FavoriteObsession, page 25
With her wide, heavy head cupped between his palms, he kissed the tip of her nose. The rough, sandpaper swipe of her tongue along his cheek sent a shiver through him. He chuckled.
“Kitten, I adore your cats but I’ve woken up hungry. Shift for me. I need you.”
A sigh escaped her parted mouth. The lioness’s image faded and Mira’s replaced it. He’d watched the other shifters change from man to cat. It’d had always amazed him to see the flip of their images. It looked painless, simply the exchange of one side of their persona for another. Never had he witnessed Mira’s.
If he didn’t know it was impossible, he would’ve sworn he could see inside her soul in the brief flash where she was woman and animal. All three cats reached for him in that instant. Sharing their adoration with him. It left him a little unsteady inside. The muttered curse and thump from outside yanked him out of his state of elation.
Mira whipped her head to look at the large picture window. They’d left the curtains open last night so they could enjoy the stars. Now he berated himself for doing so.
He shoved her multicolored hair out of his face and sat up just in time to grab his little predator. She turned her head and bared fangs at him. Rage tightened her features. Her eyes glowed. The sight didn’t scare him but whoever the sick bastard was who’d been spying on them should be pissing his pants about now. Mira looked ready to kill.
“Wait. I’ll handle this.”
“No. I will.” A low, threatening growl accompanied another flash of her fangs. “You’re only human.”
Well, fuck. He would not allow her to protect him.
He yanked her close and tugged on her hair to tip her head back. They didn’t have time for this shit but he couldn’t let it go. Some damn primal instinct flaring up inside him compelled him to stop her.
“No, kitten.” He bent closer until their breaths mixed and her eyes filled his vision. “You are my woman to protect and cherish. Understand?”
A heartbeat passed then another before her body went limp in his arms. She nodded.
Relief eased the unsettling tightness in his limbs. He gave her a quick kiss and set her aside. “Stay here, kitten.”
Not bothering with his pants, he ran out the door. Mouth parted, he inhaled. The automatic reaction struck him as odd but not as much as the information seeping into his brain. He smelled antifreeze and mint, no hint of who’d been there. A quick scan of the clearing around the trailer didn’t show anyone. He took several steps.
Tires squealing cut through the early morning stillness.
He cursed and pivoted on his heel. Mira stopped him with a hand on his arm. Panic widened her eyes. Instead of speaking, she pointed to the tramped flowers under the window. His gaze landed on the evidence left there. A camera, an ancient-looking cell phone and a paper coffee cup full of chew spit showed their visitor had spent part of the night watching them.
A few feet from the discarded items lay a rumpled shirt. The crushed plants under it showed where the stalker had passed out. He had to have or else the guy was too damn stupid to live. Going by the empty bottle of whiskey, Josh figured his guess had to be a good one.
Naked, Mira glided toward the flower bed. “I don’t know who it was. There’s no scent. But…” She leaned closer and parted her mouth, exactly as he’d just done. After a moment, she choked back a cry and swung her head to meet his eyes. Disgust scrunched her features. “He jerked off while he watched us make love.”
The whispered declaration brought his rage back. He clenched his hands so hard pain whipped up his arms. He strode forward and lifted her. No way did he want Mira anywhere near the bastard’s cum.
He set her inside the house and turned to go back out. She stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
“You’re bleeding.”
He glanced at where blood dripped from his hand to the smears on her upper arms. No cuts. He didn’t know where the blood came from, nor did he care. They had bigger shit to deal with at the moment.
“I’m fine. Go clean up while I see what pics he took.” He ran a hand through his hair, the consequences of what had happened pressing down on him. “You better call Kade too. I think we’re going to need Shifter Affairs.”
“But without a scent—”
“We don’t need one.” Although it bothered him not to have one. It meant somehow the shifters were involved or at least the humans who capitalized on selling them. Either way, shit had hit the fan today. “I think I know who it was.” Or at least which set of brothers to corner.
He stepped to the door.
“Josh?”
He glanced over his shoulder. She stood twisting her fingers with her gaze locked onto the carpet. “How will I tell Kade about us when even I can’t explain it?”
The sight of her anxiety was too much to ignore. He went to her. “I know you’re scared but we have to contain this exposure. Do I need to remind you we have not only Megan and Molly to consider, but also Jazz’s kids?”
“No, but—”
“But nothing.” He brushed his thumb across her cheek. “You said you trusted me. So trust me to make this right for us. I won’t fail you.”
Her mouth parted slightly on a soft sigh. “Yes, okay.”
He wanted to take the silent invitation. Instead, he strode to the door. “Good. Call Kade.”
He walked out without looking to see if she complied. Each step increased the pressure in his lungs. God, it felt as if he were blowing up like a balloon and any moment he might pop. He shook off the sensation and focused on facts. If their peeping Tom had gotten hold of the drug the shifters used to mask their scents, it made sense he’d evaded Mira’s senses. Well that and Josh had kept her focused on other things last night.
And one of Abby’s fucking brothers had watched every minute of it.
An odd haze slid over his eyes. Colors bled from the world around him. The smashed red and pink petals appeared washed-out. Everything looked as it had in the fucked-up dream he’d had the other night. He pressed the balls of his palms to his eyes. Deep breaths eased the rage. Once calm, he dropped his hands.
The scenery around him held all the right hues. Thank god. He didn’t need to deal with some sickness to remind him of the limitations of his frail, mortal body. No, don’t go there. Focus, dammit. Mira needs me. I won’t fail her.
He picked up the cell. Dead. He dropped it and shifted his attention to the shirt. The ripped flannel with the label for Ernest Farms on the breast pocket proved his guess right. He should’ve known Zeb wouldn’t have let the little incident of his miraculous recovery go without questioning it. Well, he might’ve if Josh hadn’t made that slip when Zeb had accused him of lying.
Whatever the reason, Zeb or whichever of his little brothers he’d sent out here had made a dangerous choice. As much as Josh despised the family at the moment, he didn’t wish harm to any of them. Pain? Hell yeah. He wanted to deliver it himself, right after he made sure they’d keep Mira’s secret.
Hell, he wished he’d gotten the shifters involved in the first place, but days had gone by without so much as a peep from Zeb. Josh had figured he’d convinced him of his version of the truth. Regret left a fucking bitter taste in his mouth. No going back. He’d made his choice. He had to live with it.
Josh picked up the digital camera and fought the urge to smash it against the nearest tree. He scrolled through the pics. Thankfully, most of the blurred images didn’t show Mira’s breasts. He’d worshiped them with his back to the window. However, they did show him lost to pleasure as he orgasmed inside her.
He flipped through a few more and stiffened at the sight of one that showed him taking Mira from behind. He had his mouth clamped over her mate bite and his hands palming her breasts. It was a sensual shot and one he wouldn’t mind keeping except for the way the image made his eyes look. The blue in his iris filled the orb. No white. He advanced a few more images but none showed his face.
He lifted the small screen closer to his face. It had to be a trick of the light but damn if it wasn’t a freaky one. He hit the Delete button and regretted it a second later. He should’ve printed it out to look at it better.
And what would be the point, jackass? It’s not like I can turn into a shifter. It’s not a disease. Shifters host their animal spirits. A symbiotic relationship and one I’ll never fucking have.
The little lecture zapped the flare of hope. He was shit out of luck. He’d known it all along. Still… How was he going to make things right for Mira? How would he ever be the mate she needed when he wasn’t the same species? Dammit, he’d promised her.
You are the mate of my heart. The words she’d spoken came back to him. The truth in them hit him square in the chest. Unexplainable bond or not, that was all he’d ever be to her—the one she loved.
Anger rushed up. The pressure in his chest increased.
He reached a hand out to steady himself. Rafe’s warning came back to him. Josh closed his eyes against the guilt. Mira loved him. In his heart, he knew she would until the end of time. He couldn’t exactly explain how he knew it. Just did. There was no doubt, no wondering if she’d love someone else after he died. She never would. And that was what Rafe had been trying to tell him. When a shifter loved, it was forever.
I can’t give her forever.
His selfishness condemned her to an eternity of heartache. Dear god, he was a bastard.
Mira wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his back. The tightness in his body lessened. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and let his breath escape in a shuddering rush. Her presence comforted him. She made the physical ache bearable.
The touch of a mate.
He’d heard the others talk about it with awe. Right in that moment with his beloved’s arms around him, he could almost believe everything would work out. Too damn bad it was a lie.
He turned and wrapped her in his embrace. They didn’t speak or move. No need. The words passed between them. Her devotion filled him up and completed him. He bent his head and kissed her, showing her his love and hoping she felt it inside her heart the same way. He wasn’t sure how long they kissed. Long enough to stir his lusts back to life, not that it took much for him to get aroused around her.
She arched into him, an invitation he hated to pass up but would. They didn’t have time for more. He eased back to study her expression and see if she understood how deeply he cared. If it was all he had to give her, he’d give it to her in spades. The small smile on her face in answer warmed him almost as much as her kiss had. He ran his thumb over the upturned corners. “Mira, I…”
She dropped her gaze before he could get the words he wanted to say out. Good thing too. Saying them would be foolish despite the acceptance he saw reflected in her eyes.
“Did he take any damning pictures?”
She reached for the camera. He held it up. There was no reason for her to see them or know they’d been watched all night. He scrolled through the last few images and sighed. The last one had been right before he woke. Mira’s lioness form was asleep with her head on top of his chest.
“Just one.” He turned the screen so she could see it.
She stared at it a long time before dropping her head to his chest. “Kade said for you to go after him and call Rafe when you have him. Kade will handle everything else.”
“They’re not insisting on coming with me?”
The small shake of her head brushed the ends of her hair over his arm. The silky caress sent tingles across his skin. He closed his eyes against the surge of lust. No time to love her. Later after this mess was contained he could sink into his personal heaven.
“Why not?” He asked to get his mind away from sex.
“They don’t want him to guess who else might be a shifter.” A low growl crawled up her throat. Heat emanated off her skin, a sign he knew meant her cats were seconds away from making an appearance.
Hoping to calm her, he ran his hand over her hair in long, steady strokes. “That’s smart.”
She bent her head to meet his gaze. “I don’t like it. You should have somebody there to protect you. What if this guy turns violent?”
He snapped his teeth together and fought the desire to snarl at her. “Protect me?”
He saw the panic slide into her eyes. She shook her head. “I didn’t mean—”
“I do not need anyone to protect me. Not Rafe and certainly not you.”
“Be reasonable. This has nothing to do with your strength.”
He pushed away and strode toward the front door.
“Josh, wait.”
He didn’t answer. He couldn’t without blowing up at her. Her lack of confidence stirred up his anger. No matter what he felt, he refused to take it out on Mira. However, the urge to carry her back to her bed and remind her why she’d chosen him as her mate pushed at him. He resisted only because he had to deal with Abby’s brother.
She caught his wrist as he reached for his jeans. “I’m sorry but I can’t fight my instincts.”
He whipped his head to fix her with a hard glare. “And what side of you thinks I’m weak, Mira? You or your cats?”
She released him and dropped her gaze to the floor. “They don’t understand. They’re only animals.”
He tugged his pants on, shoved his feet in his boots and grabbed his shirt. He focused on what had to be done, not the doubt in Mira’s voice. Car keys and phone in hand, he made his way to the door.
“You’re just going to leave?”
He grabbed the edge of the door to stop himself from going back to her. Her anxiety beat at him. He swore he could almost taste her fear on his tongue.
“Yeah, I am. We don’t have time for this.” He peered over his shoulder. “But I’m warning you, kitten, do not think to deny my claim while I’m gone. You’re off the market for a mate.”
With that, he turned and strode away before she voiced the refusal he saw in her eyes.
* * * * *
The door banged open and Mira fought the urge to escape out the back. She knew who it was. His scent drifted on a gust of air that rushed into the room, but she didn’t want to deal with Kade or his anger.
“What have you done?”
She lifted her chin and met his piercing, golden eyes. Apparently, she hadn’t aired out the house enough. “Don’t, Kade. This isn’t the time to discuss my choices.”
“Isn’t it?” He raised a brow. “You allowed a human to see you in your animal form. That’s twice you’ve made a poor choice because of Josh. How many more will you make before he’s killed due to your indiscretion?”
She stepped back, completely caught off guard by Kade’s words. She expected a lecture about her decision to sleep with Josh, not a reprimand over endangering him. “I didn’t know we were being watched.”
Kade ran a hand through his short hair. Curses fell from his mouth. He stormed across the room. Arms folded over his chest, he leaned against the wall next to the picture window and peered at the spot the human had occupied last night.
“It strikes me as odd that you didn’t hear his heartbeat at the very least.”
It didn’t surprise her. Josh reduced her to a woman, not a predator. As much as it shamed her to admit, she’d been too focused on loving her mate. Instinctually, she’d allowed all worries to fall to the side while in his arms. She gave him her trust, exactly as he’d demanded along with her body and heart.
He owned her and as such, her primal side expected his devotion and protection. Except, he couldn’t give her the safety a true shifter male could. He’d try. She knew that with certainty but as a human, he lacked the instincts to give her everything. The knowledge didn’t dim her love. She only had to remember it next time and protect him.
She turned away before Kade saw the depth of her affection for Josh in her eyes.
“Josh kept me focused on him, not what was happening outside.”
“You’re a predator. No amount of sex would override your instincts to protect yourself.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me, Mira. I need the truth so I can help you.”
“Fine. I’ll give you the truth, not that you’ll believe it.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Impossible or not, Josh is my mate.”
Kade’s gaze dropped to her belly. “He can’t be, Mira. Female shifters fuck humans all the time and nothing comes of it except a dedicated lover if the female chooses to keep her mortal.” He shifted his attention to her face. The harsh pride leader was back in charge. “You’re imagining things and allowing your desperate desire to keep the human to cloud your judgment.”
“I am not allowing anything to cloud my judgment.” Her anger rose faster than she could contain. Claws burst from her fingers. She stepped closer, invaded his personal space. “Did your little speech to Micah truly reflect your beliefs about females or was it for show?”
Like an alpha, he didn’t back down. Kade bent his head and held her gaze. “If you have to ask that, then you and I never really knew each other.”
His words hit her with the same force a palm across the cheek would have. She staggered back.
“You see, Mira? This is what I’m talking about.” He waved to encompass her vibrating body. “You’re not acting rational where Josh is concerned. It’s this kind of behavior that will make the vision a reality.”
“It’s not. I’m merely—”
“Defending your claim on him.” Kade sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Be realistic. No female has ever mated a human male. The gods, by their own spoken law, deemed it impossible. If you allow this to continue, I fear you’ll convince yourself that binding his soul to yours is what the prophecy implied.”
Her heart skipped a beat before pounding wildly. She’d never considered it but the possibility of it being true tempted her. Gods, what if that was what the goddess had meant with her blessing.
Kade grabbed her biceps and shook her hard. She blinked and his concerned eyes came into focus. “No, Mira, don’t go there. Do you hear me?”
