She gasped. “What?”
“I trust you really went through all that. It still doesn’t excuse what you did to my son.”
“I didn’t do anything to him! He mated with me. He didn’t even ask me if I wanted to.”
“How’s your lioness now?”
The sudden question threw her. She shook her head, trying to clear it, trying to gain her feet in what could only be described as the weirdest conversation ever. “She’s…much better. Nate explained she actually likes being mated. Something about her only wanting to dominate before?”
The Alpha nodded. “I’ve seen that in other lions before.”
“Really?” she couldn’t help but ask. “Everyone else thought I was crazy!”
“People will say that when they can’t understand something.”
“Huh, right.”
“Are you finished?” Nate appeared behind her, pushing her to the side so he could face his father. “Dad?”
“I am. I’m still not happy with this, Nathan, but I’ll let it go. See that the practice keeps running smoothly, all right?”
“It’s my job.”
“I know. You wanted this, son, so now you’re going to have to deal with it.”
Kellie watched the older man leave the room, the front door slamming shut only seconds later. Tension left her, and she started shaking. It didn’t stop when Nate’s arms wrapped around her.
He tucked her against him, his palm cupping the back of her head. She snuggled into his embrace and closed her eyes, wondering what the hell had just happened. Something clearly had, but she was too out of sorts to figure it out.
“Let’s go home, honey. You need to rest. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.” He dropped a soft kiss on her hair and pulled away from her.
They said their goodbyes to the other couple, Kellie avoiding their sharp glances as much as she could in the time it took her to step outside. They’d probably heard it all, knew her background now and all its sordid details. She cried out inwardly, wondering if she’d ever get to chat with Alexa again. She’d been so trusting earlier, so willing to accept her into this weird family of theirs. But now, it was all ruined.
“Shh. Don’t worry, baby.” Nate’s focus was on the road, but he was still thinking of her.
She forced a shaky smile and stared at the passing streets. Why had she moved here? Why?
* * * *
“No.” Her face a hardened mask, Kellie stared up at him.
“It’d make more sense, hon.”
“For you, maybe, but I just moved into this house, and I like it. I want to stay here.”
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on, you know we should live together. That’s what mated couples do.”
“You should have thought of that before you bonded us!”
Anger sparked inside him. “Is it so fucking bad being mated with me? Is it?”
She took a step back, almost as if he’d scared her. Fuck!
“Never mind. Don’t be late tomorrow morning.”
He slammed the front door shut behind him and strode to his car. He couldn’t believe she’d refused to move to his condo. It was so much more modern, and well, better. She lived in an old part of town, in one of those bungalows that were fashionable decades ago. It was cramped and only boasted one bedroom. Seriously, how could she prefer staying there to his state-of-the-art apartment?
I really don’t get women sometimes
, he commented inwardly as he sped off, his lion pacing inside him at the thought of spending the night away from his mate.
He didn’t want to go back to his empty home, so instead he took the next right and found a parking space in front of Sam’s. Heads turned as he entered the bar, but he ignored them and grabbed a stool next to the one man he knew wouldn’t give him grief.
“Heard you got into it with Dad tonight,” his other older brother said, his eyes never leaving the TV screen opposite them.
Nathan nodded at the bartender and waited for the beer to be plopped in front of him. He stared at the foam sliding down the glass and sighed. “I see the Pride’s rumor mill hasn’t changed.”
“Nothing here ever changes; you know that,” Andy replied, his tone dark. As dark as the ever-present look on his face. “Are you okay, kid?”
Nate rolled his eyes. He hadn’t been a kid for years, was only a few years younger than Andy for that matter, but the other man did whatever he wanted and always had. Nothing Nathan said would make him call him anything else. Considering his brother was also the Pride Enforcer, taller and wider than most men, he’d gotten too used to getting his way all the time. He was still Nate’s brother though, and Nathan knew he cared. Hence why he simply said, “I’ll be fine. I just need to work on her.”
“On her or on Dad?”
“Both, I guess,” he replied before taking a long gulp of his draft beer. The tangy taste was exactly what he needed. Oh, the alcohol would barely give him a buzz. As a dominant shifter, it’d take him at least a dozen beers to feel anything remotely like a hangover. And a weak one, at that.
His lion paced inside him, the mating frenzy pushing at him. He wanted nothing more than to go back to her house. He’d tie her to the bed and have his way with her, make her see reason, push his cock so deep inside her he wouldn’t know where he began and she ended.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.
“Drink your beer and leave, Nate. You’re going to get everyone in here in trouble if you don’t control yourself.”
He growled. “I can’t control it, damn it! You know that. Hell, haven’t you been mated before?”
Andy’s gaze wavered, and Nathan realized what he’d just said. “Shit. Sorry, bro, I didn’t mean it.”
“It’s okay.” His brother turned back to the screen, his hands clenched around the edge of the bar.
He was good for nothing tonight, Nate thought. He’d even managed to hurt his immovable brother. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, he drained his glass and after a slap on Andy’s shoulder, made his way out. He sat in his car for long minutes, wondering what to do next. He should really go home, but he couldn’t seem to take himself there. His lion was now brushing against his insides, indicating clearly what he wanted him to do.
Kellie
. He had to go to her. He just had to.
Hoping she was in a better mood than earlier, he turned the key in the ignition and put the car into Drive. Even if she wasn’t though, it didn’t matter. It was his prerogative to make her happy. She was his mate after all. He’d listen to her and work on being the man she needed.
God, he had it bad.
Chapter Twelve
Kellie had just stepped into her bedroom when her lioness roared inside her. It’d been so long since she’d misbehaved, it took Kellie a little while to react. Too long, as it turned out. Something slammed into her back, propelling her forward. Her fall was broken by the bed, but by the time she’d bounced up then down, someone had managed to grab her hands. Her hair in her eyes, she struggled, writhed as much as she could, but a knee on her back held her down.
“Get off me!” she growled, rocking her hips, trying to dislodge the intruder.
“You don’t want that. I know you don’t. You want me, Kellie mine.”
She stilled. A woman’s voice? Oh no. “Jane?” she ventured, earning herself a little chuckle. Someone patted her on the butt.
“Yes, it’s me. I knew you would recognize me, baby. You were waiting for me, weren’t you? But don’t worry. I’m here now.” The woman slid down her back, but only to grab her legs and tie them. Before she could react, Kellie found herself with her hands and ankles cuffed to the bed posts. She pulled, but the thin plastic wires cut into her skin, making her gasp. Who’d have thought someone so small could overpower her?
Shit!
Kellie cursed inwardly. She’d gotten distracted, and now, she was lying there with no way of getting out. What the hell was Jane doing here? She’d behaved strangely before, true, but this was way worse. “What are you doing?”
“I know a way of getting you rid of that bond, baby. Just let me do everything.”
Crap!
“What are you going to do? Is it going to hurt?” She forced her voice to shake. Not that she wasn’t scared, but Jane was nothing compared to the men in her home Pride. They’d tortured her for weeks on end, and she’d endured it all. She’d emerged stronger, too. Yes, she had. Her lioness growled in agreement inside her, giving her strength.
“It might, but I know how strong you are. I heard you earlier, Kellie dear. I was so proud of you when you told him you wouldn’t live with him. I knew then you really didn’t love him. He’s a man, after all. He’ll control you and tell you what to do with your life, but you don’t want that. You want me, don’t you?”
Kellie froze, unsure of what to say. Should she play along? Would that help? She couldn’t count on anyone but herself, after all. She’d angered Nate tonight, so much so that he’d actually left without trying to talk it through. It hurt to know it had been her fault. She’d pushed him, and he’d left without a backward glance. Without even a kiss, or a promise to call her later. God, she was screwed up.
“My lioness likes women,” she finally said, knowing the other woman would be able to smell the truth for what it was.
“Does she? I’m sure you’re gorgeous in your animal form. I can’t wait to play with you,” Jane added in a breathy murmur.
Hands grabbed Kellie’s hips from behind, only moments before they slid up under her shirt. She tensed and gritted her teeth, knowing she couldn’t act as if she hated the woman’s touch on her. She couldn’t anger her, couldn’t do anything but lie there and take it all. Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore the way Jane was opening the back clasp of her bra. Instead, Kellie concentrated on her memories of the night before. Nathan in her bed, a teasing smile on his lips as he bent his head and licked at her nipple.
Harsh fingers slipped under her, a slight weight creeping up her body. Jane was making herself comfortable, half-lying on her as if she had every right to.
No!
Kellie thought with a curse.
Think of Nathan instead.
He was everything she’d never thought she’d find. He was the perfect mate. No, he wasn’t perfect, not really, but he was close. So why had she gone off on him earlier? He’d be here now, and none of this would have happened.
“You’re mine,” Jane whispered in her right ear just as she twisted Kellie’s nipples, left then right.
It hurt, but Kellie didn’t react. She forced herself to stay still. She was tied, and she knew, she just knew, the other woman planned on raping her. Maybe Jane really thought they were supposed to be together. Maybe she was delusional or plain crazy. That still didn’t make it right.
Nathan…
Kellie began chanting his name inwardly. He was her mate. He’d made sure of that. Please God, don’t let him push her away once he learned what Jane had done. Please God, don’t let him hate her because she’d been too weak to fight Jane off. Please God, let him love her.
She would just forget this night ever happened. She’d be the best mate Nate could ever have; even their Alpha would be proud of her. He would, she promised it.
Nathan…
* * * *
Nate looked at his mate’s bedroom window and stilled to a stop when he noticed someone move past the curtains. That hadn’t been Kellie. He knew her body by heart now.
There was someone else there, someone who wasn’t him. Someone who was in her room at night. Alone. With her.
Pain slashed through him, as he stepped closer. His lion pushed to the forefront, roaring his displeasure when he breathed in the scent of an unmated female. He frowned. He knew that smell. He knew it. “That fucking woman!”
He couldn’t believe Kellie would cheat on him so damn fast. They’d only been together for days, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself from sleeping with another woman? He knew he’d quieted her lioness, so she had no freaking excuse!
Had she been lying all this time? Was everything a hoax? Maybe his dad had been right, and she’d cornered him into mating with her, landing one of the Alpha’s sons while she was at it.
“I’ve been so fucking stupid,” he muttered under his breath.
Anger already reddening his vision, he turned to leave then he thought he heard her call out his name. He froze and cocked his head to the side. Had he dreamed it?
“I’m losing my mind now, too. Fuck!”
Nathan. Nathan. Nathan.
He whirled around, already moving closer to the window. Something was going on, and he intended to find out what. Now. Even if it meant walking in on them having sex. His lion hissed inside him, but he shut him up. His first priority was making sure his mate was fine.
Sweat gliding down his back, he paused right outside the window and listened in. He couldn’t hear Kellie, but he could hear the other woman’s voice. It was too low for him to decipher what she was saying, but it didn’t stop him. Instead, it spurred him on. Rounding the house, he pushed open the back door and hurried through the house, only pausing when he stood right outside the bedroom.