by Kyle, Celia
Swallowing her whimper, Honor eased away from the Sensitive. It’d take hardly any effort for Maddy to slide into her head, to ferret out secrets and use them to control her. One touch from the woman would become two would then turn into Honor doing the woman’s bidding. Submission. Degradation. Guilt. Pain.
With a shake of her head, she continued to inch away. She knew the futility of the move. A Sensitive needed a line of sight, nothing more. If she stayed within Maddy’s vision, she could be captured. Taken.
“Honor?”
“No. Stay away.” She held out a hand, urging the lioness to keep back. The cat snarled in agreement, its claws waiting for the chance to burst free and attack the Sensitive before it could harm them.
Honor couldn’t allow that to happen either. Deep in her heart she knew Maddy wasn’t evil, wasn’t the type to abuse her gift. Yet a kernel of doubt remained.
“Sweetheart, nothing’s—”
“I mean it.” The outstretched hand transformed to a paw, the shift subconscious instead of intentional.
“Honor.” The word was snapped, filled with power and anger. And feminine. Maya. The Prima.
“You can’t let her, Prima. Don’t let her.” Trembles overtook her, the fear manifesting and overcoming her desire to remain calm. Well, as calm as she could.
“She won’t do anything.” Delicate yet strong hands came to rest on her shoulders. “Maddy won’t hurt you. You also know she’d never use her power against you.” Maya’s thumbs dug into her shoulders, massaging away some of the tension. “She cares for you as a friend.” The hold moved to Honor’s neck, one hand gripping the nape and squeezing gently. “You know that.”
Honor did know. The panic didn’t, though. The panic remembered a slight woman, thin and sad, but she did her Prime’s bidding. She followed the son’s orders. She tore and dug and pushed and made her…
The cage. Say yes…
“Honor?” The Prima’s free hand brushed Honor’s arm, sliding from her shoulder and on to her wrist. Those delicate fingers lined up with her paw. “Let it go.”
“Prima?” Her voice shook, the word tremulous.
“You know the truth.”
She did. She remembered Maddy, remembered her when she was timid and unsure. Remembered when she’d changed and became so strong, so fierce like the Prima.
Badass lessons.
Honor needed them. She used to be that way, but then she went to London, she met Angus, and she went through her first heat, her first Gaian Moon. Life had fallen apart after that.
“I do.”
“So we’re not going to tear Maddy into itty-bitty pieces. Because, I’ll be honest, you’re younger, but she’s got you beat in the big-assed-balls department.”
That brought a small smile to Honor’s lips, banishing the remainders of her fear. “Mine are pretty big. Or, at least, Grayson’s are.”
“I dunno. We may have to have them stand side-by-side so we can compare.” Maddy grinned and winked.
Honor’s cat didn’t like the gleam in the woman’s eyes. “Mine,” she snarled and immediately apologized. “God, I’m sorry.”
Maya released her and stepped away, patting her on the back. “That kind of reaction we’re used to. As soon as you two mate, you won’t feel like gutting every woman who looks at him.”
She looked to Maddy for confirmation and the Sensitive gave her a half smile. “Well, eventually. I’ve had Ricker wrapped around my finger for a while so I’m not as possessive. Plus, you know, I’d gut any woman who got close enough to sniff his ass. The pride females know that.”
The Prima snorted. “Hell yeah they do.”
Honor’s gaze slid from one woman to the other. “I’m missing something.”
“Well, the Mastin sisters eventually got over their fear of, well, everyone and left the house. Their first step toward freedom included attempting to latch onto the most powerful male. Alex was first on their list.
“I,” Maya sauntered to the bed and plopped down, “threatened to turn their tails into a matching necklace and belt. I thought there might be some left for a headband, but Carly told me headbands were out this year.”
“Which, they are.” The new voice had Honor turning and focusing on the doorway, cat prepared to defend.
Except… It was Carly. Carly the rabbit, lover of dandelions, and mate to the lion Neal. She couldn’t dig into Honor’s head. Safe.
“Yeah, yeah.” Maya’s voice was dismissive, as if threatening to kill two lionesses and turn them into clothing was normal. Then again, if some of the stories her family shared in the last four years were true, it was normal.
The Prima was scary. Scary awesomesauce according to Honor’s younger sister, Emma.
“Why is there a line to get into Honor’s room? Is there some sort of list like a nightclub? Do we need to bribe a bouncer?” Apparently, Tess came as well. Harding hated letting his mate out of his sight, so he had to be hanging around, too.
“Or bring a gun? Deuce wouldn’t let me carry today. He said pregnant women were dangerous. Me more so than most. Party pooper. Plus, I’m not even that pregnant.” Elly’s words immediately followed Tess’s. Which meant Deuce was somewhere in the pride house.
Woman after woman filed into Honor’s room. Carly then Tess, followed by Elly and Millie.
She gasped when the last woman entered. “Uh, Maya?”
The Prima looked to her, eyebrows raised. “Hmm?” Then she followed Honor’s gaze. “Oh! No, Millie isn’t dangerous anymore. Well, only a little. She hasn’t hurt anyone in forever. No blown up heads.”
“If you count two days ago forever,” Maddy mumbled.
“The man grabbed my ass,” Millie snapped. “Besides, he still has his head. I only made him cry a little.”
Carly shook her head. “Big-assed biker was rolling on the ground and crying for his mommy.” Then the rabbit grinned. “It was kinda fun though.”
Finally, a lone, timid voice filled Honor’s ears. “Can I come in?”
Elise. Her brother’s mate. Her brother’s Sensitive mate and she was in the room and if they were at the pride house the rest of her family wasn’t far behind. Elise wasn’t as strong as other lionesses. Elise would crack under the pressure of her family’s desire to know more. She’d dig and reveal…
A panic attack overtook her, barreling into her chest without a warning and she fought for breath. Her heart raced, seeming to fight for release, pushing against her rib cage and demanding to be set free. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, using them as small highways to deliver the hormone to her entire body.
A warm hand stroked her, then another, both gentle as they touched her skin.
“Easy.”
“Stay calm. It’s okay.”
Something ethereal, soothing and ghostly, entered her mind. She had to hand it to them. They had a much more delicate touch than Bianca in London. They were comforting rather than aggressive and dominating. They were gentle where she was a battering ram bathed in a sticky cloud. Maybe that was why she’d fought so hard, screamed and clawed and demanded to be set free.
She was stronger than that bitch.
She’d be stronger than these two as well. Just not quite so deadly.
Honor tore from their soft grasp, ripping out of their gentle embrace. She stepped back, hands shifting in a split second. Another thing she’d taught herself. Speed. No sense in shifting into a more powerful body if it took sixty seconds. Even that was too long when a cat rushed a person.
“Stay back.” She released a long hiss followed by low, deep growl. The cat pushed forward, raging at Maddy and Millie’s actions.
Everyone in the room froze. Everyone but Maya. The Prima’s eyes blazed amber, anger and pity warring across her features. Honor preferred the anger. She didn’t need anyone’s pity.
“Honor,” the Prima snapped. “We just did this. I’m really not into déjà vu.”
“Stay—”
“It’s like masturbation.”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “You do it over and over again, but it’s the same thing every time. Ugh. It’s so much better with a partner. Especially if they’re creative.” Maya held out her hand. “So, c’mon and have sex—” She stopped and frowned. “I don’t think that analogy was the right one. I wanna say come have sex with us, but ew, I love you all, but I don’t love you all. I mean, everything would be all sticky and what the hell am I gonna do with all those vaginas? Really, you only need one. I’m pretty attached to mine.” She waved her hands around. “We’re pushing masturbation off the table. I’ll think of another analogy later and it’ll be awesome. For now, quit being bitchy. Maddy and Millie are sorry already and no one else will go in your head for any reason.” The last statement was said as she glared at the others in the room.
“Ahem, so, come eat ice cream with us. The guys are out doing their sniffing-guardy thing to make sure Earl of Suckass hasn’t gotten on the property. That leaves us with time for girl talk and Carly told me about this kick-ass position where Neal bends and—”
“Earl of Suckass? On the property?”
Maya tilted her head. “Yeah, Stone called Alex. Something about the Angus guy is probably on his way here. Yada yada… He rallied the troops.”
Angus. Angus. Angus.
He really had followed her, hadn’t he? And Alex got a call this morning like… Grayson.
No, her mate wouldn’t have kept something like this from her. She hadn’t revealed everything about her time in London, but she’d said enough to stress the fact the London pride was crazy as hell and dangerous. Very, very dangerous.
“Did Stone call Grayson, too?” She wasn’t sure how she got the words out past the pain inside her.
“Of course he did. He knows Grayson is your…” Maya’s blue eyes widened and slowly shifted to gold. “He didn’t tell you.”
Honor shook her head.
“That ass-sniffing, butt-crack-licking, litter-box-using fuckhole.”
Seven years after Maya became the pride’s Prima and Honor still loved that curse.
She wished it wasn’t needed.
Movement near the tree line had her attention shifting from the arguing women and to the lions slowly emerging from the forest. Grayson and Ricker.
Maddy had been wrong, Grayson’s balls really were bigger. She’d know exactly how big once she ripped them from his body.
She didn’t mind being treated with kid gloves, she even understood it, but she refused to be left in the dark when it came to Angus. With that male, it was kill or be killed.
Honor hoped her claws were sharp enough when the time came.
71
“The best revenge is moving on with your life. Just be sure to do a little maiming when no one is looking, then you can totally move on. People will think you’re the bigger person.” — Maya O’Connell, Prima of the Ridgeville Pride. You totally didn’t see her punch that jerk in the nose, did you? Hah! Her ninja skills are back.
The scent of anger, rage, bowled over Grayson before his foot even touched the porch’s bottom stair. It stung his nose, the flavors of burnt wood and crackling heat filling his body.
“Shit.” Grayson hated it when the women got together. Someone always ended up angry and he was usually the one drafted into acting as referee. Even Alex steered clear of the mob of women when their fur stood on end.
Beside him, Ricker chuckled.
“What the hell are you laughing at?” he snarled at the male. Asshole was probably glad he didn’t have to wade into the mess.
“Because they’re pissed, Maddy is furious, but it’s not at me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”
The tiger grinned. “When it’s me, the anger has a hint of need in there, too. My mate gets hot when she’s mad at me.” Ricker shook his head. “No, I’m pretty sure this is all about you.”
“Why?”
He tilted his head to the right and Grayson followed his gaze to find… a violent glare pointed in his direction.
“Ten will get you twenty that one of them told her about the London lion.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, you’re not getting that, but I’m pretty sure I am.”
Asshole tiger. Grayson should have invested in that gun he’d eyed when they added the male to the pride. It was supposed to be the “just in case” weapon. “Just in case” Ricker was an asshole tiger and pulled some dick move. See? Now was the perfect time to use it and he was gunless.
Ricker approached the door and it swung open enough for a small hand to snare his shirt and tug him in. Then it immediately slammed shut.
Seriously?
Grayson made the same approach, but nothing happened. No opening of doors, no quick snatches. No, he was left to rot on the front porch. He rapped the door with his knuckles.
“Sorry, no one’s home. Come again later,” Maya yelled through the wood.
“Maya,” he began.
“Prima. And she’s not here. Leave a message after the tone. Beeeeep.”
He sighed and played along. It was the only way to get closer to what he wanted. Ignoring her games did not go well. For anyone. “Hello, Prima, this is Grayson. It’d be really great to come into the house since it’s where I live and all.”
“I’m sorry. Please repeat your message with a few more I’m sorrys and maybe a dash of I fucked up and will never be such a non-sharing asshole in the future.” That voice he recognized: Honor.
Maya’s voice was muffled. “That was a good one. Very badass. A-plus.”
He took a moment to register her words and groaned. God save him, the Prima was helping his mate and obviously badass lessons were in session.
“Honor…” He wasn’t sure what to say to make things better.
She’d been healing, changing and growing. Sure, he’d fucked things up and scared her with his passion—her fear was a small step backward—but he’d only been trying to protect her by keeping Angus’s disappearance to himself. Well, himself and several male members of the pride. Who, apparently, told their mates.
Shit.
“Honor, can we please talk about this?” He leaned his head against the smooth surface.
“I dunno. Are you going to tell me the truth? Or are you going to keep secrets and only give me half-truths?”
Grayson growled. “I never lied to you.”
“Lying by omission,” she snapped back.
Fuck. “I’m not the only one keeping secrets here, Honor. If you’d given me the truth about Angus before he became a threat to the pride, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” If he hadn’t immediately realized the words were a mistake, her sharp, indrawn breath was enough to clue him in. Fuck. “Honor… I didn’t mean that.”
“No.” Even through the door, he heard the tremor in her voice. “No, you really did.”
A handful of harsh whispers were exchanged. The women talking over each other before Honor finally spoke, her words rising above the rest. “Gimme a minute.”
“You don’t have to do this. You’re not ready. You know that.” Maddy’s pleas tore into him. Whatever Honor decided to do was obviously pushing herself to act before she was ready. And he’d driven her into motion.
Fucking idiot.
“Apparently I am since my silence is a threat to the pride.” She spat the words and Grayson’s gut clenched.
“Honor…”
The doorknob turned and the door jerked open to reveal a livid Honor and an equally angry group of women. The Prima’s guards’ mates stood in a semicircle behind his female and the searing stench of their rage enveloped him.
Honor stepped forward and glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll be back.”
“The Terminator said that, so I expect you to be just like him.” The Prima reached out and squeezed his mate’s hand and then flashed him a furious frown. “Even if you’re a little broken, Honor. I want your ass back here.”
The Prima
’s expression told him she expected the impending argument with her mate to break her.
“Honor, I’m sorry. What I said.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I was a little angry. I’m just trying to protect you.”
She focused on him once again. “And I’ve been trying to protect myself.”
Without another look in his direction, she stepped out of the house and brushed past him, thumping down the stairs.
“Honor?” He scrambled to catch up.
She didn’t pause and he felt his gut tighten further. When she entered the forest, still silent, his body turned into one giant knot. It wasn’t until they entered a small familiar clearing that she finally spoke.
“Do you remember the last time we were here?” Her words were quiet, wistful. Soft like the calm before a raging storm.
Grayson paused and took a look around the space, replaying the day in his mind, and he allowed his memories to rush forward…
Her high school graduation. He was so damned proud of her even if he hadn’t had a hand in her education. Valedictorian. His mate was smart as hell and even more gorgeous. Which every other male, human and shifter, seemed to recognize. A handful of men, boys, surrounded her, tripping over themselves to give her what she needed.
He knew the only thing she needed was him. She just didn’t know it yet.
As soon as she went through her first heat, she’d know. Know and embrace him. He simply had to get through the coming years.
Alex had approached from his right, his Prime looking grim-faced and uneasy. Great, what did he have to handle now? He’d just returned from Chicago and he hadn’t received a call from Stone or anyone on the council.
“Grayson?”
He swallowed his sigh. “What’s up, Alex?”
The Prime rubbed the back of his neck and he finally caught the male’s scent. Nervous, worried, with a hint of fear?
What the hell?
“Honor’s going to college soon.”
He’d nodded. Yeah, he wasn’t sure where she would end up, but her parents told him they were trying to steer her toward towns that were shifter friendly so she’d have others to lean on if needed.