Chapter One

Cactus Junction

Guy McKenna negligently leaned against the bar in the Red Neck Bar and Grill, a beer in hand, watching the line dancing. He was bored and tired of waiting for something he didn’t think would ever come his way. In the pub the air was stagnant and the music boisterous. He relished the noise as well as the crowds that filled the small bar on Saturday nights. It took his mind away from the fact he was nearing twenty-seven and he still had not found his mate. His brothers and sisters were happy, content in their lives with children.

After returning from Iraq, he needed the familiar sights and sounds. So much that happened over there had been out of his control and the night visions terrified him, would cause him to wake in a cold sweat. They were nightmares that taunted him mocking his very existence.

Now his dreams and visions changed.

Needing to forget the dreams haunting him night after night for the last month, he stayed at the bar when he would have usually gone home. His soul mate permeated his thoughts but he’d never seen her, didn’t know where to find her, certainly not in the Red Neck Saloon in Cactus Junction. He supposed stranger things could happen. When he closed his eyes at night, falling into a deep sleep, her face was central to the entire dream. The sight of her was etched in his head, seared through all eternity.

If he saw her, he would know her.

He watched a young couple kissing in the corner of the bar, the young man’s hands roaming in too many places they shouldn’t. He shrugged to himself, knowing if the opportunity with his soul mate presented itself, he’d be doing the same, but in private. Tempted to tell them to get a room, he kept his words behind his teeth. He wasn’t about to share his mate with anyone. Second thoughts assailing him, he almost walked over to the couple to tell them there were rooms upstairs they could rent for the night or a few hours.

The McKennas were too well known in this state to let anyone see them share intimacies with a soul mate or any woman for the matter. The gossip would spread quicker than a man could blink. He had his share of women over his lifetime. He needed to move on and find meaning in this world. His siblings had found their mates. Now it was his turn, but where was she?

Well hell, if not in Cactus Junction, where then?

His beer glass drained he turned at the bar, taking his gaze from the doorway for only a moment to request a second beer. Dipping his hand in the bowl of peanuts, he was surprised by the sensation scurrying down his spine. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, stood on end. A fine sheen of sweat formed on his forehead. Unnerved, unsettled, excited for something. He knew not what.

The soft fresh scent of oranges waffled through the air. For a moment he couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. When the moment finally passed, he sucked in a huge draft of air.

“What are you drinking, cowboy?”

Her body pressed against his, luscious curves that would fill his hands seemed to be the focus of all the sensations coursing through him, a primal heat filling his soul. He was afraid to look at her, terrified he might do something incredibly foolish. A one-night stand was not something he wanted.

This was different.

The lady’s voice was a sultry purr sending his body quivering with need, titillating shock waves pulsing through him. A woman’s body let alone the sound of her voice had never affected him like this. He paused a moment as tension mounted, radiated through him from toes to head, stopping momentarily in his groin. Slowly, he turned to look at the face possessing the amazing voice and the full curves he wanted to wrap his hands around. His breath stopped for a few seconds at the vision smiling at him. He was staring into the face he had dreamed of.

His mate.

His woman for life and into all eternity. His mouth went dry while his gut churned in anticipation.

He cleared his throat, but his words still came out in a feeble croak, nothing like his normal husky timber. “Beer.” The bartender handed him the bottle he asked for earlier.

“Pinot Gris,” she told the bartender, leaning casually on the bar. Half turned toward him, her body was as sultry as her voice. The blouse she wore was unbuttoned so far down he could see the lace of her bra. It was tucked into a tight-fitting pair of short shorts. She didn’t seem to care she was half dressed while he was lusting after her. He could barely keep his tongue in his mouth as well as keep himself from drooling.

“Drinks on me,” he told her then nodded to the bartender. “Keep them coming. I think we’re going to be here for a little while.”

Long enough so he could ask her to come home with him tonight or find out where she lived. He couldn’t let this one go without getting vital information.

“Yes, sir, Mr. McKenna,” the man said. “Let me know if you need anything else. Obviously, drinks are on the house.”

She held the glass by the stem and leisurely sipped seeming to keep her gaze on him. “Thank you,” she murmured, licking her lips while she slowly twirled the contents of the glass, her eyes seeming to be focused on the liquid, no longer on him. He meant to change that, needing her full attention. Nothing less would do.

“What brings you to Cactus Junction?” he asked politely, intending to know everything about this lady.

Besides the basics such as what’s your name, this seemed the simplest place to start.

She looked at the bar, her long blond hair falling in front of her face. When she looked up, “Guess one could say I’m looking for something and I’m running from something.”

She pushed the hair behind her ears, her blouse parting provocatively with the gesture. The soft swell of her breasts was oh so noticeable.

Unable to keep his eyes from the view she presented, he decided not to try. If she was showing, he was looking. He wanted to reach out and touch the strands just to see how soft they were.

“A riddle?” he asked, “Would you like to find a table?”

Preferably a table in a dark corner where no one would see them.

She was shaking her head, lips smushed together provocatively her soft lips parting slightly. “No riddle, just the truth.” She offered a tiny smile and slight shrug of slim shoulders. “And yes, a table would be nice. I don’t usually talk to strangers,” she mumbled, staring into her glass before turning her attention to his mouth. “For some reason I find odd, you don’t seem to be a stranger.”

He wasn’t a stranger. He needed to tell her the truth but understood she’d have to figure it all out for herself. “Follow me.” He leaned forward then waved his hand at the bartender, “Have Jan bring us some fries.”

To the lady who had yet to introduce herself, guess he hadn’t introduced himself either, “You hungry.”

“I could eat a few fries,” she admitted as she followed him, her smile a bit hesitant. “As long as we’ve ketchup.”

At the table, he held out his hand in greeting, “I’m Guy McKenna.”

He paused waiting for her to reciprocate. He was acting like a love-struck fool, knew it. Didn’t care.

“No names between us is so much easier. However, if you insist, I’m Cas Doyle.”

“Irish, I see.”

“Scottish?” she asked.

Her elbows rested on the table while her fists were under her chin seeming to hold it up.

The fries arrived while they stared at each other. Guy, for the first time since he could remember, was tongue-tied. He thought when he met his mate none of this first date stuff would be happening. This wasn’t even a first date.

“Okay…” he paused, “Yes, Scottish once, now American. I could tell you the story of my clan, but it would probably bore you to tears.”

“You really don’t have to make idle conversation. I like you and if you must know, I think silence,” she paused, staring at him with her summer sky blue eyes, “is refreshing.”

Her glass of pinot was almost empty so he ordered a second. Sometimes silence was refreshing, but he needed to know more about her. Everything about her, he amended. If he had to close the bar with her tonight to learn a few things, he would. He wanted the answers to the riddle she inadvertently challenged him with. “Where do you live?”

She shrugged her delicately slim shoulders again before smiling at him. “Here and there. Mostly there. Never stayed in one place very long. I’d like that to change though.”

“That’s mighty vague,” he told her, looking for something more relevant. If she was running from someone or something, the more he knew the easier it would be to find her if she left here without a word. That thought sent a cold chill down his spine in the heated atmosphere and called him back to the very reality they were just meeting. He had no hold over her.

“I’m guessing you live here, in Cactus Junction.”

She reached out to touch his hand, effectively changing the subject from her to him.

The sensation sent a jolt of sexual longing straight to his groin. He wanted to pull that beautiful hand to his mouth and kiss her fingers, suck them into his mouth but realized prudently it was too soon. Scaring her away was not a good ploy, not when he had so much at stake. “Just down the road then off it to the right. Can’t get to my house unless you walk or ride a horse. Well, a Harley would get you there too.”

“See, you like your privacy and perhaps silence also. We are much the same in that,” she told him while she held her glass of wine to her lips, her blue eyes shining provocatively above the rim. “I don’t get along well with very many people. I’m a bit of a recluse I’ve been told, but I like you.”

The second glass arrived. The waiter took the first away. Guy wondered how many he should let her drink or if she would stop herself. He did mean to take her home tonight if she was agreeable. He really wasn’t a drink ’em up take ’em home kind of guy. Yet that was exactly what he was doing.

For the greater good, he told himself.

He had an excuse or better, a reason. She was, after all his soul mate. She would be willing without too much to drink. Maybe not tonight. He wanted her tonight.

“I like my privacy but I wouldn’t call myself a recluse,” he agreed, his voice soft. “Only because I haven’t found anyone to share my home with. Perhaps if I do find someone, I’ll build a road to my house. Wouldn’t want my special person to get lost trying to find her way home.”

“Me too,” she said, moistening her lips, her small pink tongue sweeping erotically across her bottom lip, “like privacy and my laptop more than people.”

He wondered if she knew how provocative that tiny gesture was. Anything she did would arouse him he admitted. Absolutely anything. “So, you come from here and there. Where was the last place you called home?” he asked, needing to back up to the first question which wasn’t actually the first question. Eventually, he’d find out what she was running from.

“I was in graduate school. Stanford.” She pursed her lips then finished the glass of wine. “So,” she tapped her fingers on the base of the glass, “I guess you could call that the last place I called home.”

He ordered both of them another. Clearly distraught, it seemed she didn’t want to open up to him. Yet he craved knowledge about her.

“You left. Why?” He drummed his fingers on the table, waiting for a response, impatient yet trying to understand her hesitancy because they didn’t know each other. “I guess that’s none of my business.”

“You’re right, it’s not but I don’t think you’ll hurt me. I feel safe with you and I don’t understand the reasons. Don’t feel that way around men very often. Don’t talk to men.” Another glass of wine was set in front of her. She stared at it for a moment before looking to him again. “Are you trying to get me drunk? I should slow down.”

“No and whatever you want.”

Her dark sooty lashes lowered making a perfect arch across her high delicate cheekbones then, “I guess it is up to me to say no.”

Lord, but he didn’t want her to say no to anything. “What were you studying?”

Perhaps that would be an easier question and might give him some insight into his recalcitrant soul mate. She obviously felt some attraction for him. Unfortunately, she didn’t appear to understand exactly just how potent and raw that magnetism was between them.

“Paranormal abnormalities in the southwest. There have been plausible sightings, you know, shapeshifters, mostly big cats but there was a wolf sighting a few years ago. I left my studies because something terrified me. I started running but whatever it was it followed me. For some reason I ended up here.”

His heart caught in his throat. He wasn’t sure where to go with this information but knew she wasn’t telling him the entire story. “Do you think shapeshifters exist?”

Slowly, he sipped keeping his gaze focused on her over the rim of the glass.

She smiled at him again. This smile was somehow different. One perfect eyebrow rose a fraction. Then, “I know they exist. I know something else too.”

He finished his beer before ordering another round for both of them. After minutes of thought, “How? How do you know something so strange or is it just speculation?”

She shrugged those delicate shoulders again, ones he wanted to kiss from one side to the other, “Just my gut. No, actually I’ve seen one, a coal black jaguar shapeshifter in my dreams. I’ve seen all of him except his face. I’ve seen him take his clothes off and shift then in another dream I’ve seen him change from the jaguar back to a human.”

Cas had seen him… naked. Or had she seen one of his brothers or sisters? No, he was sure she was speaking about him.

She said him. “What do you mean?” he asked, suddenly feeling out of his element and a bit at a disadvantage.

She’d seen him naked and… strangely he didn’t feel at all violated. He had this unthinkable need to ask her if she liked what she saw. He drew in a slow breath of air while he thought about all she told him.

“I think I’ve had a bit too much to drink.” She finished the glass in front of her then changing the subject, “Should be getting back to my room before I fall asleep right here.”

“At the hotel?” he asked, “I’ll walk you back, unless you’d like to come home with me.”

Where did that come from? He didn’t want her to think all he wanted from her was a one nightstand when he craved a lifetime. If she was truly running from something dangerous though, he wasn’t about to leave her alone and unprotected in the hotel. If she refused to come home with him, he’d stand guard outside her room.

Or inside, female permitting.

“You said,” she paused, “a person had to walk. Don’t know if I can make it that far in these shoes.” Cas looked at her feet before she let him help her to stand then leaned on him. “I’m feeling a wee bit tipsy. I think I drank too much.” Her words began to slur a bit.

She was adorable, endearing.

“You don’t have to walk. I rode my horse.” He chuckled thinking of holding his mate in his arms while riding the big stallion, taking her home, to what would be their home soon, he hoped.

“You’re not going to walk.” She wrapped an arm around him, steadying herself. “Should I tell you now or later that I don’t know how to ride a horse? Terrified of them. I could fly…” she gasped, putting a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as saucers.

He stared at her a moment trying to understand then chocked it up as too much wine. “Neither of us is going to walk. We’re both riding my horse. Come on, I’ll show you.” His eagerness came through all too clear, but she didn’t seem to notice.

A few minutes later they stood in front of his horse. “Name’s Sam. He always sees me home even when I’ve had a few too many. Knows his way with his eyes closed. Don’t even have to use the reins. He’s as gentle as a kitten.”

She stepped back a few feet, her hands outstretched as if she warded him off. Repeating an earlier statement, “Don’t know how to ride a horse. Never been this close to one either. How the devil am I going to stay on? How am I going to get on?”

“Easy enough, I’ll ride the horse and you can sit on my lap. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you. I promise. You can trust me.”

He almost said and you can ride me but stopped himself just in time. He might explore with his hands, just a little. The last thing he wanted was to send her running away from him before they even got to know each other. He didn’t want to be the one she was running and hiding from.

“How do we accomplish this?” Her words slurred even more now. She wavered slightly, her hands reaching out to grab him for support. “I doubt if I can mount that thing.”

“I’ll mount Sam. You can give me your hand then I’ll pull you onto my lap,” he said as he proceeded to do just that.

“Don’t know…” She was backing away from him, her head tilted slightly, her eyes squinting as if she tried to see what was in front of her.

“You can do it. Besides, I know you don’t want to stay at the hotel by yourself. Whatever you’re running from might find you there.” He watched her face pale while she swallowed hard.

“I never thought of that.”

A few minutes later, Cas sat on his lap, her body trembling as he slowly let Sam take the lead. He held onto her, praying something wouldn’t spook her or his horse. He was sure he just died and was in heaven. Her feminine curves fit soundly against the hard planes of his body.

“You have to trust me,” he told her, his whisper close to her ear. He lightly touched the lobe with his tongue, felt the tiny shiver of desire. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’ve got you. All you have to do is relax.”

“So you say,” she murmured softly, leaning against him doing as he asked. “I wish…”

“Do you trust me?” he asked, hoping she’d say yes, his hands running up then down her arms.

“I want to,” again a whisper.

He began to chant a song his great grandfather, an Apache medicine man, taught him when he was a child. The chant always soothed his nerves when he was upset or frightened as a child as well as during the skirmishes, the endless nightmare he lived in Iraq. He felt Cas slowly relax into his body. She could be falling asleep she had so much wine, but her body didn’t relax totally. Her hand rested on his forearm. He felt the curve of one breast push against his chest.

This was good. It was all so very good. He would find out more about her when the time was right.

A full moon appeared in the sky just as he reached his home. A slight breeze cooled the hot summer air. His house was built in a small grove of trees, some he planted years ago, some more recently. In times of draught, he had to haul water yet they survived just as his clan survived, lived and prospered in these barren lands.

He bent close to her ear and whispered. For a moment he was tempted to touch the shell of her ear with his tongue but held back. He wanted her to be the aggressor this first time with her, “We’re here.”

She placed her hand on his chest, her fingers kneading his skin through his shirt. “I think we’ve stopped. Told you Sam knew his way home.”

“Umm…”

“I’ll let you down. All you have to do is land on your feet. Do you think you can do that?”

“Maybe. I’m like a cat. I always land on my feet.”

Her words sent a shiver down his spine. Like a cat. “Here you go. There’s a bale of hay beneath your feet so you don’t have so far to go. Be careful. Don’t fall.”

She slid through his arms and while she didn’t exactly land on her feet, she didn’t fall either. Looking up at him, she sat on top the bale of hay, smiling. “I’m okay.”

He dismounted. “I have to take care of Sam. You wait here and I’ll be back in a few minutes then we can go to the house.”

“I’ll just lie down here. Wake me up when you’re done.” She curled into a ball, her hands beneath her cheeks.

Once again Guy felt as if he died and was in heaven. Her long blond hair splayed around her. Her breasts peeked out from the half-unbuttoned shirt she wore and the tiny short shorts barely covered her butt. He was tempted to trace the swell of her cheeks with a fingertip but shook the impulse away. If she agreed, there’d be plenty of time to explore her, when she wasn’t drunk and asleep.

Later, “Cas, wake up. I’m done with Sam. I need to put you to bed where it’s more comfortable.”

“I have to pee,” she said as she sat up and pulled straw from her hair, blinking.

“In the house. Can you walk?” he asked as she tried to push herself from the bale only to fall back down.

“Of course, I…”

He didn’t wait for an answer but scooped her into his arms, striding to the house. Inside the bathroom he set her down before backing out and closing the door behind him. “Call me if you need me.” He leaned against the wall by the bathroom door, his breathing strained as he thought about the woman he discovered this evening.

Seconds seemed to turn to minutes, “Guy?”

He peaked his head through the door. Cas was standing and she looked so damned adorable with her shorts around her hips and unzipped. “You need help.”

She closed her eyes. “I need something to drink. Can’t seem to swallow. Throat’s so dry.”

She didn’t mention the fact she was half dressed. “I can do that. Water?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like me to help you with your shorts?”

“Yes.”

Never quite having been in a situation of this nature, he wasn’t sure how to proceed. He’d removed clothing before but never fastened them. Right now, at this second, he had no idea…

With caution, he told himself as he slowly touched the zipper as well as the silken flesh of her lower abdomen. He held his breath as he zipped the shorts and snapped them shut.

“Would you like to go outside? I’ve a fireplace and we can watch the stars.” He loved lying by the fireplace gazing skyward to star watch. It would be even better with Cas beside him, in his arms. He didn’t care if they fell asleep without having sex. Knew he wanted her cradled next to him, needed to feel her warmth.

“I think so. My little nap on the hay bale woke me up.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, her grin hesitant but there nonetheless. “Another glass of wine maybe?”

He sighed softly, wondering just how much control he had but he couldn’t deny her. “Anything you want.”

Her long legs, naked legs, except for the tiny bit of fabric covering her butt called to him. He never thought of himself as a leg man, was always infatuated by a woman’s eyes. This was his mate, perhaps that was why things seemed so different.

In the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of white Bordeaux he had shipped over from France one year, as well as a couple of glasses. “Do you want any food? If you do, grab a bag of chips over there, he nodded.

“Chips and fries,” she murmured seeming to wake up a tiny bit more. “Great diet.”

Outside he lit the fire, setting the glasses and wine on a nearby table. She sat down on a huge lounging couch and poured the wine. The bag of chips she pulled onto her lap while she made herself comfortable. “Junk food, my favorite kind.”

They settled on the couch, watching the fire then the sky. Her body next to his was an aphrodisiac calling to him. These sensations were new to him and he wanted to savor every moment.

“How did you end up in Cactus Junction? I’m just curious. You told me you were running and hiding from something or someone.”

If she would let him, he would protect her.

“Besides the ones about the shifter I also had dreams that seemed to lead me here,” she said, closing her eyes. “I don’t know why but I’m sure it was you I saw…” She stopped abruptly, her hand covering her mouth.

Once again, he wanted to ask if she liked what she saw but didn’t want to embarrass her further. He ignored her statement. “I’d like to learn more about your dreams and the shifter you saw.”

“What about you? You’ve lived here all your life. Why would your family settle in this desolate country?”

“It was the only place my family could live where they felt comfortable to be themselves. Once you get used to it, the land is beautiful, doesn’t seem desolate at all,” he told her honestly. “They tried to settle other places but they couldn’t do what they wanted. We came from Scotland a long time ago for that very reason. We craved freedom and land to roam.”

“My family was Irish. My name is more than Cas.”

“Oh?” He was intrigued, fascinated. His siblings had names that were Celtic and apache with meanings and they were all shortened but his name was just Guy, nothing more. “What is it?”

“Casidhe Doyle.” She turned to him, “I’m a wee bit chilly. Do you have a blanket?”

“There’s only a huge sleeping bag. We would have to share it.”

“That would be nice,” she murmured as she placed a chip on his lips.

He took it from her, tasting her fingers combined with the salt from the chip. “Do you want to sleep outside?” he asked wondering if she even wanted to sleep with him.

“Right here? Don’t think I’ve ever slept outside under the stars. Is it safe?”

“Yes.” During his stint in the future with his brother in law and his sister, he learned how to say the words that would make a protective barrier around them. He silently said a few words then chanting to words in his great grandfather’s language, a barrier was formed.

“That’s it?” she sounded skeptical. “I don’t see anything different.”

“Don’t try to leave without telling me. That barrier you can’t see will stop anything from coming in and from going out. If you need to leave, I’ll get rid of it.”

Her eyes grew wide, “I don’t understand.”

“I promise I won’t hurt you and I’ll let you out whenever you want. I don’t know how to explain the barrier. Just trust me. It’s magical, just like tonight, just like you.” He moved a strand of her long hair away from her face tucking it behind the ear he wanted to kiss.

“I trust you a whole lot more than I’ve ever trusted anyone even though I’ve only known you a few short hours. I fear what’s chasing me enough to accept whatever you do.”

“You’ve handed me a whole lot of power where you’re concerned.”

Overwhelmed by all she said with no reason except her instincts, he kissed her forehead, unwilling to test their fledgling relationship further. When they made love for the first time, he wanted her sober and able to say yes or no.

~ * ~

When Cas opened her eyes the next morning, she stared into the steel blue eyes of the man she went home with the night before. She never did anything like that. He was grinning at her and brushing flyaway hair from her face. Last night she told him far too many things about herself.

“Good morning, Cas.” He brushed a light kiss on her forehead. “Did you sleep well?”

“You didn’t touch me? We didn’t have…”

She wanted that, sex with this man but he’d been honorable. Practically throwing herself at him, he still didn’t take advantage of her. Now she could feel the heat of his breath and the tender stroke of his fingers across her shoulder. She could also feel the length of his body, hard and hot, pressed so very close to her. Heat slowly rose to her cheeks.

“Sex?” he asked, rolling from the bed to stare down at her. She wanted to see the rest of him. “When we make love, you’re going to be sober. I want you to remember what we do.”

“Oh…” she murmured turning away for a moment, unable to think of a smart comeback. Naked from the waist up, he was exquisite. Her drunkenness came about because she didn’t think she could have let him make love to her if she was sober but now, she knew better. He could do anything he wanted with her, too her. She would never complain or say no.

“If you want to stay here today, you’re welcome. Don’t know what you planned. I’ve a few errands to run in town, so I’ll have one of my siblings bring your things from the hotel.”

“How will I know…?” She was still thinking of her people who chased her. The thoughts of the swarms bearing down on this small area were terrifying. He would run in the opposite direction if that happened, if he knew the extent of the plague following her. She had to find a way to bind him to her, a way that would hold him close for the rest of her life, a way that would dissuade her pursuer.

“My brothers look just like me only a tiny bit smaller and my sisters, well, Kimi and Lynn, they’re twins and if they come, I’ll make sure they come together. In any case if you’re outside, they’ll just leave your things inside the front door. You can retrieve them anytime you want.”

“What about the barrier? I need it to stay in place.” She couldn’t stop the trembling despite her best efforts and truly she didn’t want him to see her terror.

“I can leave it up and give you the words to take it down if you need to go to the house. My family all know the words to put it up and take it down. No one else in this area can do that.”

“Good then I’m sure I’ll find plenty to do. I’ve my research, so as long as I have my laptop, I’ll stay busy. It’ll be nice to have a few hours of perfect quiet.”

She was actually looking forward to the day and perhaps something different tonight. Tonight, she wouldn’t drink so much, maybe just a glass or two. He had to make love to her. It was imperative.

“Hope it’s not too much more time. I’m going to take a shower. Help yourself to anything in the house.”

Cas rolled onto her back, staring at the sky above and pulling the huge sleeping bag up to her chin. She knew she was in the right place. If he’d been naked, if the line of his jeans was just an inch lower, she could have confirmed her guess that this was the man she’d seen shifting into the most beautiful sleek black panther then back to human form.

The position of the scar would tell all.

Last night she’d been mesmerized by his eyes and the way his mouth turned up slightly when he smiled. She’d been surprised when he didn’t take advantage of her drunken state. She’d had too much wine, hoping he would do just that. Protection from this family of shapeshifters was necessary to her survival as well as her well-being. If he cared enough to bed her, well, perhaps he would protect her. She would have to find some way to bind him to her. Sex seemed to be the only way. A pregnancy would be even better.

If she carried another man’s child…

Not much time passed before a man resembling Guy left her baggage inside the house just as Guy told her would happen. She waited until his brother left before she emerged from her hiding place behind the fireplace. When she watched his brother, she couldn’t help the fine trembling sweeping within.

Tip-toeing across the grass, she entered Guy’s home, showered then changed her clothing before she settled down cross-legged near the fireplace with her laptop open and a cup of coffee. A shamrock she’d kept perfectly preserved since childhood rested inside. Picking it up she closed her eyes thinking of her people then quickly realizing if she did think about them, they would find her. She opened her eyes, thoughts going quickly to Guy.

Hours ticked by slower than ever before. She ate then napped. She decided she would need to find some way to seduce Guy when he returned from work or his errands or whatever he was doing. She didn’t have any idea how to coax a man to have sex with her. Her dreams led her to this man for a reason, and she meant to succeed with her plans.

She wandered to the pool. The sunrays hitting the ground told her it must be near four o’clock. By her calculations he would be home soon. After all, at four yesterday he’d been finished with work and tucking away a few beers. Inside the saloon she’d watched him, even studied him, needing to put aside any fears she might have. It took all the courage she possessed to confront him. She remembered how her feet lagged.

She slipped from her cover up, lying on the huge couch they’d slept on the night before. Now she wore only her thong bikini. Resting her head on her hands, she closed her eyes and waited for him, hoping this ploy might prove more profitable than last night. For her there was so much to lose. She caught his scent before she heard his footsteps. He was light on his feet, just like a cat, just like the sleek black panther he could change into.

“Cas, you out here?” he called out, walking toward her. “Sunbathing I see. Hope you used a lot of sunscreen.”

“I did,” she murmured without turning over to look at him, “Pretty hot though. You don’t have much shade.” She inhaled a deep long breath of air she’d sucked into her lungs for courage to go through with this.

He sat down beside her, running a calloused fingertip down her spine, hesitating but not moving lower. The sensation sent little spirals of heat swirling in the pit of her stomach. She felt as if butterflies invaded her. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to coax him at all. Maybe just lying here mostly naked would do the trick.

“Should you do that?” she asked, starting to sit up, but he gently pushed her down, kissing the back of her neck, stroking her shoulders before grazing his teeth across her sensitive skin.

“Only if you like it.” He slowly began to massage her shoulders and down her back, following the soft caresses with his lips. “You have the most beautiful back, long and sleek, silken flesh, so hot…”

He was leaving her spineless and when his hand closed around her butt and squeezed gently, she felt her body tense with need she never felt before. This was uncharted territory. Not only spineless but mindless, even though she planned the seduction, it didn’t seem she could end it if she wanted to which she didn’t.

“I think I like it too much.” She started to turn over then realized the little triangles covering her breasts would no longer do their job. Unsure if she was ready to show almost all of her body, she stopped.

“It’s hot. Would you like to skinny dip with me?” he asked shedding his shirt as he spoke and tossing it to the ground, his hands resting on the fastenings of his jeans, waiting for her to answer.

“Would love to but I don’t know how to swim.” Actually, water except coming from a shower or inside a tub, terrified her. “I’ll watch, thank you.”

“I’ll teach you,” he said softly, trailing kisses down her spine and lower to her rear.

His fingers stroked a fantastic dance upon the bare flesh of her thigh and formed over the curve of her derrière. She murmured and would have turned to him to throw her arms around him, but he held her still. “I like this swimsuit. Doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”

He nibbled kisses everywhere, grazing with his teeth. She moaned softly, tiny sounds she had no control over rippling from her throat. God, but this was amazing.  She found she was unable to stop herself from responding to his tender seduction and the gentle slow rise of heat filling her.

Her body reacted to his mercuric attentions as he turned her over and pulled her to him. Sometime during the massage, he’d untied the string behind her neck. The suit fell from her and her breasts were bared to his gaze. The subtle caress of his fingers across her body left her trembling with need the sensations delicious. He was staring at her and she was nearly naked.

She stared back, focusing on his mouth then higher. His eyes were warm with passion and the steel blue softened to almost silver. With the back of his hand he grazed her nipples, watching them as they hardened into tight buds.

“You’re beautiful.” He slipped from his clothes then sweeping her into his arms, he walked into the pool. “Too beautiful for the likes of me, but I’m not going to say no if you’re willing and sober. You are sober, aren’t you?”

She was in his arms before she could see the scar yet she found time to nod. “I told you. I don’t know how to swim. I’m not sure what you have planned.” She looked skeptically at the water shimmering in the full sunlight. Now ripples spread out around them as he walked with her, the liquid swirling around her bottom.

His lips met hers briefly, sweeping his tongue along the seam of her mouth and when she opened for him, raking her teeth and tongue. “Never expected to find you nearly naked waiting for me. Kind of expected you to turn tail and run this morning. If you did that, I would have had to chase you down. It seems I can’t stop thinking about you.”

The water reached her neck. “Guy, I can’t swim.” Moments of panic swept through her as she struggled in his arms. “Hold me tight.”

He chuckled softly, nipping at her ear, swirling his tongue inside the shell. “For what I’ve planned for us, you don’t need to swim. All you need to do is hold me tight.” She felt his fingers hook the top of her suit bottom and slide it down her legs. “Now wrap those beautiful long legs around me and hold on fast. I won’t let anything happen to you. We’re going for a ride I know I’ll never forget.”

“Guy,” she began but his hands roamed and explored all of her.

His lips possessing hers, he created sensations within that were primal and hot, the magic between them undeniable. Without conscious thoughts her hips moved in a rhythm it seemed he set, yet she didn’t understand how.

Again, he bent his head to kiss her, very slowly rubbing his lips on hers, letting his hand drift down her throat to her breasts. She leaned closer to kiss him back. She placed her hand on his chest. His heavily muscled broad shoulders as well as his wide chest fascinated Cas. His lips molded to hers. He opened her mouth with his, moving his lips back and forth almost roughly. His tongue drove between her parted lips in a fiercely erotic kiss, retreating, plunging again, and again, until desire was streaking through her. Pulling her closer, he kissed her until she heard herself moaning softly. Now, his lips were at her aching breasts. His hand was sliding downward over her stomach, reaching lower, covering the soft mound between her legs. His fingers teased and tormented her. Cas was clinging to him, her legs around him holding tight to him and giving him access.

He kissed her again then, “Tell me if I do something you don’t like.” He pulled away from her mouth long enough to speak those few words. “My god, but I can’t think of anything but you.”

“Guy.”

Once again his lips were upon hers, his hands cupping her breasts, tweaking the hard buds until she moaned softly in the back of her throat. He kissed and explored, leisurely taking his time to arouse and entice. Tiny sounds emanated from her as he possessed all of her, leaving no place untouched, unloved. He savored and cherished every part of her. His fingers explored the most intimate parts of her, seducing her, bringing her ever closer to something she never experienced before.

“Cas, you okay?” he asked, his voice soft yet deep as if he was overcome with emotions. “I’m going to come inside you now. Tell me no if that’s not what you want.” He paused, seeming to wait for a response.

“Guy, I need…” It seemed that was enough.

In one quick move he possessed her, claimed her as his. She cried out. Pain washed through her as he broke through the small barrier proclaiming her innocence. “Guy…” She let her head fall on his shoulder, moisture pooling in her eyes. “I didn’t know it would hurt.”

“Cas.” He froze. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Abruptly the pain seemed to vanish as quickly as it came upon her. Her hips began to move, urging him to finish what they started. He drove inside her even as he massaged the small, silken knot that seemed to give her the greatest pleasure. Suddenly, intense spasms one right after another washed through her. “Guy!” she cried out as she climaxed, the water a thin barrier between them, yet it seemed magical and enchanting, no barrier at all.

As they calmed, she rested her head on his shoulder. “I tried to tell you but…” She licked her lips. “You kept kissing me. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t think. Now I can’t move.”

He laughed then, his voice gruff. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were a virgin. I might have done things differently, but I would have still caused you some pain.”

“It’s alright,” she told him as he pulled her closer. “I’m glad you were my first lover.” My last, I hope.

“I promise you, I’ll never hurt you again.” Once more his lips met hers in a long drugging kiss, one that continued to heat and arouse, seducing her magically to his will. When he looked at her, his eyes shimmered with a steel gray passion and molten heat.

“I know. I wanted you to make love to me last night. I thought about it all day and I was going to seduce you, but I didn’t know how.” For a brief time, she looked away. She met his gaze again. “I suppose you took the task away from me.”

“That bathing suit worked wonders. Now you’ve nothing on and we can make love as much as you’d like, but first I think I’m going to teach you how to float on your back.”

“No, let’s get out. I also didn’t tell you I’m terrified of water. I think I must have drowned in another life.” Her murmured words sent a strange look to Guy’s face, one that she meant to ask about.

“Don’t say things like that,” he said his voice husky. “Before you leave here, I’m going to teach you how to swim. I promise you you’ll never drown.”

He touched her in ways she could have never imagined. She shivered thinking about his words as well as what they did, sealing her fate for the better she hoped and prayed. “That will be a daunting task.”

“Why is that?” he laughed accidentally touching her nipple and finding it hard and ready for his attentions. Before she could answer, he sucked the bud into his mouth, grazing the hard tip with his teeth then circling it with his tongue.

“I can’t float,” she said, resting her hand on his chest. “Never have been able to.”

“All women can float,” he said, laughing. “It’s getting to the bottom that is difficult.”

“I’m an unwilling participant,” she countered.

Truly, now that her virginity was gone, she wanted out of the pool. She needed dry land to touch her feet and she wanted to see if he possessed that scar. Yet he didn’t seem willing to move in that direction. She was his prisoner until he decided to walk from the pool or allow her feet to touch bottom.

Without her realizing what he was doing, Guy turned her onto her back, her legs splashing as if that would help her gain more balance while she tried to sit. “Guy, no!”

“Now, just you relax. I’ll do everything and I won’t let anything happen to you, ever. I promise. We’re only in four feet of water, and last time I looked you were over five feet tall.”

“Don’t let go of me.”

She realized the words were true, her fingernails biting into his flesh. She couldn’t help the panic rising from the pit of her stomach. Couldn’t help the deep-seated fear securely ensconced in her head.

“I won’t ever let you go.” One hand was behind her back and the other behind her head. “Take a deep breath. See how you just float with the movement of the water?”

“No, you’re holding me. I don’t want to learn.”

She did feel some buoyancy but didn’t want to put anything to the test. Once again, she tried to sit. He would have nothing to do with her efforts.

“Relax, Cas.”

He slowly withdrew the hand on her back. Immediately, she kicked her feet and tried to stand on the bottom of the pool. “You lied.” She brushed water from her face and eyes sputtering all the while.

He was laughing, the sound almost infectious. “No, I didn’t. I was still touching you, still am.” He pulled her close, kissing her, sweeping his tongue across her lips. “Hell, I don’t want to stop touching you, ever.”

“It’s not funny.” She hit him on the chest, pounded a second time for good measure.

“I’m sorry.” He looked contrite but she wasn’t at all sure he would let her touch dry land again. “I don’t want to be in this water.” She felt like a petulant child but her words were the truth.

“You’re going to have to learn to swim sometime. It’s fun and you’ll like it.” He carried her in his arms up the steps and out of the pool. Close to her ear he whispered, “Trust me.”

“I won’t.” She felt argumentative since he kept insisting.

“There you go. You’re in control on dry land.” He set her on the lounge and stepped back as if to admire her.

“Good lord, you’re beautiful,” she whispered in a long sigh, her gaze riveted on his scar, knowing he was the man in her dreams. “You are the man I saw shifting in my dreams.”

“How do you know?” He sat down beside her, towel drying his hair.

She reached out and gently touched him, “This scar. How did you get it?”

“It was a long time ago. Do you want me to retrieve your bikini bottom?” he asked seeming to ignore her question or in any case not wanting to answer her.

She nodded, her eyes wide with the realization there were things he didn’t want to tell her, at least not yet. Naked, he strode down the steps of the pool then dove, coming up with the missing part of her suit. “Is this what you want?” His grin was infectious. “You’ll have to come and get it.”

“Guy, no…”

She laughed feeling totally at ease with this man she barely knew. In truth she felt as if she’d known him from the beginning of time, longer if that were possible. Perhaps she’d even been in love with him that long, known him in another lifetime. She had no memories of him though, just this gut feeling she couldn’t shake nor did she want to. He was the man who would protect her, the only man who could.

He strode from the pool, her tiny swimsuit in hand, chuckling then settled down beside her, pulling her close. “It seems I just can’t get enough of you. You’re becoming a part of me.”

She hoped he was becoming a part of her. “You’re all wet, dripping,” she said attempting to push him away but only succeeding in drawing him closer.

Somehow, he made her laugh and stop looking so deeply into herself. He helped her forget her fears.

“Water is wet.”

His lips melded across hers, he kissed her lightly then deepened the caress until she joined in, her tongue exploring the deepest part of his mouth. His hands ran up and down her back even as she wound her fingers into his hair, tugging them closer.

Once again molten fire swept through her, rampaged within as if one of the summer storms that thundered down the mountains and into the valleys during the summers possessed her soul. Her fingers bit into his shoulders, pulling him closer craving him more as her body became alive with vibrancy and a sweet fury to match him. She had never felt this all-consuming desperate need.

He created within her an enchanting magic, an aching pleasure that was indescribably delicious, raw and savage. Blood pulsing within as he pressed kisses and his lover’s fingers softly caressed her breasts, held them reverently in his hands, cherishing her.

“Guy…” She tried to speak but the words wouldn’t form.

“Shh…” his whisper floated close to her ear and he came to her again with more whispers and secret caresses. “Just let your body feel the mercuric heat simmering between us. I don’t think I will ever get enough of you nor do I want to. You are part of my heart, Casidhe. I will never let you go.”

“How do you do this to me?” Her hips rose to meet him, needing him deep inside her while she cried out softly, reaching for the sunlight, for the soft breeze filtering through the leaves. Reaching for the release only he could give her.

“No, how do you do this to me?”

The ensuing tempest swept into her and around her in an enchanting fury that could not be denied, at least not by her. His fascination with her exploded inside her as sweet as silken teardrops, filling her limbs, her body, the center of her with hot liquid delight. She trembled against his large frame, feeling him as he moved in rhythm, groaning, shuddering, holding her fast one last moment as his body surged into hers, seeming to touch the length and breadth of her in one stroke of pleasure. Shock waves spilled through her, testing her, tempting her and teasing her.

He fell still for a moment then caressed her, touched her gently again. “Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you this time?” It was a question and a statement all in one breath.

She tenderly placed her hand on his cheek felt the subtle growth of beard, smiling. “Never been better.”

Rolling off her, he stood then and brought her a glass of water and a tube of sunscreen. Handing her the water, “Drink some, don’t want you to get dehydrated. The desert air can have that effect on newcomers. Now turnover, you need more protection.” He paused a moment, his smile vanishing then it seemed he thought more on what he said. “Turn over.”

She did as he bade, felt the cool slide of the cream across her back and shoulders, hot where he touched her cool when his fingers glided away. His touch was slow and smooth, erotic in and of itself. Falling under his spell again would not be difficult. A soft sleepiness invaded her. When he finished with the sunscreen, he stretched out beside her, holding her in his gentle embrace.

Sleep was elusive with his body pressed against hers. She came here with one purpose in mind. Now that she met him, knew him intimately, she didn’t like herself very much. Still she would have done the same, had no choice if she were to escape those who chased her. Guy’s home was an oasis in heaven, a place where she could forget her past, perhaps forge a brand-new future.

“Guy.”

She ran a fingertip across his shoulder, and for the first time noticed the tiny tattoos covering his body, the shifter in her dreams, but he’d been black. She inhaled sharply not understanding.

“What is it?” He pulled slightly away, his gaze on her, his eyes seeming to smolder and invite more lovemaking if she was willing.

“I don’t know.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, needing to divert his attention from her thoughts. If he could read her mind it wouldn’t surprise her simply because he seemed so in tune to her every emotion.

“Are you hiding something from me?” he queried, kissing the tip of her nose, a playful gesture telling her clearly, he wasn’t in the mood to make love but to talk. “If you’re afraid of something or someone, I can help. Talk to me.”

“No more than what you’re hiding from me,” she whispered, smiling and pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “It seems we both have secrets.”

“Let’s see, we should begin with something simple,” he paused. “You know I have two brothers and a pair of twin sisters.”

“I have no siblings.”

“An only child, how intriguing. You know I’m a shifter and you saw me naked before we even met. Now I’ve seen you with nothing on.” Tenderly he caressed her. “I guess everything on that level is fair now.”

“You were just as beautiful then as you are now.”

She stroked his chest, letting her fingernail skim over his tiny male nipple. His swift intake of breath told her she could seduce him if she wanted to avoid his questions. She smiled at the soft rise of color to his cheeks.

“Men aren’t beautiful. I’ve scars and hairy legs. And… well my feet could use an overhaul.”

“I wouldn’t want you any other way, but…” she paused grinning at him, allowing her gaze to smolder down the length of his legs, “let me see your feet. I haven’t had the chance to look as closely at them as other parts of you,” She tried to pull away to do just that. He held her fast.

“What if I’m suddenly bashful? I’ve never had a woman say anything like that before. I’m not too sure I want my feet examined.”

His hands cupped her butt as he pulled her against his arousal.

“Not already?” she asked. “I…”

She didn’t know how to deal with this all-consuming passion yet with a stroke of his hand he could bring her to that point where she would never tell him no.

“Not again, not yet. It seems our attempt at conversation was easily sidetracked. I’m a starved man where you’re concerned. I crave knowledge about you, perhaps as much as I need to bind you to me. I find I cannot keep my hands to myself.”

“Through sex?”

If they continued on this path a child would bind them. Only that fact would keep her safe. Would he resent her then? When he discovered everything about her, he would think she plotted that very thing. Yet she was using no magic.

Refused to do so.

“No, not sex but through knowledge and love,” he told her, bringing her so her head rested on his chest. He stroked her hair, playing with the strands, letting them fall against her.

She felt the slow rise of his chest with every breath inhaled and heard the easy cadence of his heartbeat. “Are all your siblings shifters?”

“They are and they are also all married.”

For a few minutes silence and the sound of their breathing was all that stirred the air. “Are all their wives and husbands shifters?”

“No.”

It seemed he didn’t want to elaborate, “Do I have to pry it out of you?”

His long breath of air dampened the spirit of the conversation, but she needed to understand more about his family before she would feel comfortable telling him more about herself and her family if she had one. He was beginning to think she might not.

“Brody, the oldest, is wed to Sadie. She’s one hundred percent human, no powers remarkable or otherwise except her extreme intelligence. Carr to Margo and of all things she’s a firestarter.”

“Really? You’re joking. Firestarters are a myth. There is no proof…”

“I’m sure she would take objection to that.” He chuckled gently brushing the curve of her breast, seeming to enjoy her reaction.

“I suppose so. Perhaps I should add firestarters to the list of anomalies I’m studying. What else does Cactus Junction have in anomalies?”

“Just a witch and whatever you are.”

He spoke so quietly for a moment she wasn’t sure she heard him then she chose to ignore the words, unwilling to give herself up just yet.

It wasn’t time to tell him about herself. While she was sure she could trust him, she didn’t know about those around him. He would tell them about her and the more who knew, the easier it would be for those who sought her to find her. She couldn’t be found until there was no going back.

“Hmm… a witch, a firestarter and shifters. Together you must be a formidable group.”

He let out a roar of laughter seeming to enjoy her as well as the plethora of questions. “We’ve been known to win a battle or two. Enough about me, tell me something about you. I know you are not one hundred percent human. What are you?”

She lifted her shoulders, still unwilling to divulge her deepest and darkest secrets. Perhaps she could tell him something. Not why she was running but something that would appease him for the time being.

“Promise not to laugh.”

She hoped a ray of humor would make it easier. By nature, she was shy and talking about herself didn’t come easy.

“Why would I laugh at you? You didn’t laugh at me. Perhaps because you haven’t seen me shift.”

“I have watched you change both ways. I was in awe of your prowess as a cat as well as a man. That is one of the reasons that brought me here.”

“You sought me out,” he said, his body stiffening beneath hers.

His hand tightened around her arm then quickly loosened.

“I did. Is that so bad?” She suddenly had second thoughts about telling him more. Her privacy was important. Knowledge in the wrong hand could result in her death.

“No, I wanted you to look for me and find me because I had no idea where you were or how to find you. What is it you wanted to tell me that would have me roaring with laughter?”

“I never said roaring,” she protested, feeling a bit put out with his comments and ready to change the subject once again.

“I concede. What was it you were going to say? And,” he bent to nibble her lips before stroking them gently with his tongue, “I promise not to laugh.”

She moistened her lips then pushing away from him, she placed a fingertip on his lips. After a long deep breath of air and a moment of quiet meant for courage, “I’m a fairy.”

~ * ~

“Caucus.” Brody McKenna the oldest of the McKenna Clan called his siblings together in his living room, concern for his little brother at the forefront of his mind. Guy was in deep, deeper than he’d ever been before. This female was cunning, far from innocent. The family would have to come together to protect Guy from himself.

The siblings and their spouses gathered around him, chatting and eating just as they always did when they were together. An easy camaraderie existed between them. Now they were all worried about the youngest brother in the McKenna Clan. This was about Guy as well as the rumors simmering in and around Cactus Junction.

Sadie stood beside Brody, her husband of several years, one hand resting on his shoulder. “We’re all worried about Guy. We’ve good reason to believe the girl he has staying at his home is using him. She has powers of some sort. Just don’t know what they are.”

“And,” Brody continued for her, “he believes she is his soul mate which gives us even more reasons to be concerned about his mental stability as well as his ability to think logically. I have reason to believe she sought him out for her own purposes. I’ve heard things from some of the others.”

“Why can’t she be his mate? You all have one,” Margo asked. “Don’t you all think he has one? If I need to remind you all, no one was sure about me in the beginning.”

“That’s not the reason. We all have a mate somewhere. Eventually, he’ll find her, but this lady is not what she’s pretending to be,” Brody said matter of factly. “Until she is upfront and honest with Guy, we have to watch out for him. That’s what family is for.”

“Just what would that be?” Carr asked. “She hasn’t walked up to him and said hey, Guy, I’m the mate you’ve been looking for. Just how will we know when she tells him what we want her to tell him? He certainly isn’t going to come running to us with that information. If I’m guessing correctly, he’s already feeling defensive.”

“No, but she’s studying paranormal anomalies in the world and she suddenly turns up in Cactus Junction?” Lynn asked seeming just as skeptical of this situation as the rest of the family. “It doesn’t take a genius to put that knowledge in its proper perspective. We don’t want to lose what we have here. Our family has been at peace for so long. No one wants to be uprooted. Here we have room to roam and be ourselves.”

“How did you figure that out? That paranormal studies thing?” Deacon asked his wife. “Don’t think she told anyone, certainly not any of us. When did you speak with her?”

“And that’s exactly my point,” Lynn told him indignantly, “Anyway, I googled her name. It wasn’t hard to find. She’s some professor’s assistant at Stanford. Wrote a paper on shifters. One of the points she makes is that she’s seen one. Now you tell me if we have something to worry about and if we should tell Guy.”

“He’s a big boy,” Maska said. “Guy can take care of himself. He won’t like any of us meddling in his affairs or his love life. If she’s the one or he thinks she’s the one, he’s not going to listen to us anyway.”

“Maska’s right, we need to stand back and be ready to jump in to help if he asks for our input,” Kimi said supporting her husband. “Otherwise, mums the word.”

“We need to be there for encouragement,” Margo said agreeing, holding on to Carr’s hand as if it was her lifeline. “None of you were around when I met Carr.  I’m sure if you were you would have been having this same conversation, which you actually did once you met me. I didn’t know how to use my skills so…”

“Margo has just made her point. None of us are so naïve or weak that someone can take advantage of us. Guy will see through her if she’s lying to him. I’m guessing he is already using his suave social skills to get her to talk. Give him a chance.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Brody asked, grinning with the realization his siblings would protect Guy while giving him room to discover the truth about his mate because he didn’t doubt for one second Guy was wrong about the female in question.

“We should go visit them,” Carr said, gazing at his wife as if she was the one speaking. “We do need to get to know this girl if we intend to pass judgment.”

“When?”

“Right now,” Brody said.