Things That Go Hump In The Night (70 page)

Lia sat. Her eyes roved over the landscape, taking everything in. “I can’t believe this is all yours.”

“And Kane’s,” Ronan said. “And yours, once you’re mated to us.”

She let out a sigh. “Are you sure I have to be Kane’s mate too?”

“Kane’s the reason we have as much territory as we do. I know he has a temper, but he’s not all bad. Of course, I could be biased, seeing as he’s my twin and all.”

Lia stared at him. “You can’t be twins.”

“What do you mean?” Ronan bristled. Was she going to say that Kane was larger, more handsome?

“You’re too nice to be his twin.”

Laughing, he sat beside her. “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that.”

“What went wrong with him? Did someone shove a stick up his butt and forget to take it out?”

He stiffened. “It’s not Kane’s fault. Our past… it wasn’t the prettiest.”

“I’m sorry.” Lia ducked her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, you haven’t done anything wrong. It’s just… that story’s better left for another day.”

“I understand,” Lia said. “You don’t have to tell me. My past wasn’t so pretty either.”

“We’ll concentrate on the future. I think it looks promising.”

She gave him a shy smile. It was so different from the ones he had been flashed by females who only wanted to bed an Alpha. It felt like Lia saw
him
, not his strength or his status. Kane had those too, maybe more so than him, but Lia liked Ronan.

She was sitting so close. The breeze shifted, hitting him with the scent of mountain laurel and river water. Her lips looked so full, so inviting. Ronan couldn’t help himself. Leaning in, he kissed her. Her eyes went wide, but soon she relaxed, melting into him. The taste of her overwhelmed him. He felt locked to her, like the tides to the moon, and he never wanted to be freed. She was his bliss, his heavenly body. She was going to be his mate.

Ronan broke off the kiss before his instincts could take over. He was breathing heavily, and so was she. He took her hand in his.

“Will you spend your future with me, Lia?”

Her hand shook. “What if I’m scared?”

“That’s why you have me. I’m here to protect you, from anything. I promise. Even from Kane.”

Lia let out a shaky laugh. “I think you’ll need to protect him from me.”

The silence stretched out between them. For a moment, Ronan was afraid she would ask him to take her back to the witches and leave her be.

“I don’t feel so lost when I’m with you,” she said at last. “I’ve never felt that way before. I don’t think I can promise you forever yet, but I can promise you tomorrow.”

“I’ll take tomorrow.” Ronan squeezed her hand. “Tomorrow and every other day I can get.”

She leaned against him. Ronan draped an arm around her. Together they watched the sky until it tinged with dusk.

“We should be getting back,” Ronan said. “Aren’t you getting cold? And hungry?”

“I guess. I just didn’t notice.”

“I should have. I’m supposed to be taking care of you.” Ronan cursed. He shouldn’t have left his clothes behind. He could have offered them to her.

“Are you sure we have to go back?” Lia tugged at her shirt’s hem, which was now much more frayed than it had been yesterday. “Can’t we just stay here?”

“The pack will have meat—cooked meat,” he said, noting the look on her face, “and a bonfire.”

“We don’t need those. I can find some roots, you can shift and your fur can keep us warm. Just for tonight? Please?”

His gaze flicked between her and the den. A night alone with her tempted him more than she knew. “The pack needs its Alphas, Lia. I need to watch over them.” Especially Kane.

“All right. Take me back, then.”

“Listen.” He put a hand on her back. “You’ve had a long day. Whenever you need to, you can go to my room. It’s private, so no one will bother you.”

“Not even Kane? I’d rather not see him tonight.”

Ronan’s heart twisted. While it was flattering that Lia liked him, it hurt that she didn’t like his brother. Of course, Kane wasn’t helping himself at all. And this grand plan of theirs would come to nothing if Kane didn’t win Lia over. Ronan would have to have a word with him, though knowing Kane, it would take several words, a few growls, and a threat.

“Not even Kane,” he said. “Just me and you.”

“Okay.”

Ronan wished she sounded even a little bit enthusiastic. “We’ll just have dinner,” he said, “and rest. There won’t be any more excitement today. Kane will behave himself, I promise. If he doesn’t, he’ll answer to me.”

He shifted, bending low so she could climb onto his back. Once she was ready, he trotted back down the mountain.

There was a flurry of activity around the den. Orion and Duke added a huge log to the bonfire, nodding as their Alpha passed. Clove and Ivy knelt over a patch of smoldering earth, removing a layer of leaves to see if the venison was thoroughly cooked. Ronan breathed in deep. It certainly smelled ready. His stomach growled. They had been gone longer than he realized.

Lia slid off his back. He shifted, wishing he didn’t have to lose the comforting weight of her.

Ronan put his clothes back on. Some of the shifters had lost theirs throughout the day, but he didn’t feel the desire to scold them. Hopefully their nakedness didn’t make Lia too uncomfortable.

“Meat, Alpha?” Clove held out a plate of fresh-cut venison. It steamed, juice pooling around the rare slab. The scent was heavenly.

“Just a moment.” Ronan pulled up his pants.

Clove wrinkled her nose. “Della insisted the venison be cooked.”

“Della is exceedingly wise.” He noticed the scornful look that the shifter cast over Lia, saw Lia flinch back. “Serve Lia first. After all, she’ll be your Alpha female soon enough.”

“As you wish.” Clove gave Lia the plate, along with an obsequious bow that Ronan knew grated. Still, he couldn’t allow her to intimidate Lia.

“Thank you, Clove. I will take my meat after Lia has eaten.”

“Of course, Alpha.” Clove ran a hand absentmindedly from her breastbone down to her flat stomach, resting her fingers on her taut skin. “And do let me know if your future mate requires a larger portion. I only live to serve.”

Ronan thought about kicking her into the roasting pit with the venison, but instead he steered Lia away. “You can eat near the bonfire. The nights can grow cold here.”

He found them seats on a log upwind from the flames.

Lia stared at her plate.

“Did you want me to get you your knife and fork?” he asked.

“It’s not that.”

“What is it, then?” A log broke on the fire, and the flames crackled.

“I’m not very hungry.”

“Lia, I can hear your stomach rumbling from here.”

She took a half-hearted bite of venison and chewed. Ronan heard her pause, then swallow.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” he asked.

Lia tore off a chunk, eating it with a contented sigh.

“Clove isn’t the nicest pack member, but she’s the best cook. And the deer in these mountains are the finest in the world.”

“How do you know that?” Lia asked through a mouthful of venison.

“No one but the best could catch them.”

She stared at him. “Did you catch this one?”

“I don’t want to brag, but yes, I did. He was a young buck, and he didn’t go down without a fight.”

“Could I see you hunt one day?”

He hesitated. Would she upend her stomach contents if she saw him cut a deer’s throat, cry out as its spasms died away?

“You don’t have to worry,” she said. “Magda made me catch frogs and bring their spleens to her. They aren’t the same as a deer, but I’ve done my share of hunting and gutting.”

“All right, then.” He smiled. “I’ll make sure you’re part of the next hunting party.”

Lia wiped away some juice that was dribbling down her chin, but he could tell she was pleased. He was glad he could make her happy.

Ronan heard the padding of heavy footsteps. Kane sat down across from them, ignoring the billowing smoke. In fact, it seemed that he was ignoring everything but his prime cut of meat. He didn’t acknowledge Ronan or Lia.

Ronan glared, but Kane didn’t look up. Lia ripped off a piece of meat and chewed furiously. Ronan’s lip curled, but he wouldn’t give Kane the satisfaction of a confrontation. He could ignore his brother right back.

“How’s your cut doing?” he asked Lia. Ronan reached for her forehead at the same time she did. Their hands brushed, and they both laughed.

“Sorry about that,” Ronan said. “I shouldn’t touch it. I might infect you.”

“Then you’d have to amputate my forehead,” Lia said. “And I know you wouldn’t want that.”

He was about to agree when he heard a low growl from the other side of the flames. Kane was looking now, his teeth bared.

Ronan couldn’t allow this. He stalked around the flames. “I need to talk to you, Kane. Now.”

“So talk.”

His brother was begging to have his plate thrown into the fire. “Not here.”

“Where, then?” Kane’s tone was nonchalant, like they were discussing the fine spring evening.

Clamping a hand on Kane’s shoulder, Ronan dragged him toward the forest. Kane jerked in surprise. Ronan tried not to smirk. His brother hadn’t thought Ronan could still drag him. He’d pull him by the ear if he had to.

When they’d gone a sufficient distance away, Ronan released his grip. “What was that?”

“You tell me first,” Kane growled.

“What do you mean?”

“Touching her hand like that. You’ve already planted your seed in her, haven’t you? And you told me we needed to wait until the full moon.”

“You’re being crazy.” Ronan couldn’t believe the way this was going. “We touched accidentally. It didn’t mean anything.”

Kane struck a tree, digging his nails into the bark. “I thought you said we wouldn’t let the female come between us.”

“Nothing’s coming between us but your pigheadedness. And you can keep being mean to Lia, but you can’t also expect her to like you.”

For a moment, Ronan thought Kane was going to punch him. Instead, he turned and stormed into the woods. Ronan walked back to Lia. If his brother thought Ronan was going to chase him down for the hundredth time, he was sorely mistaken.

Lia was waiting by the fire. “Was that my fault?” she asked in a small voice.

“No. Don’t go blaming yourself for Kane’s actions. Kane certainly doesn’t.” Ronan took Kane’s plate and finished his venison. He hoped his brother’s stomach twisted with hunger.

She was shivering. Ronan gave her his shirt and pushed their log closer to the fire. Lia settled in next to him, and seemed to uncoil. There was steel in her, but it must have been softened by the flames. Her breathing slowed, and her head became gradually heavier on his chest. Ronan watched the flames dance. She made him warmer than they ever could. He could spend the whole night out here with her, until the fire died to embers.

A twig snapped in the forest. He could feel Kane’s eyes on him. Ronan stiffened.

“Oh.” Lia sat up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She rubbed her eyes. “I think I should go lie down.”

“Would you like me to show you to my room?” he asked.

“I think I’ll go back to the storage room, if that’s okay. I liked it there.”

“Can you find your way?”

“I’ll manage.” She stumbled to her feet. He steadied her, but could tell she didn’t want further help.

Lia backed away. “Good night, Ronan.”

“Good night.” He watched her go, rage growing with every step until she was out of sight.

When she entered the den, he shifted. He didn’t give Kane a chance to fight. Ronan sprinted toward his brother, pouncing on him.

Ronan didn’t remember shifting back, but somehow he had his hands around his brother’s neck.

Kane gazed at him, maddeningly unflappable as always. “I’m the stronger of us, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“You’re stronger? Really? How certain are you of that? Could it be that in all our contests I let you win, because you’re an insufferable loser? Could it be that I think keeping our pack together is more important than winning every contest of strength? You may want to think on that, brother, before you challenge me.”

Ronan squeezed Kane’s throat, not hard enough to bruise, but hard enough that Kane would remember.

Kane shifted, and Ronan lost his grip. Snarling, Kane retreated to the woods. Ronan doubted he’d see his brother before sunrise. Knowing Kane, he had some serious pouting to do.

Sinking down, Ronan sighed. He wished he and Kane could go back to the fun, easy times they’d had as pups, when all they worried about was whether the other was wrestling fairly, and who could jump across the widest streams. But that life was long past. Choices had been made that could never be undone, and he had to live with things as they were.

Still, he wished even more that Kane would stop acting like an ass every once in a while.