Deliciously Mated (7 page)

There wasn’t any sacrifice he wouldn’t make for her. Nothing was asking too much. His clan, his body, his mind, he’d lose any of it for her. And
that
, he knew instinctually, was what a big cat mating was truly about. The rest of it was just tradition. And the great thing about traditions was they could be broken.

Renner had it right. And Eagan was going to help him show the others.

With that thought settled, sleep pulled at him once again.

“Do you normally sleep in trees?”

“No,” Clara murmured drowsily. “A mattress made of a sleeping bag and old newspapers.”

His heart squeezed tight at the thought of his mate in the wild, sleeping on scraps she’d collected. Never again. Even if he had to follow her out there and be her personal Tempur-pedic.

He squeezed her tighter against his chest. “Damn. There goes my Katniss fantasy.”

“Who?” she asked, her voice slurred with sleep.

He let out a soft laugh. “Nevermind. Sleep, little woman.”

Chapter Twelve

Clara was ripped out of the best sleep of her life by a knock on the cabin door. A bang really. Several urgent bangs. Eagan’s big hand on her head urged her further from her sweet coveted rest.

She lifted her drowsy eyes to his and her breath caught in her chest. His gaze glowed with emotion so fierce it should have scared her. But it didn’t. With his ruffled hair and sleep-sexy face and his strong arms holding her steady, all she could feel was… safe.

She felt safe, and that… was a miracle.

“Someone’s at the door,” he said.

Clara nodded and rolled to the side, back onto the cushy bed. Eagan sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled his pants on over the boxers he’d worn to bed.

He turned to look at her, his eyes wary. “Stay here. I’ll protect you, Clara. Remember that. And whatever happens… do not run from me.”

“I won’t.” She meant it.

He bent slowly, and kissed the top of her head. The gesture was so sweet, so protective, it left her insides quaking. That was her cook, always looking out for her. What had she done to deserve his loyalty? She wanted to be worthy of him, but the truth was he was too good for her.

Eagan edged the door open. “Bethany,” he said.

Clara recognized the name. It was the woman from the spa.

“You alone?” Eagan asked.

“Yes. Can I come in?”

He hesitated, but finally flung the door wide for her to walk through.

“I came to check on your guest,” she informed as she made her way toward the couch which sat adjacent to the bed. A single half wall separated the living area and the bedroom. “Oh! Hi there.” She smiled brightly as she spotted Clara.

Clara attempted a smile, but it was early, and she hadn’t talked to anyone but Eagan in too many years. And the only other person she’d come in contact with wanted to “deal” with her and kill Eagan. So she wasn’t exactly ready to buddy up to any of them.

“I see you aren’t bound and gagged as Magic might have suggested.”

Clara frowned. None of that. Eagan had been a little saucy, but never cruel.

“Fucking kidding me,” Eagan muttered, running a hand through his hair. “I wouldn’t hurt my mate. I’m not a monster.”

Bethany looked at him. “I know. The others too. Nobody believes you’re going to mate her.”

Eagan stiffened.

“Unless… are you going to mate her?”

His eyes flashed to Clara and then to the ground.

“What are you doing here, Bethany?”

“Checking on your sweetheart. Like I said. Magic told me she was human, so I thought another human face might cheer her up.”

“You’re not a cat-woman?” Clara managed.

Bethany smiled so friendly, Clara relaxed a notch. “Nope. I’m as human as they come.” She stepped forward with her hand outstretched. “I’m mated to Renner. He’s the cat. Like Eagan. So, I kind of get what you’re going through right now.”

Slowly, Clara raised her own hand and gave the woman’s a single shake before dropping it.

“Did…” Should she ask? Was it too personal? “Did Renner get kicked out when he mated you?”

Bethany cocked her head to one side, considering the question. “No. But we kind of consider that a Christmas miracle.”

Clara moved to the side of the bed, tossing a glance at Eagan. He stood against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest staring at the floor. She looked at Bethany.

“I don’t want to get him in trouble,” she said quietly.

She knew he’d hear, but so what. It had been weighing on her conscience ever since he’d thrown her over his shoulder and marched her to his cabin. His kindness knew no bounds apparently. Or he felt some obligation to keep her out of trouble. Whatever the case, it wasn’t fair for him to lose his family over her.

Bethany’s lips curled into a sad smile. “Oh, you’re special,” she whispered. Not in a condescending way. But like she was truly surprised. She turned her attention toward Eagan. “I wonder if there’s such a thing as a Halloween miracle?” She raised one eyebrow at him.

“I hope so,” he muttered almost to himself, and kicked his foot up on the wall behind him. His stance was casual, but his expression was anything but.

Bethany stepped closer to him, and Clara had the urge to glue herself to his side.

“None of us think you’re a monster, Eagan. You just need to explain to them what’s happening. Especially Magic. He’s taking this hard.”

What
was happening? Clara wanted to tell them to quit speaking in code and explain this to her.

Eagan nodded. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.” His tone didn’t sound convinced.

“Bailey’s manning the kitchen. Renner and Owyn are talking Magic down. Layna is taking care of business. Everything is going to be fine. Just… tell him. Tell him what I see here. Make him understand.” She hesitated. “Like Renner did.”

Eagan gave her another non-committal nod.

Bethany shot Clara an encouraging smile and then strolled to the door. “Tell her too, Eagan. Nothing sucks worse than being a human in the dark.”

Clara agreed with that statement. Wholeheartedly.

***

The brush was thick this far off the path. It was barely noon and the sun beat through the orange and gold tent of leaves, whisking away the chill of the autumn morning. But the promise of a crisp nightfall was never more than a breath away.

Clara turned right at the rock she’d set for a marker.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she shouldn’t trust him this much yet.

But how could she not? He’d taken care of her, kept her notebook to himself even at the cost of alienating his clan, and when she would have been caught, he’d made a way for her to escape. And she had to believe that he was helping her because he saw through the bad to something good in her. She was his mate, but it had to be more. Had to be, or he wouldn’t risk his family.

“Almost there,” she called behind her.

After she’d agreed to take him to her camp, Eagan had gone quiet. He seemed lost in thought. But his steps were steady behind hers as they crunched through twigs and fallen leaves.

“You’re smart,” he murmured. “You picked a good area to hide out in.”

“Not hide out,” she corrected. “I’m not on the run. Well… I guess I could be if Magic had called the cops.”

“I just meant, this is solitary enough no one would happen upon you. Not even one of the cats. We like to stretch our legs in these woods but generally we don’t go out this far.”

Clara smiled. “You wouldn’t have found me anyway.”

Eagan barked out a laugh. “That right?”

“Mm hm. I’m very good at hermitting.”

They stopped when they reached a cluster of thick saplings and vines that spanned a twenty foot gap between older trees. Here, the cover was so thick it was almost impossible to see through. Any place thin enough to offer a peek, only revealed rock that bled into the mountain.

“Here we are,” she said.

“Here?” His tone was skeptical.

“Yep.”

Clara stared up, through the trees to the cliff that peaked a couple hundred feet above her head. The faithful cliff. It had never given away her secrets and now, she was going to do that very thing.

Before the day was over, Eagan would have them all. Somehow, she knew it.

She glanced at him. His hands were slung around his hips as he examined the brush cover, looking for her so-called camp.

“Where?” he asked, baffled.

Clara had to laugh. “Come on.”

She led him to the “door”. It wasn’t really a door, but she liked to think of it as one. It was a spot in the brush wall where several thick vines had grown together. But if you knew just where to separate them, they opened as easily as a door, instead of a snarled tangle of twigs.

Ducking, she crawled through until she was on the other side of the wall. Once past, there was barely enough room to stand between the trees and where the rocky mountain face began.

She glanced back to make sure Eagan had followed her. But he was so close, she startled and her foot caught on a root. Flinging her hand out to find purchase, she grabbed his shirt. Strong hands steadied her. She looked up, expecting to find him scowling, but instead, his eyes were soft, crinkling around the edges. Not laughing at her. Something else.

His gaze fell to her lips and he didn’t look away.

Shoved between the rock and the vines, with the tree canopy above them, it was like they were the only two people in the world. It was their own little place in the universe. Until today, it had only been hers. Now it was theirs.

It was a scary but exciting feeling, sharing something so important with this man. But he’d made the first move. He’d shared his cooking, his home. His
bed
.

Slowly, Eagan bent his head to hers. Inching forward, as if giving her time to stop him. Except she didn’t want to stop him. For once in her life, she craved a connection. She wanted to match a piece of her with a piece of him, and make it mean something.

His lips pressed softly to hers, and the delicate touch might as well have been thunder for the effect it had. It was so sweet, so delicious that it took her breath away. There was no tongue. No urgency. Just the most tender meeting of his body with hers.

And it undid her.

All the solitude. The simplicity. The distance from society. It seemed like her past, and this, Eagan, was her future.

It scared her. But only in the way of embarking on a new adventure.

It also thrilled her. But in the way a haunted house was thrilling. What surprise was around the next corner? And could she survive it without wetting her damn pants.

His hand tenderly cradled her cheek as he broke their kiss, just enough to speak.

“That was what I wanted our first kiss to be.” His lips brushed hers as he spoke. It might as well have been more kissing since it had the same breath-stealing effect on her.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, letting her lips caress his. “I liked the first one too.”

His eyes closed as he sighed, seeming relieved. He kissed the corner of her mouth and pulled back. “Let’s see this camp of yours so we can go talk to Magic. I need to get things settled with you or my jag’ll go crazy.”

Clara breathed deep to get her bearings.

“Yes. Camp. Let’s go.”

Squeezing along the wall, she led Eagan to a hidden opening in the rock. It was three feet across and almost five feet tall, and covered by a canvas tarp. Pulling it back, she peered inside.

“You got the flashlight?”

Eagan passed it over and she used it to light the inside of the cave.

“There might be critters. They stay away for the most part when I’m here. But being gone overnight… you never know.”

She stepped inside and Eagan followed.

Her bed was against the wall. The floor had been swept until only the rock showed. A small container of supplies sat off in the corner. It was where she kept her books and the weather radio for emergencies. In the center of the small space was her tiny fire pit that hadn’t been used for most of the summer.

It was simple. Modest. It was home. But for some reason, looking at it now, it seemed… crazy. She could see how a stranger would think she’d lost her marbles.

A burning kernel of embarrassment planted in her gut.

“It’s… you know… functional. Not much, but everything I needed.”

She couldn’t look at Eagan. What if she could tell what he was thinking, and what he was thinking was that she was looney.

“I’m not… crazy. I just take pleasure in the simple things.”

“I never said you were crazy. And I’m
definitely
concerned about your pleasure.” His voice was playful, and a laugh escaped her.

“I love what you’ve done with the place.”

She glanced at him, and he gave her that sarcastic smile.

“Oh, shut up. Your cabin doesn’t even have any pictures on the walls.” She pointed the flashlight to the other side of the cave. “At least I painted my place.” She’d collected whatever leftover paint she could find throughout the years and went caveman on the wall. No hieroglyphs though. Normal stuff like flowers and stars.

“Yeah, yeah. Okay, Martha Stewart.” He grinned, winking.

Clara shrugged. “I got skills.”

He reached for her hand, linking his fingers with hers. “Alright, let’s grab the stuff you took from the lodge and get it back to Magic.”

“Oh, that. Um, that stuff isn’t here.”

Eagan frowned. “It’s not?”

Clara shook her head. “Hermit 101. Keep your stash away from your camp. That way if either is compromised, you don’t lose both in one fell sweep.”

He raised one eyebrow. “Huh.” Reaching forward, he tweaked her nose. “Then take me to your stash, oh great mountain woman.”

Clara grinned. “Fiiiiiine.”

***

Eagan carted the plastic tub of supplies on one shoulder and held his mate’s hand as they took the path through the woods that would lead them back to the lodge. He was going to talk to Magic. All he could do was try. If the man refused to listen, then he would take Clara and go. They’d make their own way. Without a clan.