by Dana Archer
He picked up the cell phone Abby’s brother had left on the ground. Dead. He dropped it and glanced at the shirt. The ripped flannel with the label for Ernest Farms on the breast pocket proved who’d invaded his and Mira’s privacy. Josh should’ve known Zeb wouldn’t have let the little incident of Josh’s miraculous recovery go without questioning it. Well, Zeb might’ve if Josh hadn’t made that slip when Zeb had accused him of lying.
Whatever the reason, Zeb or whichever of his little brothers had spied on Josh and Mira had made a dangerous choice. Josh wished he’d gotten the shifters involved in the situation with Zeb in the first place, but days had gone by without so much as a peep from Zeb. Josh had figured he’d convinced Zeb of Josh’s version of the truth. Regret left a bitter taste in his mouth. No going back. He’d made his choice. He had to live with it.
Josh picked up the digital camera and fought the urge to smash it against the nearest tree. He scrolled through the pictures. Thankfully, most of the blurred images didn’t show Mira’s breasts. He’d worshiped them with his back to the window. However, they did show him lost to pleasure as he orgasmed inside her.
He flipped through a few more and stiffened at the sight of one that showed him taking Mira from behind. He had his mouth clamped over her mate bite and his hands palming her breasts. It was a sensual shot and one he wouldn’t mind keeping except for the way the image made his eyes look.
The blue in his iris filled the entire eye. No white. He advanced a few more images but none showed his face. A trick of the light. Had to be, but it was a freaky one. He hit the Delete button and regretted it a second later. He should’ve printed it out to look at it better.
Then again, it wasn’t as if he could turn into a big cat. Being a shifter wasn’t a disease. Shifters hosted their animal spirits. A symbiotic relationship and one he’d never have.
The little lecture zapped the flare of hope. He was out of luck. He’d known it all along. Still… How was he going to make things right for Mira? How would he ever be the mate she needed when he wasn’t the same species?
Anger rushed up. He’d promised her. The pressure in his chest increased.
He reached out a hand to steady himself. Rafe’s warning came back to him. Josh closed his eyes against the guilt. Mira loved him. In his heart, he knew she would until the end of time. He couldn’t exactly explain how he knew it. Just did. There was no doubt, no wondering if she’d love someone else after he died. She never would. That was what Rafe and Zach had been trying to tell him. When a shifter loved, it was forever.
He couldn’t give Mira forever.
His selfishness had condemned her to an eternity of heartache.
Mira wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his back. The tightness in his body lessened. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and let his breath escape in a shuddering rush. Her presence comforted him, making the physical ache bearable.
The touch of a mate.
He’d heard the shifters talk about it with awe. Right in this moment with Mira’s arms around him, he could almost believe everything would work out. How, though? He kept telling her to have faith, but his was slipping away as reality crushed it.
No more thinking like that. One day at a time. He couldn’t give up on what they had. The answer was here, between them. He just had to figure it out.
A deep inhale of spring-scented air calmed him. He turned and wrapped her in his embrace. They didn’t speak or move. No need. The words passed between them. Her devotion filled him up and completed him. He bent his head and kissed her, showing her his love and hoping she felt it inside her heart the same way.
She arched into him, an invitation he hated to pass up but would. They didn’t have time for more. He eased back to study her expression and see if she understood how deeply he cared. If his love was all he had to give her, he’d give it to her in spades. The small smile on her face in answer warmed him almost as much as her kiss had. He ran his thumb over the upturned corners. “Mira, I…”
She dropped her gaze before he could get the words he wanted to say out. Good thing too. Saying them would be foolish, despite the acceptance he saw reflected in her eyes.
“Did he take any damning pictures?”
She reached for the camera. He held it up. There was no reason for her to see them or know they’d been watched all night. He scrolled through a few more images and sighed. The last one had been right before he woke. Mira’s lioness form was asleep with her head on top of his chest.
“Just one.” He turned the screen so she could see it. “At least we have it. One man’s crazy story isn’t going to hurt anything.” He wasn’t sure he believed his rationale, but Mira needed to hear the words. Her guilt over the situation would be strong.
She stared at the picture for a long time before dropping her forehead to his chest. “Kade said for you to go after the human and call Rafe when you have him. Kade will handle everything else.”
“They’re not insisting on coming with me?”
The small shake of her head brushed the ends of her hair over his arm. The silky caress sent tingles across his skin. “Why not?”
“They don’t want him to guess who else might be a shifter.” A low growl crawled up her throat. Her skin warmed, a sign he knew meant her cats were seconds away from making an appearance.
Hoping to calm her, he ran his hand over her hair in long, steady strokes. “That’s smart.”
She bent her head to meet his gaze. “I don’t like it. You should have somebody there to protect you. What if this guy turns violent?”
He snapped his teeth together and fought the desire to snarl at her. “Protect me?”
Anxiety slid into Mira’s eyes. She shook her head. “I didn’t mean—”
“I do not need anyone to protect me. Not Rafe and certainly not you.”
“Be reasonable. This has nothing to do with your strength.”
He pushed away and headed back inside to get his keys.
“Josh, wait.”
He didn’t answer. He couldn’t without blowing up at her. No matter what he felt, he refused to take it out on Mira.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t fight my instincts.”
He glared at her. “And what side of you thinks I’m weak, Mira? You or your cats?”
“They don’t understand. They’re only animals.”
He focused on what had to be done, not the doubt in Mira’s voice. With his car keys and phone in hand, he made his way to the door.
“You’re just going to leave?”
He grabbed the edge of the door to stop himself from going back to her. Her anxiety beat at him. He swore he could almost taste her fear on his tongue.
“Yeah, I am. We don’t have time for this.” He looked over his shoulder. “But I’m warning you, kitten, do not think to deny my claim while I’m gone. You’re off the market for a mate.”
With that, he turned and strode away before she voiced the refusal he saw in her eyes.
Chapter 28
The door banged open, and Mira fought the urge to escape out the back. She didn’t want to deal with Kade or his anger. She had no choice.
Kade inhaled deeply and leveled his enraged glare on her. “What have you done?”
She lifted her chin and met his piercing gaze. Apparently, she hadn’t aired out the house enough to get rid of the heavy scent of sex lingering in the place. “This isn’t the time to discuss my choices.”
“Isn’t it?” He raised a brow. “You allowed a human to see you in your animal form. That’s twice you’ve made a poor choice because of Josh. How many more will you make before he’s killed due to your indiscretion?”
She stepped back, completely caught off guard by Kade’s words. She expected a lecture about her decision to sleep with Josh, not a reprimand over endangering him. “I didn’t know we were being watched. Besides, there was supposed to be a wolf protector close. Where was Xander’s male?”
Kade ran a hand through his short h
air. He stormed across the room. Arms folded over his chest, he leaned against the wall next to the picture window and peered at the spot the human had occupied last night. “In the woods, drugged and restrained.”
“What?”
“You heard me. That’s what took me so long to come to you. I had to meet with Xander’s twin to have the male carried out of here. If I had tried to wake him, the wolf shifter would’ve likely attacked me.”
“Somebody planned this.”
Kade snorted. “Does that surprise you? Xander’s protector was shot in the back with a tranquilizer. Whoever did it had to have been an excellent marksman to have pulled off such a feat. There was no way a human or a shifter could’ve snuck up on him.”
“Any idea who?”
“No. There are more of Xander’s pack in the woods. They are growing frustrated with the lack of clues.”
So was she. It made her feel helpless. “The human had help.”
“He had to have in order to pull off what he did, taking out an experienced protector and sneaking up on a Royal.” He glanced over his shoulder. “It strikes me as odd that you didn’t hear the human’s heartbeat, even if you didn’t smell him.”
She wasn’t surprised by her lapse. Josh had reduced her to a woman, not a predator. As much as it shamed her to admit, she’d been too focused on loving Josh. Instinctually, she’d allowed all worries to fall to the side while in his arms. She’d given him her trust, exactly as he’d demanded, along with her body and heart.
Josh owned her. As such, her primal side expected his devotion and protection. Except, he couldn’t give her the safety a true shifter male could. Josh would try. She knew that with certainty, but as a human, he lacked the instincts to remain one step ahead of danger. The knowledge didn’t dim her love for him. She only had to remember that truth next time and protect him.
She turned away before Kade saw the depth of her affection for Josh in her eyes.
“Josh kept me focused on him, not what was happening outside.”
“You’re a predator. No amount of sex would override your instincts to protect yourself.”
“I assumed we weren’t entirely alone. I was relying on Xander’s protector to have our back.”
“Don’t feed me any lies. You would not have blindly trusted another male to protect you completely. Even with me or Rafe by your side, you’ve always faced danger head-on, not allowing us to fight your battles. That scene with Micah proved it so don’t tell me you’ve suddenly ignored your instincts to defend yourself.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or dismiss the drive to protect your beloved human.”
She turned away. What was she supposed to say? Kade was exactly right. Only one male had earned her complete trust—Josh.
Kade laid a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me, Mira. I need the truth so I can help you.”
The sincerity in his voice compelled her to answer. “Fine. I’ll give you the truth, not that you’ll believe it.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Impossible or not, Josh is my mate. I put my trust in him last night to protect me, except he doesn’t have the instincts to do so.”
“He can’t be your mate.” Kade narrowed his gaze and hardened his tone. The harsh pride leader was back in charge. “You’re imagining things and allowing your desperate desire to keep the human to cloud your judgment.”
“I am not allowing anything to cloud my judgment.” Her anger rose faster than she could contain. Claws burst from her fingers. She stepped closer and invaded his personal space. “Did your little speech to Micah truly reflect your beliefs about females or was it for show?”
“If you have to ask that, then you and I never really knew each other.”
His words hit her with the same force a palm across the cheek would have. She staggered back.
“You see? This is what I’m talking about.” He waved to encompass her vibrating body. “You’re not acting rational where Josh is concerned. This kind of behavior is what will make the vision a reality.”
“It’s not. I’m merely—”
“Defending your claim on him.” Kade sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Be realistic. No Royal female has ever mated a human male. The goddesses, by their own spoken law, deemed it impossible. If you allow this belief to continue, I fear you’ll convince yourself that binding his soul to yours is what the prophecy implied.”
The possibility tempted her. She couldn’t deny that. Josh had said to have faith in their love. Could that be what the goddesses’ blessing meant? That she and Josh would prove their dictate was no longer applicable?
Kade grabbed her biceps and shook her hard. She blinked, and his concerned eyes came into focus. “No, Mira, don’t go there. Do you hear me?”
“But what—”
Another shake and she bit her tongue. Blood filled her mouth, blood that didn’t taste right. It had a hint of metal in it. Iron.
“But nothing. Now look at me.”
She swallowed the odd-tasting liquid and focused on Kade. “You can’t risk it. Do I have to remind you what would happen if he dies after you take a piece of his soul?”
The exchange of souls was a necessity for soul-bonding. A shifter would claim a piece of his mate’s soul, then plug a piece of his soul in the hole left behind, thereby linking them for an eternity. Once that was accomplished, the shifter’s animals did the same. It was a complicated and dangerous process for the non-Royal mate. Death could claim the non-Royal at any point, and if it did…
She closed her eyes against the sympathy in Kade’s eyes. She didn’t want to hear his words.
“His soul will long for yours, for the piece of his soul you claimed. Forever, Mira. Every life.” He gave her another shake. “Look at me.”
She reluctantly met his gaze.
“He won’t understand why he’s never happy. It won’t matter if he marries another woman. He’ll always desire something more, always search for that missing part of him. Or maybe he’ll live out every lifetime in a state of depression and never find even a little happiness. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not. But why? Why have the goddesses done this to me? Brought Josh to me and not allow us to be together?”
“You love him.”
A statement, not a question. She answered it anyway. “Yes, with my heart and soul. Josh is my true mate. I know it, Kade. There’s no more questioning my reaction to him or my feelings. He’s bridged me.”
He didn’t try to convince her differently. Instead, Kade wrapped her in his arms and rested his cheek on her head. “You’ll need to mate me, then. It’s the only way you’ll be able to be with Josh. Aron will not allow you to keep your human lover. I will.”
“What about Zoe?”
“What about her?”
The defensive tone warned Mira to leave the topic alone. For both their sakes, she couldn’t. “Is she your true mate?”
“Zoe is my beloved human. I’m attracted to her because she carries my scent.”
The annoyance in his tone suggested he didn’t want to feel anything toward her. “Are you sure? When I came by your house, you—”
“Let it alone. Zoe and I are nothing to each other. Not now. Not ever.”
She wasn’t so sure she believed his words, but the stubbornness stamped on his expression didn’t invite discussion.
“I’m sorry.” For both of them.
“Don’t be. Life as a Royal isn’t fair. We both know it.” He squeezed her tighter. “Maybe when they’re gone we can find a way to love each other.”
She doubted it, but the pain in Kade’s voice forced the lie past her lips.
“Maybe, Kade. Maybe.”
Chapter 29
Josh pressed hard against the tugging in his chest. Mira needed him. He felt her pain as if it were his own. If it wasn’t for Abby and her brothers, he’d turn around and rush back to Mira’s side. But, no. He had to wander the town hitting all the spots he knew Zeb, along with Sam and Saul, the two younger Ernest brothers, frequen
ted.
After exhausting all the possible places, Josh pulled into the parking lot of the diner where Abby worked the lunch shift. Saul’s truck sat in its usual spot, right by the light. Josh breathed a sigh at the sight of the rusted piece of metal. He jumped out of his car and jogged toward the entrance of the diner.
Halfway across the lot, he froze. The sensation of being watched spurred a tingle along his shoulder blades. He spun on his heel and surveyed the area. Parked cars and a few couples coming and going. Nobody paid him any notice, yet he swore someone was staring at him.
Movement near the Dumpster behind the neighboring gas station caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes and studied the spot. Nobody stood there. Nothing else moved. Although the compulsion to investigate beat at him, he ignored the urge. Dealing with Saul had to come first. Besides, he had a feeling he knew what lurked there—a shifter. Kade might not want his family exposed for what they were, but he wouldn’t allow Josh to walk into danger unprotected.
Josh turned his back on the shifter and made his way to the entrance.
The diner had its normal breakfast crowd—retired couples and widowed seniors who made the greasy grill their second home. He nodded in response to the greetings from those people who acknowledged him, but he didn’t stop to chat with anyone as he normally would have. His gaze was locked on to the curly red hair at the end booth and the two half-eaten breakfasts that sat on the table in front of Saul. No doubt one belonged to whoever Saul had met. Telling that person Mira’s secret.
Hands clenching and releasing at his sides, Josh strode toward the smallest of the Ernest brothers. Saul turned his head at Josh’s approach. Saul’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. The impression of a shocked teenage girl would’ve normally pulled a laugh from Josh, but he had too much anger brewing inside him.
Saul had watched Josh make love to Mira last night, and Josh hated the fact that he’d never noticed Saul. That annoyed him, leaving him bitter and regretful. He should’ve known. Actually, he’d thought he’d heard something, but he’d been inside Mira at the time. She’d been his entire focus.
