Beautiful Mistake: 2 (Royal Pride)

by Nancy Corrigan

  He lowered her to the bed, covering her body with his. Despite their height differences, they fit together as if made for each other, his hips to hers and their mouths locked in passion. He skimmed his fingers under her shirt, danced them along her rib cage and unhooked her bra. The release of the material plumping her breasts jerked her back to reality. They couldn’t have sex. Not again. She’d never survive leaving him. It was taking everything within her to ignore the emotions he’d stirred to life the last time they’d fucked.

  Breaking the kiss, she pushed him back. “Gwen. Need to find my sisters.”

  He cursed. “Right. Sisters then sex.”

  She might not be able to indulge in Devin again but she loved how he couldn’t string enough words together to form a sentence. He barely looked in control, chest rising and falling roughly. Dilated eyes focused on her lips and modified fangs filled his mouth.

  Pleased with her power over him, she trailed her finger down the center of his chest, the hair there light and unbelievably soft. He snagged her wrist, brought it to his mouth and placed a scorching kiss to her palm.

  “Can’t wait to get inside you again. Think I’ll stay there forever.”

  Why did he have to sound so sincere when he said that? It made her forget everything he’d done to her.

  Part of her wanted to ask him about the mating, if it would be exclusive. She couldn’t give in to the urge. Her instincts told her it would but she did not want to get involved with a man who owned her. No. Freaking. Way. Not when it meant she wouldn’t be allowed to make any decisions for herself.

  She brushed her lips against his cheek and climbed off the bed. Her heart raced when she picked up the notepad from the desk. She stared at the jumble of letters, the secret language she and Gwen had developed when they’d been kids.

  Plan B had Gwen picking a spot to lay low while they figured out what to do next. Not the greatest escape scenario. The couple of minutes they’d had together didn’t offer the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of the choice. They’d had to act. And it looked like her baby sister was doing the best she could. Her heart swelled. Gwennie rarely took charge of anything. She was a follower, not a leader.

  Gwen had chosen to hide out in Alaska where their last remaining family member, their stepdad’s sister, ran a lodge. Although it wasn’t the place she would’ve chosen, she could guess why Gwen had. Alaska was the neutral zone. No pride or wolf pack was allowed to claim it.

  Actually, when she thought of it that way, it’d be the best place to hide. Hell, it might even be the best place to stay. Not at Maggie’s though, somewhere farther north. There were villages up there that rarely saw outsiders.

  Yeah, she’d used Vader to get them to safety and her trust fund would be enough to ensure they disappeared. Plus, moving had the added bonus of getting her away from Devin.

  “Well, where are they?” Devin asked.

  “Virginia. We have a small cabin up in the woods.”

  “Good. That’s close. I’ll call Kade. He’ll round up some shifters to meet us there. Give me the address.”

  Her hands shook as she scribbled on the paper, fearing he’d scent her deception. He gave no indication he questioned her response or the violent trembling in her body. He took the paper and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

  “We’ll get them home safe. I promise.”

  She forced a smile. “Okay.”

  He was out the door before she finished speaking. She blew out a breath and put her plan into motion. She turned the stereo on to something sultry and gritty, hoping to mislead him into thinking she was merely waiting for him.

  With that done, she grabbed her wallet and slipped out the backdoor. In a crouch, she hurried down the driveway, past the black sports car, then ran before she allowed her heart to rule her life.

  * * * * *

  Gwen Burnett held the needle cover between her teeth and tapped the syringe against the side of her wrist to get the air bubbles out. Molly watched her without saying a word.

  Gwen smiled, hoping to reassure her. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Our guide said it’s only a forty-five minute drive to Maggie’s lodge. She’s expecting us and has a room already set up just for you. I told her how much you like homemade waffles so she’s promised to have a batch ready for when we get there.”

  Molly blinked big pale-blue eyes at her. Over the time they had hidden on her boyfriend’s private boat, Gwen had tried everything to get her to talk. Nothing worked. She honestly couldn’t blame her for being upset. So was she.

  Her stomach churned as the memory of what those lions had done to their parents returned. She’d shielded her sister’s eyes against the sight of her mother being raped. Too bad she couldn’t have blocked out her screams or her stepfather’s bellows as he tried to fight his way to his wife’s side. When they’d unleashed their claws…

  No, she couldn’t think about it anymore. Those horrible minutes when they’d run through the house sickened her. Only, they’d affected Molly more. Changed her. And Gwen hated seeing the deadened look in her pretty eyes as a result.

  She wiped Molly’s arm with an alcohol pad more to get the dirt off than for site prep and injected the chemical that masked her cat’s scent. She looked over their remaining supply and tried to stay calm. With the decreased dose she’d been using, they might have enough for another day. Once they were safely inside the lodge, Molly’s scent wouldn’t be as noticeable. Besides, lions didn’t live this far north. It was the neutral zone.

  Not bothering to put a bandage on, the little pinprick would heal completely in seconds, Gwen put the supplies away and helped Molly into her light jacket. Late summer in Alaska wasn’t exactly cool but compared to the eighty-degree weather they’d left behind, it was chilly.

  Molly didn’t seem to mind the temp but she stood still while Gwen fussed with the sleeves, rolling them so they didn’t cover her fingers. The too-long jacket was the only one she could find in the small store they’d stopped at. With that done, she grasped Molly’s small hand, adjusted her heavy backpack and slipped out of the bathroom.

  Gwen grinned at their handsome guide. “We’re all ready.”

  The blond hunk motioned toward a short, stocky silver-haired man leaning against a dented Jeep. “I’ve got to head back into town so Andy will take you out to Maggie’s place. He just stared a couple of days ago, but he knows the way and has got your bags already loaded.” He smiled at her. “You’re in good hands.”

  Molly’s grip tightened on her hand so hard Gwen yelped. She met her sister’s eyes. The panic etched into them sped her pulse. “Do you have to go to the bathroom, after all?”

  Molly nodded.

  Once in the restroom, Gwen knelt and gripped Molly’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

  Instead of speaking, Molly pulled a blue crayon from the side pocket of the bag and wrote one word on the wall.

  Hyena.

  Dread landed hard in her gut, churning it until the small dinner they’d had threatened to come up.

  “Oh, god.”

  So much for the darn neutral zone.

  She swallowed hard and allowed self-pity to rise for just a moment before she had to put on her responsible hat and become Molly’s protector again. She should be back in her dorm enjoying her first semester of med school, not running from hordes of shifters who wanted to destroy her little sister’s future. Life, however, wasn’t always fair and she wasn’t one to run from a problem, even if she had no idea how to solve it.

  She dug out her cell. No service. Great, just great. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves and considered her choices.

  “Okay.” She paused and took another steadying breath. “He won’t smell anything funny with the shot I just gave you. It’ll be okay. It’s only a short drive and I still have Lena’s present.” She took Molly’s hand, gave it a comforting squeeze. “Let’s get this over with.”

  * * * * *

  Devin ended the call and grinned. Lena’s cabin was only
thirty minutes away from where Kade’s cousin lived. The other male was already headed out there to pick up the two females. Devin could reunite the sisters before the day was over. As soon as he did, he was taking his little human to bed.

  Gods, he needed to fuck Lena. He felt like a newly matured male who’d just realized what was so great about slipping between a female’s thighs. But the only legs he could see when he closed his eyes belonged to the woman upstairs. And wasn’t that a crazy, what the fuck realization? He’d had hundreds of pairs of legs wrapped around his waist—couldn’t fathom why he’d bothered with any of them. None of those females had been Lena. None had been his one.

  “Angel, I’ve got good news,” he called out.

  Silence met him. He cursed, took the stairs three at a time. The sensual blast of music that hit him when he opened the door would’ve made a great background to their lovemaking if the female he needed more than his next breath was actually here.

  “Lena!”

  Devin ran out the backdoor and caught her scent on the breeze. It took every ounce of control he had to stop his cats from emerging. Her quaint little neighborhood didn’t have enough shrubbery to hide them from passersby. Instead, he followed on foot to the spot she must’ve gotten into a car. He stared at the curb and the truth cut him like a knife to the chest.

  She’d left him.

  His female had run away, put herself in danger all because she didn’t want to be with him. Stubbornness he could handle, this blatant disregard for her life and his sanity, he couldn’t.

  Devin pulled out his phone, dropped it twice—thankful Mira insisted he get one of those cases for it—but finally managed to dial Kade.

  “Yeah,” Kade mumbled.

  “She’s gone.”

  “What?”

  Claws emerged as tiny hairs poked through his skin. His lion’s body slithered under his muscles, pushing, trying to get out. Its head slammed into his chest, fangs gnawed on his insides.

  Gods, he couldn’t let it out. After what he’d done to Lena, he didn’t trust himself to lose control. The swing sets and family dogs in the yards he’d passed reminded him of the danger he posed. He wasn’t stable, wasn’t fit to be around people.

  He wasn’t worthy of Lena.

  She must’ve realized it, must’ve sensed how fucked-up he was. Dammit, he had to get her back, convince her she could heal him. All she had to do was stay with him. He felt normal when he could breathe her in.

  “Lena ran while I was on the phone with you. She left me,” he growled, his voice more animal than man.

  An older human with age spots covering his face frowned, no doubt hearing his bellowed curse. The male grabbed his cane and shuffled down the driveway across the street from where Devin stood. His lion which had been trying to break free turned its head and focused on the approaching human. The approaching threat. It bared its fangs and its low, menacing growl crawled up its throat, shaking Devin’s body.

  Fuck no. He refused to harm another human.

  Groaning, he took the only option he could. He ran toward Lena’s house. Once inside, he slid down the closed door. More hair sprouted, longer fangs filled his mouth. Colors faded from the world and so did his grip on the lion’s leash.

  “Help…me.”

  He dropped the phone as the big cat burst free. His roar of outrage shook the walls. He heard Kade’s curses and order to shut up. He would’ve liked to do exactly that. It wasn’t going to happen. The best he could do was keep the sounds of his misery contained so as not to alert the neighbors.

  * * * * *

  Gwen wondered if the hyena sitting next to her could scent her fear. After exchanging pleasantries, he’d focused on driving over the bumpy, barely passable road. If she hadn’t driven this way several times before, she would’ve feared he was taking them somewhere else, but Maggie liked the seclusion being so far from civilization brought. Surprisingly, her small lodge did very well too as it catered to the rich and famous seeking a little adventure.

  She’d regretted getting into the Jeep with him but she didn’t have any other choice, not unless she’d wanted to wait a couple of hours for the one of the rentals to come back. With her supply of chemicals for Molly dwindling, she couldn’t risk it. It had seemed to be the best option at the time. She’d banked on the shot she’d given Molly to do its job. So far, it looked like it had. She only prayed the reduced dose didn’t wear off before they got to their destination.

  The gray-haired male put the Jeep into park once they reached the fork in the road. He inhaled deeply, not a good sign, and turned toward her.

  “Why are you so afraid, young lady?”

  Gwen blinked hopefully innocent eyes at him. “I’m not.”

  “Fear has a certain fragrance to it. Did you know that? I can almost taste it on my tongue and I have to be honest with you…” A grin spread across his face. “I like it.”

  She cleared her throat of the lump there. “Then let me be honest with you, you’re acting bizarre and its scaring my little sister. You’d better knock it off before I’m forced to do something we’ll both regret.”

  The man laughed, the maniacal giggling bark raising the hairs on her arms.

  “That little girl isn’t your sister, but if you want to pretend she is, then suit yourself.” He threw the Jeep in first gear and started driving.

  The wrong way.

  She pointed. “The lodge is that way.”

  A gold tooth showed in his wide grin. “Oh, we aren’t going there.” Another giggle. “Three days driving this route and I caught myself a hot young scientist and now you two. Not bad pickings.”

  Gwen swallowed hard and slipped her hand into the pocket of her jacket while Molly stared straight ahead. She started to shake. Her small hands clenched into tight fists. The sight stabbed Gwen in the heart. It also gave her courage to do what had to be done. Tightening her grip on the gun—thankful she’d remembered Vader’s lesson on how to clean it so it didn’t smell of gun oil—she said, “Forgive me then because you’ve left me no choice.”

  He turned his head to look at her, a confused expression on his face. Quickly, she aimed just as Vader taught her and fired off one round. Red blossomed between the man’s eyes. He fell forward. The car careened down a small hill. She screamed and the Jeep picked up speed. Shoving the dead man off the wheel, she gripped it and tried to steer the vehicle to safety. Failed. A huge tree crunched the front of the grill. The car jerked with the loss of momentum. Airbags deployed. Dust and noxious gas filled the compartment.

  Gagging, she covered her nose and turned to Molly. Blood coated one the side of her face. She stared out the window, not even bothering to push her soaked hair out of her eyes. Gwen did it for her and blew the dust from her cheeks. “Are you okay, honey?”

  Molly nodded. Her refusal to speak terrified Gwen. This was exactly what Vader had worried about. He’d said many shifter children who’d been abused as severely as Molly had weren’t salvageable. They became crazed, suffering memory lapses while their animals ruled, and couldn’t control their aggression. They were a danger to the world around them, but Molly was just a little kid. A five-year-old couldn’t be a danger to anyone. She just needed more therapy or something. She’d be fine.

  Gwen held Molly’s chin and waited until her pale-blue eyes focused on her. A chill ran down Gwen’s spine. She ignored the ice slithering in her veins. “Sweetie, are you sure?”

  One single blink was her answer. Gwen turned away, her sister’s intense stare unnerving her, and focused on the hyena shifter. His slumped form could only mean one thing. She pressed her fingers to his neck. No pulse. He was dead.

  She was a murderer.

  Gwen covered her mouth to hold back the sob. “Oh, god.”

  She stared at the blood on the man’s face for a long time. Molly squeezed her wrist, breaking the trance. Gwen shook her head to clear it of the fog. Breaking down would have to happen later. Right now, she had to get Molly to safety. After that…she
didn’t want to think about what would happen to her.

  She opened the passenger door and helped Molly out. Her hands trembled. Molly’s didn’t. She really tried not to read into the lack of response, but couldn’t stop it. Her sister should feel something.

  There were no tears over the man’s death, no sobbing, no questions. Nothing.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  Gwen rubbed her thumb over the small fingers she held and assessed their situation. One look at the front of the Jeep and she knew she wouldn’t be able to drive it out of here. Smoke billowed from the engine. The driver’s side was crunched and the front tire was popped.

  She reached for her cell, turned it on and stared at the black screen. She tried the button again. Dang, the battery was dead. It had been searching for service too long. She’d meant to turn it off. Regret left a bitter taste in her mouth. She swallowed it down. “Okay, looks like we’re walking.”

  Molly just blinked blank eyes at her.

  Gwen blew out a rough breath and grabbed the sawed-off shotgun she found under the driver’s seat. She hefted the backpack, crammed full with the few useful items she’d found in the car. Once done, she plastered a smile on her face and turned away from the evidence of her sin.

  “Let’s get moving, kiddo. It’ll be dark soon.”

  With Molly’s hand in hers, she headed back up to the road and prayed they made it to safety before anyone came looking for the man she’d just killed.

  * * * * *

  In his lion form, Devin peeked out the window and watched the black car drive up Lena’s road. A growl rumbled his chest—his cat’s response, not his. He wished he could say he was in charge. He wasn’t, not completely, but with each passing minute he gained ground. His female leaving him had torn his control to shreds, left him open for the rage that fed his primal side.

  He retreated to a spot in the kitchen where there wasn’t as much destruction. Seeing the evidence of his breakdown shamed him. After he’d called Kade, he’d lost it. His lion took over, left him in the darkness. When he finally surfaced, he found Lena’s lovely little home in shreds. Literally. Her furniture was reduced to piles of stuffing. The walls were gouged. The curtains hung in strips. The only things not destroyed were the pictures of her family, Molly’s artwork, Lena’s cute library and the bed they’d made love in. Everything else…totaled.