Untamed (4 page)

William folded his hands on the table and regarded them with consideration. “We are aware of at least three other deaths that they are responsible for.” His mouth set in a grim line, and he turned his intense gaze to Layla. “To be very honest, Layla, your father may not have abandoned you.”

“Oh really?” she asked skeptically.

“Well, not in the malicious way you are thinking,” he said tentatively. “All of the Amoveo parents of the hybrids we’ve discovered so far either allowed their children to be adopted, for their own safety, or—”

“Or they were murdered,” Raife finished.

Layla felt the bile rise in her throat. Murdered?

It never occurred to her that her father may have been killed because of
her
. Let alone the idea that he stayed away from her for her own good. Guilt crept into her heart. Could it be true? Could her father, whoever he was, actually have loved her all these years and stayed away to protect her?

She swallowed the lump in her throat and thought about the offer William made about finding her father. She hadn’t ever entertained the notion of finding him, and the idea of it still had her uneasy. But maybe…

“Yes, Raife.” William nodded somberly, interrupting her private debate. “Your mother was right to hide you and keep your existence a secret. However, you should know that the majority of our people are not as close-minded. Over the past several generations, we have been hunted to the brink of extinction by the Caedo family. Therefore, the ability to mate with certain humans is a gift not to be squandered.”

“Who?” Layla asked with a questioning look to Rosie and Raife.

Rosie shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I don’t know more than you do.”

“The Caedo family members are one of only two sets of humans who know of our existence. They’ve made it their mission to hunt us down and exterminate us,” William said bluntly.

“One family has almost wiped you all out?” Raife made a sound of disbelief. “My mother didn’t mention anything about the Caedo family in her diary. The only enemy she mentioned were the pure-bloods.”

“Well, the Caedo are real and have killed hundreds of us over the years. We are actually a rather fragile race,” William said. He glanced at Layla for a moment, before looking back at Raife. “We can have children only with our life mate. When our mate dies, we lose all of our abilities, and ultimately, we die as well. For all intents and purposes, we become human. We age as a human would and live out the rest of our lives just as you would,” he said to Rosie. “In fact, when I first arrived today, I thought you might be a member of the Vasullus family.”

“Nope.” Rosie shook her head. “Never heard of them.”

“When the change takes place, it’s very difficult, as you can imagine. Everything you’ve ever known and the life you had has been ripped away. Within a few years of our mate’s death we are void of our Amoveo abilities, and the aging process begins. Amoveo who suffer this fate are all considered part of the Vasullus family. It is a way to stay connected with our people and focus on keeping the rest of us hidden from our enemies. When one of us is killed, the ramifications to our race have a much larger ripple effect.” His serious sable eyes latched onto Layla’s, and her heart skipped a beat. “No life mate. No children.”

She held his gaze, meeting his challenge. “You came to collect me so that we could do our duty and breed?”

“No,” William said in a tone that hovered between confusion and annoyance. His light blond eyebrows furrowed above his large brown eyes. “It goes far beyond—”

“What if I don’t want children?” Layla interrupted. A dark cloud flickered briefly over his features but was swiftly replaced by his usual calm demeanor. She raised one eyebrow. “Well?”

Layla’s gaze wandered over that devastatingly handsome face, and when those big dark eyes locked onto hers, her heart fluttered like a rabbit’s. A slow burn crept up her belly and flared brightly over her skin as his voice flashed into her mind.
I
find
it
very
difficult
to
concentrate
with
you
so
close
to
me. This talk of children isn’t helping either. Now all I can do is picture myself making babies with you.
His deep baritone brushed her mind, and her nipples tingled. For Christ’s sake, they actually tingled. One touch of that voice, and she had the insane urge to jump his bones right there at the table.

Layla’s face burned with mortification. What the hell was going on? Had she completely lost her senses? Her body reacted to the sound of his voice with embarrassing speed. For a moment, it seemed as if everyone else in the room fell away, and it was just the two of them.
Later, Firefly.
The sinful promise lingered along the edges of her mind. He looked away, and the spell was broken. Layla shot him a look of doubt and shifted in her chair.
Don’t hold your breath.

“I had always hoped that my mate would want children, but I wouldn’t want to do anything that would bring you unhappiness,” he said firmly.

Layla’s stomach dropped. Her happiness? He didn’t even know her. Why would he be worried about her happiness? Layla didn’t trust people easily, and she certainly wasn’t ready to trust this man or
his
people.
No matter how sexy he might be.

William turned his attention back to Raife, who was still scowling at him. “You might take some comfort in knowing that you are not the only ones. Two other hybrids have recently been discovered and have successfully connected with their mates.”

“The photo shoot in New Orleans,” Layla said softly, without taking her eyes off William. “Kerry Smithson is a hybrid, and that bodyguard of hers is Amoveo, isn’t he? I’m betting he’s a pure-blood like you.”

William nodded slowly, and his eyes smiled back at her. “Yes. You are correct.” He cocked his head and regarded her curiously. “What gave them away to you?”

Raife put up his hands to silence them. “Wait a minute. That sexy model chick is a hybrid like us?” he asked with genuine awe. “The busty beauty that’s in all the magazines?”

“Yes,” William confirmed. “Kerry is a hybrid, and my friend Dante is her mate. However, unlike you, Kerry was unaware of her heritage.”

“I’ll be damned,” Raife said quietly. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

William turned his attention back to Layla. “How did you know?”

Layla cleared her throat and took another sip of her coffee. She wondered just how much she should tell him. How much of herself should she reveal? The silence in the room hung heavily, and all eyes were on her.

She looked up at Rosie, who gave her that go-ahead-and-say-it face. Layla forced herself to look William in the eye again.

“My pictures,” she said. “I can see things… get impressions of the people I photograph.” She sat back in her chair. “One of the foster families I lived with when I was little was actually very nice, and the lady there gave me an old camera. I was about eight. It wasn’t long after my mother died,” she murmured, and her eyes took on a faraway look as the memory crept in. “It frightened me at first, but mostly, it fascinated me. It gave me an advantage too. The first thing I did when I got to a new foster home was take their picture. That way I knew what I was getting into.”

Her back straightened as more unpleasant memories threatened to surface. She shook her head and looked back at William, who continued to study her intently. “Anyway, when I took Kerry’s picture I saw a panther. That’s her clan, right?”

“Yes.” William nodded and puffed up with pride. “You have a very interesting gift. I’ve never heard of any of our people who are able to do that. Kerry is a powerful psychic and can read thoughts by touching another person, but this is the first I’ve heard of anyone getting psychic impressions from photographs.” His admiring gaze searched hers. “Can you gain insight from
any
photos or just the ones that you actually take?”

“Nope,” she said with a shake of her head. “Just mine. That’s why I generally prefer the wildlife jobs. Photographing people always brings more baggage than I want. Although, I gotta tell ya, that shoot in New Orleans takes the freaking cake,” she said sharply. “I was taking some test shots for light and caught one of that bodyguard, Dante. I saw a fox. The impression of his animal was much stronger than Kerry’s, and it overpowered his human image. Kerry’s clan animal came through the same way Raife and Tati’s always has—it was kind of blurred or blended with her human image. Makes sense, I suppose.” She lifted one shoulder. “Since we’re a blend of two races.”

“I see,” William murmured. “What about me? How did you know that I was there?”

Layla’s heart skipped a beat as she looked into those dark chocolate eyes again. She nodded almost imperceptibly. “Your energy signature,” she said in barely audible tones. “I sensed it in the bayou that first day. It was one of the oddest moments of my life, and considering the life I’ve had, that’s really saying something. It was the biggest déjà vu moment ever, because it was foreign and familiar at the same time.” She studied his face and found recognition. He knew exactly what she was talking about, which was oddly comforting. “And then, in the dream realm, of course.”

“Can’t even give the girl a moment of peace, can you?” Raife mumbled. “Harassing her in her sleep seems a bit much, don’t you think?”

William turned his serious face to Raife, giving him his full attention. “The life mate bond is both physical and metaphysical, so the dream realm and telepathy are crucial to completing a true connection.” His expression softened. “I assure you that my intentions with your sister are honorable. She is my mate, and I would give my life to protect her.”

“Whatever, man,” Raife said dismissively. “You can’t just show up here out of the blue and drag her off like you own her,” he shouted. His eyes had shifted to their clan form and glowed bright blue. “She doesn’t even know you.”

Layla put her hand on Raife’s arm and sent him soothing waves of energy. Even though he was just a few months older, he had always played the role of overprotective big brother, but before today, she’d never really needed it. Layla prided herself on her innate ability to fend for herself, and normally, she would be slapping him upside his head, telling him to mind his own damn business.

However, today was not a normal day.

She caught his eye and smiled as his eyes shifted back to their human state. “It’s okay, Raife. I’m not going anywhere.” He sat back in the chair without taking his eyes off William. Layla squeezed his hand briefly and then turned her attentions to the man who claimed to be her mate.

“So, what’s your deal?” She pulled her legs up under her in an effort to get more comfortable. “Did you just expect me to hop in bed with you and start mating?” She laughed and sipped her coffee.

William didn’t take his intense gaze off her. “Actually, I thought we could start with dinner.” He arched one eyebrow. “But if you’d prefer to go right to the sex, then I’d be more than happy to accommodate you,” he said with mild amusement.

Layla’s mouth fell open, and she sputtered like some ridiculous, prudish old maid who had just been propositioned for the first time in her life.

Raife stood up and slammed his fist down on the table. “Hold on, just one damn minute!” William didn’t flinch and kept his sights on Layla.

Rosie, of course, remained the calm in the storm. She stood and whistled loudly to silence the chaos. Hands raised, she shot them all a scolding look. “All of you, just
shut
up
.”

Raife fumed quietly and sat back in his chair. He ran one hand through jet black hair that was as rumpled as his overalls. Layla continued to stare at William, who was looking up at Rosie with an annoyingly calm expression.

“That’s better.” She placed her hands on the table and glared sternly at each of them. “Now… we knew that this day might come.”

Layla opened her mouth to protest but was immediately silenced by one glance from Rosie. She swore to herself, crossed her arms under her breasts, and struggled to keep quiet.

“As I was saying, this was a long time in coming.” She turned her attention to William. “You.” She narrowed her eyes. “If you plan on trying to court our girl,” she said with a nod to Layla, “then I imagine you’ll need a place to stay. You can settle yourself in the guest bedroom. Luckily, it’s not being rented at the moment, and this will give you and Layla here a chance to get to know each other and figure out if this mate business is the real deal or not.”

“Rosie, this is crazy,” Layla protested.

“It’s crazy bullshit,” Raife seethed.

Rosie smacked him on the back of his head. “Don’t cuss in my kitchen,” she said, pointing her finger at him.

Raife rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry,” he mumbled like a scolded little boy. He stood up from his chair and took his empty pie plate to the sink. The dishes clattered loudly. “I have to tend the horses,” he grumbled as he stalked out of the kitchen.

Layla looked helplessly at Rosie, who had started gathering things from the table. She was serious. This wasn’t a joke. Rosie expected William to move in. What in the hell was going on?

“Rosie,” she said pleadingly.

Turning to Layla with a softer tone she said, “Crazy or not. It is what it is, and you will have to decide for yourself. Don’t leave it up to fate, and no more running. You gotta take the bull by the horns.” She glanced at William and winked. “Or the bird by the beak.” She chuckled, but her smile faded when she saw the look on Layla’s face. “You can’t run away, girl. You, better than anyone, should know that.”

Looking into Rosie’s sympathetic eyes, Layla knew she was right. Her mother tried to run from the truth, and look where it got her—a one-way ticket on the crazy train.

Breaking the silence, William cleared his throat and stood up from his chair. “As long as it’s not too much trouble, I would appreciate the opportunity…”

Rosie responded with her usual brusque manner. “If it were too much trouble, then I wouldn’t have offered.” She glanced at Layla. “Well?” Rosie barked. “What are you waiting for? Take William upstairs to get settled. Shouldn’t take too long,” she said, eyeing his lack of luggage. “You obviously travel light.” She pushed the chair in and scooped up the rest of the debris on the table. “By the way, once y’all are done with that you can go into town before it gets too late and pick up some things at the grocery.”