Page 12 of An Unending Claim
Nathan’s eyes narrowed, showing he was fully aware of my diversionary tactic, but he just sat back and folded his arms over his chest.
Grateful for the reprieve, however temporary, I told him the rest of the story—omitting the crazy idea about the bullet shells that I’d just about convinced myself had no truth to it. He asked a few questions, but otherwise remained quiet and listened.
When I finished, he leaned back a little, his brows drawn low over his eyes. “I’ve been alive long enough to have heard rumors of shifters whose human side surfaced somehow once their animal went rogue. I assumed they were just stories, old wives’ tales. I didn’t think—damn. Never even considered that they might be true.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say his human half surfaced exactly. I saw his eyes, felt his pain, but nothing more. I think the only reason he came that close had to do with his wolf’s injuries. Neither of them had the strength to completely control the other.”
Nathan blew out a harsh breath and shot to his feet. He paced in front of the ottoman, running both hands through his loose hair. After a half-dozen paces back and forth, he stopped in front of me, and his eyes were soft as they roamed my face.
My panther and I watched him in silence, unsure what would happen next and uncomfortable with the unknown.
“I hate that you went through this,” he said in a raspy tone. “As if you didn’t already have enough trauma to fill your nightmares for a lifetime.”
“I wouldn’t have chosen it either.” I shrugged. “But I’ve only had a few, so I don’t think a little more will make much difference.” My neck spasmed, a crick developing from having it bent back so far to look at Nathan. “Would you mind sitting?” I rotated my head twice, then rubbed the muscles to keep them from freezing up.
“Of course, baby. I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget how small you are,” he replied, taking a seat on the end of the couch, the closest spot to me.
“Says the giant.”
Despite the small curve of his lips, his emotions were in turmoil and the connection reminded me about something that baffled me. “Do you know how I knew Geoff’s mind? How he”—I swallowed hard, the moment still too fresh to talk about without a lump forming in my throat—“helped me, gave me the strength to pull the trigger?”
Nathan stroked his beard and nodded. “The pack link works as a mode of communication for everyone in the web, but in different ways. We can all use the connection as a support system, drawing strength from the pack as a whole when needed. I believe it’s born from our natural instinct to protect each other. There is more to a pack than living in close proximity for protection. We are a family. And the link allows us to literally lend our family strength when they need it.”
“Okay.” I mulled that over for a moment, then asked, “And how did I know why he’d given me that boost?”
“As Alpha female, you have more access to the minds of the pack than others. Not in the way I do, but you can know, and often interpret, their emotions.”
“We haven’t really had a chance to go over all the nuances of being an Alpha female, have we?” I sighed and leaned back in my seat, suddenly feeling beyond exhausted.
“I don’t believe that question requires a response,” Nathan replied, his tone Death Valley dry.
Touché.That conversation would have been wrapped up in the one where Nathan wanted me to give him answers about the future. Now, more than ever, I didn’t have anything to say that would satisfy him. I couldn’t decide what path to take while I stood in quicksand. My panther didn’t like his tone, but she seemed unsure about who she should be irritated with–me, or Nathan.
In lieu of replying to his very unsubtle dig, I murmured, “Thank you.”
Nathan cocked his head. “For what?”
“Trusting me. Waiting for an explanation before flipping your shit and chaining me to the bed.”
He raised a single brow. “Who says I’ve taken chaining you to the bed off the table? I’m sure I could come up with some kind of infraction that requires punishment.”
I chuckled and tossed a throw pillow at him, which he caught without taking his eyes off me.
Once he held the pillow in his hands, he inspected it for a moment. “I meant to ask you where these came from.”
The pillows were a solid, steel-blue color that perfectly accented the cream and rich brown tones of the living room.
I grinned and snatched one from the other recliner, shoving it behind my back. “Beauty of the internet, my friend. I thought your house could use a woman’s touch,” I teased.
I’d actually bought them because as the baby grew, my back had been aching more often. The pillows were perfect support when I sat in the recliners or on the couch. They would be needed even more in a couple of months.
“Touch anything you want, baby,” Nathan said. I grinned and started to make a dirty reference, but shut up fast when he added, “It’s your house, too.”
I cleared my throat and hit rewind. “Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for trusting me.”
“That’s what mates do, baby. They are partners. A team.” He went quiet and my gaze drifted to his face once more. He waited until our eyes were locked before asking, “Do you trust me?”
“Of course.” I didn’t hesitate in my answer because when it came down to it, I trusted Nathan more than any other person in this universe or any other.