by Dana Archer
Did she? “I…I don’t know what I feel.”
He rolled her and carefully straddled her. With his large body propped above hers, she was reminded of what she had in bed with her—a dangerous predator, one who’d hurt her. She waited for the fear to rise. It didn’t. Lust did. With the heat in his eyes directed on her, she burned.
Never in her life had she experienced emotions as powerful as what Devin could stir within her. Sure, she’d felt desire before. If that had been all she felt with Devin, she could’ve ignored it.
What gripped her wasn’t a simple case of arousal. It was more—a complete fascination that could consume her. That scared her because she could see herself snuggled in bed with Devin forever. If he had been human, she’d embrace that fate. Shifters, though, were an entirely different breed, and their version of love equated ownership. Her ex-lovers taught her that aspect of shifter culture.
He parted his mouth slightly and dragged in a deep breath. A shudder racked his frame. He bent his head so his breath warmed her neck. “You tempt me. Do you know that?”
His voice reached inside her and ignited the fire that had been simmering since she woke. Awareness whipped through her to settle low in her belly. She didn’t understand what was wrong with her. She wanted to make love, hold him close, and run away from him all at the same time.
He brushed his lips over her cheek. “I want to take care of you, my ma…” He exhaled and energy skipped through her. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll give it to you.”
She linked her arms around his neck. “I don’t know what I need. That’s the truth.”
“But you know I can give it to you.”
“Yes, and I don’t understand why I feel so certain of that.”
He dragged his knuckles over the top of her breast, right over her heart. “I’m here. That’s why.”
Her breath rushed out. She covered his hand. “I don’t know you.”
“You will. For now, I want you to sleep.” He drew her against his body. “Let everything go and just let me hold you.”
She didn’t have time to sleep. She needed answers, both to what Devin’s intentions toward Molly truly were and to why Lena felt so out of sorts, as if her mind wasn’t quite right. She couldn’t help but think it had something to do with that drink Devin kept giving her. Maybe he was drugging her? No, that thought didn’t feel right. The more she tried to reach an answer, however, the more her ideas spun, swirling in her mind and leaving her dizzy.
How was she supposed to make any decisions on Devin’s trustworthiness when her mind felt so foggy? She didn’t have an answer to that. Sleep seemed the safer option at the moment. It beat the unsettling suspicion creeping into her head—Devin would be mistake number three, and one she’d never escape.
Because she’d throw herself at him and beg him to keep her.
To want her.
Chapter 8
Devin brushed a lock of Lena’s hair from her cheek and gently kissed her closed eyelids. With his forehead pressed to hers, he tamped down his lust. He’d never wanted to join his body with a female as much as he did with Lena.
The knock on the door tore his thoughts away from Lena and tensed his body. Kade was the only other male in the house at the moment. Xander was wandering the nearby towns looking for Molly, and Devin didn’t want his pride leader anywhere near Lena.
The door opened, and Kade leaned against the doorjamb. “We need to talk.”
Devin brushed his lips over Lena’s cheek, then sat up, pulling the blanket over her body. “About what?”
“Let’s see…about Molly for starters. We still have no idea where she is. There was a report filed describing a confrontation between a young woman and a robber whose description meets the lion shifter from yesterday morning. According to witnesses, they struggled, and a gun went off. The female grabbed a little girl and ran before the cops arrived.”
Devin’s chest tightened. He glanced at the locket sitting on the nightstand and cursed as the text message he’d read took on new meaning. Gwen had shot the shifter Kade had beaten up the day before.
“Did they find the weapon?”
“No. One witness said they saw the woman holding it, the other claiming the robber had it, but since he also took off before the paramedics could assess his injuries, there’s no evidence. Xander’s looking for her, but it’s as if Gwen disappeared.”
“Was he able to pick up Molly’s scent?”
“No. He didn’t even smell the male lion. Too much time had passed.”
“Did the witnesses describe the little girl?”
“White-blonde hair, adorable cherub face, and pale-blue eyes. Fits Molly’s description.” Kade sighed. “You’ve got to get Lena to talk. I’m worried for them. That other lion has Gwen’s scent, and if she’s not covering it up, and I didn’t kill him…”
Devin glanced at Lena. She appeared so delicate asleep yet had a core of steel. “If Gwen is anything like her sister, she’ll be fine until we can find her.”
“And if Gwen decides to sacrifice herself too? You never did find out the details of their Plan B or who this Vader is. We need to find them. The sooner, the better.”
“Agreed. I’ll wake Lena in a few minutes and see if I can’t get her to talk.”
Talk.
She had wanted to talk, but he convinced her to sleep.
He grabbed the phone and turned it on. Verna’s voice filled the line as she discussed mushrooms with someone. Pressing redial wouldn’t do him any good. Devin hit the end button and dropped the phone on the nightstand.
He met Kade’s gaze. “She did say she called her sister, and they were safe.”
“I don’t suppose—”
“No, I didn’t get Gwen’s number. I got distracted.”
“I’m surprised you got that much info from her.”
“Let it alone. I almost lost her last night. I needed the reassurance of her touch as much as she needed mine.”
Kade dipped his head in acknowledgment but didn’t say anything else. He also didn’t leave.
“What else is bugging you?”
“Mira has called three times wondering what’s wrong with you.”
“Stupid twin bond.”
“She senses your anxiety. I keep blowing her off, but this last time she asked me point-blank if it had to do with a woman.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. I pretended you were calling for me and hung up.”
Shaking his head, Devin fought his amusement and failed. His chuckle shook his chest, stirring Lena.
“Devin.” She reached for him and dug her nails into his arm.
“And that’s my cue. Remember what I said, Devin. Time is of the essence.”
The door clicked closed.
Devin covered her hands and brushed his lips to her jaw. “Hey, beautiful, I was wondering how long you were going to sleep on me.”
Eyes squeezed shut and nose scrunched, she squirmed, stretching her limbs and looking unbelievably adorable. And hot. Odd that she could pull off both without trying. Many women made an attempt to fit in to a role they wanted the world to see, especially in the presence of a man.
Lena’s barely awake state meant her mannerisms were genuine. That fascinated him. She was either extremely comfortable in her own skin or didn’t care what other people thought.
Or felt at ease in her mate’s presence.
He wanted that, for her to respond naturally to him, knowing she was safe and desired.
“Sleep?” She groaned. “I don’t have time to sleep.”
“Your body needs it. You’re still recovering.”
“You’re right, but I have responsibilities. I shouldn’t let myself be swayed by confusing emotions or some silly need to sleep in your arms.” She scooted across the bed and gingerly sat up, then glanced over her shoulder. “Let’s talk about Molly like we should’ve in the first place.”
“We will, but this”—he laid his palm over her heart—�
�won’t go away.”
“I have no idea what you’re trying to imply, but there is nothing between us except some crazy attraction. It’s understandable.” She shrugged off his touch and stood, then smoothed her hand over her wrinkled clothes. “I’ve been sleeping in your arms.”
“And I’ve enjoyed holding you.” He went to her and brushed his fingertips over her arm, needing to touch her. “I wish it had been under better circumstances.”
“Well, like I said yesterday, I don’t do relationships, and I certainly don’t cuddle.”
And his pride’s goddess probably knew that about Lena, just as his goddess understood he wouldn’t have gotten to know Lena had they not been thrown together.
He twined their fingers. He enjoyed holding her hand and feeling the connection between them. It grew every minute. Or maybe that was his possessiveness, but either way, it felt right. “You’ll need to reconsider your stance where I’m concerned.”
Lena didn’t shake off his touch this time. She stared at their joined hands. “And why is that?”
Because they were mated, and he wanted to earn her love. He wanted to soul-bond to her. Marry her. Lock her to his side any way he could. Worship the ground she walked on.
He was a fool for yearning to gain her acceptance. Once she learned about his many failures, she’d laugh in his face, then walk away. No matter how many times he’d reminded himself of the truth, he couldn’t stop the craving. The hope.
“Because I’m drawn to you.” He pressed his thumb into her palm. “And I like how you look in my arms.”
She parted her lips on a sigh and swayed toward him. He bent so they were left staring into each other’s eyes from inches away. Need darkened her brown orbs. There was desire in her gaze but that wasn’t all he saw. She felt their connection. He was sure of it.
Lena licked her lips. “Maybe that’s because you’ve held me so long.”
“Could be. Doesn’t matter. I know what I want.” He caught her lower lip between his teeth and nibbled on it. “To explore this connection between us. See where it takes us. Discover the pleasure we can give each other.”
“The only thing I want to think about now is Molly. Not me. Not you. Not us.”
“And when Molly is safe, then what? Are you going to pretend you never met me? Ignore this thing between us?”
“I’m going to…” She rubbed a hand against her chest, right over her heart. “It’s not going to influence me.”
“But you’re going to remember me. How it felt to be in my arms.”
“Of course I’ll remember you.”
“And yearn for me.” He rested his hand at her lower back and drew her closer, so their bodies touched. “For how I can make you feel.”
She curled her fingers around the back of his neck and held him still while she pressed her lips to his ear. “You’re doing it again.”
He moved his hand to her bottom, smoothing his palm over her firm butt cheeks. “Doing what.”
“Distracting us.”
Us.
The single word soothed him when he hadn’t realized he’d allowed anxiety to tense him. “Am I now?”
“Yes. We need to talk about what happened yesterday with Molly, not what we’ve done since.”
“You’re right.” He lifted her and urged her to wrap her legs around his waist. She did and linked her hands at the back of his neck. “What happened then? Tell me.”
She studied him, eye to eye. Dominant to Dominant. Seeing the strength in her gaze made him respect her more. Many humans instinctually feared him, sensing the crazed predator. Not Lena. She treated him as her equal.
Finally, she nodded. His breath escaped 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, Janet, talking with”—she cracked her jaw—“a man who used to work with my stepdad, about Molly’s unusual…skills and how important it’d be to study them more closely.”
A look of rage settled over Lena’s features. “Janet didn’t say anything incriminating, but Mom’s instincts kicked in. She called me, asking if Gwen and I could take Molly for the day while my stepdad investigated.”
“You were too late.”
“No, and that’s the thing.” She looked imploringly at him. “We stood there talking about Molly. Then everything went downhill. If we’d left with Molly as soon as we got there, none of this would’ve happened.”
“You can’t blame yourself. You didn’t know there was a threat.”
“I should’ve.”
“And why do you think that? If your mother didn’t overhear anything, you had no reason to suspect those males were coming.”
She shook her head. “Molly told us we needed to go. I said we would in a few minutes.”
He sighed. Molly must’ve sensed the approaching danger. “But they showed up before you could.”
“Yes. Once we learned why they were there, my stepdad grabbed a gun and shot one of the lion shifters, and my mom started beating another one with a frying pan when he reached for Molly.”
Silence descended while she blinked rapidly.
“Tough woman,” he said to fill the void.
Lena gave him a watery smile. “She was, but it only succeeded in angering him. He turned on her and while he…” She cleared her throat. “While he attacked her, I used the distraction to grab Molly and run, but they cornered us in the kitchen. He said I could go with him or die like my parents did.”
“Where was Gwen?”
“While I was talking to my parents, she went up to Molly’s room to pack some things for her. They didn’t know she was in the house.”
“And that’s when I showed up.”
She nodded.
“Why did you run from me?”
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 special. 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 Molly.”
“It doesn’t matter now. I made a decision and sent them off, but my sisters need me. I can’t protect them from here. Don’t you understand? I need to go to them.”
Without him. That was what she was getting at.
“And how exactly are you going to protect them? Sure, you can hide. But for how long? That other lion has Gwen’s scent. He’ll use it to track her down. Wolves aren’t the only ones who can follow a scent trail.”
“I understand that. I’ll figure out a way to protect them both.”
No. They would figure out a way.
“His pride is known for their cruelty to women—humans and shifters alike. You don’t want to know what he’d do to Gwen 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, and he’ll punish her for running from him.”
Lena’s eyes widened, the only response she gave him.
“And what about Molly? Do you think the Krisban pride is going to give up on her? Female white lions breed pure, no matter what the coloring of her mate. If their alpha wants his grandkids to be white cubs, he’ll keep coming after Molly until he gets her.”
“I have to be careful who I turn to for help.”
“You can trust me. I’m a field liaison with Shifter Affairs.” And if the human government learned of what he had done to Lena, he could kiss his role goodbye. Colonel Malory might’ve vouched for him before, using his position to override the Shifter Council’s warnings about Devin’s mental state, but nothing the human said would save Devin from the consequences of his own actions.
“I’m n
ot involving them.” Lena shook her head. “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. “Okay, I won’t, but you didn’t answer me. Do you trust me?”
“I want to. I really do, but I can’t. Not yet.” Lena looked imploringly at him. “I need more than just your word.”
Oh yeah, he had a long way to go to winning her over, where Molly was concerned and in respect to any future he might have with Lena.
“Would it help to talk to Molly’s twin?”
Her eyes widened. “She’s alive?”
Obviously, Lena knew about Megan. That stoked his curiosity, considering Megan had kept the knowledge of her twin a secret, but he filed the info away to discuss with her later.
“And safe.” Devin 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 girls’ 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 at Lena and saw hope bloom in her eyes. She wanted to believe him. He was glad he could follow through with his 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 human to trust him.
Glancing at his little mate sent his pulse racing, a response Devin had never had around a female unless they were in bed. 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. Keep me in the loop.”
“Will do.” Devin ended the call.
Before he could dial Jazz’s number, the phone he held rang. He groaned at the sight of the name displayed on the screen.