She started forward, her short legs moving briskly.“Please let me be on my way, I’m tired and I just want to go home.”
“Wait,” Cam made to reach for her but she pulled back.
“Do not make me yellfire,” she warned.“As you pointed out it’s New York City.And in a place where buildings are literally stacked on top of each other, we take the ‘f’ word very seriously.”
Cam held his hands up and took a step back.“Noted.But we’re not going to hurt you.We noticed those guys bothering you and want to help.”
“I don’t need help,” Lola said as she continued walking.“Thanks for being a concerned citizen, or whatever, but I’m good.Great actually.Bye.Have a great day.”She kept walking, not bothering to look over her shoulder.“Have a great day?Lola?Seriously?”she muttered as she kept walking.But she didn’t go home.That’s the last thing she needed, to lead those two nut-jobs to her apartment.She made a right, three blocks down, and then a left, heading for a coffee shop.She’d caffeinate herself up and make her thoroughly shaken up nerves, even more so.Lola sent a quick text to Katy and Maddie letting them know she was going to grab a coffee and would text them when she got home.
When she reached the coffee shop, she hurried inside.She could feel eyes on her again and she knew it was the eyes of her stalker.It was as if her body was in tune to him.How?Hell if she knew.How was it that Tag had a forked tongue and Cam had scales on his face?Nothing made sense and she was too frustrated to attempt to figure it out.So instead she got a delicious caffeinated drink and plopped her butt in a chair that faced the entire coffee shop and a wall at her back.Lola leaned back in her chair and tried to relax.When hell freezes over,she thought as she sipped her drink.
“She’s being watched,” Cam said as he sat in the black SUV a block down fromNo Name Pizzeria.
“There hasss to be a minute when she’sss alone,” Azure, the King of his kingdom, hissed.
Cam knew he’d be pissed, but short of taking theanimusfemale in front of any of the Kingdom of Claws cats, there’d been no way they could snatch her.
“It’s not just the Shaman that’s watching her,” he gritted out.“She’s got the attention of Callon.We managed to talk to her outside of her place of work but I could feel the damn cat’s eyes.I’m surprised he didn’t confront us.”The rage rolling off the Kingdom of Claws Prince had been palpable.
There was a low humming sound from the other end of the phone and Cam knew his King’s hood was probably fully open.As a king cobra shifter, even his mid-shift was scary as hell.“The Prince wants to claim her.”
“He’s never wanted a mate,” Cam argued.“It’s been the talk of many kingdoms.They all are waiting for Taras to die so that the Kingdom of Claws will weaken under the rule of an unmated ruler.”
“You underestimate the appeal of ananimusonce a male has found one he wants.Even something as ridiculous as a bias towards another species cannot compete against our natural instinct to find a mate.”Cam would argue with the King of Venom simply because he seemed to be a heartless bastard, but even he had a mate.He practically worshiped his Queen though she was just as twisted as their King.Maybe that’s what made it work between them.Maybe it was why they were drawn to one another.
“Well, whatever he’s decided, he’s glued to her ass,” Cam said with a hiss of frustration, running his hand over his spiked hair.His scales were showing when he dropped his arm.Though a human wouldn’t see it thanks to the glamour of their kind.
“I want her,” Azure said.“I have a buyer who is paying a fortune for her.”
“What’s so special about her?”Cam could admit she was beautiful with her unusual skin and striking multi-colored red hair.Yes, she was definitely ananimus, but other than that, he couldn’t pick up on anything that set her apart from any otheranimi.
“All are ssspecial,” Azure snapped.“We haven’t been finding near as many as we did six months ago.Every singleanimuswe get means mates for us or money.Both of which mean power.”
Cam didn’t need the reminder of how important mates were.He’d been waiting for over a century for his own mate.None of the females they’d retrieved over the years had caught his attention.Once they realized the female had to actually love the male in order to unbind the magic that kept them from being able to shift, they could no longer have what essentially equated to arranged matings.
“Continue to pursue the female,” his King continued.“Just because Callon has chosen her doesn’t mean she will choose him.”
And wasn’t that the kick in the balls?A male could fall for a female, and yet, she could turn to another and he’d be wondering if he’d ever feel that way again with his beast locked tightly away.He could feel his own snake beneath his flesh.“As you wish,” he answered.
Azure ended the call and Cam leaned his head back against the headrest.The door opened and Link slid into the passenger seat.The Shaman’s face was pinched as his swirling, silver eyes brimmed with barely contained rage.
“What’s your problem?”Cam asked.
“I did what you asked and distracted the KOC Shaman and cat in the pizzeria.”His jaw clenched tightly.“You owe me some answers.Why are we here?”Link asked as he shifted in his seat so he could look at Cam directly.
“I think that’s pretty obvious.”Cam pinched the bridge of his nose.Though Link was a Shaman, he was the Shaman assigned to the Kingdom of Venom and therefore had some loyalty to them.Although, his duty would always come to his oath to Visata first.Just like the other Shaman.“Word of Lola got around quickly.”He glanced out the window.Humans scurried about rushing to wherever it was they needed to be, barely paying enough attention to keep from getting hit by a taxi or city bus.
News of an animi could never stay hidden because there were other Damarian in another’s territory all the time.It was a part of the peace treaty the Shaman put in place when they came to this realm eons ago.Segregation bred distrust and dislike, and so they didn’t want to keep kingdoms from interacting with one another freely.There were, however, rules.Which considering they were predators, was a good idea.
“We’ve been here for three weeks.We’ve been in the pizza place twice,” Link said.“It’s obvious the Kingdom of Claws Prince has taken a shine to her.Considering we’re in their territory, it isusthat needs to back down.If she doesn’t want him, that news will travel just as fast as the news of her being found, and we can be back to try and—”
“We talked to her,” Cam interrupted as Tag climbed into the back seat.“That’s why I texted you to come and distract the cats.We just needed to talk to her and get a sense of how she feels.Is she really as standoffish about males or is it a front?”
“She’s gone to a coffee shop,” Tag spoke up.“Callon is tailing her.He was torn between following me or staying with her.”He chuckled.“I almost tempted him, but he’s damn protective of her.”
“We need to go back to our territory,” Link said with an exhausted sigh.“I’ve been called in for a meeting.And I’m not leaving you two here with Callon on edge.You both seem to suddenly have a death wish.”
Cam gripped the steering wheel tightly.He couldn’t say no to Link if the Shaman had called a meeting.It would be suspicious, and despite Cam’s own loyalty, he didn’t want Link getting caught in the crossfire of what the Azure was doing.Not that he could stop it.He was just as desperate for a mate as the other males in his kingdom.And there were so fewanimi.It seemed like Visata was working against them.But why?
