“Kian,” Ian said, both him and Jax coming to stand beside Seth. “Where’s Zane? As prince of your tribe, you’re never to be alone. And I’ve never once seen you without Zane.”
An uncomfortable look passed over Kian’s face as he exhaled. “How many times must I tell you all not to call me a prince? I’m just a tiger shifter, like all the others in my tribe.”
“That didn’t answer the question,” Jax pointed out.
“I sent him home.”
“You did what?” Ian asked, voice full of surprise.
“He did not take his defeat well,” Kian admitted. “He’s not used to losing, especially not so thoroughly.”
“Should give him some catnip or something,” Seth grumbled.
“Seth,” Ian warned.
“What? Tell me you haven’t thought the same at some point. He’s a pompous prick. He needs some of that shit so he can chill out and occupy himself with chasing his own tail. He comes after my mate again, and he’ll get it worse than last night. That was just the beginning of what he has coming to him.”
“I’m sorry for how Zane acted,” Kian said quickly, speaking over the growl Ian was directing Seth’s way. “But you must understand, he’s next in line behind me. He was raised to believe he’s superior to everyone other than myself and my father. He believes how he acts is how he should act.”
“Bullshit,” Seth said, voice hard. “He has a choice. Being raised to believe you’re superior doesn’t mean you actually are. And it sure as shit doesn’t mean you have to act like it. He. Has. A. Choice.”
Seth’s words seemed to echo around the porch as everyone looked at him. Clearing his throat, he resisted the urge to shuffle his feet uncomfortably as everyone stared at him.
You’re wrong. We were raised to believe we’re superior because we are.
Seth just barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Once again lumping yourself in with Zane, huh? Fanboying over the dickweevil tiger?
Smirking inwardly at the pissed off roar his leopard let out, he refocused on the conversation, again resisting the urge to squirm as he took note of Ian studying him.
“Why do I get the impression you know about this first hand?” Ian asked.
“No clue,” he said cheerily, knowing they’d all hear the lie in his voice. “This isn’t about me, anyway. Look,” he said, going serious as he turned to Kian, “how do you know for sure he left? He wants Amelia badly, and he wasn’t going to give up. I saw it in his eyes.”
“He wants her, yes, but he would never disobey a direct order,” Kian insisted, an inscrutable expression flashing through his eyes. “He went back to the War Cats, and he won’t be back. Ever.”
“Who’s coming to replace him? Or are you leaving as well?” Ian asked.
“I’m staying, and no one is replacing him,” Kian replied, lips set in a stubborn line.
“You’re always supposed to have protection—”
“Do I look like I can’t take care of myself?” Kian asked in a hard tone, cutting Ian off. “I’m a grown man, and next in line for the War Cats. I’m a warrior, and I can protect myself.”
Ian’s eyebrow rose, but he didn’t comment on it. “Do you want to come in, maybe stay a while?”
“No, I just came to let you all know that Zane won’t be a problem any longer. I should get back.”
Get back to what, Seth wondered but didn’t say. He knew Kian trained somewhere, but he’d been living in Eagle Creek’s hotel for the last couple months, and he’d just sent his only company home. Seth wasn’t sure why Kian was still here, honestly. He came to spend time with Shelby, but he’d been here for months. Seth couldn’t help wondering if there was another reason Kian wasn’t going home, maybe something he was avoiding.
Seth felt an unwelcome pang of sympathy as he stared at the proud prince of the War Cats. Kian’s life seemed lonely and isolated, and Seth was suddenly grateful he’d escaped that life. If he hadn’t been kidnapped, if he hadn’t been shunned and left his clan, that would have been his life.
The others went inside while Seth stayed on the porch and watched Kian leave. He wasn’t as certain as Kian that Zane wouldn’t be back, stirring up trouble. The tiger shifter not only wanted Amelia, but he hated the Rocky River fighters, and that hatred ran deep, though Seth wasn’t sure why. Regardless, Seth’s instincts were blasting a warning. Whether it was sooner, or further down the road, he felt sure that hadn’t heard the last from Zane.
That was okay. It didn’t matter what the tiger brought next, Seth would be there, ready to take him on. He had something precious to protect now, and he wouldn’t let his mate down. Ever.
Amelia sat down on the couch after her shower, not sure what to do. After getting back from taking Seth home, she spent a couple hours cleaning out Uncle Jerry’s room, but it wasn’t long before she lost her motivation. She’d showered the dust and dirt away, and now here she was, the night stretching before her, with nothing to do that appealed to her.
Looking around, she spotted the stack of books she bought at the bookstore and reached for them. Pausing when her eyes landed on her notebook, she grabbed it and opened it, staring at the list. Guilt for how she went about things washed over her, but she pushed it aside. She grabbed a pen from the coffee table and got comfortable.
She had no need for the notes she’d written down pertaining to what Seth was, and they mocked her from the page, reminding her of what a horrible person she was. But she wanted to make a list of all big cat species, maybe try to figure out what kind of cat Seth harbored. This wasn’t research, though. This was curiosity over the dual nature of the man she loved.
Titling it, What Is My Man, she tapped the pen against her lips while she thought.
Tiger
Lion
Bobcat
Panther
Leopard
Cheetah
Cougar
She paused and stared at the list she had so far. She was sure she was missing something else, but those were the ones she thought of off the top of her head. But making the list got her no closer to figuring out what he was. Not that she really thought it would.
She wanted to ask him, but there was no way she could without letting on she’d known for a bit. And that brought on a fresh wave of guilt. Because she didn’t know exactly where this was heading, but she wanted it. Wanted a life with Seth badly, wanted him permanently. So much so that she didn’t want to return to England. She wanted to stay right here in Eagle Creek with the man who was beginning to mean more to her than she could have imagined someone would.
But if it looked like her wish was coming true, and she had to admit it already was, she had to tell him the truth. She couldn’t live out a life with Seth, knowing she was keeping secrets. Besides, these things tended to come out eventually, and the more time that went by while she was hiding this, the worse it would be when he found out the truth. But how would she come clean, and in a way that didn’t send him running away from her?
“What do I do, Mum? How do I tell him the truth?” she asked softly, looking at the picture of her mother on the coffee table. She’d never tried to speak to her before, but this seemed like an occasion that called for it.
With an exasperated sigh, she tossed the pen and notebook on the table and started browsing through the books Ellie helped her pick out. They all looked good, and she finally settled on one with a pirate on the cover.
She didn’t really expect much of a distraction from her thoughts, but her restlessness eased the more she read, and before long, she was engrossed in the novel, feeling like she was on a seventeenth century pirate ship, and about to be kidnapped for the third time.
Amelia pulled up to the house, two large boxes of donuts she’d purchased from the grocery store sitting on the passenger seat. She glanced around, smiling when she saw Ian’s truck and Seth’s Charger parked by the barn. The fighters were working on the roof, so she knew they’d be finished soon. Even though she didn’t need an excuse to keep
Seth coming around now, she still felt sad they’d be done soon. She enjoyed having them around, even if she didn’t see much of them.
Opening her door, she slid out from behind the wheel, and then walked to the other side and grabbed the boxes. She turned to face the barn, and when there was a break in the noise, she spoke.
“I brought donuts,” she called loudly, raising the boxes when everyone looked her way.
They nodded, and she smiled to herself as she made her way to the back door. She walked into the kitchen, easing the boxes to the counter, and then turned around, coming to an abrupt halt when she looked up.
The old stained and scratched table was gone, and in its place was the most beautiful piece of furniture she’d ever seen. Walking closer, she gazed at the table in awe. The dark wood, walnut, she thought, was gleaming in the light, and she traced the design on the top with her fingertips as she walked around the table. There were flowers etched at intervals, and as she glanced at the mason jar of wildflowers in the center of the table, she realized this was one of Seth’s creations. The flowers carved into the surface were an exact match to one of the flowers in her makeshift vase.
Throat closed up tight with emotion, she continued her circuit around the table, fighting tears. There were two chairs with the same design on one side, and as she walked to the other side, she realized there was a bench for seating, also boasting the same designs the table and chairs had.
The door opened behind her, and she knew before she turned around that it was Seth. He had a proud grin on his face as he said, “So? You like it?”
Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly as she tried to make her voice work. His smile was beginning to dim when she finally pushed out, “It’s… I… You…”
A frown replaced his smile as he stepped closer. “You what? It’s okay if you don’t like it. You can just tell me, and I can make you something else.”
“I just… it’s…” Gesturing to the table, she cleared her throat, frustrated with herself as she saw hurt creeping into his gaze. “I love it. It’s beautiful,” she said, relief filling her when she formed a full sentence.
Eyes clearing, his smile came back as he cupped her face, leaning down to give her a lingering kiss. “Whew. You scared me for a minute there. I’m glad you like it.”
Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes at herself. “You’d never know I have a PhD, and have a successful career as a scientist. I’ve been nothing short of goofy since meeting you.”
Brow twitching, he took a step back as his eyes clouded with an expression she couldn’t interpret. “About that. There’s something you should know.”
Concerned, she followed him as he stepped back. “What? What’s wrong?”
“It’s not that anything is necessarily wrong,” he replied, running his fingers through his hair, leaving it mussed. “I mean, not to me. It might be to you.”
Puzzled, she shook her head. “I don’t understand. Tell me what it is.”
“I never finished school,” he blurted out, refusing to look at her. “I don’t even mean college. I mean high school. I never earned my high school diploma. I don’t even have my GED.”
“That’s it?” she asked, confused.
“What do you mean, that’s it? Don’t you understand? You’re smart. You graduated college. Hell, you have your PhD already, and you’re only twenty-five. You deserve someone on your level, someone more.”
“Oh, Seth. You are more. You talk like I deserve better, but you’re not seeing yourself how I see you. Not finishing school doesn’t mean you’re not smart, because you are. And we don’t have to be able to do everything the other does. I can’t make anything with wood, much less create something beautiful like that table. Does that make me less in your eyes?”
“Of course it doesn’t,” he replied, his frown starting to ease as he listened to what she was saying.
“And not being able to do what I do doesn’t make you less in my eyes. I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”
A slow smile spread across his face, chasing away his frown and the shadows in his eyes. “I see what you’re saying. I just don’t want to bore you when I can’t give you any kind of stimulating conversation.”
“Our conversations are stimulating in a different way,” she replied with a wink, basking in his laugh. “Besides, I can have those chats whenever I like. Remember the group message when my dong kept going off?” she asked mischievously.
“How could I forget?” he asked, eyes crinkling with amusement as he chuckled.
“There are six people from my lab in the chat that I can have those kinds of conversations with whenever I like. That’s not what I need from you.”
“And just what do you need from me?” he asked huskily, bringing her close and pushing his erection into her.
“Everything,” she answered in a whisper, a wave of desire washing over her so strongly it nearly brought her to her knees. “But that’s a good start.”
Leaning down, he took her mouth in a scorching kiss that he ended far too soon. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her from the room and toward the stairs.
“What are you doing? Don’t you need to go back and help your friends with the roof?”
“They can get on without me for a few minutes. And what does it look like I’m doing?” he asked, smacking her on the ass as she walked past him to climb the stairs.
Laughter erupted from her throat, and she stopped complaining. Who was she to argue with that, especially when she wanted to go where he was leading her?
Seth drove passed the town limit sign, shifting down to slow as they neared main street. Smiling, he glanced over at Amelia as his sensitive hearing picked up on her soft hum. Squeezing her hand, he lifted it to his lips, kissing it quickly before he lowered it to where it had been resting on his thigh.
They were just getting back from Cheyenne, having dropped off her rental car. One more sign that she was planning on staying much longer, and he couldn’t be happier about it. It was one step closer to her staying here permanently.
“Hey,” he said, glancing at her as they stopped at the lone red light in town. “What do you say to me working on your house? Anderson really let it go, but it wouldn’t take too much to get it back in shape.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” she said enthusiastically, shooting him a bright smile. “Work up a plan, and give me an estimate.”
“Honey—”
“You’re not working for free. Don’t bother arguing with me about it, because I won’t be swayed.”
He nodded in agreement. He’d work up a proposal, but he’d charge her for materials only. He wasn’t going to let her pay him for labor. They made the rest of the drive in silence, and then they walked to the house together.
Amelia unlocked the door and flipped the switch, frowning when nothing happened. “Bugger. The electricity is out.”
Seth turned to her and gave her a quick kiss. “Stay here for a minute, and I’ll go check the breakers. Be right back.”
Jogging back to his car, he quickly popped the trunk and grabbed a flashlight. He thought the breaker box was in the basement, and it would be dark in there. Giving Amelia a reassuring smile, he quickly entered the house and went to the kitchen, opening the door to the basement and carefully making his way down the old and sunken stairs. They weren’t very sound, and they’d be at the top of his list when he started making fixes around here.
Quickly finding the box and flipping the switch, he smiled when the lights came back on. When he got back to the kitchen, Amelia was waiting on him with a relieved smile.
“Thank goodness. I never would have known to do that,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging tightly.
Giving her a kiss, he pulled back and said, “Stay with me tonight.”
Freezing in surprise, she searched his eyes as she hesitated. “You mean, at your house? With the rest of the fighters?”
“Yeah,” he replied, taking in the trepidation creepi
ng into her gaze. “I’d like for you to get to know the guys. They’re more like my brothers than anything. Don’t look so nervous. They’re good people, and they won’t bite. You hung out with them at Cocky Pete’s, and everything was fine then.”
“Not from my perspective,” she said with an embarrassed smile. “I made a fool of myself.”
“No, you didn’t,” he assured her. “I promise you, they like you. It’ll be fine. Unless—unless you don’t see the need, if you’re going back to England,” he said, swallowing hard when his voice caught.
Leaning up, she placed a soft kiss on his lips, lingering as she whispered, “Going back to England isn’t even on my radar right now.”
Relief threatened to buckle his knees as he whispered back, lips still touching, “Good.”
Easing back down, she smiled hesitantly. “I’ll stay with you tonight. Let me go pack my bag.”
“Okay,” he said, trying not to show how relieved he was over the way the conversation had gone.
He watched her walk out of the room, and once she was out of sight, he slumped into one of the kitchen chairs. Rubbing his hand over his stubble, he blew out a breath, dispelling the rest of the unexpected nerves that attacked when he mentioned her going back to England.
Who’s the pansy ass wimp now? his cat taunted.
Give it a rest, he told his cat, exasperated. And don’t pretend you weren’t just as nervous as I was.
Silence. Seth had scored with that one. Satisfied, he smiled as he leaned back in his chair and waited for Amelia.
Amelia stepped out of Seth’s car, looking around her with interest. She’d never been to Rocky River before, and it was beautiful. The house was a sprawling two-story ranch house, a white washed brick, with dark blue shutters around the windows, and a large porch stretched the length of the home. There was a large oak tree in the yard, complete with a tire swing swaying in the breeze, and she felt the strangest urge to have Seth push her while she swung in it.
Rounding the car to get her overnight bag, Seth pointed to a large barn off to the right. “That’s where we have our gym set up. Everything we need to train is right there. And that shed over there?” he said, pointing to a smaller barn she could just barely see, situated slightly behind the house. “That’s my workshop.”
Fighting for Keeps Page 14