Diskant slowly turned away from her, furious at the embarrassment that now blanketed eagerness. Shifters wouldn’t have taken the words so harshly—sex was something they had a natural an itch for. His mate, however, was human and a stranger to all of this, and the son of a bitch responsible for her discomfort was more than conscious of that.
What Diskant wanted to do was place Ava in the seat, climb out of the booth and put the snobby and elitist lynx in his place. None of the shifters in the room would have done fuck-all to stop it, and it was exactly what the rotten little prick deserved. Instead, he called on the lynx beneath his skin, met Donovan Wright’s conceited stare and waited as their beasts battled it out.
The flicker of indecision across the playboy’s face quickly changed, creating a scent that every person with a keen sense of smell recognized—fear. There were only a half-dozen lynx in New York and though Diskant didn’t fancy himself an Alpha, he was sorely tempted to stake a claim to the title to just to put the condescending pussy in his place.
He waited until Donovan lowered his eyes, bowed his shoulders and assumed a submissive position before he ordered, “Apologize.”
It was a double insult, asking Donovan to apologize to a female and a human, which made it a suitable punishment. He would be the talk of the town once this mess with the Shepherds died down. Everyone would know Diskant had put him in his place, and the only females who would willingly give him a piece of ass would be those outside his pride.
There was a heavy pause before Donovan complied. “Forgive me.”
Technically it wasn’t an apology but Ava took the higher ground and nodded tersely.
“I realize you’re newly mated but we need answers.” Jackson, the Alpha of the tiger pride stepped forward. His red-gold hair was offset by strands of blond and large portions of black, each color distinctive and vibrant. “If Shepherds are in the area, we need to be on full alert until they’re gone.”
“I know what they want and I’m going to arrange a meeting to give it to them.” Diskant spoke with a confidence that conflicted with his true feelings regarding the situation. “They don’t have an interest in our city or in saving the populace. When they have what they want, they’ll leave.”
“How certain are you of this?” Zeitgeist asked, coming in to stand beside Jackson to create a semicircle with Donovan. The cheetah shifter’s chin-length hair was a mixture of brown, black and blond—an odd coloring that all the members of his pride shared.
Diskant started moving from the booth as he answered, “Certain enough that I’m going to leave Trey to answer your questions and offer you all a drink while I take my mate upstairs.”
Kinsley was the only obstacle in their path and didn’t move out of the way, standing before them with his arms folded over his chest.
Diskant stopped in front of him. “I’ll be back to talk as soon as she’s settled.”
Kinsley grinned and the look on his face screamed “lucky fucking bastard”. He nodded and moved aside. “Don’t keep me waiting long.”
“Don’t worry.” Diskant carried Ava past the Alphas and called over his shoulder, “It’ll be sometime before the sun comes up.”
Chapter Thirteen
Diskant made one stop to retrieve Pinkie’s belongings before he took her to the top floor—to his own private apartment. He didn’t use it often, only when the shit hit the fan and the pack wanted to grant him a place he could rest and call home. That meant there were all the amenities he could ask for and then some—including a large plasma television, a couch, loveseat, recliner that allowed him to stretch out and a large hot tub in the bathroom.
The door wasn’t locked when he barged inside but he rectified that problem as soon as he closed the door and tossed the bag onto the floor. His dick hadn’t gone soft since Ava’s display at the bar and it wouldn’t until he released inside her. This was the danger of being second marked and wouldn’t go away until he took the final step and brought her wholly into the bloodbond. It was a biological instinct, instilled so that mates couldn’t put off the process for overly long.
“Wait,” Ava said as she realized his intention. “I need to talk to you—”
He whipped her around and claimed her lips, silencing her effectively as he started removing her clothing. The apartment was a simple and modest layout—large living room, small kitchen and an enormous bedroom with a king-sized bed. As he guided her past the coffee table, around a large leather sofa, and she breached the entranceway of the bedroom, he caressed her skin, massaging her breasts. By then her sweater was gone, her pants were unbuttoned and she’d managed to undo the fastenings to his leathers, pop the fly to his jeans and bare his cock.
Her hand wrapped around the turgid length and she whispered, “I don’t understand why I want you so much.”
“It’s natural.” He forced her to let go when he bent to remove her shoes and socks.
“For you, maybe. I’ve never been like this before.”
He slipped her socks off and lifted his head, staring up at her. “There is no reason to be ashamed of this. Among shifters it’s entirely natural.”
She blushed. “I know that but—”
“But nothing.” He clasped her hips, drawing her into his lap. “What we’re feeling is special. Some unlucky bastards go lifetimes without ever knowing what it means to share what we have together.”
“That’s just it.” She met his gaze with eyes that were tortured and uncertain. “I don’t know anything about you really. I don’t know who your parents are—”
“Elizabeth and Martin Black.”
“Where they live—”
“Alaska.”
“If you have brothers or sisters—”
“I have a younger brother who lives with my mother and father.”
She shook her head. “I don’t even know how old you are.”
“Two hundred and thirty-seven.”
She gasped at the revelation but quickly recovered. “What your likes and dislikes are. What you want in life.”
“Pinkie.” He placed the pad of his index finger over her mouth. “There is nothing more important in this world to me than you and there never will be. Not our children. Not the any of the packs or prides. Only you.”
She placed her hand against his cheek and her beautiful, brushstroke brows came together. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“You can tell me anything.”
Her frown deepened and she took a deep breath, as if building her courage.
“I can read you.” When he gave her a questioning look she said, “In the office, after…after whatever it was that happened between us…” She lowered her eyes. “I could feel your emotions first. I thought it was just another side effect of what occurred that I couldn’t explain. Then I heard your thoughts.”
He went still, absorbing what she told him, and his memory drifted to her odd behavior following the second mark. He’d expected her to be upset, to demand answers, but instead she’d acted as if she’d already known them…
Fuck, she had known them.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she whispered and refused to meet his eyes. “I know it was wrong but I was so excited I didn’t stop and think. I realized how you felt about me and…”
She shook her head and lowered her hand.
“And?”
At first he thought she hesitated because she was worried for some reason. Then he recognized the shyness that wouldn’t allow her to look him in the eye. “No one has ever felt that way about me. Not since my mother and father were alive.”
His heart felt as if it had folded upon hearing the words, and he caught her chin between his thumb and forefingers—something that was becoming a habit—and forced her to look at him.