FavoriteObsession (9 page)

Josh hit the bookshelf with a thump that rattled his teeth.
Books fell, the scent of moldy paper fanning from the fluttering pages and
choking him. He scrambled up, kicking his collection of classics to the side.

“For god’s sake. Knock it off. You’re destroying my
concentration.”

Zoe’s pain-laced voice cut through his rage. Josh peered
over his shoulder in time to watch Kade grab her wrist.

“Are you crazy? You can’t sew your cuts closed. Humans get
infections and that needle isn’t sterile.”

She yanked her hand away. “I’d rather get an infection than
bleed to death.”

“You are not going to bleed to death.” Kade unleashed one
talon and Zoe cringed. “Dammit, woman. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Josh gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “You’re safe, sis.”

She peeked up at him. “Sorry. I’ve just had my fair share of
claws for the night.”

“I know.” Josh watched Kade pick out the black thread. “Have
you heard from Mira?”

Kade shook his head.

“She didn’t call?”

Kade paused and glanced at him. “What was Mira doing here by
herself anyway?”

Josh tensed but Zoe clapped her hands, giving him the needed
distraction. She always knew when to step in and help him out. A skill that had
come in handy when they were kids.

“Ooh, I remember rule one!” She flashed a big smile that
didn’t match the crinkles of pain pinching the skin by her eyes. “Don’t argue
with the predators.”

Kade chuckled, his gaze intent on her. “That’s a wise rule,
but I would never harm a human no matter how angry I am.”

Zoe snorted. “Maybe somebody should explain that to Josh’s
girlfriend.”

“Shut up, Zoe.”

Kade gently tugged the last thread out before glancing over
his shoulder. “Mira is not now, nor will she ever be Josh’s anything. She’ll be
off the market in a matter of hours.”

The sympathetic look Zoe gave him would’ve irritated him
coming from anybody else. From his baby sister, it was shared pain.

She blinked tears from her eyes. “Conway curse struck again,
huh?”

He gave a single nod and strode toward the door. “Get over
your mood and take care of her. I’m getting out of here for a while.” He paused
with his hand on the knob. “And Kade? Zoe’s off-limits. Touch her and I’ll find
a way to hurt you.”

With that, he walked out. Maybe he’d take a page out of Zoe’s
book and run. He could learn to live out of a duffle bag too. Of course, he’d
need three. He wasn’t leaving Megan and Molly behind.

Josh scrubbed the hand towel over his face. His muscles
burned, chest heaved and pulse raced. The hour-long run on the treadmill had burned
off some energy, but not enough to force him into an exhausted sleep. Ever
since the fight with Zeb, Josh had been restless, unable to sleep more than a
few minutes at a time. It was bound to catch up to him. Hopefully, he’d crash
by late afternoon so he had an excuse not to go to the pride meeting tonight.

Watching Mira be officially introduced to her suitors would
likely send him into a rage. Just the thought of her with another man stirred a
cauldron of anger he never knew he held. It made him want to punish his rivals.
Except…they weren’t rivals. They were friends who had the right to take what he
never could.

For a few hours, he thought he’d be able to keep Mira by
working around the Council’s orders. The prophecy hanging over her head killed
the little flicker of hope. As much as he wanted her, it couldn’t happen. Being
with her only hurt her. Tonight had proven it. He’d fucking bit her. Worse than
that, he knew she’d get punished for hurting Zoe and being with him. Dammit,
Mira had enough shit to deal with.

If you care about Mira, you’ll stay away from her.
Kade’s words echoed in his head.

Could he? Jesus, he didn’t know. It was taking everything in
him not to hunt her down now. How much worse would it be tomorrow?

Fucking hell, that’s what it’ll be.
He tossed the
towel across the room and watched it sail right into the small laundry chute.
He chuckled at the small victory, the only thing that had gone right these past
few days. Story of his life. Every time he thought he’d found a little
happiness, something happened to muck it up.

The bright sunlight streaming into the gym reminded him he’d
better get moving before the other members showed up. He went through his
routine of stretches and wondered for the first time in his life if this was
what getting old felt like. If it was, it sucked. He freaking ached. Even his
fingers hurt. He rubbed his thumb over his fingertips and frowned at the
appearance of the thick calluses.

A door slamming drew his attention away from the odd
discovery. Great. He was in no mood to be social. He draped the damp rag over
his shoulder and headed toward the door. It opened before he got to it,
revealing the one person he’d hoped to avoid by coming here early. God, he
hoped Zeb had talked to her.

Abby’s wide eyes held shock. Her mouth dropped open. “My
god, Josh. You look amazing.”

He groaned inwardly. He’d packed on muscle in the last few
weeks sparring with the shifters. It’d been impossible not to. If he’d wanted
to keep up with them, he’d needed to work harder. He certainly didn’t do it to
impress anyone, especially the woman in front of him.

He cleared his throat. “Thanks.”

A big grin spread over her face. She motioned toward the
empty gym behind him. “There’s nobody else here yet. I need a spotter. Want to
stay and help me?”

“Can’t. I was just leaving.” He stepped forward and waited
for her to get out of his way. She didn’t. She only smiled wider. “Didn’t Zeb
talk to you?”

She chuckled. “About leaving you alone?”

The amused expression she wore gave him his answer. “That
and about you getting together with someone else.”

Instead of answering him, she grabbed his wrist. “Come on,
Josh. Give me an hour.”

He yanked his hand back. “Look, Abby, I’ve got stuff to do
and places to go. I don’t have time to play your games.”

His harsh tone had its desired effect. Her salacious
expression turned to annoyance. “But you have time for
her
, don’t you?”

“Her, who?”

Her nose scrunched. “That whore you kissed in the bar.”

Mira. The reminder of the wicked kiss they’d shared heated
his body. He ignored the impulse to go hunt her down and finish what they
started. Dealing with the angry one-night stand glaring at him as if he’d
committed adultery came first.

“She’s not a whore.” He bent and captured her gaze. “And who
I take to my bed is none of your business.”

Abby bit her lip. The tic by her eye matched the nervous
gesture. “Of course, not now.”

“Not ever.”

He lifted her out of the way and strode out.

“We’ll see, Josh. We’ll see.”

At her whispered declaration, he paused mid-step but forced
himself to walk away. She wasn’t worth it. He had enough shit to deal with. A
stilted lover didn’t make the list of his concerns. She’d get over her
obsession. Eventually.

* * * * *

Josh stood in the middle of his employee parking lot. His
skin crawled and a sense of unease settled over him. He froze and listened for
a clue as to why. The only sound reaching his ears came from his own beating
heart. No passing cars, no familiar noises from insects or even the drone of
the HVAC system. He clenched his hands and glanced around. The edges of the
building appeared fuzzy. He squinted in an effort to see it better. The longer
he stared at it, the less solid it became. He peered across the lot to where he’d
parked his car. Instead of a solid SUV, he saw a shadowy blob.

He shook his head. It didn’t help. The landscape
deteriorated until inky black mist surrounded him. Not good. He squeezed his
eyes shut and tried to remember what he was doing here, where he’d come from,
anything. All he saw was Mira’s kaleidoscope eyes, not surprising really. He
always dreamt of them. Of course. He was dreaming. Any moment, she’d come to
him, maybe go down on him again as she’d done before.

The tension eased. He relaxed and waited for her to join
him.

Instead of pleasure, sharp pain radiated from his gut to
spread across his torso.

Sorry, Josh. Changed my mind. Don’t feel like talkin’.
Zeb’s voice sounded far away.

Josh frowned. He glanced at the blood seeping through his
fingers. It didn’t hurt anymore. He pulled his sticky shirt from his stomach.
No wound. Yet blood oozed from a line sweeping over his abs. He wiped it away.
More seeped out.

Dreams always messed with the facts. The choir’s hymns were
missing too. He frowned at the odd thought. Before he could take it any
further, the soothing chorus echoed around him, giving him the missing detail.
The scent of apple pie drifted to him along with a sense of urgency. Somebody
wanted to talk to him. He didn’t know how he knew it. Just did.

He pivoted in a slow circle and focused on the shimmering
wall. A hand reached for him. One talon-tipped finger curled, coaxing him
closer. He took a stepped toward that out-stretched arm.

Something wet and cold splashed over him.

Josh jerked awake, fists raised. Golden feline eyes filled
his vision. He blinked to bring them into focus. The long blond hair clued him
in as to which twin had woken him up.

“Rafe? What are you doing here?” He sat up straighter,
muscles as coiled as they’d been in his dream. “Is Megan okay? Molly?”

Rafe gave a single nod, a pleased look on his face. “They’re
fine. Megan was curled up with Molly’s cub form when I left. They were watching
some cartoon with a talking dog.”

“That’s good.” Josh sighed. “What’s wrong then? You look
worried.” His heart skipped a beat as the next thought took hold. He forced his
mouth to work. “Is it Mira?”

“She’s with Jazz. They’re both fine too.” Rafe ran a hand
through his hair and blurted, “I like you, Josh. I don’t want to see you get
hurt.”

Josh groaned. He rubbed the back of his hand over his face
and turned away. “Don’t bother with the lecture. Your twin already delivered my
warning.”

“Warning?”

The confusion in his voice caught Josh’s attention. He
glanced over his shoulder. “That once Mira’s suitors are announced they’ll have
the right to ensure her attentions aren’t diverted by the insignificant human
using whatever means they see fit. Short of killing me, that is.”

One golden brow rose. “And you’re okay with that.”

“No, I’m not okay with it.”

He prowled the office, pacing from one end to the other. The
itch had returned. He shoved away the worry about why before his heart started
racing.
Keep it together, dammit.
He stopped and pivoted on his heel to
face the predator. “I want Mira. Hell, I have since the moment I set eyes on
her. That’s no secret.”

Rafe pointedly glanced at the empty bottle of whiskey on the
desk. He slowly raised his gaze and stared at him. “So why were you passed out
drunk and not getting ready for tonight’s meeting?”

He stopped and leaned against the empty bookshelf. “Why? So
I can torture myself?”

“Jazz and Lena cornered me today. They think they’ve found a
loophole in the Council’s order. It states Mira must choose a mate but doesn’t
specify it has to be a shifter mate.”

Josh’s pulse kicked up. It was what he’d tried suggesting to
Mira. He too had thought it the perfect solution until he’d found out about the
prophecy.

“What does Mira say about it?”

“She admitted to them she can’t stay away from you. Kissing
you in the bar triggered her instincts. You’ve seen what happens when our
males’ mating instincts are triggered. For a female, it’s not as focused but no
less powerful. She might fight the pull but she’ll fail.” Rafe sighed. “They hope
a marriage to you will override the order to take a mate. They don’t want to
see her hurt when she’s forced to mate another male and frankly, neither do I.”

The word ‘marriage’ didn’t even faze him. Hell, he’d take
her to the courthouse today if that was what it took to lock her to his side,
but nothing in his life worked so easily. Josh stepped back, the defeat forcing
more bile into his throat. “But the prophecy?”

“Exactly.” Rafe studied him carefully. “But the prophecy
never came with a time limit. Being with you does.”

“Being with me will hurt her.” It already had.

“Jazz and Lena think not being with you even for a little
while will hurt worse. They had a phrase that convinced me to come out here and
talk to you—better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all.”

Zoe said the same thing. She treasured the memories she’d
made before she lost her lover. Still, Zoe’s situation wasn’t as fucked-up as
his with Mira. The species difference became the deal-breaker.

“Just come.” Rafe tossed him the t-shirt Josh had taken off
before he’d lain down. “Mira will need you. Just having you close strengthens
her. She smells calmer when you’re around.”

Josh nodded. He didn’t have to ponder his answer. If Mira
needed him, he’d go, even if it freaking killed him. His wants came second.

* * * * *

Josh sipped his third cup of strong black coffee. A
jackhammer pounded behind his eyes and each smack seemed to echo in his head.
With the visor down in the car, he squinted against the late-afternoon sunset.
Relief from the shooting pain piercing his brain came with each little bit the
sun slipped below the horizon. He breathed a sigh as darkness blanketed the
countryside.

The ache in his bones had worsened since the disaster this
morning when he’d bitten Mira. His earlier thought came back to him. He was
getting old. No escaping it. It was part of life, for humans at least. The
shifter driving didn’t have to worry about arthritis or gray hair. He’d forever
look the same, exactly as he had the day he’d matured. Only thing he had to
worry about was his hair. Why that grew while nothing else on his body changed,
including his facial hair or lack of, Josh didn’t know nor did he bother
asking. What was the point?

He sighed inwardly. No matter how much it angered him, he
couldn’t ignore the facts. A mortal man could only keep up with the predators
for so long before the limitations of his body held him back.

He peered into the visor mirror and groaned at the sight he
made. He looked like death warmed over. Bloodshot eyes stared back at him. The
stubble darkening his cheeks gave him an unkempt, gruff appearance. On top of
that, he had the chalky look of someone who’d overindulged. The dark circles
marring his face added to the overall image.

He dropped his head back against the seat. “I look like
shit.”

“At least you no longer smell like day-old beer. Plus the
cold shower cleared the dazed look from your eyes.” Rafe chuckled. “What were
you trying to do? Drink yourself into oblivion?”

“Something like that.”

Quiet descended. The engine’s rumble and their breaths were
the only sounds. The radio had gotten turned off within the first five minutes.
Even on low, it had hurt his head. The handful of aspirin he downed hadn’t
touched the pain. Not surprising really. With the amount of shifter blood he’d
consumed over the past couple of months, human medicine didn’t work well for
him. Actually without all the donations he’d gotten from the felines and the
wolves, he probably would’ve died before Sara found him or at the very least,
still been in the hospital recovering.

If Kade had known how many times he’d skirted death or
serious injury, he’d have ordered him to stop participating in the popular
brawls the shifters engaged in for fun. That wasn’t happening. He needed the
outlet. At first, it had been to build his stamina so he could protect Megan.
Then it had become necessary to deal with his sexual frustration.

From the moment he’d laid eyes on Mira, he’d become obsessed
with her. Every day proved worse than the last. It’d gotten to the point he’d
started carrying her picture around so he had some connection to her. The
wrinkled print showed how often he took it out simply to look at her image. The
nights were the worst. He dreamt of her. Woke up aching and stiff. His hand in
the spray of cold water and the fights had been his only relief. But now?

“Do you think the Council will actually allow this?”

Rafe pulled the car onto the shoulder. With his gaze on the
empty road, he slid his fisted grip from the bottom of the steering wheel to
the top. “With the pressure from Shifter Affairs…maybe but I can’t guarantee
it. Don’t forget they tagged on the qualifier. They want her kids.”