Chapter 4 Mine!
Mine!
Niall’s gut burned at the pleading in her voice, the yearning in her tone when she spoke of her university course.
When he’d talked to Saber Mitchell, he’d told the man the truth.
Saber had revealed that Suzie had worked hard to gain her scholarship despite her parents’ disapproval.
She hadn’t attended the gathering to search for a mate, but she’d gone because Saber and his fellow council member had asked her to represent their town.
Niall had been blunt and confessed to Saber Mitchell what his bear had been chanting in his brain since they’d encountered Suzie wandering through his home.
“Mine. Mine. Mine!”
“Yes,” Niall said with a tired sigh. “Message received.”
The instant attraction to the young woman had thrown him and led to his lack of usual caution. However, he’d asked her to sign the non-disclosure—a point in his favor. When he’d discovered her nimble brain and efficient work ethos that had knocked him over to his bear’s way of thinking.
He’d never imagined encountering a mate and hadn’t actively searched. The single shifters who inhabited his castle hadn’t enticed him to start an elusive mate hunt. Suzie had crept into his world, and everything had changed.
What he hadn’t told her was that he was keeping her not only because of his honey project but also because he feared the problems he’d face with his shifter half if he let her return to New Zealand.
Yeah, he’d told Saber Mitchell the truth and gained the man’s grudging approval on the condition he agreed to let Suzie continue her music studies. Niall made a promise, unsure of how to fulfill it.
Now, he rubbed his temples to alleviate the nagging pain that had settled there to plague him. His headaches were many and varied. His honey. Suzie. His promise to Saber Mitchell made in good faith.
“Mine. Mine. Mine!”
“Yes,” Nial muttered. “I hear you.”
He’d locked Suzie in that room again, feeling bad even though he’d gone ahead. Now guilt trailed him like a bee on a mission.
What the hell was his next move?
He pressed his fingers into the aching spot at his temples.
Saber Mitchell had confided about Suzie’s family and their pressure on her to conform.
Their expectations for her didn’t gel with her dreams and ambitions.
Suzie’s family was fiercely traditional, and their idea of a dutiful daughter followed their vision for her future.
According to Saber, the family’s expectations had led to teenager Suzie fighting them every step of the way.
The ache in his head intensified, and his bear restarted his stubborn chanting. “Mine. Mine. Mine.”
Niall understood family trouble since he’d struggled with his large, boisterous family from childhood.
Because he was the runt, his three older brothers had given him hell.
The rest of the family took their cue from his brothers.
They bossed him around and tormented him physically and mentally until he’d taken to hiding.
His parents had done nothing to stop the bullying.
No, they’d expected every cub to fend for themselves. It made their offspring strong.
Once Niall was old enough, he’d relocated from Canada to Scotland. He hadn’t heard from his family since and wouldn’t trust anyone who did try to contact him.
And this led him back to Suzie.
Could he trust her? Yes, she’d signed papers, but that had never stopped a determined person from making a quick buck. An employee had sold confidential information before, so he was adamant about keeping his new honey under wraps.
“Mine. Mine. Mine!”
Niall cursed and pushed the wild, insistent part of his psyche to the back of his mind. He could hardly romance her to their way of thinking when he didn’t trust her.
No. This was it. He was out of options. He needed to keep Suzie at the castle and glued to his side where he could supervise her interactions with others.
At this late stage, he couldn’t risk anything going wrong.
It was everything he’d worked for, the goal he’d striven toward his entire life, and nothing—no one—would mess with him or his honey.
When Niall released Suzie from her room the next morning, he wasn’t sure what to expect. His head thumped with the ferocity of a hundred bee stings, and the lack of sleep because of his guilty conscience left him short in the temper department.
“When are you releasing me?”
He noted her packed suitcase sitting by the bed. “Once my honey goes on the market.” Niall managed not to snarl, but it was a close-run thing. “Right now, we’re heading to the office. I need to work, and you can type my notes for me.”
“No.”
“Saber mentioned you’re a reasonable woman who’d recognize this as the best way to proceed.”
The color blanched from her face, leaving her pale, the scarlet slash of lipstick the only color on her face. Even her vibrant green eyes seemed to lose their spark.
“You had a long conversation with Saber?” Disbelief echoed in her words. Shock. A hint of betrayal.
“Yes. I explained everything.” Even the fact they were mates. Her shifter half hadn’t given her the mate memo yet. Possibly, all the other emotions were muting nature.
“But Saber knows I’m attending university. He and London encouraged us.”
“Us?”
“Edwina, my friend. I told you—we were going together, but I haven’t heard from her since she left the castle.”
“I understand the importance of dreams and goals, and I’m not forcing you to give up your music. Can’t you continue your studies remotely or find someone in Britain who can help you study without leaving the castle?”
“No.” She folded her arms and glared at him, her luscious mouth set in a firm, mutinous line. “This is kidnapping, pure and simple. You’re the one in the wrong. It was your mistake that led me to learn your honey secrets.”
Niall barely resisted his wince because every word was accurate.
But Saber had told him he understood and appreciated his honesty.
He’d given Saber details, or as much as he could, given he didn’t know the man, and promised to report back to him weekly.
Saber Mitchell had insisted and wanted a video call to see Niall’s face.
Niall had conceded to Saber’s requests, respecting his determination. It warmed him to know this man cared for his people this much. Suzie was lucky to have this support. Niall wished he’d had a Saber in his background during his youth.
“Suzie,” Niall said, striving for patience. Given the threat to his honey, he’d done his best to do the right thing. Bottom line—he didn’t know Suzie well enough to believe in her promise. Niall had learned about deception from his family and…
He dragged his mind from the past, angry at himself for slipping into that young, trusting bear’s mind. “Work with me or stay locked in this room. Your choice.” He strode for the door, and his hand connected with the knob before she spoke.
“I suppose you’ll refuse to let me speak to anyone either.”
“You can speak to Saber Mitchell.” Niall was alarmed to spot the tears in her eyes. With three long strides, he was beside her. His arms went around her quivering shoulders, and he hauled her against his chest. “Ah, lass,” he murmured, his nose buried in her hair. “I’m sorry.”
She glanced up at him with tear-filled eyes. “You’ll let me go home?”
Suspicion rose in him. Were those manufactured tears? “No.”
Suzie wrenched away, her glare back in force. She was beautiful. Glorious and a big, fat liar with excellent acting skills.
Niall spun and marched to the door. He departed, securing the lock, and headed to his place of solace. He immersed himself in work, but even then, his deceptive mate hovered at the fringes of his mind.
Niall flung down his pen and cursed. It was kind of ironic that he’d escaped a toxic environment only to fall into the clutches of a mate he couldn’t trust. What the hell did he do now?
“Mine. Mine. Mine!” his bear chanted.
“We can’t trust her,” Niall mumbled.
His bear released an angry growl and continued his litany. Niall studied the clock on his wall and wondered if it was too early to start drinking. He stood and was halfway to his drinks cabinet when his phone rang.
Grateful for the interruption, he retreated to his desk and scooped up his phone. “Sinclair.”
“Boss, it’s Harris. Someone tried to break into the lab early this morning.”