Especially with the way my lion thirsts for blood since I got out of Data-X. I squeeze my eyes shut. “He thrives on violence. Bloodshed. That’s why I went to Smyth. He said he could rehabilitate me and my lion. He said he’d help.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah.” I laugh harshly. I can’t help myself. “Yeah, that about sums it up.” I rub my face with a rough hand. “Come on, let’s go in.” I open my door and walk around to open hers, but she’s already out, her mile-long legs set off by a pair of high heeled strappy sandals.
We go in and are seated. We order a bottle of local wine to share and fresh oysters for an hors d’oeuvre.
Denali’s watching me with her long-lashed eyes. Her face is soft, so forgiving. It’s hard to imagine I haven’t scared her away already with what I’ve told her.
“I’m fucked up, Denali. It started before Data-X. Way before. I was born this way.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not true. Our animals aren’t bad or wrong. You just think that because you were raised by humans and because of what your dad did.”
I shake my head slowly. “My lion is dangerous. And I feel like these flashbacks-they’re from that part of me. If I could get rid of my beast, I would.”
Denali’s eyes fly wide with horror, and she opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again. She takes a sip of wine, as if to gather her thoughts. “Tell me… in your flashback… what did you see?”
I drain my wine and scrub a hand over my face. “This last one? I was in the lab, with Smyth.”
Her hand covers mine on the table. “He can’t hurt you. Didn’t you say he’s dead?”
Do you want me to have my men find her? The hairs on my arms raise as I remember the thick accented voice speaking to Smyth. Santiago. “Not him. There was another…”
I jump as something buzzes next to us.
“It’s okay. It’s only my phone.” She pulls it out. “Shit, it’s the babysitter. I’ve got to take this.”
I nod and drink down my water, trying to squeeze my feelings back into my body. A grown shifter, a lion no less, reduced to panic.
“Um, Denali?” I hear the babysitter’s hesitation through the phone.
Denali tenses. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing… Nolan is fine. It’s just… a bunch of guys just showed up. We’re inside and they’re in the driveway.”
“White Camaro?” I ask loudly enough for the babysitter to hear.
“Yes. Three guys.”
“It’s okay,” Denali says quickly, “We know them. We’ll come right back.”
“Okay,” the babysitter sounds relieved. “I mean, it’s no trouble. They haven’t come up to the house, but they’re standing around the car and… I think they might be drinking.” She pauses and says in a much more admiring tone, “One of them has an Irish accent.”
“We’ll be right there. Keep Nolan inside,” Denali says. As soon as she hangs up, I curse.
“Your pack was serious about their babysitting offer.” A smile plays around her lips.
“I’m glad you think this is funny.”
“They certainly are trying.” She sobers. “We need to lay some ground rules so they can make mischief, but not trouble.”
“No need,” I growl. “They can’t make trouble if they’re dead.”
I throw some money on the table and we leave without our oysters or dinner.
When we pull up to the house, the white Camaro is still parked in front. Laurie and Parker stand on either side while Declan sits on the hood, a telltale bottle beside him. The Irish man is shirtless, flaunting swirling black tribal tattoos.
As soon as he sees us he launches into song “In the Jungle.”
Denali giggles.
I glare at her.
“Oh, come on.” Her long legs flex as she steps out of the car. “It is a little funny.”
I growl under my breath. Denali heads to the house, where the babysitter and Nolan stand at the door, watching everything unfold with wide eyes.
I stalk to the Camaro.
Declan points to me as he sings “lion.”
“Ah-wee-mo-wet, ah-wee-mo-wet,” Parker and Laurie chant as Declan takes the high notes, leaning back with arms outstretched until he almost falls off the hood. I grab him and pull him the rest of the way down.
Across the way, Mrs. Davenfield has come out of her house to stand on the porch.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I say through gritted teeth.
“Oh, come on, Alpha-”
“Not your alpha-”
“-we were just havin’ a bit o’ fun-”
“We thought you were inside.” Laurie peers over the hood at us, his glasses magnifying his eyes.
“Yeah, where were you?” Parker asks.
“I was on the date,” I grind out and look at Laurie. “Remember? You looked up a restaurant for me.”
“Oooooooh,” the three chorus.
“I’m guessing we interrupted something good.” Parker waggles his grey brows.
“Coitus-” Declan starts, and I push him against the car.
“I. Am. Going. To. Kill-”
“Nash… it’s okay,” Denali calls. She approaches with the babysitter, who stares at Declan with admiration. Nolan trots along behind.
Shit. I’m about to brawl with my own pack on my mate’s front lawn. In front of a three-year-old.
“Baby, stay on the porch,” Denali says as she pays the babysitter.
“But, momma, I want to play.”
“I got him.” Laurie lopes to Nolan. The gawky shifter kneels to speak to the boy.
“We didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Parker tells Denali. “You could’ve stayed out on your date.”
“We got a call that three strange men were in the driveway,” I growl. “What do you think we were going to do?”
“Ya weren’t scared o’ us, were ya, luv?” Declan turns to the babysitter, taking her hand and kissing it.
“Oh no.” She flutters her lashes at him. “I just wasn’t sure who you were.”
“Declan O’Connor, at your service. Would be pleased to get to know ya better.”
The woman beams at Declan as he walks her to her car.
Nolan shouts something to his mom about showing Laurie his trucks, and the two disappear.
“No harm, no foul,” Parker murmurs.