Bodyguard (Shifters Unbound #2.5) (10 page)

Elizabeth nodded. "I know he is."

Sean merely looked at her, his eyes speaking
volumes.

"Wait a minute," Elizabeth said in amazement.
"Are you worried that
I'll
hurt
Ronan
? Well, you
don't need to be. He's helping me out, and I'm grateful. When this
is over, I'll pay him back. That's all."

"That's not what I'm seeing," Sean said.
Moonlight shone on his sword, a weapon, but one of great beauty.
"I'm seeing a lonely Shifter looking at a woman like he might have
a chance at some happiness. If you're not looking like that back at
him, tell him now. Put him out of his misery."

"I only met him last night," Elizabeth said.
"Give us a break."

Andrea said, "It can happen fast. You look at
each other, and you
know
." She rested her hand on her
abdomen and shot a look at Sean. He caught it. A lover's look,
exchanging secrets without exchanging words.

"You two need to be alone?" Elizabeth joked.
"Seriously. I like Ronan. I have no plans to hurt him. I might not
be able to have a relationship with him, but I won't hurt him. I
promise you that. I like him too much."

Sean's eyes glittered. "Why can't you?"

"Why can't I what? Have a relationship with
him, you mean?" Elizabeth shrugged, her shoulders tight. "I don't
know. Things don't always work out. I haven't been very good at
relationships in the past. In fact, I suck at them."

"You hold people at arm's length," Sean said.
"Don't look surprised, lass. I see you doing it. Even with your
sister. But I'm glad to not hear you say,
Because
he's
Shifter.
"

"He being a Shifter makes it more of a
challenge," Elizabeth said. "But obviously, it can be done. Liam
and Kim. Ellison says the waitress Annie is going out with a human.
And all those groupies sure want it to happen."

"So, why not, then?" Sean asked. "Everyone's
bad at relationships until you find the relationship worth fighting
for. Or maybe you're already married? Is that the big secret you
don't want to tell Liam?"

"What? No," Elizabeth said forcefully. "No, I
never married anyone. That I can promise."

"Then what?"

"Sean," Andrea broke in. "Leave the poor
woman alone. Not every female has to fall for the hot, sexy,
alpha-male Shifter."

Sean blinked. "Why not? I thought we were
irresistible."

"You're a comedian, Sean Morrissey," Andrea
said.

Sean dropped the subject, and Elizabeth
walked without speaking after that, enjoying the banter between the
other two. She'd never had that kind of bantering fun with a
man--except, she realized, with Ronan.

Sean and Andrea walked her all the way to
Ronan's house, where Elizabeth said good night. She had to say good
night the Shifter way, she realized, when Andrea gave her a warm,
cushy hug, and Sean caught her around the shoulders one-armed and
pulled Elizabeth hard against him.

Andrea didn't seem to think it unusual that
her mate hugged another woman. They walked off together, very
close, but not touching--alert to fight if necessary?

Rebecca was still up and told Elizabeth
cheerfully that there was supper still hot in the kitchen.
Elizabeth found a gigantic soup pot half full of thick beef and
barley soup, a huge loaf of bread, and jars of five different
flavors of jam to go with the bread.

Hungry, Elizabeth ladled soup into a bowl and
threw a piece of bread on top of it. "How does Ronan afford to feed
all of you on a bouncer's paycheck?"

Rebecca gave her a nonchalant shrug. "I guess
we're good shoppers."

"Sorry," Elizabeth said quickly. "It's none
of my business."

"No worries." Rebecca caught up a large
purse. "Speaking of that, I need to go out. Will you watch Olaf for
me? He's usually asleep by now, but he's a little keyed up because
you and Mabel are staying here. He likes company. Cherie's spending
the night with a friend, and I don't want to leave him alone."

"Sure," Elizabeth said readily.

Rebecca hesitated. "If you'd rather not, I
can wait for Ronan."

Elizabeth took a bite of soup and found it
delicious. "No, no. That's fine. I like Olaf. You go . . . shop."
When
all the stores are closed. Hmm.

"Thanks." Rebecca breezed out, banging the
door behind her.

Olaf was in the living room watching
television. The TV was an old model--no flat screens or HD for
Shifters. A rerun of a seventies comedy was playing. Olaf wasn't so
much watching it as standing in front of the screen, staring at the
people on it as though trying to figure out what on earth they were
doing.

"I like this one," Elizabeth said. "One of
the ladies I lived with when I was little loved this show. She was
nice." In retrospect Elizabeth knew she should have been kinder to
the woman, but Elizabeth had been so afraid of being split up from
Mabel that she'd been prickly and defensive. The sweet old lady had
understood that, Elizabeth saw now.

Olaf listened as though Elizabeth imparted
great wisdom, then he abandoned the television and climbed up onto
the sofa beside her. Olaf was nine, Ronan had said, but he acted
younger. Maybe because Shifters matured at a much slower rate than
humans, or maybe because Olaf had been through a lot.

As Olaf seated himself against Elizabeth, she
noted that his white-blond hair bore tiny blue streaks.
Mabel
.

Elizabeth was tired, but she was happy to eat
the terrific soup and have the warmth of Olaf beside her. This
reminded her of what she and Mabel would do in the bad old days,
sitting tightly side-by-side as though that would keep them
together forever.
I
won't ever let us be split up, Mabel.
I promise.

She'd kept her promise, no matter what.

When the show ended, and Elizabeth set down
her empty bowl, Olaf climbed down from the sofa, calmly removed his
clothes, and shifted. He did it too close to the coffee table,
which got shoved over, but Elizabeth found herself looking at the
cutest polar bear cub she'd ever seen.

Not that she'd seen many, not
this
close. Olaf made a little baby growl then climbed back onto the
sofa, his long claws tearing the fabric. He flopped down next to
Elizabeth, put his head and one paw on Elizabeth's lap, and closed
his eyes.

Elizabeth went still, the trust Olaf was
showing both stunning and warming her.

Olaf stirred a little, then let out his
breath, eyes closing more tightly. Elizabeth couldn't stop herself
from stroking his fur. She found it both soft and strong, sort of
wiry without being tough.

Elizabeth went on petting him, finding
comfort in the act. Olaf's breath whuffed hot over her blue-jeaned
knee, the cub relaxing into sleep.

Rebecca didn't return. Elizabeth lifted the
remote and switched off the television, and silence crept over the
house. They didn't have any clocks in here, so nothing ticked.
There was only the quiet of the outside world, the faint breeze
through the open window. Austin summers were hot and sticky, but
the coming fall could be cool and clean.

She was still sitting there, Olaf half on her
lap, when Ronan came in.

* * * * *

Chapter Nine

Again Elizabeth was struck with how
quiet
he was. When he'd charged Marquez in her store, she
hadn't heard a thing until he'd reached them.

Ronan saw Olaf sleeping, closed his mouth on
the greeting he'd been about to give her, and stepped inside. A
cool breeze stirred wind chimes on the porch and wafted through the
windows.

"Where's Mabel?" Elizabeth whispered.

"With Cherie. I took her to Cherie's
friend's. Two doors down."

"Connor?"

Ronan righted the coffee table, which had
been left on its side, and put her empty bowl back on it. Nothing
had broken, at least. "Took him home. Scott's staying over at the
Morrisseys tonight too, so it will be less crowded here. Becks went
out?"

"She implied shopping, but nothing's open
this late."

"Means she's prowling. Becks is past ready to
mate, but she's being very picky."

"What about Ellison? He seems like he'd be
willing."

Ronan grimaced. "Goddess, I hope not. He's a
Lupine. That's all I'd need, half-wolf, half-bear Shifters all over
the place, full of themselves, like Ellison."

"How would that work?" Elizabeth remained
still as Ronan collapsed on the sofa next to her, stretching into a
sprawl. Olaf never moved. "How can a Shifter be half wolf, half
bear?"

"Wouldn't. The cubs would be born in human
shape and then take their animal form a few years later. They'll go
one way or the other, so a Lupine-Ursine mating could have half the
family wolves and half bears. That would be interesting."

Elizabeth gave Olaf another soft stroke.
"Olaf's already big. What's going to happen when he's fully grown?
Polar bears are gigantic."

"And Shifter polar bears are even bigger."
Ronan stretched his arm across the back of the sofa, touching her
shoulders. "We'll deal with that when we need to. Rebecca and
Cherie might be mated and gone by the time he reaches full size. I
built the Den to be plenty big."

"For Olaf?"

"Built it before he came. But sure."

"None of this fazes you."

Ronan cupped Elizabeth's shoulder with his
big hand. He smelled like the night overlaid with the warmth of
himself. "None of what?"

"Having cubs live in your house. Saving me
from being shot. Having me and Mabel move in. Mate-claiming me so
Liam would stop asking me questions."

He moved with his shrug. "I take things as
they come."

"Most people don't. Most people stress out. I
know I do."

Ronan regarded her with calm, dark eyes. "I
lived a long time alone. You learn to take life slowly when you
live like that. Why worry about what terrible thing will happen
tomorrow?"

"Don't you think worrying helps you
prepare?"

"Maybe. Or maybe it just messes you up."

Ronan had a point, but Elizabeth at age nine
had realized that if she didn't take care of Mabel, no one else
would.

"Mabel almost died when she was a baby
because the foster mother we lived with wouldn't take her to the
hospital. Too lazy and too drunk, but Mabel was really sick. I
tried to steal the neighbor's car and take her there, but the
neighbor caught me. Fortunately, he was a nice guy, and drove us
there himself. He was a fireman, and he knew people in the
emergency room. Good thing." Elizabeth laughed a little. "I was a
shrimp and couldn't reach the pedals."

Ronan's eyes held anger. "I hope you didn't
stay with that woman."

"No, we were moved. I never did learn the
fireman's name, and I never saw him again. But he made me realize
there were good people and bad people out there. You have to figure
out which is which, but good ones are there. Like you."

Elizabeth put her hand on Ronan's where he
rested it on her shoulder, her fingers small against his big, blunt
ones.

"What makes you think I'm one of the good
ones?" he asked.

"You stopped Marquez, for one. He had a
gun--you couldn't know whether he'd have shot you dead. And letting
us stay here, eating your food and taking up space. And what you do
for the kids--I mean, the cubs." Elizabeth stroked Olaf's fur
again. "I'd have been able to tell right away if you mistreated
them. But I know they're happy."

Ronan spread his fingers and twined hers
between them. "You were like them, weren't you?"

"A rescue case? Pretty much. Only I never got
rescued. There were good times, don't get me wrong. It wasn't all
terrible. We lived in some good houses, made friends."

"You rescued yourself, Lizzie," Ronan said.
He squeezed her fingers, the pressure warm. "But I don't mind
coming to your rescue."

Elizabeth squeezed back, feeling the warmth
travel all the way through her body. "Why did you stop Liam from
questioning me?"

"Because Liam's dangerous," Ronan said. "He
and Sean have that Irish charm thing going, but don't underestimate
them. They can be hard-ass if they want to be, and their dad's
worse. Me mate-claiming you means you'll never be handed over to
their dad. It means I've got your back."

With his strong arm behind her shoulders,
Elizabeth started to believe it.

"I promise you, Ronan, my secrets won't hurt
anyone except me and Mabel. It's because of Mabel that I don't want
to tell you."

"WitSec?" Ronan asked.

Elizabeth started. "What?"

"Are you in witness protection? I won't out
you, but I don't need a Fed breathing down my neck when one comes
looking for you."

"No." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes
shut. "Call it Elizabeth protection." She opened her eyes again.
"Yes, I moved here six years ago with a new name and a new name for
Mabel, but not because I'm running from the law or in witness
protection or because I owe people lot of money. I just needed . .
. to start again."

He regarded her quietly, keeping whatever
emotions he felt hidden. "People can start again without changing
their identities. Usually they change identities when they don't
want anyone from their past finding them."

Elizabeth said nothing. Ronan was close to
the truth, but Elizabeth had learned the hard way that saying
nothing was the best thing, no matter what it made people think of
her. If she opened up to Ronan, would Liam compel him to tell
Elizabeth's secrets? He'd said that this mate-claim protected her
from that, but she was sure the smooth-talking Liam would probably
find some loophole. Liam seemed to be good at getting his own
way.

But Ronan, she'd seen, despite his brawn and
good-natured banter, was not stupid. He studied her now with shrewd
perception. "You don't have to tell me, Elizabeth. You wait until
you're ready. And if it's never, then it's never."