He wrapped his arms around her small body, tucking her head under his chin, and gave her the only answer he could. “I can’t. Not now. Maybe not ever.”
The relaxed body in his arms stiffened. She leaned back and focused on him. Betrayal and a soul weary pain that tugged at his chest burned in her chocolate orbs. “What is that supposed to mean?”
With that look on her face, he couldn’t admit the truth of what she was to him. He forced a scowl instead and asked the question that had been bothering him since the fight in the woods, anything to get them off the dangerous topic they were on. “Why did that shifter say you double-crossed him? Please tell me you weren’t going to give Molly up to that perverted pride.”
“I would never give her over to some crazy lions.” She shoved at his chest, straining to break his hold. He tightened his grip. He didn’t want to release her and lose the insight looking into her eyes brought. Fierce protectiveness shown there.
“Be calm, Lena. I believe you.” He urged her to wrap her legs around his waist. She did and some of the tightness in his body eased. “What happened?”
She studied him, a look as intense as any shifter’s. Seeing it made him respect her more. Many humans instinctually feared him, sensing the predator. Not Lena. She treated him as her equal.
Finally, she nodded. He let his breath escape in a rush. He hadn’t realized how important it was to him that she trusted him with the truth.
“My mother overheard Molly’s private teacher, Susan, talking with someone about Molly’s unusual…skills. Susan didn’t say anything incriminating but Mom’s instincts kicked in. She called me and wanted me and Gwen to take Molly for the day while my stepdad investigated. When we got to her house, she was beating one of those shifters with a frying pan. They’d already cut the phone lines and broken my stepdad’s legs.”
“Tough woman,” he said to fill the silence.
She gave him a watery smile. “Yeah, she was, but it didn’t stop him. He turned on her and while he…” She paused to blink away the sheen of wetness in her eyes. “While he attacked her, I used the distraction to grab Molly and run, but they cornered us in the yard.”
He sighed. Guilt and elation warred. It was the answer he wanted, but it made his actions deplorable, unforgivable.
“And that’s when I showed up.”
She nodded.
“So you ran instead of allowing me to protect you.”
She dropped her head to his shoulder. He automatically rubbed her back. The stiffness in her muscles lessened under his caresses.
“I can’t blindly trust anyone, not where Molly is concerned. She’s…special. Besides, how was I supposed to know you wanted to protect her?”
Yeah, Molly was. She and Megan were the last of their kind. While not royals, they were prized for their coloring. And hated. Humans weren’t the only ones driven by jealousy. “But I attacked them, pushed the fight away from you and your sister.”
She tipped her head back and focused on his face. Tears filled her eyes and collected on her lashes. This time she didn’t blink them away. That bothered him more than seeing the evidence of her pain.
“It doesn’t matter now. I made a decision and sent them off but I’m scared, Devin. My sisters need me. I can’t protect them from here. Don’t you understand?”
He shook her gently and she flinched. Dammit. He hated the fear in her eyes when she looked at him. Every instinct demanded he stop acting like an ass and soothe her. He ignored those drives and the snarls of his cats. He couldn’t let this go.
“And how exactly are you going to protect them? Sure, you can hide. But for how long? That other lion has Gwen’s scent and the way he spoke of her scares me, Lena.” He paused, letting that sink in. “His pride is known for their cruelty to women—humans and shifters alike. You don’t want to know what they’d do to her as punishment. I’d hate to see your sister suffer that fate, but she will. Cats are notoriously stubborn. If that lion wants Gwen, he’ll get her.”
Her eyes widened, the only response she gave him.
He snapped his teeth together. “And what about Molly? You think Jeremiah is going to give up on her? White lions breed pure. If he wants his grandkids to be white cubs, he’ll keep coming after Molly until he gets her.”
Fear tainted her scent but she held his gaze. “I want to trust you, but I have to be careful who I turn to for help.”
“Why?” A thought took hold he didn’t want to believe. “Did your family—”
Her eyes widened. “No! Shifter Affairs knows we have her.” She held up a hand when he opened his mouth. “Before you say it, I’m not involving them. I can’t. Please don’t ask why.”
Although he wanted to know more, he nodded. The hard look she wore warned him she wouldn’t tell him anything. “Would it help to talk to Molly’s twin?”
Her eyes widened. “She’s alive?”
Obviously, she knew about Megan. That stoked his curiosity too but he filed the info away to discuss with her later.
“And safe.” He set Lena on her feet and walked across the room to where he’d left his cell on the dresser. With it on speakerphone, he dialed.
“Yeah,” Josh answered in his rough voice.
“It’s me. Where’s your bundle of trouble?”
“With Mira and Jazz. They’re having a girl’s day. You know, dress-up and stuff. I got out of it since I have to be at the bar in a couple of hours to get a delivery.” Josh chuckled. “But Megan promised to style my hair later. Can’t wait.”
He glanced back at Lena and saw hope bloom in her eyes. She wanted to believe him. He was glad that this time he could follow through with a promise.
“Okay, I’ll call over there.”
“Hey, any word on Molly? Megan woke up crying for her again last night, said she was afraid for her.”
He ran a hand through his hair and considered how much to say. He didn’t want to get Josh’s hopes up but they were so close. All he had to do was get one gorgeous little human to trust him. Glancing at the female in question sent his pulse racing, a response he’d never had around a female unless they were fucking. And all it took was watching Lena nibble on her bottom lip.
He cleared his throat. “I have a lead. We’ll see if it pans out.”
Josh’s sigh filled the line. “Okay, cat. Careful out there.”
“Always,” he said and hung up.
Before he could dial, the phone he held rang. He groaned when he saw who it was. Knowing better than to ignore it, he answered. “Hey, love.”
“What’s wrong?”
Shifters bred multiples as the norm and as with humans, twins were close, often sensing the other’s emotions. Normally, he was thankful as his tie to Mira allowed him to keep an eye on her. Right now, he wished he could turn it off.
“Nothing. I’m fine,” he offered, hoping she’d leave it alone.
“Don’t you lie to me, Devin. What’s going on? Do you have a woman with you?”
Apparently not. He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck.
“No,” he lied automatically. Mira made a low, derisive sound. He grimaced.
“I mean, yes. I have a human who can lead us to Molly but she doesn’t trust us. I was hoping to talk to Megan so she knows we’re not abusers or anything.”
“And what’s this human’s name?”
Damn, his twin sounded pissed off. She hated being lied to and both he and Kade had deceived her. He cleared his throat. “Lena.”
“Lena, huh? Well, put the human on. I want to talk to her.”
“Mira, leave it alone.”
“I will not.”
He snarled. His sister’s attitude pissed him off. She had no right to question him, especially about Lena, but he couldn’t tell Mira that without admitting what happened. He didn’t want to deal with her concern for his mind or her anger over his treatment of Lena. “We will discuss this later. Do you understand me, woman? I want to talk to Megan. Put. Her. On.”
&nbs
p; After a moment, sounds of laughter filled the room.
“Uncle Devin,” Megan squealed. “You’re missing out on all the fun. I’m giving Uncle Rafe a makeover.”
He grinned. “How does he look?”
“Gorgeous, of course. I gave him pigtails and hot pink nails.”
Lena chuckled and Megan asked, “Who’s that?”
He glanced over his shoulder and winked at Lena.
“My new human, Lena. She’s Molly’s big sister and is going to help us bring her home.”
Megan squealed again. “Did you pick her out for Uncle Josh? Am I going to have a real family with brothers and sisters?”
Lena’s eyes widened and her plump lips formed a perfect ‘O’. He chuckled at the utter look of shock on her lovely face. “No, kiddo. I didn’t pick her out for Josh.”
“Oh…is she going to come live with you and Mira then?” Megan asked.
He tensed. He hadn’t gotten the chance to discuss anything with Lena yet. Although he had the right to watch over her, it didn’t mean he had the right to be a part of her life. The bear royal who’d made Verna his beloved human could attest to that. He had to be content with living down the street from her and watching her from afar. Devin didn’t want his relationship with Lena to take that path. He doubted it would, especially with their partial mate bond pulling them together, but after the way she reacted this morning, he couldn’t guarantee it.
“I’m not discussing my human with you. I’ll see you in a couple of days. Okay?”
“Okay. Hurry up and bring my sissy home. I’m going to need her real soon,” Megan said, clicking off.
He put the phone on mute so he didn’t have to deal with his twin and turned around. Lena stood stiffly with her hands linked in front of her stomach.
“Megan likes to talk.”
“Apparently and so does Mira.”
“That she does. All the females in my life like to talk.” He rubbed at his neck where he still felt warm. “So, umm, do you believe me? Are you going to tell me how to find Molly?”
The pissed-off look on her face didn’t bode well for him. She seemed fine before Mira called. He studied her, trying to figure out her sudden mood change, but she didn’t voice whatever seemed to be bothering her. Instead, she worked her jaw back and forth then blew out an exaggerated breath. “I would if I could but I’m not exactly sure.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She wrapped her arms around her chest. “I told her not to tell me. After seeing what those other men were capable of, I decided caution was best.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he mentally calmed his cats. Just the thought of what those males would’ve done to Lena sent him into a near rage. Jeremiah’s pride had been raided several times by Shifter Affairs for kidnapping humans. They should’ve been dismantled and the members scattered but the Council had refused to act and Shifter Affairs didn’t have the jurisdiction to do anything without their approval. After learning Jeremiah had papers signed claiming he had the right to Molly, Devin couldn’t help but wonder how many of the elders he had in his payroll.
He took several deep breaths and asked, “How are you supposed to know where to meet them?”
“Gwen is supposed to text me.”
He groaned as he remembered the mangled cell. “Your phone’s dead.”
“Not that one. Do you think I’m stupid?” She huffed. “Gwen is texting my work phone. That one is at my house.”
Great. “Okay. Get showered. I’ll make us breakfast to eat on the way and we’ll get out of here.”
He waited until she was close to him before pulling her stiff body into his arms. Instead of relaxing into his embrace like she’d done earlier, she tensed even more. He didn’t like her body language.
“You and I aren’t done, baby. I meant what I said. I want you.”
Her eyes narrowed, her only response. She pushed away from him. The bathroom door slammed in his face. He stared at it wondering what he did to put that pissed-off look on her face and how much it would take to turn it into lust.
* * * * *
Gwen stood in front of Molly and watched the raven-haired man wearing a shirt that had ‘Classic Wyns’ written on it stride across the dock. He’d approached each of the dock workers, asked them something then glowered at their answers. Molly had scented him the moment he’d gotten out of his car. A royal. That was what she’d called him. Gwen had never heard the term before, but she knew what she’d call him.
Trouble with a capital T.
She swept her gaze over him. She couldn’t help it. He might be a shifter but he was gorgeous. He reminded her of Vader, with his dark-brown eyes and the harsh cut to his cheekbones. While she didn’t want him to find them, she wished he’d look at her. She’d bet money a single glance from him would send her up in flames.
She groaned inwardly. Wrong time, wrong place and wrong man for those thoughts. She blew out a rough breath. The man stopped mid-step. Slowly, he turned his head in a predatory survey of the area. Gwen dropped to her knees, pulling Molly with her, so the side of the boat they’d been hiding on blocked them from view.
Her heart raced. Sweat dampened her palms. She wiped them on her legs and tried to ignore the flush that left her body sensitized and on fire. Deep breaths cooled the burn but not the confusion. Another shifter, another case of instant lust. She had to have some masochistic tendencies. It was the only explanation for her crazy reaction to men she couldn’t have.
She pressed a finger to her lips, urging Molly to stay quiet. There was no need for the warning. Her adopted sister hadn’t said anything to her since before those other shifters showed up at her house.
Molly smoothed out the picture she’d been drawing. Under the word ‘royal’, she wrote something and handed the sheet to her.
Gwen took the paper from Molly’s hand and read it.
Run, Gwen, run. Don’t let him catch you.
Gwen glanced from her near-perfect cursive to her sister’s face. Five years old but sometimes she acted so much older. In the time Molly had lived with them, they’d tried to give her the childhood she’d missed out on. Although hesitant at first, as if she didn’t know how to act, she slipped into many of the behaviors expected of a preschooler, but there were times like this Gwen couldn’t help wondering if it had only been an act.
Molly had been unresponsive for nearly a week after she was removed from the medical facility where she’d been experimented on. The counselors from Shifter Affairs had warned them that if they couldn’t get Molly to come around, she’d be placed into a shifter-run center for evaluation, a death sentence for many.
Lena had taken the little girl home with her for the night and the next day Molly had shown up with a blue crayon, a coloring book and a smile on her face. Gwen didn’t know how her sister did it, but she’d likely saved Molly’s life. The shifters had allowed her to live with them on one condition—if Molly regressed, they’d report it immediately so she could be admitted to the holding center. They couldn’t take the chance the general shifter population would learn about Molly’s unexplainable…peculiarities. Or at least, that was the reasoning for their harsh order.
As much as Gwen hated to admit it, the picture in her hands of three, highly detailed wolf pups lying by a fire shouldn’t have come from a child who hadn’t known how to write when she was brought to their home to foster a few months ago. Gwen wished she would’ve cornered Vader to find out what had been done to Molly, but she could never form coherent sentences around the man. His scent fried her brain and left her in a state of arousal.
She shoved thoughts of Lena’s ex-boyfriend out and forced a smile for Molly.
Gwen scribbled her reply.
As far and as fast as I can.
Molly inclined her head slightly as if pleased with her answer and slipped back under the deck to the rooms below.
Gwen peeked over the side and easily picked the shifter’s board back out of the throng of people mulli
ng around the waterfront.
She pressed a hand against her chest and whispered, “As far and as fast as I can.”
Chapter Eight
Devin finally understood the expression ‘if looks could kill’. He’d only been locked in the car with Lena for five minutes and the tension was too much to ignore. She sat there and stared out the window with a scowl on her face and fire in her eyes. Every so often she’d work her jaw as she ground her teeth and her nostrils would flare.
Yep, she was pissed. But about what?
“What’s wrong, Lena?”
She smiled—well, bared her teeth. “Nothing.”
He pulled into the parking lot of a defunct store and turned off the car. “Bullshit. You’re angry and it’s upsetting my cats. Tell me why.”
She blew out an exaggerated breath, stirring tendrils of her hair. “Oh, where to start.” She paused as she tapped one slender finger against her chin. “Maybe it has something to do with learning that a shifter owns me. Or now, let’s see…”
More of that finger tapping had him gripping the steering wheel as his cats paced, upset by her mood.
“Maybe I don’t like being played!”
He flinched at her sharp words but his anger rose too. He leaned over her body and trapped her between the door and his chest. “This is the last time I’m going to say it so listen closely. I did not play you or give you a pity orgasm. If you gave me any indication you were willing, my cock would be rammed up inside you so far I’d leave my mark on your soul.”
She panted, her breath warming his face. “Stop, Devin. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Fine, don’t listen. Feel,” he said then claimed her lips.
She resisted for only a moment before she twined her tongue with his, accepting the raw kiss with abandon. He’d always considered kissing a waste of time when there were other things he could be doing to a woman. Lena, though? He couldn’t get enough of her. She tasted of sin and candy, her flavor bordering on ambrosia, and one he feared he’d already become addicted to.
With one hand holding her head, he delved deeper, trying to form some kind of connection with her. He needed to be a part of this woman, leave his mark on her and make sure she knew exactly to whom she belonged. He needed to…
Beautiful Mistake: 2 (Royal Pride) Page 10