Backtracking for the third time, Calum stopped and looked around. He hadn’t run over any waterbeds or stone, so he hadn’t come in this direction. Normally, picking up trails was his thing, just not today it seemed. If he hadn’t been running to escape, he may have stopped and looked around. The only reason he knew he hadn’t been here was he’d run over everything in his bare, human feet and would have remembered this.
Closing his eyes, he tried to recall what he’d heard. That, he had been paying attention to, listening for someone following him, sounds of nature around him—like echoes, so he didn’t run off a cliff—he exhaled slowly and tried to remember. That didn’t work, he had nothing.
Opening his eyes, he looked around again, he thought maybe he’d been running East, because he’d had to turn when the sunlight in his eyes obscured his sight, so he could make sure he had a clear path in front of him. Turning again, he found his bearings and started in a new direction.
A little while later, he spotted a ridge that seemed familiar, but he’d thought that about a dozen things so far, so he may be wrong about this one too. Huffing out a breath, he pulled off his pack and got out some water. Once he was through this ordeal, he may actually be tired of hiking. He doubted it, but a break may be in order.
Taking a quick drink, he put the water back, swung the pack back on and inhaled to start out again. A smell hit him, causing his insides to churn. It was the smell of death and rotting flesh. Not the same as an animal carcass rotting. Moving cautiously, he followed the scent. Instinct was telling him to go the other way, but this was something he had to check out, for his own peace of mind, if nothing else. The odor was stronger and became more rancid as he approached a small knoll. Crouching down, with the silence he had honed for years, he went up.
He reached the top, and quickly looked over it to see if anyone was there. Bile rose in his throat as he looked down the other side. It was a ditch, not a knoll, and there was a mass grave at the bottom. Holding his hand over his sensitive nose and mouth, so he wouldn’t taste it for days, he carefully navigated his way to the bottom. Once he reached the grave, he squatted down on unsteady legs and looked at the pile of bones laying there. Human remains, years’ worth, if the quantity and wear was any sign, lay in a heap.
As his eyes skimmed over the mound, he froze and stared at a decaying body. It was on the top; it had recently been tossed here. Rags covered the lower half, in a material he recognized as the same he had been wearing earlier that day. He stood slowly to see better, without disturbing the resting place of the others, then lowered his hand from his face as his heart mourned what he saw. There was a metal collar around the decomposing body, and a tattoo on the arm that he knew all too well. He knew it because he had harassed Gene for a week when he couldn’t shift after getting it, so it wouldn’t heal and vanish.
His chest ached for his friend and clansman. He couldn’t afford to pause and bury him right now. Not today, when they could be out looking for him, but he would be back. Pulling off his pack, he reached inside to grab his phone so he could take pictures of everything around this location, ensuring he would be able to find his way back. As he moved around to get different angles, he looked back at his friend and almost dropped his phone when he saw a wound on his forehead. A bullet hole. He’d been shot. Calum snapped a few pictures of the bones, careful not to take any of Gene, no one wanted to remember him that way, and put the phone back in his pack.
He climbed back up the ditch and looked once more, before jogging in the direction he’d originally been heading. Devin and Gage had better come here prepared to fight, he thought as he increased speed, because someone was going to pay for his friend’s wasted life.
He slowed down and inhaled deeply, trying to rid his system of the stench and replace it with the fragrant scents of nature. The thought made him think of Shaelan and cinnamon…he needed to get her out of this place, for her own good, until he found out what the hell was going on. Using captives for breeding was one thing—a ten on a warped scale of bad, but shooting them in the head after meant her life could be in danger, and she didn’t even know it.
He’d completely lost his mind, Calum decided as he watched her walk toward a long wooden staircase leading up a steep incline. He was in a tree—a tree, the tallest he could manage to get in as a man. Deciding it was better to stay in that form, he’d gone back across the forbidden area, after he located it, and then climbed a damn tree when the village was in sight. He had a good idea now why it was called the forbidden area. Whoever was responsible for the bones out there, didn’t want anyone to know what they were doing with the captives.
His ego was getting a little more than bruised these past few days, he’d never encountered so many doubts and issues in his life, not to mention losing his way in the wild. That hadn’t happened since he was a young boy.
When he’d finally gotten up in the tree, scratches and all, he’d been shocked to see the place he’d been held was so built up. How was a village this size up here, full of shifters and no one knew? He knew all the clans, and not once had he ever heard of one in this area. Especially the feline shifters, he knew of every family spread out all over the map.
Calum made sure he stayed tuned into the elements, staying downwind of the settlement. It would crush what was left of his pride, if he was caught and treed.
He’d been watching Shaelan for quite a while now, it appeared she was just wandering around with no purpose, stopping from time to time to talk to people. The lady with the neon pink hair had been a surprise, but then again surprise seemed to be this week’s theme.
He studied the stairs she was climbing and wondered if she lived in that house at the top. It was starting to get dark, surely, she wouldn’t just wander up there without a purpose. Glancing around, he checked out the terrain and looked for a way to get up there without walking through the middle of the village.
It was the first time in Calum’s life he’d used his skills to stay off other shifter’s radar, in a serious manner. Devin and Gage used to think he’d lost his mind when he’d practiced for hours. He stiffened and ran that through his mind again…He may have just lost his mind this last twenty-four hours.
To recap, I am up a tree, spying on the people that held me prisoner to have sex with their women in heat, and after getting out I come back on my own accord.
Yeah, he’d lost it alright.
Looking down, he wondered how many more scratches he was going to get while climbing down from the tree. Sighing, he moved his pack around to his back and started the slow careful descent. Getting out of a tree without a sound wasn’t as easy as most would think. Someone his size getting out of a tree silently was going to be a miracle.
Nona paused, the spoon halfway to her mouth and looked into the hall, then shook her head and continued to eat.
“I didn’t see Dad or Brock. Do you think they’re out tracking him?” Shae pushed the food around in the dish, not tasting anything.
“I doubt they’d still be out. Logic predicts, even to your father, he’s long gone by now.” She rolled her eyes. “If there’s news your aunt will sniff it out and come tell us,” Nona added, then looked down the hall again.
“I hope so,” she whispered but didn’t really. Since this afternoon, she’d had a heavy feeling inside her and she couldn’t really shake it. Watching Nona look down the hall again, she set her spoon down. “What is it?”
Shaking her head, Nona looked at her. “I keep hearing a clinking noise.” She set her spoon down and stood up. “We don’t have anything that would clink in the hall.”
Shae followed her. “Something rattling outside maybe?”
“I don’t know what. There’s not a strong wind tonight.” She stopped. “Do you hear it?”
Holding her breath, she cocked her head to the side. “Maybe.” This better hearing thing she was supposed to get, hadn’t arrived yet, it seemed. She opened Nona’s door and looked around, listening. “It’s not in here.”
Nona checked Shae’s room then closed the door.
They walked to the only room left, the supply room where all the herbs and medicines were kept.
Both walked in and stood there listening. There it was again, Shae heard it this time. Nona pointed to the window and then looked around and picked up a broom and nodded for Shae to go check.
Not sure what good a broom was going to do if the sound was outside the window, Shae went over to the window, almost wishing she held something too. When she peeked out it, she paused and looked back at Nona, then back out the glass. Calum was standing there looking at her. Hurrying, she opened the window. “Are you insane? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at the bottom of the mountain far, far away by now.”
“I did get back to my car…”
Nona leaned out the window beside Shae. “Maybe having this discussion while hanging out the window is a bad idea.”
Shae jolted, forgetting that having an argument outside a village of people that had sensitive hearing could be easily overheard.
Nona pointed to the back of the house. “Go around to the deck back there.”
Calum nodded and ducked back down behind the shrub, heading into the back of the house.
Closing the window, Shae opened her mouth and looked at Nona, then closed it and held her hand over it.
“Not too bright, your Calum.” She chuckled.
Shae ran to get to the back door, she opened it as he stepped up onto the deck. “Get in here,” she hissed. He walked by her, she closed the door and spun around. “What are you doing here?” She paused to notice he wore boots, jeans and a black t-shirt. “Why did you come back?” The panic in her voice was clear.
Calum gave her a lopsided grin. “No one saw me.”
Forcing herself to relax, she rested her hand on her stomach to settle the butterflies that had taken flight when she’d seen him. “I’m more worried about them smelling an outsider hanging around.”
“I stayed downwind…” He stopped when Nona walked in.
“Would you like something to eat?” she asked politely.
Shae’s mouth dropped open. Had she lost her mind too?
Nona grinned/ “Relax, child. Bo one comes here for social calls but your aunts or mother, so it’s fine. He probably hasn’t eaten today.” She walked out again.
Shae closed her eyes trying to settle her nerves, but when she opened them, he was standing right in front of her. She looked up at him, and for some reason, having him close made some part inside her feel calmer and in other areas of her body, so not tranquil.
“How are you?” he asked hesitantly. “I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?”
Lost in his eyes, she felt her cheeks heat and shook her head. “You came back to ask me that?” She let out a shaky breath. “No. You didn’t.”
He reached and touched the side of her face with gentle fingers. “Good.” Leaning down, he kissed her swollen mouth lightly. “We still need to talk about who hit you.”
Shae sucked in a breath, when she realized she wasn’t breathing in just air, and with it, his scent. Leaning closer, she inhaled again. His smelled…she didn’t know what, safe but dangerous…
Nona cleared her throat.
They jumped apart from each other. Calum turned and motioned for Shaelan to go first.
She stood by the table and watched as he took off his pack and set it on the floor, then eased his large body into one of the chairs. With his size, he made the chair look like it was a miniature, a problem she was sure he was more than used to. She’d been surrounded by large men her entire life, but for some reason Calum seemed…bigger. Frowning at her own stupid thoughts, she quickly sat on the other side of the table, afraid to be too close to him.
He nodded politely when Nona set a bowl of her stew in front of him. “Thank you.” His eyes flicked to the dish in front of her.
She hadn’t even remembered she was eating before seeing him out the window, then realized he wasn’t going to eat until she did. Nona came back in and set a drink in front of him, then sat down and started eating like this was a normal thing. Shae picked up her spoon, only to put it down again and lean over the table. “Why are you back here?”
He took a bite and nodded to Nona. After he chewed and swallowed, he looked at her for a moment. “Answers.” He shrugged. “Mostly.” Grinning, he searched her eyes.“I would have called, but you didn’t give me your number.”
Nona snorted and then stopped when Shae gave her a blank stare.
“We don’t have phones here,” she told him in a quiet voice, trying not to smirk at his sense of humor. This is so not the time for joking.
“Good thing I came back then.” He took another bite, his eyes only leaving hers for a second.
“I can still smell the stink weed on you,” Nona said, breaking the staring match they were having.
He huffed out a breath. “That is the worst plant I have ever smelled.”
“There are worse, but they make a body ill after too long.” Nona set her spoon down and pushed the dish away. “They tried a few before they found one that didn’t make everyone ill or break out in a rash.” She shook her head slowly.
“You give them the plants?” His tone was serious now.
She shook her head. “No. I wouldn’t have nothing to do with that part of it. I look after the health of the fellas. That’s my part.” Nona played with the grain pattern of the wooden table, not making eye contact. “Might have keys too…accidentally set the odd one loose, from time to time.”
His eyebrows went up. “Thank you for that.” He took another bite and then glanced at Shae, his eyes moving over her face. “So, do you know how long these herbs will take to wear off.” He slowly turned back to Nona to wait for an answer.
Shae’s brows drew together, she glanced to Nona. He’d known he was drugged when he was with her? She couldn’t look back at him now.
Nona’s looked at him with surprise. “The breeding herb?”
He nodded.
“Heh.” Nona grinned. “You weren’t given any of that. They had no idea what they were doing with you. Herbs only work for short time, least we’d have howling men chained up all day long. Only give them to the fellas right before. They wear off fast.”
The silence was long as he sat there looking at Nona. When he turned to look at Shae, his eyes were softer than they had been. “Interesting,” he mused quietly.
Shaelan could feel her cheeks getting hotter. No herbs? So, all of last night was…real. She was almost squirming the way he was looking at her now. He was sitting perfectly still, watching her, she wasn’t even sure if he was breathing. She needed to change the subject, or at least start an audible one. “I found two of your men. Marc and Dale.” She shook her head trying to clear the other thoughts out. “I’m sorry, but there’s no Gene here.”
Calum set his spoon down and reached to pick up his pack. He pulled out a cell phone and tapped the screen a few times, then dropped it on the table in front of her. “I found Gene.”
Shae picked up the phone, then gasped. “Where is this?” Her breath caught in her chest. “Who are all these people?” She looked back to him.
He shook his head. “There’s a few collars there…Gene’s was still clasped around his neck.”
With shaking hands, Shae handed the phone to Nona.
“He was shot in the head,” Calum added quietly.
Nona dropped the phone on the table like it had burned her hands. She covered her face with shaking hands. Dropping them, she looked at him. “I asked…years ago…they told me they let them lose after serving their purpose.” Exhaling a shaky breath, she pushed the chair back and got up. “My god. What have they done?” Picking up her dish, she walked into the kitchen.
Shae watched her walk out, then looked back to Calum.
“I’m sorry,” he said, the pain clear on his face. “I didn’t know if she knew.”
Shaking, she exhaled, trying to ease the pressure on her chest. “I don’t think anyone does.” Taking another ragged breath, she tried not to cry in front of him. “I’m sorry about your friend.” She clasped her hands in her lap, tying to steady them. “I just got home from school, two weeks ago…I-I didn’t know…anything,” she whispered as a tear roll down her cheek. “Excuse me, I n-need a moment.” Pushing back from the table, she quickly headed toward her room.
Her chest felt like it was being crushed, she couldn’t catch her breath. Before she could reach the privacy of her room, Calum was behind her, stopping her. The tears were rolling down her face as his strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her gently against chest. “We didn’t know…” she whispered, leaning into him.
He didn’t speak, just ran a hand down her spine in a soothing gesture as she sobbed quietly. Shae couldn’t believe she was falling apart in a stranger’s arms, because he was, despite what had happened between them. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly and tried to calm down.
“Just breath with me, listen to my heartbeat,” he whispered, his breath against the side of her head.
She could feel each breath he took, hear the pulse of his heart as it beat. Never before had she felt such peace, which was completely absurd, but she’d take it over the overwhelming sorrow that had been choking her a few moments ago.
“That’s it.” His warm hand ran over the back of her head.
When she realized her arms were wrapped around his waist, squeezing him, she stiffened. She hadn’t even known she’d done that. With his other hand, he coaxed her to look up at him. Hesitantly, her eyes connected with his. She didn’t understand the look he was giving her. Her heart stuttered when he gently wiped the tears on her cheek away with his thumb.
He lowered his face to hers. “There’s things we need to discuss…” His lips brushed over hers lightly. “But the sight of you distracts me…”
His tongue brushed over the swelling in her lip. “Discuss?” was the only word she could vocalize with him being this close.
He smirked. “Yes.” Leaning down, he pushed his face into her hair and inhaled slowly.
It was the most erotic feeling, which, she thought only confirmed she was indeed a shifter. Shifter…my father. “You need to get out of here before they find out you’re here.”
Straightening, he frowned at her. “You keep trying to get rid of me, and it's going to give me a complex.”
She blinked and stared up at him. “I just want you safe.”
Kissing the top of her head, he turned with his arm around her and started guiding her back to the table. “We want the same thing.”
Nona stood there, staring out the window when they walked back in. “We can’t let this continue,” she said so quietly, Shae barely heard her.
“Then we’re on the same page,” Calum said firmly. He sat down at the table again, still holding Shae’s hand.
Turning, Nona looked at their joined hands then sighed loud. “We have a few other concerns as well.”
Dragging her eyes from him, Shae looked to Nona. “Oh?”
Nona made one of those noises she made, letting Shae know it was a deep thought moment. “You’re starting your change…”
“We don’t…”
Calum nodded. “She’s close.”
Frowning, she looked down at him. “How do you know?” Everyone knew more about what was going on with her body than she did lately.
“My cat can sense it,” he said in a hushed tone, a contemplative look in his eyes.
Glancing from him to Nona, then back to him. Shae lifted a brow. “That’s a thing?”
He chuckled. “It’s a thing.”
His eyes moved over her face almost in a caress. Shae had to curb the urge to sigh out loud.
“I think there’s a bit more…”
The door opened and Aunt Marilyn breezed in, as was her way.
Calum was on his feet so fast the chair banged to the floor in a clatter, pushing Shae behind his large frame at the same time, before she could react.
“Woah, big fella.” Marilyn raised her hands up. “I’m the harmless aunt.”
Shaelan peeked around Calum and gave her aunt an annoyed look. “I almost had a heart attack.”
“You?” She closed the door, then stood there with her hands on her hips, looking Calum up and down. Then she pointed a finger at Shae. “You are brilliant! Hiding him up here while their best trackers chase their tails. Ha!” Then, she slumped her shoulders. “Dammit, I’ve been out done again. I must be getting old.”
“He did leave,” Nona said with a smirk. “Then he came back.”
Aunt Marilyn’s jaw dropped. “Well, aren’t you the ballsy one?”
“I suppose,” he said in a low voice.
He was still half in front of Shae, she realized. Placing a hand on his arm, she looked at him. “It’s okay, Aunt Marilyn won’t tell anyone you’re here.” His eyes searched her face for a moment. Then he relaxed, becoming slightly less rigid.
“Heh, I could stand up here waving a bright flag and they still wouldn’t see it,” she mumbled and moved toward the table, her eyes moving up and down, then stopped on his eyes. “Damn, do you have any…older brothers with those eyes? Not too old, mind you.” She extended her hand. “Marilyn.” She laughed. “Or crazy Mari, as they call me around here.”
Calum looked at her hand, then slowly extended his and shook hers. “Calum, and I don’t see why they would, your color choices are perfectly sensible.”
“Ha!” She turned to Nona, a big grin on her face. “I vote he stays and we send Leroy away…” Glancing at Shae, she scowled. “Any father that does that to his daughter’s face needs to…”
A low, feral growl came from Calum. He turned to Shae and cupped the back of her neck and head with his big hand. He pulled her toward him, lowering his face to be level with hers, green eyes burning. “Your father hit you?”
His voice was so low it sent shivers all through her body. “He was angry…”
“We do not harm our women. For. Any. Reason,” he whispered in a venomous tone while he looked at her swollen mouth. Calum straightened without releasing Shae and looked at Nona. “Who is this Leroy, and why hasn’t he been banished for harming a female clan member?”
The surprise was clear on her face. “He is the alpha,” she said slowly.
A long, drawn-out growl of frustration came from Calum’s throat, and Shae felt her knees go weak. Leaning against him, she ran a hand lightly over his chest, trying to soothe him even while she was wondering why she felt compelled to do so.
“My word,” Aunt Marilyn said breathlessly.
“I think we need to talk,” he said firmly to Nona.
Aunt Marilyn dropped into the nearest chair, nodding with a dumbfounded look on her face, one that Shae had never seen before—ever.
“We do for sure,” Nona agreed as she moved over to her chair.
Calum didn’t release his hold on Shae, guiding her to sit in a chair, then pulled another close to her and sat down. He blew out a breath and rolled his muscled shoulders a few times, then leaned on the table and to look at Nona.
“I am not leaving until some things here are settled.” He glanced to Shae briefly before continuing, “And I should tell you, I’ve called for help, they’ll be on their way.”
“Help?” Marilyn sat forward. “Who?”
Nona raised a hand to stop all talking. “Show her the pictures before we climb too deep into this.”
“Pictures?” Marilyn’s voice was still quiet for her.
Her aunt sat perfectly still and waited while Calum picked up his phone and brought up the horrible pictures of the grave he’d found. Shae watched as sadness wiped her aunt’s usual carefree expression away, as she stared at the screen.
“They never let any of them go home.” She set the phone down and looked to Nona. “Did they?”
Nona shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
She watched her aunt close her eyes and rock back and forth in her chair for a few seconds, processing the information. When she opened them again, Shae was taken back by the disgusted expression in them.
Then, her head snapped to Nona-Eve. “Are any of the women that they’ve been sending into the yard caught?”
Nona gave Shae a quick look, then shook her head. “Not yet, that I know of.”
Shae frowned but kept quiet until she knew what was going on.
“Good.” Aunt Marilyn nodded. “Good. Even if they are pregnant already, hide it. Don’t tell anyone.” She pointed a finger at Nona. “Get them to agree not to tell anyone…buy us some time.”
Unable to stay quiet any longer, Shae glanced from one to the other. “Time for what?”
Nona tapped the phone on the table. “To stop them from being there.”
“Oh.” Shae shifted to the edge of her seat and leaned on the edge of the table. “Brock and I can go…”
“No,” Calum said abruptly.
Eyebrows raised, she turned to look at him.
His expression softened. “You are not putting yourself at risk again.”
She opened her mouth to answer, but her aunt interrupted before she could.
“That’s not a permanent solution, baby Shae. We need to stop this, not stall so they can bring in more people.” She clicked a fingernail on the blacked-out phone screen. “No more will be added to that.” She flicked the phone down the table, then turned to Calum. “Who is on the way to help?”
Calum leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “A few of my friends.” He gave Shae an odd look but continued, “The next in line for King of the Alliance, one of his seconds and a few more.”
“The alliance?” Nona asked, a tone of excitement. “It still exists?”
He frowned. “Yes.”
“Are these friends large shifters like you?” Marilyn asked.
Calum nodded. “The prince—” He smirked. “—is a wolf, but no one will mess with him.”
“He’s that mean?” Marilyn inquired, looking a little too excited.
Grinning he shrugged. “Yes and no.” His expression sobered. “I’m one of his seconds and my friend, who is a large tiger, close to twelve feet in length, is his other.” He shrugged. “You mess with him, you mess with us. Not to mention the entire alliance of clans.”
She made a big ‘O’ with her lips and nodded abruptly. Shaking her head, she turned to look at Nona. “The alliance still stands, and from the sounds of it, stronger than ever.”
Nona sighed. “I caught that.” She looked briefly at Calum and Shae then clasped her hands on the table. “We were part of the alliance, back when it was formed. The alpha, at the time, wasn’t happy a wolf was in charge and refused to be part of it.”
“Mmhm.” Marilyn flung both arms out. “We’ve been forbidden to leave the mountain territory since then.”
Calum sat there, stunned by the information dumped on him in the last hour. Never in his life could he imagine some of the things they told him. Then again, he had been chained to a wall, so he supposed the rest wasn’t so far from unbelievable. The alpha of this clan, from his grandfathers’ time, had quite clearly been insane, and since then the depravity had spread through the generations like cancer.
If Calum had been anyone else, they would have broken his friends out of their chains and got out of here fast, leaving the alliance to come in and clean up this atrocity. There were complications to doing just that. Firstly, he wasn’t ever able to walk away when others needed his help, even if they didn’t know they did, and this clan clearly needed help. Secondly, Shaelan was his mate, he knew that for sure now, and he’d marked her as such.
There was no other explanation for the range of emotions he went through being near her. The lecture he gave Devin not too long-ago kept flashing through his mind. He’d ridden him hard for marking Rayne when she was unaware, and now he’d done the same damn thing. Yes, she had asked him to mark her so she carried his scent for a few days, but what he’d done, that was never leaving. In fact, if he had his way, he’d be renewing his scent on her frequently. Which brought him to another snag, she had just found out about her own heritage…adding a lifelong mate to that may not go over well right now. How did he find out where she stood with that?
“Calum?”
He blinked and turned to look at Marilyn. “Yes?”
She smirked. “You’ve been sitting there staring at Shae for so long we thought you’d fallen asleep with your eyes open.”
He cleared his throat. “No, ma’am. I’m wide awake.”
“I was saying, we need to get you somewhere safe for a day or so…”
That made his mind focus again. “Come again?”
“You can’t stay here,” Shae whispered. “Or you’re going to end up back in chains.”
He snarled. “They can try.”
Nona got up, picking up the cups on the table. “She’s right. You can’t stay here…until we get more involved in this, get the ducks in a row…”
“There’s something else…” Turning, he looked at Shaelan. His eyes wandered over her. His cat rubbed gently across his skin, almost purring, which he didn’t know he was capable of.
“Heh.” Nona gave her head a shake. “I’m well aware.”
Shae got up to help her. “Aware of what?” She took the cups from Nona’s hand. “That my change is coming…or however you say it?”
“That too.” Nona nodded. “But I don’t believe that’s what he’s referring to.”
“It’s plain as day,” Marilyn added, looking entirely too happy.
“What?” Shaelan looked from one woman to the other. “What is?”
He stood up slowly to move in her direction, she was giving off that aura again, the one of pure anxiety. His cat demanded he comfort her. Calum was in synch with that, but he hadn’t planned on broaching the subject in front of the others. Hell, until he found out he hadn’t been given the breeding herb, he hadn’t even known what was going on. The guys would never let him live that down. Taking the cups from her hands, he set them on the table and gave her a hesitant look. “You’re my mate and you bear my mark.” He smirked. “Two of them.” He loved how she blushed as he reminded her.
She looked down at the floor, then back to him. “Is that why I feel so…” She lifted a hand, like she didn’t know how to say it.
“Yes.” He wanted to pull her against his body and remind her of it, but they weren’t alone, and he had already proved he had issues controlling himself where she was concerned. The fact that he stood here with her in the village was testament enough. As her dark eyes caressed his face, it was all he could do to keep his hands off her.
“Did the temperature in here just go up?” Marilyn said loudly.
Nona huffed out a breath. “I think it did, Mari.”
Calum cleared his throat and jammed his hands in his pockets like a bashful teenager. He tilted his head and watched Shaelan. “I know all of this is a lot to swallow in such a short time, but I can’t change that.” He paused, trying to figure out if that look on her face was a good or a bad one for him. “I can give you time to digest all of it.” He sighed. “Or try to.”
She was wringing her hands together in front of her. “Okay.”
Her voice was barely audible, even with his acute hearing. He realized the only way he could give her time, would be for him to leave again. If he stayed near her, he would not be able to keep his hands, mouth, or teeth, off her. Turning his head away from her, he looked at Marilyn. “Where were you thinking I could go?”
She looked a Nona, then smirked. “The caves.”
Nona nodded. “No man will go near them, so that’s the perfect spot.”
“Caves?” Shae looked at her aunt. “We have caves?”
Marilyn threw her head back and laughed. “Yes, we do. It’s a cave the women—that don’t want to breed—go when their heat hits.” She shrugged. “How do you think us older ones got out of being tossed in a room with the men in the yard?”
Shaelan’s brow furrowed. “Are there women there now?”
Laughing harder, Marilyn shook her head. “Definitely mated to him if you’re looking at me like you want to scratch my eyes out.” She sobered when Shae’s expression didn’t change. “No, baby Shae, there are no women there right now.”
Shaelan was blushing again and biting her bottom lip. Calum wanted to lick it. She had to stop doing that or…yeah, he needed to get out of here and give her time to work through all this.
“Okay,” she finally answered, avoiding Calum’s eyes.
Leaning closer, despite just deciding he wouldn’t go near her, he lifted her chin so she would have to look at him. “No male near you but Brock…and even he’s questionable right now.” He waited until she gave a little nod. “I’ll try to give you time, but if I smell another man’s scent on you…I can’t promise they’ll survive.” Her eyes went wide. “And if anyone lays an unkind hand on you again, I will kill them.” Waves of anxiety hit him again. “I know that sounds uncivilized, and it may be, but clan have their own laws and the two most important are you never mess with someone’s mate and women are to be cherished, nothing else.” She nodded again, her eyes locked on his and biting her lip again. He bent his head and inhaled her scent, that cinnamon fragrance that was her, and an aphrodisiac to him. “I better go,” he whispered against her ear, “or I won’t be able to.” Straightening up, he meant to step away, he really did, but his legs weren’t doing as ordered. He looked at her swollen lip and decided it was the only thing stopping him from taking her mouth the way he wanted. Grasping her chin, he tilted her head up and kissed the side of her mouth, then the other side before licking across her lips so he wouldn’t hurt her. “I’ll see you when my friends get here.” Devin and Gage, you better be hauling ass.
“We’ll keep her safe, Calum,” Nona assured him.
He released her and stepped back before he could change his mind. Turning, he grabbed his phone off the table and his pack off the floor.
“I’ll take you to the caves,” Marilyn said. “None of the patrols so much as look at me.” She snorted. “In fact, any man sees me, and he runs the other way.”
“That’s their loss,” he told her, and he meant it.
“Damn. I can’t wait to meet your clan,” she said as she moved to the back door.
He gave Nona an abrupt nod. “Thank you for the food and everything.” That was one strong lady. She’d been going against the alpha all along, and the man didn’t even know it.
“Calum.”
Just hearing Shaelan say his name had him stop and turn to her.
“Be careful, please.”
The worry on her face made his cat rub against him. He winked at her. “They no longer have the element of surprise.” Backing toward the door so he could leave, he held her look until Marilyn closed the door after him.
Turning, he inhaled slowly, checking around them. He could smell the whiskey Shaelan had given him on her. “You have some of that whiskey I can bring with me? It’s going to take something to keep me calm while I’m away from her.”
She laughed and patted him on the back. “Honey, where do you think I make it? You’ll have a whole distillery of it, if needed.”