by T. S. Ryder
"Yeah. She turned my life upside down. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I was happy with my life before, but now that I have Jaime… Well, I think it must be like if somebody from the twenties suddenly got an HD TV. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But it is a lot to get used to." Devon patted her shoulder. "So that's why you can be assured that I'm not looking for anything other than a friend and someone to look after my daughter when I'm at work. I need to provide a stable situation for my little girl, and dating can get really messy."
"Of course." Rose smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "If it helps… you're a good father. You overcompensate a little, but you're a good father."
"Thanks." Devon glanced in the back. "Looks like Jamie is sleeping. Do you mind staying out here with her while I go in?"
"Of course not." Rose pulled a book from her bag. "I'll keep myself entertained."
He slipped out of the van, and she stared after him. Her heart ached for his story, but there was also a deep warmth in her chest. Many men wouldn't have stepped up and taken on the responsibility to look after an unexpected daughter like he did. He was a good man. A good, very attractive man…
Rose looked down at her book, shaking her head. A good man not looking for anything. Just like she wasn't looking for anything. That was all there was to it.
Chapter Four – Devon
Devon pulled onto his street, grinning proudly. It was the first day since he had hired Rose a week ago that he hadn't called her once during the day. It helped that it had been such a busy day, but it was also because he was finally starting to be able to relax about leaving Jamie. And that was a good thing.
The fact that Rose was perfect for her was no small part of how it was working out. The more he got to know her, the more he found that under that awkward, beautiful exterior was a heart of gold. She loved Jamie. They might have only known each other for a little while, but he already knew that Rose would do whatever it took to protect the child in her charge.
His smile turned to a frown when he got closer to his house. The front door was open. Rose never left the door open. He parked the car in the street and dashed to the house. As he got closer, he heard a man's voice from inside.
"What is going on here?" he boomed as he strode in.
The first thing he saw was Rose. She jumped at his voice, but as their eyes met, he saw only relief. She rushed to him, clutching Jamie in her arms. That was when Devon saw the man. He was tall for a human, with that good-looking, clean-cut image that the shifter assumed moms wanted for their daughters. He backed away from Devon, jaw dropping.
For some reason, Devon didn't mind the instant fear that many people got when he walked into the room, when it was this guy feeling the intimidation. He glared at the man, instantly disliking him.
"There you are, darling," Rose said. She looped a free arm around his neck and pulled herself up to his mouth.
Devon blinked in surprise, but still kissed her back, wrapping an arm around her waist. Rose wasn't the kind of girl to just start randomly kissing people. She must have a good reason. Her lips were soft and succulent, and he found himself being drawn in, forgetting all about the stranger in his living room…
Rose broke the kiss, staring wild-eyed into Devon's face, then turned back to the man. His arm still around her, Devon could feel her shaking. His Panther snarled, wanting to chase this man away.
"I told you I've moved on, Percy," she said. "Meet my new boyfriend, Devon. He's a shifter."
New boyfriend? Devon's eyes narrowed. So this must be an ex… and from the tremble in Rose's voice, not one that she was glad to see.
"Get out of my house," the shifter ordered.
Percy took a good look at him and shook his head, turning back to Rose. He held a small, velvet box in his hand. "Rose, look, I know that things ended badly between us, but I can't live without you. I don't care if you broke up with me, I know we can move passed it."
"You cheated on me. You twisted all my thoughts around until I couldn't trust myself. And you broke up with me!"
"I did no such thing. I told you that I needed space and the next thing I know, you're halfway across the country. Please." He opened the box, revealing a glittering diamond ring. "Catherine was a mistake, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Devon ground his teeth together, tightening his grip on Rose's waist. "Take the hint, buddy. She doesn't want you anymore. She's got something better."
"I wasn't talking to you, beast," Percy snarled, his composed humility breaking for a second. "Rose, please. Please, marry me. Be my wife, be mine forever."
Rose shook her head. "Get out. Get out of here. I don't want to see you ever again. Go!"
Percy shut the box with a snap. He closed his eyes, his jaw working as though he had received a physical blow. When he spoke again, his voice was burning with anger. "Rose, I love you. You can't deny that, and I won't take no for an answer. I love you, and you love me. Your little fling with this animal won't last. I'll be waiting when it falls apart."
"I'd rather be buried alive in fire ants than to ever let you put your hands on me again," Rose seethed.
"You always did like playing the victim. Well, I'm tired of being toyed with! Just remember, whatever happens next is your fault."
Devon had heard enough. He extracted himself from Rose and stalked forward, looming over the smaller man. "Leave. Now."
Percy swung a fist at him. Devon sidestepped it, arching a brow in surprise. Was this man seriously wanting to fight him?
Apparently, the answer was yes–Percy swung again, this time bringing both fists up and rolling to the balls of his feet. A boxer, maybe? Devon stepped back to put distance between them, but Percy apparently thought that this was a sign of weakness because he grinned and lunged.
Devon dodged his fists again. He normally wasn't a violent man. In his opinion, only idiots resorted to throwing punches to get their way. But as Rose gasped and Jamie started crying, a primal urge roared to life in him. Percy danced towards him again. The Panther gracefully sidestepped the punch and grabbed the back of the man's shirt. With a heft, he threw the intruder out the door.
"Filthy animal!" Percy shouted as he scrambled back to his feet. "What have you done to her? Whatever it is, you'll pay for it!"
The Panther inside of him roared. He surged forward, leaping at the man once more. Percy's fists rose, but his eyes widened and he backtracked as Devon shifted smoothly into his Panther form. His scrubs burst off his body, his sleek black fur glistening in the sun. Percy tried to run, but Devon was on him in an instant. One huge paw shot out and swept the man off his feet.
Rose screamed, and Devon backed away from her fallen ex-boyfriend. He would have liked to continue the attack. Bruise him up a little, scaring him but not doing any permanent damage. But right now Rose and Jamie were his priority. He needed to make sure they weren't frightened.
He shifted back and glared down at Percy. "Get off my property this instant or I'll have you arrested for trespassing and assault."
Percy glared at him for another few minutes but scrambled to his feet. He didn't bother brushing off his clothes before he ran to the blue car parked on the side of the street. Devon glowered at him until he was out of sight. Then he turned back to Rose, who stood in the doorway, absently patting Jamie's back as the baby screamed. Her eyes were wide.
"Let's go inside," Devon said. He reached towards her and was relieved when she didn't flinch back.
What had he been thinking, attacking somebody like that? Yes, Percy deserved it, but how must Rose be feeling now? Not only did an ex-boyfriend she was clearly terrified of show up, but then Devon became violent towards him in front of her. It was inexcusable to frighten her that way. He should have just kept his temper and called the cops. Let them deal with the situation.
"I should dress," he muttered as he closed the door. He quickly ran up the stairs to get some new clothing to replace what he had ruined and came back down.
Rose had Jamie
on the floor, changing her diaper. Jamie was still screaming, her face red, fists flailing. The sight made him wince. It wasn't just Rose he had frightened with his antics, but his daughter as well. He cleared his throat, trying to think of what he could say to make this better.
"Does she need a bottle?"
Rose looked up at him. She nodded, and then buckled over herself. She hid her face in her hands and started sobbing. Devon stared, rooted to the spot. What was he meant to do? Rose rocked back and forth, her whole body shaking with sobs, and Jamie was still crying where she was.
Bottle, he thought, turning automatically to prepare one.
By the time it was done, Rose had wrapped Jamie back up and settled on the couch, holding her close as they both cried. Devon sat beside them, shifting Rose into his lap before he thought if it was a good idea. But she relaxed against him and took the bottle to feed Jamie. Soon both of them had quieted, though Rose still shivered.
"You're probably wondering what all that was about," Rose mumbled, her eyes downcast.
He was wondering, but didn't say anything. If she wanted to tell him, she would.
"Percy wasn't ever violent towards me. I want you to know that."
Devon pressed his head against hers, stroking her arms as she fed Jamie. "You don't have to tell me anything, Rose. But if you want to talk about it, I'm here."
She relaxed against him, and Devon felt a glow start swelling in his chest. It traveled throughout his body, warming him thoroughly. He wished he could give Rose this sense of warmth, of belonging.
He frowned as he stared at the now-closed door. It didn't matter if Percy was never violent towards Rose, it was clear he had done something terrible to her. And if the man would track her down to her place of work, to actually enter the house and take on a shifter…
Would the police have even helped in this matter? Or would they take one look at him, a shifter, and say that the other guy was the one in need of help? Devon had never had much to do with cops, other than being pulled over for stupid things, but he knew shifters with horror stories.
"Can I stay here, with you?" Rose asked. "I don't want to go back to my apartment when he's in town."
"Of course. Whatever you need."
But if Percy had come here once before, what was to stop him from coming again?
Devon couldn't be with her all the time–he needed to get back to work, with his extra expenses now he couldn’t afford to lose the job. Maybe they could rent a place in another part of town. Or maybe a hotel.
"Maybe you should come to work with me," Devon suggested.
Rose shook her head. "I'll be fine. Like I said, Percy was never violent towards me. I just… I'll spend the day at the library or places like that until he leaves. He'll get bored of me. He always does."
Devon frowned at her words, but now wasn't the time to question her. Still, he didn't like the idea at all. If he knew more shifters in town, he could get them to come help out. But he had always been a loner. So the best thing to do now would be contacting the police. Which he would do, as soon as Rose felt better. For right now, he needed to be here with her, for her.
But Percy was not going to get away with this.
Chapter Five – Rose
Rose glanced over her shoulder as she put Jamie's car seat into the shopping cart. It had been three months since Percy had shown up again, and she had seen him nearly every day since then. Just the thought that he had followed her out here made her sick to the stomach. He may never have physically hurt her, but the wounds he left were far, far deeper. She was just learning to trust herself again...
But she hadn't seen him in a few days now. Maybe he had gotten bored with her and left. Maybe he decided that Devon was too scary to confront. Maybe…
"Rose."
She jumped, whirling around. Percy stood just inside the grocery store doors, a bouquet of roses in his hands and an exaggeratedly sad look on his face. There was a time when that look would have made her melt. Not anymore.
"Leave me alone."
"Rose, come on. That big shifter isn't around, you don't have to be afraid to talk to me. Let's talk. You never let me explain my side of things before you broke up with me."
Rose shook her head. She pulled Jamie's car seat from the cart, determined to just go back to the minivan. It was a sunny day and there were plenty of people around. Percy wouldn’t try anything… would he? He followed her across the parking lot, still holding the flowers.
"Don't be like this. I love you, but this temper of yours—"
"No." Rose turned on him, her eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. "There is no but. Either you love me, all of me, or you don't. No, you love me but I need to lose weight. You love me but my friends drive you crazy and you don’t want me seeing them anymore. You love me but a man has needs and since I wasn't putting out, you needed to find it somewhere else."
Percy pursed his lips. "Look, I made a mistake. But we all make mistakes, why am I getting nailed to the cross for it? You broke up with me—"
"Again no." Rose opened the van door and put Jamie in, making sure she was secure. "I am not going to let you gaslight me anymore. No more convincing me that what I saw and what I heard wasn't real. No more telling me that my feels are wrong. I'm not the weak, vulnerable girl you got your claws into, Percy. You broke up with me, and I'm going to be honest here. It was the best thing you could have done for me. And I am not returning to your cage."
She opened the driver's door and Percy jumped forward. He whirled her around and slammed her into the side of the van, crushing the roses between them. The thorny stems pricked through her shirt into her breast. Her heart jumped to her throat.
"You're a real bitch, you know that?" Percy hissed under his breath. "If you'd just give me a chance… but no. You think you're cool, dating a shifter? I never figured you'd be into bestiality. Does he take his beast's form when he mounts you?"
"Let go of me," Rose hissed. "Right now!"
Percy laughed and moved even closer. "If you had any thorns of your own, you wouldn't be here. You wanted me, Rose. You wanted everything I gave you. You know it's true, or you would have called the police by now. But this sick game of yours has to end. Who knows when the players will snap?"
Rose didn't reply. She brought her knee up hard between his legs and shoved him away when he grunted in pain. As he fell to the ground, groaning, she scrambled into the van and locked the doors. But then she hesitated. What if she had really hurt Percy? Or worse–what if she ran over him as she was leaving?
The last thing she wanted was to give him ammunition against her in the courts. The police didn't take her and Devon seriously when they provided the evidence of Percy's stalking. The restraining order they'd looked into getting was denied without even a hearing.
Because apparently Percy was just a lovesick gentleman that needed to be treated gently, and she was the heartless bitch that broke his heart.
As Percy got to his feet, cursing, Rose threw the van into gear and pulled away. Her heart pounded so hard she thought she might vomit or have a heart attack. As she got onto the street, she glanced into her rearview mirror to find Percy scrambling into his car. He followed after her.
"No," she whispered, tension closing up her throat.
She hit the Bluetooth, connecting quickly. As she headed for the vet clinic, Percy followed. But she was already calling Devon, and he answered on the third ring. As soon as she heard his voice, a rush of relief washed over Rose. Her hands stopped trembling, and she was focusing more fully on the road. Percy could follow her all he wanted, but he wasn't going to hurt her or Jamie.
"Rose?" Devon said. "Are you okay?"
"Percy ambushed me at the grocery store. He's following me now. I'm coming to the clinic."
A low growl answered her. "Are you okay?"
She shivered, remembering the fury in Percy's eyes as he slammed her against the van. She would tell Devon about it, just not right away. If he knew about it, he might attack as soon as
they got there. Especially since Jamie was also there.
"I'm fine, and so is Jamie. I just know he'll leave me alone if you're with me."
"I'm not hanging up until you're here."
Rose smiled gratefully. He was always there for her when she needed him. The first person who ever was. "I'll be there soon."
When she got to the clinic, Devon was waiting outside. He ran to her as soon as she pulled into the parking lot, and glared at the little blue car that slowed down to coast past them. Rose deliberately did not look at the expression on his face, or turn to look at Percy as she pulled Jamie out of her car seat. The baby snuggled against her and smiled. She felt herself relaxing further.
"What happened?" Devon asked.
"I don't want to tell you until after Percy's gone," Rose said, watching as the blue car disappeared around a corner.
"He's gone now."
Rose chewed on the inside of her cheek, glancing up at Devon's face for the first time. She expected anger, lots of it, and was surprised when she saw worry more than anything else. He stroked her cheek, moving a little closer. Rose's heart kicked up another notch as the smell of soap washed over her. He always smelled like this… Clean. It was comforting.
"He's getting more aggressive," she admitted. "He grabbed me and pressed me against the van door. I don't want you doing anything about it, but—"
Devon's arm suddenly went around her waist. She squeaked in surprise as he bent his mouth to her. Her eyes shot wide in surprise. Devon snaked an arm under Jamie, helping her support the baby while she giggled. Rose found herself pushing to her toes, her eyes fluttering shut as she was drawn deeper into the kiss. When his tongue flicked across her lower lip, she opened her mouth with a moan, eager to give him access.
There was the sound of screeching tires, and Devon pulled away from her. She swayed, a little unbalanced, but his arm remained around her waist and kept her upright. Heat flooded her cheeks and she shook her head, flustered and confused.