FavoriteObsession (2 page)

With that she turned her back on him and walked away. He
went after her. A hand at her waist, he spun her once more into his arms.
“Don’t walk away from me. If your cats feel it too then it’s real. Maybe you
can—”

“Kill you?” She glared at a biker who swung his head at her
loud retort. The tattooed guy hurriedly looked away. She lowered her voice. “I
cannot mate you, Josh. I’ll only end up killing you.”

So he’d been told, over and over. Only male royals could
take human mates. “Has anyone ever tried?”

“Yes and they’ve failed.” She jerked away.

He watched her until the crowd at the front entrance
swallowed her up before he gave in to litany of curses rolling through his head.
If he hadn’t been working tonight, he would’ve followed her.

And what good would it do?
He didn’t have an answer
to their problems, not when the freaking universe was against them.

“The gods really fucked up with you two.”

Josh peered over his shoulder. Zach, Kade’s younger brother,
leaned casually against the wall. His white, buzzed hair and pale-blue eyes
stood out starkly against his dark tan. The royal shifter had become a friend
in the weeks he’d been here. Josh trusted him with his life. The knowledge didn’t
stop the shiver he got whenever he looked at him. Out of all the felines he’d
met, Zach struck him as the coldest. He couldn’t shake the feeling the man
would snap one day.

Josh shook off the odd thought. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”

“Means you’re Mira’s
one
, the gods’ gift to her.”

Josh snorted. He knew all about the shifter’s elusive
one
,
a partner whose soul complemented them so damn well they’d never want another. Not
a fated mate exactly. No, the devotion to their
ones
went deeper than
some godly pairing. It was fucking mystical. Seeing it left him in awe and
jealous as hell.

“Well then, your gods must hate Mira.” It was the only
explanation. Why else give her a man who’d only end up dying on her?

“Yeah, I think they do.” Zach rubbed his knuckles under his
chin. “Or love her enough to bend the rules. With the gods, you never can tell.”

“You think they’ll listen to me if I talk to them? You know,
beg them for a little heavenly intervention?” He’d never been big into going to
church but he prayed. Those couple of times in his life he needed a little
comfort, he’d found it.

Zach shrugged and pushed from the wall in a lithe move only
the feline shifters could pull off. “Think carefully about what you’re
planning, my friend. Humans can love again. But a shifter?” Zach closed his
eyes. A tic developed on his jaw. “Once our instincts are triggered, nothing
will save us. Love is a one-shot deal. Remember that.”

“Maybe, but I’ll never find another Mira.”

Zach shrugged and ambled away without another word.

Josh’s gaze drifted to the door Mira had left through. His
mind kept going over all the obstacles keeping them apart. They seemed
unsurmountable. Still, he couldn’t let her go without a fight.

So where the hell did that leave him?

“On the outside looking in.” He grinned. “Damn good thing I
can pick locks.”

Josh gave the bar a final walk-through, picked up the couple
of napkins the waitresses had missed then grabbed his keys. It felt odd to be
the last one here. He hadn’t closed the place in weeks. Ever since his brother had
died and left him as Megan’s guardian, his priorities had changed. Spending his
life here didn’t hold the appeal it once had, not when he had a kid in his life
who expected a bedtime story and hot breakfast in the morning.

He flicked off the lights and locked the door behind him,
the automatic actions a consequence of years working nights like this one. Good
thing too. His thoughts kept wandering to Mira, not a shocker. The woman always
found her way into his mind. Hell, she freaking owned it along with his body.
He just had to figure out how to lay his claim on her when the rules made it
impossible. He would. That was a given. The how, though? Yeah, that remained up
in the air.

He strode across the employee’s gravel lot to where he’d
left his car parked. Out of habit, he kept him pulling into the same spot he’d
occupied for the past five years—next to his old apartment on the rear of the
property.

“You’re a dead man walking, Josh Conway.”

Josh swung his head in the direction of the voice. Zeb stood
several feet away, legs spread, hands held loosely at his sides and hatred
stamped on his face. A visible tremor added to the bloodshot eyes and flushed
skin.

Josh tensed. Zeb’s condition had deteriorated in the hours
since Josh had last seen him.
Great. Just what I need to deal with tonight.

“Am I now? I might say the same about you, Zeb. What are you
on?”

“I ain’t here to talk about me, so save your breath.”

“Okay. No talking.” Josh curled his fingers in a bring-it-on
motion. “Let’s just fight.” The quicker he knocked him out, the better. The
cops could deal with his ass then.

“Oh, we’re gunna fight and you’re gunna hurt.”

Zeb reached behind him and pulled out a gun, complete with
silencer. Every muscle in Josh’s body tensed. “Don’t be foolish, Zeb. Put the gun
away.”

Zeb shook his head. “Not until I teach some lessons.” He made
a show of inspecting the firearm. “You led my baby sister on. Made her cry over
you. I ain’t happy that you made Abby cry, Josh. Ain’t happy at all.”

Lead her on?
Josh bit back his cursed denial. The gun
Zeb held turned things from a simple brawl into a premeditated assault. “I
never meant to make Abby cry. Look, we hooked up once. You know how these
things work.”

Zeb’s brows pinched and the confused expression tightened
Josh’s chest.

“That ain’t what Abby says. She told me you’ve been banging
her for over a year, keeping it secret and all because you’re embarrassed to be
seen with a farmer’s daughter.” A crazed look fell over his muddled expression.
“Nobody treats my baby sister that way, Josh. Nobody.” He waved the pistol at
him. “I’ve been patient and all. No more, not after you embarrassed her in
front of everyone.”

Hands clenching and releasing at his sides, Josh reined in
his temper. “I don’t know what—”

Zeb fired. Josh jumped back. Heart pounding hard, he glanced
from the scattered gravel to a laughing Zeb. He aimed and fired off another
round. Josh held his ground.

“Aww, come on, Josh. Run like the coward you are.”

Another shot knocked small stones over his boots.

“Coward? I’m not the one relying on a gun. Drop it and come
fight me.”

“I will. First, I gotta use up these bullets.”

Zeb fired off another round. The bullet whizzed between
Josh’s spread legs to bury itself in the ground behind him.

He cursed inwardly and fought the urge to cover his balls.
“And how do you think Abby will feel if you shoot me?”

“Pissed probably.” Zeb shrugged.

More shots pinged around him. The gun clicked, empty. Zeb
dropped it and rushed him. Josh captured his fist before it made contact. He
spun him and kicked him in the ass, knocking him to his knees.

Zeb roared and cracked his head off Josh’s groin. Zeb
released him and stumbled back, a hand over his abused jewels. Zeb took the
opening and swung. Josh sidestepped his punch and arched to avoid the next
blow. He grabbed Zeb’s biceps and shoved him. “Give it up. You’ve gotten too
slow in your old age.”

“I ain’t that much older than you,” Zeb panted.

“You’re right. We’ve known each other a long time, haven’t
we?” Josh waited for Zeb to nod. “And have you ever known me to get involved
with anyone?”

“Only Jazz, but—”

“But nothing. I made it clear to Abby that we weren’t ever
going to date. It was a one-night thing.”

Zeb took a step forward. “You callin’ my baby sister a
liar?”

That and more. “I’m saying things have gotten blown out of
proportion.” He motioned behind him. “Let’s go in, have a beer and talk.” A
nonalcoholic one. Zeb needed to sober up.

Zeb shoved his hands in his pockets. “Talk, huh?”

“Yeah, then I’ll call you a cab.”

“I wanna know why you’re hurtin’ Abby. You gunna talk about
that?”

“Look, I’m not intentionally hurting her. Abby might be
reading into things.”

“You sayin’ she’s nuts?”

Nuts, desperate, fucked-up. He could think of a dozen more
terms for her. “No. I’m saying she might need some help understanding why we’re
not going to go out again.”

“Might need some help,” Zeb repeated with pinched brows.

What the hell was he doing? He knew better than to reason
with a drunk, especially a high one. “Look, let’s just go inside.”

After a moment, Zeb cracked his jaw. “Sure, let’s go talk.”

Josh stepped next to him. “Great, I—”

The sharp pain piercing his gut stopped his words. Zeb
grunted and jerked the knife upward. “Sorry, Josh. Changed my mind. Don’t feel
like talkin’.” He yanked the blade out, turned and fled across the lot.

Hands pressed over his stomach, Josh groaned. The world spun
and his legs gave out. He dropped hard onto his knees. All his strength seemed
to gush out with the blood drenching his clothes. He swayed but reached for his
cell and found an empty pocket. He’d been too distracted with thoughts of Mira
and left it charging in his office.

Regret rose. He pushed the useless emotion aside.
What’s
done is done.
He tried to stand. Shooting pain whipped through him. He
coughed. Blood filled his mouth. He spit it out. Not willing to give up, he
crawled forward and reached for the door handle. His fingers fell short and he
toppled to his side. His head bounced off the ground.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He took shallow breaths and tried to assess his situation.
Only one conclusion he could come up with—if he didn’t get his ass up, he was
going to be in trouble, more than he was now. Too damn bad he couldn’t find the
energy to move. His limbs had turned to lead.

He didn’t know how long he laid there bleeding but the world
around him brightened. Soft music drifted to his ears along with the sounds of
people singing.
Well, shit, I’m dying.
This wasn’t how he wanted his
life to end. Of course, everybody who faced an early death probably thought the
same thing.

The lulling voices wrapped around him and took some of the
anxiety away, but after a moment, the angels’ exuberant refrains of welcome
turned into murmured whispers of goodbye. Their chorus faded until only his
heartbeat echoed in his ears.

Son of a bitch. They shut me out.

A sudden breeze filled his lungs with the scent of
fresh-baked apple pie before he could consider what their denial meant. He
forced his lids open and peeked in the direction it came from, expecting to find
his gran waiting to lead him to heaven since the angels had abandoned him.

The beautiful woman walking toward him was definitely not
his ninety-year-old, white-haired grandmother. Golden from head to toe, she
reminded him of a goddess, one of those gilded statues he’d seen in a museum.
Her skin shimmered, eyes glowed and hair gleamed. An iridescent glint of soft
yellow light emanated from her as if she carried her own inner sun.

The golden woman knelt next to him. He wanted to tell her to
get back or else she’d get blood all over her sparkling gown. The words wouldn’t
form. Up close, she didn’t exactly look human. Her eyes were too wide and up-tilted,
her nose too flat and her lips too full. No not human, not even an angel unless
angels had fangs and talon-tipped fingers.

She bent closer and kissed him. He didn’t want to kiss her.
Mira’s lips were the only ones he wanted on his, but this woman’s touch didn’t
feel sexual. Her mouth merely felt warm, her tongue as it parted his lips, soft.
She cupped the back of his head and the tension locking his muscles faded as if
her touch drew all his anxiety away. The breath she exhaled into him soothed some
of the pain too. He breathed a sigh but her gentle touch changed in the next
moment.

Something crawled out of her mouth and into his. It
slithered down his throat, leaving a burning path in its wake. He choked and
fought to get away as more and more of the oily sludge poured into him. It was
no use. She held him too tightly. Her sharp nails bit into his scalp. Blood ran
down his neck while the wormlike thing worked its way into his gut.

The sensation intensified. His stomach churned. The
tightness in his chest increased until he felt as if he were going to burst
apart at the seams. On and on it went while he writhed under the woman’s hold.
He dug his fingers into her shoulders and shoved as hard as he could. He
couldn’t break her grip or stop the flow of gunk she forced into him.

Pain strung his limbs tight. He dropped his hands and arched
his back. For the first time in his life, he screamed, the sound garbled
against her mouth. Still, she didn’t relent. She tightened her grip and forced
him to accept it all.

Fear mixed with the agony seizing his body. He thrashed,
desperation fueling him. He needed to get away. He didn’t care if he had to die
to make it stop. She growled against his lips and tugged him closer.

After what felt like an eternity, the woman broke the kiss,
ending his torment. He sucked in a rough breath. His body expanded like a
balloon. A wave of her hand across his face and all the pain disappeared. His
exhale left him limp and he lay there too weak to move, to speak, to breathe.

She brushed his sweat-slickened hair off his forehead,
fisted the short strands and jerked his head up. His mouth opened on a groan he
couldn’t stop. She held her free hand over his parted lips. Golden blood oozed
from her gilded skin, but there was no wound.

The first drop hit his tongue and a soundless shriek echoed
in his head. More fire, more pain consumed him, only this time the taste of
chocolate accompanied the suffering. Finally, the endless flow stopped, but
relief never came. The flames inside him flared up and ate him alive.

She stood and peered down at him with a smile on her face. Seeing
her pleasure in response to his torment chilled him. Not wanting to look at her
anymore, he curled into a ball. A fresh wave of agony rolled through him. He
moaned, except no sound came out. Black dots spread over his vision. His mind
grew fuzzy.

Dammit, he really was dying. If he had to go, he didn’t want
his last memory to be of this woman. He conjured Mira’s image and shoved the
one of his torturer away. Her golden light faded and blackness took its place.
It stretched out as far as he could see. In the center of the inky mist
surrounding him, Mira’s kaleidoscope eyes shone. He focused on them as his
heart took its last beat and let them lead him to heaven.

* * * * *

Mira paced from one end of the room to the other. She ignored
the sympathetic look Lena wore along with the muffled voices drifting from outside
and focused on the path her feet took. As with most pride issues, she didn’t
get included in the discussions. This time, she should’ve been. Kade and Devin’s
heated argument involved her. The message left on Kade’s voicemail spun another
complication in the mess that had become her life.

If she’d wanted, she could’ve allowed her cats close to the
surface so she could use their enhanced senses to hear the debate. She didn’t
bother. No amount of arguing would change anything. The Council had dropped the
gauntlet in a thirty-second message informing Kade that if she refused to pick
a mate in the allotted time, they’d pick one for her. Like hell. She wouldn’t
allow it to come down to that. So she simply had to decide which of her friends
she hated enough to mate.

For three hundred years, she’d avoided taking another mate.
Once was enough. Not that she’d had a choice in the matter then either. Edmund
had made it. As a single-shifter, he’d had no right to claim a royal, but he’d
paid her human nanny to make sure nobody could stop him.

Pity for him, he hadn’t counted on the child he’d decided to
rape stopping him. Mira had killed him. Not before he bit her, though. The scar
left on her shoulder had ruined not only her life but those of her loved ones.
She swore she’d never take another mate unless she found a male she could love.
Without the emotion, all she had to offer her breeding partner was her body.
And
an eternity of regrets and resentment.

She pushed thoughts of her pathetic future aside and focused
on those involving the male she wanted but couldn’t have. Why did Josh have to
be so stubborn? Or so damn sexy? He’d captured her attention with a lopsided
smile and no amount of avoidance had dimmed her fascination.

Every thought led back to Josh. She woke in the morning
thinking about him and fell asleep with his name on her lips. The only thing
she didn’t understand was why. She hadn’t even kissed him. Tonight’s little
encounter was the closest they’d gotten.

For months, they’d danced around their mutual attraction.
They’d been ordered to stay away from each other. For their own good, of
course. Better not to know what it was like to be with him. The rational side
of her understood, but her heart…