The door banged open, and Mira fought the urge to escape out the back. She didn’t want to deal with Kade or his anger. She had no choice.
Kade inhaled deeply and leveled his enraged glare on her. “What have you done?”
She lifted her chin and met his piercing gaze. Apparently, she hadn’t aired out the house enough to get rid of the heavy scent of sex lingering in the place. “This isn’t the time to discuss my choices.”
“Isn’t it?” He raised a brow. “You allowed a human to see you in your animal form. That’s twice you’ve made a poor choice because of Josh. How many more will you make before he’s killed due to your indiscretion?”
She stepped back, completely caught off guard by Kade’s words. She expected a lecture about her decision to sleep with Josh, not a reprimand over endangering him. “I didn’t know we were being watched. Besides, there was supposed to be a wolf protector close. Where was Xander’s male?”
Kade ran a hand through his short hair. He stormed across the room. Arms folded over his chest, he leaned against the wall next to the picture window and peered at the spot the human had occupied last night. “In the woods, drugged and restrained.”
“What?”
“You heard me. That’s what took me so long to come to you. I had to meet with Xander’s twin to have the male carried out of here. If I had tried to wake him, the wolf shifter would’ve likely attacked me.”
“Somebody planned this.”
Kade snorted. “Does that surprise you? Xander’s protector was shot in the back with a tranquilizer. Whoever did it had to have been an excellent marksman to have pulled off such a feat. There was no way a human or a shifter could’ve snuck up on him.”
“Any idea who?”
“No. There are more of Xander’s pack in the woods. They are growing frustrated with the lack of clues.”
So was she. It made her feel helpless. “The human had help.”
“He had to have in order to pull off what he did, taking out an experienced protector and sneaking up on a Royal.” He glanced over his shoulder. “It strikes me as odd that you didn’t hear the human’s heartbeat, even if you didn’t smell him.”
She wasn’t surprised by her lapse. Josh had reduced her to a woman, not a predator. As much as it shamed her to admit, she’d been too focused on loving Josh. Instinctually, she’d allowed all worries to fall to the side while in his arms. She’d given him her trust, exactly as he’d demanded, along with her body and heart.
Josh owned her. As such, her primal side expected his devotion and protection. Except, he couldn’t give her the safety a true shifter male could. Josh would try. She knew that with certainty, but as a human, he lacked the instincts to remain one step ahead of danger. The knowledge didn’t dim her love for him. She only had to remember that truth next time and protect him.
She turned away before Kade saw the depth of her affection for Josh in her eyes.
“Josh kept me focused on him, not what was happening outside.”
“You’re a predator. No amount of sex would override your instincts to protect yourself.”
“I assumed we weren’t entirely alone. I was relying on Xander’s protector to have our back.”
“Don’t feed me any lies. You would not have blindly trusted another male to protect you completely. Even with me or Rafe by your side, you’ve always faced danger head-on, not allowing us to fight your battles. That scene with Micah proved it so don’t tell me you’ve suddenly ignored your instincts to defend yourself.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or dismiss the drive to protect your beloved human.”
She turned away. What was she supposed to say? Kade was exactly right. Only one male had earned her complete trust—Josh.
Kade laid a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me, Mira. I need the truth so I can help you.”
The sincerity in his voice compelled her to answer. “Fine. I’ll give you the truth, not that you’ll believe it.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Impossible or not, Josh is my mate. I put my trust in him last night to protect me, except he doesn’t have the instincts to do so.”
“He can’t be your mate.” Kade narrowed his gaze and hardened his tone. The harsh pride leader was back in charge. “You’re imagining things and allowing your desperate desire to keep the human to cloud your judgment.”
“I am not allowing anything to cloud my judgment.” Her anger rose faster than she could contain. Claws burst from her fingers. She stepped closer and invaded his personal space. “Did your little speech to Micah truly reflect your beliefs about females or was it for show?”
“If you have to ask that, then you and I never really knew each other.”
His words hit her with the same force a palm across the cheek would have. She staggered back.
“You see? This is what I’m talking about.” He waved to encompass her vibrating body. “You’re not acting rational where Josh is concerned. This kind of behavior is what will make the vision a reality.”
“It’s not. I’m merely—”
“Defending your claim on him.” Kade sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Be realistic. No Royal female has ever mated a human male. The goddesses, by their own spoken law, deemed it impossible. If you allow this belief to continue, I fear you’ll convince yourself that binding his soul to yours is what the prophecy implied.”
The possibility tempted her. She couldn’t deny that. Josh had said to have faith in their love. Could that be what the goddesses’ blessing meant? That she and Josh would prove their dictate was no longer applicable?
Kade grabbed her biceps and shook her hard. She blinked, and his concerned eyes came into focus. “No, Mira, don’t go there. Do you hear me?”
“But what—”
Another shake and she bit her tongue. Blood filled her mouth, blood that didn’t taste right. It had a hint of metal in it. Iron.
“But nothing. Now look at me.”
She swallowed the odd-tasting liquid and focused on Kade. “You can’t risk it. Do I have to remind you what would happen if he dies after you take a piece of his soul?”
The exchange of souls was a necessity for soul-bonding. A shifter would claim a piece of his mate’s soul, then plug a piece of his soul in the hole left behind, thereby linking them for an eternity. Once that was accomplished, the shifter’s animals did the same. It was a complicated and dangerous process for the non-Royal mate. Death could claim the non-Royal at any point, and if it did…
She closed her eyes against the sympathy in Kade’s eyes. She didn’t want to hear his words.
“His soul will long for yours, for the piece of his soul you claimed. Forever, Mira. Every life.” He gave her another shake. “Look at me.”
She reluctantly met his gaze.
“He won’t understand why he’s never happy. It won’t matter if he marries another woman. He’ll always desire something more, always search for that missing part of him. Or maybe he’ll live out every lifetime in a state of depression and never find even a little happiness. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not. But why? Why have the goddesses done this to me? Brought Josh to me and not allow us to be together?”
“You love him.”
A statement, not a question. She answered it anyway. “Yes, with my heart and soul. Josh is my true mate. I know it, Kade. There’s no more questioning my reaction to him or my feelings. He’s bridged me.”
He didn’t try to convince her differently. Instead, Kade wrapped her in his arms and rested his cheek on her head. “You’ll need to mate me, then. It’s the only way you’ll be able to be with Josh. Aron will not allow you to keep your human lover. I will.”
“What about Zoe?”
“What about her?”
The defensive tone warned Mira to leave the topic alone. For both their sakes, she couldn’t. “Is she your true mate?”
“Zoe is my beloved human. I’m attracted to her because she carries my scent.”
The annoyance in his tone suggested he didn’t want to feel anything toward her. “Are you sure? When I came by your house, you—”
“Let it alone. Zoe and I are nothing to each other. Not now. Not ever.”
She wasn’t so sure she believed his words, but the stubbornness stamped on his expression didn’t invite discussion.
“I’m sorry.” For both of them.
“Don’t be. Life as a Royal isn’t fair. We both know it.” He squeezed her tighter. “Maybe when they’re gone we can find a way to love each other.”
She doubted it, but the pain in Kade’s voice forced the lie past her lips.
“Maybe, Kade. Maybe.”