by Vivi Andrews
A sly gleam entered Brenna’s watery eyes. “He does?”
“Yes, and you’d better be grateful he does. Because of you, Shana’s done everything she can think of to piss off Landon. I am the only thing standing between you and your daughter being kicked out of this pride. So you’re going to do as I ask. You’re going to sober up and you are going to be a paragon of motherly love. Or I will make damn sure you never come within three miles of your grandchildren.”
“Grandchildren?”
Caleb ignored the hopeful light in her eyes. He and Shana’d never talked about cubs, and she wasn’t exactly the maternal sort, but he was willing to pull out any manipulation tactics necessary to get Brenna to toe the line.
“This is your one chance to shape up, Brenna,” he said sternly. “I don’t give second chances. Just ask Shana.”
The three rocks for which the Three Rocks Pride was named formed a little cluster, marking the southernmost border of their land. They were the only landmark on the stretch of quiet plain.
Shana scrambled up onto the largest of the rocks, slipping and sliding a bit on the snow-slick surface. She perched at the top and hugged her knees to her chest, looking back over her solitary tracks through the snow.
She’d left her mother with the noble intention of finding Caleb and proving her love to him, but she’d quickly realized she didn’t have the first idea how to do that. Seduction was so much easier than sincerity. How could she possibly convince him that this time, unlike all the others, she really meant to stay for good? It seemed a hopeless task.
Shana dropped her forehead onto her knees, hoping for divine intervention. Now was definitely the time for some help from a goddess.
The winter wind buffeted her back, carrying on it the possibility of yet another storm. Shana usually loved wild weather, but she wasn’t sure she could take another blizzard right now. There was only so much chaos a soul could take.
“You’re a hard woman to track down.”
Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice. He’d come from downwind, the sound of his steps vanishing under the cloak of the wind. He looked amazing, so tall and strong, with bits of snow clinging to his hair. Shana’s heart gave a little jump, but she didn’t let herself hope yet. Just because he’d sought her out didn’t mean he would take her back.
Caleb walked forward slowly, as if afraid he’d spook her. He leaned against the massive rock on which she perched, his head a couple of inches below hers.
“I have an answer to your question,” he said.
“My question?” She didn’t remember asking a question. Had she asked a question?
“If I forgive you.”
Shana’s stomach did a slow somersault. “Oh. That question.” She didn’t want an answer. Really she didn’t. She just couldn’t handle another heartbreak right now.
“I’ve been thinking about it. About all the things I’ve been mad at you for over the years. It’s quite a list.”
Oh, Goddess. Please stop him from giving her a list. She couldn’t handle a list.
“But I’ve done some pretty shitty things too.”
Shana felt her body tighten and still as her awareness sharpened.
“It won’t be easy for me to trust you again.” He gave a small grimace. “Any more than it will be easy for you to trust me. Trust that I’m not going to go off like I did this morning and run out on you.”
Her entire life dangled precariously from his words. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?
“But my answer is yes. I do forgive you.” His shoulders tensed like he was bracing to take a hit. “I love you, Shay.”
She didn’t move a muscle, but her heart took off like a racehorse out of the gates. “Seriously?” she whispered.
He met her eyes, his own open and resolute. “You think I’m messing with you? I’m sorry about this morning. I just…” He shook his head sharply. “No excuses. If it happens again, you have my permission to kick my ass. I’m always going to be there for you, Shay. Always.”
Shana eyed him warily. If something seemed to good to be true, it always was. “I’m not going to get nicer. Just because you love me, I’m not going to turn into some sweet young thing. I come as a package. Bitchiness included.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
She slugged him lightly on the shoulder, relief and something warmer flowing through her. He did know her. And he loved her anyway. Shana gently pushed his hair back away from his face. “You need a haircut.”
He arched a brow, incredulous. “I tell you I love you. I tell you I will stand by you forever and that’s what I get? ‘You need a haircut’?”
She made a face. “I did the confession thing last night.”
“You can say it more than once, you know.” Doubt suddenly darkened his eyes. “Or was that a limited-time offer?”
She bit her lip and slowly shook her head, threading her fingers through his hair. “No time limit.”
“Shay?”
“I love you, okay? You’re a piece of me. And if you mean it, about giving us a shot again, I promise I won’t fuck it up this time.”
His eyes lit, filling with that adoring look she’d been missing for years. The one she thought she’d killed. It was like sunshine, and her heart soaked up the rays.
“I mean it. And I won’t fuck it up either.”
“Good.” Better than good. Caleb loved her. Life didn’t get much better than that. She shot him an impish smile. “So now that we’re done with the mushy love crap, can we get on with the hot make-up sex?”
Caleb gave a short bark of laughter. He yanked her ankle and she slid down the rock and straight into his arms. Her arms wound around his neck and she smiled against his skin, breathing in the scent of her mate. Hers. And this one was forever. She was strong enough to keep him. And he was strong enough to keep her in line.
“If you’re a good boy, I might even let you tie me up,” she whispered darkly into his ear.
Epilogue
“I was thinking I might challenge Ava for mating rights to Landon. What do you think, hon?”
Caleb looked up from his sprawl on the rug and growled at her. The pair of cubs crawling all over their father quickly mimicked his growl with little mewling snarls of their own, prowling toward her on furry feet, with their tiny teeth bared.
Shana held up her hands in mock surrender. “A joke! Come on. At some point it has to become funny.”
He couldn’t have honestly thought she was serious. She was so pregnant with their second set of multiples—why couldn’t the man just impregnate her with a single child for a change?—she made Shamu look dainty.
Caleb rolled to his feet, his liquid grace making her mouth water. He lifted her out of the chair—Shamu belly and all—and sat, settling her back down in his lap. “The idea of you with someone else will never be funny,” he rumbled in her ear.
The twins attacked his ankles, but when he didn’t react, they quickly lost interest and went tumbling together across the floor.
“It’s ridiculous. By this point, we all know that the idea of me with anyone else is ridiculous, so it can be funny. Ha-ha. Get it?”
“You’re mine. End of story. Get it?”
Shana burrowed into his embrace, but still quietly grumbled, “At some point it will become funny.”
“Never.”
She tucked her face against his chest to hide her smile at his possessiveness. She wouldn’t want him to know how much she liked the way he owned her, heart, body and soul. No one owned goddesses.
But she didn’t need to be a goddess for Caleb to make her feel like one.
About the Author
To learn more about Vivi Andrews, please visit www.viviandrews.com. Send an email to [email protected] or stop by her blog at viviandrews.blogspot.com!
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