“You’re welcome,” Dustin called from his front porch swing where he was cuddling with Emma under a thick blanket.
Asshole. Beast flipped him off as he drove by. And furthermore, they were a disgusting couple, always cuddling everywhere. Kissing and slow blinking at each other like they were in a damn romantic movie. I’ll love you for eternity and all that horse-crap. Love wasn’t real, but Dustin and Emma liked to pretend. So did Logan and Winter, so did Kane and Rowan. It was puke-inducing.
When Beast gassed it over the bridge, his lion reared up inside of him at the prospect of fighting Logan. It had been two whole days since they’d bled each other.
And for some reason Beast couldn’t understand, Kiera felt like the perfect reason to sharpen his claws on some bear hide.
Chapter Four
Kiera pushed the curtain aside and glared at the beat-up white truck in the next parking lot over. At least she still had impeccable vision from the cat. She was being hunted by Logan Furrow of the Blackwings, but why?
Oh, she knew what he was—a mercenary. But she wasn’t a shifter, and killing her would bring down hell on Kane’s Mountains. No way would she go quietly. Not now. Not with a life to protect.
For two days, he’d followed her. Sometimes his mate, Winter, came with him, sometimes not. He talked on his phone sometimes. He had to be better at hunting than this, but she’d grown suspicious he must not care about being caught.
Was he here to push her out of the mountains? To make sure she really left like Beast had ordered her to? Or was his reasoning more sinister?
Not one to pussyfoot around, she slid the bowie knife from her bag into the back of her jeans and pulled her sweater over it. Then, with a three-count breath for bravery, she marched across the motel parking lot and into the adjacent lot of Frankie’s Burgers & Tots.
Mouth full of burger, Logan rolled down his window. Around the bite, he said, “About damn time.”
“You’ve been following me for two days. Why?”
He gulped. “Good instincts still. And because Kane told me to. He’s alpha, so I do what he says.”
“Bullshit, you’re as dominant as he is. Even I can feel how fucked up you are. You could say no if you wanted.”
“Nope, he really is alpha. Doesn’t matter how broken my animal is. I still don’t want to end up in the belly of the dragon. Tater tot?” He handed her a carton half full of the fried potatoes.
She was always hungry, sooo… “Thanks,” she muttered, yanking them from his hand and taking three steps back to eat them.
“It’s cold, and you don’t have a jacket,” he said, dark eyebrows arched high as he took another bite of burger.
“What do you care?”
“About you? My care-level is at maybe three percent. Nah, it’s what you got hidden in your belly that has me concerned.”
Kiera nearly choked on the tot she was devouring. She coughed a few times and bullied it down her throat. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“And neither do any of the other Blackwings, as far as I can tell. Clearly they’ve never been around a pregnant lady because they just keep talking about how sick you smell. You don’t smell sick, though. You smell fertilized.”
“Gross. That’s a seriously gross way to put it.” Kiera looked around to make sure they were truly alone. “I don’t really want it known.”
“Hey,” Logan said, throwing up his hands. “When you announce your bundle of joy is up to you. I haven’t said anything.”
Kiera narrowed her eyes. “Why not? They’re your crew.”
He canted his head and frowned. “I don’t know exactly. Instinct? If I told them, would you run?”
“Maybe.”
Logan nodded slowly. “Well, I have orders to keep you in the territory, so that would just make my job harder. Your secret is safe with me.”
The chilly breeze kicked up, so Kiera wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. Shifting her weight from side-to-side, she admitted, “You’re the first person I’ve talked to about this, and you’re a total stranger.”
Logan shrugged. “It’s the easiest way to talk about stuff.” She opened her mouth to say more, but he put his hand up and rushed out, “Not that I want to hear about it. I don’t. I just want you to stay in the mountains so Kane doesn’t burn my ass.”
“Right. Well, you can stop following me, at least until the end of the week. I told the guy at the front desk I’m staying through Friday.”
“John?” he asked. “Nice guy. I still have to tail you, though. You know, you could make this a lot easier by talking to Kane. He doesn’t want to lose track of you again, but he’s trying to give you your space—”
“By having me followed.”
Logan gave her an empty smile and continued. “If it was up to him, he would storm the motel and drag you back to his mountains, but he has a mate with a sensitive soul, and Rowan doesn’t want you feeling pressured. She wants you to have a chance to come when you’re ready.”
That bit of information drew Kiera up straighter. Kane had found a good mate then. One who could take the edge off him. Kiera touched her belly gently. That was good news.
“Why hasn’t Beast registered to the crew yet?” She’d tried but failed for nonchalance if Logan’s suspicious little slits for eyes were anything to go by.
“If you’re after the Beast, best go looking for love elsewhere. Even the dark dragon is wary of him, and for good reason.”