by Celia Kyle
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
About the Author
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Addy couldn’t let them catch her. Not now, not ever. That single thought in mind, she clutched the small bundle in her arms tighter and forced herself to run faster. Her inner lioness attempted to help, adding what strength and speed she could, but it wasn’t enough. They were larger, stronger, quicker, and fueled by both rage and fear. She’d managed to avoid them for the last two weeks, but the more time that passed, the closer they came and this was the closest yet.
She still wasn’t sure what clued her in to their arrival, but something alerted her lioness danger was near. She’d peeked out the front window of the moldy hotel room, spied the two hulking males, and then escaped out the back with nothing more than the clothes on her back, a diaper bag, and what those two men hunted… the baby.
She ducked and weaved through the busy crowd, fighting the natural flow of foot traffic. She took advantage of the fact she was much smaller than the two males. At over six feet tall and two hundred-plus pounds, they had to struggle against the gathered bodies.
Growls chased her, their sounds making it seem they were within inches of her, but that couldn’t be. She’d had a decent lead when she fled the hotel, hadn’t she? Now snarls reached her, the men foisting their anger at her actions. The humans’ fear stung her nose as they seemed to finally realize they had furious non-human somethings in their midst.
They were livid with her, but they couldn’t have known why she’d run. Then again, maybe they did and didn’t give a damn. They worked for Tony Davis, didn’t they?
And Tony wanted his baby back.
Not while she had breath in her body.
“Dammit, bitch.”
“Fucking catch her.”
The two men’s words reached her, syllables sending forward a new panic that threatened to freeze her in place. Thankfully they instead served to spur her on and she dug deep for any remaining energy.
Can’t be caught… Can’t be caught…
Little Jack whimpered and released a low cry, reminding her why she pushed so hard. For him. For his future.
“Shhh… I have you. I’m going to take care of you. Be easy, sweetheart.” She tried to soothe him without missing a step. Any hesitation, any bit of slowing, would result in her capture.
And not just capture, but also her death.
Unacceptable.
Jack whined again, telling her exactly how upset this mad dash was making him. She would have to calm him. Later. Right now, pure adrenaline drove her onward.
She could almost feel their breath on the back of her neck, the moisture of their spittle landing on her skin, and she clawed deeper inside herself. She increased her pace, changing her movements from quick ducks and dashes to outright shoves. She pushed others out of the way, ignoring their surprised shouts. There was no time for apologies or requests. Only running.
Addy glanced at street signs as she darted through intersections, fighting to remember the layout of the massive city. She’d only been in town a month and all that time, Tony’s drivers/bodyguards escorted her everywhere which meant she still didn’t know her way around.
Yet another crosswalk loomed before her, the curb crowded with early morning employees hoofing it to work. She glanced at the “walk” sign and noted it still told walkers it wasn’t safe, but—she glanced over her shoulder and trembled in fear—they were too close.
Addy burst through the clumps of people, racing dead center through the mass and straight out the other side. She glanced down the street, trying to gauge the oncoming traffic. Yells followed her, but she was in a straightaway. She could make it through the intersection and on to the other side before her pursuers—or the approaching cars—reached her.
“We’re almost safe, sweetheart. Almost safe,” she whispered. Addy made it past the bicycle lane, knowing she was putting more and more space between her and the men. She made it past the first lane as well. “Almost—”
She didn’t make it past the second. A high-pitched squeal of tires was the only warning she received that her world was about to be destroyed once again. She only had a split second to spy the source of that sound, to watch a big vehicle bear down on her. The grill grew closer and closer, the auto seeming to be aimed directly at her, and she distantly wondered if one of Tony’s goons were behind the wheel. But why would he risk his own son?
Then the question became moot because the SUV wasn’t going to stop in time. Addy’s lioness whined in anticipation of the coming pain, and she twisted in place, making sure the grill struck her back and not little Jack.
She wrapped herself around him, desperate to cushion him from any harm as the vehicle plowed into her. Pain exploded in her back and then it enveloped her entire body. Her shoulder snapped out of place and she recognized when her arm broke, but still she kept Jack protected. She hugged him close, arms carefully shielding him from the rough ground as it scraped skin from her body.
The coppery tang of her own blood filled her nose. That scent was joined by the oil and rubber that coated the road. It was then she realized she’d stopped rolling. She was no longer skidding over the ground and remained motionless.
The baby’s wail filled her ears, the child announcing its fear to the heavens with an ever-increasing volume. Agony wracked her body, assaulting her from within, and she knew she had to have broken more than one bone. Her only hope now was that her lioness could help her shake off the injuries—heal her enough so she could stumble away without being caught. She’d have time to recover once they were safe.
Screams and questions were thrown at her, the stench of the crowd’s worry burning her nose as people tried to discern if she was okay and what had happened.
No, I’m not okay. I got hit by a fucking truck.
But she didn’t put voice to those words. Instead she concentrated on her beast’s attempt to heal the damage to her body. The bones would be crooked, there was no hope for that, but she could worry about re-breaking them and setting them correctly once she found a new place to hide.
She forced her eyes open, anxious to see where her pursuers lingered, and she found them at the edges of the wide circle that surrounded her. Both men glared at her, their golden eyes seeming to bore into her, and a new wave of fear crashed over her body. She had to go. Had to run.
She glanced down at Jack, running her hand over his tiny form, and she ignored the agony that came with the movement. He appeared no worse for wear, and she sighed in relief when she realized he was unharmed and only scared.
A loud thud reached her, the sound close and obviously from a vehicle, and then a male she didn’t know crouched at her side. His eyes were the yellow of a lion, and a light dusting of cream fur coated his tanned cheeks. Finding a lion at her side was not surprising in a city filled with her kind. However, finding the lion at her side was also her mate floored her. His scent was deep and smoky, offset by the aroma of the dry plains that imbued every werelion, and it called to Addy’s cat.
Her inner beast purred and whined in relief, soothed by his presence. He would protect them, he would take care of them, he would… He would keep Jack safe. At least she hoped.
His gaze stroked her, enveloping her from head to toe, and her inner lioness was calmed even further by his attention and worry.
“It’s you,” she whispered and frowned. Why was her voice so thin and reedy?
His irises seemed to glow even brighter as he stared at her face, and he revealed his possessiveness with his first utterance. “Mine.” His nostrils flared as he breathed deeply, and his attention
darted from her face to the rest of her. “Where are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” She lifted one hand from Jack and placed her palm on the asphalt, intent on rising from the street. She shouted with the first new bolt of agony that struck her with the pressure. That was echoed by his roar of rage and it had the crowd making a rushed retreat.
“Where are you hurt?”
Where wasn’t she hurt? Not only that, but she was finding it harder and harder to keep her eyes open. Her eyelids grew heavier by the second and darkness crept into her vision until the world was coated in a gray cast. “I’m…” She shook her head and struggled to dispel the dizziness that attacked her. “I’m…”
“Fuck.”
“Don’t… Curse… Around the baby.” The stench of her own blood filled her nose, and she realized two things. She was bleeding freely from a wound and her cat still hadn’t managed to stem the flow. That meant she was quickly losing consciousness. She was going to pass out, leaving herself vulnerable… Leave Jack vulnerable. Addy shoved back the darkness long enough to reach for her mate, to grasp his hand despite the agony that struck her, and demand his attention. His worried gaze met hers. “Don’t let them take the baby.”
“The baby?” Confusion filled his features and his focus flicked to the squirming bundle in her arms and then back to her.
She had to get him to do as she asked, had to get him to listen to her.
And so she lied. “Don’t let them take my baby.”
*
Zane was torn between snatching the wriggling child from her arms before the baby tumbled to the ground and catching her before her head struck the concrete. It was obvious she was rapidly losing consciousness. She had a lioness but the inner beast wasn’t healing her. Why? Even though he’d hit her with his SUV, she should have been well on her way to recovering and not still bleeding all over the road. That only happened when a lion was severely weakened. From exhaustion? Hunger? Stress?
It wasn’t only the scent of her inner cat that prodded him, but also his lion was more than intrigued by the female. In fact, he was pacing in the back of Zane’s mind, digging his claws in deep and scraping at him. It demanded to be released so it could chase off the crowd that surrounded them. It wanted to protect and care for its… Mate?
Mate.
That realization had a new tension thrumming through his body. There were too many people nearby, she was hurt, and she demanded that he care for her child. Her child. The feline inside him snarled at the thought that another had touched her, another had given her a cub. Any children she had would come from him.
Once again the lion made demands, encouraging him to dispose of the baby that wasn’t of his blood. The cat was ruthless and violent and it didn’t care they were half human. Didn’t give a fuck that humans didn’t kill the children of other males. It demanded Zane recognize that he was part lion as well and their kind destroyed any remnants of others.
He battled to keep the beast under control and snarled at the animal, shoving it to the back of his mind and tying it to the shadows. They had other issues to deal with at the moment.
Such as the fact their mate was quickly fading. As her head dropped to the ground, he slid his hand beneath her and kept her from harm. At the same moment, her grip slackened and the child almost fell as well.
“Zane, what’s up?” Oscar yelled, and several grunts followed the words as the massive lion pushed his way through the gathering.
“Take the baby.” He was quick to issue an order. “I’ve got the mother.”
The moment Oscar removed the child, Zane swung the woman into his arms. He fought to ignore the whimper and moans that followed the movement, the rush of moisture—her blood—that coated him.
Once again his lion attacked. This time it wasn’t demanding he get rid of the cub but was furious they’d caused their mate pain. There would be a lot more agony before all was said and done and that pissed it off even more. Not much he could do about it though. He recognized more than one bone had been broken when the truck had struck her, and the gouges and scrapes were still bleeding heavily.
He spun toward his SUV, ignoring the people who shouted at him, telling him to call an ambulance and not to move her. They didn’t understand. They didn’t realize at this point he needed to get her medical care and—for a shifter—that wasn’t necessarily at a hospital. They also didn’t understand that if they didn’t get the fuck away from him, he’d kill them all. This woman—the stranger—was his mate and they needed to back off.
Unfortunately the crowd still seemed intent on delaying him. Rather than pushing them aside or asking them nicely to get out of his way, he merely roared. Except there was no “merely” about it. He let his beast come forward, let it transform his vocal chords until a full-grown, enraged lion roar echoed off the buildings surrounding them. The acoustics amplified the sound until every human in the vicinity ducked and cowered beneath his rage.
Yes, every human hit the ground, but two males still stood. They were both large, towering above the trembling masses. Their gazes were intent on Zane, eyes hidden behind dark glasses, but he sensed their malice and barely banked rage. Then that focus shifted from him to Oscar and by extension the child. Their body language changed, fury transforming to near desperation.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the two males were the “them” and they were the ones who wanted the child—his mate’s child.
Not happening.
Zane pushed his way through the fearful crowd and went straight for his SUV. Oscar stood at its left, still cradling the small child and shooting him a look of pure confusion. He didn’t have time for explanations. Not that he knew anything worth sharing. What he did know was his mate needed care and the longer his fellow enforcer held the baby, the louder and more upset it became.
“Get in the back with the kid.”
“Wha—”
“I don’t have time to argue with you, Oscar. Get in the back with the baby. Be careful with it. I’m gonna strap her into the passenger seat and then we’re going to my place.” The pride doc could help her better than a hospital emergency room. Ignoring his friend, he stepped around the door that remained ajar, and carefully slid the woman onto the leather seat. He ignored the stains of blood swiped across the pale leather. He would have time to hate himself for injuring her later. Right now, he needed to remain focused on getting her help.
It took seconds to get his mate strapped in and then he stepped away to slam the door only to find Oscar still standing nearby. “What the fuck? Get in the fucking back.”
“Look, man, you need to tell me what the hell is going on.”
Zane’s lion leapt forward, bristling at the challenge to his authority, and suddenly his fangs were extended and bared at the male. His fingers and hands were now deadly paws and claws, and golden fur coated his arms. “Get. In the fucking. Car.” He noted movement over his friend’s shoulder and glared at those two males attempting to approach them from behind. “Now.”
“Zane—”
“I got my fucking mate bleeding in the front seat and that’s her kid. So listen to me, for fuck’s sake.” He really didn’t have time for this shit.
“All right, man. Why the fuck didn’t you say so?”
Zane was gonna kill the lion as soon as he was sure his mate was safe.
Oscar climbed into the back, carefully holding the little tike, and Zane glared at the two men who still stood nearby. That menacing air continued to surround them and he ached to wipe the floor with them. They wanted his mate’s kid? They’d have to go through him first.
There was nothing his lion hated more than big guys picking a fight with somebody smaller. It didn’t get any smaller than a baby. And as much as his lion disliked the idea that she’d been with someone else, it despised the prospect of those two goons getting their hands on the little one.
He shot a glare at the males and was gratified when they both tensed and twitched. Yeah, they were big and stron
g, but Zane was meaner.
It didn’t take him long to round the vehicle and slide behind the wheel. It took even less time to start the engine and throw it into gear. A single long press of his horn disbanded the gawking group, and then he was rolling down the streets once again.
Zane pressed a button on the steering wheel to initiate a call, and the moment it was answered, he barked out his orders. “I want the pride doc at my place in three minutes. I got a mom and cub in my car that need help. Tell him the mom has been hit by a car.”
“Zane?” There was no way to miss the Alpha Mate’s confusion. “What are you—”
He tried to be nice to her, he really did. He’d been running an anti-dick campaign since his beta, Brett, mated Jennifer. He’d been a dick to the lioness then and now he was trying to clean up his act. But fuck if he could be diplomatic now. “I have my mate in the passenger seat of my SUV and she’s bleeding everywhere, Penelope. Get the damn doctor to my apartment. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
“Why aren’t you taking her to the hospital?”
“With all due respect, Alpha Mate, get the doctor to my fucking apartment.” He pressed the button to end the call and focused on driving. If he took the shortcut and raced down 4th, he could shave ten seconds off his time. Since the doctor lived in the same high-rise as him and damn near the rest of the pride, he knew the male would be waiting for them when they arrived. So the quicker Zane got there, the quicker his still nameless mate would get help.
“Zane… Marcus isn’t going to be happy with you talking to his mate that way.” Oscar wasn’t lying.
The only thing he could do was hope the pride alpha saw Zane’s side and knew he’d been worried about his mate when he was so disrespectful to Penelope.
“Hold on.” He took the corner hard, ignoring the squeal of the tires as he whipped onto 16th.
The building was in sight and he pushed his way down the street, disregarding red lights as he raced down the road. He came to a screeching stop and vaulted from the SUV to race around the vehicle. Other pride members released shouts of surprise and more than one growled at his sudden appearance. Yeah, he pissed off a lotta people in general. Today was nothing new.