Jenna got up and walked over to the bar he was standing behind. Standing, she got a better view of the room. It looked to be a living room. In addition to the extravagant couches there were shelves upon shelves of books and expensive looking antiques of all kinds. Just my style, she thought as she mentally priced out all of the stuff in the room.
Rafe was pouring a drink for himself and her. He pushed it toward her as she sat on the leather covered stool in front of the wet bar. “This will help,” he said contemplatively.
“You seem like you’ve done this before,” she said as she accepted the drink, smelled it and then took a sip. Orange juice and vodka. There was also a plate with steak and potatoes on it. It was prepared the way someone might be served in a decent restaurant. But her stomach wasn’t willing to chance it just yet.
“A couple times,” he said with a wicked amused grin that told her it was more than a couple times. “Just eat.”
At the obvious order she immediately picked up the fork and knife and cut into the steak. She wasn’t real sure why she felt so compelled to do as she was told. But she didn’t like it.
“You’ll get used to it,” he said. When she looked up at him he had that amused grin on his face and now she was scared. “Good,” Rafe smiled. “You’re starting to get the idea. You and I need to talk. I think you’ll find that we can arrange a mutually beneficial relationship.”
Jenna wasn’t about to be cowed that easily. At the same time she didn’t know what her position was. The last time she talked to Rafe he had convinced her to attack Cullen Arnauk during their mating ceremony and now she didn’t even remember what had happened. It couldn’t have gone well from the tone of things. “Alright, I’m listening. But do you think you could arrange for me to get some clothes.”
Rafe noted that it had been a demand, not a request. But at least she knew how to phrase it right if she didn’t have the tone correct yet. She’s trainable. Just like any dog, he thought. He walked across the room to a door on the far wall and went through it. Jenna watched him enter the room and see could see a bed beyond the door when the light was switched on. When he returned he was carrying a silky black robe. He handed it to her and then went over to what appeared to be the main door. Jenna had just put the robe on when he opened the door and a large golden tan lioness came trotting into the room. Jenna growled instinctively as the cat entered the room.
“Play nice ladies,” Rafe said even though the lioness gave Jenna an unimpressed look before alighting on the couch and making herself comfortable. “Jenna, this is Kara and your new escort. I suggest that if you leave these rooms you not go without her. I can’t guarantee your safety. They do tend to have minds of their own when I’m not around.”
“Where are you going and why am I staying here?” Jenna said before taking another bite of steak.
“I have business that you needn’t worry about. And you are staying here so that Brennus will be good and mad before I heroically return his one and only daughter to his possession,” Rafe said dramatically, but with a tone of someone being put out.
“I’m not that dense. There’s more to it than that.” She took another bite.
He smiled at her. “Don’t you remember what we discussed before?” Jenna felt herself starting to get sleepy. His voice wa s hypnotic. “It’s not too late for you to mate with me. We simply won’t have Arnauk’s pack as well this way. At least not yet. You, my dear will be the alpha’s female and I will be the Tairneach alpha. It’s what you wanted isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she said softly.
“Good. Now finish eating, get a shower,” he said wrinkling his nose and stepping farther away from her, “and get some rest. You’ve got no need to leave these rooms, but if you do Kara goes with you. You’re no prisoner here Jenna,” he said with an amused look. “But our plan will work much better if you remain out of site. I certainly think these rooms are nice enough to keep you happy for a while.”
Jenna nodded, finished her steak, and then headed for the bathroom believing that Rafe was right and her best bet would be to cooperate with him. When she disappeared into the bathroom and the shower started Kara turned from her lioness form into her human form.
Rafe looked the woman over. She had always been one of his favorites. He had done well when he changed Kara. Golden cat eyes stared back at him. “Orders?” she asked simply.
Perfect, he thought. “Like I said to her. She doesn’t go anywhere without you. And behave. I need her unscarred for a while. But if she balks the suggestions I gave her. Put her back in her room and lock the door. Just her the impression she’d in control for now. And don’t let the others mess with her either.”
The woman nodded her compliance and turned back into the cat. He preferred them like that.