“I wish I didn’t understand your stance, but I do. So, as much as I don’t want to, I’ll stop asking. I just wish there were more ways I could contribute to protecting you. This has to be a shifter causing problems. If I had more control over my gift, maybe I’d feel better about you staying here. Being able to use it would mean an end to this without you or the other Enforcers getting hurt.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, she cocked her head, thinking hard. She wanted to say the other Enforcers had to have amazing gifts that could help, but she knew that wouldn’t make him feel better. He was the one the madman was going after—and since she’d be with him the majority of the time, he felt like he needed to be the one who could stop him.
She brightened as a thought occurred to her. “Practice on me.”
“What? Hell, no,” he barked with a frown. “I haven’t wanted to use my gift because I’m scared of killing someone, and you think I should practice on my mate?”
“Well, start out slowly. Don’t use a lot of power. Use a little and slowly increase it until you get the level you need.”
“My gift hurts, Tarun. Even on the lowest setting. I’m not going to practice on you. That would mean hurting you repeatedly, and I won’t do it.”
“I can handle some pain, Luke.”
“No. I appreciate the offer, I really do, but no. Would you be able to practice on me, knowing what you were doing was hurting me? Don’t expect me to be able to do that to you.”
She frowned, acknowledging his point. No, she wouldn’t be able to cause him pain, he was right about that. Shit.
“So practice on me.”
Glancing over, she spotted Noah coming to a stop next to them, and she smiled at him.
“Noah—” Luke began.
“Or me.”
“Or me.”
Eyes widening, she felt her heart warm as, one by one, every Enforcer offered to let Luke practice on them. Even Damara offered, ignoring the glare her brother leveled on her.
When she looked back at Luke, his eyes were full of emotion and gratitude. She was so damn grateful he had amazing people like that in his corner. People who were ready and willing to put themselves through pain, just to help him improve his gift.
“Guys—”
“Don’t fucking argue,” Liam growled, his voice thick with an Irish accent, before turning to stomp away. “Just agree and let’s get on with it.”
Luke laughed as the others agreed. “All right, then. Tomorrow?”
The others nodded and drifted away, and she turned to him, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “You’re very lucky. You have amazing friends.”
He squeezed her waist, giving her a smile. “I have an amazing mate. Now, are you hungry? Whatever Liam’s cooking smells delicious.”
Luke watched as Tarun played pool with Damara, barely able to keep the smile off of his face. He was still worried as fuck about her, and he knew he wouldn’t stop worrying until the bastard after him was caught.
But he was sitting in a bar with her and his friends, and every single one of them offered themselves up to helping him, even though they knew he’d hurt them. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so lucky to have them in his life, but he wasn’t going to take them for granted, that was for sure.
“So. Are the problems you’ve been having with your gift why you wanted to quit being an Enforcer?”
Eyebrows shooting up, his head whipped toward Dmitri’s voice. “How…?”
Dmitri’s lips quirked. “I’m quiet, not stupid. I notice a lot because I observe more than I speak. I knew you were struggling with something and weighing your options. I just didn’t know why.”
Blowing out a breath, he took a sip of his Coke before answering. “That shit with Vynn fucked with my head. I know it was his tiger that made the decision to leave the scar, but it was my fault he got it to begin with. And I began wondering what would happen the next time I used too much power in my voice. Whether I’d get someone killed.”
“Is that why you haven’t used your gift since then?”
Luke looked at him in surprise again. “You noticed that?”
“I told you. I observe. You’re always careful to make sure you’re not in a position to need to use it.”
“Yeah. I’m scared I’ll screw up again. That’s why I’ve been thinking I should leave. An Enforcer’s only as good as his gift, right?”
“Then why am I one?”
He looked at Dmitri, eyebrows high. “What? Telepathy is useful as fuck.”
Dmitri shook his head. “You know Damara and I share it naturally, but she lets everyone think I’m the only one who can open it up with the crew. That’s not true, though. She can, too. But she lets everyone think that, and then uses her gift of being a chameleon as her main draw. The truth is, we both have an extra gift. But mine’s basically useless. Yet, I’m still an Enforcer, even though there’s nothing I use that she can’t use, too.”
Shaking his head, he stared at the normally quiet and reserved griffin shifter. “What’s—”
“Don’t ask. The only people who know are Damara and Blake, and they both respect my decision to not use it. The point is, I know, even though Damara can do everything I openly do, that I still bring value to this crew. And so do you. You need to realize that. I think, with practice, you’ll get the hang of controlling your gift, but even if you don’t, you shouldn’t quit. B&B needs you.”
Before he could reply, the normally silent Greek was halfway across the room, moving quickly toward his sister. Dmitri rarely spoke, and even more rarely left Damara’s side. The fact that he had just to talk to Luke was what made him pay attention to his friend’s words.
He hadn’t realized the siblings had two gifts each. They shared telepathy—able to talk between themselves easily, although he knew they could shut each other out if they wanted. Damara had a chameleon like ability to change her looks whenever she wanted to, turning herself into whoever she wanted—although only a woman’s form. She couldn’t turn herself into a man. That was her main ability within the Enforcers, and it came in handy.
But he thought Dmitri’s main gift was sharing telepathy with the whole crew when he wanted to. He hadn’t realized they could both do that, and he sure as hell hadn’t known he had a second gift, like Damara. Luke was curious about what his other gift was, but he’d respect his decision to not tell him, and he’d keep the fact that he had another to himself.
Maybe Dmitri was right, though. Maybe he did bring value to the B&B Enforcers, even if he couldn’t learn to control his gift. It was something he’d think long and hard on, but he already felt like he could breathe a little easier than he had, because it was possible that tomorrow wouldn’t decide his future like he’d thought it would.
Feminine laughter reached his ears, and he turned toward it, watching as Tarun threw her head back and laughed at something Damara said. God, she was gorgeous, and her laughter was a beautiful sound.
He watched as Georgie walked nearby, her limp pronounced, stopping to speak to them. He tensed, ready to intervene. But Tarun just smiled gently at the other woman, touched her arm lightly, and gestured to the pool table, like she was inviting her to join the game.
Even from the distance between him and where they were playing pool, he could tell the offer was genuine. He relaxed back on his stool, a bemused smile on his face. A day ago, Tarun had been telling him she’d never be okay with Georgie. Yet there she was, being nice and trying to make friends with her.
Georgie had been through a few traumas in the last few days—the assault, spraining her ankle, the fire. And then watching him shift into his lion when she never knew shifters existed. She’d been through a lot, and though he felt compassion for her, he never expected Tarun to.
Because Georgie had treated her like she was unwelcome. She’d seen Tarun as a threat to her pursuit of him, and been unkind in response. She’d tried to make Tarun believe there was more between them than friendship—in short, tried to hurt her en
ough to get her to leave.
Yet, despite Tarun’s belief that she’d never be okay with Georgie, there she was, treating her with kindness and clearly trying to make friends with her. She was feeling the same compassion Luke felt for her, and it showed.
He really had fucking scored when his lion picked Tarun. He won the mate lottery. She was gorgeous, kind, understanding, and forgiving. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a mate, and so much more.
And he loved her more than his own life.
“Everything’s fine, Jameson, I promise.”
Tarun winced at the scoff sounding over the phone. “Fine? Fine, Tarun?”
“I’m not deaf, Jamie, and I comprehend basic words without needing them repeated,” she muttered, instantly regretting her words as silence descended over the phone.
She heard murmuring in the background and knew Cadence was trying to talk her mate down, although she couldn’t hear what she was saying. Crossing her fingers, she prayed her sister in law would be successful. She generally was, and Lord knew, Tarun probably wouldn’t be.
Her brother had always been the most laidback man she knew, but since she left Durga, that man had disappeared. The way she left might have had a bit to do with his reaction, but she still thought it was a tad extreme.
“You need to lose your smart mouth, young lady. I’m pissed the fuck off right now and your attitude isn’t helping.”
“Young lady?” she repeated with disbelief. “I’m not your daughter, and you can’t scold me like I am.”
“No, you’re my sister, and I’ll scold you any way I damned well please.”
“I’m a grown woman and capable of making my own decisions.”
“You told me you left in a fucking note, so forgive me if I question your decision-making abilities. It was stupid enough to leave like that, but then you insisted on staying, despite the danger lurking there. And according to Blake, you came close to losing your life. I want you on your way back home today. Now.”
“Blake has a big mouth.”
Luke walked out of the bathroom of the suite they’d moved into the night before and shot her a warning look, so she clamped her mouth shut and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down.
“Yes, there was a fire, but everything’s under control. It’s fine.”
“A fire doesn’t sound like everything’s under control. Your big heart is one of the things I love the most about you, Tarun, but it’s going to get you killed. You did your duty and warned Luke and the Enforcers. They’re skilled in intrigue and well versed in dangerous situations. I don’t understand what the hell is keeping you there.”
“There have been some… developments since I arrived that you don’t know about.”
“Well, let’s hear about these developments that are worth putting yourself at risk for. They better be good.”
She glanced over at Luke and took another deep breath. “Well, see—it’s like this—shit. I’ll just say it. Luke’s my mate.”
The line went quiet again and she frowned, about to ask if he heard her, when he finally spoke, his voice tightly controlled. “Luke is your mate.”
He sounded like he was processing, and even though he couldn’t see her, she nodded. “Yes.”
“Luke Carlisle. The lion shifter. A lion—the tiger’s natural enemy.”
Rolling her eyes, she scowled, hoping it was powerful enough that her idiot brother felt it all the way in Durga. “Since when have you ever cared about that kind of stuff? Never. You’ve never cared, and you taught me to not care, either.”
His voice was quiet when he spoke next. “Some of the War Cats will care.”
“The War Cats care entirely too much about stupid crap like that that doesn’t matter. Anyway. Now you know why I can’t leave. He stands a better chance of surviving if I’m with him. I’ve sensed it. And I can’t leave my mate to face this alone. Even if my tiger would let me, I refuse.”
“Is Luke in the room with you?”
“Yeeees,” she drawled, cautious.
“Put him on the phone. Please, Tarun.”
She hesitated, but Luke obviously heard her brother, holding out his hand for the phone. With a sigh, she handed it over, bringing her thumb to her lips, nibbling on the nail while listening closely, so she could catch the entire conversation.
“Jameson. How are you?”
“So it’s true? You and Tarun are mates?”
“We are.”
“Then tell me what the fuck you’re thinking by letting her stay there? You’re not stupid. You know she’s in danger. Make her come home.”
Shooting her a look, Luke pinched the bridge of his nose, turning away slightly. “You think I haven’t begged her to go home? I don’t want her in danger any more than you do, but she refuses to leave.”
“So you make her! What’s so hard about that?”
“Are you kidding me? Have you met your sister? I did try to get her to go home, but she won’t listen. And if you think you could make her leave, why don’t you try?”
“I don’t fucking like this.”
“I don’t either, Jameson, but I can’t make her leave. And you must know the Enforcers will protect her. More than that, I’ll protect her. With my life.”
She heard Jameson sigh over the phone, and when he spoke again, his tone was a little less heated. “She already has you wrapped around her little finger, then. Talking to you has been a waste of time. Put my sister back on.”
Luke winked at her as he handed the phone back. She put it up to her ear, but didn’t speak yet, too busy staring at his powerfully sculpted back as he walked to the basket of clean clothes and grabbed a shirt.
“Tarun?”
Pulling her gaze off her mate took effort, but she managed it. “I’m here.”
“I still don’t like this. I don’t think my opinion is going to make any difference with you, but I still need to tell you. I wish you’d come home.”
“I love you, Jamie, and your opinion means a lot to me. But you’re right, it’s not going to change my mind. You’re mated. If you were in a position where Cady was in danger and you knew your presence could mean the difference between life and death, could you walk away?”
“You know I couldn’t. I understand where you’re coming from. I don’t like it, but I understand it. Just take care of yourself, okay? I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“I will, I promise. Love you, big brother.”
“Love you too, sis.”
She hung up the phone, feeling like as bad as his reaction was, it could have been worse. All in all, the conversation was a win, although she was pretty peeved at Blake for snitching on her.
“You okay?” Luke asked, walking close and pressing a sweet kiss to her lips.
“I’m good. That wasn’t that bad, all things considered.”
He smiled wryly. “For you, maybe. I wouldn’t be surprised if he punched me in the face next time I saw him.”
“I wouldn’t be, either.” She laughed at the look he shot her. “Okay, let me get my shoes on and we’ll get outside. Where the hell is everything?”
He pointed to a corner and she walked over to get her sneakers and put them on. She’s noticed how big the building was when she first arrived, but what she hadn’t known was when they built it, they added a few suites on the second floor, reserved for Enforcers who mated. She was thankful they had. She didn’t mind a smaller room, but the suite they moved their things to the day before was far away from Luke’s old room, and only had a faint smell of smoke.
Plus, it had its own bathroom, which meant no more sharing with the other men. That was a huge bonus, as far as she was concerned.
After she was finished, she stood and he took her hand, leading her downstairs. They’d eaten breakfast with the others earlier, then went back to shower before meeting everyone outside. As they walked out and saw the other Enforcers standing there, she felt his hand flex around hers and realized just how nervous he was.
&
nbsp; Pulling him to a stop before they reached the others, she put her hand on his cheek and urged him to look at her. His eyes were still mostly light blue, but the gold of his lion was quickly taking them over.
“Hey. You’re gonna be fine. You can do this. I’m right here. Just look at me if you’re feeling unsure. You’re surrounded by all these friends who aren’t going to let you hurt anyone, and you know I won’t let you, either. Start out slow and easy and go from there. Now go on. You got this.”
He smiled, his gorgeous, dual colored eyes crinkling at the corners as he leaned in to kiss her. Pulling back, he squeezed her hands. “I fucking love you, did you know that?”
Her mouth popped open, but before she could attempt to formulate a response, he was striding away, walking quickly to the Enforcers. Knees weak, she made her way over to the bench where Georgie was sitting. Had he really just told her he loved her? And like that, of all ways?
She wanted to call him back. Wanted to bitch him out for doing it the way he had, and then tell him she loved him, too. But he was finally going to try to conquer his gift, and the last thing she wanted was to wreck his concentration.
But he was getting an earful the second he was done.
“Okay,” Georgie said nervously, her eyes on the Enforcers. “What exactly are we doing out here?”
Forcing her mind to the subject at hand, Tarun quickly explained about shifter gifts. “Luke’s gift is the ability to force shifts, but he struggles with controlling it. So we’re out here so he can practice and try to get better control over his ability.”
“So there are going to be a bunch of shifters in animal form this morning?”
“Hey, it’s okay. I told you, we’re always present when we’re shifted. We’re in control. And these are the good guys. I promise, no one’s going to hurt you.”
“The good guys?”
“Yeah. Just like with humans, there are good shifters and bad ones. These guys are Enforcers. They’re shifter law. We have laws just like humans do, and they’re part of our police force, if you will.”
Control (Blood & Bone Enforcers MC Book 1) Page 12
