“I'm sorry about back there.”
Zach only nodded, giving no sign of the hurt or jealousy he must be feeling.
“Never seen you go possessive over a woman. It took me a minute to figure out.” He shook his head. “You can't let anyone know about her, man. You need to get her out of the area ASAP.”
No shit. And no way. He wasn't letting her go. “I wasn't planning on taking out a newspaper notice,” he said sarcastically.
Zach's eyes narrowed. “But you also weren't planning on sending her off, were you?”
He shrugged. What could he say? Zach knew him well enough that he'd see through a lie.
Instead of berating him, though, Zach smiled. Slow and wicked.
“Hard to blame you. She is a pretty morsel. Witch or not.” Caleb knew what he was thinking, and thankfully, unlike at the bar, his first instinct was not to smash his fist into Zach's face.
Zach spread his arms in a placating gesture, misreading Caleb's expression. “Hey, man, it's cool. You don't want to share. I get it.”
But his face made it clear that he didn't really get it and he didn't like it. They shared women all the time, and he'd told Zach about Liza, but he hadn't told him she was his mate. He hadn't told him because it was a truth he'd refused to see. Now it couldn't be denied. She
He shook his head. “That's not it. Zach. I really am…sorry about the bar.” Zach laughed. “Just kills you to apologize, doesn't it?” He growled. “Keep pushing.”
Zach sobered, but it wasn't from the threat. “This changes things.”
“Not between us, it doesn't.”
He got a quick grin and short nod for his effort.
“Right. But either we're both taking a new lover or just you.” He didn't miss the question in Zach's statement and the more he thought about it, the less concerned he was about sharing her. But only with Zach. He wasn't sure how Liza would feel about that, but Caleb thought she might be willing to try it out at least. He'd seen the interest on her face when he'd interrupted Zach at the bar. Hell, he had no intention of giving Zach up either.
How would she feel about that?
Zach sent him a questioning look. “Stick around,” Caleb said, stepping forward for a hard kiss. “I really am sorry.”
One corner of Zach's mouth curved up. “You'll make it up to me.” He laughed, wondering how Zach intended to exact his payment. It was a relief to know they were still solid. His behavior at the bar hadn't changed that. Bringing Liza into the relationship would change things, but not that.
“This is a group relationship, not me involved in two separate relationships,” he murmured before kissing Zach again, letting it go slow and deep and sultry. They pulled apart when the shower turned off.
Liza didn't dally and a couple minutes later, he heard the door open, caught her clean, fresh scent. It affected him the way it had since she was a teenager, sending a carnal explosion of need through him. He'd learned to repress it, but now he let it free, embraced it, and power surged through him.
He focused on her, saw her intense stare at Zach, and knew she had to feel at a distinct disadvantage, but her expression was almost serene. The scent of fear was already dissipating.
Her voice was light when she addressed him, and he doubted even Zach heard the tremor under it. “Turning me over?”
She moved to put her hands in her back pockets, and he knew instinctively he'd misjudged her. She wasn't the same girl he remembered, and that tremor in her voice wasn't from fear.
“I'll turn you over my knee if you draw that knife,” he drawled.
She turned her focused glare from Zach to him. “Is that right? I would suggest you keep dreaming.”
But she did lift and spread her hands so he could see she was unarmed. “I just want to go home. You stay here. We'll both die happy.”
Her words were conciliatory but her stance…that stance was a loose fighter's stance.
Ready to move. Ready to react. He had to smile. Where had she found this backbone?
“I don't think so, baby. You and I have a few past issues to work through.” She stepped farther into the room. “No, Caleb, we don't. Let me go before someone gets hurt.”
If any other woman had said that to him, he would have laughed. But he'd seen this one fight full-grown werewolves and come out on top. Zach, however, wasn't as smart. His chuckles broke the silence. Without completely turning her focus from him, she speared Zach with a look that would have made most men cry. Caleb shook his head as Zach realized his mistake. He held his hands out again and shook his head.
“Yeah. Not me. You want to mess his face up a little bit, he's all yours. I like mine fine the way it is.” Caleb watched in amazement as Zach gave a courtly bow. “Your reputation precedes you.”
“My reputation for pissing him off?” she asked with a jerk of her chin in Caleb's direction.
“That's the one,” Zach responded with a grin.
It wasn't until he saw her lips twitch in a repressed smile that he realized Zach had done just the thing to defuse the situation. His amusement mixed with respect put her at ease in a way Caleb hadn't. Caleb watched as her gaze swept over Zach's body, not bothering to hide her appreciation. She shook her head. “You're dangerous, aren't you?” she murmured.
