we’re just passing through,” Patrick said. “We’re on our way to meet with the rest of our family.”
With the threat gone, Blake holstered his gun. “If you don’t mind me saying so, those two you just sent off seemed to have respect for you. But you’re not their Alpha, are you?”
“No.” Cotton leaned against the tree and hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans. “Ken and Carl belong to another clan, and their Alpha is back at the house. Funny thing is, until the world went to Hell, we were rivals. They respect me because I’ve proven to them I’ll take no shit from them or anyone, not even their Alpha. If I wanted to, I could fight him and win control over their clan, but I don’t want to do that.”
“What do you want?” Patrick ran his hand down her arm to chase away the shiver he’d felt seconds before.
“To stop what’s going on.” Cotton shook his head. “Sounds stupid, I know. After all, what can a single person do against the government?”
“Not a lot, but there’s a group of us preparing. You could join us.”
“Sounds like a death wish,” Cotton replied, pushing off the tree.
“Death is always a possibility, but I’d rather go down fighting than be a victim of one of their labs.”
“I’d sign my own death warrant to avoid that fate,” Blake added.
“A wolf mixing with a bunch of lions, who would ever think that was possible?” Cotton smirked. “I have something I must attend to, but I’d like to give it some thought.”
Blake held out another one of the business cards he had given Dean earlier. “You can contact us through the information on here and we’ll arrange something if you want to join us.”
“Very well.” Cotton pocketed the card and nodded toward Clarissa. “Now, I suggest you get her out of here.”
“You know me?” Another shiver shot through her, but this time Patrick suspected it was more from fear than cold.
“I was in town earlier gathering supplies when someone held up a picture of you, asking if I’d seen you in the area. I can’t smell them, but I’m sure they’re still around here somewhere. I don’t know why and I don’t want to know, but they’re determined to find you, so if I were you I’d get out of here.”
“We’re going,” he reassured her. “I’ve got an SUV not far from here. We’ll be out within the hour.”
“Do yourself a favor and complete the mating. Otherwise, she’s fair game and others might see her as a prize to get back at the government.” With that, Cotton disappeared into the trees.
She tipped her head back enough to look up at him. “Complete the mating? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Not now,” Blake interrupted. “Let’s get moving, and Patrick will explain everything to you once we get out of the woods.” He started ahead, keeping a lookout for anyone who might double back.
“He’s right. We don’t know if the first two will circle around to cause more trouble, or if they recognized you and are heading into town to let someone know they saw you.” She sidestepped out of his embrace, leaving him with an empty sinking feeling. He’d barely known her a few hours, and already his lion was becoming attached. How much worse would it be once their mating was finalized?
“Patrick, what does he mean by mating?” She balked when he tried to take a step forward without answering her. “Was Dean right? Are you just using me?”
“No, angel.” He pulled her around to the front of him so he could look her in the eyes. “He smelled my scent on you, and he jumped to the conclusion we had started something we haven’t.”
“Are you saying I’m not your…mate…or whatever?”
He might have bent the truth a little before, but he couldn’t lie to her when she asked directly, no matter how much the timing might call for it. “Clarissa, please, we need to carry on.”
“Answer me.”
“You call to my lion and to me as a man, just the way a mate would.”
With the threat gone, Blake holstered his gun. “If you don’t mind me saying so, those two you just sent off seemed to have respect for you. But you’re not their Alpha, are you?”
“No.” Cotton leaned against the tree and hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans. “Ken and Carl belong to another clan, and their Alpha is back at the house. Funny thing is, until the world went to Hell, we were rivals. They respect me because I’ve proven to them I’ll take no shit from them or anyone, not even their Alpha. If I wanted to, I could fight him and win control over their clan, but I don’t want to do that.”
“What do you want?” Patrick ran his hand down her arm to chase away the shiver he’d felt seconds before.
“To stop what’s going on.” Cotton shook his head. “Sounds stupid, I know. After all, what can a single person do against the government?”
“Not a lot, but there’s a group of us preparing. You could join us.”
“Sounds like a death wish,” Cotton replied, pushing off the tree.
“Death is always a possibility, but I’d rather go down fighting than be a victim of one of their labs.”
“I’d sign my own death warrant to avoid that fate,” Blake added.
“A wolf mixing with a bunch of lions, who would ever think that was possible?” Cotton smirked. “I have something I must attend to, but I’d like to give it some thought.”
Blake held out another one of the business cards he had given Dean earlier. “You can contact us through the information on here and we’ll arrange something if you want to join us.”
“Very well.” Cotton pocketed the card and nodded toward Clarissa. “Now, I suggest you get her out of here.”
“You know me?” Another shiver shot through her, but this time Patrick suspected it was more from fear than cold.
“I was in town earlier gathering supplies when someone held up a picture of you, asking if I’d seen you in the area. I can’t smell them, but I’m sure they’re still around here somewhere. I don’t know why and I don’t want to know, but they’re determined to find you, so if I were you I’d get out of here.”
“We’re going,” he reassured her. “I’ve got an SUV not far from here. We’ll be out within the hour.”
“Do yourself a favor and complete the mating. Otherwise, she’s fair game and others might see her as a prize to get back at the government.” With that, Cotton disappeared into the trees.
She tipped her head back enough to look up at him. “Complete the mating? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Not now,” Blake interrupted. “Let’s get moving, and Patrick will explain everything to you once we get out of the woods.” He started ahead, keeping a lookout for anyone who might double back.
“He’s right. We don’t know if the first two will circle around to cause more trouble, or if they recognized you and are heading into town to let someone know they saw you.” She sidestepped out of his embrace, leaving him with an empty sinking feeling. He’d barely known her a few hours, and already his lion was becoming attached. How much worse would it be once their mating was finalized?
“Patrick, what does he mean by mating?” She balked when he tried to take a step forward without answering her. “Was Dean right? Are you just using me?”
“No, angel.” He pulled her around to the front of him so he could look her in the eyes. “He smelled my scent on you, and he jumped to the conclusion we had started something we haven’t.”
“Are you saying I’m not your…mate…or whatever?”
He might have bent the truth a little before, but he couldn’t lie to her when she asked directly, no matter how much the timing might call for it. “Clarissa, please, we need to carry on.”
“Answer me.”
“You call to my lion and to me as a man, just the way a mate would.”
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