by Aliyah Burke
“What did you do to me?” she asked.
Those tawny-green-gold eyes never blinked. “The same thing you did to me, accepted the mating bond.”
He’d finally completed their mating, and the feeling didn’t scare her like she thought it would have. Instead, it filled her with a sense of calm and relief. They would always be connected now, no matter what. She shifted again and winced over the soreness in her body.
No wonder people say sex can kill you. Sweet goddess. “I have to get up and shower. Your ride will be here soon.” His gaze became emotionless, and she fought back a shudder. “Do you have any idea of how scary you can be?” Pressing a light kiss to his firm lips, she scooted out of bed, groaning with the ache in her muscles.
By five-thirty, she stood in the kitchen making breakfast. Dane fixed himself a cup of coffee. Even though it was expected, she still jumped when the sound of the helicopter on its approach filled the air. She and Dane shared a brief look before he strode to the door.
This is not going to be easy. Aida fought back the need to cry and set the table. Three settings. She barely glanced up when her front door opened, admitting Dane and General Herbert.
“Sit down, gentlemen. Breakfast is ready.”
“Thank you, and good morning, Ms. Roberts.”
“Aida, please.”
Aida looked at him. He didn’t look like her vision of a general. He was a handsome older man. In good shape. He wore a green shirt, blue jeans, and had on cowboy boots. The patch over his right eye and the scar down his face only added to the mystique he gave off. She cut her eyes to the left and travelled over Dane’s appearance. A smile tipped up her lips. Cowboy boots, tight jeans, and a black shirt. They were more alike than he knew. Even their expressions. Aida glanced back to General Herbert. He waited for her gaze. His lone eye twinkled, and he winked it at her.
Stop flirting with him, Aida. I don’t like that.
Have you noticed how alike you two are? She poured the general some coffee.
We are not alike.
Setting plates down before each man, she almost chuckled at the surliness of his tone. Oh yes, you are. And I’m not flirting with him. It’s called being nice. I like him. Is he married? Does he have a family?
“Thank you, Aida,” Dane said. You need not concern yourself with his marital status, mate. And he lost his son in the betrayal of my unit.
She had a hard time containing her gasp. Brad seemed unaware of anything other than the food before him, which he devoured at an alarming speed. His son was in your unit?
Yes.
Why am I not allowed to ask if he’s married? Is his wife dead? She looked at Dane.
His eyes flashed dangerously. Mate, tease me about anything but other men.
Aida shivered at his tone even though she understood now. He was jealous. Extremely. Possessive much? “Would you like some more, General Herbert?”
“Perhaps a bit if you don’t mind. However, I must insist if I am to call you Aida, you call me Brad.”
Getting up to refill his plate, Aida smiled. “Not at all. I like to see a man eat hardy. And Brad it is.”
“That I can do. Can I convince you to come home with me?”
Placing the newly loaded plate before him, Aida chuckled. “Thank you, but no. I’m very happy here.” Breathe, tiger-mine. And stop growling in my head.
I’ve warned you, Aida. Stop flirting.
She stared at him from lowered lids. His jaw set in an unforgiving line. With a sigh, she sat and used her foot to slide up and down his muscled leg. Brad is harmless, tiger-mine. Just because I am nice to a man doesn’t mean I am flirting with him, nor does it mean I want to let him take me to bed.
I told you, mate, I’m jealous. Just the thought of another man’s hands on your body makes me want to rip him from limb to limb.
Aida almost jumped when he grabbed her ankle and brought her foot up to rest on the chair. His fingertips stroked the sensitive skin of her bare ankle. And, just like that, she lost track of everything other than Dane’s feather-like touches on her skin. Her body was still in a state of hyperawareness when breakfast was over.
“It has been a pleasure meeting you, Aida Roberts. Thank you for feeding an old man, twice.” Brad shook her hand and said, “I’ll be by the chopper.”
The door closed, and Aida licked her lips. Dane was across the room from her, and she itched to touch him. She dug her fingers into her palm instead, welcoming the pain. A whimper of desire slipped out when he prowled towards her.
He stood tall before her, all hardness and masculinity. Swallowing her pain, Aida reached out and laid a hand over his heart, her fingers stroking the fabric which stretched across his torso.
“You need to go. Shouldn’t keep the general waiting.”
“To hell with him.”
“Go, Dane. Before it gets any harder.”
Aida hardly recognized her own voice. The tears were on the verge of overflowing. She just had to hold on until he left. Aida swore she wouldn’t cry in front of him.
“It’s not supposed to be like this,” he grated out.
“Go. Please.” Her voice trembled even more.
Dane cupped her cheeks as the whirr of the helicopter rose up. He touched her face everywhere as if memorizing every millimeter of it. His kiss was so light, she wasn’t sure she hadn’t imagined it. I love you, Aida Roberts. You are now and forever will be my one and only. You are my mate.
Aida whimpered softly when it ended. Her heart hurt when he walked out without looking back. She ran to her bed and cried as the sound of the helo faded. She eventually ventured from the room and cleaned up from breakfast. Then she showered and put on one of Dane’s shirts before crawling back into bed and burying her face into the pillow which still carried his scent.
* * * *
Her heart still hurt. It had been five weeks since Dane left in the chopper. Aida sighed loudly and looked out of the plane’s window. She swallowed as the Albuquerque skyline came into view. Nerves were high, and she sought to calm herself.
She waited patiently for her turn to disembark and went through customs before arriving at the car rental counter. Aida walked slowly to her car and snorted when she saw it. A little subcompact. God, I miss home already. This isn’t even a car. It’s a flipping bug. Stowing her luggage, she climbed in and immediately lowered the windows to battle her feeling of claustrophobia. Fighting back the urge to call for Dane, Aida headed out of Albuquerque to her parents’ home.
Dane’s scowl cleared the room with one exception. And that worked, being it was the person he wanted to talk to.
“Damn you, Crypt. I just lost the pool. I thought for sure you’d hold out for six weeks,” General Brad Herbert said, tossing down his napkin.
“You bet on me?” he snapped, barely containing his explosive anger.
“We always bet on people.” The older man leaned back and slid his lunch tray to the side. “Who’s your recommendation for leader?”
Dane grabbed a chair, turned, and straddled it. “They’re all good. Tally has the most experience and is the most levelheaded. But a close second is Kori.”
“Kori?”
“Cormac MacLochlainne. He goes by Kori.”
Dane knew Kori very well. He was a shifter. Not tiger, but wolf. A very intense and quiet man. He possessed amazing skills as a fighter. Dane knew for he had trained him personally.
Brad nodded. “I’ll take it into consideration.” He toyed with his fork before dropping it back onto the tray. “What about you?”
Dane arched a brow. “What about me?”
“You can’t give it up, Dane. It flows in your veins.”
You have no clue what flows in my veins. He shifted on the seat. The man was right, though. He loved ops.
“I’ll put you down as on leave. Let me know where you end up, or rather, when you get settled in South Africa. We could always use more contacts scattered throughout the world.”
Dane stood and stuck out
his hand. “Will do.” Who said I was going to South Africa?
“I like her, Crypt. I’m still shocked over the fact you know how to smile.” Brad shook his head and walked away, tray in hand.
Dane grinned as he left the building. His destination. South Africa.
Three days later, he jumped from the plane and hollered his thanks. Then, he walked to the door to Aida’s house only to frown. She wasn’t there. A roar grew within him. Where was she? He debated breaking in, but the sound of an approaching vehicle stopped him. Dane recognized Kees even before he stopped the truck.
The cowboy got out and shut the door. “Why am I not surprised to see you?” he commented.
“Where is she?” Dane demanded.
Kees shrugged. “Not here.”
The warning rumble slipped out. Dane had to give Kees credit, for despite the fear the man had, he didn’t back down or cower. “I’m seriously running out of patience, Kees Van Canne. Where is my woman!?”
Kees crossed his arms and lifted his chin, gray eyes wary. “Why should I tell you?”
Dane stalked toward him, the tiger extremely near the surface. “Because if you tell me. I won’t have to extract the information from you.” His words were delivered on a deadly promise. He could feel his claws extending.
“And how would you explain my death to Aida?” Kees stepped forward, refusing to back down. “I don’t know what you are and I’ll admit you scare the hell out of me, but Aida is family to me so I don’t care what you threaten me with. I have to make sure you won’t hurt her anymore.”
Anymore? “Explain.”
“Two and a half weeks she moped after you left. You stole some of her light, and I don’t like that.”
Neither do I. “I won’t explain myself to you, short of saying this. Aida is my future without her, I am nothing. I never wanted to hurt her.”
Moving past him, Kees walked to the house and unlocked it. “She’s in her least favorite place in the world.”
America.
“Her parents’ anniversary,” Dane said, amazed he’d forgotten that was coming up. “Thank you.”
“I’ll drive you to the airport,” Kees said from within.
The ride was long and silent. Kees looked at him after he got out. “Something to say?”
“You take care of her, Dane Sidorov.”
“I will.”
Once on the plane, he reached out to her. Aida?
Anger rippled back. What do you want?
Why are you mad?
Can’t think of one fucking reason! The link slammed shut.
His beast roared in rage, and Dane barely kept it contained. He couldn’t get into her. Aida! He noticed the airline attendant backing away from him, and he forced himself to rein in his emotions. The smile he gave her was more bared teeth and probably frightened her even more. He looked out the window and breathed deeply. Soon.
Once to his rental, Dane barely kept within the speed limit. He entered the midsized town and got out at a gas station. By the time the SUV was filled, he knew where he needed to go. She’d told him the town her parents lived in and he asked for directions at the gas station, they told him where the party was. He pulled into the packed church parking lot and slipped from behind the wheel slowly. Laughter and cheer reached him, and his blood boiled when Aida’s husky alto was picked up.
Dane walked around to the back and saw a big field on which people were playing soccer. His sharp gaze honed in on Aida. She moved the ball swiftly from one end to the other. He stared while walking closer, and leaning against the end of a row of bleachers, he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.
Aida had her hair up in a ponytail. Despite the cool weather, she wore no jacket, only a three-quarter length sleeve shirt and baggy jeans. At least she’s wearing shoes. He knew how much she loved being barefoot.
His tiger rumbled when he picked up on her scent. His heart pounded even harder, and he sniffed the air again. Something was different. Protectiveness swarmed him and he had to force his feet to stay put. Dane stared unabashedly at her, uncaring of others watching. He knew the minute she saw him for she froze on the field.
Aida.
Her gaze narrowed before she returned her attention to the game.
“Dane Sidorov, I presume,” a male said from beside him.
Reluctantly, Dane pulled his gaze from Aida and looked down at the man beside him. Aida’s father. Dane recognized him from the photos she had of her family. “Yes. How did you know who I was?”
“You’re wearing the necklace Len gave my daughter. She said she gave it to a man named Dane Sidorov.”
He fought the urge to touch the necklace. “She did give it to me.”
“Name’s Joe Roberts.”
“Nice to meet you.” Dane shook his hand and immediately found Aida again with his eyes.
“Not very talkative, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Gonna treat my baby right?”
“She will never want for anything.”
“Not what I asked. I don’t care one whit if you can buy her things. I want to know if you, as a man, will treat her right.”
Dane looked at Joe with more respect. The man seemed truly concerned for his daughter’s happiness. “Mr. Roberts, I love your daughter more than anything. I will protect her with my own life if need be. She is my whole world. I will never, could never, hurt her. Your daughter saved my soul and brought light into my life.”
“So this is a gratitude thing?” There was a bite to the question.
The tiger answered the challenge, and Dane held him back, reminding him that humans didn’t always understand. “No. She is my future.” Dane stared back at the field and watched Aida walk toward them. He inhaled sharply, and again, that smell of Aida reached him, winding around his soul.
She wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. “Hi, Papa. Hello, Dane.”
“Solnyshko moyo.” He reached out to touch her. In the depths of her eyes, he could see the anger blazing. Dane stepped flush to her and lowered his head so his lips hovered by her ear. “I want to kiss you, Aida,” he whispered. “But you are mad at me, and you blocked me out, so I’m also angry.”
“What do you want?” she bit off in a harsh murmur.
“You. We need to talk, solnyshko moyo. Open the link back.” Dane kissed the corner of her mouth softly and straightened to full height. “I will wait for you right here until you are finished.”
The link flared to life. What makes you think I want to talk now? Five weeks and I hear nothing from you! Aida stepped back and gave him a tight smile before walking away.
I will carry you out of here, mate don’t push me, he warned.
What if I came with someone?
Rage swamped him at the mere thought of another man touching her. Do you want to make a scene here? Because I have no problem doing so. If you arrived with someone, too bad, you’re leaving with me. So enjoy your game, I’ll be right here. Dane sat on the bleacher.
Bastard!
He was close to losing it. I’m holding on by a thread, mate. A severely frayed one.
Aida didn’t respond, but she also didn’t close the link. He watched Aida until a young girl moved cautiously toward him on the wooden bleacher. She was small maybe the size of a six or seven year old.
“Are you a friend of Aida’s?” She seemed scared then, just like that, her fear vanished.
“Yes,” he said with a smile. “Are you?”
A wide grin crossed her dark face. “Yes.” She sat beside him, staring out at the game. “She’s been nice since I met her, four days ago.”
Three loud child sighs later, and Dane leaned closer to her and asked, “Everything okay?”
“Do you like kids?”
She laid a hand on his wrist, her fingers almost moving as if seeking to find the scar there. He looked at her, containing his shock at her contact. Not many people reached out and touched him. And he liked it that way, but this child, this young girl,
pulled forth a different reaction, even his tiger took note. There was something about her, yet he couldn’t quite put his finger on. All his protective instincts kicked into high gear though.
“I do like kids.” Dane met her gaze and saw past the bravado and found fear. Aida.
What? Her tone no less hostile.
This child beside me. She is fearful. Whose is she?
That’s Isolde. Foster daughter to the Joneses’. The mom is three rows up from you in the green. A slight pause. Is she okay?
I’m not sure. I can feel her fear.
You protect her!
Dane grinned at her sharp mental command. I have to figure out what’s wrong first.
Aida growled at him.
Dane swallowed hard. You do know how much it turns me on when you do that, right?
Focus.
We still have to talk.
“Do you have kids?” Isolde asked, releasing his wrist and tugging on a braid with her hand. “I’m Isolde.”
It was possible he had a child. He glanced to Aida and back at the little girl. There was such hope on her face. “Not yet. But I hope to one day. I’m Dane. It’s very nice to meet you, Isolde.”
She smiled an act which totally lit up her face. “I bet you’d be a great daddy.”
“I hope I will.”
Isolde reached out and touched his wrist again. Dane closed his eyes and traveled into her thoughts.
Calm down, tiger-mine. Aida’s voice pulled him back. Dane, you have to calm down.
He could feel his tiger roaring in fury. Turning his head, he saw Aida heading to his side. The child still chatted away, her fingertips resting on the scar at his wrist. She was saying something about angels.
“Hi, Isolde,” Aida said.
“Hi, Aida. He’s my friend.”
Dane relaxed when Aida laid her hand on him. “He’s a good man to have as a friend.” What the hell is going on with you?
This child is under my protection.