Chapter 15
***RYAN***
“Will you hold me?” she asked. “I feel like I’m going to float away or drown in all this, I’m not sure which.”
“I’m sorry, Paula, this is not the way I wanted this to happen.
I’d barely figured out that you’re the one I want,” he said, sliding into the bed next to her.
“I thought there would be time to explain, time for you to get used to the idea before you had to see…and I never dreamed Alex would lose control so badly…”
“I should probably think before I speak sometimes,” she said, snuggling up next to him with her head on his chest. “It’s one of my biggest faults; I say and do things without thinking it through.”
“You were just standing up for yourself, it’s one of the things I love about you,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. “I still laugh when I think about the way you put my mother in her place.”
“Yeah, well, she probably hates me,” Paula said, then looked up at him. “Does it matter?”
“Not really. When I break off my engagement with Erin, she’s going to hate me, too,” he said with a little shrug of his shoulders. “I’m sure she’s going to cut me off, and frankly, I don’t care. I don’t need my parents’ money. I’m almost done with my degree, and I’ll make enough to support us.”
Paula became very still. “Us?” she croaked. “Is there an us?”
He rolled over on his side so he was facing her.
“I hope there will be, I know we got off to a bad start, but I was worried about you. The clan doesn’t look kindly on regular humans who find out about us,” he said.
“I was hoping that if I was mean enough and a big enough pain in the butt you would give up and go away.”
“I kind of lost interest after you caught me snooping. I was just staying around to help Hattie; she’s such a sweet person.
I didn’t want to see her fail,” she admitted, then got quiet.
“Ryan, you said the clan wouldn’t be happy if they knew that I know, but it seems like lots of people know. I mean Stephanie, Hattie…”
“They’re different. Hattie is family, and Stephanie is married to Cooper, that protects them,” he said. “I’m not sure what the clan would do if they knew, but I’m not going to tell them, and neither is Cooper.”
“What about Alex?” she asked. “He was there, he knows.”
“But then he’d have to admit that he shifted in public,” he said, shaking his head. “I think we’re safe, just don’t talk about it with anyone else.”
“They’d think I was crazy, I was beginning to think that myself,” she said, then yawned. “I feel better now, I think I can go to sleep.”
“Do you want me to leave?” Ryan asked, starting to get up.
“No, stay here with me,” she said, snuggling into his arms again. “I feel better when you’re close.”
Paula was asleep in minutes, and he lay there listening to her breathing for a long time, wondering how just a few hours could completely change his life.
He’d wondered so many times what would be the last straw with his mother, what she would finally do that would be so horrible he’d be willing to break all his ties to his family.
Now he understood it wasn’t a moment, it wasn’t a single action from the woman who was supposed to love him that would finally drive him over the edge.
It was the woman in his arms, the spunky, courageous, very sexy woman sleeping next to him who finally opened his eyes and made him understand what was really important.
She didn’t know it yet, but they were already connected.
It happened that night in the woods. He’d felt it the first time their eyes met; he’d just been too stubborn to admit it at the time.
Years of doing everything he could to keep his mother happy had taught him to ignore his feelings, but the dragon inside of him knew better, knew that his one chance at true happiness was right in front of him.
Now it was up to him to make sure that happiness didn’t slip through his fingers.
He wouldn’t blow this; it was too important.
He wasn’t sure what the next day would bring, but he wasn’t letting Paula go.
She was his; fate had delivered her right to him, and he wasn’t going to take that for granted.
He must have slept because he woke to the sound of someone tapping softly on his bedroom door and sunshine streaming in through the window.
“Ryan, wake up,” Cooper called. “Marcus is downstairs and he’s spitting fire about last night.
He’s calling you a bunch of names and saying that you’re reckless. You’d better get down there and fast.”
“Who’s Marcus?” Paula asked, her eyes wide. “Are you in trouble?”
“It’s nothing to worry about. You stay put, I’ll be right back,” he said. “I’m sure it’s just some kind of a misunderstanding.”
“Maybe I should go with you, this is about me too,” Paula said, starting to get up. “I was there last night; you were just trying to save me.”
He gave her a quick kiss. “You’d better let me handle this,” he said. “Marcus can be…difficult, but he’s always listened to reason in the past.”
“Okay, if that’s what you think is best,” she said, but he could tell she wasn’t happy. “I just hate sitting around while people are talking about me.”
“Tell you what, let me get him calmed down and then you can come down and meet him,” he said, giving her another kiss. “Is that better?”
“I guess,” Paula said, perking up a little. “One more kiss might help.”
He obliged her, but this time, it wasn’t just the quick peck on the cheek. By the time he let her up, they were both panting, and the air in the room was crackling with energy. “I’ll be back,” he said. “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.”
***Paula***
It only took about five minutes before Paula began to fret and worry.
There was so much she didn’t understand, so many questions she still needed answered, but it was clear that they would have to wait.
No one had to tell her that Marcus was someone powerful; just the way they all talked about him made that clear.
What she didn’t know was how much power the man had over her.
Thinking about him reminded her of that night and it struck her that seeing Marcus in his dragon form was what started this whole thing and if anyone was to blame it was him, not that she was going to point that out to him.
Unable to sit still, she got out of bed and began to pace around Ryan’s room, picking things up then putting them down again, telling herself that she was worrying for nothing.
Ryan would protect her, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, although it was annoying not to know what was going on downstairs and frustrating not be able to tell her side of the story.
She’d almost made up her mind to go downstairs on her own when someone tapped on the door, then Abby and Stephanie slipped inside. “We brought you some clean clothes,” Abby said, handing them over. “We figured by now you were going crazy up here alone. Sorry it took so long to get away.”
Relieved to see a friendly face, she let out a long sigh. “I was just about to go down there,” she said. “What’s going on?”
“Alex told his clan a crazy story about Ryan shifting to show off for you. He claims he tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen, and he just shifted to protect you,” Stephanie said, shaking her head. “The story doesn’t make much sense, but his people are standing behind him.”
“But that’s not what happened at all, he basically attacked me,” she said, a little breathless with anger. “He’s lying, that’s not what happened, this Marcus guy can’t possibly believe that.”
Abby and Stephanie exchanged a glance. “It doesn’t really matter which story he believes,” Abby said. “The real problem here is that you know about shifters. You’re a huge liability, both clans are going to be worried that you’ll expose them.”
“But I would never do that, I don’t understand why Alex even said anything,” she said, shaking her head. “Now what’s going to happen? What can they do to me?”
The other two women exchanged another glance. “That’s why we came to get you,” Stephanie said. “You need to be down there if they’re deciding your future.”
She got dressed, brushed her teeth, and pulled her hair back in a ponytail in record time. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said, coming out of the bathroom. “You two are coming with me, aren’t you?”
“We’ll be right by your side,” Abby said, linking arms with her.
“Sisters all the way,” Stephanie said, stepping up on the other side.
“Now I’m really scared,” she said. “But let’s go, I should have a say in my own future.”
When they walked into the kitchen, there was a brief silence, then Ryan jumped to his feet. “Paula, there you are,” he said, walking over and putting his arm around her. “I’d like you to meet Marcus Reynolds. He’s on the clan council and hopefully here to help us.”
A pair of blue eyes studied her coldly, making her suddenly self-conscious and she suddenly had the urge to run away, but kept her feet firmly planted and stared back at the man.
He was the first one to look away and she counted it as a small victory, but she kept her face blank, reminding herself she knew how to play the game.
Ryan helped her into a chair, then sat down next to her, more nervous than she’d ever seen him.
“I understand you know our secret,” Marucs finally said. “How you learned about it is immaterial at this point. I would like to know what you plan to do with the information.”
“I wasn’t planning on doing anything with it. I care about these people; they’re my friends. I would never do anything to jeopardize their lives,” she said, meaning every word. “I realize that you have no reason to trust me, but I promise you that your secret is safe with me.”
Marcus didn’t say anything, just studied her with his cold eyes.
She didn’t look away, even though she was trembling inside, and held her breath waiting for his response, the feeling that her entire future rested in his hands settling over her.
He finally got up from the table, looked around the room, then shook his head before heading for the door without saying a word.
She could tell that she wasn’t the only one confused by his response, but no one said a word as Marcus walked away.
When he got to the doorway, he turned to look back at them.
“Nothing has changed, you have until tonight to make up your mind,” he said, then shook his head.
“I don’t want to turn her over to the council, but I won’t have any choice unless you make the pledge.
It’s the only way. I had really hoped one of you boys would have chosen within the clan, but I suppose we still have two chances.
Let me know what you decide. I need to know right away; the council would like to get this settled as soon as possible. ”
He was gone without another word, and they all sat in silence until they heard the front door slam. Then she turned to Ryan. “What was he talking about?” she asked. “What pledge are you supposed to take?”
Ryan looked around the table, then back at her. “Maybe we should talk about this alone,” he suggested. “Let’s go back up to my room.”
“Just tell me right now,” she said. “You’re freaking me out.”
“It’s just a pledge to protect you, it’s not that big of a deal,” Ryan said, but she could tell there was more and waited silently. “We might have to get married to make it official, that’s all.”
She just stared at him for a second. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?” she asked. “I don’t think I heard you right.”