Danea (10 page)

“Tell us what you don’t understand,” Noah shot the words out in between her breaths.

“I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to feel. What am I allowed to think or feel? Is it okay if I worry? Is it alright if I call the office to check? Tess was ready to go flirt with guys in your office just for information,” she shook her head. “I don’t know the rules,” she declared in frustration. “I don’t know what I’m allowed to feel or…or if it’s alright. I don’t want to…I am not the possessive…I’m not sure I’d know the answers if it was just one of you, let alone two of you! I know you’re grownups. I know you’ve been taking care of yourself for a long time but…”

“All of that is okay, Danea,” Wade stepped into the middle of the pace and took firm hold of her shoulders, lifting until she was on her toes. “Stop and look at us.” He waited until her eyes rose from the floor. “Alright?”

“Not really,” she murmured but offered no protest when he lowered her. He walked her to the chair and pushed gently until she was sitting at the table.

“Is this stuff done?” Noah opened the microwave, tested with the spoon lying on the counter and used the towel to carry the bowl to the table.

“I can…”

“No, you sit and breathe for a few minutes,” Noah said without looking. He scanned the kitchen, found mitts and opened the crock pot, releasing the fragrance and making both men’s stomachs growl in anticipation. “Just set this on the table?”

“Yes. On the mat,” Danea closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t…I’m not usually as…crazy…as I must have come across. I’m usually much more stable and…and calm. You learn that when you work with children. They react to the crazy in a bad way…” she looked up to see them both watching her. They’d each taken a seat and were waiting, quietly watching her. “Sorry. You can eat. That’s why I cooked it.”

“First, we don’t think you’re crazy,” Wade said quickly, using the large spoon to load his plate before reaching for the bright green broccoli. “It honestly just never occurred to me to give you a call and I’m sorry about that. Considering the attention we’ve drawn the last few days, it should have registered that you’d know what had happened last night
and we should have reacted better.”

“Where’s your phone, Danea?” Noah held out his palm, waiting for a chance at the large spoon. He looked up at Wade, the other man’s phone already pulled from a pocket and waiting. He tapped in the number
Wade read out and slid it away. “Now you have both of our numbers and unrestricted access, okay? We goofed on this one. I’m sorry. We’re not perfect, babe.”

“I’m okay now,” she said softly, holding the glass filled with iced water between both hands. Her head nodded slowly as she sipped. “I’m okay now.”

“Is it alright to say I think you’re looking really nice this evening,” Wade said as he took a forkful of vegetables and meat dripping with deep brown gravy. “And dinner is delicious, thank you.”

“Well, now that he’s already taken all my lines,” Noah was relieved to see a little smile forming on her face. “We really are alright, Danea
. Don’t know why there were so many idiots in Tully’s last night or what even started the brawl,” he shook his head. “Our department is big enough normally when it’s off season. I’m just glad I haven’t released all the auxiliary deputies yet.”

“Why were you there?” Danea looked at Wade, puzzled when he exchanged a look with Noah.

Wade puffed up his cheeks and took a long drink of water. “After the hospital, we sat around trying to figure that one out. I was headed home.”

“Danea, remember what your mother tried explaining about a triad being more of a circle than a triangle?” Noah spooned some broccoli onto his plate.

“I understand that part,” Danea said patiently. “But we’re just friends.” She watched each of them raise an eyebrow and stare at her. It didn’t take long before her cheeks flamed red. “Okay…maybe a little more…”

“The thing is…you’re the pivot point,” Wade said carefully. “Because of you, the bond between Noah and I has shifted slightly.”

Noah groaned. “Prof, you’re going the wrong direction. Dani, it’s like we’re brothers. Whether you like your brother or not, you don’t let anyone else pound on them.”

“You don’t like each other?”

“This isn’t going right,” Noah continued eating, frowning as he wrestled with how to explain the dynamics. “We’ve been friends for almost five years.”

“And now…because of me…” Danea cleared her throat
and tried to sound casual and even cosmopolitan. “You’re…you and him…together?”

“I…no.” Wade said firmly, glaring at Noah. “And you’re doing a better job explaining, how?”

Danea sighed and spooned some carrots onto her plate, picking at them slowly as she ate. “You aren’t romantic with one another and are only interested in romance with me.” She watched relief flow into them both. “Okay. I got that part. But why did you feel compelled to get into a fight? That’s his job! You…you’re a teacher!”

“Because it’s as if we’re bonded because of you,” Wade said in between bites. “
Logically, I knew I could and should have kept going. Just go home and that’s it. But I couldn’t. It was as though I were being pulled there just because Noah was in the middle of the fray and needed help. I’ve heard the same thing occurs with litter mates or siblings.”

Danea nodded slowly. “I’m glad you’re alright,”
she said finally, her attention shifting suddenly with the loud noise from the window. She was on her feet and crossing the room almost immediately.

“Does he always do that?” Noah looked from the large bird that had landed on the wide perch with a flurry of wings striking the side of the building.

“I’ve known him since he was little and trapped in a discarded fishing net,” Danea answered with a smile. She pulled a plastic wrapped bag from the fridge and opened the twist tie. She laid out the trout and tossed the bag into the trash. “I know they’re okay. They’re right here…I told you to be nice.”

“So he just comes by for a fish now and then?” Noah asked quietly.
Both men stared and listened to the faint chirps and beeps the bird gave off.

“He doesn’t believe the fight last night was an accident. My father knows about you,” she whispered, breathing quickly, her head shaking. “The casino? You’re sure…no, no…I know…thank you,” her hand went easily to his large, white head, stroking over the soft feathers. “Have them watched.”

“Danea,” Wade was frowning when she met his gaze. A gaze that went from the departing bird to the woman. “He talks to you?”

“He always has,” she returned to her seat and added some of the pot
roast to her plate.

“And he said your father knows about us?” Noah pressed. “What does that mean?”

“Did you know there were groups out there not only opposed to hybrids, but wanting to experiment on how to make specialized hybrids for purposes probably less than decent?” Danea asked with a smile at the two men watching her. “I have a friend working for the Institute in Devil Hills. But I also have a few friends who are mixed breeds. There are people who want their blood for experiments but they’ve also been known to create their own hybrids as well as taking homeless and testing them.”

“You have some informative friends,” Noah commented
slowly as he ate.

“They watch the missing persons’ lines from police departments,” Danea said slowly, her head shaking. “I think my father is involved in helping some of them. He doesn’t believe…he’s adamantly opposed to interspecies breeding
…even though…but I don’t believe he would do things to hurt people,” she said adamantly, and almost to convince herself of the words. “Not if he knew the full truth of what they were doing.”

“So he would be opposed to us,” Wade nodded. “And your bird friend was warning you that he was here. Where does he normally live? Your father, not the bird.”

“His name is Galileo and my father lives south of here…far south where it’s much warmer,” she said thoughtfully. “The fact that’s he traveled here, is annoying. And I don’t know how much of his behavior is posturing for…just posturing. He’s never behaved meanly toward others at all….but that doesn’t mean someone isn’t using him. With the proper incentive and…” she sighed. “He can be blind at times to certain behaviors and activities.”

“Why is he determined to have you with him, Danea?”

“He just believes his daughters should all live near him,” she waved a hand in the air, digging into her food and eating quickly. “But if he’s here, and he knows about you…that’s not good. And it means the fight was probably his way of making an assessment of you and your skills.”

“Want to tell us why?” Noah said with a firm line that said he was quickly losing patience.

“Which also means he has someone watching me,” she said softly, standing up and gathering plates as she considered that. She carried a large handful of plates to the sink, frowning at the thoughts she was trying to unravel. She had the water running warm and was loading the dishwasher, absently taking the new things they brought in when she turned. She was about to go forward when they backed her against the sink.

“Talk to us, Danea.”

“Noah…this is really not a fair tactic…” Danea’s gaze swung from one to the other, her head shaking. “My father is just obstinate. Very, very…he doesn’t believe I should be mingling with shifters and other people than humans. Unless it’s my his mandate. I told you. He’s…opinionated.”

“And we don’t fit his idea of mates for you,” Wade watched her face.

“I’m very sure it never occurred to him that I would end up in bed with…” Danea felt her cheeks heat up. “With either one of you, let alone, possibly both of you.”

“Possibly?” Noah tugged gently on the tie belt at her waist. “You do know I can tell when you’re lying to me, Danea. It’s a shifter gift, if you will…
so why do you want to lie to us?”

Chapter Ten

“Because right now it’s safest that way,” she said, her chin up in defiance. “Excuse me,” she pushed hard against both their shoulders and turned sideways to squeeze between them when neither moved. “I…need to clean the table…” she
suddenly knew exactly what the filling felt like in a sandwich because neither of them was allowing her to get free.

“You believe your father will be against our…”

“Partnership,” Wade suggested firmly.

“My father…” she sighed and tried wiggling to the side only to find a pair of hands on her from both sides. Her wiggling came to a complete stop when she felt the hints that it was noticeably affecting them.
Front and back, she felt the hardening erections and heat filled her cheeks. “Umm…my father doesn’t give a fig who I date or…or do…anything else with. He’ll make posturing sounds but it’s not about you at all. It’s about what he wants from me, and that I return to his little kingdom with the other daughters. And half of them have already been promised, but they remain in the area because they are part of the power he needs to control things.”

“Why is none of this making sense?”

“Who makes sense of crazy relatives?” She scoffed lightly. She knew how to regulate her temperature and hoped it was enough to keep him off balance with his lie detecting. “It’s simple enough and I’ll handle my father if the time comes.”

Noah knew she was lying to them. Breaking her of the habit and figuring out the pieces he was missing, however, was becoming an issue. He leaned his head down. He was behind her, his hands on her hips; while Wade had a grip on her waist. Neither of them was allowing her movement.

Her eyes grew to wide, dark circles; her breaths little pants when she felt his tongue begin at the hollow of her throat and shoulder. He traced a slow, wet path up to her ear.

“What’re you doing? Stop that,” she hissed, about to wiggle when he pressed his cock into her ass.

“I’m tasting what flavor a lie is on you. And while it’s a delicious thing,” his voice whispered over the damp line he’d drawn and pulled a shiver from her. “Does she have that kissable look, Wade?”

“Hmm…puzzled…a little dazed…definitely kissable,” he agreed seconds before he captured the stunned ‘OH’ of her lips.

Wade wasn’t able to tell if she was lying or not, but he knew something was wrong. He knew well enough
that she felt she was protecting them, and in her mind, that meant keeping some of the facts from them. But when his mouth covered hers and she parted her lips to gasp, he took full advantage to deepen the kiss.

Her hands were released and immediately slipped between them. Her palms flattened against his sides and pressed over the firm, solid muscles hiding beneath the shirt he wore. When he felt her fingers
began opening the buttons down the front of his shirt and slipped against his skin, his groan rumbled against her mouth.

“I need to talk,” Danea whispered shakily, dropping from her toes and pressing her face against his chest. “I read…researched…”

“What do you want to talk about, Danea?” Wade’s voice was rough with the hunger she’d aroused. He watched Noah walk toward the other side of the apartment where the bedroom door was.

“Shit,” Noah said flatly.

“A problem?” Wade asked, his arms loosening to allow Danea to turn and face Noah. She offered no protest when he held her against him, his hands crossing in front of her and casually untying the belt at her waist.