“Afraid, my friend. Be very afraid.”
“Hey!” Kitty huffed, tossing the rag she was using at Mason’s head.
Mason ignored Kitty’s indignant remark. “This way. I’ll get the shirt from my office and we’ll take a run.”
“Actually, I just went through the woods and followed their trail to some tire tracks. This was something that was likely planned to some extent.” Jag took a moment to think things through with as much of an open mind as he could, trying to come up with a reason for them to target Lynn. “The only thing I can figure, is maybe it’s because she’s had so much contact with our kind. Her best friend is the Prima. Liam stays with her during the day, while I patrol her land at night.”
“But I thought you were her mate?”
“I am, but she’s only recently forgiven me for something I did, so we’re just starting our relationship…I hope.”
Mason grinned, his onyx eyes crinkling a bit at the sides. “Look at it this way, at least, you’re getting a lot of the drama out of the way early.”
Jag and Mason talked about the attack and the tracks in the woods at length then decided the best route would be to wait for the bear shifters to return. As much as he’d like to hunt them all down, Jag didn’t want to risk leaving Lynn open to an attack either.
He remembered all too well how the rogues had ambushed the house before. Now, he had to find a way to keep her out of harm’s way, but unfortunately, her job created a problem. Being surrounded by full-humans would do little to deter the shifters targeting them. However, since she’d just taken so much time off, he wasn’t sure she’d agree to more.
* * * *
Lynn was both flattered and a little concerned when Liam informed her of the lion females waiting in her lobby. It would seem she wasn’t the only one getting the creepy vibe from the shifter physician, Dr. Lewis. It wasn’t that she disliked him but more that his looks put her off, his crazy white eyes being the main thing. She felt bad, since it was something he had no control over, though he could definitely work on his abrupt manner. Now that the whole Pride knew Lynn had followed their Prima’s pregnancy along with their own physician, the expectant shifters wanted a woman to see them too.
Their mates had been equally excited when she’d agreed to take them on as patients, but Lynn had explained it had to be done back at the Pride clinic. There was no way to see them at her office and keep the secret of their short gestation periods.
Liam had told them all to call the clinic and set up times for that Saturday. Then he’d gone into her office to make the necessary calls that would allow Lynn to see patients at the Pride’s facility.
Dylan had agreed to it, but with the stipulation that she be armed with silver in case of an attack. The males were not allowed to remain in the delivery room if they became agitated, as was known to happen when their mates were in extreme pain. He wanted to ensure no harm came to Lynn. The fact that Sam would probably never forgive him if something were to happen to her friend likely played a major part in his rule making.
As Lynn finished signing off her last chart and closed down her computer for the day, she realized Jag still wasn’t there. “Do you know how long Jag will be?” she asked Liam. “I’m beat and ready to head home now.”
Sitting patiently on the small sofa in her office, Liam raised his head, sniffed then replied, “He’s out in the hall. I’m guessing the office staff locked the door when they left.”
“Just so you know, that’s pretty creepy. Handy but creepy.”
“Don’t be hatin’, honey. It just means it’s damn near impossible to sneak a fart around us.” Liam had been cracking jokes, doing his best to keep her laughing all afternoon and had succeeded, but Lynn had a feeling he was distracting from something.
“You still don’t want to tell me what Jag’s been doing this whole time?” She figured she’d give him one last chance to ‘fess up, but when he only shook his head, she knew he wouldn’t budge. “Are all lions this stubborn, or is there some mule blood further back in your family?”
“Hey now, as much as my aunt used to call my uncle a jackass, I’m pretty sure he was one-hundred-percent lion.”
With a snort of laughter, Lynn waved him from her office before locking the door then leading him down the hall to the employee entrance. He stepped ahead of her and held open the door. “Do you need to lock this one, too?”
“No, it’s always locked. You can get out, but nobody can get in without their badge,” Lynn replied, pointing to the scanner next to the door. “Speaking of which, I must have left mine in my car. I’ll have to be sure to put it back in my purse when I get home.”
Liam frowned, but when Jag swaggered down the hall, his arms open and waiting, Lynn didn’t give it another thought. She took the few steps necessary to have those muscled limbs wrapped snugly around her and took a deep breath, enjoying the masculine smell that clung to her man.
“How was your day, beautiful?” he whispered into her hair as she felt him take whiff of her, too. “You ready to go home?”
“Absolutely. I think being off for the last few weeks has been both a blessing and a curse. I’m so far behind on charts, it’s ridiculous, but it allowed me to recharge, too.” Going up on her tiptoes, Lynn planted a kiss on his full lips before grabbing his hand and leading them back to the elevator. “I’m starving. We need to grab some dinner, because I don’t think I’ll last long enough to cook anything.”
Her stomach chose that moment to issue its own complaint, causing both men to smile at her. “Darlin’, are you sure there’s no shifter genes in your family, because that was one healthy growl,” Liam teased.
“I wouldn’t know if there were any on my father’s side or not, because I never knew the man, but if my belly is the only thing growling, I think it’s pretty safe to say no.”
They stepped from the elevator and continued on to the parking garage, where Lynn paused, seeking out her SUV. “It’s back in Pride territory, Lynn.” Jag took her chin in his hand and turned her to face him. “I want to explain this all to you when we get to your house and not while driving home. Can you agree to that?”
His gaze contradicted his words. He’d asked her a question, but his eyes demanded concession. Lynn hadn’t seen much of this dominant side, but then again, after he’d put her over his shoulder that time, she should have known. It didn’t bother her nearly as much as she would have thought. She knew he had her best interests at heart, so she gave a nod and was rewarded with his panty-melting smile.
“Great, let’s get you fed and home.”
They decided on Chinese takeout then proceeded to devour an obscene amount of food before deciding to bring her up to speed on what was going on with her car. After moving into the living room where they could be more comfortable, Lynn took a seat on the sofa and watched as Jag paced and Liam plopped down in her recliner.
She figured her tires had been slashed or maybe the vehicle had been keyed. After all, she’d left it parked in the corner of a bar parking lot all night and day, so anything was possible. “Okay, so let’s have it. What happened to my car? Was it vandalized?”
“Yes,” Liam answered but clearly didn’t plan to elaborate.
“So what? My tires are flat and the paint is ruined?”
“Yup, and a few other things. We can have you on a fresh set of wheels soon though, so no worries.”
Jag growled, “Liam.”
It was a rather testy response, but she’d sensed the tension in him while they were driving. Whatever had happened really bothered Jag, and that had her worried.
“Lynn, there’s more to it than that. The only way to get a ‘fresh set of wheels’ for you would be if they came on a new car. Yours is a total loss. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
Glancing back and forth between them, she saw the sympathetic expression on Liam’s face, while Jag’s still held concern. “What aren’t you saying? What happened? Did they set the damn thing on fire or something?” How the hell coul
d they total an SUV in an act of vandalism?
Sighing, Jag sat beside her, his arms going around her waist and pulling her into his lap. “You’re aware of the shifters who don’t care for humans?” When she nodded, he continued. “Well, it would seem a few found your car and took it upon themselves to basically destroy it.”
“Why do they hate us? What happened to them to make them this way?” She’d done nothing to deserve their wrath, and now, her poor car was kaput. Imagining the extent of the damage totaling her SUV, Lynn shuddered, and Jag held her tighter. “Do you think they would have hurt me if I’d been out there when they were?”
His silence was enough of a reply for her. Likely, they would have seriously injured, if not killed, her. She knew how crazy strong they were, and she wasn’t delusional by any means. There was no way for her to fight off a shifter on her own.
“Kitty tried to stop them,” Jag said. Lynn’s head snapped up, searching his face for an answer to the question she couldn’t bring herself to voice. “She’s okay, but they did a number on her. One of the bears had his claws tipped in silver, and the slashes from those will take awhile to heal, not to mention the scars they’ll leave.”
“What the fuck!” Liam exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. “When the hell did you find this out?”
Jag remained calm and collected, with her in his lap, as he regarded Liam. “When I spoke to Mason. Kitty was down in the bar, messing around behind the counter. I saw the bandages and inquired about her injuries. She didn’t appear to be healing as quickly as is normal, so I was curious.”
“Healing? So I didn’t imagine all of that last night? She really is a shifter like you?” Lynn asked.
“Yes, as is Mason. She’s tiger and something we can’t identify, but since she won’t shift, there’s no telling. Mason, on the other hand, is a polar/grizzly hybrid.”
Lynn’s head hurt. Was anyone she knew, other than Sam, a human? She understood there were lions, jaguars, tigers and bears, but she had to ask, “What other kinds of shifters are there? Bunnies? Unicorns?”
Liam snorted behind his hand, his cheeks turning red as he struggled to contain his laughter. “Think predators, darlin’. Wolves, bears, hyenas, pumas, jaguars, lions, leopards, tigers, honey badgers… You know, things like that.”
“Wait, honey badgers?” Now, he was making fun of her.
“Yeah, they’re mean bastards too. Steer clear of them if you ever come across one. They don’t usually come around other shifters though.” Liam shrugged then walked back into the kitchen, probably in search of more chow mien.
“How are you doing so far?” Jag asked.
“So far? You mean there’s more?” Of course, there was more. How could she think things would end with some vandalism and a parking lot fight? Oh and her friend being a shifter too? Despite the growing throb behind her eyes, Lynn still gave him a nod to continue.
“There were threats carved into your car, too. It’s the reason Liam stayed at the office this afternoon. I went back to search out their trail, but it went cold when I came across some tire tracks. This makes me think the attack was planned. Any one of those bears could have seen you inside and picked up Liam’s or my scent on you, from us being in and around your home for so many weeks.” His big hand rubbed circles on her back, and Lynn leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as he comforted her. “I’ll keep you safe, Lynn. Believe me when I say, I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from harm.”
“We’re worried for your safety, Lynn,” Liam cut in, stepping back into the room. “One of us will be with you at all times now, even at work. I’d prefer it if we could remain in your office, so we’ll be close at hand if anything should happen.”
“Happen? So you don’t think this is a one-time deal? They’ll come back?” Shit, she thought, hearing the quavering of her voice, what have I gotten myself into?
“Since one of the things scratched into the car said they’d ‘find you’, yeah, I’d say that’s a safe bet.” At least, Liam wasn’t sugarcoating anything. “Dylan’s aware of everything and will have silver rounds for your gun delivered by tomorrow. It’s a precaution,” he quickly added, no doubt seeing the shocked look on her face.
“That’s a hell of a precaution.” Lynn inhaled deep, holding it in for a moment in an attempt to calm her racing heart. Somehow, she’d managed to become a target, and she wasn’t sure why. Until less than twenty-four hours ago, she wasn’t romantically involved with a shifter as her friend Samantha had been when they’d come after her. However, with the amount of time Liam and Jag had spent around her, she could see where the rogues may have misunderstood the situation.
Blowing out the breath she’d been holding, she turned to Jag. “I know we’re just starting out now, but I’d feel better if you stayed here. I don’t like the idea of you being so far out at your cave.”
“You’re worried about me?” Jag appeared pleased by her concern. She had to admit, she’d been a mess when he’d gone missing after the first attack. She couldn’t handle the thought of actually losing him if these rogues got their way.
Giving a small grin, she replied, “Maybe a little.”
“I can smell your fear, Lynn, and while I love that you’re concerned for me, I don’t want you to be a constant nervous wreck either.” He reached up, tracing her jaw with his fingertip in a most tender way. Those icy-blue eyes of his darkened a bit, reminding her of a clear summer day. “Why don’t you take a hot bath while Liam and I clean up dinner? You’ve got a lot of tension in your shoulders, and there’s nothing any of us can do right now. Just trust us to keep things under control for you. Okay?”
The clock on the mantel showed the time to be after eight already, and Lynn knew she’d never get to sleep as wound up as she was right then. “I think I’ll bring some wine with me. It’ll help me to relax some, otherwise, I’ll never get to bed tonight.”
“Oh, you’ll get to bed,” Liam chuckled as he ducked into the kitchen.
Frowning, Lynn moved to stand, but Jag’s arm tightened around her waist. “Yes?”
Jag simply pulled her closer, tucking her shoulder beneath his arm, her head on his chest, as he cradled her there. “I was really messed up when I saw what happened to your SUV,” he whispered. “I just need to hold you a little longer.”
Lynn was surprised by his vulnerability, even as warmth spread through her lower belly. “I’d like that, too. How about I take a bath then you can hold me until I fall asleep? I slept so well last night with you here. Thank you.”
“Any time, beautiful. So, I assume I kept your nightmares away?” The soft, soothing sound of his voice, combined with the warmth from his body was doing wonders for Lynn’s stress levels. She felt her muscles relaxing one by one as she sank into his embrace. “I don’t know how else to explain it, other than I feel safe when I’m with you.”
He stiffened beneath her and Lynn looked up to see a pained expression on his handsome face.
“Am I too heavy?”
“Not at all. I was just thinking about the clinic.”
That was all he needed to say. “I’m so glad you were there.”
“I didn’t do anything, Lynn. You took care of the guy before I could get a clear shot.”
She heard the self-loathing creeping into his voice. The man thought he hadn’t done anything? “Uh, don’t you recall breaking his neck? It’s the last thing I remember. If he’d somehow managed to wake up again, I may have ended up dead.”
Jag’s shoulders slumped. “He was already dead, Lynn. Whatever you injected went straight into his heart. I just wanted to be sure he wasn’t getting up again, and I needed to expel some of my aggression.”
“Oh, I’m not complaining in the least. I wish I was strong enough to do that myself, but I guess that’s why I carry a gun. I’m thinking about a taser, too, but haven’t ordered one yet.”
“I like that about you. You’re a fighter and have more bravery than some men twice your size.” Once a
gain, he caressed her face. “I’ll always worry about you, but it’s my nature. I promise to do my best not to smother you.”
“Just be yourself, Jag. Don’t try to change into someone you think I want. Trust me, I’ve tried it before, and I eventually grew to resent the guy.” A deep rumble came from Jag’s chest, and Lynn swore it was a growl. “It was a long time ago, but it made me realized if a man doesn’t love me for me, he doesn’t deserve me.” Smiling, she added. “Don’t ask me how much psychobabble-bullshit I had to endure to realize this, but there it is.”
He chuckled, which had been her intention. “I think I can handle that.”
Liam bellowed from the kitchen about being left to do all the work, and Lynn made to go for her bath.
“I’ll come tuck you in soon,” Jag whispered, allowing her to stand.
It turned out Liam had a glass of wine waiting on the table for her, and Lynn took it with her to the bathroom. As she prepared the water, putting in a liberal amount of bubble bath, she thought about Kitty. If her friend was a shifter and had been injured that badly during her skirmish with these rogues, what chance did Lynn stand of surviving against them?
Reclining back in the near-scalding water, Lynn sipped her wine and felt her body relax much quicker than she would have thought. In all reality, after last night, her workday then the news she’d gotten afterward, it was no wonder she was exhausted. What surprised her most was being able to sit here, enjoying her soak while knowing there was a threat against her, one that had already affected her friends. It spoke volumes as to just how safe she felt with Jag watching over her. Had there ever been anyone else who’d made her feel like this?
Lynn knew that she wasn’t one-hundred-percent safe, but knowing there were two men, both capable of sniffing out the opposition before they even reached her, was much better than anything she could have done on her own. The silver bullets would boost her confidence too, with the knowledge she could do damage—maybe even permanently—to those who aimed to hurt her.
Guarding His Heart Page 9