Swallowing His Pride (13 page)

“
You
sound a little crazy,” Lynn snapped. “Does insanity run in your family? Should I warn Samantha about the chances of her child developing the same problem?”

Liam growled, “We’re not insane. Just do me this favor. Watch my eyes for a moment.”

“Fine, though I don’t know what you could possibly do…”

The moment her words trailed off, Dylan knew what his brother had done. He’d allowed his eyes to shift, the pupils elongating into the vertical oval shape of his feline counterpart. Next, he watched as Liam smiled, revealing his long canines and sending Lynn into stunned silence.

“We would never hurt either of you ladies,” Dylan quickly put in, seeing Lynn’s pulse beating wildly at the side of her neck. The last thing they needed was to have both women out cold. “Samantha is my mate, and I will spend the rest of my life protecting her and providing for her, whether or not she sees fit to let me be a part of it.”

“He’s right. She’ll always be taken care of. Dylan is the Prime of our lion clan, so that makes her the Prima,” Liam explained.

Lynn swayed a bit on her feet, and Liam reached out to steady her, earning him a slap to his arm. “You said she’s in danger. Explain that to me, because there’s got to be
some
part of this mess that makes sense.” She shook her head. “Don’t think that just because you pulled some fancy little parlor tricks on me that I’m going to believe you’re shape-shifters, either. I’ve read hundreds of paranormal books, and they don’t usually have those types of creatures living in towns and cities, let alone hanging around casinos and dance clubs.”

Showed what she knew. There were shifter communities all over the world, living in plain view of humans and mingling amongst them for the last several hundred years. With a shifters lifetime sometimes spanning twice that of normal people, they often relocated every ten years or so, unless they were lucky enough to find some remote land to settle on separate from the general population.

Dylan and Liam were fortunate enough to belong to one such clan, and with the resort coming into play soon, there would soon be a place for their kind to stay during their transitions from one clan to another. This meant that, while it wouldn’t be necessary for Sam to move away in the future, it did bring about the fact that she would now outlive her best friend by several decades now that her life was bound to his. He wondered how Sam would take knowing she could easily live to be over a hundred and fifty years old? But now
so
was not the time to bring that up.

Now, how to explain the potential danger he’d inadvertently placed Sam in.
Here goes nothing
. “Okay, the easiest way to explain this is for you to consider it as a form of racism. There are some shifters who think of humans as worthless and weak. These same folks will not take kindly to me—their leader—taking on a full-human as my mate, therefore elevating her to leadership status, as well. Add in that she is carrying my child, and let’s just say, things could quickly go from bad to worse.”

“So these psychos might try to hurt her?” Lynn asked, casting a worried look at Sam as she lay on the couch.

The thought of any harm coming to Samantha was enough to have a snarl bursting forth before he could contain the sound. Lynn took a quick step back, eyes wide, as he vowed, “Over my dead body, I can assure you.”

Still wearing an uneasy expression, Lynn asked the million-dollar question. “And just how do you expect to keep her safe? She’s out here alone, and one huge cat already showed up. What if others come? The one last night could have attacked her easily. She was alone, sitting on the porch when it came.”

“I’ll speak to Jag,” Liam offered. “He’s not a big fan of humans, but he’d never hurt one unless they threatened him.”

“Well, I plan on coming back and staying with her. I can assure you if he shows up again, he will be threatened—with the end of a shotgun. If I were you, I’d advise your buddy to steer clear,” she warned, her green eyes hard and determined.

“Calm down,” Liam said softly. “I’ll tell him, but I also think he’d be a great asset. He doesn’t live in town with the rest of us, instead preferring to live out in the wilderness on our property. It would be perfect if he keeps a guard post on her property for when we won’t be able to be here.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Liam,” Dylan agreed. “We’ll see if he’s interested in doing some of the outside work around here too, since he likes to work with his hands. I’ve noticed some of Samantha’s fences could use mending, and she’ll need her tractor up and running before the weeds get too high to see over.”

“Then that’s settled. I’ll find him and get things set up.” Liam turned to Lynn. “So you know, in his human form, Jag is tall, dark-skinned and his eyes are pale blue. It can be a bit startling, but he’s a good guy once you get to know him. I just want you to know what he looks like in case he comes by while we’re gone.”

“Okay. But didn’t you two just say he isn’t a fan of humans?”

“Several years back, Jag was tranquilized in his cat form and spent a few years in a zoo. He was trapped in his animal body for the entire time, lest he give away the secret of our existence,” Dylan explained. “Liam’s landscaping company was hired to do some work at the zoo, and we discovered him by accident. It was no easy feat to get him out of there, and now, he distrusts humans.”

“Well, I can understand that, even though I’m still not buying the whole cat thing. If you guys are trying to punk me, I’ll kick your asses so damn hard.”

Liam sighed. “Should I shift right now and prove this to you? I’ll need to strip down first, since I didn’t bring any extra clothes, but if that’s what it’ll take, I’m game.”

Lynn rolled her eyes and sighed. “Didn’t I get my point across in Vegas? You’re not my type, honey, and taking off your clothes won’t change that fact.” Her grin took the sting out of her words, and Dylan was glad to see that she could still pick on Liam. It meant she didn’t fear him. Most likely, her discomfort stemmed from her confusion over the situation.

His brother visibly geared up for a comeback. Dylan was about to step in before Liam and Lynn really got going, but he stilled as Samantha started to come around. There was no way he wanted to spook her into passing out again, so he gave a quick slash sign to his brother.

“Lynn?” she asked, eyes still closed. “Please tell me you got me plastered, and I’ve been passed out cold all night.”

The sympathetic look Lynn gave her friend wasn’t missed by Dylan or Liam, but her reply broke his heart.

“We’ll get through this, sweetie, you’ll see. I’ll be your doctor, and I’ll even write off all my services, but I can’t do anything about the hospital bill. We’ll find you a good job that won’t have you on your feet all day, and—I can’t believe I’m saying this—I’ll move in here with you so you won’t lose the house.”

A tear rolled from the corner of Sam’s eye, and unable to help himself, Dylan pulled her into his arms. “You’ve got me, too, Sam. I’m not going anywhere. Hell, I just got you back. There’s no way I’m running now.” Never. She was
his
, and his lion snarled his agreement in his mind.

Sniffling loudly, Samantha raised her red-rimmed eyes to him, and Dylan instantly knew that whatever she was about to say, he wouldn’t want to hear it. “I need to go on the record now as saying that you don’t have to do anything Dylan. You don’t have to be all noble and sweet just because there’s a baby involved. We can work out things like visitation and stuff.”

Yup, he didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t she realize he already had feelings for her? He understood she knew nothing of their mating bond, as it had little effect on humans, but for crying out loud.

“Sam,” Lynn cut in, saving him the trouble. “You
really
need to have an in-depth conversation with these two before you say anything else. I think you both should take this slowly,” she emphasized, glaring at Liam and Dylan. “Get to know each other better. A
lot
better than you did in Vegas.”

“
Lynn
!” Samantha screeched, her face blazing with her embarrassment.

“Not like that.” Lynn rolled her eyes, but Dylan caught her meaning. She wanted to make sure they explained what they were to Sam.

“I think she’s right,” he agreed. “I’d love to take you out on a date again, somewhere a bit calmer than the places we went before. Hell, a picnic, a quiet drive, I’d even settle for grocery shopping.”

Sam giggled, the bubbly sound giving him hope and lifting some of the crushing weight the fear of her rejection had brought.

“Men hate shopping,” she replied, a small smile still curving her lips.

“But I’d do it with you.”

“That’s big, Sam,” Liam cut in. “That’s like the equivalent of a marriage proposal to some men.”

“Yeah, but would they buy the feminine products, too?” Lynn put in, her brows raised in Liam’s direction.

“I’ll answer you with a line from the 90s hit by my man, Meatloaf.
I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that.
” Liam sang, making everyone laugh and lightening the mood even more.

“In all seriousness though,” Dylan said. “I have a few things to tell you, but you’ve had a rough day, and I’d rather have you rest and take it easy. Liam and I will work outside on the tree and getting the palms planted—”

“No! I can only do the tree. I’ll plant the other things later, but until I find another job I’ve got to be careful with my money. I put a huge portion of the divorce settlement into the property to keep my payments and interest low, so my cushion isn’t quite as comfy as I’d hoped.” Samantha struggled to sit up, and Dylan put his arm around her shoulders to help. “Thank you.”

“I’d love to do all of this for you, Sam. I don’t think working in this heat is the best thing for you now. If you’ve been dizzy and faint, the heat might only make it worse.” Dylan exhaled in relief when she nodded. He certainly didn’t want to come by one day and find her lying in the yard after passing out cold.

“You’re right. I’ll have to really watch what I do now, start thinking about the baby, too.” She shook her head and raised her brilliant blue eyes his way. “It’s still so crazy to think that I could be pregnant.”

Lynn moved closer but kept her eyes on Liam as she came. Was she scared of him? A deep inhale revealed only a slight wariness, but he could see her curiosity, as well. After all, it was a trait with which all felines were well acquainted.

“He’s right, Sam. We’re in the height of the summer heat here, and these triple digit temps will sap your energy fast. You need to relax and take it easy for a bit. Your hormone levels are going through a major fluctuation, so that’s part of the reason for the dizziness, but I’ll need to get some blood work to make sure that’s all it is,” Lynn gently explained. “I’m going to bring you into my office for some tests, then in a few more weeks, we’ll get an ultrasound.”

Samantha nodded, her eyes downcast and seemingly focused on her hands as she twisted her fingers in her lap. She appeared so lost, the pale tone of her skin against the vibrancy of her hair leaving her looking more fragile than the finest china. He absolutely hated the fact he’d allowed his stubborn pride to keep him from her this long. If he’d come around sooner, perhaps he would have been able to smooth the way for her a little.

While he could do nothing about the loss of her job, he could help her to work on her home and be with her as much as possible. Now, all he had to worry about was whether or not she would reject him once she discovered his feline side.

“I’d love to take you to your appointment, if it’s all right with you,” he offered. “I realize this is sudden, and I apologize, because it’s all my fault, but I can’t say I’m unhappy you’re having my baby. I think you’ll be an amazing mother.”

Lynn caught onto his confession, her eyes narrowing, and Dylan found himself wondering if Sam had taken his advice and purchased any firearms. God, he certainly hoped not.

“What do you mean it’s all your fault?” The false sweetness in Lynn’s voice had his cat’s tail twitching nervously in his mind, and even Liam took a step back, his eyes trained on Lynn.

“It’s something I’d rather discuss with Samantha alone, if possible.” There, surely, she couldn’t argue with that.

Samantha, on the other hand… “I don’t keep anything from Lynn. She’s the closest thing to a loving family I’ve ever had.” Once again, she gave him a single look, and he found himself caving, utterly willing to do anything for her. Sadly,
anything
included Dylan owning up to his failure to use protection in front of a very upset Lynn.

“I don’t want to say anything that may embarrass you,” Dylan began, motioning to Liam, who quickly stepped around Lynn and exited the front door. When he was sure they were alone, he continued, “Do you remember what happened the night we were
together
?” She blushed prettily, nodded, and he couldn’t help but smile. “After we made love, I came out of the bathroom to find you curled up on the bed like a sleepy kitten, so I climbed right in with you. I’ll tell you one thing Sam that was the best night’s rest I’ve had in
years
. When you began to move in your sleep, I couldn’t help but try to soothe you, but one thing led to another, and…all I can do is tell you the truth. I was so caught up in my need for you I didn’t use a condom that second time. I know it sounds lame, but there it is.”

Dylan sighed, waiting for her anger, for her to lash out, tell him to get lost, curse him even, but she just turned a shy smile his way. His heart sped up at the sight.

She’s not mad!

“If that’s the case, then I’m just as guilty as you are, because I certainly didn’t think about it.”

Now there was a reaction he hadn’t expected, and from the looks of it, Lynn hadn’t either.

“Seriously?” Lynn demanded. “
You
were barely awake, but apparently,
he
was with it enough that he should have gloved before he shoved.
Gah!
I can’t believe whatever higher power designed mankind only allowed enough blood to power one head at a time,” she huffed.