He asked to leave work early to run a couple of errands, needing to get both done before he picked up Dyani.
“You alright, Rasmund?” Jolon’ asked.
“Yeah, I got a couple of things I gotta take care of in the next town over. I’ll make up my time tomorrow,” he promised.
Jolon’ waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Shoot, son, you and I both know you do twice the work when you’re here than most of my guys. Don’t you worry. Take your time off. We’ll see you tonight at dinner.”
He took a deep breath, walking back toward the lot where they parked their vehicles. Yeah, he worked harder than the others, not because he was showing off, but because he was stronger than the other men.
An hour later, he pulled into a small café. There was a phone booth he’d used a couple other times when he checked in with the pack sitting empty, like a beacon. He got out and walked over to it on leaden feet. Putting the money in, he then dialed the alpha house. Several rings later he gave up.
“It’s time you come home and do your duty,” Alpha Boyd Masters rasped from behind him.
Rasmund closed his eyes, gathering his courage. “I’m sorry, Alpha, but that’s not gonna happen. I’ve found my mate.”
His words were met with cold silence. He turned to face his father.
“I don’t care what you think you’ve found. You agreed to a mating. It’s been agreed upon between both packs. You will take your ass back home, or you won’t like the consequences,” he growled.
“Did you not hear me tell you I found my true mate. Not simply that but I love her, and she loves me. Have Dez or Luc take my place with the female from the other pack.” He wasn’t going to tell his father what he suspected. It would be too dangerous.
“Sage’s alpha has agreed to allow his daughter to mate with you. A pact has been made. You will do your duty.” The growl would’ve made most wolves roll over and expose their stomachs.
“No, I will not. I love Dyani.”
“Your love will get her killed. Think about that before it’s too late. You have two days.” Rasmund watched his father shift into a big gray wolf and race off into the night with a howl.
Fuck, his father was crazy.
He would protect what was his, and Dyani was his. Whatever children they had, he would protect with his very life.
Two days later, his entire world came crumbling down. All his hopes and dreams were crushed in a single moment in time as he held one hand in his pocket, rubbing his thumb over a velvet jeweler’s box. He’d had it all planned out, until he looked into the terrified eyes of his chosen mate, his miracle. The spring in his step became halted as if he was walking in quicksand; his canines threatened to burst through his gums. Hell, it took every bit of his concentration to keep his body from shifting into that of his wolf, even as his vision became shades of gray.
Dyani tugged against the hands holding her. “Rasmund, what’s going on? Tell them to let me go.”
“What’s up, boys?” He had to tear his gaze from Dyani’s frightened one in order to keep from springing forward.
The two men holding her stared at him then her, their intention clear. If he made one wrong move, they’d rip her limb-from-limb right before his eyes. He’d kill them afterward, but the damage would already be done.
“You didn’t have to come here. I was on my way home this evening.” He chuckled and shook his head. They’d hear the lie since they were shifters. She though, his heart, his love, she wouldn’t.
“What do you mean, on your way home? I thought…” Dyani whispered.
Hurt was written all over her face as she looked from him to the two men. Still, they didn’t release her, leaving him no other recourse. Convincing her he had been using her with no plan of sticking around was his only choice. He’d promised her forever without actually asking her to marry him. The small square box in his pocket was a stark reminder of how much he wished otherwise. If he didn’t convince her that he was through with her, her life would be forfeit.
That didn’t mean he would leave them without protection. If the child she carried was a shifter, both mother and child would be welcomed into his pack. He needed to buy time.
“You thought I was going to move here, and be with you forever? You were a great distraction and a fantastic lay, but I’m engaged. I’m sorry, Dyani.”
“You bastard,” she yelled.
The two enforcers released her arms, allowing her to lunge for him. He could’ve deflected the slap she aimed at his face. Hell, he wished she was a shifter even more so that the hit would’ve been harder. He deserved it and so much more. The little trickle of blood was nothing. He made a show of licking it from the corner, tilting his lips up in a sly grin that reminded him of one he’d seen on his father one too many times.
“I hate you. I never want to see you again.”
The words burned his heart, but until he knew for sure if she carried a shifter child, he had to make her hate him, for her own protection. “You never will. Have a good life, Dyani.”
He watched the woman he loved, the only woman he would ever love, run away, taking his heart and child with her. Turning to the two ugly bastards, he let loose a growl.
“You will return to whatever hole you climbed out of and wait for me. I will meet you in a half hour. Make no mistake, boys, if so much as a hair on her head is touched, I will rip you apart and feed you to your family for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” He shoved between them, knowing he would be leaving the place. where he’d found happiness.
He climbed into his pickup truck, forcing his wolf back down. He made the drive to the loft he’d lived in for such a short time. The place he’d made all kinds of plans for the future. The luck of the fates was with him when he didn’t run into anyone he knew as he packed up his meager belongings. His wolf raked at his insides, wanting to shift. His fists clenched and unclenched as he inhaled, her sweet scent permeating every inch of the space. Knowing he shouldn’t do it, but unable to stop himself, he stomped over to the bed he’d made that morning. Ripping the comforter back, he stripped the sheets off, taking the pillow with him. Her body had laid on them hours before, letting him worship her with his lips, his hands, and...fuck, he couldn’t continue to think about what they’d done. He balled the sheets into the pillowcase. His last check would cover what he owed for the rent. However, he’d forever be in debt for the hurt he’d caused.
Alpha Boyd Masters thought he was getting the son who’d left back. He was wrong. He was getting a beast without his mate.
Chapter Seven
Dyani barely contained the tears flowing down her cheeks. The two men who’d grabbed her had scared the living crap out of her, until she’d seen Rasmund. She was sure he’d save her. He was her rock, her personal protector. Her everything. Until he’d opened his mouth and destroyed all her future plans. Her hand went to her still-flat stomach. “It’s going to be fine. We don’t need him,” she whispered.
An eagle soared overhead, filling her with a sense of strength. Her child would be her new purpose. She wasn’t the first woman to fall for a handsome man with a charming grin, and she certainly wouldn’t be the last. However, she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Her parents would be disappointed. That was inevitable. Dyani had never done anything so rash in her entire life. Instead of putting it off like many would, she straightened her spine, turning back toward the office where her mother was still working. She’d left early to run to the closest town over in order to confirm her pregnancy. Her plan had been to tell Rasmund first then figure out how and when they’d break it to her parents together, like a couple. “It’s you and me kid.” She patted her stomach before pulling the door open, coming face-to-face with her mom and dad.
“You’re back early. We thought you and Rasmund would be gone until supper.” Her mother came around the counter, her beautiful face creased with worry.
She took a deep breath. “Mama, I messed up
.” As soon as she spoke, the tears began to fall as did the words of how she’d fallen in love and given herself to Rasmund thinking he loved her too.
Her father made a move toward the door, his anger palatable. “No, Papa, don’t. I don’t ever want to see him ever again. Me and my child don’t need him.”
The admission made both her parents gasp. Her mother drew her into her arms. A sob escaped her before she was murmuring words of agreement.
“If he ever shows his face around here, I will make sure he knows he is not welcome, the cul’-tus,” he spat.
She hated to hear her father call Rasmund worthless, but right then, she agreed. God it hurt to think of him.
“Let’s go home. We’ll need to get you in with a doctor and”—her mother took a breath— “we will help you raise your child, our grandchild.”
Twenty-Three Years Later
Dyani couldn’t believe her daughter had almost been killed. Her precious child, the reason she hadn’t up and moved away from McKinley Landing all those years ago, was nearly taken from her. Not that she didn’t love her hometown, Cammie, and her parents. However, that wasn’t the same as a soulmate, and she knew it. She had been living with that loss for years. Day-after-day, the loneliness was slowly eating her up inside, draining on her heart and soul.
She’d known Cammie had always had a thing for Keanu. Once her daughter was safe and happy with a man who loved her, then maybe, just maybe, she could be too. Leaving McKinley Landing would hurt, but to stay would eventually kill her.
The very air seemed to stir as the man she had been thinking about appeared, his big frame sucking all of the energy from her. Rasmund moved forward, his loose-limbed gate drawing her attention as well as everyone else’s. He’d always had that effect anytime they’d gone anywhere, making other men appear smaller even when they were older, even bigger. It took everything in Dyani not to run into his arms. The man exuded power and was even more gorgeous than he had been all those years ago. Now that she was forty-one to his forty-five, he was even better. Damn the man. She turned her back to him but could feel his gaze burning into her.
“Cammie, oh God. I was so scared. Alo called and said some crazy guy tried to hurt you and Keanu.”
“Mom, it was Ted Grossman. He set those houses on fire and mine. I still don’t know why.”
“I want you to come home with me and your grandparents.” They’d built onto the home she’d grown up in. As time had gone by, she and Cammie had stayed with them, and now it was time for her to move on.
Keanu draped his arm over Cammie’s shoulder. “Ms. Hakun, I’m very sorry you’re upset, but until we know if Ted was working alone, I want Cammie with me.”
“Both of your safety is the utmost importance,” Rasmund said.
Keanu’s words barely registered before Rasmund spoke, stepping into their circle, like the bastard wanted to protect her, and their child. Well, Dyani had news for him; the man could go right back to wherever he came from, and never come back.
Why did that last thought make her heart hurt? She had been perfectly happy for the last twenty-plus years, and she’d be fine for the next forty or so. Moving on was what they called it.
That’s what she had done. She was waiting for her baby to grow up.
“Hello, Dyani. You look beautiful.”
“Keanu, can you guarantee my daughter’s safety?” At his nod, she ignored Rasmund and continued. “Then I agree she should stay with you, and please call me Dyani.”
Keanu’s eyes blazed. “Ms. Hakun, I promise to put her life before my own. When she was twelve, I saved a gangly little girl, and, had I known then what she would mean to me now, I can assure you, I’d have helped you cover her in bubble wrap.”
Cammie smacked Keanu in the stomach. “Don’t encourage her.”
Dyani grunted and folded her arms over her chest. Her precious girl had been getting into scrapes since she’d been old enough to climb out of her crib. “Don’t be snarky, young lady. I have a right to worry, unlike some people.” She narrowed her gaze at Rasmund, who held his hand out.
“If you would let me explain,” he bit out.
Her arms uncrossed, making a slashing motion with her hands. “You had your chance years ago. Now, I owe you nothing.”
Turning to face the man she loved, for what she hoped would be the last time, she didn’t care if he could see the hurt that had never gone away.
“I’ve not abandoned you all these years. I sent LeeLee to protect you both.”
“What’re you talking about? You think a pet makes up for a father?” She pretended to think it through, crossing her arms in the worldwide thinker pose. “I guess a dog is better than you. So, thank you, and goodbye.”
Kissing her daughter’s cheek, Dyani decided it was time to leave before her bravery crumbled. Already her heart was hammering against her chest, and damn her hormones were threatening to revolt while her breasts had decided to swell and become hardened points as soon as he spoke. Even looking at the man, made her think of those long-ago days and nights, when she had foolishly given him her heart, along with her body.
Rasmund knew when he’d stepped up onto the back deck of Alo Raine’s home he wasn’t going to have an easy time of it.
He’d asked Alo if he’d known what he was, even though after seeing the eagle soaring above him when he’d been in his wolf form, he’d had a sneaking suspicion it had been guided by the elder. Still, for clarification he’d asked.
“I assume you know what I am?” They’d both watched Keanu kill the bastard who’d tried to harm his daughter Cammie. Rasmund had been prepared to do it himself; his wolf was itching to rip the cul-tus’s throat out. When Keanu had taken him out with fire, he’d been shocked to see the young man possessed elemental abilities.
“Of course.” Alo agreed.
Rasmund nodded. “Have you told anyone else?”
“Your secret is safe with me. I will leave it to you to tell your daughter. I know you are aware that my family is far from ordinary as well.” Alo looked over at the crowd of people.
Rasmund respected the hell out of the older man. They both knew he could rip Alo apart in less than two minutes, but the older man didn’t even blink when he spoke to him. Keanu may be able to lob a ball of flame, but he shifted into a wolf three times the size of a normal one, with teeth and claws that could shred human flesh.
“I think that’s going to be a tough job,” he said.
At forty-five, he was alpha of his pack, and he was miserable. Looking across the deck, he watched as the most gorgeous woman in the world glared at him.
She faltered, and with a glance in his direction, continued to where their daughter stood next to Keanu, the firebreather. Watching his family embrace, and seeing his mate wipe a tear from her own cheek, he wanted to howl. Dyani Hakun was even more beautiful today than she was when he’d first laid eyes on her. She took his breath away.
He nodded to Alo then moved toward the group of mostly humans.
“Why are you here?” Dyani asked flatly.
She didn’t even look at him after she spoke. Rasmund knew he should turn and walk away. He had done it twenty-three years ago; surely, he could do it again. Then why was it so hard to make his feet move?
Because he knew leaving all those years ago was the worst mistake, and the smartest thing he could have done. Had he stayed, he would’ve had to fight the men his father sent and protect her at the same time. He’d have done it if it had only been him, if they hadn’t threatened her life and that of their child. He’d have fought them to the death, his, if that was what it took. However, he’d taken one look at her and had smelled the change in her scent and knew it wouldn’t take long for others of his kind to recognize it. Luckily for him and the stupid men his father had sent, they hadn’t been paying attention to her. Leaving was the one selfless thing he’d ever done.
Now he had choices, and he had a mate to woo back.
“Hello, Dyani. You look beautiful.” He let his gaze rake over her instead of answering her combative question.
“Thank you, but I’m not that naïve eighteen-year-old who can be flattered by some flowery words.” She turned to their daughter, closing herself off from him. Not happening.
She rejected his words violently, jerking away from the hand he held out. “No. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You made it clear that you didn’t want anything to do with me.”
Rasmund growled. A deep vibrating sound that would’ve sent chills down most humans’ spines. LeeLee jumped forward, putting herself between the them. The small animal’s hackles raised as her ears went backward, lying against her head. Rasmund flashed teeth twice as long as a normal human. Damn traitorous female wolf. He wanted to bite her, but she’d been good to his daughter all the years she’d been there.
“What are you?” Dyani questioned.
Rasmund’s voice rumbled as his wolf raked at him. “We will talk away from here.”
It seemed the smartest thing was to get them away from the others or he wasn’t sure he could keep his cool. He grabbed her hand and tugged her behind him to his truck.
“Is this your truck with the out-of-state plates? Oh dammit, why does it matter when you sported...fangs.” Her hand flew to her mouth.
He looked over his shoulder. “I’ll answer all your questions when we get to my hotel.”
Alo Raine nodded his head and placed a hand on Cammie’s arm. Their daughter’s tremulous smile seemed to give Dyani the courage to go with him.
“Mom, if it’s any consolation, I think you’re as safe as you want to be.”
Dyani tried to tug out of his hold. “I’m not going to your hotel. Answer the damn question.”
“Dyani, please shut up for a minute, okay? My control is shaky at best right now,” he warned.
He picked her up, placing her inside the pickup truck with care, before rounding the front and then getting into the driver’s side.
The Glittering World Anthology: Native American Romance Paranormal Fantasy Page 8