Unclaimed (14 page)

“Connecting with your mate,” William said in an irritating matter-of-fact way. “We've all been there.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Dominic said tightly.

“Ha,” Kerry said loudly. “Your goose is seriously cooked. I can't believe you're actually going to deny it. Before you get all macho and offended, take a deep breath and relax. All of us have been where you guys are now.” Kerry winked at Dante and linked her hand with her mate. “She'll get there, big guy, but you have to let her figure it out on her terms, and then you can say the bonding rite to make it official.”

Dominic averted his eyes and crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. He grumbled something inaudible under his breath but stopped short of coming right out and telling them. However, in Kerry's usually perceptive fashion, it didn't take long for her to figure it out.

“Oh shit,” Kerry said through a short laugh. She covered her mouth quickly when he shot her a disapproving look. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh but… oh dear.”

“What?” William asked, looking confused as he smoothed back strands of his long blonde hair. The guy had ditched the shirt and tie, but even in jeans and a T-shirt he looked uptight.

“Oh man,” Dante said on a sigh. He gave Dominic a pained expression. “You're screwed.”

“Will someone please tell me what on earth you're going on about?” William said in exasperation. He looked at Kerry, who arched one eyebrow and looked at him like he was the class dunce. Awareness flickered over his features, and he raised his brow. “Did you say the bonding rite without her consent?”

Dominic nodded.

“Yes,” William mused. “You
are
indeed screwed.”

“I know.” Dominic butted the heel of his boot against the wall and let out a huffing breath as he looked at the tiled ceiling. He squeezed his eyes shut against the fluorescent lights. “I don't know how it happened. It's like I was possessed. I didn't plan on saying it, but I sure as shit did, and now she hates me.” He ducked his chin and glanced at Kerry. “I can't really blame her. I feel like a fuckin' thief.”

They were all silent, which only made Dominic feel like a bigger douche. His inner voice berated him, and when he thought he'd go insane, the door opened, and Tatiana emerged looking completely drained. Any concern for himself evaporated, and all he could see was her.

Tatiana's dark hair was tousled, her energy signature bathed in weariness. Yet in spite of it all, her beauty stole his breath, and it took Dominic a moment to realize he was standing there with his mouth open.

“It's a boy,” she said smiling as tears filled her eyes. “A healthy baby boy.”

Everyone gathered around, but Dominic didn't get too close. He knew she was upset with him for what happened in the barn, and he had zero idea how to make it right.

“The C-section went well, considering I've never done that on a person before. Thank God Steven was able to hold it together and help me through it.”

“Is Courtney…?” Kerry trailed off, unable to say what they had been worried about.

“She's still unconscious,” Tatiana whispered in a quivering voice. She let out a slow breath, clearly trying to steady herself. “Steven's with her now, and I doubt he'll leave her side.” She smiled and ran a hand through her hair. “Steven wouldn't even hold the baby. He said he wants to wait until Courtney wakes up so he can share the experience with her.”

“Speaking of which, where is the baby?” Kerry asked expectantly.

“Steven reached out to Richard and asked him to bring the boy to Salinda. He figured that since she and Samantha were still nursing, there would be no shortage of milk. Besides, based on everything that's happened, it's safer if he stays there, at least for now.”

Layla came out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

“How's she doing?” Dante asked.

“Courtney is hanging tough,” Layla said. “We moved her into the recovery room next door, and Steven is right there with her.”

“I bet,” Dante said. “He's not gonna move from that spot until she's in the clear.”

“I gotta tell ya, sis. That was pretty incredible.” Layla rested her chin on Tatiana's shoulder and gave her a hug from behind. “You did a great job in there and managed to keep Steven calm through the whole procedure. I just wish I was a more skilled assistant.” She looked at Dominic. “Anyone find Matt yet?”

“Not exactly,” Dominic said sharply. He looked at Tatiana, but she avoided his gaze. “He left.”

“No way.” Tatiana looked at him briefly and then to the others. “I know Matt was upset and freaked out, but I can't believe he'd leave without saying something.”

“Your rental car is gone and so are his things.” Dominic slipped the note from his pocket and handed it to her. “Richard found this on the porch after all the dust settled.”

“What does it say?” Layla asked.

“
Dear
Tatiana
,” she read as the paper quivered in her delicate fingers. “
I'm sorry, but I can't handle this. I'm leaving, and will try to forget I ever saw or heard any
of this crazy shit. Please don't try and find me—Matt.
”

Dominic stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept his eyes on Tatiana as she read the note. The tears fell silently as she let out a shuddering breath and nodded. He was torn between wanting to beat the shit out of that little jerk for hurting her or sweeping her into his arms and comforting her. “Well,” Tatiana said with a sigh as she lifted one shoulder, “I guess I can't really blame him.” She sniffed back her tears and cleared her throat. “However, we have bigger issues to deal with. I'm worried about Courtney's condition. To be honest, I'm surprised she survived the delivery, and her Amoveo healing process doesn't seem to be kicking in. I mean, the physical healing has begun, but she's not waking up. It's like she's… giving up or something.”

Tatiana's lashes fluttered, and she pushed her bangs off her forehead as her small form wavered from exhaustion. Dominic caught her before she fell over and swept her into his arms, cradling her against his chest.

Tatiana let out a sound of surprise and looked at him through wide dark eyes.

“What are you doing?” She folded her arms over her breasts and sliced an embarrassed look to the others before locking eyes with him. Her voice dropped to above a whisper. “I am perfectly capable of standing on my own. I just delivered a baby for heaven's sake, and I have an unconscious patient in the other room. Now, put me down. I'm concerned about Courtney,” she said as she tried to suppress a yawn.

“And
I'm
concerned about
you
,” Dominic insisted. “You need sleep. You're not going to be any good to Courtney, Steven, or anyone else, if you pass out. So quit being a stubborn, hardheaded woman, and let me take care of you.”

Tatiana opened her mouth to say something but must have thought better of it and snapped it shut. Her contrite look almost made him laugh out loud, but he had a sinking suspicion that would do nothing to help his cause.

“Thank you.” Dominic looked at the others, who all did their best not to smile—except for Layla, who gave him two thumbs up. “I'm sure the four of them can handle things here, and if anything major changes with Courtney's condition, Layla will alert us immediately.”

“No doubt.” Layla winked. “Be a good girl, Tatiana. There are worse things you could be doing right now. We'll keep an eye on things here.”

“Fine,” Tatiana said on an exasperated sigh.

“We will be in my cabin,” Dominic said firmly.

As he uttered the ancient language, they vanished in a rush of static. Kerry's voice touched his mind.
Keep
hanging
on
to
her, Dominic. Everything will work out as long as you're there to catch her.

The smell of bacon cooking filled Tatiana's head as she emerged from the deepest sleep of her life. Rolling onto her back, she peeled her eyes open while struggling to get her bearings. The last thing she remembered was that odd sense of displacement as Dominic used the visualization skills to transport them here.

Tatiana shuddered at the memory of the bizarre sensation. It reminded her of being on a roller coaster, that nauseating moment when your stomach drops to your feet. It would be just fine with her if she never used that particular ability again. The mere thought made her queasy.

Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she looked around the unfamiliar room. When she saw the pile of men's clothing discarded in the corner she realized where she was—Dominic's bedroom. The room was typically male. Sparsely furnished with only the essentials and no sign of a laundry basket anywhere.

The space next to her on the bed looked as though no one had slept there. Interesting. Mr.-I'll-say-the-mating-rite-without-asking didn't sleep with her in his own bed. Memories of their tryst in the barn came flooding back, but she shoved them aside. Toe-curling sex aside, he had no right to say those words without her consent, but in all honesty, given the dire, life-threatening situation they all went through, there wasn't any room in her heart for anger.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, and she wondered how long she'd been asleep. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was just after midnight, and since Dominic wasn't next to her in bed, it was a pretty good bet he was responsible for the fantastic aroma filling the cabin. Her stomach growled loudly, and it dawned on her that she hadn't eaten anything but that apple yesterday morning.

Tatiana sat up and pushed the sheets aside to discover that she was wearing nothing but one of Dominic's black T-shirts. Her first instinct was to be annoyed that he'd undressed her, but under the circumstances, she figured it was the least of their problems. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't seen her body before. She sat quietly on the edge of the bed and ran her fingertips along her lower lip as she recalled his kisses and the erotic feel of his mouth.

A shiver ran up her back, but she shook it off.

“Get a grip,” she whispered to herself.

Tatiana opened the bedroom door and was hit by another wave of deliciousness. She padded silently across the wooden floor and tiptoed down the steps, doing her best to be quiet, but as her toes hit the first floor landing, Dominic's deep baritone tumbled around her.

“I was wondering when you were gonna wake up,” he called from the kitchen. “Better get your cute butt in here, or I'm going to eat this midnight snack all by myself.”

Tatiana smiled in spite of the fact that she wanted to be annoyed. Funny. The only other person who could get her to smile when she was pissed was her twin brother, Raife. The sound of Cass's whine caught her attention, and she entered the kitchen in time to see Dominic about to feed bacon to the puppy.

Standing at the island in the middle of the kitchen wearing only a pair of red gym shorts, Dominic gave Tatiana an eyeful of his incredible torso and long, well-toned legs. He was holding a piece of bacon out as a bribe to get Cass to sit—and it was working. The little beagle sat motionless but kept his keen eyes on the crispy bit of goodness.

“Stop right there,” she said sternly with her arm outstretched and her finger pointed accusingly at Dominic. “Don't you dare feed him that!”

Caught in the act, both Dominic and the dog froze before Cass whined, and Dominic dropped his hand onto the counter. He made a face of disapproval at Tatiana and shook his head before giving the puppy an apologetic look.

“What?” Dominic asked innocently as his gaze slid to the hem of her T-shirt and down her bare legs. A smile played at his lips. “It's just a little bacon.”

“It's
not
just a little bacon.” She sighed and self-consciously tugged the shirt down to assure it covered her bottom. She moved around to the other side of the island and looked at the puppy in an attempt to avoid Dominic's heated gaze. “It will start a lifetime of bad habits. If you do that, you'll make him a beggar, and he'll annoy anyone who tries to eat a meal. Besides, I think he'll make a great therapy dog, but he'll need to be trained. Let's not start him off on the wrong foot.”

“Whatever you say, Doc.” He shrugged and popped the bacon in his mouth. “I still say it's just a little bacon.”

“I guess he wore out his welcome at the main house?”

“Nope.” Dominic lifted one shoulder. “I figured you'd want him here with you, so Kerry brought him over.”

Cass whined again and let out a dissatisfied groan as the scent of the bacon undoubtedly taunted him.

“Sorry, little buddy.” He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “She won't let me, and as much as I want to give it to you, I don't want to be in the doghouse.”

Tatiana suppressed a grin and sat at the bar stool on the other side of the island from Dominic. She fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers as he stared at her with a look that told her he hungered for more than food.

“Any word on Courtney?” she asked, needing to get her mind off him and his bedroom eyes.

“Status quo. She's still unconscious, and Steven is still right by her side.” He ate another piece of bacon. “Salinda said the baby is doing great and eating like a champ.”

“I'm not terribly surprised that Courtney's unconscious. I swear, Dominic. It's like she wanted to die or something. I mean, jumping in between that crazy Elvira chick and me? It was a total kamikaze move.”

“True.” Dominic nodded his agreement. “But why? She's got her mate, and she was carrying his baby.”

“I don't know.” Tatiana sighed wearily. She leaned on the counter and rested her chin in her hand. “With all the commotion yesterday, I never did get the lowdown on exactly how many Purists invaded. Where do we stand with that mess?”

“There were five.” Dominic snagged four slices of bread and popped them in the toaster. “Two elders—both former Council members—and three lower-ranking members from the Falcon and Bear Clans. Richard reinforced the shield around the property, but he fully expects them to try again. Moravian obviously wants Courtney's baby and is willing to make a big mess to get him.”

“What a shit show.” Tatiana let out a sound of frustration. “I still want to connect with the horses,” she said as she ran her hands over her face. She leaned both elbows on the granite countertop, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “I'm going to see if I can link to Obsidian the way I did with Spirit.”

Dominic made a sound of understanding as he finished making the scrambled eggs and scraped them onto two plates.

“Remember what happened in the dream realm the other night?”

“Which part?” He stilled and gave her a sly look.

“Not the part you're thinking of.” Her face heated with embarrassment, and she looked at the saltshaker, which she immediately started fiddling with again. “That woman's voice. I'm not entirely sure… but I think it was Spirit. Which is another first for me because I've never had an animal communicate with me in the dream realm.” She flicked her eyes to his. “My abilities seem to be taking on a life of their own.”

“Mmm-hmm. I was thinking the same, about the voice, I mean.” He put the dirty pan in the sink and captured her gaze. “Okay, so if Spirit was in the dream realm, what was she trying to tell you?”

“A warning of some kind, but I can't shake the feeling that whoever killed Spirit had nothing to do with the Purists. Richard confirmed that no Purists had been on the property at that point, so that means it was either a Caedo or…” She trailed off, afraid to say what she was thinking.

“What?” Dominic scoffed and tossed the dish towel onto the counter. “Someone already here on the ranch? No way. Unless, you think that dear old Matt isn't as innocent as we believe he was. He
did
take off, after all.”

“Damn.” Tatiana let out a growl and put her face in her hands. “I don't know what I think.”

“Yeah? Well, it's the middle of the night, and you need to eat. So the horses and everything else can wait, at least until we get some food into you.”

“That does smell incredible,” she said as she rested her chin in her hand again.

“I figured you'd be hungry.” Dominic made quick work of fixing her a plate with eggs, bacon, and toast. “I don't think you had much to eat yesterday, and when we got back here you passed right out.”

“Mm-hmmm.” She arched an eyebrow and gave him a doubtful look. “I don't remember changing my clothes.”

“That's because I did it,” Dominic said without looking up. He moved to the end of the counter and placed the plate of food in front of her. “It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.”

“I'm sure,” Tatiana said.

Dominic went to the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. She watched as he moved effortlessly around the kitchen and served her juice before getting back to his own food, which he was devouring.

“You do this a lot?” she asked, gesturing with her fork.

“What?” He leaned on the counter with one hand and ate his toast with the other. The muscles in his chest flexed, and it took considerable effort to look him in the face. “Cook breakfast or undress women who are in my bed?”

Tatiana choked on a sip of orange juice. She wiped her mouth with the napkin he held out for her and didn't miss the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“Thank you,” she said through a cough. “I was referring to cooking breakfast at midnight.” She buttered her toast, hoping a mundane task like that would take her mind off the taste of him that lingered in her memory. “But since you brought it up, do you make a habit of undressing women you barely know?”

“Yes and no.”

“Which is which?” She took a bite of her toast and leveled a challenging gaze at him. “Yes to the midnight cooking, or the naked women?”

“You don't get it, do you?” Dominic let out a chuckle and shook his head. “Shit. I can't do anything right.”

His smile faded as he cleared his dishes into the sink. He leaned both hands on the edge of the sink, keeping his back to her. The muscles in his shoulders bunched, and his energy waves pulsed around the room insistently.

“I don't suppose I do,” Tatiana said quietly. She wiped her mouth and pushed her plate away, watching him closely. “How about you explain it?”

“You are the first woman I've ever brought into my home,” he said over his shoulder. He looked back out the window, and silence stretched for a beat or two. Quite frankly, she had no response. “I've never done this, Tatiana. I mean, I've had women before, and I'm sure you've had lovers.”

Dominic held up one hand before she could respond.

“I don't want to hear about it because it will only upset me. The mere idea of you with another man makes me want to eviscerate someone. Besides, I doubt those encounters had much meaning for you. I know mine didn't.”

“Agreed,” she said quietly.

“Remember how you told me that you were tired of living in an uncertain world with an unknown future?” He turned and looked her in the eye as he leaned against the sink. His features were set like stone, and his voice was just above a whisper. “You said it felt like the rug could be pulled out from under you at any moment. Right?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “My whole life was unsteady, and nothing made sense. It was a terrifying way to live.”

Dominic nodded and walked slowly around the counter until he stood next to her. Heat from his body wafted over her, and the scent that was so distinctly his filled her head, making her dizzy with need. Her gaze skittered over his face, lingering for a moment on the scar—a blatant reminder of what he would do to protect the people he cared for.

“Well, that's
exactly
how I feel now,” he rasped. His eyes snapped to their clan form and glowed at her beneath a dark, furrowed brow. Dominic leaned closer. “I'm no good at this, Tatiana.” He gestured between them. “I keep fucking it up. I want to give you space, and I can't keep my hands off you. I agree we won't say the mating rite, and then I do.” His jaw clenched, and he trailed one finger along her bare arm as his voice wavered. “I tell myself that sex will be just sex… and then I fall in love with you.” He dropped his hand abruptly. “After what happened in the stables, it became glaringly clear that sex with you will
never
be just sex.”

Tatiana blinked and stared at him. Did she hear what she thought she did? He was in love with her?

“You see, Tatiana.” He stepped back, increasing the distance between them as he squared his shoulders. “Until I met you, my world
was
clear. Firm and solid. I knew who I was, where I was going, and what I was meant to do.”

A wry smile played at his lips, and he rested his hands on his hips as he spoke. It was a good thing he kept talking because she was too stunned to say a word.

“And now, the only thing I'm certain of is that I'm in love with a woman who thinks I'm a macho, overbearing, alpha-male jerk. So, to answer your questions…
no
, I don't make a habit of cooking after midnight, but,
yes
, I do like to cook.
Yes
, I've undressed women, but
no
, I've never done it out of the simple desire to care for her and make sure she's comfortable.”

Cass whimpered at their feet and wagged his tail as he looked from Dominic to Tatiana. Dominic took a step forward, and for a second, she thought he was going to kiss her. But he didn't. He stopped and tilted his head as his eyes searched hers. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she hung on the silence that filled the air.