"Yeah. It'll give your date time to find another partner." That lethal edge was back in his voice.
Her stomach muscles tightened. "Zach?"
"Might as well get this out in the open." He pulled the car into a small layby and turned to brace his hand against the top edge of her seat. "I'm not real good at sharing."
She swallowed. "Oh."
Zach could've kicked himself. He'd gone to all this trouble to lull her into a relaxed mood, then the cat had struck out in a burst of primitive jealousy. "Scared?"
Wary caution crept into her eyes, but she shook her head. "You said you wouldn't bite unless I asked . . . very nicely."
Surprise had the cat freezing. He'd forgotten that beneath the blushes and big brown eyes was a woman quite capable of calling him on his behavior. "That's true," he drawled, letting the cat out to play. "Come closer and ask me."
She shook her head again.
"Please."
Her cheeks colored, but he knew the heat wasn't because of embarrassment. Her arousal was a decadent whisper in the confines of the car, a drug his cat could lap at for hours. But what he really wanted to do was lap at her. He moved a little closer.
She held up the phone. "I need to make this call." Her voice was breathless, her tone jagged.
Instinct urged him to keep pushing, but he didn't want to make her feel cornered. No, he thought,-shifting back into his seat, he'd do his teasing out in the open arms of the forest. "Go on, sweetheart." He smiled. "I've got all day to play with you."
She sucked in a breath. "Is that what this is? Play?"
"Sure." He drove them back onto the road, knowing she was talking about more than his teasing promise—pretty, sexy Annie Kildaire thought they were heading for a quick, hot fling. He grinned inwardly. Poor baby was going to get one hell of a surprise when he told her the truth, but she wasn't ready for that yet. "The best kind of play."
She was silent for a few minutes, then he heard her coding in the call. With her being so close, he could hear both sides of the conversation. Most humans who lived with changelings tended to get earpieces, so they could have private conversa-tions. He'd have to get Annie one, he thought absently.
"Mom, it's Annie. About tonight," she began.
"Don't you dare cancel, Angelica Kildaire."
Angelica?
"I'm not," Annie said, obviously attempting to keep her temper in the face of the sharp response. "I'll be late, and—"
"We're doing this for you," her mother interrupted. "The least you can do is turn up on time."
Annie pressed her fingers to her forehead and seemed to mentally count to five. "I'm bringing a guest," she said without any lead-in. "His name is Zach."
Complete silence from the other end. Then, "Well good grief, Annie. Now you tell me. I'll have to find another woman to balance out the table. Who is he?"
"A DarkRiver soldier."
The silence was longer and deeper this time. Zach could feel Annie's distress at the reaction, but he was proud of her for sticking to her guns.
"Mom?"
"Aren't you a little too old for childish games?" her mother asked. "I know some women find those rough types attractive, but you have a brain. How long do you think he'll be able to keep that engaged?"
Zach's cat smiled in feral amusement. He was used to the preconceptions some humans, and most Psy, had about changelings. The majority of the time, it rolled off his back. But this time, it mattered. Because this was Annie's mother.
"I am not having this discussion with you," Annie said, tone final. "We'll be there for dinner. If you'd rather we didn't come, just say so."
"No, bring him," was the immediate response. "I want to meet this Zach who's got you ordering your own mother around." She hung up.
Annie stared at the phone for several seconds before thrusting it back into her pocket. "How much did you hear?"
"All of it."
She shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry—"
"Annie, sweetheart, leave your mom to me." He shot her a grin brimming with deliberate wickedness. "Today, I want to lead you astray."
Her returning smile was a little shy but full of a quiet mischief he figured most people never saw. "Are you sure I'm not already beyond redemption?"
He chuckled. "How could you be with a name like Angelica?"
She made a face. "I'm an Annie, not an Angelica."
"I prefer Angel."
"Do you like your women angelic?"
He chuckled. "No, baby, I like my woman exactly as she is." He knew he'd surprised her, waited to see what she'd do.
"So, this thing . . . you want more than just a day?"
He wasn't going to lie to her. "Are you going to run if I say yes?" He pulled into the forest proper, taking a narrow track that would lead them to one of the smaller waterfalls. It was only a trickle right now because of the cold, but it was still a sight to be seen.
"I'm here today, aren't I?" A question with a slight acerbic bite.
Tasting the piquancy of it on his tongue, he decided he liked it. "All alone with a big, bad cat who's rethinking his policy on biting."
Arousal colored the air again, and he sucked in a breath to contain his most primal instincts. "Look ahead," he said, voice husky.
"Oh!" Her eyes went huge. "It's a buck," she whispered, as if afraid the animal would hear her. "His antlers are huge."
Zach slowed the vehicle to a crawl, but the buck caught his scent and shot off into the trees. "Sorry. They tend to scatter the instant they smell leopard. It's why I look after the predators—it's hard for me to check data on the nonpredatories."
"They know they're prey." She looked at him. "Do you hunt them?"
"When the cat needs it, yes." He glanced at her. "Can you handle knowing that?"
"I teach a lot of little cats," she reminded him in a prim, schoolteacher voice. "I might not be an expert on changeling behavior, but I've picked up enough to know that when in animal form, you behave according to the needs of the animal."
He couldn't help himself. He turned and snapped his teeth at her, making her jump. When he began to chuckle, her eyes narrowed. "You're as bad as Bryan. He does that to Katie all the time."
"Odds on, he has a crush on her."
Her lips twitched. "That's what I think, too. Was the fight about Katie?"
"Sneaky, Ms. Kildaire, but I'm sworn to secrecy." Laughing at the face she made, he reached over to tug at her pony tail. "You up to a small hike?"
Shadows swept across her face. "You don't think I can do it?"
He parked the vehicle off to the side of the track and turned. "I don't know your limits yet," he told her honestly. "That's why I'm asking."
She colored. "Sorry. I'm a bit touchy on the whole subject."
He shrugged. "If I think you can't do something, I'll make sure you're not doing it." Protecting the vulnerable was instinct. Protecting Annie would probably become an obsession.
"You'll make sure I'm not doing it?" The arch sound of a human female metaphorically flexing her claws.
"Definitely." He held her gaze. "I'm flexible, little cat, but I'm not a pushover."
Her arousal spiked at his words, but so did her anger. "As if I ever believed that."
"Annie, you're used to academic types who probably let you walk all over them."
"Hold on," she began, eyes snapping with temper.
God, she was pretty. He reached forward while she was distracted, gripped her chin. And kissed her.
Chapter 6
She was softer than he'd imagined, more luscious than anything he'd ever experienced. Cat and man both purred inwardly, and when her lips parted on a gasp, he swept inside to taste her. Sweet and tart, innocent and woman, she was his own personal brand of intoxication.
He bit her lower lip, sucked on it, let her gasp in another breath before kissing her again. "Mmm." It was a sound of sheer pleasure as he indulged his need to touch this woman. Leopard changelings were tactile as a rule—something that translated
into sensual affection in a relationship. It didn't always have to lead to sex. Sometimes it was just about the pleasure of skin-to-skin contact.
When he drew back, her lips were a little swollen, her pupils dilated. He rubbed his thumb over her lower lip and tried to temper his escalating need. She wasn't ready, not yet. As he'd learned this morning, her soft exterior hid a fierce core of independence—the instant she learned what he really wanted, she'd stop playing with him.
And that was simply not acceptable. "You know how to kiss a man, Angel." He dropped his gaze to the rise and fall of her generous breasts. The temptation to caress them was so wrenching, he took his hand off her chin and thrust it through his hair. "About that hike . . . ?"
She gave a jerky nod. "I can walk."
"Tell me if it hurts."
"It won't."
Frowning, he grabbed her chin again and this time, he wasn't playing. "I mean it, Annie. I need to be able to trust you. I'm giving you that. You give me honesty. That's fair."
Her expression shifted again, a true smile curving over her lips. "I will, I promise. It'll probably ache some, but that's normal. If it gets any worse, I'll tell you."
He wanted to kiss her again but knew full well that if he didn't get them out of the car quick smart, he'd end up taking her right there—like some randy juvenile in his parents' car. "Let's go." Grabbing her little pack, he thrust his own bottle of water inside and opened the door.
She met him a few feet from the vehicle, her fluffy yellow jacket a dash of pure summer. "I know," she said, when his eyes landed on her, "I look like a baby duck."
Not bothering with a coat himself, he took her hand. "No. I like it." Her hand was small, but not weak in his. "It suits you." Pretty and bright and sunny, that was his Annie.
They walked in silence for a while, and he felt his beast sigh in pleasure. The forest was home, and it called to both parts of his soul. But today, he had a new reason for happiness—Annie. "You're in shape," he said after a while.
"Nowhere close to you." She made a rueful face. "I know you're keeping your stride shorter for me."
He hadn't even noticed, the act had been so natural. "Of course," he said matter-of-factly. "How would I have my wicked way with you if I left you in my dust?"
Her smile was startled, but it grew until the leopard batted at its warmth, utterly captivated. "I exercise," she said. "I have to, or the leg will freeze up."
"Every day?"
She nodded. "It's a habit now." Looking up at the trail as it wound its way into the forest she took a deep breath. "It's so beautiful here."
"Yeah." He watched her face suffuse with joy and felt the razor-sharp bite of envy. The cat really wasn't good at sharing. Neither was the man—he wanted to be the one to put that look of delight on her face. Soon, he promised himself.
She glanced at him, smile changing into a very feminine look of realization. "Zach." Her lips parted.
It was all the invitation he needed. Dipping his head, he claimed another bold kiss, curving his hand around the silken warmth of her neck. When her hands came to rest on his chest, the cat stretched out in pleasure within him. He wanted those hands on his bare skin, his hunger for her so extreme it would make her bolt if she knew about it.
That thought in mind, he pulled on the reins. Even so, he couldn't keep from nipping at her lip.
Her eyes widened even as her hands clenched on his chest. "You only had one forfeit."
He felt his mouth curve. "Put it on my account," he said without an ounce of repentance.
She laughed, and he knew that today was going to be one of the best days of his life.
* * *
Several hours later, Annie sighed and rested her head back against the seat as Zach drove them to the Pack Circle. "That was wonderful. Thank you."
"You fit here," he said quietly, his voice lacking its usual playfulness. "The age of the trees, the immensity of the forest, it doesn't scare you."
"It makes me feel free," she admitted. "Out here, no one's watching, waiting for me to stumble." She wondered how she'd come to trust him so quickly—quickly enough to reveal a vulnerability she kept hidden from even her closest friends.
It scared her a little, the intensity of the emotions growing in her heart. She tried to tell herself it was nothing but a silly crush, but all she could think of was the way his kisses had tugged at her soul. All day long he'd stolen them, until her lips remembered the shape of his, and her breasts ached for his touch. Swallowing, she attempted to redirect her thoughts. "The Pack Circle's usually kept secret."
"We don't take strangers there" he acknowledged. "Only those we trust to honor our faith."
Her heart warmed from the inside out. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me just yet. Wait till you meet the pack—they're a nosy bunch."
Nerves snapped to full wakefulness as Zach parked his vehicle behind several others and turned to run his knuckles over her cheek. "Don't be nervous."
"How do you know—"
"I can smell the change in your scent."
She was still sitting there, mind awash with the implications of what he'd said, when he walked around and opened her door. "Come on, Angel. Let's go face the masses."
She got out but didn't take his hand. "You can smell the changes in my body?" She watched him reach in back for the picnic basket.
"Yes." Basket in hand, he tugged her hand from where she'd wrapped her arms around herself. "Does that bother you?" A direct gaze.
She saw no flirtation in those eyes for the first time in hours. "A little," she admitted.
"You'll get used to it." He said that as if it was inevitable.
She wasn't sure. Privacy was a big deal for her—she'd spent almost a year in the hospital, only to go home to her mother's constant hovering. Those experiences had combined to make her zealous about guarding her personal space, and what was more personal, more private, than her body itself?
Zach glanced at her as they walked past the other cars. "It's natural to us," he said. "We don't tend to notice a particular scent unless it's something that matters."
"But other people will know," she said, her stomach in knots. She could accept her hunger for Zach, accept that he knew, but to have everyone else be aware of it, too?
Zach raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, the tenderness undoing her. He was, she realized, far more a threat to her than she'd initially thought. If she wasn't careful, Zach Quinn would steal her heart and leave her with nothing, her worst nightmare come to life. But even knowing that, she couldn't help moving closer when he tugged at her.
"Your arousal is a vibrant thread to me," he whispered, voice husky, "but for the others, it'll simply be background noise. They'll be focused on their mates, lovers, children—different threads. There are millions of them in any one instant."
His explanation made sense, enough to release some of the tension in her stomach. However, she couldn't help but be a little wary as they entered the Circle. Then several people cried out hellos, and, to her shock, she realized that though they weren't all parents, she knew a good number of them from various school events. The friendliness washed over her in an effervescent wave.
"Miss Kildaire, you came!" Bryan skidded to a stop by her feet. "Did Uncle Zach show you the forest?"
Conscious of several interested adult gazes, she nodded. "What have you been up to?"
"I'm playing hide-and-seek with Priyanka." With that, he ran off. She was still smiling after him when she felt Zach's hand on her lower back.
"Come on, I want to introduce you to someone."
She walked with him, cognizant of the possessiveness implied by his touch. A warning bell rang in her head, but she silenced it. His dominant nature wasn't going to be a problem—it wasn't as if she was his mate. He'd be gone as soon as he'd satisfied his curiosity about her. "Where's the picnic basket?" she asked, trying to ignore the stab of pain provoked by that last thought. After all, she had no desire to tie herself to a
man—even a man as enticing as Zach.
"I gave it to one of the juveniles," Zach answered with a smile so bright, she couldn't help but smile in return. "Cory will stick it with the other food so everyone can grab what they want." He stopped beside an older woman with snow-white hair and a face that echoed his own so strongly, Annie knew they were related. Not only that, it was clear where Zach had inherited his sun-kissed skin and bones.
As he leaned forward to kiss the woman's cheek, she said, "Zach, my dear." Her eyes went to Annie, and they were as sharp as her body was toned. Given the way she stood, her supple strength, Annie guessed her to be a soldier, too. It wasn't surprising—changelings didn't really slow down until well into their eighth or ninth decade. "And who have you brought me?"
"Grandma, this is Annie," Zach said, his love for his grandmother a shining light in his eyes. It hit her right in the gut, making her wonder what it would be like to have that open and powerful love directed at her. "My grandmother, Cerise."
Cerise held out both hands, her smile so welcoming that Annie accepted the touch without hesitation. "Don't let this boy talk you into anything wicked," Cerise said. "He's been getting his own way since the day he first looked at his mother and batted those pretty eyelashes."
Annie felt her lips curve, but before she could answer, Zach was set upon by a pair of identical teenage girls. "Zach!" they screamed, wrapping their arms around him from either side. "We haven't seen you in ages!"
"You saw me three days ago." Laughing, he hugged them to his sides.
Sparkling eyes landed on Annie. "Oooooooh," one of them said, "you brought a giiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrl."
"Who is she?" her twin whispered, brushing aside a waterfall of sleek black hair. "Where did you meet? How long have you been dating?"
Cerise frowned. "Girls, manners!"
The girls dimpled. "Sorry, Grandma."
Zach looked at her. "Annie, meet my baby sisters, Silly and Giggly."
"Hey!" They both slapped his chest. "I'm Lissa, and that's Noelle," the one on the left said.
Annie was beginning to be able to tell them apart. They were both confident and cheerful, but Lissa had more mischief in her eyes, while Noelle's smile was wide enough to light up any room she entered. "Nice to meet you."
Cerise squeezed her hands before letting go. "Where are your sisters?" she asked the twins.
Annie felt her eyes widen. More sisters? Zach saw her look and began to laugh. "Four of them," he said. "Four. Jess—she's Bryan's mom—and Poppy, are older than these two brats."
"Aw, you know you love us, big brother." Lissa reached up to press a kiss to his jaw. "I'll go look for them. They'll want to meet your girl."
"Talk to you later, Annie." Wiggling her fingers, Noelle ran off with her twin.
Annie didn't know whether to laugh or shake her head in amazement. "Four younger sisters?"
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and cuddled her to his side. "They're the reason for my gray hairs. See?" He dipped his head.
The dark silk of his hair made her want to stroke it. "You big liar. You don't have a single gray hair." Held against him, she'd never felt safer or more protected. Fear ignited. Okay, she thought, quashing the emotion, this relationship was becoming more important than she'd originally believed it would, but it wasn't as if she was going to do something stupid—like begin to rely on Zach.
Cerise laughed. "She's on to you, boyo. I bet she gets along with Jess like a house on fire."
"Speaking of Jess"—Annie frowned—"doesn't Bryan have an older brother? When did Jess get married? Mated," she corrected herself.
Cerise was the one who answered. "At twenty. She's thirty now, only a year younger than Zachary here. Her oldest is nine."
"Twenty's so young," she murmured.
"She found her mate early," Zach said, a shimmering joy in his tone, the love of a brother for his sister. "And that was that. She always wanted a big family, so the kids came soon afterward. She's happy." A simple statement, and yet it spoke of such love, such trust. Annie couldn't imagine taking that big a leap of faith, putting that much of herself into a man's hands.
"Yes, she's very happy," Cerise agreed. "But enough of family talk—why don't you two grab some food before the juveniles inhale it all. I swear, I don't know where it goes."
"Into the hollow leg every teenage boy possesses, of course." The voice was male and familiar.
"Lucas." Cerise hugged the tall man with green eyes, as Annie pegged him for the DarkRiver alpha. "Oh dear." Zach's grandmother drew back, her attention on something over Lucas's shoulder. "I think I need to go rescue a cub that's climbed a bit too high. And if that's not one of Tammy's boys, I'll eat my boo