going to hurt Livia? Because of her?
She wouldn't let him. She'd seen enough violence in her lifetime. And she
refused to sit back and watch it happen again.
* * * * *
Mace transformed into human form as Nayla ran toward him,
her eyes wide and wild. Oh, hell. What had Livia done? He left his companions
behind and met her halfway to the campfire.
With all her body, she jumped up on him and nearly tackled
him to the ground. He staggered but stood strong as she wrapped her legs around
his waist and clung to him, vulnerable and human.
"Nayla." He held her tight against him and inhaled her
scent, a mixture of Livia's pine soap and salty tears. Tears? He smoothed his
hands over her body, checking for injuries. "Love, are you hurt?"
She shook her head against his neck as her body shook with
sobs. "Take me away from here so they don't see me cry," she whispered.
"Please."
Mace shot Livia a warning glare and she cowered. He'd have
to deal with her later, after he comforted Nayla. If he'd had any idea his mate
would be in any danger, he never would've left her. He'd counted on his female
Weres to protect her from harm while he was away. If he couldn't trust Livia,
she'd have to leave the pack for good. There was no way around it.
He carried Nayla to a patch of grass out of the camp's sight
and settled down with her in his lap. With careful hands, he lifted her chin
and examined her face.
She pushed him away and hit his chest. "I'm so angry with
you I could scream." More tears streamed down her pale cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Nayla. I didn't know Livia would be a threat to
you."
"That's not it." She gulped down a sob and his heart ached.
"That's not why I'm mad."
He didn't want to ask what caused her anger. He already knew
and there wasn't anything he would or could do about it. She belonged with him.
He refused to give her up.
Even if he had to let her go temporarily-- No, he
wouldn't discuss that with her yet. He'd spent his whole Were life lonely and
incomplete. Now that he had in his arms what had been missing for all those
years... Now that he found love again, he couldn't bear to part with it. With her.
Tell her you love her.
Mace hadn't spoken those words in over a hundred years. They
were lost in the recesses of his mind. They'd been unnecessary. Pointless.
Until now. He drew out a breath. Did she need to hear them? His human mate, so
frail and small in his arms, yet so strong-minded and stubborn.
"Nayla--" he began but his thoughts melted away when she
reached up and cradled his jaw.
She had determination in her glistening green eyes. "I won't
allow you to harm Livia."
"What?" Not what he'd been expecting to hear and it tore the
hell out of his pride. "What do you think of me, Nayla? After all our time
together, do you still believe me to be a monster?"
"No," she said right away, alleviating some of his pain. "I
don't know. I heard the tone of your voice. And how Livia whined. Then Blanca
said, well, she acted as if Livia was going to be punished."
"She will be. I intend to banish her from my pack for
frightening you like that. You're my mate. You're to be respected."
Nayla's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Banish her? That's it?"
"That's a lot. A Were is privileged to be a member of my
pack. To be under my protection." He didn't know why he felt the need to defend
himself. It wasn't something he was used to.
"Of course." She swiped away her tears and straightened her
shoulders, always the regal Queen. "I suppose I shouldn't have jumped to
conclusions."
"No, you shouldn't have." He shoved down the irritation when
she licked her lips, making them moist for kissing. "Yes, I would kill for
you," he said, hunger unconcealed in his voice. "But only if it were necessary.
I'm not a monster, Nayla. Will you ever see that?"
"I see it, Mace. I do." She took the edge of her dress and
wiped her moist cheeks, removing any trace of the weakness she'd just shown.
She rotated her body slightly and the heat of her pussy brushed over
She wouldn't let him. She'd seen enough violence in her lifetime. And she
refused to sit back and watch it happen again.
* * * * *
Mace transformed into human form as Nayla ran toward him,
her eyes wide and wild. Oh, hell. What had Livia done? He left his companions
behind and met her halfway to the campfire.
With all her body, she jumped up on him and nearly tackled
him to the ground. He staggered but stood strong as she wrapped her legs around
his waist and clung to him, vulnerable and human.
"Nayla." He held her tight against him and inhaled her
scent, a mixture of Livia's pine soap and salty tears. Tears? He smoothed his
hands over her body, checking for injuries. "Love, are you hurt?"
She shook her head against his neck as her body shook with
sobs. "Take me away from here so they don't see me cry," she whispered.
"Please."
Mace shot Livia a warning glare and she cowered. He'd have
to deal with her later, after he comforted Nayla. If he'd had any idea his mate
would be in any danger, he never would've left her. He'd counted on his female
Weres to protect her from harm while he was away. If he couldn't trust Livia,
she'd have to leave the pack for good. There was no way around it.
He carried Nayla to a patch of grass out of the camp's sight
and settled down with her in his lap. With careful hands, he lifted her chin
and examined her face.
She pushed him away and hit his chest. "I'm so angry with
you I could scream." More tears streamed down her pale cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Nayla. I didn't know Livia would be a threat to
you."
"That's not it." She gulped down a sob and his heart ached.
"That's not why I'm mad."
He didn't want to ask what caused her anger. He already knew
and there wasn't anything he would or could do about it. She belonged with him.
He refused to give her up.
Even if he had to let her go temporarily-- No, he
wouldn't discuss that with her yet. He'd spent his whole Were life lonely and
incomplete. Now that he had in his arms what had been missing for all those
years... Now that he found love again, he couldn't bear to part with it. With her.
Tell her you love her.
Mace hadn't spoken those words in over a hundred years. They
were lost in the recesses of his mind. They'd been unnecessary. Pointless.
Until now. He drew out a breath. Did she need to hear them? His human mate, so
frail and small in his arms, yet so strong-minded and stubborn.
"Nayla--" he began but his thoughts melted away when she
reached up and cradled his jaw.
She had determination in her glistening green eyes. "I won't
allow you to harm Livia."
"What?" Not what he'd been expecting to hear and it tore the
hell out of his pride. "What do you think of me, Nayla? After all our time
together, do you still believe me to be a monster?"
"No," she said right away, alleviating some of his pain. "I
don't know. I heard the tone of your voice. And how Livia whined. Then Blanca
said, well, she acted as if Livia was going to be punished."
"She will be. I intend to banish her from my pack for
frightening you like that. You're my mate. You're to be respected."
Nayla's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Banish her? That's it?"
"That's a lot. A Were is privileged to be a member of my
pack. To be under my protection." He didn't know why he felt the need to defend
himself. It wasn't something he was used to.
"Of course." She swiped away her tears and straightened her
shoulders, always the regal Queen. "I suppose I shouldn't have jumped to
conclusions."
"No, you shouldn't have." He shoved down the irritation when
she licked her lips, making them moist for kissing. "Yes, I would kill for
you," he said, hunger unconcealed in his voice. "But only if it were necessary.
I'm not a monster, Nayla. Will you ever see that?"
"I see it, Mace. I do." She took the edge of her dress and
wiped her moist cheeks, removing any trace of the weakness she'd just shown.
She rotated her body slightly and the heat of her pussy brushed over
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