He poured some coffee and sat next to her at the unusually crowded table. Layla cast him a sidelong glance as she sipped her coffee. He’d obviously put his bossy boots back on and was in lawyer mode.
“The letter was written by Bianca Wayland, who claims to be your aunt, and we know she’s a member of the Council. It doesn’t make sense that she would harm Rosie.” He looked pointedly at each of them. “What we don’t know is who else was here that night and why they hurt Rosie, which is why I’ve asked you all for help.”
“You’ve got it,” Malcolm said firmly. “We’re here until we’ve got more answers, and we know that Layla and her family are safe.”
Layla’s eyes flicked to Malcolm in surprise. Her family. He’d acknowledged her adoptive human and hybrid family with genuine respect; there was nothing coming from him that suggested anything else. She watched the way he doted on Samantha, and it was evident that he loved her, and she was clearly gaga for him. Maybe fate knew what it was doing.
William stood and cleared his dishes into the sink. “After I clean up, I’d like to take Dante and Malcolm around the property so they can develop some familiarity and imprint on the farm. I was hoping you could show Samantha and Kerry where they’ll be staying, and then we can go to the hospital to see Raife and check on Rosie.”
He turned to face her, and his penetrating brown eyes scrutinized hers with an intensity that had become oddly comfortable. When did that happen? Her throat suddenly dry, she sipped her coffee and nodded agreement.
After a record-fast clean up, William took the men out to survey the farm, which left Layla with two strangers in the kitchen. She rinsed her cup and set it in the overflowing dishwasher, before turning it on.
She discovered Samantha and Kerry waiting for her in the front hall. She didn’t make friends easily, and these two were already friends. It was never easy to be the third wheel, and it made her feel like an interloper in her own home.
Sam and Kerry were admiring her photographs.
“They’re gorgeous,” Samantha breathed, snapping Layla from the dismal thoughts. She stood and gave Layla a huge smile. “You are so talented. I can’t wait to see the shots you took of Kerry on the bayou.”
“William said that you get psychic impressions from photographs,” Kerry said bluntly.
Layla’s startled eyes flew to Kerry’s face. No one other than her family knew about her gift, so it wasn’t exactly something she was used to talking about.
“Don’t bug out.” She laughed. “I have second sight when I touch people, and Sam’s artwork carries her energy signature.” She shrugged and threw her hands up in mock defeat. “We’re a bunch of freaks. What can I tell ya?”
“Yeah.” Layla relaxed her shoulders, and a faint smile cracked her face. “I think that’s why I’m beginning to like you.”
She did like Kerry and appreciated her direct nature, because she needed more guessing games like a hole in the head. Both women were stunning, which was expected since Kerry was a model, but Sam was lovely in her own way. Samantha’s positive energy was inescapable, and she had an infectious smile. Against all odds, Layla felt surprisingly comfortable around them, and hope flickered at the edges of her mind.
“So, what do you see?” Sam asked with genuine curiosity. “You took Kerry’s pictures out in the bayou. Did you see anything different with her than you would see from a typical human?”
“Yeah.” Layla sighed and shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “With most people, I get images, pictures, and emotions.” She scrunched up her face, searching for the right words. “It’s kind of like a silent movie that only I can see.” She glanced at Kerry, who was leaning against the banister and hanging on every word. “But when I took your picture, I saw your clan animal. The panther, right?”
“Yeah, girl.” Kerry nodded slowly and grinned. “Why didn’t you freak out and split?”
Layla shrugged. “I figured you were a hybrid like me, Raife, and Tati because your clan image was mixed with your human image. I saw both just like I always have with us.” She let out a slow breath and looked from Sam to Kerry. “I was afraid to say anything. I didn’t know if you even knew what you were, and I thought that if you did know, you might be linked up with other Amoveo. I didn’t want to rock the boat.” She cleared her throat. “But then William found me, and well… you know the rest. Come on.” She headed to the stairs, desperate to change the subject. “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
As they headed upstairs, Layla made a mental list of the sleeping arrangements. Dante and Kerry could have Tatiana’s old room, and Samantha and Malcolm could use her room. She knew that William would simply expect her to stay with him in his room, and given what they’d shared, she couldn’t blame him for assuming that. However, she needed some space and some time to get her bearings.
“Hey, everything okay?” Samantha asked, concern in her blue eyes. “You look like you’re going to puke.” She put one hand on her belly and grimaced. “Jeez. Your energy waves might make me puke but don’t take that personally,” she added quickly and put her palm against Layla’s arm reassuringly. “I think it’s the pregnancy. I’d gotten a pretty good handle on tuning out other people’s emotions, but ever since I got pregnant—all bets are off.” She made a face. “Is it us? I mean, having us here in your home? We did kind of invade your space.”
“No.” Layla gave her a friendly smile. “Well, I’m getting used to it.” Sam came right out and acknowledged that their presence might be uncomfortable for her. She liked them more by the second. “You’re here to help us, and I understand—about the energy waves—I mean,” Layla said as she opened the door to Tatiana’s room. “I noticed that my abilities are heightened since William found me.”
“Yeah,” Kerry snorted and took her bag into the room. “Just wait until you’re fully mated.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Everything is heightened.”
“So what is it?” Sam asked with genuine interest. “What’s up? I mean aside from the obvious shit storm.”
“Well,” Layla began, “it’s just that Kerry and Dante will be staying in here.” She gestured around the room. “And I’m going to put you and Malcolm in my room.” She nibbled on her lip and shoved one hand through her curls. “So that means…”
“Oh,” Sam breathed as a look of realization washed over her face. She smiled and exchanged a knowing look with Kerry. “So you two haven’t… y’know.”
“We have… I mean… yes…” Layla’s face heated with embarrassment as she stumbled over her words. “We’ve had sex already.” Layla cringed. How could she have just blurted it out?
She couldn’t believe she was telling these women such personal things about herself and William. She shouldn’t be this comfortable with them so quickly, but she was. Maybe it’s because they were hybrids like her or because she’d missed having her sister around, but whatever the reason, she was grateful to have them to talk to. She was ready to go out of her mind, navigating the waters of her new life, and here were two women who had traveled the same bumpy seas. Who better to talk to?
“Hmm,” Kerry mused. “Do tell.” She elbowed Sam and winked. “I think we may have to whip up a pitcher of margaritas for this conversation.” She made a tsking noise and feigned annoyance at her friend. “Too bad you’re knocked up. Damn, girl, you’re spoiling all the fun.”
Smiling at their friendly banter, Layla walked out into the hallway and led them down to her bedroom. She swung the door open and was really glad that she’d taken the time to remake the bed and straighten out the room. She smiled. It would make Rosie proud.
She placed Sam’s bag on the bed and spun to face them. “Actually, scratch that previous answer.” Layla put her hands on her hips and sucked in a deep breath. “We didn’t just have sex, ladies. We had hot, sweaty sexplosions,” she said with more giddy excitement than she intended. To her
relief, they didn’t look at her like a sex-craved, horny hellcat, but like they knew exactly what she was talking about. “Somehow, the thought that we’ll be sleeping in the same bed, sharing that space night after night… now… that is more intimacy than I’m used to,” she said through a fading smile.
“It’s a wild ride, and I’m still trying to figure it all out,” Samantha said through a smile. “Kerry and I didn’t even find out what we were, or who we were, until a couple months ago.” She sat on the edge of the bed and tucked one leg under her. “Malcolm tells me that you, Raife, and Tati have known since you were kids.”
“You mean you two just found out?” Layla fiddled with the bedpost. “Didn’t you notice you were different?”
“I did,” Kerry said, raising a hand as she flopped onto the bed and leaned on one elbow. “Before Dante and I found each other, I couldn’t touch another human being without blinding pain. Good times.” She gave two sarcastic thumbs up. “But once we connected, that all changed.” She shrugged. “A missing piece to my puzzle was finally found, and everything just slipped into place.”
“Your germ phobia, the one I read about in the papers, was a smoke screen.” Layla nodded slowly and smiled. “Good cover story.” She sat on the other side of the bed. “What about you, Sam?”
“I walked in the dream realm lots of times, but I didn’t really understand it until Malcolm and I connected. I’m impressed that Raife and Tati have been able to shift. Kerry and I didn’t shapeshift until after we were mated, so you really shouldn’t feel weird about this.” She reached out and took Layla’s hand. “It gets easier. Honest.”
Layla did feel better, and emotion tightened in her throat. “It already is.” She looked at the women in front of her. “I thought I was a freak because I couldn’t shapeshift, but Raife and Tati could. I have to admit, it makes me feel better to know that neither of you shifted until the guys found you.” She grimaced. “I hope that doesn’t sound horrible.”
“Actually.” Kerry narrowed her eyes. “I think we should tell Raife and Tatiana that they’re the freaks,” she said playfully. “What’s with them being able to shift before they’ve found their mates? They’re hybrids too.” She stuck out her lower lip in a dramatic pout. “Where’s a hybrid handbook when you need one?”
“But don’t you think this whole mate thing is some bizarre prearranged marriage?” She looked from Sam to Kerry. “Where’s our choice in all of this?”
Kerry raised her eyebrows. “Did William force himself on you?”
“No!” Layla insisted. “Not at all. It was most definitely mutual,” she said with a grin, but her brow furrowed as she tried to explain. “I’m not talking about the physical stuff. It’s the whole binding-to-each-other-for-life-thing. Didn’t you take issue with that?”
Both women nodded.
“It was unsettling,” Samantha said. “I think I was mostly freaked out by the overwhelming attraction I felt for Malcolm and the sudden onset of everything. My feelings for him were harder to wrap my brain around than the telepathy or shifting.” She turned her serious blue eyes to Layla. “Putting my heart on the line was the hardest choice to make, but at the end of the day it was my choice.” She rubbed her slightly rounded belly and smiled. “Best choice I ever made and I can’t imagine my life without him.”
“Ditto,” Kerry said. “Ditto to everything she said.” She pushed herself off the bed and latched her big brown eyes on Layla. “But, it’s not just about changes or sacrifices for you though.” Kerry got off the bed and wandered to the window as she surveyed the space casually. “It impacts William, too,” she said as she pushed the white curtain aside. “It already has.”
“I know,” Layla said, hoping she didn’t sound as defensive as she felt. Maybe this whole girlfriend thing was overrated. Layla shifted her position on the bed and looked from Samantha to Kerry.
“He’s in love with you,” she said without turning around. “In fact, I keep expecting one of the pigs from your barn to fly by.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Layla asked. Apprehension mixed with a touch of annoyance crawled up her back.
Kerry turned to face her, leaned back against the wall, and eyed her carefully. “It means that he’s already put his heart on the line, and we all know he’s damn well ready to put his life on the line for you.” Kerry waved one hand dismissively. “The life on the line thing—that’s not a big deal for these guys. They’d lay down their lives for each other and for us any day of the week… but William’s heart?” She scoffed. “I didn’t even think he had one, until I saw him on the porch this morning.”
“It’s true.” Sam nodded in agreement. “I barely recognized the man. The first time I met him he scared the shit out of me.” She giggled. “Kerry calls him ‘Iceman,’ but it would seem that you’ve melted good old Mr. Freeze.”
“I can’t be held responsible for his feelings,” Layla said quickly. “I’m having enough trouble with my own emotions. Besides, all I’m worried about right now is Rosie and finding out who in the hell put her in the hospital. Then once that’s settled, I want to go to the Council, so good old Bianca and I can have a chat. She has to answer for all of this, and I want her to answer for it in front of the Council—including the prince.”
“I don’t know,” Kerry said hesitantly. “The guys are pretty convinced that if Bianca kept you a secret all these years, it was because there are Purists on the Council. I don’t know how smart it is to stir up trouble like that.”
“You’re right. There probably are Purists on the Council.” A smile crept over her face. “I imagine if three hybrids came to a Council meeting… it would be mighty difficult for the Purists to keep their mouths shut. I don’t know about you ladies, but I’m tired of running.”
“Oh my God,” Samantha gasped. “That is brilliant. We force a situation where they have to reveal themselves?”
“Yup.” Layla looked back and forth between the two women. “The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.”
“Good point,” Kerry agreed. “It would be a lot easier to defend ourselves if we actually knew who wanted us dead.” She narrowed her eyes. “Have you suggested this to William yet? I can tell you right now, he’s going to give you a hard time about picking a fight. Like I said… he loves you, and since you two haven’t completed the mating rite yet, your powers aren’t at full strength.”
“No. It’s not up to him.” Layla shook her head adamantly. “This isn’t about me. It’s about all hybrids, and if he doesn’t like it… well, that’s too damn bad. I make my own choices.”
Struggling to keep her conflicting emotions hidden from her new friends, Layla rose from the bed and opened the bathroom door.
“There are towels in here, but there are more in the closet at the end of the hallway. I’ll let you get settled,” she said abruptly. “I have to pack a bag to bring to Raife at the hospital. I’ll see you downstairs.”
Without another word, she left and shut the door behind her. She needed room to breathe, and Raife’s bedroom was the only one, other than Rosie’s, that wasn’t taken. She flung herself face first onto the bed and pulled a pillow over her head, but no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t block out what Kerry said.
William was in love with her. Hell—he had laid it all out on the table, and he’d already proven that she could trust him, even with her heart. Locked in the quiet solitude of her brother’s bedroom, she wondered why on earth he trusted her with his.
Chapter 14
William didn’t want to come back to the Rustic Inn, but Layla had her tunnel vision set on taking those damned pictures for Tyler and his band. For the past few days, Raife refused to leave Rosie’s side but had at least agreed to additional help. Malcolm and Samantha had been spending much of their time at the hospital, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious. Kerry and Dante patroll
ed the farm, but the attackers still hadn’t revealed themselves, and they weren’t likely to get any answers soon. When Rosie woke up, they hoped she’d tell them who it was.
The only thing that had gone well over the past few days was that everyone seemed to be getting along. Although Layla remained guarded, she was making an effort to get to know the others. Raife, Malcolm, and Dante had bonded over football, which was fine with William, as long as they didn’t make him discuss it too.
William watched Layla as she rifled through her camera bag and chatted with Tyler while the rest of the band set up for their performance. They had made so much progress, but since the others arrived, she seemed distant. He’d hoped she would come to him and share his bed, but she didn’t. She’d stayed in Raife’s bedroom and hadn’t come to him even in the dream realm. Although their energy signatures were still linked, she’d been shielding her mind from him, and had kept their telepathic communication to a minimum.
At first he was confused—but now he was just pissed.
“You know, you’re starting to resemble that miserable, cold bastard you used to be.” Kerry’s teasing voice interrupted his thoughts as she sidled up to him at the bar. “Margarita on the rocks, with salt,” she said to the bartender before turning her inspecting gaze back on William.
“What on earth are you talking about?” he said without taking his eyes off Layla.
“Really?” Kerry arched one dark eyebrow and made herself comfortable on the open bar stool next to him. “Are we going to play this game? I don’t have the time, patience, or inclination to wade through your alpha-male crap.” She nodded toward Dante, making his way through the thickening crowd. “I have Tarzan to deal with, so gimme a break,” she added playfully.
“She is infuriating.” William flicked his eyes to her briefly. “The woman is impossible to figure out, and I don’t know what I have to do to make her understand. She insisted on coming here tonight to take these damn pictures.” His mouth set in a firm line as he wrestled to keep his explosive feelings at bay. “The combination of intoxicated energy that will inevitably develop and the sound waves from the music are going to make it challenging to read the room, which will in turn, will make it difficult for me to keep her safe. She’s a stubborn, defiant, and hard-headed woman who baffles me at every turn.”
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