by Danica Avet
She didn’t want to make that choice. She’d fucking mated Grant whether she’d intended to or not. She wasn’t sure where they were going from here, but she wasn’t ready to give up. Not quite yet. She…cared about him and dammit, she didn’t want him hurt by the Eturians. She knew he could take care of himself and her tribal sisters were fierce indeed, but they didn’t have the feelings for him that she had. She needed to be here to make sure he was safe.
Except, was she ready to give up the tribe? Disobeying the queen’s orders would be considered treason and she’d be outcast. Not just from the Blood Maidens, but from all tribes. She would be an Amazon without a home for the rest of her life, and if things didn’t work out with Grant—which she suspected they wouldn’t since he’d taken off—she wouldn’t have anyone.
Her eyes wandered from Saga to Rosetta. Her two best friends had stood by her side through everything, they were her true sisters. Leaving the tribe meant giving them up, giving up on everything they’d been through together. It also meant cutting ties with everyone she’d met through the Blood Maidens—Ruby and Lucian, Connor and Piper, Malachi and Lani, and all of their children. The family she’d discovered after years of roaming. She’d have to give them all up to stay with Grant…who might or might not care enough about her to be with her forever.
The silence in the room was deafening as she weighed her decisions. The tribe was everything to an Amazon. Mates joined the tribe, becoming part of the community. Grant would never leave his parents to join her. Even if she stayed with him, she wouldn’t be part of her tribe.
What to do?
It boiled down to one simple question: How strongly did she feel about Grant?
The answer was simple. She didn’t know.
Without a word to her friends, Izzy stood and walked to the room Grant had given her. She wanted to shower, but chances were she’d end up changing her mind if she saw the bathroom. They’d pleasured each other in there earlier in the day.
In the room, she pulled out her uniform, dressing in the leather pants and moccasins she’d made with her own hands. Then came the tunic. Normally they’d wear a leather halter, but in the freezing temperatures, she was able to wear the tunic she’d made when she first joined the Blood Maidens. She ran her fingers over the crest burnt into the right shoulder of the top.
A tree bent nearly backwards by an unseen wind, it was a reminder to Izzy that she’d withstood many harsh times in her life. The loss and death of her mother, the numerous tribes and friends she’d made and lost through her nomadic years. Everything she’d experienced, she’d survived.
She yanked the tunic over her head, pulling her hair out from the neckline and into a careless ponytail. She packed her duffle bag, forcing herself not to think about what she was doing. No, she wouldn’t think about Grant and what might have been. Her future was on the line. Without solid evidence that he was meant to be a part of it, she couldn’t risk permanently alienating her tribe.
Izzy shook her head. It was no use thinking about it. She’d made her decision and as hard as it would be, she’d live with it. Hells, she’d survived without anyone before, she’d survive again.
She swung the duffle over her shoulder and entered the living room. Saga and Rosetta stood together, their heads close as they spoke. Fallon leaned against the wall next to the front door. The three of them looked up as she walked out.
Yeah, she’d expected them to be surprised, but the utter shock on Fallon’s face, she could’ve done without. Giving a mental shrug, Izzy headed for the front door.
She stopped at the threshold, taking one last look at Grant’s home. Funny how comfortable she’d become here in such a short time. He’d given her a warm, comfortable place to stay that had somehow become like her own home, more so than her tent back in the Blood Maidens’ camp. She was sure the accommodations in the Yukon wouldn’t be half as nice.
Izzy straightened her shoulders.
“Take care of him, okay? ’Cause, you know, he’s a good guy.” She cleared her throat which had become strangely tight. “Watch out for his parents, too. Ormond might want to go after them to persuade Grant to do whatever it is he wants.”
“What should we tell him, Izzy?” Rosetta asked as Izzy stepped out onto the porch.
Early afternoon sunlight broke through the clouds, spilling over Grant’s land as though bathing it in blessings. Damn, she was going to miss this place! Her heart ached like a son of a bitch. She rubbed the spot absently.
What should they tell Grant?
“Tell him he can keep BOB.”
She shut the door behind her, leaning back against the wood for support. Was she really doing this? Leave Grant without telling him? She thought about her tribe. Yeah, she supposed she was. Well, wasn’t she wonderful. Mate the male and walk out on him. Yeah, he’d love that.
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Izzy fumbled for her car keys as she stalked to her car. She had to get out of here. The Yukon was waiting for her. How…exciting.
Once the Tahoe was started and she had it in gear, she couldn’t help but look at Grant’s house again. Dammit. She felt as though she was leaving something really important behind and it wasn’t BOB. No, it was Grant. That damned irritating, arrogant, sweet bull had gotten under her skin. Like a tick.
Izzy spun out of the front yard, flinging snow and mud left and right. Tears burned the backs of her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall. She was doing the right thing. She knew she was. Grant was destined for some sweet, little cow-swan…whore who’d make his life nice and comfortable.
A tear spilled down her cheek.
Grant’s life was here in this boring, freezing cold country. He had roots here, he had family. He had a mother who would continue to smother him until he was so dependent on her, he couldn’t feed himself.
Another tear spilled.
No, she was doing the right thing. If he had decided to make a life with her, it still wouldn’t have worked. Grant was better off without someone like Izzy in his life. He had his company which required him to rub elbows with important people. He’d shared the big dreams he had for his security company with her, and after watching him for the past few days, she knew he deserved to see those dreams come true. She’d only get in his way by saying something inappropriate, or playing the wrong song at the wrong time.
Another tear spilled and Izzy took a deep, shuddering breath. Resolution powered through her. It was better for Grant. She might not be able to leave for herself, but for him, she could.
Her eyes dried up as she reached the end of Grant’s drive. It was fortunate, too, because that was the exact moment all four of her tires blew.
Izzy gritted her teeth as she struggled to keep the heavy SUV from flipping over. The backend fishtailed dangerously close to the steep ditch next to the highway, but she managed to keep the car on the road. Heart pounding a hundred miles a minute, she brought her vehicle to a controlled stop, gravel and snow crunching under her shredded tires.
What the hell had taken out all four tires at once?
Curious, she climbed out of the SUV and walked towards the end of Grant’s drive. The snow was slush from the vehicles coming and going, so it was difficult to see anything. Izzy crouched where she suspected her tires had blown, carefully brushing the snow from the ground, she discovered sharp spikes planted just beneath the surface. Huh. Who would do something like—
A soft rustling sound from the bushes next to the drive spun Izzy around, but she was too late. She caught a glimpse of a dreadfully familiar face a split second before sharp pain lanced across the back of her head.
Stars dotted her eyesight as she fell to the ground at the feet of the one male who wanted her dead and wouldn’t care how much it hurt to get her that way.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Grant fidgeted in the seat as Ricky drove them back to the ranch. He wanted to be with Isola right now, wanted to be sure she understood they were permanently bonded. His heart thundered with hop
e and anticipation. The ring had fallen out. That had to mean she cared for him, possibly even loved him.
“You need to drive faster.”
Ricky sighed deeply and nudged the car a little faster. “She isn’t going anywhere, cuz. Just relax, okay? You don’t want her to think she has you wrapped around her little finger or anything, do you?”
He shrugged. “I am wrapped around her little finger and I don’t care if she knows or not. She’s my mate.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
Now he was getting pissed. “She is my mate, dammit!”
“I didn’t—Hey! No horns in the car!”
Grant shook his head, surprised to realize his body had begun to shift into his half-man form at the slightest hint that someone would challenge his right to mate Isola. He had to concentrate on calming himself to reverse the shift. Yeah, horns in the car would be a bad idea.
“Got it together again?” Ricky asked in a voice laced with laughter.
“What did you mean?” Grant couldn’t help the low growl in his words. He didn’t like the thought that Ricky might not approve of his mating. He genuinely cared what his cousin thought about his mate.
“I meant you’re making a mistake in dealing with her. If she knows you have it this bad for her, you’ll be her bitch for eternity. Do you really want that?”
Ah, now he got it. Ricky, whose mother had wrestled the power away from his father in their relationship, lived in fear of being caught by a strong woman. Grant pondered that for a while. Isola had him good. He knew it, but he didn’t mind. She didn’t want to control him. Oh, she was bossy as all hell, but it was in a fun, adorable way, and he always ignored commands he didn’t want to hear.
“You’ll understand when you’re mated,” he finally told Ricky as the bear turned the car into Grant’s drive.
He snorted. “I’m not getting mated. That’s a minotaur thing. You guys get that cow-love look in your eyes and that’s it. Bears are different.”
“We’ll see.”
They didn’t speak again until they reached the house. Grant tried his best not to flip out when he saw Isola’s SUV was gone. Maybe her friends had borrowed it to go to the Black Dog Camp. She had to still be here, if only so she could kick his ass.
He was out the car a split second after Ricky pulled to a stop. He didn’t even bother closing the car door behind him in his rush to see Isola, to beg forgiveness, and to get her cranky ass back in bed to finish the mating dance.
“Isola!” he shouted as he stormed through his front door.
The two Amazons were there as was the incubus. He ignored them and started for the bedroom. She was here, had to be.
“Mr. Strickland,” Isola’s leader called to him as he walked by.
He waved his hand at her. “Later. I need to talk to Isola.”
“She’s not here.”
Grant stopped cold in his tracks. She wasn’t here? He folded his arms over his chest as he turned to face the trio. “Where’d she go?”
The drag queen wouldn’t meet his eyes. The incubus looked at him with mingling of admiration and pity. The female though, she was rock solid and hard to read. He couldn’t tell if she was sorry, happy, or didn’t give a rat’s ass.
“She’s outcast from the tribe. She has nothing to do with the problems you’ve found yourself in the middle of.” She didn’t back down from his growl, instead lifting an eyebrow at him as though she dared him to attack. “You’ve managed to stumble on a very big problem, Mr. Strickland. The Veilerian High Council has sent me and my associates”—she gestured to the drag queen and incubus—“to protect you from further kidnapping attempts until the person behind the attacks is stopped.”
“Where’s Isola?” he asked again because he wanted to give her a chance to tell him. He’d track his mate down if he had to, but it would waste valuable time.
The Amazon ignored him as though he didn’t exist. “The Council has sent in their best Guardian Elites to search for and capture the person of interest. Until then, you’ll have to stay here where we can easily protect you.” She paced in front of him, apparently having no idea she put her life in danger with every word she uttered. “We’ll also post guards at your parents’ home to protect them in case someone tries to use them as bait for you. In the meantime, I want you to tell me exactly what happened with those nymphs and anything else you’ve learned since then.”
Grant didn’t answer, causing the Amazon to spin around and glare at him.
“Well?” she asked placing her hands on her hips.
He arched an eyebrow at her. “Where’s my mate?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Izzy’s whereabouts aren’t important right now since she isn’t part of this operation. Now, tell me what those nymphs sai—”
Grant’s hand around her throat cut her off mid-word. He didn’t want to hurt her, but Isola’s location was more important than anything else. He tugged the Amazon towards him though it was more like she came to him on her own, her blue eyes flashing fire.
“Where. Is. My. Mate.”
He didn’t even see the fist that crashed into his nose, too focused on the Amazon’s face. His grip slackened, which gave her the chance to pull away from him.
She shook out her hand once she was out of range. “I’ll allow you that since you don’t know better, but next time you grab me, minotaur, I’ll shove your head up your ass. Got it?”
Ignoring the blood that poured down his face, he stalked closer to her. “Where is she?”
The damned woman didn’t back down. “I told you she isn’t important right now.”
“My mate is always important, woman!”
“If she’s so important, why did you run out on her, huh?” The new voice drew Grant’s attention away from the woman in front of him and towards the drag queen. He…she must have read surprise in his face because her glare became pointed, lethal. “Yeah, we know she mated you, that you mated her, but that your kind has harems. So what gives, huh? You want to break her heart or something?”
“Rosetta,” the other Amazon said in warning.
“No, Saga, this big bastard thinks he can just fuck my girl, run away, and then come back acting like he gives a shit? I don’t think so.” Rosetta, the drag queen, stalked up to Grant in fur boots. He blinked. “You think an Amazon takes a mate easily? Huh? You think she shares her mate with anyone? Ha!” The scorn in her eyes would’ve felled a lesser man, but Grant held up. “You don’t deserve her, and once she’s back with her tribe—with people who love her—I’ll make sure she never thinks about you twice. There are plenty of males who’d give their left nut to be with her and I’ll make sure—”
Grant roared, the shift surging through him at the thought of some other man touching his mate. He was peripherally aware of Rosetta backing away from him, but it was the thought of Isola making love to another male, of another male seeing his woman in the throes of passion that was foremost in his mind.
“Did you have to piss him off?” Saga, the cold Amazon, demanded.
“Oh, so this is my fault? You’re the one who was ignoring him!” came Rosetta’s strident reply.
He bellowed, silencing the two arguing women. Isola. He needed to find her. Now.
Ricky stood by the door, shaking his head at the two Amazons. “You guys really did it this time. You realize we won’t be able to stop him until he finds her?”
“Good luck with that. She should be halfway to Montana by now,” Saga muttered as she shook her head.
Grant grunted, his nostrils quivering, as he dragged in Isola’s scent. It was faint, but unmistakable. He could track her. He hadn’t lied when he said he was good at tracking. He might not be as good as his mate, but he could and would follow that delicious rose scent to hell and back.
“What do you mean?” Ricky demanded, moving out of Grant’s way as he headed for the door.
Saga sniffed. “She was given the option of staying with the minotaur and being outcast forev
er, or leaving for the Yukon and being allowed back.”
Grant stopped on the threshold at her words. Isola hadn’t been given an option, she’d been given an ultimatum. These last few days with her, he’d discovered just how loyal she was to the same people who punished her. She’d talked a little about her escapades with the Blood Maidens and every time one of her friends had been in trouble, she’d been there. Yes, she was outlandish. She was impulsive, but her heart was pure, her love for her tribe evident in everything she did.
Momentarily pulled out of his rage, Grant managed to shift back to his human form. Luckily, the sweats he wore were Ricky’s who was bigger than he was, which meant they hadn’t shredded completely when he shifted. He didn’t want Isola’s friends to see him buck-ass naked more than they had to.
He turned to them, listening as Saga and Ricky argued back and forth about how far Isola could have gotten since she left. He didn’t know why they’d argue about it and he didn’t care.
“You got something to add, bull?” Rosetta challenged, her face set in taut lines.
“Yeah, I do.” He looked to Saga, who ignored Ricky to listen to what he had to say. “Your tribe doesn’t deserve Isola. I might not deserve her either, but at least I love her and want her to be herself. You’re trying to change her into something she’ll never be, never satisfied with the joy she brings to you, and you want to mold her into a pale imitation of herself.” He shook his head. “And she mated me, but Little Miss Can’t-Stay-Out-of-Rooms,” he said with a pointed look at Rosetta, “interrupted before I could ask her to stay with me. But she is my mate. She might not believe it, you might not believe it, but nothing will stop me from making her happy for the rest of her fucking life.”
With that said, Grant headed out the door, following his nose to his mate.