by Eliza Gayle
Now she thought of Kane and the upcoming tribunal. The ceremony was set for dusk tonight and she didn’t feel confident about it at all. She didn’t have a lot of evidence to support her, but the monkeys in the kitchen had actually talked to her about it yesterday. Said they’d heard someone from a psi clan would be coming in to assist and would likely be able to read her memories. That thought sent a fresh wave of chills down her spine. She really didn’t want someone poking around in her head anymore than she wanted to be here...alone.
Everyone leaves.
She’d created enough firepower in her amulets to easily set herself free, yet she stayed here in this house like a good little girl. She growled at the thought, a rumbling sound that reminded her of Kane. She forced herself from the bed and wandered into the closet for something to wear. Kane had sent a woman to the house, a cat likely, with package after package of clothing for her. She appreciated the gesture; well, she would if the bastard hadn’t run off and left her. She had no idea what to do to prepare, and he was off doing God knows what.
Everyone leaves.
Anger warred with despair as she slumped forward, head in her hands. She swiped at the moisture that welled in her eyes. Why the hell am I crying over him? What is wrong with me?
A hand touched her shoulder lightly and she automatically flinched away from it. She didn’t need sympathy from the men left behind to guard her.
“Lara.”
Her head jerked at the sound of his voice and she launched herself from the bed and into his arms. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight as she rained kisses all over him. Relief engulfed her at the sight of Kane looking tired but sexy as hell in her bedroom.
His hand swiped at the tears flowing across her cheeks, “Why are you crying, sugar?”
Her head and body froze at the supposed term of endearment. She wriggled herself free from his arms and landed softly on the bed where she jumped up, pulling her arm back, and sucker punched him in the gut.
“You son of a bitch! Where the hell have you been? Why did you leave me here with your goons? And why the hell are you still calling me sugar?”
“Take a breath, Lara, and sit down, we need to talk.”
She bristled against his condescending tone. “I’m not a child to be ordered around.”
“Then stop acting like one.”
Rage bubbled up and she struggled not to attack him. She wouldn’t get answers from him if she beat him bloody, or used any of her firepower. She inhaled sharply, holding that deep breath as long as she could before exhaling on a long sigh. She could control her emotions, she always had.
“Where have you been?” She was pleased at the calm, cold tone of her voice.
“Looking for something to save your ass tonight.” “What did you find?” “That’s the strange part...Nothing.” She stood and paced across the room, unable to think straight with
Kane this close. Why would he not tell her where he’d gone? “What aren’t you telling me? You were—are—mad at me and you left after fucking my brains out without a word. What the hell is going on? Are you feeding me to the bloodsuckers tonight?”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. She tried to break his grasp, she really did, but he held tight and forced her close. She could smell the soap he’d used to shower, but it did little to cover his natural earthy scent. The kind of smell that drove a woman to hug pillows close for comfort when her man wasn’t around.
“What I want right now and what I am allowed are two totally different things. Officially there is still a death warrant out on you, and unless we are successful tonight either I or someone else in my family will be expected to kill you.”
The harsh whisper of his words broke her heart. The pain he endured seemed so evident, yet she didn’t understand why he had to pull away. Her hand swept under her hair and nervously rubbed at her mark.
“Let me.” He pushed her hand away and placed his warm hand against her skin. No way could she have kept the deep sigh to herself, his touch felt too good.
“Do you remember what happened the other night?”
Of course she did, he’d taken her at his most feral and fucked her until she’d nearly passed out. A shiver ran down her skin at the delicious memory of it. “Yes.”
“Do you remember me biting you?”
She furrowed her brow at him, thinking back. Now that he mentioned it, she did vaguely recall his teeth scraping along her spine and biting into...she jerked away from his hand. “What did you do? Does that have something to do with why I keep rubbing the back of my neck right around my birthmark?”
He didn’t answer right away, and she knew. Panic settled in and she fought against him, shoving him back, forcing him to release her.
“How long after I was gone did you start to physically hurt? One day? Two? What I did was unforgivable and irrevocable.”
“God damn it, Kane, say it. What exactly is happening to me?”
“We are mated. Bonded together as one. It changes our chemistry until our lives are bound to one another. If one dies, so does the other. If we are separated we’ll suffer in pain until eventually we can’t take it anymore. According to legend, separated mates have been known to go feral. You and I, sugar, are stuck together forever.”
Stuck. Of all the words he’d just uttered, that should have devastated her. The description of him being stuck with her sliced to the bone. He didn’t want her. How the hell was she supposed to handle that? A punch in the face would have hurt less. She staggered backwards until her back slammed into the wall with no thoughts but of the pain gripping her insides, making her dizzy and nauseous.
When he moved in her direction she yelled, “No. Don’t you come near me!” She didn’t want him touching or even talking to her anymore. She couldn’t breathe in here and she needed out. She grabbed her windbreaker and shoes and ran for the door, desperate to get away before she broke down so he wouldn’t see her give into weakness and cry her eyes out.
The two men sitting at the kitchen table looked up at her, concern written all over their faces, before she could avert her eyes to the door she desperately wanted to get through. She heard the scraping sound of chairs as they moved but she didn’t care. She was leaving and doing it by herself. She clutched the two amulets hanging from her neck, just waiting for her to engage them.
As soon as she swung the door open the earthy smell of the woods around her, as well as the undertones of wildlife, fresh air, and even the nearby stream filled her nose. For the second time in two days she marveled at this sudden, acute sense of smell. The air ruffled across her skin and she felt the individual oxygen particles spear through the fine down of hair along her arms.
She shoved her feet into her shoes and, with one last look at the house, took off on a run. The one activity she craved everyday gave her the sense of freedom no matter her circumstances. She could think as she moved, and the wind blowing across her cheeks would wipe away any tears that escaped from her eyes.
With every stroke on her face or shift in the breeze a new scent would tickle her nose, something she sought to identify and catalog in her brain. This new development fascinated her, but now that she knew about the mating she wondered what this all meant. Later, when she had herself back under control she would return to Kane and demand more answers, but for now she would do what she had to in order to let go of her emotion.
Kane walked through the house, ready to go after Lara and drag her stubborn ass back to the house where he could lock her up until she understood. He’d been amazed when he’d walked back into his home and caught his mate’s scent, and the pain in his body had eased. His brother had told him some of the things that change after a mating, but since Lucas had mated with a human, Kane hadn’t paid that much attention. He never saw himself mating, and especially not with a fragile human woman, though Lara was the last person to ever come across as fragile.
She knew how to take care of herself and those around her. Cross her and she
made you fucking pay for it.
The men in his kitchen started to speak, but the low snarl rumbling in his throat warned them off. He didn’t feel like talking or explaining anything to anyone except her. He’d searched the area around the house before he’d come in and hadn’t detected anything unusual, so she’d likely be safe. That didn’t stop him from heading out front anyways. He needed to be out there with her, even if some distance separated them.
He sat in the swing at the far end of his porch, getting comfy for his wait. He’d added the swing right after he moved in. Every time he walked out here he had thought of his mother and the hours she would spend outside waiting for her father. She always said she wanted to smell the outdoors and that if she waited long enough the wind would carry his scent to her as well. It was her comfort for all the time he had to spend away from home.
Now he understood more than ever. He’d left and made Lara stay behind. He’d never intended to complete the mating ritual, but the sharp edge of his anger allowed things to get out of control, and when he slid inside her he lost his mind over her eagerness to fulfill his darkest desires. He couldn’t have stopped it even if he’d tried. It had taken him a couple of days to accept it, and now he could only hope that she would eventually forgive him as well.
The wind shifted and, just like his mother had taught him, he picked up Lara’s one of a kind scent. The uniqueness that was her would plague him his entire life no matter what happened. He smiled and settled back further, fighting the urge to shift and run. He was a predator who wanted his mate, but he’d give her as much time as he could stand.
He closed his eyes and pictured her here in front of him, with that wicked grin on her face teasing him, taunting him. His cock grew and he shifted around trying to find some comfort from a need beyond his control. What would they do now? The tribunal would begin in a few hours and he would have to sacrifice his control to a group of men he’d always trusted but now wanted as far from his mate as he could get them.
While he was gone he had contacted his friend Nick to help him. First, to make sure two of the best hunters were sent to the house to stay with her, and second to lead him to the evidence he needed to save her life. In his world, justice for a wrongful death was not only acceptable but honorable, especially when a child avenged a parent. Not that he wanted Lara to kill anyone in his family, but like it or not, and he actually did like it, she was his family now.
Admitting that wasn’t as hard as he’d thought. She’d gotten under his skin the instant he’d seen her. His hatred of her had been from what he’d thought was an evil nature, which had directly conflicted with his instinctive recognition of her as his mate. His body had lit up from the moment she’d entered his world. Even now just the thought of her body gliding against his made him want to come in his jeans.
She’d make a good mate. Strong and independent. As a human it would be difficult to be accepted, but if anyone could it would be her because she would stand up to them. Aggressiveness was a valued trait among his people. But first they had to get through the tribunal and he had to reveal their status. He would have to leave the clan; they would do no less to him than they had with Lucas. Then what?
He needed to talk to his brother, decide what to do. Without the black cougar to protect them, the clan would be vulnerable to elimination by their rivals. He would have to insist on Malcolm’s reinstatement. He curled his lip at the last memory of his brother. For some reason he’d wanted Kane to doubt his mate, turn away from her. Why?
Luckily the clan had other relationships and resources to turn to when they needed. Already he’d chosen the right cougar for the job, the one who would bring Malcolm to him. He laughed at the image of that, thinking about what method would be used to lure him back. Good thing he wasn’t far.
The cool breeze whistled through Kane’s hair and his head jerked to the left, while his heart stopped in fear.
Lara.
Chapter Fifteen
Tired and worn out, Lara slowed her pace to a walk and then stopped completely, bending at the waist and grasping her thighs. Air sawed in and out of her lungs from the punishment she’d just inflicted on her body. She didn’t track how far she’d gone, but judging by the placement of the sun in the sky she’d guess she’d run for a couple of hours and the day was now solidly in the afternoon. Her time ticked away.
Lara’s head jerked up when a twig snapped behind her, the sound so loud to her ears it could have been a nearby gunshot. She whirled around and scanned the landscape around her. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out, and as she focused from one sense to another she found nothing unusual.
Snap out of it, you’re just being paranoid.
She let out the breath she’d been holding and contemplated her next move. She’d been circling the property while she ran, but now she wasn’t sure how far she was from the house. Despite seeing nothing to upset her, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. It wouldn’t be surprising to her if someone else tried to attack her, but this time she was more prepared. She fingered the more powerful amulet she wore and worked to release the tension now buzzing through her.
She gauged the direction of the sun in the sky and the likely time of day, then turned in the direction of Kane’s home. She needed to get back and start preparing for tonight’s festivities. Oh boy, I can hardly wait.
A turn to the side and she came face to face with a blond man she’d never seen before.
“Hello, Lara.”
Instinctively she took a few steps backwards. The unease that had plagued her turned into full-blown fear at the very tall, handsome and broad man standing in front of her.
“Do I know you?” Her voice sounded clear except for a slight tremble that she hoped he didn’t pick up on.
“No, we haven’t officially met yet, but I’m Nick, the one Kane asked to watch over you while he was gone.”
“That’s nice of him, but last time I checked I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”
Her hands rubbed at the amulet continuously, warming up its energy. She had a feeling she was going to need it.
“Of course you can, but you’re in the middle of a cougar clan filled with people that don’t hide how much they loathe what you’ve done to them.”
“I didn’t—”
He raised his hand to interrupt her. “You tried to kill our Enforcer, a family member, we all take that personally.”
“Why are you here? I already have two babysitters keeping an eye on me.”
“Since Kane hasn’t returned yet, I’ve been sent to bring you to the tribunal tonight. To personally escort you to the site.”
“But Kane—” She shut her mouth, not sure if she should tell this man that Kane, her mate, was not only back but was far more than just her protector now. “I have hours before I have to be there. In fact, I was headed back to the house now so I could get ready. I have no intention of being late.”
“You’re not going to have time for that. I’ve been sent to bring you in early, one of our council members would like to meet with you beforehand.”
“Why? Kane didn’t mention anything about a pre meeting, nor did either of the guys watching the house. I’m afraid I’m going to have to refuse that request, I’m not ready to leave yet.” She moved forward, skirting around Nick, but he stepped sideways and blocked her path.
“It wasn’t a request.”
Anger flared at the not so subtle threat. “Get out of my way, Nick. I don’t appreciate bullying and I’m sure Kane would want me to wait for him.”
His hand reached out and grabbed her arm, his grip like a vise. “You are going with me, and whether it’s painful or not is totally up to you, so don’t be a bitch and do what you’re told.”
She pulled at her arm but he was as strong as he looked, and it wasn’t going to be that easy to get away from him. She closed her eyes and concentrated inward, drawing on the power of her amulets. Where she should have felt a familiar warmth and energy buzz, she
found only cold emptiness.
“You really are that stupid, aren’t you? Thinking you’re going to use those useless amulets against me? I know exactly what you are and both of your witch’s tools have been neutralized.”
He was right. There was no magic in either one of her necklaces. What the hell? I charged these myself. Her gaze darted around the wooded area as she considered her options, though there weren’t many.
“No one is out here, but if you don’t believe me feel free to scream your pretty little head off if it makes you feel any better. Either way, you are going with me.” His head tilted upward and his nose flared suddenly. He yanked her closer to him and leaned into her neck and sniffed her.
Having a stranger invade her personal space and sniff her freaked her out, it had to stop. She lifted her leg and slammed it into his groin so hard even she winced when her knee connected. He howled in pain and momentarily released her arm, giving her the opening she needed to run.
Her feet pounded the packed dirt as she ran down the narrow path, certain he wasn’t far behind, and if he shifted she could forget it. Quickly she decided to abandon the easy path and instead make a more direct approach to the cabin through the brush and trees.
Blood roared in her ears and sweat broke out over her whole body. She did her best to push the fear away, but she couldn’t believe this is how things would work out. Kane, where the fuck are you? What’s the point of being mated to a powerful shapeshifter if he isn’t around when you need him the most?
She stole a glance behind her and watched in horror as the guy chasing her shifted smoothly to a buff colored cougar. He wasn’t black like Kane, but he was nearly as large and really fast crashing through the brush. She turned to look forward before she ended up face first into a tree. That wouldn’t help her a damn bit. This is not what she expected to happen today. No, she’d have rather faced her accuser head on so she could at least have her peace before she went down fighting to the death. Something more honorable than this.
