for. She punched his shoulder, shocking him enough to let her wriggle off his lap, which didn't help at all. All he could think of was getting her back where he wanted her, while she traipsed around the kitchen pulling on clothes.
She didn't face him until she was dressed, and he wondered if she thought it was some kind of armor. If she did, she was in for a rude awakening. She was almost as sexy in the tight jeans and sweater as out of them. Like she could read his mind, she set her hands on her hips and glared at him.
“You're coming home with us?”
He nodded and she turned to Caleb. “You're gonna make him your beta?”
“Yes.”
For the first time, he saw a hint of uncertainty cross her face. “Are you going to fire me?”
Caleb took a long time to answer, and Zach knew he wanted to say yes. Hell, that's what he wanted. She was their mate. Theirs to protect. The trick was to not smother her in the course of protection.
“No,” Caleb finally answered, and while Zach understood why, he wanted to howl his outrage. “You're a symbol of my father's strength in the pack. And mine. Ours,” he added, meeting Zach's eyes.
She glanced at both of them and then turned her gaze to the floor while shaking her head.
“Not a very good one. Human. A witch with no powers.” He stared at her wondering if the sex was good enough to make her lose her mind. When he looked at Caleb, he saw the same expression.
“Kitten,” he said taking her hand. “Your power is pulsing in the room.” And it was. He'd felt it earlier when they'd shared her. It was stronger now. She snorted and jerked away.
“Sex magic. That'll be real useful in a fight,” she said sarcastically. “Hold on a minute, dude, while I go fuck one of my mates. Yeah.
“Well,” Caleb started drily, but his tone turned inflexible. “If you're getting
He did too.
“What do you expect me to call it, Caleb?”
He was watching as Caleb's expression just…shut down and he felt Liza's presence again, pulsing through the room. Zach wondered what the hell her powers were because the look she turned on Caleb was shocked and full of a lot of “wow, I'm sorry.” He didn't know all the details of what had happened with them other than Caleb had left her letting her believe he didn't want her. As much as he might want to intervene, he knew better. That was something they needed to work out on their own.
“I've got things to take care of before I can leave. I'll be a couple hours behind you two.” Caleb just nodded, but Liza looked panicked once his words sank in. “I'll see you tomorrow, kitten,” Zach said softly and turned to leave.
She caught him on the front porch, her arms crossed over her torso as a feeble barrier against the cold. “We can wait for you.”
He studied her a moment before answering, wondering what the hell had happened with Caleb to turn a normally confident woman into someone who needed a shield?
“I can't get in the middle of that, Liza. You need to work this out with Caleb. Whatever the problem is.”
She shut down. He saw it. Every emotion fled from her eyes, her face settled into that serene, tuning-him-out expression. No way in hell. He pulled her close, wrapped her in his embrace even while she resisted responding.
“Kitten.” His heart ached for her, and he seriously considered kicking Caleb's ass. “I don't know what happened, but he loves you. He would not have marked you otherwise.” Her forehead was pressed against his chest, and she shook her head. Her voice was as shaky as her body. “No. He wants me. But he doesn't want to.” He pulled away enough to make her look up at him. “He wouldn't have marked you if he didn't want you with everything in him, Liza, and that's about more than lust.” He sighed when he saw she didn't believe him and kissed her. Keeping it gentle and chaste.
Anything else would just delay everyone's departure. He set her away from him and turned toward his truck. “I'll see you tomorrow.”
She stayed on the porch, and he watched her as he backed down the long drive until she was out of sight. Now the hard part of the evening was coming. He turned left on the highway and wasn't surprised when thirty minutes later the house he'd come to was still lit up.
Normally, he wouldn't knock. But this night was the furthest from normal he'd ever experienced. They wouldn't deny his request, no, but they could in the end deny him his family.
He'd hate to give that up, but for Liza and Caleb, he'd do damned near anything.
He hesitated before knocking, straightened his spine, and plunged in. He had no idea how his fathers would take the news and saw only a second of question on his oldest brother's face when he answered the door.
Zach followed Matthew down the hall to the large study where everyone was hanging out.
There were two large desks in the room. They were placed in an L shape against the back wall where alpha and beta could both easily see anyone who entered. Both were there now, leaning back, relaxed, and drinking a beer. His mother was in the room too, her back against a pillow on the deep window seat. When he crossed the room, leaned down, and kissed her cheek, she looked up and smiled, her sharp knowing eyes searching his face. He shook his head, not responding to her unasked questions, but she wouldn't be put off.
She turned her stare back to the knitting on her lap, and Zach let a moment of sadness wash over him. He'd miss his mother most. No one who looked in on the scene would imagine she was anything other than gentle and lovely. They'd be wrong. She'd run herd over five boys, had a spine of steel, and eyes in the back of her head. She looked up and met his gaze again.
“What's her name?” No way. Had to be mother ESP. How could she know about the woman who'd become his world in only a few hours' time?
