an elderly man asked for help in the map section, she had to change tack. She was two seconds from telling him to google the place when she managed to pull herself together. She smiled and took the next ten minutes to find a map for the gentleman. The fact that they ended up back with the one he’d first grabbed, she didn’t mention.
Then Carol Porter, the store owner, called her from the front desk.
The poor woman had taken a nasty fall closing the shop the night before. Why she was here, Paighton didn’t understand. But Carol had been about to leave for Greece and now that trip was canceled, leaving the woman stuck behind a desk for the next few weeks, disappointed. As the main desk came into view, she stopped. The couple stood with their backs to her.
“Ah, there you are, Paighton.”
The woman turned and graced her with a beautiful smile, and all she wanted to do was gouge the woman’s blue eyes out. Instead, she drew inner strength and smiled. “Carol, you called?”
“Yes. Could you please assist Mrs. Karatosis? She is looking for some children’s and young adult books.” Carol turned to the other woman. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“Nonsense, this isn’t your fault. Are you sure there is nothing we can do? One of Iásonas’ cousins is a surgeon.” Even the other woman’s kindness grated on Paighton.
“I’m leaving you in the lurch and you’re trying to help me?” Carol gripped the outstretched hand. “I really can’t tell you how disappointed I am.”
“Perhaps you have a name of someone you might suggest?” The man who she thought the woman called Iásonas spoke, his Greek accent thick. His partner gaped at him. “Kalista, don’t look surprised. You aren’t likely to stop searching until you find someone to take on the libraries.”
Kalista threw her blond head back and laughed, placing her hand on Iásonas arm. “You know me too well.”
Every fiber of her body wanted to scream for the other woman to stop touching his arm. She was about to say just that when Carol brought her hands to her mouth and let out a dainty squeak. “I’ve the perfect person. Paighton.”
“Me?”
This time Iásonas turned to her and she froze, his deep-topaz eyes locked with hers. “Definitely you.”
Kalista looked at him then back at Paighton. She rolled her eyes then extended a hand in greeting. “Paighton, I’m Kalista Karatosis.”
“Pleasure,” she gritted out.
“Paighton only this month received her master’s in library sciences and has a double bachelor’s in ancient languages. She hasn’t been able to find a job and was going to watch the shop while I was in Greece.”
“Really?” Kalista’s eyes widened and she clapped. “That is wonderful. I assume you studied Hebrew? But did you go the Latin route or Greek?”
“Greek. I also studied Egyptian, Aramaic, and Sumerian.”
“Do you have a passport?”
“Of course. I studied abroad last summer.”
“Perhaps we can chat about this job while we get some books?”
Iásonas actually growled. “Kalista, before you get ahead of yourself…”
“Fine,” Kalista moaned. Had Paighton not been so overcome by jealousy, she might have laughed. “Would you mind giving Iásonas some information so he can do a background check?”
“I don’t even know what the job is,” she protested. “I’m sure your husband must understand.”
They in unison stepped away from each other. “We aren’t married.”
“Oh?”
“No. Iásonas is my husband’s cousin.”
“And her bodyguard.”
Her sense of relief was out of proportion to the situation. She countered his request with one of her own. “If I can run a check on you?”
“Oh, I like her.” Kalista smiled. “Give her one of your cards.”
Iásonas reached into the inside pocket of his coat, pulled out a billfold, and handed her his card. His index finger brushed hers and an electric spark filled her. “Should you need anything else, simply ask.”
She gulped and reached for a pad of paper to give him the information she figured he would need. With shaky hands, she scribbled her name, date of birth, current address, and her social security number. Stupidly, she handed it over with no thought that perhaps they could steal her identity. All she knew was she needed to go with this man wherever he would take her. “Do you need anything else?”
“This should be enough.” He nodded to the other woman. “Go get your books, Kalista.”
“What, you aren’t coming?” The other woman obviously mocked him.
“No, your husband has the doors covered with more men.”
Genuine shock came over the other woman’s face as she turned to the nearest door. “What? He wouldn’t.”
“Do you know your husband? He did.”
While the two argued, she looked at the smooth black card with gold embossed lettering.
Jaison Keratosis
Beta Sanctuary Inc.
Personal Security Specialist
So, she was right. Jaison, pronounced Iásonas was Greek. On the back, the card had a cell number and email address. Only when she heard her name did she remember she was supposed to help Kalista get a book. “Sorry.”
“Oh no worries, even my husband ignores us when we bicker.”
“I don’t bicker,” Jaison inserted
“He calls us the Bickersons.” Kalista raised both eyebrows at him before waving him off. “Go do your security-check thing and I’ll do my shopping.”
A need overcame her to follow him as he walked away. Calling herself an idiot in every language she knew, she followed the blond woman. What would a man as gorgeous as Jaison want in a meek little country librarian like herself anyway? She bet he had some supermodel girlfriend. Shaking her head, she managed to ask, “What is this job?”
“We need our library overhauled and organized.”
“Your library?”
“Ah huh,” Kalista mumbled, looking at a book’s back jacket before placing it in the basket hung over on her elbow.
“Surely you can find someone in Greece to do this.”
“I wish.” She picked up two books before placing one back. The other she lifted for Paighton to see. “Good for preteens?”
Paighton nodded and handed her three more to look over. Without a glance, the other woman simply put them in her basket. “So, why come all this way for a librarian?”
“We need someone with Ms. Porter’s qualifications. Well-read, organized, and able to r
ead ancient languages. You would be surprised how rare that is. Also, someone local isn’t likely to drop everything for a month or two.”
“I see. How large a library?”
Kalista did a three-sixty of the room then cocked her head to the side. “The largest is maybe twice the size of this store.”
“Both floors.”
Kalista nodded.
“You said largest. How many libraries are there, and how many are you hoping I can work on?”
“Three and three. Unfortunately, in about four weeks, we’ve the very large extended family descending on the island. So, whoever takes on the job will have to do so in four weeks. But if you can’t get it done, which I can’t imagine is humanly possible, then you would stay in the house on the mainland. There is a library there in need of help, too.”
“Did you say island?”
“Yes. Did I forget to mention that?” She moved quickly to the children’s section and grabbed at several books. She placed the basket on the floor and flexed her elbow.
“Kali, let me carry that for you.” Another large man in a well-cut suit approached them. Though handsome, he didn’t do anything for her.
“Thank you, Nikolas. Can you take that to the front counter?”
The man gave a slight bow and did as he was bid. “How many bodyguards do you have?”
“At any given time, three. That I know of. Today, there seem to be more. Nikolas is usually my driver.” She picked up two more books. “Are you interested? I promise the pay is good, and we’ll cover all your expenses.”
“Of course I’m interested. I’d be a fool not to be.”
“Good, but how soon can you leave?”
“Ms. Porter was supposed to go tomorrow, so I suppose I could be ready then, too.”
“Don’t you have an apartment or pets, or for that matter a significant other you need to talk to or deal with?”
“At the moment, I live with my sister’s family. She and her husband have three kids. I’m sure they’ll be happy to have the extra room back if only for a month. No pets and no boyfriend. So really all I need is to pack a bag, I suppose.”
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