His Purrfect Mate (31 page)

The link flared to
life.
What makes you think I want to talk
now? Five weeks and I hear nothing from you!
Aida stepped back and gave him a tight smile before walking
away.

I will carry you out of
here, mate don’t push me
, he
warned.

What if I came with someone?

Rage swamped him at the
mere thought of another man touching her.
Do you want to make a scene here? Because I have no problem
doing so. If you arrived with someone, too bad, you’re leaving with
me. So enjoy your game, I’ll be right here.
Dane sat on the bleacher.

Bastard!

He was close to losing
it.
I’m holding on by a thread,
mate.
A severely frayed one.

Aida didn’t respond, but she also didn’t
close the link. He watched Aida until a young girl moved cautiously
toward him on the wooden bleacher. She was small maybe the size of
a six or seven year old.

“
Are you a friend of
Aida’s?” She seemed scared then, just like that, her fear
vanished.

“
Yes,” he said with a
smile. “Are you?”

A wide grin crossed her dark face. “Yes.”
She sat beside him, staring out at the game. “She’s been nice since
I met her, four days ago.”

Three loud child sighs later, and Dane
leaned closer to her and asked, “Everything okay?”

“
Do you like
kids?”

She laid a hand on his wrist, her fingers
almost moving as if seeking to find the scar there. He looked at
her, containing his shock at her contact. Not many people reached
out and touched him. And he liked it that way, but this child, this
young girl, pulled forth a different reaction, even his tiger took
note. There was something about her, yet he couldn’t quite put his
finger on. All his protective instincts kicked into high gear
though.

“
I do like kids.” Dane met
her gaze and saw past the bravado and found fear.
Aida.

What?
Her tone no less hostile.

This child beside me. She is fearful. Whose
is she?

That’s Isolde. Foster
daughter to the Joneses’. The mom is three rows up from you in the
green.
A slight pause.
Is she okay?

I’m not sure. I can feel her fear.

You protect her!

Dane grinned at her sharp
mental command.
I have to figure out
what’s wrong first.

Aida growled at him.

Dane swallowed
hard.
You do know how much it turns me on
when you do that, right?

Focus.

We still have to talk.

“
Do you have kids?” Isolde
asked, releasing his wrist and tugging on a braid with her hand.
“I’m Isolde.”

It was possible he had a child. He glanced
to Aida and back at the little girl. There was such hope on her
face. “Not yet. But I hope to one day. I’m Dane. It’s very nice to
meet you, Isolde.”

She smiled an act which totally lit up her
face. “I bet you’d be a great daddy.”

“
I hope I
will.”

Isolde reached out and touched his wrist
again. Dane closed his eyes and traveled into her thoughts.

Calm down,
tiger-mine.
Aida’s voice pulled him
back.
Dane, you have to calm
down.

He could feel his tiger roaring in fury.
Turning his head, he saw Aida heading to his side. The child still
chatted away, her fingertips resting on the scar at his wrist. She
was saying something about angels.

“
Hi, Isolde,” Aida
said.

“
Hi, Aida. He’s my
friend.”

Dane relaxed when Aida
laid her hand on him. “He’s a good man to have as a friend.”
What the hell is going on with you?

This child is under my protection.

Okay. Not sure what that means but we have
to smile. People are approaching.

Dane reined in the tiger and smiled at
Isolde who still traced the scar on his wrist. Slipping his free
arm around Aida, he breathed deeply when she curved into him.

“
I’ll be right back,” Aida
said before walking off.

He followed her with his
gaze and watched her sit by Isolde’s foster mother. The women
chatted, and he saw the green-clad woman look at him. Dane nodded
at her.
Do not touch that woman,
mate
, he snarled.

After a bit, Aida stood and came back to
them. Her eyes flashed reproachfully. “Hey, Isolde. I asked Mrs.
Jones if you could come to dinner with Dane and me tonight. Since
it’s my last night here and I haven’t had much of a chance to spend
time with you. What do you think?”

The child’s hand tightened slightly on him.
“Really? You wouldn’t mind having a kid along?”

Dane smiled gently at her. “Not at all.”
Looking at Aida, he said, “Maybe a fair?”

“
I know just the place.”
Aida licked her lips. “I’m going to say good night to
people.”

“
We’ll be right here.”
Dane looked at the girl again. She had medium brown skin and her
hair up in braids. Despite the fragile and small look about her, he
could sense deep within she had a core of steel. A fortitude which
hid her true persona. A puzzle for him to figure out. “Something on
your mind, little one?” Dane asked softly.

Her big brown eyes dropped quickly from his.
She shook her head. A deep voice crossed the air, and he could feel
Isolde shiver all the way to the marrow of his bones. His tiger
snarled and paced, ready and waiting to attack.

“
Who’s that?” he asked,
forcing his tone to remain calm.

“
Mr. Jones.” Her reply was
hushed. The finger on his scar moved faster.

He’s a dead man.
“Your foster father. Do you have
siblings?”

Isolde pursed her lips and shook her head.
“No.” Her gaze lifted, and he was mesmerized by the sparkle in
them. “If you had kids, I could play with them though.”

She was good, very good, at hiding her
feelings.

Aida said, breaking into the conversation,
“She’s right, Dane. Why didn’t you think of that?”

Funny, Aida.
He winked at Isolde. “I guess I’m just slow.
Shall we go?”

Chapter
Fifteen

Aida shivered. From a multitude of things.
Dane being there for one but also the way he watched her. It was
different from before. It was more. More intense, more everything.
Just more. While part of her wanted to rail at him, she refused to
do anything of the sort in front of the child. So she would wait
until it was just the two of them.

She truly liked Isolde. The child was new to
her, but Aida had met her the first day she’d arrived and had spent
a good chunk of time with her during church activities for her
parents’ anniversary. Dane and Isolde were at the ring toss, and
the girl was busy picking out her prize. Aida drank some lemonade
as she observed them. He was so good with her. They carried on
their own private conversation, and Aida had no intentions of
interfering. Dane looked at her and sent her a subtle wink.

You’re not feeling neglected are you,
Aida?

Not at all. But I would
like a prize.
She walked up to
them.

“
Did you see what he won
for me?” Isolde asked, her eyes bright and cheerful. Her thin arms
wrapped tight around the silver-gray wolf with the charcoal black
mask.

“
Yes, my goodness, the
wolf is bigger than you.”

Isolde hugged the stuffed animal close. “I
love him.”

“
I think,” Dane said,
“Aida needs one, too. What do you think, little one?”

“
Yes.” Isolde smiled up at
her. “He’s really good. He can win
anything
you want.”

Aida grinned over the way Isolde showed
complete confidence in Dane. The man had a devoted admirer.

“
Yes,
solnyshko moyo
, anything you want.
I’m
really good
.”

“
I’ll keep that in mind.
Maybe something in the way of a tabby.”

Dane gave a warning rumble, and she fought
not to laugh.

“
Sure you don’t want
something more
impressive
?” He looked pointedly at
the white tiger along the back before staring at her.

She tapped her fingers on her lips. “Hmmm,
could you win another wolf?”

He bared his teeth, and Aida shivered from
the lengthened canines. She skimmed her knuckles over Isolde’s
cheek. “I believe you said something about some rides.”

Aida hung back while Dane spoiled Isolde.
There was something else going on there, and she longed to ask him.
Lord knew they had things to discuss but the furious way he’d
sounded when claiming Isolde under his protection told her it was a
volatile subject. So that fact alone made it a topic for another
time and place. Despite the anger she could feel coiled tightly
within him, none of it showed with Isolde. He was so open and
giving to the child.

By the time they walked in the dark through
discarded popcorn containers and cups, Aida stifled a groan. She
was exhausted. Dane carried Isolde cradled protectively in his
arms; the child appeared almost asleep herself. Aida carried the
stuffed animals, a large plush silver-gray wolf and the white
tiger.

“
Here you are, little one.
You can sleep just as soon as we get you in the car.”

On the other side of the backseat, Aida
positioned the wolf on the seat next to Isolde while Dane buckled
her in. Her heart near stopped when Isolde’s sleepy voice broke the
silence.

“
My angel was
right.”

“
Your angel, little one?”
Dane asked.

“
Yes. He said you would
come, and you’d keep the bad man away. He even told me about your
scar. Said I never had to be afraid of you, that you’d always
protect me.”

Aida knew her mouth was
open. She looked at Dane who touched Isolde’s face while watching
her with an unwavering stare and said, “Your angel was absolutely
right. I
will
always protect you.” Such conviction laced his tone but even
that couldn’t hide the deadly edge in his words.

“
I know.” She touched his
cheek. “You’re gonna be a great daddy.”

Aida didn’t know how to describe the emotion
she saw in Dane’s eyes at Isolde’s touch and words.

“
Sleep, little
one.”

“
We have a long trip
tomorrow,” she said softly, but with all certainty. “I get my new
name.”

“
Yes, we do, and yes, you
do.”

Aida frowned but held her
tongue. She climbed in the passenger seat. Aida wanted explanations
but this
so
wasn’t a conversation one had in front of a little girl. And
she didn’t think she could do it solely in her mind. It shouldn’t’
have surprised her when he pulled off the main road and put the car
in park. Getting out, she walked to where he stood, flexing his
large hands at the front of the still running vehicle, the heat
keeping it comfortable for the sleeping child.

“
Wanna tell me what that
was all about? Why would you tell her she’s going on a trip with
you tomorrow, much less she is getting a new name? You shouldn’t
tell her such things. She’s with a foster family. She can’t just up
and go with you.”

“
She can and she is.” The
words were short and crisp.

“
You can’t just take her,
Dane. She’s—”

“
The hell I can’t!” he
snarled, his jaw snapping with a ferocious sound.

Aida actually stepped back from the raw fury
in his expression. “What the hell is going on?” she asked, not
entirely sure she wanted to know. One hand rubbed her heart, which
pounded hard and fast.

“
That baby will
never
be subject to
those people again. She is under my protection. She is
mine
now.”

The raw possession in his tone threw her.
However, the vehemence gave her a moment’s pause. He was so angry.
Why? What caused this from him? Better question, what had the
Joneses done for him to act this way?

Aida threw up her hands. “I don’t
understand, Dane. I hear nothing from you for five weeks. Five
fucking weeks. Then you show up out of the blue, watching me with
even more possessiveness—which I gotta tell you, I honestly didn’t
think was possible. Now, you’re claiming a girl who you don’t even
know is under your protection. Hell, now, she’s yours. From what, I
don’t know. I don’t know anything.”

Dane gripped her shoulders. “Look at me,
Aida.” She stared up at him bathed in the glow from the headlights,
the determined glint in his eyes verified his earlier comments.
“Isolde is coming with me. I protect those who cannot protect
themselves, especially when it comes to children. I will die before
I allow that filth to touch her again.”

“
That filth?” She tensed.
“Are you saying…” She trailed off, unable to actually verbalize
those disgusting words.

“
I probed her memories.”
His eyes grew colder than ice. “I
will
be paying that human a visit
tonight.”

The deadly edge to his words sent a chill up
her spine. This was the Dane who scared her, the one who had no
problems killing. Bile rushed up, and Aida forced it back. All that
mattered was getting Isolde out of that bastard’s clutches and
somewhere safe.