Authors: Nancy Corrigan
Josh leaned against the wall, hands clasped in front of him
while he surveyed the people milling around the bar. Despite it being a
weeknight, a good-sized crowd filled the room. Metallica’s
Enter Sandman
played in the background.
Since when did that particular song make it to the oldies
list?
He shook his head. If it was up to him, Metallica would play every
night, but he left the entertainment choices up to the DJ. Well, he had until
his old one decided to drop everything and follow his girlfriend to California.
He needed to hire a replacement. Lucky for him, he was related to someone who’d
be perfect for the job, if he could convince her to take it.
“You gonna help me out, kid?”
Zoe sighed and rolled her eyes. The attempt to appear
exasperated didn’t fool him. He saw the sparkle in her baby blues. She liked
the idea.
“I suppose. Somebody’s got to avert another torture session.
When Def Leppard’s
Pour Some Sugar on Me
came on and your buddy started
singing, I thought I was going to puke.” Her nose scrunched. “And I wasn’t the
only one disturbed. Your customers looked ready to bolt.”
He glanced at the canine shifter in question. At the moment,
Xander’s twin had one hand down some girl’s shorts and the other fisted in her
hair. The female wore that drowsy look women got when they were ready to give
their lover anything they wanted.
Josh gave the wolf five minutes before he disappeared with
his conquest for the night. As if the couple heard his prediction, they broke
apart and headed for the door. Josh shook his head.
“His antics are free entertainment. Besides, Donny used to
play Def Leppard all the time.”
“Well, Donny still wears a mullet and black jeans two sizes
too small.”
He chuckled. “Okay, little sister, you’ve made your point
and I agree. You’d make a better DJ than Donny ever was. I’d like you to start
tomorrow, on one condition.” He waited for her to motion for him to go on
before he dropped the deal-breaker. “You don’t take off unannounced the next
time the mood to roam strikes you.”
Her shoulders slumped and a pout formed. “Aww, come on. That’s
not fair. You know I can’t promise that.”
He was asking a hell of a lot from her. He got that, but he
couldn’t allow her to leave town. Kade would flip out and Josh didn’t want to
deal with his whining.
He went through the list of arguments he’d come up with when
he’d planned this talk. None sounded as good as they had earlier today. Still,
he picked the one least likely to cause a rift. “You’re not getting any
younger, Zo. It’s time to take on some responsibility, set down roots and go
back to school.”
Zoe hopped off the stool and stood in front of him. One hand
on her cocked hip, she glared at him. “Just because you’ve turned into Mr.
Family Man doesn’t mean I want to go that route again. I like being single,
free to come and go as I please.”
“I’m single too.”
She snorted and took the position next to him. “You keep
thinking that, buddy. You’ve got the cat woman.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend but I’m working on it. Kade’s
given me his permission to court Mira. It’s the green light I needed. She’s not
getting away from me.”
Zoe shifted, peeking at him through heavily mascaraed
lashes. “Court? They do realize everyone else in the world calls it dating now,
don’t they?”
He tweaked her nose exactly as he’d done since they were
kids. Damn, he loved having Zoe home. He’d missed her.
“And
you
realize they’ve all lived through the
Victorian Era, right?”
She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Yeah, right.
Immortals. That’s got to get boring.”
His curiosity spiked. Josh bent his head to get a better
view of his sister’s face. She abandoned her perusal of the crowd and met his
gaze. “If things had been different and you fell in love with a shifter first,
wouldn’t you want to live forever?”
Zoe shook her head, the swatch of pink she’d left free
swishing with the movement. The rest of her hair was pulled into two off-center
pigtails, courtesy of Megan. His niece always fixed her hair, and anyone else’s
she styled, unevenly.
When he’d first become Megan’s guardian, he hadn’t known how
to take care of a little girl. He could never figure out how to get those darn
ponytails right. Megan would laugh hysterically after looking at his handiwork.
He eventually gave up trying to make them perfect. She was happy, so it was
good enough for him.
“Hell, no. I’d burn out after a century and turn into some
old spinster who sits by a fire with a lap blanket and electric foot massager
while I knit misshapen baby blankets.”
Human females shared in their shifter mate’s immortality.
They didn’t age. He’d explained that to her along with the reason why he and
Mira had been dancing around their attraction for months, but he knew the real
reason Zoe refused to ever love again. Instead of starting an old argument, he
nodded. “Good, then I don’t have to warn you to stay away from them. They’re
all about the conquest, sis.”
A big grin spread over her face. “Really?” She licked her
lips. “I bet they’re hung like horses too.”
He cringed. “Jesus, Zoe.” He scrubbed his hand down his
face. “Now I’ve got images in my head I don’t want.”
She waggled her brow. “I’ll take a couple for test runs and
let you know if the pictures I have in my head are accurate.”
“Keep dreaming. Kade won’t let anyone touch you. He’d break
their fingers.”
Hands on her hips, she glared at him. “I’d like to see him
try to stop me.”
So would he. It would be amusing but wouldn’t end well for
Zoe or Kade. “You do that, and he’ll get all territorial on you. You’ll end up
mated to him.”
“Not likely.” She slipped her hands off her hips and curled
them tight at her sides. “Anyway, stop changing the subject.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were. We were talking about Mira.”
Hearing her name quickened his pulse. He widened his stance
and rolled his neck. He’d complain that it was getting hot in here, but he
suspected he was the only one burning up.
“So what happened to the guitarist you were dating?” He
asked to change the subject away from Mira. Thinking about her left him edgy.
Damn, he wished he wasn’t working so he could go see her
tonight. Her smile brightened his world and made him feel…right. God knew he
needed that. He hadn’t been able to sleep since yesterday. He’d prowled the
house restlessly. Every time he’d closed his eyes, he’d dreamt about that hand
reaching for him from out of a wall of black mist. Suffice it to say, it’d
freaked him out enough to make sure he didn’t sleep.
“He asked me to move in. I snuck out through the bedroom
window and hightailed it out of there.”
Classic Zoe. He wasn’t surprised. However, it was that type
of behavior he had to squelch, or else he’d have a pissed-off predator
breathing down his neck. “You never answered me. Do you promise to stick
around? I’m going to need help with the girls and they love you.”
Zoe reached up, separated one pigtail and tightened it by
yanking on the strands before repeating the process on the other side. “They
are adorable, but I have to admit I feel silly carrying on a conversation with
a cat.”
“Cub,” he corrected her.
She gave him a small smile. “Molly is a cute
cub
. It’s
hard for me to grasp the fact that she’s in there
with
her cat. It must
be hard. I have trouble sharing my head with my own conscience, let alone
another entity. It gives a whole new meaning to split personality.”
“Well, are you staying or not?”
Zoe sighed. “I’ll try. Best I can offer.”
And that was the most he’d hoped for.
“Great. I have your paperwork already filled out. You just
have to sign it.”
Her blue eyes widened. “You’re going to pay me?”
He looped an arm around her shoulder, gave her a quick hug
and walked with her to the bar. “That is what most people expect when they take
a job.”
“But you’re already letting me stay at your old place rent free
and
you feed me.”
“You’re family, Zoe. I’d do anything for you.”
Zoe blinked rapidly and buried her face in his chest. She
squeezed him tight. “Me too.”
He rubbed her back and wondered what this display meant. “Everything
okay?”
He never got an answer. Feminine laughter carried over the
crowd’s murmurs. He’d know that husky sound anywhere. He stepped away from Zoe,
anxious to go to Mira, and froze. His lip lifted in a silent snarl at the sight
of the couple who took a table in the shadows.
“Well, this will be fun.” Sarcasm dripped from Zoe’s words.
His chest rumbled on a deep guttural growl. It startled him,
yet not enough to curb his temper. He took a step forward. Zoe tugged on his
arm. He ignored her feeble attempt to stop him and dragged her a couple of
feet.
She planted herself in front of him, hands splayed on his
chest. “Whoa there, big brother. Rein it in.”
“I’m going to rip that fucker’s balls off then turn Mira
over my knee.”
“First part, no. Second part, have at it.”
He advanced on them, rage rising until his body vibrated
with the need to take out his rival. Zoe’s boots squeaked as he pushed her with
him.
“Stop, dammit. Do you want to ruin everything?”
He glanced down at her panicked face. The concern etched
there cut through his fury. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths. “What
do you mean?”
She fisted his shirt in one hand and waved behind her. “If
you go over there acting all territorial, she might freak. I know I would.”
“I cannot stand by and watch Aron put his hands on her.” He
took slow breaths to ease the growing rage. “I want to hurt him.”
She studied him for a long moment. Finally, she gave a small
shake of her head. “You have it bad, bro.”
“Tell me about it.” He cursed. “I’ve never felt like this,
Zo’. Jealous, possessive. I just know we’re supposed to be together.” He turned
pleading eyes on her. “I need her. You understand?”
“Yeah, I do.” She sighed. “Let me help you.”
He’d do anything to get Mira away from her one-time promised
mate. “What do you have in mind?”
* * * * *
Mira swallowed down bile. She was going to be sick…again.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Aron asked.
She plastered the practiced grin she’d used for years on her
face. “I’m fine. It’s all the different smells in here. I’m still not used to
being around people and their perfumes.”
“It can be disconcerting.” He focused his brown-contact-covered
eyes on her. “But you’ve seemed a little off ever since I picked you up.”
He’d completely caught her off guard. Why didn’t
men—shifters and humans alike—do what they were told? They only ever
half-listened, filling in the parts they ignored with their wants.
“You just surprised me. I didn’t expect you to walk into my
house.”
While I was buck naked.
“I told you I’d meet you here.”
He grinned. “Now that wouldn’t be very respectful. If we’re
courting, we’re going to do it properly. That includes picking you up.” He
leaned across the table and trailed his fingertips over her knuckles. Her belly
heaved. “Will I get a good-night kiss when I take you home?”
No.
“Maybe. I’m not the same woman I was, Aron. Nor
are we promised mates. I don’t owe you anything.”
Aron studied her intently, lids lowered so he looked at her
through his lashes. “No, you’re not. You’re stronger, lovelier, bolder. You’re
unlike any female I’ve ever known.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” She asked because she
hadn’t expected Aron to like such things. When she’d been younger, he’d told
her not to bother training with her brothers, that it wasn’t proper for a
female—shifter or human—to act aggressively. Women were to be protected and
cherished, not be able to rip a male apart in seconds.
Aron turned her hand over. Sheer will kept it limp.
“It is.” He inclined his head. “I’m not the same male I was
either, nor can I wait for the day you look at me the same way you ogle over
the human.”
“Josh,” she snapped.
Aron rubbed circles into her palm with his thumb. “Josh
wants you, but I have you tonight.” He slipped out of his side of the booth
still holding on to her hand and urged her to stand. Reluctantly, she did. He
tugged her body against his. Head bent close, his warm breath tickled her ear. “And
when I’m done with you, Mira, you’ll want me, not Josh.”
Her life would be so much easier if she did. Josh would be
safe with her out of the picture.
He led her to the dance floor. This was what she’d asked for
when she’d called him. Now she hated the idea. Being close to him literally
heaved her gut. It also didn’t help that her cats eyed him as a threat. Even
reminding them Aron had been the one chosen for her didn’t help.
They’d made their choice and no amount of rationalization
mattered. In the end, they were animals. Prophecies and visions meant nothing
to them. They’d set their sights on the male they wanted her to be with. In
their primal minds, it was a done deal and she was just being stubborn.
Aron held her close. Neither of them danced, despite the
grinding music playing in the background.
“You have matured into a beautiful woman, Mira.” He licked
the rim of her ear. “You stir me as no other female has before. Your body, your
scent, your voice…you lure me, tempt me to carry you back to my bed.”
A roughened tongue traced a path down the column of her
neck. Her breathing quickened, but fear drove it, not passion. His cats’
appearance didn’t bode well for her. It meant they liked her too.
Oh, gods.
She’d never brought forth a shifter’s animal before, not once in her three
hundred years of life. If Aron’s cats set their sight on her, she’d never get
free. They’d claim her.