A Mating Dance (11 page)

Graham liked the current design but suggested some minor changes to allow more space between the older kids and the younger plus new computer rooms for each wing. They would be located in the center of the den with a block wall enclosing the area. The new section would not only keep the children safe, but it would serve as a shelter in case of an attack.

He stopped at the door to Max’s classroom and knocked lightly. A moment later, a female with short auburn hair opened the door. “Oh, you must be Graham.” She held out her hand. “I’m Rhea, head den mother.”

Graham shook her hand. “Yes. It’s nice to meet you.”

She smiled and turned her attention to Max. “Hello, Max. Are you ready for your first day at school?”

Max shook his head and said, “No.”

“Max,” Graham warned. The scent of jasmine drifted around him, making his lion pace under his skin.

He turned to peer behind him. Cameron walked toward him in a pair of black yoga pants and a tight black tank top. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. After the night he had with her and Blaine, it took all his control to suppress a groan.

By her raised eyebrow, he bet he wasn’t doing a very good job of masking his desire. “Is someone being difficult?” she said, coming to a stop next to him.

Max laughed and held his little arms out to her. “Cam!”

She took him and kissed his cheek. “Why are you giving your papa such a hard time? Didn’t we talk about it at home?”

Max nodded, his fingers in his mouth. Cam pulled his hand away from his face. “You will have a lot of fun here today. Don’t you want to meet friends?”

He smiled. “Yes.”

Rhea asked the next question. “Does he say more than one word at a time?”

Graham answered, “Yes, he can. For some reason, he only does it around me now.”

Cameron handed Max over to Rhea. “Do you think he could be picking up on emotions already and he’s not sure what to do with them?”

Graham paused. Of course. “That may be it. I’ll have Nevan start working with him in the evenings to teach him how to block emotions.”

“That’ll be great.”

Rhea gave them a little wave to get out of there since she had distracted Max with some large Legos.

Taking the hint, he and Cameron walked out of the nursery together in silence. Hell, he didn’t know what to say to her. When they were outside and away from too many ears, he said, “Last night was the first time I…”

She pressed a finger to his lips, halting his confession. “I know. Dani told me. Last night was a first for me too. I’ve never been with anyone but Blaine. Why should I? He’s my mate.”

“And me?”

She lifted her golden-brown eyes to his. “It appears I have two.” He stepped closer to her, and she stopped with a hand pressed to his chest. “I want to go a little slow. Get to know you.”

“Then let’s go to dinner. Just the two of us.”

“I’d like that.”

Graham’s heart swelled with pride, and his pulse quickened with anticipation to have Cameron to his self. “Great. How about tomorrow night? Your place? You know, since I really don’t have one yet.”

She laughed. “Sure. I can kick Blaine out for the night.” She paused then studied him for a moment. “Wait. Did you say yet?”

“I decided to stay in Ashwood yesterday morning when I saw how important it was for Sammie. She needs to be a child, and Max needs the strength of the Pack.”

Cameron’s face brightened. “That’s great. Well, I’m off for my morning run in human form.”

“Be careful.”

She shot him a grin and rolled her eyes. “Always.”

Graham stood there for several moments watching her jog into the forest that surrounded the den. He was a lucky bastard to have found two mates. All he had to do was figure out a way to make it work without losing his heart.

***

Cameron jogged to the first of two magickal barriers that circled the den and slowed to a walk. The wards were more powerful now that Travis, Robyn, and Shay had strengthened them less than a month ago during their mating ceremony. Cameron still wasn’t used to being linked to the wards and damn sure not comfortable enough just to run through them.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the invisible wall and shuddered. The magick nipped at her skin as it slid over her as if testing her intent. Humans would turn away from the wards, not really knowing why. Rogues, on the other hand, knew they were there and didn’t care that they served as an alarm system, sending a pulse of energy to the enforcers, sentries and the Alphas connected to the wards.

The rogues no longer had the element of surprise. Once they crossed over the outer barrier, sentries and enforcers swarmed them almost immediately. That had only happened once since they’d reinforced the walls.

But Cameron wasn’t naive enough to believe the bastards wouldn’t try again. She just hoped Ashwood would be ready if and when the Onyx Pack raged a full-on assault. That’s why it was so important to find the den and take out as many of those assholes as they could.

Shaking off the tingles from passing through the ward, she darted to the right in a full run.

The warming spring air flowed over her skin, soothing away some of the tension that had built over the last couple of days. Most of the tension had been caused by the males in her life. Yes, she had two males, two mates. Christ, how the hell had that happened?

Then there was Blaine’s acceptance of it all. It had floored her that the possessive, don’t-touch-my-female alpha male had actually stepped aside to not only let Graham touch her, but to do things to her that only Blaine had done.

She came to a stop and listened. The forest was quiet, too quiet. A snap of a twig had her whirling around and crouching into a fighting stance. She relaxed when she saw the large black jaguar stalk toward her from the shadows of the forest.

“Hi, Jared. Out for a run?”

Her brother nodded his large cat head and brushed his body against her legs in greeting when he reached her. Cameron smiled and stroked his spotted black fur. “Do you want to run?”

“No, can we just sit?”
Jared sent her the thought.

Not many shifter siblings could communicate telepathically while in animal form, but Jared had always been able to with her. She wasn’t sure why because Jared wasn’t a telepath like Keegan. No, Jared was another form of mindbender. He could pull memories and past crimes from others, which came in handy as the legal counsel for the Pack.

His ability also allowed him to send thoughts to those he was bound with, like family and a mate.

She sat down in the grass and waited for him to stretch out beside her. When he did, she laid back so her head rested on his back. Jared wasn’t only her brother but her guardian. Or had been before she became an adult, although he still acted like a father even now, always the protector and commander.

Jared had raised her from an infant after their parents died. It saddened her to not know them like he did, but Jared always made sure she knew about them and their lives. She’d loved the stories he told her about them. She so wished she’d been able to know what her mother’s face looked like in all stages of life instead of the few photos Jared had given her or know what it felt like to be hugged by her father.

“You smell like the lion. Do I want to know?”

His thoughts broke through her musings, making her pause. Shit. She hadn’t thought about her brother’s reaction to her having two mates. Not like it mattered, really. She was her own person, and if Jared had issues with the triad, then he’d have to get over them.

Oh, God. She was going to do it. She was going to take the leap and see if it worked.

And she hoped it did. Graham was the missing link in her and Blaine’s life. Her jaguar felt it, and she knew deep down it was right. Even though a tiny voice said no, she was going to do it.

“Graham is also my mate,” she said softly, then waited for some kind of argument.

It never came.

Jared let out a heavy sigh and laid his head down on his paws.
“I don’t know anything about him, other than he’s Nevan’s brother.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but closed it. Graham was like a stranger, yet she felt as if she’d known him longer than just a few days. Arguing that Graham was her mate, and she felt it deep inside, even though she wasn’t sure about bonding to anyone, was useless. Jared would only remind her that mates, bound or not, would betray her for the right price.

Case in point was Keegan and Cate. She’d never known the Alpha’s mate, but Blaine said she’d sold information to Onyx that had led to the downfall of Ashwood. The strong leopard Pack lost hundreds of its strongest members, along with just as many children.

The war heightened to a new level, forcing Moonriver—Luna and her wolves—and Ashwood to form an alliance and merge the Packs together.

Then there was Jared’s mate.

Cameron had never met her, nor did she know what the female had done to Jared. Her brother had simply come back to her broken, in spirit and in the heart.

She let out a sigh and said, “So get to know him.”

He made a noise that sounded too much like a chuckle.
“I plan to. He made an appointment to see me about Isaac’s will.”

Figured. He loved messing with her emotions. “Stop teasing me. You already spoke to him, then?”

“Over the phone. I’ll save my judgment for the face-to-face.”

She’d sat up to scowl at her brother when wind swirled around them, and the faint coopery scent of blood drifted in with it. Jared lifted his head and perked up his ears while scenting the air.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention, and a chill slid down her spine. There should be a sentry on guard several yards away.

Jared stood, and his body went taut as if sensing danger. In jaguar form, her brother was more lethal than Keegan. Jared turned his large black jaguar head to her, his pupils swallowing all the color in his eyes.
“Which of the sentries is on guard?”

“Jason.”

“And?”
he prompted.

Shit. The sentry was alone. That wasn’t anything new. Most guarded their posts alone. All the sentries were strong fighters. Jason was actually in training to become a senior soldier.

She stood and jogged toward Jason’s post. Each step darkened the dread running over her. When she came to the spot, there was no one there. She peered up in the trees in case Jason was in leopard form and hiding out. But there was no one perched on the branches.

Goose bumps covered her skin, making the hairs stand on end as icy fear raced over her. Jared circled the area then took off in a dead run. Fuck. She reached inside her mind and found her link to the enforcers.
“Blaine.”

“Yeah.”
His reply came almost instantly, telling her he felt her distress. No, they didn’t have a mating bond, but they were connected through the blood ties to the Alpha as enforcers.

“Is Jason supposed to be on post in the southeast sector?”
She didn’t like this one bit. Each sentry was chosen for their loyalty and lethal ability to bring down rogues and other threats.

“Yes. Why?”
Blaine’s tone came out clipped as if he too sensed something through the enforcers’ bond they all shared.

“I think you need to get a team down here, fast.”

She didn’t give him time to respond. She cut the mind link and reached down to her thigh holster, only to remember she didn’t have it.

Fuck.

She wasn’t about to turn around. She hadn’t made senior enforcer on her looks. As the only female, she’d had to work hard and be stronger than the males. She let her claws slide out of her fingertips and sniffed the air. Her heart sank, as the scent of blood on the breeze grew stronger.

Dropping her shields, she tried to mind link with Jason.
“Jason.”

Nothing.

Dammit.

She edged through the trees in the same direction Jared had gone then sagged at the sight of the fallen sentry. Her brother stood over Jason, shaking his large head.

“Cam. What do you got?”
Blaine asked in her mind.

She just shook her head, words failing her at the gruesome sight in front of her. Jason’s throat was bitten through. Chunks of flesh and muscle were gone, exposing bone on one side. Fury rose inside her. Her brother had suffered a similar attack last winter while on a Hunt, a challenge of strength and wits, with Nevan. Only they were able to get to Jared in time to save him.

There was no saving Jason.

She’d sensed Blaine and two of the other enforcers as they approached a moment before Blaine said, “Fuck.”

“He’s dead.” They most likely knew it, but she said it anyway.

Alec crouched down beside the body and scented the air around the sentry. “No scent trail.” He met Jared’s gaze. “Do you pick up on anything?”

Jared peered at Cameron and said,
“Mutants are near.”

Cameron scanned the area. The creeped-out feeling still hung in the air. Her skin felt tight. Jared was right. The animals that had done this were still around.

She released a low growl at the faint scent and stepped around Jason’s body. Blaine stopped her by thrusting her thigh holster and gun into her chest. “From now on, you run with this bitch.”

He’d get no argument from her on that.

She strapped the holster in place, and, as one, she and Blaine followed the scent. A few yards ahead, they spotted a rogue running away from them. They gave chase. Cameron was the first to reach the bastard. She tackled him to the ground. They rolled until she gained control and landed on top him. “This is for Jason.” She twisted the rogue’s neck, snapping his spinal cord.

Rising, she glanced around to see Blaine fighting a mutant a few feet away. The half-man, half-beast swiped at Blaine’s chest. Blaine roared in pain and fury then charged back at the creature, punching at its chest with his own claws extended.

She drew her gun and aimed, but she couldn’t get a clear shot without hitting Blaine. They were a tangle of fists hitting flesh and moving too fast for her to track. Yet, if she didn’t do something, she’d lose him. Considering the way the mutant moved and took the blows Blaine was dishing out, the creature must have been busted up with some super drug.