“No.” Leonie was quiet for a moment. “When we…when I felt you in my mind, my lioness freaked out. She kept saying we weren’t ready. Somehow, she managed to reach out to the eagle, and yank it out of Lola and into me. I think my lioness was trying to stop the mate bond.”
And it worked.
He wasn’t about to say that to Leonie. He didn’t need to do so anyway. She could sense that for herself.
Leonie sighed. “It’s likely to be a while before we hear anything. We might as well try to get some rest. Stay with me?”
He settled her down on the bed, wrapping his body around hers. “Always.”
Leonie didn’t speak for a while, though he could tell she wasn’t falling asleep. He held her close, her fingers twined through his.
“Shan?” she said at last, very quietly. “What if this keeps happening?”
He tightened his grip. “Then we’ll deal with it. Together.”
“Okay.” Her heartbeat was slowing at last. “Shan?”
“Yes?”
“You aren’t disappointed, are you?”
He kissed the back of her neck. “No. Rest. I’ll wake you if there’s any news.”
It took a while, but eventually the exhaustion of her body overwhelmed her. Leonie fell into an uneasy, restless sleep, curled up against his chest. He stayed awake, holding her as she twitched and muttered.
Feeling the slow, inevitable shift creep up his hands. Tryingnotto feel the darkness seeping up from the bottom of his soul. Building the wall across his mind higher, thicker, shutting it out.
His mate was in distress.
And his monster…washappy.
CHAPTER 30
The call came a little after eight in the morning. By then, Leonie had been awake for hours, pacing round her cabin, her phone clutched in both hands. When it finally rang, she answered so fast, she almost cracked the screen.
“Shit, Catbutt,” said a familiar, amused voice in her ear. “If you wanted me to visit that badly, you could have just said.”
Leonie could have cried in relief. She sank back onto the bed, knees refusing to support her. “You’re okay?”
“I didn’t even wake up. It was bloody confusing, waking up to find the eagle had fucked off. I thought I was going to have to call you to confess that I’d somehow lost the thing. Worst fifteen minutes of my life.”
Shan was looking at her, a question in his eyes. She gave him a thumbs up, and his taut shoulders relaxed at last. Without her having to ask, he quietly left the cabin, so she could speak to her sister in private.
“Did Conleth find you?” she asked Lola.
“Yeah, he crashed into our camp while I was still freaking out over what I was going to tell you. He explained what wasgoing on.” Lola snickered. “And then passed out. Faceplanted right into the dirt before any of us could catch him.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’ll be fine. Connor flew him to the nearest hotel. And gave him shit all the way, I bet. Poor Conleth isnevergoing to live that down.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “I suppose it must be a bit strange, riding your own sibling.”
“Damn straight. I’m glad I’ve never had to get up on your back. Much as I love you.”
“You’re not angry?”
“What, with you?” Lola sounded genuinely baffled. “Of course not. You didn’t mean to yank out the eagle and nearly give me a heart attack, did you?”
