by Amelia Jade
As he stepped close to her and pulled her in once more, the music transitioned, slowly picking up the beat as the musicians excellently moved from one song to the other, a much livelier tune that he knew all the formal steps to.
“Ready?” he asked, and then lifted her from her feet without waiting as the first beats hit and the dance began. They spun around in a half circle where he lowered her to the ground, thoroughly enamored with the sheer joy displayed on her face, a far cry from mild glower she’d had before he’d approached her. Maybe he could ensure she enjoyed the night after all.
The song went on, all twirls, lifts, spins, and dips and a few other complicated maneuvers that relied entirely on him basically forcing her through it. Erika picked it up as she went though, and by the end she was moving with him, instead of him moving her. He would call out the next move to her, and they would flow through together. Several other pairs had pushed back and a small crowd was watching them by the time the music drew down.
Polite claps from at least half a dozen pairs were directed their way, and he made sure that they bowed and curtsied for their “fans” before heading off the floor.
“Phew,” she said, wiping her brow as their chests rose and fell, almost as much with excitement as exertion. “That was fun!”
He grinned. “Shall we get some water, some food, and then do it again?”
“Did you just ask me to a second dance?”
“Well, to be technical, actually it would be the third da…nce,” he replied with a mischievous grin.
“Too bad I don’t play by the rules there,” she said with a laugh. “Third dance, but still the first date, mister,” she told him, picking her finger into his chest. “But, you bought yourself a third one by saying the magic word.”
He frowned. “You know, I don’t recall actually saying please,” he admitted.
Erika swatted at his arm affectionately. “No, you didn’t. But I’m pregnant, and those words change when you are.”
It was obvious that she’d thrown the fact that she was pregnant out there to ensure that he knew, though every woman who’d arrived tonight was at some stage of pregnancy or another. Harden had known that coming in, having thought long and hard about it. The idea of being a father didn’t scare him. Not in the slightest. True, he’d always envisioned that the first child he called his would also be his genetically, but this was a unique situation.
All these human women had been roped in by an agency and lied to. They’d thought they were helping shifters, giving them a chance to survive and prosper. In reality they’d been designed simply to breed half-breeds, humans with enhanced qualities, who couldn’t actually shift.
When the shifters had brought down the Institute, as it had been called, they had found almost three hundred women in various stages of pregnancy, who now had nowhere to go. The Institute had said they were going to take care of them. So, Cadia had stepped in and said it would pay for them. The shifters had opened their vast coffers, pooling their resources and manpower together to create shelters and programs to help ensure each woman would be well cared for during and after her pregnancy.
The cooperation that had gone into such an undertaking still astounded Harden, even if he’d heard about it while recuperating from the torture he’d undergone at the hands of the Institute. Some things didn’t dull with time, and this was one of them. It was why he’d come, in the end. Both he and these women had suffered from the same organization. Perhaps there was a bit of fate in such a union, he didn’t know. Whatever it was, he didn’t care that she was with a child that wasn’t his own. No, the fact that he wasn’t sure he was the right type of person to be a father was his main concern. But he wasn’t ready to think about that right then and there.
“I must confess to not knowing pregnant human female magic words,” he admitted with a smile, letting her know he was aware of her condition. “I’ll be sure to read up on them for next time, but for now, could you perhaps humor me?”
“Food,” she said, making a beeline for the food tables, not waiting for him or even looking over her shoulder to see if he was coming.
Harden laughed and plunged into the crowd after her. She was fairly easy to follow, her purple dress shimmering and entrancing him, pulling him toward her. Erika was one interesting woman, he thought. They reached the tables, and he snagged a plate for both of them, handing her one so she could pile food on it instead of just eating it right from the tables.
“Manners,” he chided, earning him a mixed smile/glare, a look he wasn’t sure he could ever duplicate no matter how hard he tried.
“Thank you,” she said with exaggerated politeness, taking the plate from him.
The grin he felt coming died as he looked down the long lines of food tables at a pair of eyes that were staring at him intently, filled with a hatred he couldn’t understand.
“Erika,” he said, trying to keep his tone calm. “I’ll be right back. Just have to use the men’s room. Don’t dine and dash on me,” he joked.
She looked up with a mouthful of food and just shrugged and pointed roughly at the food tables. He got the message. I’ll be right around here. Nodding, he drifted off. The eyes noticed him coming, and they darted around the corner.
Harden didn’t slow down. He sped up. The eyes were ones he’d recognize anywhere. They belonged to the same asshole who’d tried to jump him earlier.
His fingers flexed as anger surged through him.
Chapter Six
Erika
She watched Harden go, wondering what had happened. Although he had undoubtedly tried hard, she’d sensed his body language change, but at what she wasn’t entirely sure. Something had obviously come up. Shrugging to herself, she reached for the tongs, aiming to dump another pile of shrimp on her plate.
A big hand of rough, callused skin beat her to it. She pulled her hand back and followed the hand to the arm and up to the face of the person it belonged to.
“Hi.”
“Hello,” she said, cautiously eying the rather happy-looking fellow. He’d stopped bothering with the tongs the moment he had her attention, a sure sign he’d timed his reach perfectly. This was no accident.
“Lovely food, isn’t it?” he asked, standing up straight, an empty plate in his hand.
“Delicious,” she agreed.
He was good-looking in his own way, tall with a natural gray tint to his hair. The dark charcoal-gray suit he wore fit him well, obviously well-tailored and not a rental like some of the shifters around the room wore. A pale purple tie and matching pocket square completed the outfit. It was rather dashing, she had to admit.
Still, for all his good looks and stylish clothes, nothing about him screamed out to her. Not in the way Harden had. There was something different about that one, that was for sure.
“Would you like to dance after you are done?” the gentle-looking giant asked politely.
She smiled. “I’m sorry, no. I just finished dancing and I’m still recovering.” Erika hoped he would get the hint. “Not right now.”
“Understandable,” he said, and now he did reach for some food.
Great. He was going to hang out and talk to her instead. Erika didn’t want to seem rude, and he was both polite and friendly, so perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. When Harden came back she would just make it clear that she was his dance partner for the evening. Hopefully without giving Harden any ideas about post-dancing. Erika wasn’t going to do anything with anybody. Not the first date or the fourth dance.
“Are you having fun so far?” the shifter asked.
He was a bear, she figured, judging by both his height, and also the thick musculature on him. It was a lot more bulky compared to Harden’s more toned athletic form. Like a professional athlete versus a bodybuilder. Both in impeccable shape and strong, but different body shapes. It just didn’t do anything for Erika, though she knew Kelly would be going crazy for it.
She looked around for her friend, wondering if s
he could call her over and sic her on the shifter. He seemed nice, but also extremely nervous. After all, he’d yet to introduce himself, or ask for her name. It was almost endearing, but it still didn’t do anything for her.
Where are you, Kelly? I found you someone.
But her friend didn’t answer the call.
“Yes,” she said somewhat reluctantly at last. “I am. Surprisingly,” she admitted. “But I definitely am.”
“You didn’t think you’d enjoy it?” he asked.
“Not at all. Coming in it felt almost like we were the buffet,” she said, indicating her and the other women. “Not an overly enjoyable feeling, if I’m completely honest. I’m not entirely comfortable being the center of attention.”
“Shouldn’t have worn such a lovely dress then,” he joked.
“I know, but look at it! It’s gorgeous. How was I supposed to say no?”
The bear shifter just shrugged. “Good point. If I were in your shoes, I would have bought it then and there and dealt with the consequences later.”
“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” she said with a laugh.
He was nice. Not someone she was interested in romantically, but definitely someone she could be friends with, if he was being genuine. The big shifter seemed almost too honest to be lying to her. Someone with the chops to fake this would have been suave enough to know to get her name.
“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” he said. “It would be a shame for anyone to come here and not have a good time. A lot of effort went in to making this the event that it is.” He grinned, almost as if he’d had a hand in it. “It really came together.”
Erika nodded. “It sure did.” She looked around. Where was Harden? He’d been gone much longer than it should have taken to simply go to the men’s room. Even with a line, he should have made it back by now. Was everything okay?
“So where did you come from originally?” he asked awkwardly.
Okay. It was time to let him down. “Listen,” she said politely. “You seem like a nice guy. But I’m just not interested at this time.”
To his credit he maintained a straight face as she rejected him.
“Very well,” he said slowly. “Perhaps there will be time later then.”
“Maybe later,” she said, trying to seem gracious, more so just happy that he wasn’t going to push her to give him another chance.
More points in his favor. If she could find Kelly, she would be sure to point her in his direction. The guy seemed genuine enough to deserve it. She nodded her head in farewell and the giant shifter moved down the food tables, gathering samples of almost everything onto his plate.
Looking around the room, she tried to catch a sign of Harden. There were few shifters with buzzed hair, most of them preferring to have it grown out to some level, but none of them had the same dark eyebrows covering a set of hooded, almost haunted-looking eyes. She searched for his square jaw and the thin, but surprisingly lively lips that always seemed dragged down, even when he was smiling.
But he was nowhere to be seen. Were the bathrooms that far away? It’d been near to ten minutes that she’d waited and talked to the mystery shifter. It couldn’t take that long. Annoyed, she grabbed the shrimp she’d been denied before, munching on them as she considered what to eat next.
“Excuse me, miss?”
She spun at the address, her hopes soaring as she thought that Harden was back, but dying before she’d even finished turning as the realization that it was his voice sunk in. Damn.
“Yes?” she replied to the man, staring into his eyes, a pair of brown circles that seemed a little at odds with the smile on his face.
“I was wondering something.”
Erika tried extra hard not to roll her eyes or look frustrated. She was eating, and her stomach was full. Dancing was not what she felt like doing at the moment, so why was everyone asking her?!
“And what would that be?” she asked politely when he declined to explain right away, taking her cue.
“Would you be interested in moving somewhere a little calmer than this?” he asked. “There is an outdoor area just through there, where we could talk without having to speak over the music?”
Truth be told, that and some fresh air sounded extremely appealing to her right then. She looked around the arena floor once again, trying to spot Harden, but there was still no sign of him. Where the hell had he gone? Frustration grew in her, and she wondered if perhaps he’d ditched her.
“Sure,” she said, making an abrupt choice. Erika wasn’t about to spend her entire night waiting around the food tables for one man to come back to her. Especially if he’d gone and left her. Perhaps Harden had decided he wasn’t okay with her being pregnant after all, and had just used the bathroom as an excuse to bail.
Typical male. They want the action, but not the consequences.
With that in mind she walked out into the outdoor terrace area, enjoying all the plant life that was both a permanent fixture, and those that had been brought in just for the evening’s affair. Tall, slender ferns with drooping fronds intermingled with soft white glow lights and a few larger spotlights lit the entire fenced off area. Few people were out there, but more than enough that she still felt safe.
“Have you found a companion for the evening?” the man asked abruptly.
Not wasting any time, are you?
“That’s a little abrupt, don’t you think?’ she asked, slowing in her steps. Perhaps she’d made a mistake in coming out here after all.
“Oh, excuse me,” he said. “I wasn’t meaning that in regard to whether there is an opening for myself or not. That wasn’t my intention.”
Oddly enough, he seemed so sincere about that, that she believed him. Weird. Where the hell was going with this then?
“I…is that any of your business then?” she said. “What if I have?”
He seemed to almost ignore her words, clucking his tongue and looking…unfortunate. It was the best word she could use to describe the look he gave her.
“So, that’s the way it is with that…that, Kronum shifter, is it?”
“Kronum?” She had never heard that term before, and the way he’d uttered it made it seem despicable, something to loathe. What the hell was going on here?
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, his brown eyes hardening, looking angrily at her as they filled with a hatred that she sensed at once was directed at someone else.
“Who are you?”
He waved off her question. “All you need to know is that you should stay away from him. Do not get close to him. It would not be a good thing if you were caught with him. Things might happen. Paperwork might get lost. Funds forgotten about. You understand?”
Her stomach went cold as she realized what he was threatening her with.
“Fuck you,” she said in automatic response, anger outweighing anything else.
He reached out to latch on to her wrist, but Erika threw him off with a violent wrench of her arm that she doubted he was expecting.
“You don’t give me orders,” she spat, turning and heading back inside without a second’s thought.
Thankfully he let her go, but the damage had already been done. He’d insinuated just what it was he was capable of if she didn’t obey him and stay away from the Kronum shifter, whatever that meant. Then there was the fact that she’d been talking to two different shifters. Was he referring to Harden, or the other one, the bear shifter, who she’d turned down?
Lost in her own whirlwind of thoughts, Erika wasn’t paying attention when she walked back inside. A hand wrapped around her wrist, and she just about lost it, flinging her arm up and around to dislodge the grip.
“WILL YOU PEOPLE STOP GRABBING ME!” she screamed, rounding on her accuser.
Harden stared back at her, looking stunned at her outburst.
Oh shit.
Chapter Seven
Harden
“I didn’t do it,” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up to t
he sides, fingers spread wide as he stepped back and away from her.
Erika’s expression went away almost immediately, replaced by a sort of sheepish grin as she realized who it was. Then it was replaced by irritation. “Where were you?” she asked.
“Bathroom,” he said. “Then I ran into someone I recognized. I’m sorry,” he said, apologizing even as he flexed his fingers, ignoring the bruises that were forming under the skin. At least he’d managed to avoid ripping his suit. The youth hadn’t gotten very far before he’d whirled on Harden and attacked him.
He’d never intended on fighting the kid, instead just using him as bait to lure in his older brother, but the other shifter had never shown. Though he was young, he was still strong enough to cause damage if Harden hadn’t dealt with him, so he’d knocked him down several times until the Green Bearets had arrived. He’d explained the situation, and evidently the youth was known to them, because they’d bought Harden’s side of the story, which was mostly true.
“You’ll be more sorry that you didn’t show up with a plateful of food as an apology,” she told him.
“That can work as an apology as well? Damn. I wish I’d known that ahead of time. I would have shown up with both hands full.”
“See, Harden Archer, now you’re starting to understand.”
He breathed a sigh of relief at her joking tone. Things were going to be okay. When she’d whirled and screamed at him, for a moment he’d thought things were over and done with between them. But apparently he still had a chance. It was small, but if he did the right things, perhaps he could increase it.
“So, may I escort you to the food tables?” he asked, extending an elbow.
She grinned and slid her arm through his. “That’s the first smart thing you’ve said all night.”
“I’m glad.” They started to walk. “I am sorry for grabbing your wrist there,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was the wrong thing to do.”
