Chapter 3 #2
She had to immediately picture all the herbs on her list to keep her heart rate steady and the hairs on her arms from rising.
Lycans had the ability to shift and had excellent hearing, sight, and smell.
They were also stronger than the average human.
She could see Roland’s ears twitch slightly and his head tilt.
She also listened, and his heart was steady and strong.
She almost didn’t hear him because she was now lost in the rhythm of his heart beating.
“You need to come with me, Shea.”
She stiffened for two reasons: the command in his voice and her name passing his lips.
His deep timbre when he said it made it seem like a caress, which she knew was not true.
Her eyes shot to his and saw that his pupils had begun to dilate slightly, and she searched his face to see what was causing it.
She got lost in tracing his handsome but strong features, his square jaw with the shadow of his beard, his tan skin from being outside in the sun, and his dark hair bringing out the silver-blue of his eyes.
His lips were nicely shaped, with the bottom being plumper than the top.
She had the sudden urge to nibble on them.
She heard a warning rumble, and her gaze shot back to his. He was watching her closely, his nostrils flared slightly, and then suddenly his lips firmed.
Focus Shea, if you stand here much longer, he will begin to sense that you started your heat. She needed to get home and get rid of him. The serum was ready and in their vials to give to the other ladies to drink. She was going to take hers first and then pass one to Fantasy, Emiyah, and Adanya.
“Sorry, what was that you just said?” Admitting to him out loud that she’d been distracted and not heard what he’d just said.
His lips tightened further to the point that the plump flesh disappeared. “I need you to come and stay with Father and me until it is safe.”
She scowled and raised her chin again. “No, I am fine here and have not spotted anyone in the woods near my home or any signs of the mystery pack. Besides, if there is a safety issue, I can always stay with my friends.”
He snorted, and she frowned, then stiffened. Hurt ran through her that he didn’t feel she had any friends. “What? I do have friends in this place. Now, if you will excuse me—”
He reached out his hand suddenly onto her arm, and they both took in an indrawn breath; the shock that went through her almost sent her up on her toes.
He let out a surprised grunt before he quickly released her like she was on fire.
He stared at her in disbelief, his pupils shrinking and expanding, making a surprisingly loud rumbling sound in his chest. He shook his head and took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving hers.
She froze, willing her body not to react. What was that?
This has never happened to her before, but also today was the first day in a long time that he’d touched her. Could it be...?
No, it must be the static in the air because the mating cycle was soon upon them, and they were both becoming affected by it early because there was no way…
She’d been surprised when she suddenly had the urge to pull up her dress and lean over in the submissive position, and the heat hadn’t fully hit her yet. It could not be; she squashed her thoughts immediately. That way led to embarrassment and pain.
Shea took a slow step back, the air now charged between them, and he watched her, his look intense.
Roland’s body was positioned now, poised to chase her if she ran, and she was fighting the urge to take off.
She was in a very dangerous situation and needed to put distance between them before something happened that he would regret and hate her even more for later.
“Um, thanks for showing your concern, but I need to go. I am—”
“No.” His voice sounded deep and guttural. She noted Roland hadn’t gotten himself completely under control and cleared his throat. He stiffened and looked away from her, taking another deep breath.
“Yes, we should go now, unless you want me to take you here and now.”
She gasped, shocked by his sudden confession. “You wouldn’t; you hate me.”
He gave a harsh laugh. “According to the reaction of one particular part of my body right now, it doesn’t seem to mind that I hate you, as you put it.”
She opened her mouth to protest but paused when he looked suddenly very serious.
“We can continue to argue about this now, but please, my father—"
Worry suddenly shot through her. “Has his cough gotten worse?”
He shifted a bit on his feet as he continued to watch her. “He is asking for you.”
“Oh no. Has his fever come back? Have you taken his temperature? Is his cough still dry or sounding wet now?” Shea pivoted on the balls of her feet and began to rush back to her home, throwing questions at him as she hurried along, his long stride keeping up with hers.
Her mind raced with what she needed to take with her, not paying attention to whether he was answering her questions or not.
She also wanted to grab the serum waiting in the vials for her and her friends to drink.
Shea hoped she would be done tending to the King but, to be on the safe side, would send one of the King’s staff to let the trio know that one of them needed to come and get the vials for them from the King’s home.
Shea raced up her steps and opened the door.
“You leave your door unlocked?!” She paused upon hearing the angry shout from Roland, and he knocked into her back when she stopped. Another fiery sensation went through her at his touch, and she bit back a moan that wanted to escape her lips.
"Ignoring his question," she said over her shoulder. “Wait here.” Giving him her own command.
And she hurried inside, hoping he would respect that this was her place and that she hadn’t invited him in, but to her dismay she heard his heavy boots hit her wooden floor, and she rushed to her storage room.
She raced around like a crazy woman as he stood in the door watching her.
His eyes on her had her begging the gods for help because she was feeling flushed, and not from her moving around looking for the medicine and herbs she would need.
Fear spiked when he moved into the room and sniffed.
She moved toward one of her plants that she stored that had very healing properties when boiled, but once pinched or broken, let out a wretched smell that would clear out a room, and Lycans didn’t react very well to it and would high-tail it from the area once the smell spread.
Shea went over and broke a piece of the plant and held her breath.
She turned to see Roland shaking his head and trying not to gag.
She would have laughed, but she was trying to get him to clear out of the room so she could gather up the vials without him seeing and before she inhaled the mess herself.
He narrowed his eyes that were now watering as she continued to pretend that she was picking up her medicine.
He opened his mouth to say something and bolted when he inhaled it that way, too.
She was almost out of air and hurried around the space, grabbing a spray bottle she’d made to counteract the smell, and sprayed it heavily in the room just as she had to take a breath.
Her eyes watered a bit because the smell was not completely gone but dissipated enough for her to go to her desk and open a hidden drawer.
She just added the vials into her side pouch in her bag and closed it and looked up to see that Roland was in the doorway watching her.
She froze, her heart beating fast, and this time she knew he was going to hear it.
“Shea, what was that you just added into your bag?” His gaze held suspicion and curiosity. Then he tilted his head, and his ears flexed, and he opened his mouth. “What is going on here?”
Her mind raced trying to come up with an answer, and relief poured through her when she heard the gravelly deep tones of his first in command.
“Roland.”
He seemed reluctant to look away from her, but then Roland turned to face the voice that just called out from the front of her home, and she saw Mack appear at his side. For someone that tall and big, he moved as silently as a cat.
Roland’s gaze now narrowed on Mack instead of her, and he looked concerned now. “Are you okay?”
Shea glanced now at Mack’s face and saw nothing other than the same look he always sported. Stoic day and night. She’d only seen him angry and upset one time, and that was the day her father did what he did.
Even though Mack was his first in command, they were also best friends, like brothers even, and the only person who could read Mack’s expressionless face was Roland.
Shea knew that Emiyah hoped to be the other person to be able to crack that facade he wore like a shield.
She wanted and prayed better for her friend because anyone getting with Mack or Roland would only lead to heartbreak, especially for her group of friends.
As if reading her thoughts, they both turned to look at her, and then Mack jerked his head for Roland to follow him.
Breathing a sigh of relief that she was going to be out of his watchful presence and given time to make sure her precious cargo was secured properly, but that was short-lived when Roland said.
“All finished in here?” When she nodded. “Good, let’s go; you have wasted enough time.”
She took exception to his comment, even though what he said was true.
He just raised an eyebrow, and she glared as she moved toward them.
They both stepped away and began to walk down her hallway to the door, talking in low tones, but her ears perked up, and she heard them discussing that the pack of mystery Lycans had been spotted again, and Mack wanted to know what Roland wanted to do.
“It’s time. Once I get Shea to my home, I will go and see what it is that they want, but it is no coincidence they are back now.” His voice sounded grim.
“And I think they want our women for their own. Place some of the older males with partners around the perimeter of Moonshadow and get Warren to gather the women into a safer space.”
Mack strode out the door and then shifted into his wolf to hurry and do his boss’s bidding. Roland waited for her to reach him and then ushered her out the door and took her keys to lock the door before he escorted her to his place.
Shea felt a sense of foreboding, again, and had a feeling that today was about to change everyone’s life.