determined to
fight him. He decided to go at the problem sideways.
“Under the circumstances, don’t you think
it’s better if you stay close to home? What if this happened while
you were gone?”
Pressing her lips together, she groaned, the
sound so low human ears wouldn’t have picked it up.
“Oh, hell,” she muttered. “I’ll come up with
something. I can’t not work.”
“You won’t have to work, and believe me I
have plenty to keep you busy.”
She turned and glared at him. “I told you I
wouldn’t agree to this mate thing.”
He shrugged. “You’re going to give in
eventually, Calista. We’ve been building up to this for a long
time.” He lowered his voice and brushed up against her, knowing
Mathias and Sebastian would hear anyway, but not caring.
“After last night, you really think you can
hold out? Wouldn’t it be better just to give in? I, for one, will
be damned glad not to get pushed out of your bed in the middle of
the night.”
She paled, ground her teeth together and
stared straight ahead. He leaned over and kissed her temple. Soft,
gentle, just enough contact to feel the racing of her heart, the
sharp inhalation of breath.
“I liked you sleeping in my arms,” he
whispered, curious when her heart stuttered and then resumed a
rapid thumping. Her scent was not one of desire, but fear. Why did
sleeping with him scare her? The sex sure as hell didn’t. Did she
think it made her vulnerable? “Why does that scare you?”
She didn’t answer, just shook her head and
kept her gaze forward.
“I’ll get it out of you eventually,” he
added.
She remained silent, and he didn’t push her.
They flew for several hours eventually landing at dusk near New
Town. Phin had telegraphed ahead to make arrangements. They had
rooms for the night and horses. They left before sun up the next
morning and entered the Outlaw Territories before noon, a place
that rode a fine line between law and renegade, and everyone’s
guard went up. They found a secluded spot on the side of the road
and stopped long enough for Sebastian to dismount and strip.
Calista’s eyes widened when he shifted, wonder filled her gaze when
the huge weretiger disappeared into the woods. He’d scout out ahead
of them and warn them of any trouble further down the road.
“Isn’t it unusual to have different types of
shape shifters in one pack? In other cities its wolves or cats or
whatever.”
He shrugged. “New Atlanta is a special case,
you know that. It’s almost a frontier town. People come to us to
escape or hide or start over.”
“Hmm,” she responded, noncommittally.
“Dangerous. Aren’t you afraid someone will try to take it from
you?”
He slanted a questioning gaze at her. Had she
heard the rumors he might be challenged? That the pack was not as
secure in his grasp as it should have been? “Newcomers swear an
oath, and all weres in the city swear an oath when they reach
maturity.”
“So the rumor I heard at O’Malley’s last week
is false?”
He turned his head to see her watching him,
intent, focused. Worry flitted across her face, and he grinned. She
may have been fighting him all the way, but that meant she cared
didn’t it? “Worried about me, darlin’?”
Her eyes narrowed. Maybe at being called out,
but more likely at his evasion of the question. “Are you avoiding
the question?”
“Am I?”
She sighed, and there was a tinge of sadness
to her voice. “You make my point for me about the whole mate thing.
I could never have a husband that kept such important things from
me.”
Damn. He really didn’t want to get into all
this pack stuff now. She had enough to deal with.
“Someone might try.” Determination made his
voice hard, clipped.
Shock lit her eyes at the answer, then a
tentative smile stretched her lips. Her tongue darted out to
moisten them, and he suppressed a groan, his cock hardening at the
sight. Shifting awkwardly in the saddle, he willed the erection
away. That kind of
fight him. He decided to go at the problem sideways.
“Under the circumstances, don’t you think
it’s better if you stay close to home? What if this happened while
you were gone?”
Pressing her lips together, she groaned, the
sound so low human ears wouldn’t have picked it up.
“Oh, hell,” she muttered. “I’ll come up with
something. I can’t not work.”
“You won’t have to work, and believe me I
have plenty to keep you busy.”
She turned and glared at him. “I told you I
wouldn’t agree to this mate thing.”
He shrugged. “You’re going to give in
eventually, Calista. We’ve been building up to this for a long
time.” He lowered his voice and brushed up against her, knowing
Mathias and Sebastian would hear anyway, but not caring.
“After last night, you really think you can
hold out? Wouldn’t it be better just to give in? I, for one, will
be damned glad not to get pushed out of your bed in the middle of
the night.”
She paled, ground her teeth together and
stared straight ahead. He leaned over and kissed her temple. Soft,
gentle, just enough contact to feel the racing of her heart, the
sharp inhalation of breath.
“I liked you sleeping in my arms,” he
whispered, curious when her heart stuttered and then resumed a
rapid thumping. Her scent was not one of desire, but fear. Why did
sleeping with him scare her? The sex sure as hell didn’t. Did she
think it made her vulnerable? “Why does that scare you?”
She didn’t answer, just shook her head and
kept her gaze forward.
“I’ll get it out of you eventually,” he
added.
She remained silent, and he didn’t push her.
They flew for several hours eventually landing at dusk near New
Town. Phin had telegraphed ahead to make arrangements. They had
rooms for the night and horses. They left before sun up the next
morning and entered the Outlaw Territories before noon, a place
that rode a fine line between law and renegade, and everyone’s
guard went up. They found a secluded spot on the side of the road
and stopped long enough for Sebastian to dismount and strip.
Calista’s eyes widened when he shifted, wonder filled her gaze when
the huge weretiger disappeared into the woods. He’d scout out ahead
of them and warn them of any trouble further down the road.
“Isn’t it unusual to have different types of
shape shifters in one pack? In other cities its wolves or cats or
whatever.”
He shrugged. “New Atlanta is a special case,
you know that. It’s almost a frontier town. People come to us to
escape or hide or start over.”
“Hmm,” she responded, noncommittally.
“Dangerous. Aren’t you afraid someone will try to take it from
you?”
He slanted a questioning gaze at her. Had she
heard the rumors he might be challenged? That the pack was not as
secure in his grasp as it should have been? “Newcomers swear an
oath, and all weres in the city swear an oath when they reach
maturity.”
“So the rumor I heard at O’Malley’s last week
is false?”
He turned his head to see her watching him,
intent, focused. Worry flitted across her face, and he grinned. She
may have been fighting him all the way, but that meant she cared
didn’t it? “Worried about me, darlin’?”
Her eyes narrowed. Maybe at being called out,
but more likely at his evasion of the question. “Are you avoiding
the question?”
“Am I?”
She sighed, and there was a tinge of sadness
to her voice. “You make my point for me about the whole mate thing.
I could never have a husband that kept such important things from
me.”
Damn. He really didn’t want to get into all
this pack stuff now. She had enough to deal with.
“Someone might try.” Determination made his
voice hard, clipped.
Shock lit her eyes at the answer, then a
tentative smile stretched her lips. Her tongue darted out to
moisten them, and he suppressed a groan, his cock hardening at the
sight. Shifting awkwardly in the saddle, he willed the erection
away. That kind of
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