“I’m here whatever time you need me.Check in, okay?Don’t leave me hanging.I was really worried about you.”
Touched and feeling guilty at the same time, her voice was hoarse with emotion as she whispered, “I’m sorry, Persia.I really didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“That’s okay,” came the perky reply.“You have hot monkey sex and wish for a guy for me, huh?”
El smirked.“Sure.Speak soon.”
Cutting the call, she placed the phone against her mouth as she looked out onto the grounds.The area was half-spotlit, which meant she could see the Lions in the dark, but for the most part could see only shadows.
They were cats that turned into humans.
And there were three of them downstairs who claimed she was theirs.
The notion of going down there right now, of talking to them, was more than she could handle.The revelation that she felt safe here was enough to have her scurrying back to the bed and taking comfort within the warm embrace of the sheets.
Tomorrow, she’d be braver.Tomorrow was another day.
Still, she whispered under her breath, “Chicken shit,” before she forced herself to close her eyes and meditated until she fell asleep.
The day dawned earlyfor Trip.He wasn’t an early bird; if anything, he preferred the nights.It was when he got most of his work finished, and the peace of the evening helped him accomplish more.
Daytime was busy in the lodge.Mostly because everyone wanted a piece of Ryan, and if they couldn’t get it, then they had no trouble in disturbing him or Marcus in Ryan’s stead.Well, that was if they were awake.
Normally, at this time, he’d be asleep but sleep hadn’t been easy in coming these last few nights.
Knowledge that his mate was in his home had disturbed his beast, and the Lion had been fighting him the night through.When light had spilled across the sky, he’d decided that a run was the only thing that would calm the animal down, and so he shifted and hared off, exploring the grounds and trying to forget that his woman was in the lodge.
Impossible, maybe, but still the run did him good.
He didn’t shift enough.Too busy behind his computers to take a moment for himself.It wasn’t right, as Marcus so often informed him, and for the first time he knew his Triad brother was correct.
His Lion needed this.Needed to lope through their territory.Needed to stake his claim on their land.
Letting out a roar that reverberated around their acres of back yard, he took off at a pace that made him wish they kept gazelles for hunting.His Lion concurred but the local council wouldn’t approve.
Humans were such nitpicking fools, sometimes.
With the wind bristling through his mane, and the knowledge that he might be seeing his mate at some point that morning, he felt alive.So much so, when the lodge appeared in the horizon, he didn’t slow down.With the pool in the near distance, he leapt high, and while in the air, shifted, curled in a ball, then divebombed into the water.
Letting loose a holler as he did, he came up laughing.Spluttering too, but it was worth it.
“You nearly broke your neck.”
The words didn’t dampen his spirit.If anything, they sent shockwaves through him.For the past two days, she’d been hiding out in the bedroom they’d allotted her.Only Marc had been ‘allowed’ in for visits—even then, only for food.
He peered around the pool’s perimeter for the sight of her, and saw her huddled against a column, nearly hugging the damn thing as she watched him in the water.
Dressed in one of his shirts, and scenting strongly of Marc, he frowned at the way she was standing.Not liking that she looked scared.
“But I didn’t, did I?”he said softly, countering her dampening words with a huge grin.
Her lower lip quivered.“You scared me, and I don’t know why.”
“Because I’m yours,” he said after a few stunned seconds had passed as he processed her statement.
“Is that it?”she asked, more to herself than him he thought.“Is that why I want to cry?”
He gulped as guilt speared him right in the chest.“I’m sorry, El.I never meant to frighten you.I didn’t even know you were there.”
