Primal Bonds
Page 29
Nate’s Feline fangs extended. “I don’t care if you are the Guardian’s. You need to be taught who’s in charge, bitch.”
Andrea still didn’t step back. In her old Shiftertown, if a dominant smacked a submissive, it was considered the submissive’s fault for provoking one higher in the food chain. So Andrea’s pack leader would say while Andrea’s ears rang with his hit. Andrea had never had learned to respect the hierarchy. But this was the Morrisseys’ Shiftertown, and she already knew the rules were a little different here. If Nate tried to discipline her, he’d be toast.
That didn’t mean him starting for her, his eyes white, didn’t scare the crap out of her. She got ready to run.
But Nate’s snarls abruptly broke off, and his friends moved a few paces back, sudden fear shining in their eyes. Released from Nate’s glare, Andrea whirled to see what had scared them.
Dylan watched from a few yards behind her, the man doing nothing but standing there with his hands in his jacket pockets. The breeze ruffled his hair, but Dylan didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.
Nate swallowed. Without defiance, without offering words of explanation, he and his friends quietly turned around and walked back the way they came, the smell of their fear sharp.
Of course, this left Andrea alone with the most frightening Shifter in Shiftertown, the man who could rip Andrea to pieces and walk away without breaking a sweat. She knew deep in her bones that if Dylan ever wanted to kill her, he would, never mind the Collar, never mind the rules, never mind his own son having claimed her. No piece of Fae technology or Shifter custom could stop Dylan Morrissey from doing whatever he damn-well pleased.
Before she could speak, Dylan said to her, “I was looking for Glory. Have you seen her?”
CHAPTER TEN
Andrea blew out her breath. “Glory? No, I thought she was meeting you.”
Dylan’s eyes sharpened, and Andrea regretted her hasty answer. “Why did you think that?” he asked, voice edged.
Because she went out all dressed up, like she was meeting a lover.
“I don’t know. I just assumed ...”
Dylan flicked his gaze down the row of trees but not before Andrea saw the flash of pain in his eyes. That surprised her. The way Glory told it, Dylan was the one with the casual interest in their relationship. He could take it or leave it, according to Glory.
“Has she gone to see someone else?” he asked, not looking at Andrea.
“Dylan, this is so not my business.”
The predatory gaze fixed on her again. “Just answer the question.”
“I haven’t the faintest idea. I swear to you.”
“Then why did you think she was meeting me?”
Goddess, he wasn’t going to let go of this. “Why not call her? I’m sure she’s just shopping or something.”
“I did call. She didn’t pick up.”
Andrea’s worry overrode any concern about herself. Humans were randomly shooting at Shifters; Glory had gone out alone; Glory wasn’t answering her phone.
Andrea pulled her cell from her belt and tapped in Glory’s number. Glory answered after the first ring. “Hey, there!” she sang.
Andrea turned around, walking a little away from Dylan. “Glory? Where are you? Dylan’s looking for you.”
“Is he? Too bad. I’m busy.”
Through the phone, Andrea heard music and laughter—deep, male, throaty laughter.
“Where the hell are you?”
“Having a good time.”
“What am I supposed to tell Dylan?”
Glory’s voice was muffled as though she’d turned to talk to someone else, then she said, “You tell Dylan that I’m not going to wait for him to get around to seeing me. Until he makes a mate-claim, I’ll go out as much as I want with whoever I want.”
“I’m not telling him that! Do it yourself.”
“Sorry, honey, gotta go.” Glory laughed at a male voice in the background, and the phone went quiet.
“Glory. Shit.” Andrea clicked off, her heart sinking. She pivoted to face Dylan, wondering how much he’d overheard, and found Dylan gone. The clearing was empty, quiet, as though Dylan had never been there.
Andrea scented him, though, male musk and anger. So much anger.
Damn it. Andrea tried to tamp down her worry and went back to the Morrisseys to find Kim.
“I’m pregnant, not an invalid,” Kim snapped. “I’m in better shape than I’ve been in years.”
Andrea eyed the car keys in Kim’s hand, wondering if she could snatch them without hurting the woman. “I know that. But you have to understand. We’ve watched so many Shifter women die trying to have babies that we’re a little paranoid about it.”
“I’m perfectly healthy. My gynecologist is amazed at how healthy I am.”
“Yes, but, Kim, if you get sick or hurt on this little expedition—if you so much as skin your knee—Liam will disembowel me and play jump rope with my guts.” Andrea assessed the distance to the keys again. “Don’t make me wrestle you for them.”
Kim heaved a sigh. “Liam has become so protective, it’s incredible. I mean, I like being cherished, but, sheesh.”
“Liam’s terrified of losing you. My mother died trying to have another child. Trust me, I know how awful that is.”
Kim deflated. She blew out another sigh and handed over the keys to her Mustang. “Fine. Go get her. But not a scratch on that car, do you hear me? I’ve seen the way Shifters drive.”
“Sweet.” Andrea closed her hand over the keys. “I won’t hurt it a bit.”
“What do I tell Sean when he comes home?”
“That I stole your car and went joy riding. Or you can tell him the truth. I don’t care.” Andrea caught Kim in a hard hug. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”
She danced down the porch steps to the driveway and slid into the little sports car she’d been dying to try out since she’d arrived.
Now to find Glory. Andrea didn’t have much to go on except Kim remembering Glory talking about a bar called Bronco’s in north Austin that she liked to go to. Kim had looked it up on Sean’s computer and printed a map to it.
Andrea studied the map before she pulled out. Since coming to Austin, she had realized that directions to places here could consist of a bewildering array of turns and little jogs down tiny streets that connected to giant thoroughfares. In her old Shiftertown, “down the highway to the first left” had been the extent of the complication. Here, she needed a list of directions to get to the nearest gas station.
Andrea still didn’t step back. In her old Shiftertown, if a dominant smacked a submissive, it was considered the submissive’s fault for provoking one higher in the food chain. So Andrea’s pack leader would say while Andrea’s ears rang with his hit. Andrea had never had learned to respect the hierarchy. But this was the Morrisseys’ Shiftertown, and she already knew the rules were a little different here. If Nate tried to discipline her, he’d be toast.
That didn’t mean him starting for her, his eyes white, didn’t scare the crap out of her. She got ready to run.
But Nate’s snarls abruptly broke off, and his friends moved a few paces back, sudden fear shining in their eyes. Released from Nate’s glare, Andrea whirled to see what had scared them.
Dylan watched from a few yards behind her, the man doing nothing but standing there with his hands in his jacket pockets. The breeze ruffled his hair, but Dylan didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.
Nate swallowed. Without defiance, without offering words of explanation, he and his friends quietly turned around and walked back the way they came, the smell of their fear sharp.
Of course, this left Andrea alone with the most frightening Shifter in Shiftertown, the man who could rip Andrea to pieces and walk away without breaking a sweat. She knew deep in her bones that if Dylan ever wanted to kill her, he would, never mind the Collar, never mind the rules, never mind his own son having claimed her. No piece of Fae technology or Shifter custom could stop Dylan Morrissey from doing whatever he damn-well pleased.
Before she could speak, Dylan said to her, “I was looking for Glory. Have you seen her?”
CHAPTER TEN
Andrea blew out her breath. “Glory? No, I thought she was meeting you.”
Dylan’s eyes sharpened, and Andrea regretted her hasty answer. “Why did you think that?” he asked, voice edged.
Because she went out all dressed up, like she was meeting a lover.
“I don’t know. I just assumed ...”
Dylan flicked his gaze down the row of trees but not before Andrea saw the flash of pain in his eyes. That surprised her. The way Glory told it, Dylan was the one with the casual interest in their relationship. He could take it or leave it, according to Glory.
“Has she gone to see someone else?” he asked, not looking at Andrea.
“Dylan, this is so not my business.”
The predatory gaze fixed on her again. “Just answer the question.”
“I haven’t the faintest idea. I swear to you.”
“Then why did you think she was meeting me?”
Goddess, he wasn’t going to let go of this. “Why not call her? I’m sure she’s just shopping or something.”
“I did call. She didn’t pick up.”
Andrea’s worry overrode any concern about herself. Humans were randomly shooting at Shifters; Glory had gone out alone; Glory wasn’t answering her phone.
Andrea pulled her cell from her belt and tapped in Glory’s number. Glory answered after the first ring. “Hey, there!” she sang.
Andrea turned around, walking a little away from Dylan. “Glory? Where are you? Dylan’s looking for you.”
“Is he? Too bad. I’m busy.”
Through the phone, Andrea heard music and laughter—deep, male, throaty laughter.
“Where the hell are you?”
“Having a good time.”
“What am I supposed to tell Dylan?”
Glory’s voice was muffled as though she’d turned to talk to someone else, then she said, “You tell Dylan that I’m not going to wait for him to get around to seeing me. Until he makes a mate-claim, I’ll go out as much as I want with whoever I want.”
“I’m not telling him that! Do it yourself.”
“Sorry, honey, gotta go.” Glory laughed at a male voice in the background, and the phone went quiet.
“Glory. Shit.” Andrea clicked off, her heart sinking. She pivoted to face Dylan, wondering how much he’d overheard, and found Dylan gone. The clearing was empty, quiet, as though Dylan had never been there.
Andrea scented him, though, male musk and anger. So much anger.
Damn it. Andrea tried to tamp down her worry and went back to the Morrisseys to find Kim.
“I’m pregnant, not an invalid,” Kim snapped. “I’m in better shape than I’ve been in years.”
Andrea eyed the car keys in Kim’s hand, wondering if she could snatch them without hurting the woman. “I know that. But you have to understand. We’ve watched so many Shifter women die trying to have babies that we’re a little paranoid about it.”
“I’m perfectly healthy. My gynecologist is amazed at how healthy I am.”
“Yes, but, Kim, if you get sick or hurt on this little expedition—if you so much as skin your knee—Liam will disembowel me and play jump rope with my guts.” Andrea assessed the distance to the keys again. “Don’t make me wrestle you for them.”
Kim heaved a sigh. “Liam has become so protective, it’s incredible. I mean, I like being cherished, but, sheesh.”
“Liam’s terrified of losing you. My mother died trying to have another child. Trust me, I know how awful that is.”
Kim deflated. She blew out another sigh and handed over the keys to her Mustang. “Fine. Go get her. But not a scratch on that car, do you hear me? I’ve seen the way Shifters drive.”
“Sweet.” Andrea closed her hand over the keys. “I won’t hurt it a bit.”
“What do I tell Sean when he comes home?”
“That I stole your car and went joy riding. Or you can tell him the truth. I don’t care.” Andrea caught Kim in a hard hug. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”
She danced down the porch steps to the driveway and slid into the little sports car she’d been dying to try out since she’d arrived.
Now to find Glory. Andrea didn’t have much to go on except Kim remembering Glory talking about a bar called Bronco’s in north Austin that she liked to go to. Kim had looked it up on Sean’s computer and printed a map to it.
Andrea studied the map before she pulled out. Since coming to Austin, she had realized that directions to places here could consist of a bewildering array of turns and little jogs down tiny streets that connected to giant thoroughfares. In her old Shiftertown, “down the highway to the first left” had been the extent of the complication. Here, she needed a list of directions to get to the nearest gas station.
