"Bane is fully shifted, which means he has found his mate.Are you jealous of him?"Her frown deepened as an accusation crossed her face."Or do beastwalkers behave like human males and cheat on their mates, too?"
Callon's body tensed with barely suppressed rage at the suggestion as he whirled around and stalked away from Lola.The emotions rolling through him threatened to overflow and overwhelm him.His response to her from the get-go had been intense, and with the depth of his feeling for her, his nerves were stretched to the breaking point.
“Mates are not unfaithful,” he told her.
“Then why are you acting jealous of a guy who’s already taken?”she challenged.
Callon forced himself to get a grip.Lola was his mate.She bore the proof on her flesh.The changes in himself and his beast, just from being around her, solidified this.Still, he had this ridiculous need to prove to her– and everyone they came in contact with– that she belonged to him, but Callon didn’t have to act on the instinct.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been to the estate, Callon,” a deep voice said from behind him.“I’d be happy to show Lola around for you if you’ve forgotten the way.”
Lola clucked her tongue.“You’re a bad kitty.I’m going to go out on a limb and say you must be Bane.”
Callon hadn’t allowed himself to turn around.He wasn’t sure that once his eye landed on Bane, he wouldn’t rip the fool’s throat out.
“And I’m just basing my guess off of some very loose logic considering I don’t know you,” Lola continued, “First, you’re shirtless, and soaking wet, though looking way too happy for a wet cat.Second, obviously you have more beauty than brains.Only a half-baked, dim-witted kitty would think it wise to provoke the guy who so clearly wants to dismember you.”
“Why is that so clear?”Bane asked, his voice even and seemingly unbothered by Lola’s words.
“I can feel the rage coming off of him and it’s not directed at me,” she said.
Callon turned just enough to see Lola.Simultaneously, his eyes landed on her face and her hand wrapped around his wrist.Immediately, Callon felt peace rush into his body.His frazzled nerves immediately calmed.The tense muscles that had been strung tighter than a bow were, all at once, relaxed.Callon’s lungs expanded as he took in a deep breath, drawing in Lola’s sweet, familiar scent.She grounded him.Seconds ago he’d been ready to do as she said, and tear Bane limb-from-limb.But now?Now, he’d settle for just the hand that was currently held out towards Lola, waiting for her to take it.Yes, that hand will do just nicely,the beast said cooly as Callon pulled Lola to him until her back was pressed against his chest and they both faced Bane.
“Why are you here, Bane?”Callon asked the black panther.
“I washed your car,” the male responded with his arms held out wide as if to emphasize the water running down his arms and torso.“I came to let you know it was done.When I saw you hadn’t made it very far into the building, I realized that maybe you’d forgotten your way around.”
“We’ve been inside this house all of four minutes,” Lola spoke before Callon could.“There’s no way you washed his entire car.”
“It was more of a quick rinse,” Bane said with a bland shrug though his gaze remained trained on Lola.“He’s always been a tad dramatic—”
“Enough,” Callon snarled.“Lola is mine.I am sorry for the pain you’ve endured and for how you must endure in this life.But we take the good with the bad, and we praise Visata in both scenarios.Do not provoke me any further.Leave for the day and come back this evening once I am gone.”
Bane’s eyes narrowed to thin slits as he glared at Callon.The other male was dismissed.Though it was what Callon’s intentions had been, he didn’t take pleasure in reminding the male of his circumstances.After several heart beats, Bane cleared his throat, took a step back and bowed his head.“Of course, my apologies.”He turned on his heel, and walked briskly out of the room.
“Okay, that was weird.I’m guessing there’s a bit more going on than I realized,” Lola said as she tried to pull out of his arms.
“Not yet,” Callon said as he leaned forward and buried his face in her hair.“Just one second.”He took slow, deep breaths, letting her scent saturate every part of him.
“Are you okay?”Lola asked as she rested one of her hands on top of his, which was wrapped around her waist.
Callon took one more breath before nodding his head and quickly pulling away from her, though he made sure she was steady before releasing her.He took a few steps back and looked at her.Damn, she was beautiful.Her lovely, two-tone skin was flushed and her bottom lip was swollen from where she’d been biting it.
“Callon?”
He cleared his throat.“Yes,Sazzi,” he finally said.“I’m fine.Just a lot of emotions I’m not used to.”He angled his head to the side as he looked at her.“What did you mean you can feel the rage coming off of me?”
Katy slipped the phone into her back pocket as she turned to head into the dining room of NNP.
“You know where she is.”
Her hand, which had been out stretched ready to push the swinging door open, dropped to her side.Katy didn’t scare easily and she wasn’t about to start today, even if the man she thought she knew was suddenly a stranger.
“Antonio,” she said as she turned to face him.“You know Lola only sees you as a friend.Let it go.”Katy’s eyes widened briefly as she took in his frazzled state.Antonio was typically impeccably dressed and put together.He’d been in only an hour ago, and while he’d looked a little ruffled around the edges, it wasn’t anything like now.
Antonio’s dark dress shirt was untucked, his hair a wind-blown mess and even his dress shoes were untied.He looked like a child who’d been forced into nice clothing, then gone and thrown a fit about it.
“I can’t let it go,” he said as he ran a hand down his tired-looking face.
