array of connections, and has enough money to make sure every place on this planet is searched ten times over.”
“God.” Tears started to well in her eyes, but she straightened her shoulders and had a strong aura of determination that came from her. “I know all of this, but I was stupid enough to think I still had a shot.” She angrily wiped away at the rest of the tears that were falling. “I shouldn’t have left, and then I wouldn’t be in this situation, and wouldn’t have put you at risk. If I would have just dealt with my own problems you wouldn’t have been found, been stuck with a mate that is also your enemy’s daughter, and part of this screwed up situation.” He growled low in his throat, his lion flashing right below the surface at her words. Her eyes widened momentarily. “I’m so sorry for inadvertently bringing you into this.”
“Let’s get something straight.” He leaned forward, and even though there was plenty of space between them, Maverick felt her body heat come right at him. “You’re my mate, and I’ll protect you above all else. You not staying with your father when it is crystal clear you are nothing like him, was the smartest thing you could have done. Would it have gotten you killed? Yeah, because a young female on her own and trying to get away from the shifter mafia is impossible. But will it get you killed? No, because fate brought us together, and no way in fucking hell will I let anything happen to you.” He let his words sink in. “I’m not telling you this to freak you out, but you’re intelligent enough to know that no one just leaves Viktor’s organization unless it is in a body bag.”
“You left.” Her voice was soft.
“Yeah, but I had been running with that circle nearly my whole life. I know enough about this life to figure out how to disappear, Kettah. I know how to make it seem like I was the one burned in that car, and have dealt with these situations enough that I knew how to make it so that they wouldn’t have thought twice about what was really happening. You’re so young, though, so innocent, and there is no way you could ever have gotten far from your father’s clutches.” The subtle scent that shifted inside of her told him that she knew exactly what he was getting at. “You’ll stay with me, here, because that is the safest place for you. If you go off running by yourself there is no way in hell I can protect you, and me running off and chasing you will only make things worse.”
“I know all of this, knew it when I ran, but I would rather be dead than stay there, witnessing all the atrocities they do, or being married to a male that would only hurt me like he hurts others.” She angrily wiped away her tears, and it broke his fucking heart. To hear that someone would dare to touch her, to place some kind of claim on what was his made him absolutely fucking crazy with rage.
“You won’t die. That I can fucking guarantee.” He might die in the process of making that declaration solid, but he would do it with a damn grin on his face and take out every single one of those bastards in the process. “But there is something I have that Viktor doesn’t, and that is skills that make me pretty deadly to men like him.” He didn’t say it with a cocky attitude, but with assurance that she was safe. Maverick was good at what he did, really fucking good, and that was how he had been known as the most lethal male for anyone to come across.
****
Kettah stared out the wide glass window and watched as Maverick talked to a big polar bear shifter. She was in Maverick’s office, had been down here since eight this morning, and sat in the corner as he had gone over paperwork. It might have seemed boring just watching him work in-between flipping through a magazine that had to be three years old, but strangely enough Kettah found it relaxing. She felt safe with Maverick, even though logically maybe she shouldn’t. Yes, they were mates, but he was
“God.” Tears started to well in her eyes, but she straightened her shoulders and had a strong aura of determination that came from her. “I know all of this, but I was stupid enough to think I still had a shot.” She angrily wiped away at the rest of the tears that were falling. “I shouldn’t have left, and then I wouldn’t be in this situation, and wouldn’t have put you at risk. If I would have just dealt with my own problems you wouldn’t have been found, been stuck with a mate that is also your enemy’s daughter, and part of this screwed up situation.” He growled low in his throat, his lion flashing right below the surface at her words. Her eyes widened momentarily. “I’m so sorry for inadvertently bringing you into this.”
“Let’s get something straight.” He leaned forward, and even though there was plenty of space between them, Maverick felt her body heat come right at him. “You’re my mate, and I’ll protect you above all else. You not staying with your father when it is crystal clear you are nothing like him, was the smartest thing you could have done. Would it have gotten you killed? Yeah, because a young female on her own and trying to get away from the shifter mafia is impossible. But will it get you killed? No, because fate brought us together, and no way in fucking hell will I let anything happen to you.” He let his words sink in. “I’m not telling you this to freak you out, but you’re intelligent enough to know that no one just leaves Viktor’s organization unless it is in a body bag.”
“You left.” Her voice was soft.
“Yeah, but I had been running with that circle nearly my whole life. I know enough about this life to figure out how to disappear, Kettah. I know how to make it seem like I was the one burned in that car, and have dealt with these situations enough that I knew how to make it so that they wouldn’t have thought twice about what was really happening. You’re so young, though, so innocent, and there is no way you could ever have gotten far from your father’s clutches.” The subtle scent that shifted inside of her told him that she knew exactly what he was getting at. “You’ll stay with me, here, because that is the safest place for you. If you go off running by yourself there is no way in hell I can protect you, and me running off and chasing you will only make things worse.”
“I know all of this, knew it when I ran, but I would rather be dead than stay there, witnessing all the atrocities they do, or being married to a male that would only hurt me like he hurts others.” She angrily wiped away her tears, and it broke his fucking heart. To hear that someone would dare to touch her, to place some kind of claim on what was his made him absolutely fucking crazy with rage.
“You won’t die. That I can fucking guarantee.” He might die in the process of making that declaration solid, but he would do it with a damn grin on his face and take out every single one of those bastards in the process. “But there is something I have that Viktor doesn’t, and that is skills that make me pretty deadly to men like him.” He didn’t say it with a cocky attitude, but with assurance that she was safe. Maverick was good at what he did, really fucking good, and that was how he had been known as the most lethal male for anyone to come across.
****
Kettah stared out the wide glass window and watched as Maverick talked to a big polar bear shifter. She was in Maverick’s office, had been down here since eight this morning, and sat in the corner as he had gone over paperwork. It might have seemed boring just watching him work in-between flipping through a magazine that had to be three years old, but strangely enough Kettah found it relaxing. She felt safe with Maverick, even though logically maybe she shouldn’t. Yes, they were mates, but he was
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