There’s a human on the ranch. Eric’s urgent voice interrupted his thoughts. Dominic, do you see him? Is it a Caedo?
It’s fine, Eric. Dominic responded tightly. It’s the vet’s assistant.
Seconds later, static electricity filled the air as Eric materialized next to his fellow Guardian, looking no less irritated by the situation. Eric was as tall as Dominic but with a leaner build, typical for men of the Panther Clan. He was a fierce fighter and adept at slipping in and out of situations undetected.
Eric’s eyes glowed yellow, and his nostrils flared as he stared at the open door of the barn. “Layla’s sister brought a human to the ranch?” His eyes flickered back to their human state. “What the hell is she thinking?”
“He’s her shield.” Dominic stood stone-still and fought to keep his energy signature from betraying his irritation. “She’s using him. At least, that’s what I suspect.”
“Shield?” Eric adjusted the dagger he had tucked in his belt. “What are you talking about?”
“Tatiana’s using his presence to shield herself from all of us.” Dominic flicked a brief glance at Eric. “Remember what William and Layla said? She agreed to come here only as a favor to her sister. She’s not interested in our world, and by having this human along for the ride, she knows the rest of us will have to play along.”
“So, this human isn’t part of the Vasullus family?” Eric asked, referring to the select few humans who knew of the Amoveo’s existence and helped if needed.
“Nope.” Dominic turned on his heels and strode away from the barn as Eric followed. “Has no idea what we are.”
They walked in silence for a few moments, and Dominic debated telling Eric the most important part. Up until today, both were without their mates and had practically given up hope of finding one. He wondered if Eric would be happy for him or feel betrayed.
“She’s not trying to keep all the Amoveo away,” he murmured. “Tatiana is my mate.”
“Hold up.” Eric grabbed his arm and stopped dead in his tracks. “Say again?”
“Tatiana is my mate.” Dominic flicked a brief glance at Eric, and his mouth set in a tight line. “She’s a hybrid from the Timber Wolf Clan.”
“I don’t get it.” Eric’s brow furrowed in confusion, and the smile at his lips faltered. “Why aren’t you doing a fucking backflip right now? Shit, man,” he said through a laugh. “You should grab that girl and get busy. Now you’ll have no trouble staying on as Guardian.”
“It’s not that simple.” He put his hands on his hips and let out a slow breath, struggling to hang onto his patience. “She tried to get me to believe that Matt, this human, is not only her assistant, but also her boyfriend. She basically told me to fuck off, and I have a feeling that it’ll be a cold day in hell before she mates with me.”
“Bullshit.” Eric clapped him on the shoulder. “She’s your mate. You’re hers. End of story.”
“It’s not that cut and dry.” Dominic shook his head and walked toward the open field with the mountains looming large. Now, more than ever, he could use a run in his tiger form, but that wasn’t in the cards until he was deep into the mountains. “She is not the least bit interested in mating. I don’t care how desperate I am to keep my full strength, there’s no goddamn way I’m forcing her to hook up with me.”
Eric started to protest, but Dominic held up his hand, preventing further conversation. “They’ll be leaving soon enough, but while they’re here we have to be careful about when and where we use our abilities.”
“Shit.” Eric matched his stride and groaned as he wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “Damn it all! If it were winter, the guy would be less likely to roam outside.”
“Matt seems harmless enough, but I’d like you to keep an extra eye on him. He and Tatiana are staying in the empty cabin by mine, and since I don’t know him, I don’t trust him. Run a background check. Layla should have his information. I’ll speak to William and see what he knows.”
“You’re the boss,” Eric replied. “I’ll take care of it this afternoon. Do you want me to take the night shift?”
Dominic nodded as he scanned the area. “Let’s keep a rotation of twelve-hour shifts while our guests are here. We’ll patrol in our human form on the main grounds and limit our clan form to the wooded-mountain areas. We can’t risk Matt seeing more than he should. I’ve imprinted on Tatiana’s energy signature, so I’ll be able to find her if and when necessary.” He let out a sigh.
“We get to play human twenty-four-seven?” Eric grumbled. “I don’t know about you, Dom, but I’m not much for playing games.”
“Me either,” Dominic said on a growl. “But if I’m going to play, you can bet your ass I’m going to win.”
Chapter 3
The encounter with Dominic had Tatiana all twisted up and made her brain feel muddled and off kilter, not to mention her body. He was here. The very man she’d tried like hell to avoid was on this ranch in living color and possessed all the arrogance she would expect from an Amoveo man.
The image of Dominic holding the baby flashed into her mind, and she smiled in spite of herself. He dressed like a soldier and acted like a beast, but apparently, inside he was mush. It would be easier to deny her attraction if he was one hundred percent beast.
No such luck.
Cass whined and licked her face, offering comfort.
“Thanks, buddy.” Tatiana smiled and kissed the top of his head. “You always know when I need a little extra snuggle.”
“Hey, let me have him for a minute.” Layla took the puppy from her sister gently and eyed her warily. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Tatiana said. She avoided her sister’s gaze as they walked the length of the stable. She knew Layla wanted to address the situation with Dominic, but that was the last thing she wanted to think about or discuss. “I want to get to work.”
It was an impressive setup, with ten stalls down each side, and high ceilings with exposed beams. The front sections of the walls were lined with high-quality grooming equipment, and there was a tack shed around the corner, which made it abundantly clear that the prince spared no expense on these animals. The horses were spectacularly beautiful Arabian purebreds worth a small fortune.
Her thoughts were interrupted by images of Dominic, and within seconds, his distinctly male scent filled her nostrils. Damn it. It was as though he’d crawled under her skin and mingled his essence with hers in that one brief encounter. Tatiana shook her head and sucked in a deep breath, praying she could clear her mind. She had to focus on work, and she couldn’t do that with a six-foot-three-inch man plastered all over her psyche.
“Are these all of them?” she asked Layla as scattered bits of hay crunched beneath her hiking boots. Sandals were more appropriate for summer, unless you were about to work with horses. One misplaced hoof could get you several broken toes. “I know you said one died.”
Tatiana felt more at ease as the familiar scent of the animals filled her head. Her sense of smell was heightened, thanks to her Wolf Clan heritage, and she could detect each unique scent within the massive space. Hay, manure, horse, water, and leftover apple and carrot rounded out the plethora of smells.
However, the usual odors of a barn weren’t the only thing she sensed. The long, cavernous structure was filled with anxiety, fear, and pain—all coming from the horses as they shuffled their hooves nervously. The Arabians approached the doors of their stalls as she walked slowly down the center aisle. They lifted their heads and let out snuffling breaths.