Roaring Change

by Marissa Dobson

  “I think Layla knew better than to think I could keep my hands off you after all this time.” He patted the sofa cushion next to him. “Come here. We have about two minutes before the call, and I need to feel you in my arms.”

  “Demanding.” Stepping around the coffee table she strolled toward him. “I can feel your tiger. He’s restless, needing more than these simple caresses.”

  “Don’t worry about him.” As she neared, he reached out, took her hand and pulled her down not to sit beside him but into his lap. “We’ll take this at your pace. As fast or as slow as you want. I don’t care as long as you let me hold you.”

  She leaned into his embrace, resting her head against his chest. “It seems like against all odds we’re here together, and maybe we should—” Her words were cut off by the beep of the computer, alerting them to Korbin’s call.

  “Do you want me to leave? I can find something to do with myself while you speak with them.”

  “No.” She took his hand into hers as she leaned forward and clicked to answer the call. “Hello.”

  “Look at you two,” Layla teased, a smile stretched across her face.

  “Where’s Korbin?” Sparks questioned.

  “Nice change of the subject.” Layla shook her head. “He got detained, but he’s on his way. Don’t worry Sparks, Zaz is here with me.”

  “You better get your ass back here so I can quit doing your duty on top of mine,” a male voice called from somewhere out of range.

  “Don’t worry Zaz, we’ll be back tomorrow.” Merrie’s lips curled into a smile, and for the first time since planning her trip back to Ohio, she was excited. “I wouldn’t want to keep Sparks away from his duties, but I appreciate you sending him here.”

  “You both needed each other.” Layla’s gaze shot to Sparks. “You’ve been one moody tiger since she left. It’s strange to see the smile on your face now.”

  “She gives me a reason to smile. Look how far she’s come.” Sparks squeezed her hand.

  “She has.” Layla’s attention shifted back to Merrie. “It’s why I want your help. I’m assuming he gave you my letter, correct?”

  “He did. Though with the surprise of him being here and…well you already know.” She hinted at the mating, not sure if Zaz already knew.

  “The mating.” Layla nodded. “Don’t worry about Zaz, he can feel the connection, too.”

  Not sure what to say to that, she decided to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand. “I read it a few minutes ago, and I have to say I’m surprised. Honored but surprised.”

  “You shouldn’t be.” Korbin strolled into view before taking a seat next to his mate. “The three of us have discussed this at great lengths. As your Elders, we can not only see the changes in you, we can feel them. You’ve always gone out of your way to help others, and you have a way with people. Why not use your compassion and understanding to help those part of our family who need not only the support but the encouragement you can provide?”

  “Sir, I…” She wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but before she could figure it out, Korbin continued.

  “I came here because those who remained needed someone to pull them together and lead them. I’m doing that, but for us to continue on the path to a healthy community, we need to have people throughout the clan and in different roles, pulling together to make this work. There are those here who are hesitant about bringing outsiders into our fold. As it stands, we’re too small. We need to grow in size in order to protect ourselves. I believe as we continue to add to our numbers, others will realize this is the right decision. Still it’s not going to be easy at first. Especially when members join who have been abused by their Alpha. They’re going to need time to adjust to living in a healthy environment.”

  “With Ted Hillbrand and his parents here, their cougar scent makes some of the other members edgy. This is something we have to overcome as there are bound to be other shifters who visit or join us.” Layla placed her hand over her mates. “The Hillbrands aren’t going anywhere. They’re part of this family now, and with Ted’s role in security, they’ll be seeing a lot of him.”

  “Just in the few weeks I’ve been here, I’ve had to get used to it as well. It’s a big adjustment. Our former…” Merrie paused not wanting to say Alpha. “Keith did a number on us. Anyone who wasn’t a tiger was a threat. He saw being mated to another species as a betrayal to him and a direct threat to his rule.”

  “Having you exposed to other shifters is a benefit I hadn’t considered.” Korbin nodded. “I know you’ve met Taber, and I have no doubt you’ve also had contact with at least some of his brothers. The bears can be a little overwhelming at first considering their size. From your comment, I gather you’ve had contact with Connor, their wolf geek as well. What other species, if any, have you encountered during your time there?”

  “Mostly Ambrose, a lion shifter and his daughter, Kyra. The Shifter Peace Keepers team has been around the compound, and while I haven’t had as much contact with them, you catch their scent in the area. Besides Ambrose, there’s a polar bear, snow leopard, a wolf and a jaguar.” She ran her hand down her leg, trying to lessen the unease.

  “One of them still worries you.” Layla’s gaze centered on Merrie. “I can feel it.”

  “So can I.” Korbin put his arm around Layla’s shoulders as if trying to ease what she was feeling from Merrie.

  “The wolf.” Merrie hadn’t planned on admitting it aloud, but as she said it, the weight seemed to lift from her chest.

  “Why?” Sparks inquired, his fingers teasing along the peaks and valleys of her knuckles.

  “If Connor doesn’t alarm you, why does this one?” Layla pressed when Merrie didn’t answer.

  “He’s…” Not sure how to explain it, she shook her head.

  “Go on, sugar.” Sparks encouraged, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  “Connor’s sweet, and well there’s no Alpha tendency in him. He’s a true computer geek. Bleidd he’s…dark, and the look in his eyes, well he’s terrifying. He reminds me…”

  “Of the man who came with Randolph.” Sparks supplied before reassuring her. “He’s dead.”

  “I know.” Her words were barely above a whisper as she sank into his embrace, allowing his heat to chase away the chill which had settled around her. “I know he’s dead, and they look nothing alike, yet the look in his eyes…”

  “Who’s the man Randolph brought with him? For what purpose?” Korbin questioned, eyeing Sparks.

  “Randolph only ever called him Wolf. It appeared as if he was Randolph’s pet, but I suspect there was more we didn’t know. His specialty of extreme torture was his only reason for the visits—to torture Henry mostly.” Sparks explained.

  “Others were not immune to it. If you pissed Keith off earlier that day, instead of punishing you himself, he’d have Wolf do it. Maybe it wasn’t as severe as what Henry faced but it was always painful.” Merrie added.

  “You know Bleidd means you no harm, right? He’s on our side.” Layla assured her.

  “I know. If you can get past the look in his eyes, you’ll realize he’s a kind man. It’s just something about his scent and the way he looks at people that puts my tigress on edge. I can’t get completely past it, but I’m trying.” Letting out a deep breath, she voiced the one thing weighing on her mind. “If you want to truly prepare everyone for visitors you need to have the Shifters Peace Keepers team visit. Being they’re made up of different species entirely it will give everyone a variety of scents to familiarize themselves with and with Bleidd there it will prepare them for the possibility of wolves joining us. If we could have another wolf, someone more like Connor, as well it might help. I know Connor is busy with the Nerd Crew so I don’t suspect he could get away.”

  “I’ll talk to Ty.” Korbin nodded. “See why we need you Merrie. I hadn’t considered bringing Brooklynn’s team here to acclimate the others to different scents. You did and it proves we’ve made the right
decision. The question is are you going to accept the position?”

  “I…uhh…” She twisted in Sparks embrace to look at him, wondering what he was thinking. If the mating bond had been formed, she’d know but as it stood she was almost blind to his emotions—except for his tigers unease and the desire they were both filled with.

  “Go on.” Sparks gaze met hers and everything fell into place.

  “Yes.” She’d take the position to help the clan because this is what she was there for. She couldn’t turn her back on her family. More than that it would put her working alongside Sparks and their Elders, making her a key part in the future. There was something liberating to it.

  So much change. A new position, new lease on life, and a mate, at least my tigress isn’t cantankerous about all the change. If anything, she’s more at ease. Because of our mate.

  Chapter Five

  With the call ended Sparks knew they had to get moving, there was a celebration ready to start in the dining hall, but all his tiger wanted to do was sit there with Merrie snuggled in his embrace. After all this time he finally had his mate and his beast wasn’t eager to allow her to stray too far away, especially with the mating bond not solidified yet. Soon.

  “Are you okay with this?” Her fingers teased along the front of his chest, making him wish he’d removed his shirt.

  “You mean with you helping the clan?” He nodded. “Stopping you from helping someone would be like cutting off your oxygen. It’s who you are. It’s another reason why I’m in…” He stopped himself, not wanting to scare her away.

  “What? You’re what?” she pressed.

  “Nothing.” He tapped her hip with his hand. “How about you show me where this dining hall is? Adam mentioned there’s always fresh coffee there, and it’s been a long day. I could use a cup or two. You might be used to this time change, but I’m not.”

  “Answer me,” she demanded, not moving from his lap.

  “Mer—”

  “Don’t Mer me, tell me,” she commanded making him raise an eyebrow at her.

  “Did my little tigress find a backbone here in Alaska?” He slid his hand up along her side. “Damn kitty, seeing you all feisty is turning me on.”

  “As if you weren’t already.” She wiggled her hips, rubbing her backside along his shaft.

  “Don’t, sugar.” His voice was thick as he warned her. She was venturing into territory she wasn’t ready for. He’d been hard since he pulled her into his lap, but he hadn’t thought she noticed. The scent of her did something to him he couldn’t explain. It always brought his tiger forward, until his beast brushed along the inside of him. Now it was stronger, almost as if a direct line to his dick.

  “Answer me, and I’ll stop.” As she continued to wiggle her hips just enough to tease along his hard shaft, she ran her hands along his chest.

  “Fuck, Mer.” He was losing control, making him want to push her back onto the sofa and make her scream for him.

  “Come on, scaredy-cat.”

  “I’m in love with you.” He bit out as his hands landed on her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh enough to make her stop.

  “You’re what?” With wide eyes she stared at him as if she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.

  “I’m in love with you,” he repeated. “Damn Mer, I’ve been in love with you longer than I want to admit.”

  “I…”

  “You don’t have to say anything,” he continued to tease his fingers along her sides. “Just show me where we can get some coffee.”

  “Coffee.” She nodded as she started to raise off him. “Come on, but this conversation isn’t over.”

  The moment she wasn’t touching him, his beast charged forward, snarling as he neared the surface. Patience, she’ll be officially ours soon.

  “So, have you picked a second-in-command?” she asked as they stepped into the hallway heading out of the rooming house and toward the main building.

  “Ahh…”

  “I take that as a no.” She shook her head. “With Korbin allowing people to join us, Layla needs her guards.”

  “Don’t I know.” He shook his head and tried not to let his frustration show.

  “What’s the problem?” Merrie placed her hand on his arm, stopping him, and easing his tigers irritability.

  “I’d planned to name one before I left, so I knew Layla was protected.” He dragged his hand through his hair, trying not to allow his concern to affect her. Zaz might be with Layla whenever Korbin couldn’t be, but it wasn’t the same as having the Captain of her Guards there or even the second-in-command. It still left their Alpha Female vulnerable.

  “But?” she pushed.

  “Luca is good, but he’s still new to guard duty. I’ve been training him during our off hours, but he’s not where I’d like him. I want to be certain whoever I name can protect Layla without a doubt if I can’t be there.” He wanted that person to be Luca, but he wasn’t convinced yet. “Then there’s Neil, I’m not sure you met him, he’s one of the guards Raja brought before you left.”

  “He’s an unknown.” She nodded, as if understanding his hesitation.

  “I’ve worked with him, watched him train with the others, but yeah he’s still new to the clan.” For the first time he allowed himself to voice his reservations. “I’m more comfortable with Luca or even Flint, and he’s young and still wet behind the ears guarding anything let alone an Elder.”

  “Does Korbin have reservations about Neil? I mean if Raja brought him to Ohio, was Neil a member here before he left?”

  “No, he was a lone shifter who came after Korbin arrived in Ohio. Neil was never part of the clan, he was here for the training, with the hopes of finding an Alpha to accept him afterward.” Sparks explained, ignoring her first question for the moment.

  “From your lack of response, I take it Korbin has hesitations as well.”

  He glanced around the hall before nodding. “It’s not Neil’s skills, because he’s a good guard. When it comes to going above what’s expected of them Luca does that, so does Flint. Both have a way with Layla, making it easy. They’re there protecting her without hovering. Neil…he hovers, and that makes her uncomfortable. More than that, I just don’t think he’s ready. I can’t describe it, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone with Layla. As much as I wanted to be here with you, I only agreed to come if Korbin assured me no matter what happened Neil wouldn’t be the only one guarding Layla.”

  “Then trust that. Trust your judgment, because in the end, that’s what will keep you and Layla alive if something happens. And I want you alive, preferably uninjured. But alive is important.” Sliding her hand down his arm until she reached his hand and entwined their fingers. “Our Elders might need you, but so do I.”

  “Not nearly as much as I need you.” He wrapped his other arm around her, drawing her against the front of him. “What I said unnerved you, and while it’s the truth, I’m still worried. I’m supposed to be taking this at your pace, and I’m making a blunder of it.”

  “You’re doing fine.” She tipped her head back to look up at him. “I doubt being my mate will ever be truly easy, but we’ll fumble along this road together. We’ll get through it.”

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” He wanted nothing more than to lean down and kiss her, but he denied himself. “Though if you want me to contribute intelligent conversation to this mating, I need coffee. Otherwise I resort to a bunch of grunts and growls when I’m tired.” Being around her had his body firing on all cylinders, and he really didn’t need the coffee, but he still needed to get her to the dining hall. Their pit stop had delayed them again, and he needed to get her moving before he took her back to her room.

  “Rachel told me once if she wanted you to agree to something, she always asked you in the morning when all she got out of you were grunts. Never sure if they were yes or no grunts, she took it however she wanted to. I thought it was deceiving then, but now I can see the advantage.”
Stepping out of his embrace, she smirked.

  “I guess I’ll have to wake up earlier than you so you can’t trick me into something.” He teased as they started walking again. Though he wasn’t sure if there was anything he wouldn’t do for her to see her happy.

  “We’ll see about that.” She shot him a cocky grin before her eyebrows burrowed together in confusion. “Normally the dining hall’s empty at this time of the day. Maybe we should…”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Brooklynn’s team is there. I can smell the…”

  “Wolf,” he finished for her. “Come on, I’m sure it’s fine, and you’ve got me. I’d never let anything happen to you. You know that, right?”

  She nodded but didn’t move from where she stopped. “What if they’re having a meeting, or I don’t know, some kind of training where they needed the dining hall?”

  “Adam wouldn’t have told me about the coffee if there was something going on that we needed to stay away from. Now come on.” He gave a light tug on her hand. “Maybe you can introduce me to them. I’d like to see for myself what Bleidd is like before he makes a trip to Ohio.”

  “That’s why you make a good Captain of Layla’s Guards. Even here, thousands of miles away from her, you’re thinking about her protection.” Her voice was low as she timidly continued toward the doorway.

  “I’m also thinking about yours.” He squeezed her hand. “I want a read on him. He makes you uneasy, and I want to ensure he isn’t a threat to you.”

  “He isn’t,” she whispered before pushing open the door into the dining hall.

  “Merrie!” Harmony hollered coming toward them. “There you are. We were beginning to think Sparks here was keeping you all to himself.”

  “Uhh…” Merrie stilled next to him as her gaze scanned the room. “What’s going on?”