Authors: Nancy Corrigan
“Must we play this game?” Jazz turned her attention to Aron.
“We know you’re a big, bad alpha, but Rafe has told me you want no business
leading the pride. So don’t pretend to challenge Kade. Either sit down or get
out.”
Mira smiled. She loved her friend’s frankness.
Aron chuckled. “Of course, little female.”
Once Aron took his seat, Kade leaned close, one hand on the
cushion next to Aron’s head, the other on the table. “Unlike some of our
previous homes, we are too integrated with humans to give in to dominance
scuffles all the time. Decide now, cousin. Accept me as you pride leader or
fight me. We can set up the ceremonial challenge for tomorrow night.”
Aron inclined his head. “Jasmine is correct. I want no part
of leadership. Never have, never will. That has not changed in the years I’ve
been away.”
A single nod of Kade’s head and the tension in the air
around them eased. “Good. Care to tell me why you’ve decided to return to the family
after all these years?”
Aron sat up taller, as if working up the courage to make his
announcement. Since he’d already told her why he’d made the trip, she didn’t
understand his hesitation.
“I learned of the Council’s order for Mira so I’ve come to
reclaim what is rightfully mine.”
“No.” She fought the wave of sadness and rage his words
brought. “Too much time has passed.”
Aron propped his elbows on the tabletop and leveled a hard
glare on her. She shivered under the look, her instincts warning her she wouldn’t
like his next words.
“I’ve heard rumblings that the Council has already chosen
your mate if you fail to follow their order.”
She waited for him to tell her who. All he did was stare at
her. Finally, she conceded, matching his pose so only a few inches separated
them. She embraced the anger seeing Aron brought, better than the churning fear
turning her gut into a rolling mess. “Who?”
“Micah, Edmund’s great-great nephew.”
She closed her eyes, pain overwhelming her as quickly as the
anger had. The name of her dead mate brought the memory of that horrible night
back. Her pulse raced. The tightness in her chest made it hard to drag in air.
She wheezed, fear gripping her and threatening to send her into a full-blown
panic attack.
Josh rubbed circles into her upper thigh. She focused on the
sensation of his roughened fingertips. The horrors faded back into the recesses
of her mind as he soothed her with his gentle caress. The memories weren’t
gone. She’d never be free of them, but Josh’s presence made them bearable.
“So, my dear Mira, am I right? Wouldn’t you rather be mine
than tie yourself to a male whom I’ve been told could be a mirror image of your
dead mate?”
She let her breath escape in a long rush. “No, of course I
don’t want Micah, but that doesn’t mean I’d welcome you. Our binding didn’t
happen when it should’ve and it won’t now. So take your offer and shove it up
your ass.”
Jazz stifled a laugh, but no sign of amusement showed on
Aron’s face. Mira couldn’t put a name to what she saw reflected in his eyes.
Regret, maybe? She wasn’t sure. The contacts he wore hid what little she could’ve
garnered.
“You were a teenager, Mira.” He growled and the sharpened
points of his claws emerged from his fingertips. “Edmund hurt you, physically
and emotionally. I gave you the time you needed to heal.”
Time? He’d given her time, all right. Fifteen years she’d
waited for him to claim her. He never had. After he sent word of his
denouncement, she went on with her life. It didn’t matter. The past couldn’t be
changed. Only the future counted and Aron had no claim to it.
“Don’t pretend to be a martyr. If you’d truly wanted me,
nothing would’ve stopped you from mating me. We are a stubborn species. Once we
set our sights on our prey, we don’t relent until we get it.” She leaned
forward so he had a perfect view of her cleavage. With his eyes focused there,
she sneered. “And you will never catch me.”
Aron lifted his gaze to her face and watched her, waiting
for her to acknowledge him as her alpha. Silence stretched. She grinned. Hell
would freeze over before she submitted to him or chose him as her mate.
He blinked and dropped his attention to her lips. He licked
his. “I’ve come to the conclusion that not claiming you might have been a
mistake. This is my chance to find out.”
She opened her mouth to tell him off. He held up a single
finger. She sat back to enjoy the moment. Aron groveling was a damn fantasy
come true.
“Do not be so quick to turn me away. Have you forgotten the
visit your sire received?”
She blanched and slumped in her seat. Although she felt Josh’s
eyes on her, she couldn’t speak of the cursed blessing that had ruined her life.
“Explain,” Josh ordered.
When it became apparent nobody else wanted to speak of the
prophecy, she glanced up. Aron’s eyes met hers. The neutral mask he wore didn’t
give her any clue to his feelings. He’d never told her how he felt to be
chosen—cursed as she had. Apparently, he wouldn’t today either.
“Our goddess appeared before Mira’s father on the day of her
birth. She told him Mira’s offspring would someday lead us into a new era.”
Aron turned his gaze on Josh. “He chose me to be Mira’s future mate.”
“What the fuck—”
“Enough, Josh.” Kade dipped his head to hide his softly
glowing eyes. “This is not the place to discuss our family’s issues.”
Aron winked at her, all evidence of his serious mood gone.
He faced Kade, a big grin on his face. “So…as a member of your pride, I
officially request your permission to court Mira as my mate.”
“Granted.”
Her mouth dropped open. “How could you?”
Kade shrugged. “You have to pick one of us and Aron’s offer
saves me from having to mate you myself. Honestly, this is the best news I’ve
heard in a while.” He faced Aron. “Welcome home, cousin. I’ve recently
purchased some properties close to mine. You’re welcome to pick one.”
Mira glanced between Aron and Kade. She had no words. A
sense of helplessness seized her, left her trembling inside.
Jazz, who’d been silently watching them, clicked her tongue.
She waggled her finger at both males, a move Mira had seen her friend use on
her kids. “You are both insensitive jerks! You’re treating Mira like she’s some
neglected dog in need of a new owner. She’s a person who happens to have her
own wants and desires. You have no right to force her to pick between men who
don’t love her.”
Kade sighed. “Mating has nothing to do with love. I’m happy
Rafe and Devin found it, but the bond is all about breeding. If we find a
female who can tempt us to spill our seed inside her, it’s enough to keep us
coming back for more.” He tipped his chin in her direction. “And Mira? I don’t
know of any male who isn’t drawn to her.”
“Three hundred years that wretched prophecy has hung over my
head.” She focused on Josh’s deep-blue eyes, the color of the sky right before
a storm, and told him the truth. “It turned me into a prize to be fought for.
It’s the reason Edmund attacked me and why I’ve been harassed by hopeful males
since. But none of my damn suitors wanted
me
. They wanted to be the one
who got to knock me up.”
When Josh only stared at her with guarded eyes, she gave him
a little shake. “Do you understand now? I’m nothing more than a breeding mare.
The ultimate fucking prize.”
With that, she shoved at his shoulders until he got the hint
and slid out of the booth.
He grabbed her hand. “Mira, wait.”
She shrugged out of his grip and stormed away. It took every
ounce of dignity she had left not to run. Tears she couldn’t give in to burned
her eyes. A couple of minutes, that was all she had to wait. Once she got to
her car, she could let them fall.
Each step she took aggravated her inner animals. They wanted
to go back to Josh. She ignored their annoyed growls. They always wanted to go
back to him. She pushed her way to the front door and slipped outside. The
noose on her chest eased some.
Eyes closed, she took a deep breath, needing to clear her
lungs of the lingering scents from the bar. A whiff of rage drifted on the
breeze. She popped her lids open and focused on the human female looking at her
with pure hatred stamped on her face.
Lips thinned and nostrils flaring, the little redhead’s fury
rolled off her. Mira raised a brow, amused by the sight. Her cats, however,
wanted to rip the girl’s throat out. She dismissed their violent response. Too
many humans had been labeled as a threat by her inner spirits for her to take
their reaction seriously. “Problem?”
“Yeah,” the woman nodded, “stay away from Josh.”
The mention of Josh’s name tensed Mira’s body as her cats
slammed into her chest, desperate to get out. She tightened her hold on their
metaphysical leashes and focused on the woman’s glinting green eyes. “And what
gives you the right to tell me to do anything?”
The woman raised her chin. “I’m Josh’s lover.”
Mira took two steps forward before she stamped down her
anger. She curled her fingers to hide to tips of her claws. Mouth parted
slightly, she inhaled in an effort to taste the truth of her words. All she
smelled was the woman’s wrath.
“Don’t lie, little girl.”
The redhead sucked in a rough breath as if she couldn’t
believe Mira didn’t trust her. “I’m not! Josh has been cheating on me. You’re
not the first whore he’s flaunted in front of me.”
She lunged at the woman but the female was yanked out of the
way. Mira whirled, hands fisted to beat the truth out of her. A male with a
bushy red beard had the girl tucked behind his body.
He inclined his head. “Sorry ’bout that, ma’am. My sis here
has had a wee bit too much to drink.” The male tugged the female toward the
parking lot. “Nice night, ma’am.”
Her cats didn’t want to let the humans go. They posed a
threat. The same musty drug scent she’d smelled on the human who’d hurt Josh
clung to the male’s clothes. His signature, however, didn’t match Zeb’s. Mira
held her ground. She stared at their retreating backs until they climbed into a
lifted pickup and drove away.
The female’s words bothered her but the anger boiling her
blood was better than the sadness. She turned away from the bar and headed into
the woods. She needed to run. Tonight had pushed her to the limit of her
control. Any more and she’d likely explode.
Josh watched the last two waitresses pull out of the parking
lot. He pivoted on his heel, took two steps and stopped. Kade leaned against
the rear wall with his hands in his pockets and a troubled look on his face.
“What do you want?”
Kade shrugged. “Do I need a reason to visit my favorite
human?”
Josh strode across the lot, flung the door open and waved
him inside. He wanted this talk over with. There was only one reason Kade would
be here.
Mira.
Only the beer signs’ faint glow brightened the interior.
Josh didn’t bother with the lights. He could see well enough and the shifter
following him would have no problem getting around. In the main room, he weaved
around the tables with chairs upturned on them. Once behind the bar, he grabbed
their beers, the usual for their late-night drink-fests. Normally, he looked
forward to them. With the shit that had gone down tonight, he didn’t want to
deal with anyone, let alone one of the men Mira might chose as her mate.
Two longnecks in hand, he tipped his chin toward Kade. “Where
do you want to have this lecture? Here or in the office.”
“Why do you assume I’m here to lecture you?”
Josh shifted one bottle to his other hand and dropped two
chairs from the nearest table onto the floor. He placed the beers on the clean
surface and straddled the seat. “’Cause after what happened today, it’s a
given. Let’s get this over with. I’ve had a shitty week.”
With a hard glare fixed on him, Kade took a swig of his
favorite lager, a local brew. He swallowed and slammed the amber glass to the
table. “I thought I’d made myself perfectly clear. It’s become apparent you
need a reminder of the rules.”
“See. I was right. You came here to lecture.”
“It’s not a lecture. I gave you an order. You disobeyed me.”
Josh stood and the chair clanked to the floor. Palms on the
table, he locked gazes with the feline leader. “And I’m damn tired of being
held to rules nobody else in your family has to follow.”
Kade mirrored his pose, a matching clunk echoing through the
room. “Do not challenge me.”
Josh sneered. If he had fangs, he’d hiss at the bastard too.
“You know very well we’re past that. You’re the top cat. For Megan’s sake, I
acknowledge that.” He leaned close enough to smell the hint of beer on Kade’s
breath. “Spit it out. What did I do wrong this time?”
“You kissed Mira.”
Josh shoved away and picked up the chair. He needed a moment
to school his features. Just the mention of what he’d shared with Mira heated
his body. Their first damn kiss and everyone in the bar including the male
behind him had gotten to share in it. Because, yeah, he’d known Kade was there.
Josh had seen him out of the corner of his eye when Jazz had doused him in
beer. He hadn’t cared either. When Mira had pressed her soft curves against
him, getting his lips on her had been his only thought.
Unable to delay any longer, he righted the stool and sat. “And?
It was just a damn kiss. No big deal.”
The lie soured his gut. It was a huge deal, in his eyes at
least.
“I like you, Josh.”
“Really?” He chuckled. “Well, thanks for that, but I can’t
say I feel more than friendship for you. You’re handsome and all, just not my
type. I do have a cousin…”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Kade glanced heavenward,
a long sigh escaping. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Josh snorted. “God, please don’t tell me you came here to
talk about my feelings. Should I go get Megan’s nail polish and we can paint
our toes while we talk about who we want to marry?” He tipped his beer, drank
the contents in one long swallow before slamming the empty bottle down. “Don’t
give me your bullshit. The only person you’re worried about getting hurt is
Mira. And you know what?”
Silence stretched. Finally, Kade gestured for him to
continue.
“Forcing her to pick one of you as a mate is going to hurt
her in the worst possible way.”
“I hate that she’s in this position too.” Kade righted his
stool and sat. “My hands are tied. I’ve had lawyers looking into it. As soon as
the Council tagged on the qualifier that they’re taking this drastic measure
for the good of the species, a whole new set of rules got rolled out.”
Josh walked back to the bar and grabbed another drink as he
considered how to respond. While he’d planned on pursuing Mira himself, tonight’s
revelation made him reconsider. He needed a chance to think about his next step
because he kept coming back to one sticking point—did he have the right to get
in the way of Mira’s destiny? That was the million-dollar question and one he
didn’t have an answer to at the moment.
“Is the prophecy the reason you kept us apart?”
Kade shrugged. “It’s one of the reasons.”
“Why else?”
“It’s safer.”
Josh frowned. “For who? Mira or me?”
Another shrug.
Knowing it was the only answer Josh would get from the
stubborn shifter, he straddled the chair and took a swig of his second beer. Time
for a different approach. “As an outsider looking in, I can’t help but wonder
if the order from the Council has more to do with the prophecy surrounding Mira’s
kids than the lack of breeding couples.” He pointed at Kade with his bottle. “I
think there’s someone with their own agenda on the Council.”
Kade tilted his head to the side as he studied him. After a
long moment, he inclined his head slightly. “I agree. The discontent between
the royals and the single-shifters has grown over the years. They resent our
tie to the gods.” A weary sigh accompanied the small shake of his head. “When
word of the goddess’s blessing spread amongst our species, the singe-shifters
saw it as a way to finally earn immortality.”
Mira’s children would lead the shifters into a new era.
Josh cursed as all the tragedies of Mira’s life took on new
meaning. If the mortal single-shifters were willing to turn Molly into a living
incubator for the kids they hoped could make their race immortal, it wasn’t a
hell of a stretch to see how they’d interrupt Mira’s prophecy as a way to do so
too. “When she killed her rapist, the single-shifters took it as a slap in the
face.”
“So to speak. My sire accused them of orchestrating the
whole thing so she would be tied to a single. They denied it.”
“Of course.”
“Exactly,” Kade sighed, “but the number of unwanted suitors
vying for her body declined after he called them on it.”
Josh tipped the bottle and studied the amber liquid. The
thought of another man kissing Mira, let alone fucking her, infuriated him.
Being reminded that there’d been guys after her for nearly three hundred years
pushed him to the edge. Ridiculous thing to be angry about considering he’d
only met the woman this summer and had just kissed her tonight but…yeah, he
couldn’t deny it. He wanted to hunt them down and make them hurt.
The surge of possessiveness shocked him. Sure, he wanted
Mira. He hadn’t lied when he told her he felt something between them. He also
knew a woman like Mira would be one he’d treasure for the rest of his life.
What he didn’t get was his violent response to losing her. Normal people didn’t
react like that. He pushed the concern away. He’d worry about it when he didn’t
have Kade looming over him.
He gently put the beer down and flattened his palms on the
surface. “Say what you came to say.”
“Tomorrow I will announce Aron, Zach and myself as Mira’s
suitors. No other Alexanders have stepped forward to court her.”
Josh clenched his jaw so he didn’t voice his intention to
court her too. There was one more thing he needed to know first. “Do you
believe in the prophecy?
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
“You don’t think it got nullified when she killed her…” A
surge of intense rage swept over him just thinking about what Edmund had done
to her. He swallowed hard and added, “Her mate?”
“No.” He studied the table as if the answers to Mira’s
problems were written there. “There was more to the prophecy than Aron shared.”
“What else?”
“Nothing that concerns you, human.” Kade peered at him, the
warning clear. “If you care about Mira, you’ll stay away from her. Her future
doesn’t involve you. All you’re doing is hurting her.”
“And if I don’t?”
Kade took an interest in the condensation on the bottle he
held. He slowly dragged his forefinger down the length and around the label
before picking at it. Josh watched him scrape half off before Kade’s patience
snapped.
“Well?”
Kade finished removing the soggy paper and drank the
contents. “We’ll do whatever is necessary to eliminate the temptation you pose.”
Josh bit back a curse. “And how are you going to do that?
I’m Devin’s beloved human. Unless you kill me, Mira will always be drawn to
me.”
Kade flicked the wad of balled label across the room. “We’re
not entirely animals.”
“Hurt me enough that I’m out of the way?”
Kade nodded in answer.
“Fine. Consider your warning delivered. Now get out.”
For once Kade did as he was told. Josh waited until he heard
the rumble of Kade’s ’Cuda before he went to get another beer.
Several drinks later, Josh finally reached that point of
numbness he’d been hoping to find. He stood, pleased with the fuzzing in his
head. Adding in all those shots had helped. He stumbled toward his office. It’d
been a long time since he’d crashed there. Since he’d moved all of his stuff
out of the apartment on the rear of the property, he didn’t have anywhere else
to go. The lumpy old couch would have to do.
Halfway across the room, he stopped. The hairs on the back
of his neck rose. His heart kicked into high gear. He drew in a deep breath,
nostrils flaring to drag in as much information as he could. Mira’s scent
seeped into his lungs, leaving him a little lightheaded. Another whiff and he
groaned. Every time he smelled her, her fragrance got stronger.
He scanned the bar, but didn’t see her. With the only light
coming from the neon signs along the wall, there were too many shadows. He
closed his eyes and let his other senses guide him. Her rapid heartbeat echoed
in his ears, shocking him for a moment but not long enough to stop him from
embracing the information he shouldn’t have possessed.
He pivoted on his heel, listened to the sound and grinned.
With purposeful strides, he closed the distance between them and stopped a few
feet from where she stood by the wall. The picture she made kicked his pulse
into high gear.
She’d either washed the dye out or shifted. Gorgeous
patchwork hair hung to her waist. God, he loved her hair. So damn soft and
silky, his fingertips tingled whenever he touched it. Since her shiny locks
were the only part of her the other shifters didn’t mind him touching, he
indulged in his secret craving every chance he got.
The same outfit she’d worn to the bar a few hours ago—short
shorts and a clingy top—molded her body and exposed her bare legs. Her presence
tempted him but dressed like a walking wet dream she tested his self-control. Sitting
at the table with her tonight had nearly broken it. He’d wanted to caress every
inch of her body but had settled for the section of her thigh he could touch
without drawing too much attention. Now, however, there was nobody to stop him
and nobody to remind him he couldn’t be with her.
He planted his palms on either side of her face. Although
slightly taller than the average human female, she fit him. He could rest his
chin on her head. He stepped closer and did exactly that, nuzzling against her
hair as if it were the most natural thing in the world. No wonder the mated
shifters did this. Her scent wafted to his nose. It surrounded him and become a
part of him.
“Mira,” he said simply. No other words would come out.
He banded his arms around her shoulders and held her tightly
against him. She repeated the back-and-forth motion he’d delivered to her hair,
only his chest got the intimate caress. His cotton tee prevented the skin-to-skin
contact he craved, but it didn’t diminish from the act. It still left him with
a sense of her adoration.
She buried her face against him. “I wanted to apologize for
earlier. I didn’t mean to run off on you.”
The muffled words tugged at his heart. “Don’t apologize. I
would’ve wanted to get out of here too.”
Silence stretched, the comfortable kind and one he’d never
experienced with another woman. He skimmed the length of her spine until he
cupped the back of her skull. With his fingers woven in her hair, he tipped her
head back. Half-lidded eyes met his, the look of desire one he only saw her
wear in his dreams.
His gaze dropped to her mouth. Plump, soft lips parted
slightly as she panted. Each breath she took quickened his pulse. He fought the
reaction.
Walk away, walk away.
The mantra repeating in his head didn’t
help nor did remembering she had a future which didn’t involve him. He had no
business wondering what it’d feel like to slide his cock into her drenched
center.
He mentally ticked off every obstacle preventing them from
giving in to the attraction they shared. Yet, none of those reasons overcame
the rightness being with her brought. He wanted to wrap himself around Mira and
never let her go. Too damn bad it couldn’t happen. They were only torturing
themselves. He didn’t doubt Kade’s promise that he’d do whatever it took to
keep them apart. Josh didn’t care about getting a beating, but Mira would feel
guilty. He hated seeing her upset.
With a freaking Herculean effort, he forced his body away from
her tempting one. He’d do the right thing for Mira. It might kill him but
whatever. He’d be the one dying anyway. Mira would forever look as she did
now—a goddess, an untouchable one.
She slid the tip of her pink tongue along her upper lip. He followed
the slow, sensual glide with his eyes and wondered what he’d done in life to
deserve having heaven forever out of reach. It had to have been bad though.