"I think I've seen enough. I can't help you."
He stood up faster than he'd expected and yelled, "what?"
"I can't help you."
Panic shot up his spine. He needed her help. He was barely holding it together as it was. He'd fought his own nature for far too long. Even the adrenaline of the fight ring wasn't enough. The rush of jumping into a burning building hadn't worked either. His whole life had been built around subduing the animal nature within him and he couldn't do it anymore.
"No. Wait. Please. I'm sorry. I'm open to whatever and whoever you think works. I need your help."
He sat down in defeat. He needed help. God, those words were awful.
Bracing his elbows on his knees, he hung his head, cradling his face with his hands. He didn't rely on anyone. Never had. Never wanted to. Relying on people got you hurt. His mom would know. After Kian has sent her husband to jail, she'd stopped talking to him. His mom had been human, and she'd never been strong enough to handle his dad.
"Fine," said Geri. But you need to let your past go. Let it go and move on. And remember, whoever I send you, if she is there, you do not need to worry crushing her with those huge hands of yours. Now, be off. I'll be in contact with you soon. It just so happens I've recently had a new client that might be perfect.
* * *
Ethan tossed a beer to Kian as he made his way back to the couch.
"So, a human huh?" asked Ethan.
"I know Gerri has a killer track record according to just about everyone, but yes. She actually asked if I would consider a human."
They both stared at whatever game happened to be playing on TV. Ethan was probably paying better attention than Kian. The woman from the gym crossed his mind completely unbidden and he didn't want to chase her away. She was human but she could probably give him as much as he dished out. That being said, he wouldn't mind getting his hands on her ass. She was muscle with curves in all the right places. She wasn't tall, but she seemed to make up for that with her attitude. And her boots. Watching her walk away, he'd almost pounced on her.
"Maybe she knows something we don't? I mean human is easier than trying to get another species to accept you. We wouldn't be single if that weren't true," said Ethan.
Kian shook off the visual of grabbing the woman and pressing her into the wall. The idea of claiming her right then and there had his heart ratcheting up a notch.
Where the hell had that come from?
He could practically feel her breasts against him, rising and falling with every breath she took. And fuck him. He took a long pull of his beer.
He apparently had a thing for her, too bad he'd just signed away his life to Gerri the matchmaker. Kian was fairly certain he shouldn't mess with her and her idea of fate.
"So, yeah. Human. Maybe,” said Kian absently.
His phone rang. As he glanced at the caller ID, an acidic burn sat in his throat.
"Hey man, be right back."
Kian didn't bother waiting for a response as he got up and walked away.
"Mom. Hi. What's it been? Six months?"
Kian couldn't stop himself from answering, but he didn't need to be surgery sweet either.
"Hi baby. I'm sure you heard your fathers out?"
Typical mom, don't pass go, do not collect two-hundred dollars, just sucker punch.
"Yeah. I heard. I got notified this morning."
"Oh good. So I was thinking maybe you two could talk then. You never went to see him in jail and I think maybe you owe him an apology. He is the only dad you will ever have."
Deep breaths. Take some deep fucking breaths, he told himself.
"Nope. Pretty sure I don't."
There was a long pause. Kian was still trying to figure out how his mother was how she was. He wanted to take her side, he wanted to defend her, but he couldn't. She stayed with a bastard who beat her. She waited for him while he was in prison. She took his side over her own son. Kian had always heard that mothers would defend their cubs, their kids. Apparently that wasn't true, at least not with every species. He was raised with a survival of the fittest mentality and that’s what he was doing now. Surviving. Too bad the beast inside stretched his claws and was ready to rip the throat out of his father. He wasn't any happier with the shitty justice system the city had.
"Yeah. Sorry mom. I didn't drink the same Kool-aid you did."
"Well, dear. You know how to reach me," was all his mother said before the familiar silence of a dead connection filled the air between them.
He needed to run. He needed fresh air. He needed something other than that. Too bad the woman he wanted wasn't within reach and probably didn't even know he was alive.
Glancing out the window at the fading sun his cougar stretched out settling for the freedom of a short run. Ripping his shirt over his head, Kian headed for his room.
"I need to run. Lock up before you go if I'm not back," he yelled to Ethan.
Pulling at the waistband of his shorts he let them fall inside the doorway. He stripped to nothing as he reached the window pulling it open, he ducked out to the fire escape. His body shivered as the shift started to take over. He'd welcome the freedom of his cougar over the thoughts flooding through his mind.
Curling her lip, Raine scanned herself in the mirror. Yup. This wasn't getting any better. The mirror was not her friend, and if she had to guess it didn't even like her.
"Would you stop fussing? Women with large chests don't have little delicate figures.
