by Scarlet Day
“Damn peacocks.” The bartender turned back to Paige and rolled her eyes. “They’re cocky as hell, but they’re loyal guests and great tippers.” She cocked her head and studied Paige. “I’m Laci, by the way. Are you here by yourself?”
“Um, yes, I am.” Paige hesitated for one moment, but she’d used her real name to check in, so there was no point in hiding it now. “I’m Paige.”
Laci smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Paige. Is this your first time here?”
Laci’s smile was infectious, and Page couldn’t help but smile back. She nodded. “It is. I’ve wanted to come for a while, but just recently got up the nerve.” There was nothing but truth in that statement.
Laci’s smile spread wider. “Well, welcome to Sanctuary, Paige. I’m glad you decided to give us a chance. We don’t get many single female lions.” Laci laughed. “I was the last single cat to come through here, and I pretty much turned everything upside down.”
Paige felt her smile freeze on her face. Her thoughts tumbled into one another, and her heart rate sped up. Was this the unmated single lioness that she’d overheard her father talking about, the one he’d been after? Paige hadn’t even considered that she might meet the woman her father had tried to kidnap. But from the interaction she’d seen between Laci and the man at the bar a few minutes ago, Paige guessed Laci wasn’t unmated any longer. At least that would mean she’d be safe from Paige’s father.
“Hey, Lace.” A man’s deep voice interrupted Paige’s panicked thoughts. “Looks like we’ll have a good crowd tonight.”
Paige turned to the newcomer, her eyes first resting on a brown guitar case he carried in one hand. Her gaze worked its way up his tanned arm until his short-sleeved gray T-shirt interrupted the view. Her attention flitted to his face, her gaze lingering on his curved-up lips before rising to meet the golden twinkle in his eyes. The flickering light from the candle on Paige’s table made his eyes sparkle with what looked like mischief. Paige’s heart fluttered uncharacteristically at the intensity of his stare. Men’s stares typically had no effect on her.
“And who’s our beautiful new guest?” He smiled at Paige, and her breath caught in her throat. Her heart might have even stopped beating for an instant.
“Paige, this is Dylan Jacobs.” Laci motioned toward him. “Dylan, meet Paige.”
Dylan sat down in a spare chair and propped his guitar case against the table. He rested his elbows on the table and then leaned toward Paige.
Laci chuckled and whacked him lightly on his shoulder. “Don’t get comfortable. You’ve got people to entertain, song boy.”
Dylan grinned and waved her off, never taking his gaze from Paige. Laci chuckled again and then turned her back on them to return to the bar.
“So, are you here with anyone?” Dylan had the smoothest voice Paige had ever heard. No wonder he was a singer.
“Um, no. I’m here by myself.” Paige was surprised she could form coherent words. Her tongue felt as though it was stuck to the roof of her mouth. She struggled for breath, and her heartbeat sped up again. She couldn’t understand her reaction. There was no doubt Dylan was the most mouth-watering man she’d ever met, but she’d never experienced anything like this before.
Dylan’s grin grew bigger. “Really? How long are you here for?”
Paige had to think for a moment, light-headedness making it hard to remember the most basic things. “Uh, I’m planning for a week, but it’s flexible.” Flexible, as in, her money might not last that long.
Dylan’s eyes seemed to light up even more. “Well, let’s see what we can do to persuade you to stay longer.”
Paige couldn’t think of a response, but she felt heat rise in her face and was sure Dylan could see the blush on her cheeks. He stood and grabbed his guitar case.
“I’ve got to get started, but could I talk you into staying around so we can get to know each other during my breaks?”
Paige knew she couldn’t have said no, even if she’d wanted to. And at the moment, she had no desire to say no.
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
Dylan tipped his cowboy hat to her, revealing tousled brown hair, before striding across the room toward the corner near the big fireplace. Paige watched him set up and settle himself on the stool behind the lone microphone. Her gaze stayed transfixed on his face as he opened with “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” by Billy Currington. The seductive words and his smooth voice sent shivers down her spine. When he winked at her, she thought she might slide off her chair and ooze onto the floor. His muscles flexing under the snug T-shirt he wore, paired with his tight jeans, didn’t help her regain any sense of composure.
She still hadn’t decided what she would do once she found Tucker Steele, the alpha of the pride she had been pulled away from so many years ago. But her surprising and unexpected reaction to the smooth-singing man she now watched had her formulating a plan that had nothing to do with her reason for being at the resort.
Why couldn’t she enjoy herself a little? It had been far too long since she’d even gone on a date and even those rare occasions were with shifters her father had deemed acceptable. She’d only had sex a few times, preferring her own measures to satisfy herself rather than hooking up with the few men she had been allowed to date. Her lack of interest in men had made it easy to convince herself that she was different from normal female shifters, that she was broken, missing some important carnal part of herself.
But as her gaze remained glued to Dylan’s lithe body and his sultry words left her almost gasping for breath, her needs made it clear that they did, indeed, exist. They had apparently just never been given a good enough reason for making themselves known to her before now. Her pussy clenched and she squirmed in her seat. She might not ever exhibit the release of pheromones that would attract a permanent mate, but she could at least play around. Nothing was stopping her from doing that, especially now that she was out from under the watchful eye of her father.
With determination, she pushed her father, her family’s secrets, and her elusive pride leader from her mind, if only for the moment. For right now, she wanted nothing more than to think of all the things she’d like to do with one silky-voiced cowboy.
Chapter Two
Dylan couldn’t stop staring at the brown-haired woman who had captured his every thought. Whether he’d meant them to or not, all the songs he’d performed over the last couple of hours had felt directed toward her. His specialty was country music, and the songs all seemed to have something to do with kissing a woman, taking a moonlight swim with a woman, or turning out the lights and getting to know a woman better.
As he looked over at Paige for what felt like the thousandth time, he knew he’d like to do all of those things with her, plus a few more. He’d spent his breaks between sets talking with her, flirting with her, and generally trying not to lose himself in her emerald-green eyes. It had been a losing battle from the beginning, but one he was happy to lose.
It didn’t help that his cat was pacing in his mind, growling with agitation and impatience. He wasn’t used to his beast behaving in such an insistent manner. It sometimes raised its head with curiosity when a female lion shifter in his vicinity produced mating pheromones, but it had never acted with this level of intensity. When Laci, Tucker and Colt’s mate, had first arrived at the resort, his cat had only expressed mild interest, even with her mating scent flooding the area. Dylan’s cat just hadn’t been attracted to Laci.
With Paige, however, his cat’s intentions were clear, and it didn’t seem bothered by the fact that not even a whiff of pheromones could be found in the air. Paige wasn’t producing pheromones, even though she seemed beyond the age when that should have happened. Dylan wondered if she had previously mated, but he dismissed that thought, since he hadn’t detected the typical scent that would have indicated she already had a mate. Dylan’s cat purred, its happiness obvious at the lack of an apparent rival. It was one of the rare occasions when he and his cat were
in agreement about anything.
When he’d first approached Paige’s table, she’d acted nervous, almost self-conscious. She still glanced around periodically, as though she was looking for someone, but she’d assured him she was at the resort alone. She’d also told him this was her first time at Sanctuary, so he’d tried to nonchalantly find out if she was here for the activities offered downstairs in the basement’s club. It was what many of the guests came for, but he didn’t want to assume anything and stick his foot in his mouth. She hadn’t seemed to pick up on any of his hints, though, so he hadn’t pushed it.
Laci walked back over to Paige’s table with a fresh Coors Light. Dylan had learned it was her favorite beer, and he was strangely pleased that she wasn’t into some fancy imported brand. Not that there was anything wrong with imported beer, but he was a simple guy, so the fact that she was into simple beer made him feel optimistic.
Dylan watched Laci and Paige talk for a couple of minutes. He struggled to hold a tune while they laughed and shot less than covert glances his way. He had the distinct impression that he was the main topic of conversation between the two women. Not that he minded, as long as they were saying something nice.
Laci gestured at Paige’s welcome folder, and Paige shook her head. Laci then opened the folder and pulled out a bright pink flyer and handed it to Paige. A call from the bar drew Laci’s attention, and she returned to the bar, leaving Paige staring at the flyer.
Dylan almost forgot the words of the song he was singing as he watched Paige’s expression. Dylan knew what the pink flyer was. It detailed all the basement’s offerings that he had unsuccessfully hinted about earlier. As Paige’s gaze skimmed down the page, her eyebrows rose high on her forehead, and her eyes widened. Even in the dim light, Dylan could see the deep blush creep across her cheeks. So she’d told him the truth, she really hadn’t known about the lifestyle the resort was known for.
Dylan couldn’t help but wonder if she would be interested in learning. That thought not only brought a smile to his lips, but it sent heat to his groin. He shifted uncomfortably on his barstool, trying to relieve the discomfort from his hardening dick pressing against his tight jeans. He should have worn his baggy jeans tonight, but he’d had no idea this female cat would walk into the resort and set his world on fire.
He couldn’t get through his sets fast enough, his every thought revolving around getting back to the table to talk to Paige. His breaks seemed to fly by, while the time he was onstage seemed to take forever. He wanted nothing more than to be finished with his show, so he could spend the rest of the night talking to Paige. Or not talking, he thought with a hopeful grin.
When he saw Tucker walk across the lobby, Dylan knew his wait was almost over. Tucker always joined Laci and Colt at the bar after he’d finished his work for the day. It had become a type of ritual for them. The transformation of Tucker and Colt into devoted mates had been amazing to watch. If Dylan had been forced to pick two men who he would have thought would never settle down, it would have been those two. But he’d never known them to be happier than they were now.
Dylan felt an unexpected twang of envy surge through him. The uncharacteristic emotion startled him, and his mind threatened to fog over. Where the hell had that come from?
Just as he recovered his composure, he saw Tucker come to an abrupt halt halfway to the bar. Tucker turned to look toward Paige’s table, his eyes narrowed and forehead creased. He cocked his head sideways and stared straight at Paige. Dylan felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise, his protective instincts instantly on alert.
As quickly as it had happened, it was over. Tucker jerked his intense stare away from Paige and headed to the bar. Dylan’s wariness didn’t ease, though, especially when Tucker leaned in to say something to Colt, and then Colt turned to cast a glance in Paige’s direction.
Dylan had no idea what the strange looks were about, but he was going to find out.
Chapter Three
Paige knew immediately something was wrong. Different. She’d woken up with a start, feeling as though she hadn’t slept at all. She had tossed and turned all night, waking up and falling asleep repeatedly in fits of agitation and exhaustion. The damp sheets clung to her and twisted around her legs. Two faces had consumed her dreams during the long restless night.
The image of Dylan’s face had seemed a welcome respite between flashes of Tucker Steele’s suspicious stare. Paige didn’t know if he’d known exactly who she was when he’d seen her the night before, but there had been no doubt that Tucker’s attention had been drawn to her. Paige didn’t bother to pretend she understood the mind of a pride leader. But based on his reaction to her, there was obviously some type of instinctual connection between him and his pack. Laci had never been near a pack leader, at least not since she was a child, so she had no memory of the pack leader’s link. She’d heard stories that it existed, that a pack leader recognized those he was responsible for, but she’d never seen it firsthand. She suspected she’d gotten a slight glimpse of that trait last night.
Deep down, if she was honest with herself, some small part of her had hoped she would be recognized as part of this pack. She carried some tiny hope that she could find a way to get away from her father and find security. That maybe, just maybe, she would eventually be accepted somewhere. And that somehow, in spite of the sins her family bore, she might find a place where she belonged and felt safe.
Unexpected—and unwanted—tears sprang to her eyes. She swept a hand across her face, wiping the hot tears from her cheeks. She knew better than to let those kinds of thoughts take root in her heart and mind. They could bring her nothing but heartache and pain.
Frustration built up inside her, and she threw the uncomfortable covers off. As she sat up and swung her bare legs off the bed, light-headedness swept over her. She fell back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling, wondering what could have caused the sudden dizziness. She’d had a few beers last night, but certainly not enough to cause any lasting effects, considering her shifter metabolism.
As she lay there staring up at the ceiling and waiting for the room to stop spinning, other strange sensations overwhelmed her. First came the heat, boiling up from somewhere deep inside her. Her whole body broke out in an instant sweat. Then her heart started racing, as though she were running a marathon. She briefly wondered if she were having a heart attack. But then, finally, an all-consuming urge started in her feet and worked its way up her legs. She couldn’t ignore it. She needed to run. Now.
Without giving her actions a second thought, Paige bolted out of bed, opened the door to her room, and then hurled herself into the hallway. The passageway was empty, but it wouldn’t have mattered if it had been filled with other guests. Paige had one thing on her mind, and the only thing that stood in her way was the door at the end of the hall. Wearing nothing except the tank top and panties she’d slept in, she ran down the corridor and hit the door at full speed, her body transforming into her cat before her bare feet even had the chance of registering the contact with the freezing snow. Her tank top and panties fluttered to the ground in shreds behind her.
She didn’t even think, she just ran. The overwhelming instinct to run drove her across the snow-covered meadow behind the lodge and then up the nearest hill. Her paws dug into the snow and propelled her forward, faster and faster, until the trees were nothing more than gray and brown streaks. The icy wind whipped at her short fur, but she kept running. Every sound seemed magnified in her ears, from the small rabbit that scrambled quietly out of her way to the screech of the hawk flying overhead.
Still she ran. She couldn’t explain the sudden urge to run, any more than she could explain the other strange sensations she’d woken up to. Time seemed to stop as her thoughts concentrated on nothing more than the rhythmic thud of her paws beneath her.
Eventually, she became aware of another presence. The faint sound of another set of paws drifted to her on the cold wind. The sound came from behind her. She threw
a quick glance over her shoulder, and her keen eyes quickly scanned the mountainside, but she didn’t see anything. Her senses told her she wasn’t alone, though, even if she couldn’t see who or what was behind her.
Paige dug her claws into the snow and changed direction, zigzagging between trees and around rocks. But still the faint sounds in the distance made her aware she wasn’t shaking her pursuer. She launched herself up onto a large rock ledge and then hurled herself off the other side. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to see the ravine on the back side of the rock until it was too late. She’d already committed to the jump when she realized the ground had fallen away beneath her.
She landed on her paws, but the incline was too steep to keep her footing. She tumbled head over tail, bumping into exposed rocks on her way down. Her mind seized in fear, not knowing what was at the bottom of the ravine or how to stop her fall.
A loud snarl broke through her panic and a golden blur, likely whatever or whoever had been trailing her, hurled itself on top of her and rolled with her down the hill. She didn’t have time to think about whether she was being attacked or saved, so she just squeezed her eyes shut and dug her claws into the body of the newcomer.
“Shift, dammit!” The male shout jerked Paige out of her mind-numbing panic.
Without questioning the demand, Paige shifted back into her human form. Her arms tightened around the man who was tumbling with her, and her fingernails dug into his back. She realized he had one strong arm wrapped around her waist, and he was clinging to her with crushing strength. As they raced down the incline, he managed to snag a small tree with his free hand. They came to a jarring stop, with Paige trapped under the heavy weight of the man.
As she panted and tried to catch her breath, she glanced down the hill and realized she had been heading to an even steeper drop-off. It was a drop she wasn’t entirely sure she would have survived.