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Authors: Miranda Stowe
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Dane’s emotions with him.
She glanced at the door shielding him from her view. She felt closer to him than she’d ever felt to anyone. They really were bound together. Ari bit her lip, not so sure she wanted to sever the tie. She’d been linked to him her entire life; what would happen if that stopped?
The shower water in the bathroom continued to run. She crawled off the mattress with shaking legs and purposely left her abandoned panties on the bed for Dane to find when he finished his shower and exited the lavatory.
He might want to break their connection, but she was no longer convinced it was the best path. Unknowingly sharing a life source with him for twenty-five years told her he was a male of worth; she could feel his merit deep in her chest. Spending an hour in his company said he was a male of sensual pleasures.
Honestly, it was everything she’d ever wanted in a mate. And here, she’d had him the entire time. Her face lit with pleasure. Well, that certainly cut out a lot of useless dating and searching through all the toads for her perfect dream shifter.
As she entered the hall, however, she spotted her father leaning his forehead against his own closed bedroom door, and her smile faltered.
“Jaycee.” His pleading voice cracked and he pressed his palm to the wooden panel. “Please try to understand. I did it for Ari. For our daughter.”
When no muffled response came, Ari winced. She and her mother both knew how much the silent treatment bothered Knox. With a sigh, she approached. “Daddy? I need to borrow some of your clothes for Dane to wear.”
He jumped as if her catching him at such a weak moment mortified him. But when he spun her way, a scowl marred his face. “What the hell ever! That cub’s not getting shit from me.”
He started to rage on, but the door to his bedroom opened. Jaycee barely spent a moment to glare at him before she thrust an outfit into his chest, making him ‘oomph.’ Then the door slammed back in his face.
For a moment, Ari thought her father was going to burst into tears. Then he knotted his jaw and silently handed the wad of clothes to her. She thanked him with a quiet nod, knowing better than to make any kind of audible comment. Hurrying back into her room, she set the clothes on the floor in front of the bathroom door, just as she heard the shower inside shut off. Straightening, she hurried away, backing from the room.
“So that’s it, then,” Knox rumbled from behind her, sounding pissed. “You’re just going to accept this forced bond without a fuss and let him do whatever he likes with your life?”
She whirled around and frowned, setting her hands on her hips.
His nose twitched. “I’m not stupid, Ari. I could smell both your releases. You fucked him. In my house.”
She flushed. Being a full-blooded shifter, her father had no qualms or modesty about such subjects. But still… She was half-human, and this conversation was uber -uncomfortable. “We stopped,” she mumbled, feeling lame. “And finished ourselves… by ourselves.”
He arched a brow, letting her know good and well he realized exactly why they’d stopped; because he had intervened. “So you’re not going to stay with him?” he asked, sounding skeptical.
“No. I’m not,” she lied. In truth, she had no idea what the future held, because if Dane intimated even once he’d like to remain bonded, she’d be his…in a heartbeat. In their shared heartbeat. She cleared her throat, unable to meet her father’s gaze. “Dane has a plan to break the bond. That’s why he came to find me.”
Knox arched a curious brow. “Oh, really? And how does he plan to break a mated bond?”
Again, she blushed and shoved a dark lock of hair behind her ear. “The mechanics of it aren’t really important. But the fact remains, he realized we both need to be free of each other so we can go on with our lives. And he’s here, determined to accomplish just that.”
When Knox didn’t look
She glanced at the door shielding him from her view. She felt closer to him than she’d ever felt to anyone. They really were bound together. Ari bit her lip, not so sure she wanted to sever the tie. She’d been linked to him her entire life; what would happen if that stopped?
The shower water in the bathroom continued to run. She crawled off the mattress with shaking legs and purposely left her abandoned panties on the bed for Dane to find when he finished his shower and exited the lavatory.
He might want to break their connection, but she was no longer convinced it was the best path. Unknowingly sharing a life source with him for twenty-five years told her he was a male of worth; she could feel his merit deep in her chest. Spending an hour in his company said he was a male of sensual pleasures.
Honestly, it was everything she’d ever wanted in a mate. And here, she’d had him the entire time. Her face lit with pleasure. Well, that certainly cut out a lot of useless dating and searching through all the toads for her perfect dream shifter.
As she entered the hall, however, she spotted her father leaning his forehead against his own closed bedroom door, and her smile faltered.
“Jaycee.” His pleading voice cracked and he pressed his palm to the wooden panel. “Please try to understand. I did it for Ari. For our daughter.”
When no muffled response came, Ari winced. She and her mother both knew how much the silent treatment bothered Knox. With a sigh, she approached. “Daddy? I need to borrow some of your clothes for Dane to wear.”
He jumped as if her catching him at such a weak moment mortified him. But when he spun her way, a scowl marred his face. “What the hell ever! That cub’s not getting shit from me.”
He started to rage on, but the door to his bedroom opened. Jaycee barely spent a moment to glare at him before she thrust an outfit into his chest, making him ‘oomph.’ Then the door slammed back in his face.
For a moment, Ari thought her father was going to burst into tears. Then he knotted his jaw and silently handed the wad of clothes to her. She thanked him with a quiet nod, knowing better than to make any kind of audible comment. Hurrying back into her room, she set the clothes on the floor in front of the bathroom door, just as she heard the shower inside shut off. Straightening, she hurried away, backing from the room.
“So that’s it, then,” Knox rumbled from behind her, sounding pissed. “You’re just going to accept this forced bond without a fuss and let him do whatever he likes with your life?”
She whirled around and frowned, setting her hands on her hips.
His nose twitched. “I’m not stupid, Ari. I could smell both your releases. You fucked him. In my house.”
She flushed. Being a full-blooded shifter, her father had no qualms or modesty about such subjects. But still… She was half-human, and this conversation was uber -uncomfortable. “We stopped,” she mumbled, feeling lame. “And finished ourselves… by ourselves.”
He arched a brow, letting her know good and well he realized exactly why they’d stopped; because he had intervened. “So you’re not going to stay with him?” he asked, sounding skeptical.
“No. I’m not,” she lied. In truth, she had no idea what the future held, because if Dane intimated even once he’d like to remain bonded, she’d be his…in a heartbeat. In their shared heartbeat. She cleared her throat, unable to meet her father’s gaze. “Dane has a plan to break the bond. That’s why he came to find me.”
Knox arched a curious brow. “Oh, really? And how does he plan to break a mated bond?”
Again, she blushed and shoved a dark lock of hair behind her ear. “The mechanics of it aren’t really important. But the fact remains, he realized we both need to be free of each other so we can go on with our lives. And he’s here, determined to accomplish just that.”
When Knox didn’t look
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