When Riley finally looked up, he was surprised to see tears shining in her eyes. They ran down her cheek to disappear into her hair. He panicked. "Did I hurt you?" He would never forgive himself if he'd hurt her.
"No." She sighed and tightened her grip on his body. Sending new waves of pleasure through them both. She smiled and reached up to brush the tears away.
"Then what is it?" He rose up on his left elbow to look down at her. He'd never seen anything more beautiful. Her hair was damp still. Whether from her bath or their lovemaking, it didn't matter. And her skin glowed. He smiled and traced the small "love bite" on her neck where he'd marked her. She was finally his. After all these years. He dared the council or his brother to try and take her away from him now.
"I'm happy." She said it so simply. A flat truth that warmed his heart. He felt tears shining in his eyes at the thought that he could make her that happy. It gave him hope for the future.
But then he remembered that they wouldn't have a future if he didn't figure out how to get his brother to leave them alone.
Sam saw the shadows pass across Riley's eyes. What was he so afraid of? His family? It couldn't be that bad could it? She reached up and twisted her finger in his hair. "What is it, love?" Had she missed something?
Riley sat up and ran his finger through his hair. This was the part he'd been dreading. He hadn't come here tonight with any other intentions than protecting her from Thane's hired lackey. But he hadn't counted on the intense feelings she always brought in him. Or that the cat would react so strongly to her. It shouldn't have. She was human. It shouldn't have cared about her at all. But it's reaction to her scent had been unmistakable. He'd have to figure out what that meant later. Right now she was waiting for an explanation.
"I have to go back." He didn't turn to look at her as she sat up and tucked the robe around her. "Thane will be expecting me and if I don't show, things could get ugly. For both of us." He wasn't looking forward to it. He hated being there under Thane's thumb. But as the second son, and a half breed too, he had no choice. It was submit to Thane's rule, or die. And the second was not an option. He had her to protect, but his little brother would never survive without him. If it wasn't for Riley constantly keeping the stronger clan members from killing him, Caleb would have been torn apart as a weakling and a half breed too. There was no mercy in the clan.
Samantha pulled a face at the mention of Riley's older brother. She'd never liked him. He was a slimy, arrogant jerk. All that ever mattered to him was tormenting his younger brothers as much as possible. She remembered poor Caleb as a sweet kid with a quick mind. She hoped that too many years on the receiving end of Thane's abuse hadn't hurt him too much. Or worse, turned him just as mean.
She took a deep breath and reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "Alright Riley. You obviously have something you don't want to tell me. I promise I'll try to be a big girl and take it like a man. " She tried to smile but her insides were turning to mush. And not in a good way like earlier.
Riley shifted on the bed so he could face her. The uncertainty in her eyes broke his heart. But it was now or never. Either he told her the truth and hoped for the best. Or he walked out that door and never looked back. He couldn't even hope to protect her from Thane, or his mother, if she didn't know and understand everything.
"Just promise me that you will hear me out before you call the nice guys in the white coats to come and get me." He tried to smile. But it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Now she really was worried. What on earth could he possibly have to tell her that had him thinking she'd call the cops, or worse on him? "I promise not to call anybody until you're finished."
Riley sighed and got up. He turned to face her. "The easiest way to tell you is to show you." And without another word, the air around him shimmered, like sound waves you could see, and he was gone. In his place was the biggest black jaguar Sam had ever seen.
Her heart sped up to rollercoaster pace and she scooted backwards across the bed instinctively. Landing on her feet on the far side. She stared in disbelief at the big cat as it sat down and stared back. It's eyes were brown. Not yellow like all the other cats she'd ever seen. You could barely see his black on black patterned fur in the growing dawn light. She was just beginning to catch her breath as the air shimmered again and Riley was standing where the cat had been. Still in all his glory. Sam felt the room spin and sat back down on the bed.
Riley sat down across from her and took a deep breath. He didn't know what her reaction would be. His heart beat an unsteady rhythm as he waited. He didn't have to wait long.
She started laughing. Laughing? Really? Not exactly the reaction he'd expected. He stared at her open mouthed. Which only made her laugh harder.
"Oh baby." She tried to talk but she was laughing so hard she couldn't catch her breath. That's what he'd been so afraid to tell her? Little did he know that she already knew about it. His cousin had been her best friend. And her father had been an alcoholic who liked to talk while he was drunk. She heard him tell stories about Riley's mother and her family for years growing up. She always chalked it up to the imagination of a drunk old man. Until she'd grown up and started studying the occult. That's when she'd found out that his stories were more fact then fiction.
The longer she laughed, the more pissed off Riley got. What the hell was so damn funny? He was about to grab her and shake her, when she reached out and pulled him across the bed. They tumbled together and she landed on top of him. Straddling him like she'd done earlier.
"I already knew." She saw his eyes go wide and then he growled and flipped them again. Now he held her hands above her head and glared down at her.
"You knew? How?" He was completely non-pulsed. She knew? All this time he'd thought he had to hide it. Stay away from her so she'd never know and hate him. Or worse, fear him. He glared at her and tightened his grip on her wrists.
"Ouch!" She protested. "Riley, that hurts." She struggled to get loose but his grip was like iron. "I knew because your uncle had a big mouth. Especially when he was drinking. Which was all the time. You forget I spent most of my teens swapping weekends between my house and your aunt and uncle's." Sam tried again in vain to pull her hands free. Riley was scaring her. She thought he'd be happy that he didn't have to hide his true nature from her. Instead he was furious with her. It didn't make any sense.
Riley allowed her to continue struggling while he processed the fact that there was a very real possibility that they'd wasted the last 10 years for nothing. The thought did not make him happy. Or his cat either. He felt the growl low and hard in the depths of his soul. He released her arms and pushed off of the bed. Turning his back on her until he could control the cat again.
"No." She sighed and tightened her grip on his body. Sending new waves of pleasure through them both. She smiled and reached up to brush the tears away.
"Then what is it?" He rose up on his left elbow to look down at her. He'd never seen anything more beautiful. Her hair was damp still. Whether from her bath or their lovemaking, it didn't matter. And her skin glowed. He smiled and traced the small "love bite" on her neck where he'd marked her. She was finally his. After all these years. He dared the council or his brother to try and take her away from him now.
"I'm happy." She said it so simply. A flat truth that warmed his heart. He felt tears shining in his eyes at the thought that he could make her that happy. It gave him hope for the future.
But then he remembered that they wouldn't have a future if he didn't figure out how to get his brother to leave them alone.
Sam saw the shadows pass across Riley's eyes. What was he so afraid of? His family? It couldn't be that bad could it? She reached up and twisted her finger in his hair. "What is it, love?" Had she missed something?
Riley sat up and ran his finger through his hair. This was the part he'd been dreading. He hadn't come here tonight with any other intentions than protecting her from Thane's hired lackey. But he hadn't counted on the intense feelings she always brought in him. Or that the cat would react so strongly to her. It shouldn't have. She was human. It shouldn't have cared about her at all. But it's reaction to her scent had been unmistakable. He'd have to figure out what that meant later. Right now she was waiting for an explanation.
"I have to go back." He didn't turn to look at her as she sat up and tucked the robe around her. "Thane will be expecting me and if I don't show, things could get ugly. For both of us." He wasn't looking forward to it. He hated being there under Thane's thumb. But as the second son, and a half breed too, he had no choice. It was submit to Thane's rule, or die. And the second was not an option. He had her to protect, but his little brother would never survive without him. If it wasn't for Riley constantly keeping the stronger clan members from killing him, Caleb would have been torn apart as a weakling and a half breed too. There was no mercy in the clan.
Samantha pulled a face at the mention of Riley's older brother. She'd never liked him. He was a slimy, arrogant jerk. All that ever mattered to him was tormenting his younger brothers as much as possible. She remembered poor Caleb as a sweet kid with a quick mind. She hoped that too many years on the receiving end of Thane's abuse hadn't hurt him too much. Or worse, turned him just as mean.
She took a deep breath and reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "Alright Riley. You obviously have something you don't want to tell me. I promise I'll try to be a big girl and take it like a man. " She tried to smile but her insides were turning to mush. And not in a good way like earlier.
Riley shifted on the bed so he could face her. The uncertainty in her eyes broke his heart. But it was now or never. Either he told her the truth and hoped for the best. Or he walked out that door and never looked back. He couldn't even hope to protect her from Thane, or his mother, if she didn't know and understand everything.
"Just promise me that you will hear me out before you call the nice guys in the white coats to come and get me." He tried to smile. But it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Now she really was worried. What on earth could he possibly have to tell her that had him thinking she'd call the cops, or worse on him? "I promise not to call anybody until you're finished."
Riley sighed and got up. He turned to face her. "The easiest way to tell you is to show you." And without another word, the air around him shimmered, like sound waves you could see, and he was gone. In his place was the biggest black jaguar Sam had ever seen.
Her heart sped up to rollercoaster pace and she scooted backwards across the bed instinctively. Landing on her feet on the far side. She stared in disbelief at the big cat as it sat down and stared back. It's eyes were brown. Not yellow like all the other cats she'd ever seen. You could barely see his black on black patterned fur in the growing dawn light. She was just beginning to catch her breath as the air shimmered again and Riley was standing where the cat had been. Still in all his glory. Sam felt the room spin and sat back down on the bed.
Riley sat down across from her and took a deep breath. He didn't know what her reaction would be. His heart beat an unsteady rhythm as he waited. He didn't have to wait long.
She started laughing. Laughing? Really? Not exactly the reaction he'd expected. He stared at her open mouthed. Which only made her laugh harder.
"Oh baby." She tried to talk but she was laughing so hard she couldn't catch her breath. That's what he'd been so afraid to tell her? Little did he know that she already knew about it. His cousin had been her best friend. And her father had been an alcoholic who liked to talk while he was drunk. She heard him tell stories about Riley's mother and her family for years growing up. She always chalked it up to the imagination of a drunk old man. Until she'd grown up and started studying the occult. That's when she'd found out that his stories were more fact then fiction.
The longer she laughed, the more pissed off Riley got. What the hell was so damn funny? He was about to grab her and shake her, when she reached out and pulled him across the bed. They tumbled together and she landed on top of him. Straddling him like she'd done earlier.
"I already knew." She saw his eyes go wide and then he growled and flipped them again. Now he held her hands above her head and glared down at her.
"You knew? How?" He was completely non-pulsed. She knew? All this time he'd thought he had to hide it. Stay away from her so she'd never know and hate him. Or worse, fear him. He glared at her and tightened his grip on her wrists.
"Ouch!" She protested. "Riley, that hurts." She struggled to get loose but his grip was like iron. "I knew because your uncle had a big mouth. Especially when he was drinking. Which was all the time. You forget I spent most of my teens swapping weekends between my house and your aunt and uncle's." Sam tried again in vain to pull her hands free. Riley was scaring her. She thought he'd be happy that he didn't have to hide his true nature from her. Instead he was furious with her. It didn't make any sense.
Riley allowed her to continue struggling while he processed the fact that there was a very real possibility that they'd wasted the last 10 years for nothing. The thought did not make him happy. Or his cat either. He felt the growl low and hard in the depths of his soul. He released her arms and pushed off of the bed. Turning his back on her until he could control the cat again.
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