Unclaimed

by Sara Humphreys

  “Mate,” he growled.

  In a blur, Dominic leaned down and covered her mouth with his as the rumbling in his chest grew louder. Tatiana moaned and opened to him. Her arms slipped around his neck, and everything else fell away. In that moment, she let go of whatever semblance of control she had and tumbled blindly into the abyss.

  Tatiana had been kissed before, but never like this.

  Dominic devoured her, like wildfire consuming everything in its path. He suckled and drank from her as though his existence depended on it. He held her head in his strong hands, angling and allowing him better access. His tongue tangled with hers as she threaded her fingers through his short hair and hung on for dear life.

  Through the rage of desire, she heard his voice scrape along the edges of her mind… mate.

  What the hell was she doing?

  Tatiana dropped her hands to his chest as he trailed hot, wet kisses along her jaw and down the sensitive skin along her neck. This wasn’t just some guy she was plastered all over. This was the guy. The one she’d been desperately trying to avoid, and here she was making out with him like some horny kid. Fear, panic, and an overwhelming sense of danger swamped her as reality came crashing back into focus.

  Tatiana abruptly shoved herself out of his grasp and swiped the back of her hand over her mouth. They stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, glowing eyes locked on one another. Dominic’s fingers curled at his side as Tatiana held up both hands in a peace offering.

  “I’m sorry,” she said through heavy breaths, her lips still tingling from his touch. “We can’t do this, or more to the point, I can’t do this.”

  Tatiana expected him to argue or protest, but neither happened. His eyes shifted to their human state, and he gave a curt nod of agreement. “Agreed.”

  “Good,” she said hesitantly. “Why aren’t you fighting with me about this?”

  “I like to pick my battles.” Dominic’s mouth tilted into a lopsided grin. “For example, why don’t you tell me what else you heard in the barn?”

  Tatiana blinked with surprise. She’d forgotten that’s what they’d been talking about before he kissed her senseless.

  “What’s the matter, doc?” His grin broadened. “Did I kiss it right out of you?”

  “You would think that.” Her eyes narrowed, and she felt her face color again. Good God, she’d blushed more in the past twelve hours than she had in her entire life. “Fine. I’ll tell you,” she huffed and moved toward him with her hands placed firmly on her hips. “Just before I blacked out, I did hear something else.”

  Tatiana got right in his face, daring him to retreat, but he held his ground.

  “Traitor,” she whispered.

  Dominic’s face darkened, and she didn’t need to read his energy signature to know how upset he was. “Purists?”

  Tatiana nodded slowly and turned on her heels to the door, but paused as she opened it. “That’s not what scared Spirit though.” She tilted her chin and delivered a challenging glare in his direction.

  “Oh really, Dr. Dolittle? Then what did?”

  “Very funny.” She rolled her eyes. “It seems Spirit isn’t fond of big cats.”

  “That doesn’t make sense.” Dominic gave her a confused look. “They’re used to us and our clan forms.”

  “Be that as it may. I heard the growl of a big cat as I passed out.” She blew the hair off her forehead and looked away, embarrassed to bring up the fact that she’d gotten knocked on her ass. “When she reared up, that was the last thing I heard.”

  Dominic moved toward her slowly, with the easy, fluid motions of a cat and that feral, predatory look in his eye. Tatiana gripped the doorknob for dear life as he approached. Her feet felt like they were nailed to the floor, and even though her gut instinct was to run, she held fast as he stopped inches from her.

  “That growl you heard?” he asked as he leaned closer, his lips a breath away from hers. “That was me, Doc. Your energy signature has been tangling with mine from the second my body touched yours, and you know what? I’m not a fan.”

  “What?” Tatiana’s eyes widened. She didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved. Maybe she was a bit of both.

  “I can’t get you out of my head.” Dominic stepped back, giving them distance. “I’m Guardian of this property. It’s up to me to keep a clear head and a sharp mind. People depend on me to protect them.”

  “Dominic, I—”

  “No.” He held up one hand to stop her. “Let me finish.”

  “Fine.” Tatiana folded her arms over her breasts and waited.

  “I’ll admit, before I met you I was worried as hell about not finding a mate and losing my powers, but now I’m not so sure.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “How the hell am I supposed to do my job if all I can do is think about you and keeping you safe? So, if you don’t want to mate with me, well, that’s just fine. You do your job, and I’ll do mine. When we’re done, we go our separate ways.” Dominic stuck his hand out to her. “Deal?”

  Tatiana looked at his outstretched hand and then to his serious, masculine face. “Deal,” she said quietly.

  They shook hands briefly, neither wanting to linger. As she followed him out of the room, one issue nagged at her.

  Tatiana got what she wanted. Her Amoveo mate agreed to let her off the hook and not follow through with the whole life-mate deal. She should be on top of the world and completely relieved… but just the opposite was true. Damn it.

  Chapter 4

  A thick summer breeze whisked past Dominic as a flock of birds swooped overhead and landed in a tall pine tree. As he strode along the dirt road, he scanned the area for unusual energy patterns, but so far, all was well. When he reached the top of the hill, three log cabins came into view, one of which was his.

  Richard and Salinda built several cabins when the Purists began making trouble last year. They knew any hybrids they found might need a safe haven, and the Muldavi Ranch always provided exactly that. Dominic had been living here for two years, and a few months ago, Steven and William moved in with their mates.

  The place had turned into a full-on compound, and when he made the occasional trip into town, he didn’t miss the funny looks from people who were convinced Richard and Salinda ran a cult. Dominic scoffed under his breath at the ridiculous notion as he approached his destination.

  Steven and Courtney’s cabin was down the road to the left, across from his. When they’d first moved in, it took some getting used to because he’d enjoyed the solitude, but now, he’d gotten accustomed to them.

  Dominic sensed both of their energy signatures flowing from inside the cozy cabin and couldn’t help but smile. The two had been through hell in the last year, and while Steven bounced back quickly, Courtney seemed unsteady and ready to bolt. He’d asked Steven about it, but he brushed it off, blaming it on her pregnancy.

  Sweat trickled down his back, and even though he itched to shift into his tiger, he refrained. The ranch was over three hundred acres, and distances like that were easier to travel in his animal form. Ever since the Caedo attack, he and Eric had been sticking closer to the main part of the property. So as much as he wanted to, he didn’t. Tatiana and Matt would be coming by this way any minute to settle into their cabin, and the kid might freak out if he saw a Bengal tiger loping along the path.

  Their cabin.

  A low growl rumbled in his chest, and his eyes shifted harshly at the very thought of Tatiana sharing anything with another man. The image of her heart-shaped face drifted into his mind, and his body hardened at the memory of her softness. Dominic wanted her. There was no denying it.

  Dominic’s body reacted to her on a primal, animalistic level. However, that’s not what set him on edge. If he’d only been attracted physically, it would be a hell of a lot easier to distance himself from Tatiana. It was the flood of unexpected emotions that had him all fucked up.

  Hell, after that kiss, he knew she wanted him just as badly. Her body said ye
s to everything, but her head screamed hell no. He couldn’t blame her because he wasn’t feeling all that different. He didn’t have the time or the luxury to wade through his feelings. Dominic cursed under his breath and kicked a stone out of his path, glowering at it as it tumbled into the tall grasses along the edge of the road.

  Dominic knew he’d shown all the self-control of a goddamn dog when he jumped her bones back in the medical lab. It was like something or someone took control over him. It didn’t matter that she told him she didn’t want to be his mate. All that mattered was tasting, licking, and nibbling those sweet, cherry lips until he couldn’t breathe.

  There was no thought or concern for consequences. He didn’t think, he merely acted on impulse, and that was unacceptable. He let his emotions cloud his judgment, and it was those emotional blinders that could get people killed. His sister, Daniella, had been a Purist traitor, and he didn’t see it until it was too late.

  Dominic clenched his teeth and fought the urge to shift as the energy rippled over his muscles. The animal inside strained to be released. No. He would not allow his feelings to blind him anymore. He would keep his distance from Tatiana, do his job as Guardian, and let her go home to Oregon.

  It would mean eventually losing his powers, but what good would they be if he ended up with a woman who loathed him? Better he lose his abilities and live his life as a human, rather than force Tatiana to be with him.

  Nothing would make him forget the look on her face when he told her he’d killed that Caedo assassin. It was a mixture of horror and fear. Dominic had plenty of people look at him fearfully, and it never bothered him. On the contrary, it made him feel like he was doing his job. But when Tatiana looked at him like that, it was a kick in the gut, as if he’d somehow let her down.

  Bullshit.

  Dominic straightened his back. He didn’t owe her an explanation. He would never apologize for doing his job no matter how many disapproving looks she gave, but as he walked up the flagstone path to Tatiana’s cabin, he knew that was a full-fledged lie. If she looked at him like that again, he might fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness.

  “Jesus,” he muttered as he took the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. “I’m acting pussy-whipped already.”

  Just as he stepped into the cabin, he heard tires crunching along the dirt road, and Tatiana’s now-familiar energy signature whisked over him on a warm breeze. He breathed deeply and willed his eyes not to shift as he stood on the porch and watched them pull up. Tatiana wore a pair of dark sunglasses, but he could tell she was tracking his every move.

  “Hey, Dom,” Layla said, stepping out of the passenger seat. “Thanks for dropping off the keys.”

  Tatiana and Matt emerged and gathered their bags. They’d been running tests all afternoon in the lab, and Dominic was glad to see they were finished because having that human in the main house made him uncomfortable.

  Layla let Cass down, and the puppy quickly began to claim the area as his by peeing on one of the stones lining the path.

  “Hope Cass isn’t going to mark up the inside too,” Dominic muttered as the puppy bounded enthusiastically along the path and attacked various pieces of grass on the way.

  “He’s claiming his territory,” Tatiana said with a grin as she watched Cass tumble along.

  “You know how male animals are,” Matt chimed in. “They want the world to know what belongs to them. Tatiana and I see it all the time in the practice. Don’t we?”

  Dominic grit his teeth and fought the urge to say something. He hated that this guy knew things about Tatiana and shared things with her that he didn’t. It was dumb as dirt to be jealous of this scrawny kid, especially because Tatiana clearly wasn’t interested in him, but it didn’t make it less true.

  “Mm-hmmm.” Tatiana nodded but didn’t look at either of them as she continued up the steps. Careful. The teasing lilt of her voice floated into his mind. Your alpha male Amoveo is showing. Her sweet scent filled his nostrils, and combined with the telepathic connection, it made his dick twitch.

  “I suppose I can’t say as I blame them.” Dominic breathed her in as she brushed past him and murmured in a low voice, “Marking their territory is embedded in their DNA.” He touched her mind with his. But I promise you, when I stake claim to my territory… I’ll choose a far more pleasant method.

  Tatiana stumbled and almost fell, but Dominic grabbed her arm and kept her on her feet. “Careful,” he murmured. He gave her a knowing look. “You’ve already taken one tumble today.”

  “Thank you.” She pulled her arm from his grasp and gave him a tight smile. “I think I can manage.”

  Cass bounded up the steps between them, breaking the spell. They all watched as he went sliding across the smooth wood floors and landed butt first into the back of the couch.

  Tatiana let out a whistle as she looked around the surprisingly roomy cabin. The first floor had an open layout with a large living and dining area to the left and a spacious kitchen to the right. Windows surrounded much of the first level, giving it the feeling of being far larger than it was.

  “Just wanted to be sure you got settled. Did everything go well in the lab? Is it poisoning like you suspected?” Dominic asked as he closed the door behind him.

  “Yeah,” Matt said with awe. “I’ve never seen such a cool setup. This Richard guy must be freakin’ loaded to have a med lab like that.”

  Dominic ignored the kid and kept his attention on Tatiana.

  “Yes. Someone tainted their feed supply, but the water came up negative.” Tatiana looked around the kitchen as she spoke, carefully avoiding him and his gaze. “We emptied and disinfected the feed buckets, so we’ll have to go out tomorrow to get clean food. They should be fine once it works its way out of their systems, but someone definitely messed with them. Although, I’m a bit worried about Spirit. I hope we got to her in time.”

  “Yeah,” Matt chimed in. He scrunched his face up and ran a hand through his messy hair. “I don’t get it. Who would anyone mess with this guy’s horses?”

  “He’s not just some guy,” Dominic said evenly. “He’s—”

  “The horses are worth a fortune,” Layla interrupted and shot Dominic a look that screamed shut up. “Who knows why crazy people do crazy things? Anyway, Dominic and Eric will obviously have their hands full and are stepping up security. Right, Dominic?”

  “It’s really none of our concern, Matt,” Tatiana added quickly. She smiled and lifted one shoulder. “We were hired to figure out what was going on, and we did. As soon as they’re all on the mend, you and I will be on our way.”

  “So, what?” Dominic walked to the granite island and leaned both hands on it as he turned his full attention to Tatiana. “That’s it? You’re leaving?”

  “Not yet.” She held his stare, meeting his challenge. “We’ll stay for a few more days to make sure their symptoms dissipate… and then we’ll go.”

  “Aw, man,” Layla huffed. She leaned both elbows on the end of the island and looked at her sister. “I was hoping you’d stay longer.”

  “Oh please.” Tatiana laughed. “You’ll be sick of me by tomorrow.”

  “Well,” she said slowly, as if she was afraid to say more. “I won’t be here tomorrow or the rest of the week actually.”

  “What?” Tatiana’s eyes widened, and she flicked them briefly to Dominic before narrowing them at her sister. “You’re leaving?”

  Tatiana’s energy waves fluttered with panic and a touch of fear, making Dominic surprisingly uncomfortable. Was she afraid of him? Of being alone with him? He pushed himself away from the granite counter and walked over to the window, pretending to be interested in something outside.

  “I’m sorry, sis. I got a call from National Geographic this morning for a photo shoot, and it’s too good a gig to pass up. William and I are leaving tomorrow afternoon. I’m surprised he didn’t give me a hard time about going, but I think the latest assassination attempt has him on edge. Listen, if you
’re pissed at me, just take heart in knowing that I’ll have my husband doing his overprotective macho stuff during my entire trip. I’ve never taken him on a shoot, so I have no idea how this is going to go, and it could turn into a cluster-fuck of epic proportions.”

  Dominic glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of Tatiana. Her arms were folded over her breasts, and she was biting her thumbnail. The woman had turned into a bundle of nerves in a matter of minutes, and he knew full well it was because of him. The puppy seemed aware of it too because he whimpered at her feet and rubbed against her legs.

  “When will you be back?” Tatiana asked quietly. She let out a slow breath as she reached down and petted the dog.

  “Saturday—a week from today—and I promise we’ll have some serious sister time, but I really can’t pass up this opportunity.”

  “I know,” Tatiana said on a sigh of frustration. “I just… well, I guess this means we can finish up and head out as soon as possible. There really isn’t any other reason for me to stay. You and William should visit my place in Oregon when you’re finished with your gig.”

  Dominic fought the urge to grab her, throw her over his shoulder, and tell her she wasn’t going anywhere without him ever again. However, he suspected a move like that would go over like a fart in church.

  “Well,” Dominic interrupted. “However long you’re going to be here, you’ll need keys to the cabin. Here they are.” He placed them on the small table by the front door, trying not to sound like a possessive dickhead. He faced her again. “Not that anyone ever locks their doors around here.”

  “First time for everything,” Matt said from his spot on the large leather sectional. Dominic had almost forgotten he was there. “Wouldn’t want any unwelcome visitors in the middle of the night.”

  “Right.” Dominic sliced a look in his direction before turning his attention back to Tatiana. “There are two bedrooms upstairs, each equipped with their own bathroom. So you’ll have plenty of privacy.” He leveled a stare back to Matt. “There are locks on those doors too,” he said pointedly.