FavoriteObsession, page 22
The door to the family room stood open. A quick peek revealed plush tanned carpeting on the floor and marble surrounding an oversized fireplace. No furniture filled the room, but when it did, the home would be as inviting and welcoming as the mansion they’d abandoned in upstate New York when they’d picked up and moved here earlier in the summer.
Kade moved her forward with a hand to her lower back.
You’re not alone, Mira. Kade whispered into her mind.
No, she wasn’t. She glanced over her shoulder, offered a small smile and took the last few steps to the formal living room. Micah’s scent hit her first. The familial trace linked him to Edmund. His face flashed across her mind. Her stomach rolled and a shudder ran through her. She embraced the disgust, accepted the hatred she felt and pushed it aside. Chin raised high, she entered behind Rafe’s wide back.
Her cats slammed into her, all three predators enraged by the sight of Micah. He was a nearly identical replica of the man who’d ruined her life. Long, thin black hair that looked more like a cape than a hairstyle hung down to mid-chest. Although muscle packed his frame, it paled in comparison to the strength in Josh’s body. Micah was shorter than Josh too.
Weak. That was the impression she got from him yet she wasn’t foolish enough to let her guard down. No matter what he looked like, he could still shift into a dangerous predator. It was the cat he housed that incensed hers. Micah’s jaguar would be the one to hurt Josh if it ever came to a battle between them. The man was nothing. Josh could crush him easily.
Micah’s gaze roamed over her. His visual caress made her skin crawl. She held completely still, not allowing the shudder to show.
“You look beautiful, Mira.”
She bit back the growl and inclined her head. “Thank you.”
Micah glanced between Rafe who stood to her right with his arms crossed over his chest to Kade who mirrored the pose on her left. He raised a brow. “Well, this is a tad awkward. How am I supposed to convince you to choose me as your mate when your other suitor is hovering over your shoulder?”
Kade growled. “This is my territory, Micah. I can be wherever I want to be.”
A smirk graced Micah’s thin lips. “And I thought you understood the Council’s…recommendation.”
Her gaze flicked to Kade before she could stop it. The guarded look he wore told her the great shifter elders had decided to put another spin on their original dictate. Before she could ask what, Kade stepped forward. “I will not allow the Council to break their original order. I have been more than generous in my acceptance of their time limit and in allowing you to come in the first place.”
“You agreed to my right to have an exclusive courting period with our sweet Mira.”
Talons punched out of Kade’s hands and full feline fangs filled his mouth. He took a threatening step toward the smaller male and bared the deadly teeth at Micah. “I said no such thing. Do not twist my words. I agreed to allow you one date with her. One. That’s all.”
Micah matched the forward step. He danced his fingers across the arm of the couch. “You did not deny the elders’ conclusion over why the goddess did not intervene in Edmund’s attempt to mate Mira. Three centuries have passed without the prophecy coming to pass. Doesn’t it make you wonder why?”
Kade retracted his talons. “It is not my place or yours to question it. Mira has always had the choice in who will become her mate. The goddess decreed it when she spoke.”
“True, true.” Micah nodded. “But our females are easily influenced and not wise enough to make such decisions.”
Rage turned her vision red. She snarled and stepped forward. Rafe looped an arm around her waist and gave her a warning look. Kade moved before she could break free. He slammed Micah into the wall and got up into his face. “I will not tolerate such demeaning opinions of any female within my pride. Do so again and I’ll return your maimed body to your pride as a warning. Understand?”
Micah nodded and Kade released him with a shove. Micah landed on his ass. Unfazed by the rough treatment, he pushed from the floor and made a show out of brushing the nonexistent dirt from his skinny ass.
“I must admit I was quite surprised to hear Mira had suddenly become so desperate for a mate that she’d accepted the courtship of a weak human.” Micah’s gaze swept over her, leaving an itch in its wake. “I suppose since none of the males you’d taken to your bed over the years enjoyed your cunt enough to lay claim to it, then you would be.”
Rafe growled and the sound of a pissed-off cat shook the windows. Micah flinched the tiniest bit and his gaze carefully avoided locking with the royal. Satisfaction warmed her. The bastard knew he was no match for the Alexander twins. But would he feel the same way with Josh? Uneasiness settled over her.
“It’s merely a statement of fact.” Micah chuckled, his derisive gaze sweeping over her. “Mira whored herself for three hundred years yet not once has she captured a male’s attention. It is what it is.” He offered a smile which showed the state of his mind. The demented glint churned her gut. “But I’m willing to sacrifice for the greater good. I’ll accept what nobody wanted.”
Both brothers stepped forward, snarls falling from their lips. Oh no, she refused to let them fight her battles. She didn’t know what game Micah was playing but she intended to find out. Now.
She strode forward, leaving the twins at her back. Hands clenching and releasing at her sides, she fought her cats for control. She stepped into Micah’s personal space and fixed him with a disgusted look.
“If you think degrading me is anyway to convince me to choose you as my mate, you’re a bigger fool than I thought. I am not worthless nor am I unwanted. I wasn’t when Edmund decided to rape a child nor in any of the years since. The lovers I’ve taken have respected me.” She let her fangs descend slowly and allowed a low growl to slip free. “If you think to repeat history, you will meet the same fate as Edmund.”
Instead of being intimidated, his smile widened. “Oh, sweet Mira, you will make a fine lover and bear me strong cubs.”
She spun on her heel and stormed toward the doorway before she ripped his throat out then and there. “Pack up and go home, Micah. I will never choose you.”
“Then say goodbye to the shifted cub. If you deny me, I will ensure she’s put down by week’s end.”
Mira stopped. Sharp talons burst from her fingers, her rage too great to contain. Fear rose next but she ignored the hollow feeling. She glanced over her shoulder. “What exactly are you talking about?”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Please, Mira, don’t play games. Certain members of the Council know of her sad fate. They’ve only allowed her to remain with you out of sympathy. As a single-shifter pride leader, I know how devastating it is to order our young’s death. I’ve been forced to do it several times for those unfortunate cubs who’ve been kidnapped. It’s for everyone’s own good but it hurts all the same.” He focused on her with hatred in his eyes. “If we were immortal like our royal cousins, it wouldn’t be an issue.”
She ignored the pointed statement. “You dare threaten me and mine?”
Micah sat on the couch, oblivious to the partially shifted enraged males a foot in front of him. He crossed his legs and pressed his head into the cushions. “Oh, yes. I’d do that and more. Care to push me?”
“I would despise you until the day you die.”
“Don’t care,” he shrugged, “not as long as you spread those lush thighs for me.”
Mira stared at him and realized Kade was right. Micah meant them harm and would use her to cause it. She also saw the truth in his eyes—even if she mated him, he’d see Molly dead.
Never. She would never mate him nor would she allow him to hurt her family. She just wasn’t sure how to stop the latter. If the Council took action against Molly, they’d be powerless to stop it. An early shift for non-royals meant death. They didn’t return from their animal forms.
Molly was different, however. Not a single-shifter, not a royal. She was an abnormality and in light of what she’d survived—immortal, exactly what all the single-shifters wanted to be. If Micah or the Council realized it… Gods, Mira didn’t want to consider the fate poor little Molly would have.
* * * * *
Josh stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore his sternest expression yet the adorable lion cub completely ignored him.
“Molly Elizabeth, stop it. Right now.”
Her ears twitched but she continued to claw the back of his chair—his favorite football-watching, napping recliner, the one Zoe had bought for him with her savings from working at the local amusement park.
Devin sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table and a big smirk on his face. Although wetness still shimmered in his eyes, he’d at least stopped laughing.
“You know, a little help would be nice.”
Devin held up his hands. “Hey, you’re the one who said he could handle the cub. So,” he motioned toward where Molly clung to the upholstered back, “handle her.”
It’d be simpler if Molly would shift back, but they’d been hoping for that ever since she’d arrived. The little girl was stubborn. He could relate, but her stubbornness was going to end up killing her.
Unable to come up with a better way to get through to her, he grabbed her by the tuft of loose skin on her back and tugged. Cloth ripped as he pulled her off the chair. Molly hissed and twisted in his grip, little legs flailing wildly. He held her at arm’s length and let her struggle until she tired before he lifted her and stared into her pale blue eyes.
She bared a single fang and hissed.
“Enough, Molly. You are a child first, cub second. This game is getting old and I won’t put up with it.” More growls crawled up her throat. She swiped a paw, met air. “If you won’t shift, you will take control of your cat and show me some respect. My chair is not your scratching post.”
She snarled.
Josh narrowed his eyes, lifted one corner of his mouth and growled, the deep rumbly sound deeper than he’d ever heard it. The ache in his gums returned. His fingers itched. He ignored the sensations as the silent battle of wills continued. Molly fell quiet and stared at him. Instinctively, he knew it wasn’t enough. He didn’t want the child to cower, but he had to establish who was in charge.
He leaned forward so his face was a couple of inches from hers and gave another low growl. Molly went limp and dropped her gaze. Hating himself for the reaction yet knowing it was the only way to deal with the little cub, he snarled once more then wrapped her in his arms, hugging the furry bundle close. She nuzzled his chin and gave his cheek a lick. He smiled.
“Yes, little one, we’re cool. Just remember who’s in charge and if you think to mark anything inside the house, think again.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and set her down. She scrambled off. Within moments, she was occupied by a rubber ball, the little dominance rift forgotten.
He turned his head, the sensation of an intense gaze on his back. Devin sat on the couch, elbows on his knees and deep creases lining his forehead.
Josh raised a brow. “What?”
“If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it,” Devin muttered.
He snorted and brushed white fur off his shirt. “I told you I could handle Molly. She just needed to learn I’m in charge, not her.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
The shifter’s tone stopped him from making a smart-ass comment. He focused on him. “Then what?”
“Your eyes glowed, Josh.” Devin studied him a long moment more before he shook his head. “I don’t think you’re entirely human anymore.”
Josh laughed so hard Molly stopped to look at him. “Oh, yeah? Then what am I, buddy?”
Devin scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Fuck if I know.”
“It’s the dim lights in here. Zoe thought the same thing yesterday. Once she turned them on, I was all back to normal.” Josh walked to the wall switch and flicked it. He faced the other man. “Well?”
Devin narrowed his full-feline eyes on him. He parted his mouth and inhaled, no doubt tasting his signature. The feline shifters often called on their animals when they didn’t understand something or needed more info.
Devin sat back, brow still creased. “I guess I was wrong.”
“Trick of the light, my friend.” He tapped his chest with a balled fist. “Only one in here is me.”
Except, the snickering echoing in his head made him wonder if he really had lost his mind once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mira sat in her car for a long moment. She couldn’t seem to find the desire to move. Depression had plagued her for centuries. She knew how to hide it, how to pretend it didn’t choke her. Practiced smiles, the motions of living and the need to be positive for her mentally unstable twin kept her from spiraling into the abyss she often hovered over. She no longer had any reason to pretend. Devin had found his sanity. And…and she had no hope for a brighter future.
Everything that had happened the past few days threatened to crush her. It was too much. Wetness dripped on her lap. She frowned at the liquid spots decorating the khaki pants she’d worn to Kade’s house. Realization struck. She wiped at the trail of tears on her cheeks. A quick peek at the clock showed she’d sat in the grocery store’s lot for over an hour. Her death-by-chocolate ice cream had met an early demise before it even made it home.
She popped her contacts out and dropped them in the plastic bag along with her favorite therapy. Sunglasses shielding her feline eyes, she shuffled to the garbage can and dropped her purchase.
A familiar and hated scent drifted to her. She pivoted on her heel and nearly collided with Zeb. He stumbled back.
“S-s-sorry,” he mumbled.
Mira frowned at the sight of him. Bloodshot, unfocused eyes darted around. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His cracked lips trembled. She parted her mouth and inhaled. Fear, pain and a residual trace of unfamiliar chemicals surrounded him. She drew in another slow breath, allowing the foreign odors seeping from his pores to coat her tongue. The information didn’t make sense. She could’ve sworn the pungent taint to his signature would’ve come from a corpse.
She took a step back, not because he frightened her but because her stomach churned. Zeb stood there with his mouth hanging open and drool collecting in one corner. Although she disliked the male for what he’d done to Josh, her protective instincts rose. She reached out and laid her hand on his cool, clammy skin.
“Are you okay?”
“N-no. I need h-help. I…” He glanced over her shoulder. His eyes widened and a garbled cry crawled up his throat. He licked his lips. “N-never m-m-ind. My sis…she’s right there. She’ll h-help m-me.”
He yanked his arm away, spun and ran. In the opposite direction.
She watched his uncoordinated movements and frowned harder. She peered over her shoulder, but didn’t see anyone suspicious, just humans going about their daily business. She glanced in the direction Zeb had run. He darted across the road. Horns blared and tires screeched. He hopped into a rusted hatchback parked on the other side. The car peeled out. Black, noxious smoke burped out of its exhaust pipe and obscured her view of the license plate.
She debated getting in her car and going after him but dismissed the idea. It wasn’t her place to get involved in every illegal activity involving the humans. She’d mention it to Kade later.
She pushed the disturbing encounter away, made her way to her car and drove back to her place. The trip passed too quickly and the metal box she called home loomed before her. She didn’t want to be alone inside the trailer’s claustrophobic walls, but she had nowhere else to go. There were only so many places in town she could wander without drawing looks from the townsfolk.
She parked and made her way to the door. While the woods looked tempting to escape into, she didn’t want any shifters to accidently stumble upon her. She was in no mood for company tonight. Besides, Micah’s presence in their territory bothered her. She had no guarantee he’d play by Kade’s rules. Yes, she could fight him. She had no doubt she could take him or a half-dozen singles on but the stakes were too high. After Kade got Molly out of town, she’d have the green light to take things in her own hands. Until then, she had to play his game.
With the door closed behind her, she kicked off her flats and tugged her shirt out of her pants. The scent of heaven drifted to her. A heartbeat reached her ears next and her pulse echoed in her mate bite.
“Josh.”
He was sprawled on her couch, one leg bent on the seat, the other flat on the floor. With his back pressed into the corner and his arm stretched across the cushion, he looked relaxed and sexier than she’d ever seen him. The shadow of stubble she loved dusted his jaw and the ends of his hair stood on end as if he’d just woken. No shoes and his rumpled clothes suggested he might have.
The thought of Josh napping in her living room did crazy things to her heart. It didn’t take much to imagine spending hours wrapped in his arms on the couch while he watched football. Such a simple thing, but one she never thought to have with a male. She forced the domestic thought away before longings and regret took hold. Focusing on the picture he made, she let the details of this moment sear itself into her mind so she could take it out when she needed him close.
Jeans and another simple black tee molded his torso and teased her imagination. She flashed back to the image of his naked body. Powerful and primal with thick muscles, a narrow waist and a tight ass that felt so good under her hands as he drove his cock into her. Her attention dropped to the evidence of his arousal. Pushed slightly to the side, it thickened as she watched. Her knees went weak. Warmth settled low. She reached for the edge of the hall table before she could stop the reaction.
One corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided smile. It hit her dead center and left her raw, vulnerable and more aroused than the sight of a mere grin should make her.
