Eric knew that Graham didn"t really want Iona-he"d made it clear he"d mate only with a Lupine and wouldn"t taint his line with a Feline. Graham had Challenged for Iona simply because he wanted to take her away from Eric.
A Shifter could mate-claim a female, even officially mate with her under the sun and moon ceremonies, and then never use her to make cubs. Pride and pack leaders of old had kept their packs and prides in line by mate-claiming all females not related to them and doling them out to the other males when they reached their mating years. Graham seemed the type to keep up that old tradition if he could.
Eric tasted the primal excitement of the rivalry. He hadn"t felt like this about a female since Kirsten, a need for a mate he thought he"d never experience again. He"d told himself he"d been keeping quiet about Iona all these months to protect her, but in truth, he was as old-fashioned as Graham, sequestering Iona from prying eyes while he worked on winning her. He laughed.
"Eric!"
Eric came out of his reverie to avoid slamming into a truck stopped in front of them.
"Maybe I should drive." Iona was already halfway out of the truck.
"Don"t try to run away from me, Iona. I"d just have to catch you again."
No, let her run. Hunt her. Bring her in...
Eric shut off the thought.
Iona didn"t run anywhere. She came around to the driver"s side, and Eric slid over for her. Another driver whistled as Iona climbed into the driver"s side, the slit in her bridesmaid"s gown riding up her thigh. Eric barely stopped himself from leaping out and ripping out the guy"s throat.
Iona put her foot to the gas and glided the truck down the road again. "I"m not going to run away. I like my truck. Besides, the sooner we resolve this, the sooner I can get back to my normal life."
Eric sat close enough to her to touch her, loving the way her body moved beneath the satin gown. "You won"t have a normal life ever again. Your mating hunger is calling to you. You can"t fight it forever."
"Not the best sales pitch you could make." Iona gripped the wheel and turned through streets without asking directions, heading north to Shiftertown.
Iona had driven past the Las Vegas Shiftertown before, unable to stem her curiosity about it, though she"d never been through its gates. She"d seen that, behind the high chain-link fence, Shiftertown was a grid of streets with small, neat homes.
The fact that the gates were left wide open, the fence not topped with barbed wire or anything, had always made her feel better. The fence and gates were more symbolic than imprisoning.
A number of Shifters seemed to have motorcycles, she saw as she followed Eric"s directions down a street a block away from the gates. She also saw that, though it was dark and around dinnertime, Shifters were out and busy, some carrying boxes from house to house, some stacking furniture on front porches.
"They"re moving in with their families and neighbors," Eric said to her curious glance. "Doubling up because Graham"s Shifters get here day after tomorrow. Stupid humans wouldn"t wait for the houses to be built."
"We can get them done quickly," Iona said. "But that still means a couple of months." She slowed and turned where Eric indicated. "The new Shifters arrive day after tomorrow? After your fight?"
"Why do you think I picked tomorrow night? Graham and his seconds will have to follow the rules of the Challenge and the fight club, but I wouldn"t trust the bulk of his wolves not to do something dumb-a.s.s while he fought me."
Iona was surprised. Eric had been in a flat rage when he"d faced Graham in her office, ready to kill him. He"d made no sign that he"d been coolly calculating the best time for the fight. "Do you always plan everything so carefully?"
"I do, my love. Remember that."
Iona pulled into the driveway of a long, low house with a deep front porch that looked little different from its neighbors-except that the driveway and yard of this house were full of Shifters.
In the center of the driveway, standing in front of Iona"s pickup as she halted it, was a tall blond woman who was obviously pregnant. She stood shoulder to shoulder with a Latino human, and another Latino, resembling him, stood next to him. A younger version of Eric stood at the tall woman"s other side.
Two enormous men came to flank the truck. They were accompanied by a dark-haired woman who was a bit smaller than them but no less intimidating.
Eric hadn"t called anyone after Graham had gone and before they"d left the office. He"d helped Iona roll the blueprints into the tubes, and then he"d hustled her out the door and opened the gates. That meant Graham McNeil must have alerted the Shifters that Iona was on her way.
Iona set the brake, but she didn"t turn off the truck"s engine. She doubted she"d be able to ram the truck through the surrounding Shifters, but it never hurt to be prepared.
Eric got out, unworried, and came around to the driver"s side of the cab. He reached in, shut off the truck, and took the keys, then opened the door and held out his hand to Iona.
Swallowing, Iona got out.
It was dark without the truck"s headlights, though a small porch light on this house and the one next door provided some illumination. But Shifters didn"t need light-they could see fine in the dark. Iona knew they were all scenting her, knowing she was half-Shifter, knowing she"d been all over Eric, and Eric all over her.
Eric led Iona to the younger man. "Jace," he said. "This is Iona Duncan. Tonight, I mate-claimed her. Iona, Jace Warden, my son."
Jace was no kid-he was a full-grown adult. He had the same hard build and dark brown hair as Eric, and he looked back at her with his father"s measuring green stare.
"Iona," Jace said before she could speak. "I acknowledge and respect the claim."
The next thing Iona knew, Jace had opened his arms and folded them tightly around her.
Iona started, but Eric"s hand warmed her back. "It"s all right. Hug him. You"re supposed to."
Tentatively, Iona brought up her arms to return the embrace. Then Jace really hugged her, pulling her in so tight that her breath left her. Her nose picked up how similar his scent was to Eric"s and yet had a unique character of its own.
Jace was grinning when he released her. "Welcome to the pride, Iona. Dad, I commend your taste."
Eric took Iona by the shoulders and moved her to the pregnant woman, who was regarding Iona with great interest.
"Ca.s.sidy Warden," Eric said. "My sister and my second."
"I acknowledge and respect the mate-claim," Ca.s.sidy said, sounding delighted.
She pulled Iona to her for a warm, cushy hug, which Iona returned less hesitantly. As with Nicole, Iona breathed in the fragrance of Ca.s.sidy"s child inside her, and Iona"s sharp need to mate rose up to bite her once more.
"You"re half-Shifter," Ca.s.sidy said as she released Iona but held her by the hands. "Your father?"
"My father was the Shifter, yes. Panther." Somehow, Iona knew Ca.s.sidy would want to know that.
The woman"s green eyes warmed. "Welcome, Iona. This is my mate, Diego Escobar. You called him the other day, about Eric. For that, I thank you."
Diego was very attractive-okay, he was hot-his liquid dark eyes and handsome face complementing his dusk-velvet voice. "We took care of it," Diego said. He glanced at Eric. "Am I supposed to say the thing?"
"Technically," Eric said.
"Then I acknowledge and respect the claim." Diego held out his hand instead of trying to embrace Iona, but he clasped her hand between his strong, warm ones. "From one person who"s been sucked in by Shifters to another, welcome to their world. It"s a fine place."
The second Latino man shouldered his way forward. "I"m Xavier, Diego"s better-looking younger brother. Call me Xav. I acknowledge and respect the claim, and I"m hugging you, because I like Shifter ways."
Xavier pulled Iona into a hearty embrace. "Don"t worry," he said, when Iona came out of it, breathless. "You get used to it."
Iona thought she possibly might, until she got to the bears.
"This is Shane," Eric said. "Bears don"t have last names."
Shane was big, about seven feet tall, broad of chest, thick of muscle. He had black hair flecked with brown that looked s.h.a.ggy even though he cropped it short, and chocolate brown eyes.
"Welcome to Shiftertown, honey," Shane said. He opened his big arms and scooped up Iona, giving her a...bear hug.
Shane lifted Iona off her feet and swung around with her but didn"t let go even when he set her down again. "Keep in mind-when things don"t work out between you and Eric, come see the grizzly next door."
"There"s two grizzlies next door, bro." The second bear shoved his brother aside, and Iona got another enthusiastic and dizzying hug. "I"m Brody. Remember, once you go bear, you never go back."
Eric did and said nothing while the bear brothers hugged her, but he stood close. Very close. Iona b.u.mped into Eric"s hard body when Brody finally let her go.
They must have seen something in Eric"s face, because Brody lifted his hands in a sign of surrender. "Hey, we acknowledge and respect the claim, oh great leader. No Challenges here."
"But keep your options open," Shane said to Iona.
The large woman pushed herself between them. "Shut up, boys. Don"t scare her. I"m Nell, sweetie." Nell was not as tall as the two bear males, but she looked as strong, and she shared the brothers" black and brown mottled hair. She pulled Iona into a somewhat gentler hug. "Half-Shifter, and you"re just learning how to deal with your Shifter side, aren"t you?"
So true. Iona was ready to collapse after her long day, the wedding, her increasing hunger, kissing Eric in her office, Graham"s violent interruption, and now this sudden introduction to Shiftertown.
She swallowed. "It"s been rough, yeah."
"Well, if it gets too bad, you come and see me. I got these two through their Transitions and their first mating hunger, and don"t think that wasn"t pure h.e.l.l. Helping you will be a joy, sweetie, compared to hosing down a couple of frenzied grizzlies."
"Mom, come on," Brody said. "You only needed to open the fire hydrant twice."
Nell pulled Iona into another hug, this one warmer. "Really. Don"t let Eric intimidate you. If you need help, I"m here. And you can always turn down his mate-claim. Males don"t get to have it all their own way."
If Nell and Ca.s.sidy were anything to go by, Iona believed that.
Nell let Iona go, but she glared over at Eric. "You making her stay in your house? You don"t have to. I have room."
Eric"s hand landed on Iona"s shoulder again. "I know you do, but I don"t trust McNeil to play by the rules. She stays in my house, under my protection."
"In your tiny bedroom?" Jace asked. "You can"t turn around in there without b.u.mping into yourself. She can have my room-it"s much bigger. Tonight though, me and Shane will stay at Iona"s place and make sure Graham doesn"t do anything stupid. I"ll need keys and directions." He held out his hand to Iona.
"You and Shane?" Iona looked at the grizzly, who grinned at her with a mouthful of pointed teeth.
"Don"t worry," Shane said. "We"re litter trained. You have cable?"
"Yes."
"Sweet. Let"s go, Jace."
Jace took Iona"s house keys and gave her another hug. "Welcome to the family," he said. Then he and Shane were gone, Jace behind Shane on a Harley, the bike roaring down the quiet street.
Eric could see that the mating need was getting to Iona as they ate some dinner. The kitchen smelled good, Diego cooking again. He made a mess of burgers slathered in salsa, and Xavier went behind him and fried up a batch of sopapillas dripping with cinnamon and honey.
Iona sat down and ate every morsel, then followed Xavier back to the kitchen to see if she could find more.
Ca.s.sidy had been like this when she"d first hit her mating years, Eric recalled, watching Iona and Xavier banter in the kitchen. Ca.s.sidy had eaten everything in sight and had been crabby when she couldn"t find anything else.
Ca.s.sidy"s mating need had been high. She"d been on the prowl to get it out of her system, though she hadn"t found a mate of her heart until she"d met a Shifter called Donovan, who"d pa.s.sed the year before she"d met Diego.
Xavier finally went home-actually to his mother"s house to help her with something or other. Ca.s.sidy offered to lend Iona some clothes, and the two women shut themselves in Ca.s.sidy"s bedroom so Iona could change. Apparently, this involved a lot of giggling.
Eric looked back from gazing longingly at Ca.s.s"s bedroom door to find Diego planted on a living room chair next to him. Eric had lounged back on the couch as usual, beer bottle balanced on his stomach, practicing his ability to look completely casual, almost half-asleep, while at the same time being more alert than anyone on the street. But Diego had known Eric long enough not to be fooled.
"She came with you willingly?" Diego asked him.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
Eric"s human brother-in-law was smart, practical, and not easily intimidated, d.a.m.n him. "She didn"t want to, but Iona understands the danger," Eric answered.
"You had to bring her here? Couldn"t you protect her in her own house?"
"The thing is big and has too many entrances, too many windows. No place to hide." Eric took a sip of beer. "I"m surprised you humans have survived this long."
"Humans have alarm systems, big dogs, and hired security to protect them."
"All useless against someone like McNeil." Eric opened his eyes all the way to give Diego a stern look. "Understand something, Diego. McNeil is dangerous. He"s exactly like me, except I can be calm because I"m secure in my place as leader. He"s not anymore, so he"s looking for any way to push me out so he can rule. That means that no one connected with me is safe-not you, not Ca.s.s and your unborn cub, not Jace, and now, not Iona. I can protect you best if you"re all in one place. If I"m forced to divide my attention all over town, McNeil will slip in somewhere and gouge me, using one of you to do it. You"re all fair game to him."
"So you decided to meet him at a fight club?" Diego asked, eyes showing his anger. "What happens if you lose?"
"I won"t lose." Eric stopped. "But in case I do, make sure Iona rejects his claim loud and clear, in front of witnesses. Then bring her back here, under Ca.s.sidy"s and Jace"s protection. If I"m badly hurt or killed, Ca.s.sidy will become leader, which means McNeil will go after her. You and Jace will have to protect Ca.s.s too, with everything you"ve got. Get Shane and Brody and Nell with you-Nell"s pretty much fourth in dominance, or maybe even above Jace, I don"t know. But between all of you, you can keep Iona and Ca.s.sidy safe."
Eric slumped back into the sofa, the speech tiring him. But he had to say it, and say it quickly, cutting through whatever protests Diego was about to voice.
"All right," Diego said after a time. "Ca.s.s and I will look out for Iona if something happens to you. There must be something you can do about Graham, though. You"re Shiftertown leader. Arrest him or something."
"It"s a tricky situation. It"s not Graham"s choice to be here, and if I grab him and confine him to a hole-or get the humans to arrest him-his Lupines will never forgive me. There would be retaliation battles for years to come. I need to win in a fair fight against Graham. Leaders don"t resort to tricks."
"Sure, Eric," Diego said. "What if he touched Iona?"
"Then I"d kill him."
Diego nodded, knowing Eric wasn"t joking. "All right, then. You need a second at this fight? Can a human be second?"
"Yeah, thanks. You and Shane can back me up. I don"t want Jace there, in case Graham tries something underhanded. I don"t trust him to fight fair."
"Done."
Eric had never liked humans before he"d met Diego, but his brother-in-law was proving that humans could be as strong, loyal, and protective as Shifters.
Iona came out of Ca.s.sidy"s bedroom, and Eric"s thoughts about the upcoming fight dissolved. Ca.s.sidy had given Iona a cropped top and skirt, Ca.s.sidy being too tall to lend Iona any jeans. The skirt bared Iona"s athletic legs, and the top showed a slice of slim belly that Eric wanted to lick.