by Milly Taiden
6
Feral glanced at the rearview mirror, making sure the van still followed behind him. He gave a quick look at his niece asleep on the passenger side. Knowing all the shifters in the area and having a reputation for no-nonsense helped him get the hotel key card without a fuss.
When he went inside, he pulled Ramsey out, not wanting to upset her with the men taking the abductor tied up. Ramsey asked about the woman she called “Sage” and once Feral told her she was in the van, his niece had nodded and fallen asleep. She was too trusting, his niece. He’d have to talk to her about strangers more often.
He decided to take them straight to Reysha’s place and allow his brother-in-law to decide what to do with the female. Mine!
The tiger wanted her. Even knowing she’d taken his niece and was holding her hostage, he couldn’t stop the desire to rub his nose up her body and inhale her scent. His animal didn’t control him, though.
Feral knew how to keep his needs in check. Her eyes had done something to him. Her bright blue eyes full of shock and then confusion did something to him. Why would she be confused for getting caught?
It was late when they got up to Reysha’s cabin. He carried a sleepy Ramsey inside.
“Ramsey!” Reysha screamed. “Oh, baby!” She rushed over and started kissing Ramsey and hugging her tightly to her belly. “Are you okay?” she asked, checking Ramsey for injuries.
“I’m okay, Mama,” she said. “I’m going to find my coloring books.”
Reysha glanced up from where Ramsey was to the men dragging Sage in. “Where’s Sage?”
Feral frowned. “How do you know her?”
Reysha gasped, rushing over to where the men had Sage tied up. “Why is she tied up, Feral?”
He scowled harder. “She kidnapped your daughter.”
Reysha growled at him, her eyes bright with her tigress. He stepped back, knowing full well his sister did not need to be upset when she was about to have a baby. “What’s wrong?”
Reysha cut through the ropes and then the gag. “She saved Ramsey.”
Sage coughed, rubbing her wrists and licking her lips, pulling his attention to her mouth. “I would have explained, but they broke into my hotel room and dragged me out like a common criminal,” she snapped, her blue eyes staring coldly at him.
“I don’t understand,” he growled. “She took her from the forest.”
“To bring her home,” Reysha snapped. “She called when she found Ramsey and was bringing her back to me.”
“Sage!” Ramsey rushed to hug the woman. “I found my coloring books. I wanted to show you.”
Feral’s anger at himself exploded and the feelings of guilt were something he was not familiar with. He was never wrong.
“Listen,” Sage said, brushing a hand over Ramsey’s hair. “I’m sure Mr. Feral was really worried when he couldn’t find Ramsey, and the worst came to his mind. Understandable. But now that she’s here and safe, I’d like to know if someone can give me a ride back to my hotel.” She adjusted the filthy towel and gave him a dirty look. “As you can see, I’m not really dressed for this.”
Reysha glared at him. “Please, Sage. Accept my apologies for the confusion. Allow me to find you something warm and clean to wear. And stay with us for the evening.”
Sage was already shaking her head. Her gaze went back to him. He wanted to lick her lips for her. Now that he knew she wasn’t an evil person, his tiger was pushing for him to take her.
“I couldn’t,” Sage said.
“Nonsense!” Reysha grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the bedrooms. “Come, I have lots of clothes that will fit you. And we have several nice big guestrooms.” Reysha tossed him another glare over her shoulder. “I will make us something good for dinner. You go and shower. I’ll find you clothes.”
Once they were out of sight, Feral turned to Gunner and Slate. Neither man said anything at first, but then Slate cleared his throat.
“I couldn’t help but notice that the human caught your attention.”
Feral gave a sharp nod. “My tiger says mate.”
“Fuck!” Gunner groaned. “She hates your guts, bro.”
“I know,” Feral slid his fingers into his hair and pushed the strands away from his face. “I’m not familiar with any good humans. All my interactions have been with troublemakers.”
“Yeah,” Gunner agreed. “Every single time, no wonder you were quick to think she was a bad guy. Still, she hates your guts. What are you going to do?”
Feral rubbed the back of his neck, tension gathering there down to the base of his spine. “I don’t know. I’ve never dealt with a human female and I don’t know how to explain to her she’s my mate.”
“I don’t think just telling her and expecting to get her naked is going to work,” Slate grinned.
Feral gave him an annoyed look. “I wasn’t going to.”
Yes, he fucking was. He was going to just tell her she was his mate and expect for her to adjust. How the hell was he supposed to approach her now?
“Stay,” Gunner said. “Or better yet, find a reason to take her home with you.”
Slate snorted. “I have a lovely garden you should look at, Sage. Come to my home and see it.”
Gunner shoved Slate. “At least I gave him an idea.”
Slate rolled his eyes. “What you need is to romance her.”
It was Gunner’s turn to snort. “Do you realize who you’re talking to? Feral doesn’t even know the meaning of romance. When he wants sex, all he has to do is open his front door and the women come crawling like they’re in heat.”
Not a great description, but it was true. He’d never had to worry about getting female attention. They were always there. Sex was easy. He could get that whenever he wanted. This was his mate. A whole new level of intimacy and bonding he had never done. Frankly, he didn’t know what to do.
“How would one romance a human?” he asked.
Gunner and Slate frowned, both seeming to think hard on the question. Then, Slate grinned. “Google it.”
“How to romance a human?” Gunner asked.
Slate sighed. “No, dumbass. How to romance a woman.”
He could do that. She was human. Any advice given would definitely apply to her. He nodded. It was the perfect plan. “Okay, I’ll stay. You two can go. I’ll talk to you both later.”
They slapped him on the arm as they walked away.
“Good luck,” Slate said. “Remember, romance.”
“And if you get stuck, just kiss her. They like it when men are spontaneous.”
This was getting too confusing. Maybe he should try the shifter method first. See how that worked out.
7
Feral glanced at several websites on the best ways to romance women. Some of the tips were stupid, but he’d try them. Must be a human thing. Reysha walked past him and gave him a look of frustration as she headed to the kitchen. Then Ramsey came to say goodnight.
“I had a good time today,” she said, her wet hair brushed back and her Hello Kitty pajamas bright with color. “I ate a lot of burgers for lunch, so I’m not hungry. Mama said I don’t have to eat dinner.” She leaned in and whispered, “She never lets me go to bed without eating. I think Mama’s tired.” She grinned. “I’m glad I got lost. I met Sage. I like her, Uncle Feral. She’s nice.”
He kissed her cheek and met her gaze. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find you, Ramsey. That will never happen again.”
She grinned. “It’s okay, Uncle Feral. I know it was because I left with Sage. I would have waited for you, but she was worried about me and I didn’t like smelling her fear. So I went with her.” She bit her bottom lip, insecurity filling her eyes. “I hope that was okay.”
“Yes, love,” he told her, pulling her in for a hug. “It was fine. You did good today.”
She kissed his cheek and giggled. “Your beard is growing, it tickles. Uncle Feral,” Ramsey gave him an innocent look, “will you play tea party with me before bed?”
How could he say no to Ramsey? She was too young and sweet. She also knew just how to smile at him to get him feeling guilty. He got up and followed her to her bedroom. Thankfully, there was nobody around to see Ramsey pull him into her curtain-fort.
“Sit down, Uncle Feral. I have your favorite tea ready,” she said, filling pink plastic tea cups with what he knew was bottled water. She handed him a tea cup and lifted her own, pinky out, to toast with him. “Uncle Feral?”
He smiled and picked up the tea cup, inhaled dramatically and groaned. “This smells delicious, Ramsey. You make the best tea.” He searched the table. “But where are my biscuits?”
She giggled and shushed him. “Mama is gonna hear you. Then she’s gonna send me to bed. We have no biscuits today. Mama didn’t make any.”
“What?” he asked in a shocked voice. “I thought you were baking those. Have you been tricking me, young lady?”
Ramsey giggled harder. “Maybe. I make good biscuits, too. Mama makes the best. Drink your tea. It’s gonna get cold.”
He sipped from the small tea cup and sighed. “That’s a very good tea. I think you should have your own tea house when you grow up.”
Her eyes widened and a smile grew on her lips. “Really?”
“I’ve told you that before. Don’t act so surprised,” he said, sipping the rest of the water. “You know your tea is the only tea I drink. I prefer coffee.”
She nodded, excitedly. “You need the caffeine to help you deal with the bull—”
“Hey! I don’t think we want you saying whatever that was you were about to say or your mom will have my head.”
Ramsey laughed, her cheeks pink with color. “You’re the best, Uncle Feral. I love you.”
He got out of the fort and lifted her into his arms, giving her a big hug. She smiled and kissed him on the nose. “Goodnight, Uncle Feral. Be nice to Sage. I like her.”
He laid her in her bed and tucked her in. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Uncle Feral?”
He stopped at the door and turned to Ramsey. “Yes, love?”
“You need a nice girl like Sage. Then you’ll smile more.”
He sat alone thinking about what Ramsey said before he was called to join the others for dinner. Hawk showed up just in time. The meal was quiet. Spent mostly with Reysha telling Sage about their pride and Sage asking intelligent questions about living on a mountain.
“My sister, Zuri, she’s mated to a bear shifter,” Sage told Reysha. “She also lives high up in a mountain. I worry about her being almost an hour from us, but her husband takes good care of her.”
“Shifters are good men,” Reysha smiled. “When they don’t assume things.”
Feral knew what his sister was doing. She was still angry and she would be for a while. Not much he could do about that. Sage, on the other hand, he decided to try the first tip the website mentioned. Give her his full attention.
He could do that. Feral wouldn’t take his gaze off Sage. He watched her eat and loved how she broke pieces of her dinner roll into tiny bites to pop them into her mouth. Every time she ate a piece of the chicken casserole Reysha made, she hummed with appreciation.
“This is really good,” she told Reysha.
His sister beamed. She was told she was a great cook all the time by the family, but Sage was someone who’d done something kind for Reysha and feeding her was only a small way for her to show Sage she was appreciated.
“I’m so glad you like it. I have some pie I made yesterday for dessert. Would you like coffee with it?”
“Sure,” Sage grinned, the smile transforming her face and making her even more beautiful than when she’d been glaring daggers at him.
“What do you do, Sage?” Hawk asked, frowning at Feral.
“I’m an interior decorator for big hotel companies and resorts. I do a model look for them for several suites and rooms and then their staff copies them.” She put her fork down and gave Feral a quick glance across the table before going back to ignoring him.
“That sounds like you need to be very creative,” Hawk said. “You must have a lot of talent.”
Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink on her pale skin and she fidgeted in her seat. “I guess. I make most of my own clothes, too.”
“Really?” Reysha asked with enthusiasm. “I love to sew. I’ve been making Ramsey’s and the baby’s things for a long time.”
“It’s very therapeutic, isn’t it?” Sage smiled and glanced at Feral again. She frowned and turned to the piece of pie Reysha placed in front of her. “This looks great. What kind of pie is it?”
“Cherry. It’s Ramsey’s favorite. Do you have a favorite dessert, Sage?” Hawk asked, picking up a cup of coffee and taking a sip.
“Cake. I’m a huge cake fan. My sister Isaline loves all food, but I’m the dessert freak. My mom has a bakery back in Full Moon Bay. She makes all kinds of amazing stuff. Her shop is pretty popular. She gets tons of online orders from all over the US and her cherry pie is to die for.”
Reysha turned to Hawk with a grin. “We’ll have to make sure we order some for Ramsey.”
Hawk winked at Reysha. “And maybe a banana cream pie for you.”
She kissed him and asked him to take out the trash while she checked on Ramsey, leaving Feral and Sage together. Alone. He’d been paying attention to everything Sage did and said the entire time and wondered if it worked.
“Stop that!” she hissed, narrowing her eyes.
“What?”
“Stop staring at me,” she said. “It’s creepy. I’m not sure what you’re trying to do, but if you’re hoping to make me uncomfortable enough to leave, you’re damn close.”
Shit. Paying her attention had only made things worse. Fucking Google.
8
Sage couldn’t believe this guy. He’d done his best to make her feel unwelcome all night. Giving her angry stares and goddammit, she needed him to stop because she was getting nervous and aroused. This wasn’t normal.
“I’m sorry,” Feral said. “That wasn’t my intention.”
Sage blinked, unsure what to think. He’d been making assumptions about her since before he’d even met her and now he was apologizing. She nodded. “Thank you.”
After dinner, she went back to the guest room Reysha had given her and changed into the pajamas Reysha left on the bed. She was such a lovely host. It was easy to see where Ramsey got her dark hair and golden eyes. Both Reysha and Feral had the same look. Unlike Reysha’s soft, happy features, Feral’s harsh, dominating look got immediate attention.
He was really good looking. Not in a regular boy-next-door type of way. More like when you saw an animal out in the wild. You could admire its beauty, but if you got too close, you were likely going to end up eaten.
Her thoughts drifted back to walking to Ramsey’s bedroom to say goodnight, to catch Feral playing tea party in her fort with her. He, big, bad, angry shifter, was playing with a tiny girl and being amazingly sweet. She’d had a hard time staying angry with him at that point. He was protective of Ramsey, that much was clear. No fault in that.
It was his rush to assume she was the bad guy and not give her a chance to explain that bothered her, but he was a protector. Why did her stupid brain insist on explaining his actions and trying to excuse what he’d done? He’d been wrong. No excuse.
It didn’t matter that he was overprotective. Okay, it did matter. Reysha explained the issues with the other pride and why he’d assumed the worst right away. This man was too complicated for her. Why was she even thinking about him in any emotional way? Fuck.
The fact was she’d found him physically attractive, yes. She’d felt a strange electric shock go through her when he first met her gaze.
But none of that meant she was thinking of getting involved with him. Nope. She wasn’t. For all she knew, he was married or mated or a manwhore. Disgust filled her. There was no way she could like a man that got around.
She lay in bed for over an
hour unable to fall asleep, no matter what position she got into. Slamming her hands on the covers, she growled and sat up, pushing her loose hair away from her face. She was never going to fall asleep this wound up.
What the hell was there to do when everyone was asleep? Her attention went to the balcony.
Well, now that was something. She could open the door and sit there for a little bit. It was cold out. She knew it was. She’d felt the temperature drop in the van when she’d been in a towel and then when they took her into the house. But fuck it. She slipped on the jacket Reysha had given her earlier to wear for her return home and walked to the door of the balcony.
Sitting outside did sound appealing. Even if it was cold. At least she could get some air. Or heck, she could walk circles along the wraparound balcony on the cabin. Not like she was going anywhere.
The door slid open silently. Quickly glancing both ways, she padded to the left and glanced at the forest.
It must be amazing living out in nature. She had always lived in Full Moon Bay. Even when she’d lived with that one boyfriend for a few years before breaking things off, she’d never moved out of the area.
When her ex had decided he wasn’t moving out, she could have found a new place and left, but she chose to move back in with her mother instead.
The police told her she’d have to take him to court since his name was on the rental lease as well as hers. She spoke to the owner, paid a fee, got her name off the paperwork and left her ex to deal with the outcome. Including all the utilities she’d shut off.
She strolled the wraparound porch in a giant circle. The cabin was truly magnificent. It was massive. Hawk and his family had built it themselves. She could tell he loved Reysha. They had that obvious pull between them that Zuri and Savage had.