CONCEPTION (The Others) (34 page)

“Yes.” But the weight of those hopes was ballast against her
own fears that the Others would eventually resent the danger Jalina brought
them. She had high hopes that the fear of extinction would keep them fighting
in Jalina’s corner. “I’m sorry for the trouble we’re bringing you.”

Harley looked up, his amber eyes crinkling slightly at the
corners. “There’s nothing to apologize for. In case you haven’t figured it out,
Others and Chosen are predators at heart. The need to kick up a fuss now and
then is what gives the Coalition an edge.”

“You fight among yourselves?”

He shrugged. “In that way, we’re not so different than
humans.” He tilted his head at her in a gesture that took in more than just her
location “This change is hard for you.”

“It takes some getting used to. Especially with Deuce being
such a…” She bit her tongue on the words “pain in the ass”.

“A polite term for the phrase you’re looking for might be
protective.”

She blew out a breath. “That’ll work. He doesn’t understand
how smothering his care is.”

“The Chosen are very close to their mates.”

“And the Others aren’t?”

His smile broadened to wry. “Nope. We’re a hell of a lot
more reasonable. We’re content to just tuck our mates into our back pockets.”

“I bet.” She’d noticed that the Others had more modern
speech patterns than the Chosen, there wasn’t a thing about them that made her
think they were open-minded when it came to their mates. For one thing, they
still referred to them in that archaic, possessive term—mates. “Could you
please step aside?”

“My job is to protect you.”

“If you don’t let me see the sun rise, I swear I’m going to
lose my mind, and where will that leave you with Deuce?”

He cocked his head to the side. “That bad?”

“I haven’t seen the sun for days and the only time I’ve
breathed fresh air I was too busy freezing my butt off to care.”

Harley whistled. “I can see where that would leave a sun
worshipper in a bad way.”

As he stepped aside the sun broke over his shoulder, hitting
her full in the face. Jalina bucked in her arms. A quick glance showed her
little face screwed up.

In one smooth move, Harley flicked the blanket over her
eyes. “Must be she has her daddy’s sensitivity to light.”

Eden took a breath. “Does everyone accept that she’s
Deuce’s?”

He paused halfway back to straight, his shadow covering
Jalina. “Is there a reason they shouldn’t?”

“No.”

“Then why bring it up?”

“Because if they don’t, she won’t be accepted.”

Harley straightened to his full height, forcing Eden to arch
her neck. “She’s Deuce’s daughter, by his decree and Bohdan’s. There will be no
question.”

Relief almost swamped her. Immediately, Harley reached for
her. Almost as quickly, he was shoved back by an angry force. Unbelievably, he
laughed.

Eden blinked. The man was primitively devastating when he
laughed.

“That’s one possessive Chosen you have there.”

She shrugged, ignoring Deuce’s mental prod to
Come
inside. Now.
“He’s going to have to learn to adjust.”

“Uh-huh.” Harley turned and scanned the surrounding area as
he said, “If I were you I wouldn’t count on him backing off too much that way.”

“Why is that?”

“Did you ask him?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

She shrugged. “He just says we’re mates as if that explains
everything.” The sun was rising in the sky, getting stronger. It warmed her
skin like midday in the summer rather than early morning winter.

“I imagine to him, it does.”

She brought her hand up to shield her eyes. “Can you explain
it better?”

“I’m not Chosen, so no.”

“How is it for Others?”

“We’re incomplete our whole lives until we meet our mates.”

“Like humans.”

His hair rustled against his leather coat as he shook his
head. “Unlike humans who get along, seemingly oblivious to the fact that part
of them is missing, Others know from the minute they are born that they are
only part of what they should be.”

“Makes me glad I’m human.”

“The hunger is hard to live with, but the resolution is a
gift beyond price.”

“Are you married?”

“I haven’t met the right woman yet.”

“Then how do you know?”

“A wolf is born with the knowing.” He took two steps to the
left, his lips quirking as his shadow shifted.

“What are you doing?”

“Balancing out your color.”

She touched her right cheek. No wonder the sun felt so
strong. “I’m burning?”

“A side effect of marrying up with the Chosen is an
increased sensitivity to the sun.” He motioned to Jalina. “You should get her
back inside.”

She leaned over to kiss the top of her daughter’s blanketed
head as she accepted the truth. Jalina was never going to play in the park with
other kids, splash in the ocean as waves sparkling with sunlight washed around
her, laughing with other children as she built memories during long summer days
to cherish for a lifetime. “I just wanted her to know a little of my world.”

She knew he’d heard the catch in her voice by the gentleness
in his tone as he said, “She might build a tolerance over time.”

“Or she might get worse and not even be able to bear a
single ray. Like Deuce.”

“It won’t change how she feels about you.”

“She won’t even know me. We’ll have nothing in common, no
similar experiences, no common pleasures.”

Oh God, now she was going to blubber like a baby in front of
a man who looked like he could take on a whole motorcycle gang and walk away
unscathed. A white handkerchief appeared in front of her face. A werewolf
dressed like a biker who carried a clean handkerchief? The laugh that burst
from her throat caught her by surprise. “I think I’m losing my mind.”

Deuce’s probe was not subtle. She closed her eyes and
concentrated on blocking him.

When she opened them Harley’s expression was knowing. “You
should let him comfort you.”

“By letting him take over my mind?”

“Sharing is not the same as taking.”

“As my mind is the only thing I have left that’s mine…” She
stood. He caught her arm, steadying her on the step. She turned away. “I think
I’ll keep it just mine.”

The porch boards creaked as Harley followed her to the door.
“Punishing him won’t change anything,” he said as he reached around her to open
it.

“I’m not punishing him, just holding onto me.”

“Uh-huh.”

The house was dim after the bright light. She stubbed her
toe on an end table. “Do you think we could open some curtains?”

“You can ask Deuce when he gets up. With Chosen living in
the mansion, we have to take precautions.”

Jalina whimpered. No doubt she was hungry. Eden changed her
direction to the kitchen. “How sensitive is a full-blown Chosen to light?”

“It burns them like acid in a matter of minutes.”

So much for her hope that the new sunscreen clothing might
allow them a more normal life. Her slippers made a slight swishing sound as she
went down the hall. Noise came from the kitchen. As she got closer, she
recognized voices. She stopped. Harley drew up beside her. “It’s just Dak and
some of the Pride welcoming back one of our members.”

“A Chosen?”

He cocked an eyebrow at her as if to ask if that made a
difference. “No. Other.”

“Oh.”

She wasn’t ready to sit in a group of Others and try to
pretend everything was normal and that she wasn’t sitting in the middle of a
bunch of freaking actual living, breathing werepeople.

“They won’t hurt you.”

“I know.”

Harley shifted the gun strap on his shoulder. “Then why are
you standing here in the hall?”

“Believe it or not, I’m having a bit of a dramatic moment
contemplating so many figments of my imagination at once.”

“You don’t think we’re real?”

“I didn’t used to.”

“And now?”

“I’m trying to take it all in.”

“C’mon. I’ll introduce you.”

She didn’t want to be introduced to a bunch of strange men.
Especially the newcomer. The knowledge hit her with the force of a
sledgehammer. She backed up. Harley caught her arm. She pulled away. He frowned
and then dropped his hand.

“How about I get the little one’s formula and some of
whatever they’ve cooked up and bring it to the living room? You can eat it
while watching TV.”

The living room was only a few feet from the kitchen. Not
much of a safety zone, but it was something. “Thank you. That would be good.”
Harley turned on his heel. The nervousness inside her built as he got near the
door. He reached for the kitchen doorknob. The panic built to intolerable.

She took another step back. One, two, holding Jalina closer
with each step. As his lean fingers closed around the door handle, she knew the
living room wasn’t far enough. “But I think I’ll have it in my room.”

Harley’s only response was a lift of his brow and a nod. She
bolted for the stairs, knowing nothing more than that she needed to be out of
sight before that door opened.

As soon as she reached the stairs some of the unreasoning
panic faded, but her sense of urgency increased. She raced down the dozen
steps, practically throwing the bedroom door open. She closed and locked it
behind her, looking around the room, seeing Deuce sprawled on the bed, his body
in the same position as when she’d left, the sheet she’d twitched over his
privates still in place. She leaned against the door and held Jalina against
her. Her heart pounded in her ears and her mouth was so dry it hurt to swallow.
She moved toward the bed and Deuce. Even though he was comatose, he was at
least big enough to give the impression of safety. She sat carefully on the
edge. The mattress dipped. Jalina whimpered again, a soft cry that built in
volume to the end. “It’s okay, baby,” she whispered as she patted the little
girl’s back, “we’re safe now.”

Her words hit her like a slap in the face. She was actually
cowering in her bedroom, huddled up against Deuce’s unconscious body,
because—why? There were Others about? There was nothing new in that. The only
thing new was that one of
them
was new. To her anyway. There was no
reason for her to be reacting this way, unless…

She looked down at Deuce. Unless someone was putting the
idea in her head. The only one she could think of who was so inspired was the
man supposedly dead to the world.

“Damn you!” She slapped his shoulder. “Can’t you even leave
me alone when you sleep?” Deuce didn’t answer, didn’t move, but she thought she
felt a flutter of concern at the edge of her mind. She ruthlessly blocked it.
“You’re so helpless right now I could do anything to you and you couldn’t
prevent it.”

She could leave, stay, hurt him, their daughter. It was hard
to believe, but at this time, he was truly vulnerable, all that big muscle and
bone useless against anyone who would harm him. She paused, the realization
coming to her that he actually had a vulnerability. One that her grandfather
could take advantage of. She touched his arm. He didn’t move, but the sensation
of comfort came to her again. He was Chosen, a different species, but he cared
for her. Took care of her like no other and as much as it irritated her, she
liked the thought that if she needed him, he would be there.

Always.
The reassurance whispered into her mind. So
he wasn’t totally out when he slept, but he was still weak.

The Others are here, also.

She should have known he would have that angle covered. She
leaned over and touched her mouth to his. It was so hard to be cold and aloof
when he gave to her so effortlessly. “Thank you.”

She sensed rather than felt his smile, but that didn’t
diminish her reaction to it. Part of her delighted to bring happiness to him.
The other part of her did not like the strangeness of him lying so placidly.
She was used to Deuce taking charge, aggressively staking his claim. Having his
lips so calm under hers created a sick feeling in her stomach.

There was a surge of power around her and his black eyes
opened. “You do not sleep.”

How could she explain that lying next to what in essence was
a corpse creeped her out? “No.”

“You worry.” There was a tightness to his voice that she
wasn’t used to hearing. Signs of strain around his eyes.

“Is it hard for you to be awake now?”

“Yes.”

He turned onto his side, touching Jalina’s cheek with his fingers,
a smile on his face and in his voice, everything about him softening. There was
no doubt he loved his daughter. “Hello, my little light.”

Jalina stilled, her fussing dying off to a happy coo at her
father’s attention.

“Why do you not rest?” For a moment father and daughter
stared at each other. Deuce glanced up. “She is hungry.”

“Harley is coming with a bottle.”

He touched her cheek with the same gentleness with which
he’d touched their daughter’s. His frown did not bode well for the man. “He is
supposed to be guarding you, not running errands.”

“He would be if you hadn’t indulged your jealousy and given
me a panic attack.”

Signs of his weariness vanished. His fingers curled under
her chin, lifting her face to his. “You will explain.”

“You gave me a panic attack when I was going to go into the
kitchen where the newcomer was.”

“I did not.”

“Well, I don’t have panic attacks!”

“But you experienced one?”

“Yes.”

“When, exactly?” His eyes narrowed and she felt his probe.
She blocked him, and felt his surprise.

“Do you even know that you do that?” she asked.

“What?”

“Probe my mind.”

His thumb brushed her lips. “Not always. It is natural for
mates to blend thoughts.”

“But not for me.”

“No.”

There was absolutely no inflection in his response, but she
sensed his frustration. Between them, Jalina fussed. He rolled to his back and
propped her on his chest. She rested there, a happy sigh sliding past her rosy
lips as a weary one passed his. He closed his eyes. Jalina did the same. There
was something so intriguing about the big powerful man cradling the tiny baby
that it scared her. Mostly because she wanted to be a part of that circle and
she couldn’t. Deuce’s hand wrapped around hers, keeping her close to the
temptation he presented. His weariness traveled from him to her. She wanted to
resist him, and at the same time soothe him. She settled for curling her
fingers around his.