Callon used one hand to gently push Lola to the right of him, away from Bane, and out of danger from the claws he swiped out at Roan.
Roan’s silver eyes swirled dangerously."Dammit, Callon Leo, think!She will heal you and you her.She will bear your young, maleandfemale.She will give you a daughter.She will love you asnomate ever could.But if you kill anyone in this room, she will never forgive you."
Red-hot anger that flooded Callon's mind, completely blocked out any and all sense of reason.A gentle touch on his arm, the maelstrom dissipated.He turned to behold the female who had held his gaze since the moment he laid eyes on her.He raised his hand and she flinched away.His heart stopped as he realized what he must have done– had his rage caused him to harm his female?As he sank to his knees, guilt overwhelmed him– he didn't even remember pushing her away.But it was obvious by the anguish rolling off of her that he’d done something to cause that.Had he really put a violent hand on her?
"No,"she said, her voice just a whisper."You would never hit me.But you did hurt me."
Callon heard movement around them, but he couldn't take his eyes off of hisSazzi.
"Lola, we're going to the kitchen, and I think Thing One and Thing Two are going to make their exit quickly," one of the females said."If your parents are awake we will let them know that a crazy, lion man is trying to make female babies with you."
There was the sound of a door clicking closed, and movement behind him, but his eyes stayed locked on her pale-green eyes.Callon felt his beast calming, the shifting parts of him return to normal.The sharp teeth that pressed over his lips, the broadened nose, and fur that covered him, all disappeared until he was just a man.As the animal receded, the memories flooded him like a tsunami.“What have I done?”he whispered as he felt his heart pound painfully in his chest.“Lola, what have I done?”
“Do you think we should stay next to her door, just in case?”Katy asked as she glanced back down the hall where they’d just come from.
“Just in case, what?”Maddie frowned.“Do you seriously think he would hurt her?And even if he got all crazy, what the heck could we do?That lamp would probably feel like a fly bouncing off of him.”She shook her head.
“No,” Katy shook her head.“I don’t think he’d hurt her.”
Maddie flopped down onto the couch and looked around as if Andi and Rick would jump out and say, ‘Boo!’“Looks like her parents didn’t wake up.”
“They must sleep like the dead,” Katy pointed out.
Maddie sighed as she recounted in her mind everything Lola had told them, and the proof of her words came out only moments later.
Katy rubbed her forehead and groaned.“Can you believe tonight?I mean, she’s been holding onto the fact that Callon stalked her, and then he dropped the supernatural bomb on her.”
“Not to mention she went off by herself with said lion-shifter-stalker,” Maddie pointed out.“I mean, didn’t we teach her better than that?”
“We must have failed somewhere along the way,” Katy said as she leaned forward and pulled off her work shirt.“I wonder if the smell of pizza is overwhelming to them.”She folded the shirt, tossed it on the coffee table, and then straightened the red tank top she wore underneath.“You know, like super senses since they’re part animal?”
Maddie took her shirt off as well, wearing a grey tank.They usually changed out of their shirts at NNP after their shift.But tonight they’d practically pulled Lola out the door, too eager to find out what was up to worry about their shirts and smelling like pizza.After tossing hers next to Katy’s, Maddie leaned back and turned facing her friend, her leg up resting on the couch.“Your tattoo looks kick ass,” she grinned as she looked at the black wolf on Katy’s shoulder.
Katy glanced down at it.She reached up and ran fingers across it.“It does look good.”
Maddie tilted her head as she watched her friend.“Why do you sound sad about it?”
Katy looked up, her face suddenly clear of the melancholy that had been there.“I’m not sad.Why would I be sad about a beautiful tattoo?”
“Maybe you regret getting it?”Maddie offered.
“No,” Katy denied.“I just,” she struggled with what she wanted to say.
“Katy,” Maddie nudged her leg.“Come on, it’s me.Not to mention nothing could surprise me at this point.”She motioned to the hall that led to Lola’s bedroom.
“True,” Katy said as she blew out a breath, puffing out her cheeks.“Okay, here goes.I think I’ve seen it–”
She was cut off by a knock at the door.A loud knock.
“Dammit,” Katy jumped up and made a dash for the door.Maddie was right behind her.
“Who the hell is knocking on Lola’s door this freaking late?”Maddie asked.
“I don’t know,” Katy said as she turned the deadbolt, “but it was so dang loud.We’d be lucky if they didn’t wake up Rick and Andi.”She jerked the door open to find three frowning males.
“Seriously?”Katy and Maddie said at the same time.
“Since when do thugs show up at Lola’s house in the middle of the night, Katy?”Antonio asked.He stood on the far right side with Roan in the middle and Bane on the left.The two supernatural guys looked huge compared to Antonio.But Sal’s son didn’t seem intimidated in the least.
