Andromeda's Reign

by K. S. Haigwood

The low bass of Rogan’s voice broke through my concentration as I sorted my cards.

  “There are eyes on your girl,” he said.

  I stiffened in my seat, but I didn’t do anything crazy, like jump up and run over to her. That would alert the onlookers that they had been discovered. Rogan’s instincts were usually spot-on, but maybe her awesome luck was beginning to draw a crowd. I usually had one.

  “How many?” I said quietly.

  “Three… that I can see. Two guys and a girl. They’re at nine, twelve and two. They keep inching closer. I’ve been watching them since before you left her. They’ve been watching you, too, but not as closely. We need to get her out of here, before they corner her and the hairy side of her comes out to play.”

  Fuck! “Are they shifter?” I asked.

  “I can’t tell,” Rogan said. “Kai is behind them and ready to do some damage if they try anything.”

  I had to look up. It was imperative that I see what the bastards looked like for when I hunted them down later. God, I wanted to go to her. A rush of panic tried to take over, but I fought it away. There could be more than three. If I didn’t play my cards right, my decisions could cause her to get hurt and us to lose them.

  Acting as if I was rubbing the tight muscles in my neck, I saw the girl first. She was standing just outside of the player’s circle, by the west slot machines, long blond hair, pretty, but not really my type, not that I had a type anymore now that I had bonded with Andra. I couldn’t tell if she was a shifter or not, but I knew she wasn’t a lion. My pride was the only pride in the United States, and I could feel each and every lion shifter below me. I couldn’t feel this girl, or any other lions in the room besides Kai, Rogan and Slade.

  I let my eyes roam over to the guy ten feet behind Andra. Her head was blocking half his face, but the one eye I could see, was on me.

  Andra was oblivious to what was happening around her. She clapped her hands excitedly and congratulated the other players at her table on their wins.

  “Andra…”

  She glanced at me, a huge grin spreading across her face. “I got two more Blackjacks from splitting Aces again!” Her expression fell a little as she felt my anxiety rise in her. “What is it? What’s wrong, Ace?”

  “You need to fake a stomachache, put your chips in your purse and go to the south exit, behind me. Do it now. I’ll explain after we get out of here.”

  I kept my cool and my eyes on her as she did exactly as I instructed her to do. She pointed to her drink and shook her head as she clutched at her stomach. “Take me to the room, honey,” she said. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  No questions asked, Slade helped her pack up all the chips without looking at me. Her calling him honey was enough of a warning that something wasn’t right, and that he just needed to do what she asked of him and play the part of her new groom until all this could be explained to him. He didn’t even glance at me. Smart. And that’s why he was my Beta.

  The humans at her table gave her concerned looks and told her they hoped she got to feeling better, but she only placed her hand over her mouth and leaned into Slade’s side as he led her away from the Blackjack table.

  I never saw the third person. I had hope Rogan was watching him as I kept my eyes on the other two. The girl watched every move Andra and Slade made, but the one guy’s eyes were still locked on me. I just needed to get her out of here and safe, then that fucker was mine.

  I clenched my fists tight in frustration when I remembered I couldn’t do anything except get her home and safe. Or at least get her the fuck out of here. What if there were more? What if there were lots more? I had an itch to break some bones, but it would have to wait until we had more information. If Justice was here, Andra could be dead before I even got her out of the damn casino. Shit!

  Without taking my eyes off our stalkers, I spoke to Andra through our connection. “Great acting, sweetheart, but if Slade cops a feel, I’m cutting his fucking hands off.”

  My eyes flicked up briefly to see her eyes dancing with laughter as the two passed my table. I breathed a sigh of relief as I stood and picked up my chips.

  Bald Guy walked up with my I.D. and player’s card at that moment. “Leaving so soon?”

  I snatched them from his fingers. “I have an emergency and gotta run. Maybe you’ll get my money tomorrow night.”

  I didn’t wait for his response as I turned to look at Rogan, but he wasn’t looking at me. His attention was on the three. “We’re out. You and Kai keep them from following us, then lose them and double back around and track them. I want to know who the hell they are and why the fuck they were watching my mate,” I said sternly. “I’ll send Slade back to you as soon as I get Andra in my truck.”

  Rogan nodded in understanding.

  “If it’s part of Justice’s pack, I need to find him before he finds her. Do you understand?”

  Rogan gave another nod, and then I ran.

  Chapter 4

  Wednesday, February 4th 2015 8:03 p.m. PST

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Andromeda

  As soon as Ace ran through the lobby doors of the casino, Andra fell into his arms, desperately trying to get rid of the anxiety that had engulfed them. She felt his panic ease only a fraction as he took her hand and pulled her down the sidewalk of the Vegas Strip.

  “What’s wrong, Ace?” Andra said, unable to disguise the fear in her voice. There was no point; he could feel her every emotion just as well as he could feel his own.

  “I need to get you to safety,” he said in a rush as he tugged her hand harder, damn near making her jog to keep up with his long strides.

  “I wasn’t going to get a paper cut from the cards,” she said with a small giggle, trying to lighten his mood. His anxiety was making her a bit dizzy. “They wouldn’t even let me touch them.”

  “It’s a little more serious than a cut finger, Andra.”

  “Well, tell me what it is and we can—” She was just about to tell him they would solve the problem together, but a large digital billboard caught her attention and she froze, jerking him to a full stop on the sidewalk. She pointed to it, excitement overpowering the worry he’d been forcing on her. “Oh my God! Salacious Limerick is going to be there tomorrow night! They’re my favorite band, Ace.” She gave him hopeful eyes. That would make this surreal trip to Las Vegas at least a little awesome.

  “You want to talk about a concert when your life may be in jeopardy?” he said, and tugged on her hand, but she jerked her fingers out of his. “C’mon, Andra. I’ll call Clay later and get tickets to the show.”

  Andra crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to budge as she scowled at him in frustration. “First of all, I didn’t know my life was in jeopardy, because you won’t tell me anything and your mind is locked up tighter than my grandma’s bread pudding recipe. And second…” Her expression softened a bit as she dropped her arms to her sides. “…you know Clay Hays? How did you fail to mention something like that to me?” This man was full of mysteries.

  Ace let out a chest-deep groan in irritation as he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, making his way toward his truck a few blocks down. “You have all my memories, Andra. I figured you already knew.”

  Looking back over her shoulder at the back of his head, she spat out, “I haven’t snooped through any of your memories. That’s an invasion of privacy. But you obviously don’t have an issue invading mine. Put me down, Ace!” she yelled, and then blinked as a bright light briefly blinded her. A man and woman were laughing as they passed them on the wide walkway, the camera still poised in the woman’s hand. Andra didn’t find this funny at all, but calling the woman out would probably only cause her to take more pictures, so she bit her tongue, and turned her head to look at Slade. That asshole was grinning, too. “Make him put me down, Slade.”

  Slade held up his hands. “I can’t make the king do anything, Andra. Sorry, but you’re on your own on this one.”

  She huffe
d as her gaze settled back on Ace’s sandy-colored hair. “Please, Ace. I swear I’ll walk.”

  “You had your chance, baby,” he said, and then smacked her on the ass. She let out a yelp, and he chuckled as he glanced over at Slade. “She’s so damn sexy when she’s irritated.”

  Andra was suddenly angry, pissed beyond belief. He wasn’t telling her anything, purposefully keeping her in the dark. If she was in danger, she deserved to have a say in what happened to her. But instead, he was being an arrogant, high-handed asshole. She was actually having fun playing Blackjack. That had been the first time since she’d arrived that she hadn’t been thinking of Phoenix.

  Slade’s smile was small and maybe a little nervous as his eyes flicked to look at Andra’s reddening face. “I’m sorry, Ace. I was watching her. I should have—”

  “Don’t worry about it. Rogan and Kai saw them. You were only doing what I wanted you to do.”

  “Seriously, Ace, put… me… down,” Andra said through clenched teeth. “This is embarrassing. People are looking at us… and taking pictures,” she said as a group of guys held up their phones to capture the moment. And what a Kodak moment it was, too. Wait… was one of them videoing her? Oh, God… Shame rushed to her face. Again, she wasn’t in control of what was happening. When would she be able to make her own choices? Was she destined to be told what to do?

  He popped her again, but otherwise ignored her as he walked. Andra silently fumed, and crossed her ankles to keep them from bouncing.

  “Do you think it was—?” Slade began.

  “We’ll discuss it later,” Ace said shortly, interrupting him. “Kai and Rogan are tracking them.”

  Andra narrowed her eyes. “Will I be allowed in the discussion later?”

  Ace spanked her again, and she whimpered. It appeared he was having way too much fun with her in this position, and talking only resulted in the cheeks of her ass stinging. He damn sure wasn’t answering any of her questions. He had told her he would talk to her about it once he got her safe, so why was he being so secretive about it? They were on a crowded street in Las Vegas, for cryin’ out loud. Someone was after them, or her—she’d pieced together that much of the puzzle—but why? Who even knew she was here besides Phoenix and her pack? Daryn was dead. He had been her only threat that she knew of. And why had Ace parked so dang far away? Through puffed-out cheeks, she blew out a weighted breath and decided to keep a lookout behind them for anyone who looked suspicious as her body bounced with the easy glide of his steps. Only the hustle and bustle of people as they went in and came out of casinos, restaurants and other live entertainment shows caught her attention. Vegas was crazy busy, and full of excitement and noise. She should just make up her mind to love it while she was here. What other choice did she have?

  A slow smile crept across her face. Ace was going to take her to see Salacious Limerick. Maybe this stay wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  Wednesday, February 4th 2015 8:13 p.m. PST

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Ace

  Slade opened the passenger door of the jacked-up Chevrolet. I tossed Andra inside then shut the door.

  “Call Kai and find out where they are,” I said in a muted voice as I turned toward Slade. “I want these assholes found tonight and dealt with. I didn’t save her in Alabama just to bring her here to get killed.”

  Slade didn’t ask any questions. He just turned and ran back in the direction of the casino, pushing numbers on his cell as he went.

  After I rounded the truck and got in on the driver’s side, I glanced over to see Andra scowling out the tinted window, with her arms crossed stiffly over her chest.

  I bit my lip to keep from laughing. She was really cute when she was irritated. The two of us being alone like this almost made me forget about the world of problems we still had to face.

  I poked her in the ribs with a finger and chuckled when she twitched in her seat, but refused to laugh. She was fighting a losing battle. I already knew she was ticklish, and I knew she wanted to laugh instead of be angry with me.

  She had her hair up in one of those clippie-thingies, so the Strip’s bright lights illuminated her bare neck through the windshield. I ignored the invisible boundaries she’d drawn and did exactly what I had wanted to do all evening. I leaned across the console between our seats and placed a soft kiss to the spot just below her ear.

  Surprised, she jerked away a little, but her head turned and our gazes locked. She swallowed hard as the heat inside both of us ignited and roared to life, threatening to engulf us and the truck we sat in.

  I wanted her, and I knew that she wanted me, but I couldn’t cross anymore boundaries now. I wouldn’t take her for the first time in a truck, anyway. When the time came for us to be together like that, she would be the one who made the first move, and she wouldn’t be thinking about that damn vampire, like I knew she was doing right now.

  I sat back in my seat and gripped the steering wheel to keep from pulling her into my lap. “Are you hungry?” I said as I turned the key in the ignition and eased out of the parking lot into the flow of traffic.

  A long moment passed before she moved to sit right in the seat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her grab the seatbelt and fasten it. I wondered if it was out of habit or if she was locking herself in to keep from getting any closer to me. I hoped for the latter, but I wasn’t about to ask. Unfortunately for me, she had her mind guarded so I couldn’t read her thoughts. I now regretted letting her in on that secret. I was dying to know what she was thinking.

  “I’m starving,” she said. “What are you hungry for?”

  I grinned, but I didn’t look at her. She saw it anyway and slapped my arm.

  “You have such a dirty mind. Food, Ace. What food are you hungry for?” she said, but her tone was light, so I assumed I hadn’t repulsed her too much.

  I shrugged. “It’s up to you. You stole all my luck tonight, so you’re buying.”

  Her sweet laughter filled the cab. “I seriously doubt I stole your luck, but I’ll feed you. What’s good here? This isn’t Alabama, ya know.”

  “What are you hungry for?”

  “Hmmm… Salmon sounds good,” she said.

  I scrunched up my nose at her suggestion. “You like that stuff?”

  She laughed. “You don’t like fish?”

  “Salmon isn’t fish. Fried catfish is fish,” I said, and cut my eyes over to gauge her reaction. She rolled her eyes as she shook her head, but she was smiling. I guess I was forgiven for stealing that innocent kiss. I’d have to push her boundaries some more, because I definitely wanted to do that again.

  “Salmon is so a fish,” she said. “Are you sure you aren’t from the south? Fried catfish is a delicacy there.”

  “Tennessee, born and raised,” I said proudly.

  “You’re a lion. I thought cats liked all types of fish.”

  “This pussy cat doesn’t think all fish tastes the same,” I said with a wink.

  She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m going to assume we are still talking about food.”

  I raised my eyebrows as a smile spread across my face. “Assume away.”

  She huffed as she looked out her window. “So, you were my neighbor, huh? Small world.”

  “I would have been your neighbor if you had been born about six decades earlier. I left there the winter of nineteen fifty-one in search of someone to turn me into a shifter.”

  She gaped at me, then shut her mouth and focused on the back of the car in front of us. It was a few seconds before she spoke. “I keep forgetting that most everyone I know now will live forever, and that some of them are even centuries old already. It’s difficult to wrap my mind around that. How old are you?”

  I grinned. “Thirty-two.” Her mouth pulled to the side and she stared at me with bored eyes. I chuckled. “I was born in nineteen nineteen. I’ll let you do the math. I’m not saying my true age out loud.”

  She snickered. “I guess that
’s a touchy subject. How many times have you gone through your midlife crisis?”

  I pondered her question for a moment as I pulled the truck into the parking lot of the Bonefish Grill and parked. “I don’t think I ever stopped going through it after I started the first time. I’m sure you’ve heard all about my reputation and seen plenty of my memories to back that up.” She nodded as she grabbed the door handle. “Stop!” I shouted.

  She jerked her hand back and looked at the handle with wide eyes, as if there was a spider she hadn’t noticed on the door. “What is it?”

  I chuckled as I got out of the truck. “This is our second date. I just wanted to open your door, Andra. Relax.”

  She was smiling when I opened the passenger door. “I know what you’re doing. We’re never going to get to date number four. You can stop trying.”

  I helped her down and shut the door. “I beg to differ. The concert tomorrow night will be date number three. I’m pretty sure I can come up with at least one more exciting thing to do in this town that will interest you after that. We do have a whole four weeks.”

  “Phoenix will be here Sunday night,” she said after I opened the restaurant door for her.

  My jaw immediately clenched and the hand not holding the door curled into a fist as she walked by me. I swiftly pushed my anger away, but I knew she’d already felt it, because her body was tense as she waited for me to join her and the hostess.

  “Two?” the hostess said, with a smile. After I nodded, she grabbed menus and silverware. “Right this way.”

  I needed to get control of my emotions before I sat down across from Andra, or she would be right about not ever making it to date number four. Just the mention of her vampire boyfriend was enough to set me into a manic frenzy. I had no idea how I was going to react when the asshole finally showed his mug at my door.

  Deciding that she had only mentioned him because I had kissed her neck earlier, I put my big-boy boxers on and played along. I wouldn’t let that dick ruin my night with our girl. She was mine until he got here.