“Solid reason, though. Not a fabrication of your mind that ruined your life.”
Armana couldn’t argue.
“Is he dead?” Gray asked. “The one that plotted the whole thing?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t until recently. He tried to finish the job with Maggie. Her mate killed him.”
“Good.” The dishes were done. Gray shut the water off but didn’t move.
He stared at the faucet. She waited a moment, but he didn’t move.
“Gray?” She touched his arm.
He jerked, his gaze flying to her hand.
She didn’t know what to say, but chose, “What I said was real. I am real.”
His expression softened. “I certainly hope so.” His voice dropped low. He shook his head. “I mean, not about your tragedy.”
“I know.” They were inches away from each other, her hand still on his forearm. His eyes focused on her lips. When was the last time a man had looked at her like that, like he needed her to be as real as the warm rays of the brilliant summer sun in the sky?
Her breath caught. She liked his reaction to her. They were more than two parents worried for their children and recovering from the mistakes they’d made in the past.
They were more than the world had made them. They were primal, raw beings who had needs.
Needs that certainly for her hadn’t been met in countless blue moons.
Desire and pure male interest rolled off of Gray and sweet Mother Earth, it was intoxicating. Her lips parted as his gaze filled with heat. She swayed closer and his head dipped.
Her sensitive ears picked up a door shutting and footsteps heading their way.
Armana blinked and stepped back. The spell that was Gray’s attraction was broken.
Cassie rounded into the room. “Do you guys think we should just wait or head to the lodge and bug the commander?”
Cassie stopped, her gaze jumping between her and Gray. Armana’s heart pounded. Cassie didn’t know, she couldn’t. Her human senses couldn’t smell the spike of desire in the room.
Gray spun around and leaned against the sink. He cleared his throat and pushed off to frown behind him. A wet spot lined the back of his admirable ass.
Armana’s giggle couldn’t be stopped. She slapped her hand in front of her mouth. When was the last time she’d giggled of all things?
Cassie’s brow furrowed as she looked between them, then her gaze dropped to where Gray was scowling at his backside. Her lips twitched, and she sputtered into a chuckle.
Gray started laughing with them. It was good for all of them. They’d been riding on a wave of anxiety. Mostly it was a good distraction from the thought that Gray had been about to kiss her. Or had she been about to kiss him? The energy crackling between them was mutual.
Armana’s humor died, but the lightness remained. “The commander will be focused on the mission. We might need to go to the lodge to get answers.”
There was a knock on the door. Cassie darted to answer it. Armana smelled Commander Fitzsimmons before he stepped into the kitchen. The cabins weren’t large and there were already three of them hanging out in one room. He didn’t have to squeeze in, but his fierce presence overflowed the space. Dressed in black tactical clothing, he cast shadows in all directions.
“Jace talked to you.” He spoke to Cassie.
She nodded hesitantly, as if afraid Jace would get in trouble for calling her first. But there was no flash of irritation or promise of retaliation in the male. He was mated himself and perhaps understood how the mind worked when it came to putting love before duty.
Bane wouldn’t have tolerated that lapse in protocol. He had been a stickler for rules and honor and all the rest of the bullshit that came with leadership. Armana had, too. At one time.
The commander glanced at the empty seats at the table. He almost looked like he was going to sit but then decided not to linger. “The shifters they’re after are more organized than we gave them credit for. They’re trolling all over the region, kidnapping humans to sell as blood slaves to the vampires.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “And shifter children to sell overseas to the highest bidder.”
Armana blinked and Cassie gasped. Overseas? Their kind and vampires didn’t often move away from areas where they’d been settled for centuries. If they did, they went to other places where shifters had lived for centuries and mated into those packs. They didn’t migrate as a whole. To go so far beyond their own borders to victimize their own kind was unheard of.
But modern times made it harder to keep their presence from being detected with the use of smart phones and instant access to video. It also made it harder to contain the damage that rogue shifters could cause.
“They expected to get caught and were prepared for it,” the commander continued. “Jace and Malcolm are going to reorient and keep going after them. Bennett and Harrison, Malcolm’s twin, are on their way with extra supplies. We’re going to nail these rogues.”
Cassie nodded, her relief plain now that the commander was sending a couple of his best, who happened to be two shifters without loved ones who could be targeted. Bennett had a mate, but she was safely ensconced in her cabin and worked around the lodge. Armana knew her well enough to know that anyone attacking Bennett’s mate was in for a nasty surprise.
“That brings us to you.” The commander’s stare bored into Gray. To the human’s credit, he didn’t shrink under the formidable gaze that made cocky new recruits squirm. “You need to stay here with Cassie until this blows over. And… I’ll go to the Synod and plead your case, but I can’t promise anything. They’ll likely rule to take your memories.”
Cassie shook her head. “But—”
The commander cut her off with a look that said he understood her argument perfectly but the decision was out of his hands. “His condition. I get it. They get it. But it’s a slippery slope. Where do we stop allowing humans to know of our presence?”
Cassie’s lips pursed. “There are also his appointments and medication.”
“I have a week’s supply left,” Gray said.
Armana wanted to growl with frustration, both for the fact that Gray couldn’t be given the gift of knowing about his daughter’s life and because a week’s supply wasn’t enough. The rogue shifters had broken ties with a pack by disobeying laws and not sticking around for the consequences. They were on the run and crafty. It could take a month or more to track all involved down, even with four of the best Guardians on their trail.
Cassie shook her head. “You shouldn’t miss your appointments, either, Dad. It’s my professional opinion that it’s more critical than ever to not lapse in your treatment.” Her gaze flicked to the commander and darkened. “Especially if they think they’re going to tamper with your mind.”
Cassie’s tone sounded like she was going to have a “chat” with whoever was in charge, but it wouldn’t change the final decision. The protection of their kind versus a human’s brain? Armana knew what they’d choose. And from the commander’s regretful look, so did he. She didn’t envy him. He carried out the Synod’s orders and often his own wishes and opinions had to take a backseat.
She’d been the mate of a colony leader. She knew the toll it took, carrying out a higher power’s commands, in addition to the personal cost of disciplining those who were too selfish to see past their own desires. That type of conflict had led to Bane’s and Keve’s deaths.
The little she knew of Gray she liked and respected, and yes, she’d grudgingly admit she was attracted to him. But she’d stand behind the Synod’s decision lest any dissension filter down to her kids and Cassie.
Commander Fitzsimmons’s gaze bored into her like he could hear her thoughts. To him, she was the wild card. Cassie’s wishes were obvious and Gray was going to do what was best for his daughter.
She inclined her head. Understanding infused his gaze. Her acceptance of the situation made her an ally in handling Cassie. The girl’s emotions and feelings for her dad were going to cloud
her decisions, and if the commander thought Armana would ply Cassie with treasonous ideas, he’d put a stop to it.
No, she wasn’t going to do that. She’d help Cassie, support her, buffer the girl’s reactions so they didn’t interfere with Jace’s work, but she wouldn’t work against the government and possibly cost her son his job.
The commander finally spoke. “I’ll allow it, but we’ll have to plan accordingly. They’ve been following him and they’ll likely keep monitoring places he frequents.”
“I can accompany him,” Armana offered. It would help Cassie, give her peace of mind. There was no other reason for volunteering, despite the dark cloud hanging over her head that all memories of her would be taken when the Synod ruled. “Since Cassie won’t be able to go to town.”
The commander leveled his stare on her. How had Gray managed not to fidget under that intensity? Commander Fitzsimmons was disconcerting and she was nearly as old as him. But she’d never had to wear the mantle of responsibility he did.
“I’ll send another Guardian with him,” the commander said. “As Jace’s mother, you are in danger.”
Some days she wondered if Jace would stress over her beyond his inherent honor to do so. Maggie was another story, but the rogue would have trouble identifying Armana. “I doubt whoever is behind the trafficking has found a thing out about me that isn’t outdated. It’d give Cassie peace of mind and keep an extra Guardian free to hunt for the rogues.”
The commander’s sigh was barely detectable. Going rogue was the first step to becoming feral. The lack of ties to a pack and governing authority brought out the worst in their beasts. They were bred for pack living and mating for life. If these rogues were also unmated, they might spiral faster, and then the commander would have a larger problem that could explode in shifterkind’s face. Feral shifters didn’t care who they hurt and killed or who saw.
“Fine,” he said and looked at Gray. “When’s your next appointment?”
Gray’s lips flattened. She didn’t sense he was angry with any of them, but with himself. “This afternoon. I haven’t had a chance to cancel.”
“Can you reschedule?” the commander asked.
Cassie answered. “Their patient load is so heavy and scheduled out so far that I doubt they’d have an opening even before his next monthly appointment.”
“Biweekly,” Gray said quietly and dropped his gaze. “Since you’ve been married—mated—we’ve upped the frequency.”
Cassie’s jaw dropped and guilt reflected in her eyes.
Gray shrugged. “I felt like you were hiding something and I was…alone. Dr. Sodhi recommended that we meet more often.”
Cassie squeezed her eyes shut and Armana didn’t need telepathy to know what she was thinking. If he required more care when he genuinely hadn’t known what his daughter was hiding, what was going to happen when his mind was tampered with and his memories stolen?
***
Gray wanted to kick back in the cabin all day. Play some cards with Cassie and eat cheese and crackers until he got sick of sweeping crumbs up.
Instead, Cassie had brought him some of Jace’s clothing, and he was picking through it to find something that fit so he could see his shrink.
The commander was making special concessions for him and Gray didn’t care what Armana said, she was putting herself in danger.
The only thing that made him feel better was that they could fill his meds and not have to worry about that for another month. He could cancel his next session with Dr. Sodhi. After all, he didn’t feel like Cassie was hiding anything from him anymore and he certainly wasn’t alone.
Losing his memories. He paused and stared at the pair of jeans in his hands. He’d go back to feeling like Cassie was keeping secrets. He’d have that sense of being coddled because she might be worrying that he couldn’t handle the information. He’d…lose Armana.
His vision blurred and he went back to that moment at the sink. He’d almost kissed her. He hadn’t kissed anyone for…a while.
After treatment and once Cassie was an adult, he’d dabbled in the dating pool. The whole effort had felt useless but he’d been a man in his prime and wanting some adult company. None of the dates had progressed beyond a few kisses or, in a couple of circumstances, casual sex. But when the relationship deepened to the point of having to share his past—and his present reality—he’d bailed in an it’s not you it’s me way.
The last several years, he’d just given up. The few times Cassie and Jace came to visit, he’d witnessed true love. Dating hadn’t been appealing. Couldn’t he just go straight to that without the warning talk? Here’s what you’re getting if you keep seeing me…
He focused back on getting dressed. His appointment was in an hour. Armana was picking up a new car from the lodge and he had to meet her in fifteen minutes.
Frowning at the pants, he tossed them back on the bed and chose another pair. Jace had a certain look and it was the opposite of Gray’s tidy blend-into-the-crowd style. Jace rode a motorcycle and dressed accordingly. Finally, Gray found a pair that wasn’t shredded at the knees and wouldn’t look absurd with the athletic shoes he’d cleaned up from his flight through the woods.
He tugged them on, careful of his ankle. At least Jace had a large selection of plain tees and they weren’t as baggy on Gray as he’d feared. He didn’t have the bulked-up physique of his son-in-law, or whatever they call mate-in-laws, but he kept himself in shape.
Stopping to glance in the mirror before he left, he assured himself that while his hair was short, it could still get mussed. He wasn’t trying to impress Armana. He was too old for that.
His body disagreed. Since she’d left to go back to her room in the cabin and rest before they went to town, his body had roared to life like he’d regressed to his early twenties. Cassie had lain down to nap after the commander had left, and Gray had gone to the guest room to do the same—only to be kept awake with images of Armana and an erection so hard he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep.
All afternoon, he’d reminded himself that he was a fifty-year-old man. Men his age did not get aroused at a moment’s notice. Not that he knew many men his age. And he certainly wasn’t going to tell Dr. Sodhi about his latest mental crisis.
He left the cabin and started the trek to the front of the lodge where Armana had said she’d be waiting. What was he going to talk to Dr. Sodhi about?
He couldn’t tell the doc that he hadn’t imagined a thing, that Cassie had been lying. Nor could he evade the truth, that he’d really been followed. Either way, the doctor would think he was slipping away from reality.
He thought back to his last few sessions and what they’d talked about. He could still express worry for Cassie’s way of life. And the worry that he was being followed still rang true. Same old, same old, really.
He rounded the lodge. Armana stood by two cars. Both were dark gray. She was talking to a young man who was almost as large as the commander. The kid was dressed like them, in jeans and a T-shirt. The obvious difference between him and Gray, other than age—and according to what he’d learned, who knew if the guy was a century older than him—was that the shifter oozed danger. He didn’t look armed, but he also didn’t look like he needed to be armed.
Armana looked younger than ever in jean shorts that framed long, lean legs and a fitted shirt in a dark blue that made her eyes even more vibrant.
The male turned without even acknowledging Gray’s arrival. All of these people seemed to know what was around long before anything came into sight. Cassie had said their senses were heightened, and even though hers were too since she’d been mated, hers couldn’t rival the sensitivity of theirs.
“We need to get you a weapon.” The male scowled at Gray’s shoes. “Maybe we can strap a knife to each leg without it being detected when you sit down.”
Gray drifted to a stop. He had to go to his psych appointment armed? Did they have a clue what would happen if someone saw?
Armana must’ve rea
d the apprehension in his face. “Gray, this is one of the new Guardians, Declan. He’s new to the area, but he’s worked with Jace a few times.”
In other words, she trusted him.
“I’m going follow you two and wait outside the clinic and pharmacy.” He was as curt as Commander Fitzsimmons. It must be a Guardian thing. Jace gave that impression, too, except for when he looked at Cassie.
Declan went to one of the cars. He came back carrying two knives sheathed in leather holsters. “Anchor those where no one will see.”
Gray accepted the weapons and weighed the steel in his hands. He’d carried bowie knives on him years ago when he’d been in bad mental shape, but these felt…saner. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”
The shifter’s brows popped. Had he not been expecting Gray to say something as simple as thank you?
Declan nodded and walked toward the garage. Stalked was more like it. Armana watched him walk away.
She met Gray’s gaze, her eyes full of amusement. “It’s times like these I feel really old. He’s so young and full of attitude, but all I see is a kid in adult’s clothing.”
Gray chuckled. “Is he young in your world, but still older than me?”
She smiled, her bright eyes going radiant. “He’s younger than Cassie. A true pup—to me anyway.”
Gray kept his smile in place. In his world, calling someone a pup would be weird, but in hers maybe it was natural.
She went around the car and got in the driver’s seat. He crawled into the passenger side. The car was ash gray and nondescript. He expected a sense of déjà vu, but since they weren’t running for their lives this time, the trip turned into nothing more than a drive into town.
Declan remained behind them. When they drove through West Creek and over the bridge into Freemont, Gray feared they’d lost him, but then he caught a glimpse of the car.
Armana parked outside of the hospital on the side of the behavioral health clinic. He wished it were more of a one-level building like where Cassie worked. He’d have to check in and go up several floors. If there was trouble, he’d have all those floors to go back down and escape.
A Shifter's Second Chance Page 7