Temptation by Raven McAllan Page B

me shift was evidently the last straw. That, and the way I’d been eyeing up rings in the jewelers. So I was told to return or face the wrath of the family. Even I knew what that meant.”
    “So you told me it was over and buggered off. Without explaining. It was that that hurt. To be told you thought it was best we part. Just that. I felt like some cheap worthless heap of nothing.” Meryl shivered as she remembered that awful feeling of worthlessness and despair that she’d had to fight to get over. If it hadn’t been for Mia, she had no idea what would have happened. “And now you think I was pregnant? Not in a million years. And if I had been, I wouldn’t be here now. I’d be at home loving our child.” She got up and walked to kneel in front of him. “What next?”
    His somber expression scared her. “I don’t know, except I don’t want to lose you again. Not now I’ve glimpsed heaven. I need to find out things. Like why, once I’d gone back to the council to say I’d found my love, and you weren’t a shifter, I was told you cared so little for me, you aborted our child. I was even shown a paper with the dates of your admission.”
    “What?” Meryl was shaken. All this time, she’d felt he had thought so little of her, that she’d been no more than an easy lay, and some, some asshole had been screwing with them both. If she ever found out who it was, she’d screw them . Into the ground, using their cock or boobs as the tool . “To where? I’ve been nowhere. The last time I was in hospital was to have my appendix out. I was ten. Something stinks.”
    He nodded and ran his hand over her hair and across her shoulders. “They were adamant it was true, but wouldn’t tell me where they got the information from. Then they made sure I was kept busy. I’ve got to get it sorted out, and know nobody is going to harm you. Faran warned me once I started on Isola that everything wasn’t as it seems. I think he has his own worries, as well. And he’s not talking about them.”
    Meryl rested her head on Marloth’s knees . So what do we do now? I’m damned sure not going to sit back and let you be offered up on some altar of shifter-sacrifices. You’re mine.
    “I am, and ditto,” Marloth said, and pulled her onto his lap. “And yes, I read your mind. I think I need to be able to do that all the time now. Because if we’re serious—”
    “Well, I am,” Meryl interrupted him.
    “So am I. So we need to plot and plan. Find out what’s going on, and stop it. It’s not just Faran and me; I know Dylan has had problems as well in his neck of the woods. So, here’s how I think we need to play it.”
    * * * * *
     
    By the time they’d plotted to Marloth’s satisfaction, so much time had passed that Meryl’s tummy rumbled. Not that she minded. Being able to sit on his knee and know that he hadn’t forgotten her, or left because he didn’t love her, was a great help in stopping her need to murder someone fast. Unfortunately, it did harden her resolve in vowing if she ever found out who was behind it all, she’d make sure somehow they died a slow and painful death.
    “Why are some shifters such shits?” she burst out as she put her hand over her tummy. “I mean why go to all the trouble of painting me black? Why not just tell you that you have to take a shifter as a partner, and it was x or y.” Her tummy growled loudly, and she rolled her eyes. “Damn it, you’d think worry would make me not want to eat, not the opposite.”
    He chuckled as she meant him to. Marloth was grey with worry and once more, Meryl wished she could do serious damage to whoever was behind all the hassle. It wasn’t fair. Damn, I sound like a two-year-old who can’t get another lolly to suck. Not that that’s what I want in my mouth, but still . . . .
    “Let’s feed you, and make sure we both know what we’ve got to do. It isn’t going to be easy and I have no idea how long it’ll take, but I promise you, we’ll