Rafe left Megan sleeping peacefully, her stuffed lion clutched to her chest, and made his way to the kitchen stairs. The door to Mira’s room stood open. He glanced inside. She sat on the floor by her bed, her knees pulled against her chest and her arms wrapped around them.
“Are you okay?”
She lifted her head from where she’d rested it against her knees. Her familiar vibrant yellow eyes streaked with green and brown focused on him.
Yesterday, she’d worn specialized contacts that hid her feline eyes, but she didn’t sleep in them. No doubt they’d be close by. She didn’t like strangers seeing her eyes, especially humans. Too many times, she’d been called a freak because of them. The words had left their mark on her, despite the support she’d gotten from Rafe and his brothers.
“Yes.” She paused, then sighed. “I overheard you talking to Megan.”
He crossed the room. “Tough thing to learn too.”
“Wait.” She held up a hand before he made it a few steps. “Let’s talk downstairs. I wouldn’t want Jazz to see us and get the wrong idea.”
“You’re right.” Too bad he hadn’t thought of it first.
They stepped into the hall, and Mira turned toward him. “By the way, I’m sorry for blurting about our past in front of Jazz. I truly didn’t think anything of it.”
“It’s okay. Neither did I, but I should’ve. I’m doing a great job of screwing things up with her when I should be anticipating her needs.”
Mira motioned toward the steps that led to the kitchen. Once in the dimly lit room, she leaned against the counter with her arms crossed in front of her. “Jasmine is your true mate, isn’t she?”
“Yes. She’s bridged me.”
“Be grateful you can claim her. Our males have been truly blessed.”
“Blessed? Hurting the person you care about isn’t a blessing.”
“Isn’t it?” She raised a brow. “Nothing worthwhile comes easily. If it did, many of our males would take human mates for the wrong reason. They’d choose their female based on looks or social standing and miss out on finding their one true mate.”
“Agree, but Jasmine can still deny me, or fear can cripple her. She might resist me as I walk through her soul, and I’d lose her to death. I do have to take her to the edge of death in order to form our bond. That’s a huge risk to take, even when I know she’s my true mate.”
“You could follow her to heaven if that happens.”
He would, in a heartbeat. It wasn’t a fate he wanted to ever face, however. “Would I find her, though? Or would the goddesses label me a murderer? I am going to be killing my mate.”
The moment the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. Mira straightened and dropped her gaze to the floor.
He ran a hand through his hair. “You know the goddesses won’t call you that. You acted in self-defense. You were only a—”
“Stop.” Mira held up a hand. “I know you didn’t mean it. Besides”—she glanced out the window above the sink—“Devin paid for my crime. The goddesses won’t hold it against me.”
Or at least that was the excuse the Shifter Council had spewed when they’d hauled Devin away. Rafe had heard the story many times, and each time his hatred for her birth family grew. That hadn’t done a thing to stop it.
Time to change the subject before he succeeded in making another female cry. Megan’s tears had been enough to leave a scar on his soul. “How much of what Megan said did you hear?”
“All of it. The light woke me up, but I can’t believe I didn’t wake sooner. My room is the closest. I should’ve heard her talking to the wolf spirit.” She narrowed her eyes. “And how exactly can it speak? It’s an animal.”
“It’s the spirit of its pack. Why wouldn’t that include both the warrior and animal?”
“But Kade doesn’t talk to the first Alexander.”
“No, but he says our family’s spirit has the memories of every Alexander, alive or dead, and sometimes it shares pictures to reflect them.” He let that sink in a moment, then shrugged. “We’re joined to our animals. Soul to soul. Why should death sever our bond, when it doesn’t cut our tie to our mate if we soul-bond to them?”
“Maybe Kade can ask for clarification the next time the golden goddess visits him.”
“She’s only made one appearance since he’s taken over. I think if she bothers to show up again, it’ll be because she has a reason, not to play question and answer with us.”
“True.” Mira nodded then pressed her lips in a thin line. “It still makes me angry that I didn’t hear Megan talking. I purposely left my door cracked in case one of the kids needed something. I wanted to be able to take care of them so they didn’t bother you or Jazz. You need this time together.”
Rafe went to Mira and laid his hand on her arm. “Thank you for that, but don’t beat yourself up over it. Your cats wouldn’t have sensed any danger, just as mine didn’t. The Ammon wolf isn’t a threat. It simply wants a new host, and somehow, it connected to Megan. It would do everything it could to protect her, just as the Alexander spirit strives to guide and protect us.”
“You’re right.” She exhaled slowly. “It’s possible the last Ammon died in the same medical facility Megan was in, and that’s how it found her.”
“Who knows? But what concerns me most is Molly. We need to find her.”
“I think this Nurse Ryanne might be our best source of information for locating the little girl.”
Rafe chuckled at Mira’s exaggerated pronunciation of the nurse’s name. “I have a feeling she’s the one responsible for Megan’s attitude.”
“And lack of fear.”
“Yes. It sounds as if this woman did her best to care for Megan and Molly. Megan wouldn’t be so anxious to get her back if Ryanne hadn’t been loved.”
Mira grinned. “Or maybe she’s another human Megan promised to keep an eye on. Josh should feel proud that he’s special enough for a little girl to want to protect.”
“Or he’ll assume she thinks him weak. That show with Devin was all about Josh proving he’s dominant.”
Mira’s smile turned wicked. “And he did a fine job of it.”
“Except for the scar he’ll carry.”
Mira pulled a box of pizza from the fridge and took a slice. She nibbled on it, gaze downcast. “It doesn’t look too bad now.”
Rafe took in her posture and cursed. “What did you do?”
She tore a sheet of the paper towels from the roll on the counter, then dropped the pizza slice on it. Arms crossed under her breasts, she glared at him. “I did what I had to do to make sure he was safe from Devin’s overprotectiveness.”
“Don’t tell me you—”
“Made him my beloved human? Okay.” She gave a half-shrug. “I won’t tell you that or about how I licked his wounds so they’d heal quicker or tricked him into swallowing my blood so his ribs would mend. I won’t say a thing.”
“When Devin finds out, he’ll flip.”
“But he won’t dare lay a hand on Josh again, will he?”
With Mira’s scent clinging permanently to Josh, Devin wouldn’t dare. Rafe rubbed the heel of his palms against his eyes and banked his annoyance. Mira’s reaction to Josh coming to her defense was completely understandable. Rafe honestly couldn’t blame her for it. A shifter female’s protective streak was not something any sane person wanted to mess with. Unfortunately, Devin was far from stable.
“No, I don’t think he’ll purposely hurt him.” Put Josh in his place, though? Yes, Rafe could see that becoming an everyday occurrence. He dropped his hands. “But what about you? It’s not wise for you to get involved with Josh.”
Mira rolled her eyes. “Please. I licked his wounds so the poor man wouldn’t be disfigured. That doesn’t constitute getting involved with him.”
Rafe wasn’t even going to bother mentioning that her scent clinging to Josh would mess with her instincts. Nope, not a discussion Rafe wanted to have. It wasn’t one he’d win. The deed was done. They’d deal with the consequences. As much as Rafe wished differently, Jasmine’s ex-lover was here to stay, not just as a human important to both Megan and Jasmine but as an honorary member of the Alexander Pride. Thanks to Mira.
“Just be careful. I don’t have to tell you the dangers you’ve opened yourself up to.”
“No. You don’t.”
He glanced at the clock. “Do you think Devin would mind taking my turn patrolling the grounds? I want to be at Shifter Affairs when they open. We’re going to need their help if we have any hope of finding Molly.”
He’d gotten a few more details from Megan about the humans that Nurse Ryanne had left her with and the lawyer who’d handled the adoption. The agents might be able to make something of the vague information.
“You’ll have to ask him yourself. He’s out in the garage.”
Probably suffering with guilt. It looked as if catching a few more hours of sleep wasn’t happening. Rafe would have to play therapist for yet another member of his pride, not that he minded. Sometimes, though, he couldn’t help thinking he should’ve been the one to lead their family. Kade was great with the practical matters—ensuring they were safe and had enough funds to support them—but he sorely lacked in people skills.
“Will do.”
Rafe left Mira with her cold pizza and made his way to the garage. He only wished there was a way to help Devin. Comforting words meant little to the crazed cats he housed. Nothing did except tearing the throats out of their enemies.