Chapter 3
Carly was nursing a cup of coffee as she watched Marc move around the kitchen making breakfast. He explained that apparently he hadn’t slept and was in desperate need of food before he could listen to another word she had to say. It wasn’t wise to challenge an alpha so she sat there with her coffee and watched him.
She noticed he was dressed all in evening clothes that suggested he went out maybe for a date the night before. Judging by his sour mood that date must’ve not gone well.
He turned around and stared her down with those intense blue eyes of his. He was clutching a pair of tongs to flip bacon and should look ridiculous but that stare didn’t leave any room for doubt of his strength. “So…” he began, letting the word hang there to get under her skin.
She let out a small sigh. “You think I’m here to hurt her in some way. That isn’t the case, I swear it.”
“And what would you be swearing it on?”
She felt her skin grow hot, this man was positively intimidating. “I don’t have any children or a husband if that’s what you’re asking. My mother is still back in Arizona and my father passed away three years ago during a challenge for power.”
“Was he a panther as well?”
“Yes I’m a purebred.”
He nodded and turned around to remove the bacon out of the pan and on to a platter. A young man appearing to be no older than twenty raced into the room. “Food.” He moaned and in a dash had a piece of bacon in his hand. Turned away from the stove he noticed they had a guest. “Oh, hello, and you are?”
He was a charming little fellow she thought with a small smile. “My name is Carly.”
“Are you here with Marc? Because trust me you can do so much better.” The young man was trying to flirt with her and she just thought that was too cute. She had to be at least nine years older than him.
Marc elbowed the boy. “It’s too early for bad humor, Nathan. She’s here to ask some questions and that’s it. Stop hogging the food, if you don’t save Shelby some she will sic Andrew on you.”
“She really has to stop sending him to threaten the rest of us. It’s were on were crime and it needs to stop.” Nathan joked, grabbing three pieces before turning to exit the kitchen. On his way out he made sure to wink at Carly.
“How far off his league is he?” Marc asked while he pulled out a chair and sat.
“Not that far if I was about ten years younger. He’s rather adorable.”
“Try living with him and see if you still feel that way. How old are you?”
“Twenty nine.”
“You don’t look that old.”
“I have ID if you don’t believe me.”
“I was actually paying you a compliment but anyway. Twenty nine makes you older than Ariana, were you around when she was born?” he was very protective of Ariana and made no attempts in turning to conceal that or the fact if Ariana was hurt in some way he’d make the person suffer tenfold.
Carly was glad she really wasn’t there for any wrong doing because she didn’t want Marc’s wrath pointed at her. “Yes. We didn’t live too close but I saw the baby a few times before everything happened.” It wasn’t easy to think back on the day she learned on the massacre that took place during what should’ve been a happy time.
Satisfied with her answer he began to dig into his plate of bacon and pancakes. “Are you sure you aren’t hungry?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I actually should be going. I’ll try back in two weeks and see if she’s back by then.”
“Are you going back to Arizona?”
She took one more sip of her coffee and stood from the chair. “No, that’s a long way to travel then to come back. I saw a few signs in town for a motel.”
“Why don’t you stay here? We have several rooms empty.”
Carly didn’t mistake his words for an offering of kindness. “You want to keep an eye on me. Why?”
“Because I don’t trust you. Sure everything you are saying could be the truth but you’re hiding something and that means it could be dangerous and the last thing Ariana needs is more danger.”
She wanted to tell his man he had no right to expect her to tell him anything but she was more concerned with what he was saying about her cousin. “Has something bad happened to her?”
“If you stick around I’ll answer any questions you have about her.”
She didn’t like ultimatums but at the same time this alpha knew how to play his cards. If she stayed there she could save money and learn about the person she has been trying to find for a long time now. With a groan she sat back down in the chair. “A deal is a deal so start talking. What’s happened to her?”
Marc glanced away from her face and busied himself with his plate of food. His protectiveness for Ariana was front and center but so was a wave of regret he didn’t seem to be able to hide. “The man that took her and adopted her was a hunter. Everything was good until she started to get mixed up with us and to show signs of being a shifter. When her adoptive father saw this he took her and wiped her memory clean and trained her to be a killer severing the hunters union. She’s remembering more and more but there are still a lot of holes left.”
Her heart tightened with hate for this unknown man who hurt Ariana in such ways all because she was different. Intolerance was all over the world alive and well. “Where is he now?”
“Dead.”
Carly stared at the man as he finished off his plate, she waited but he said nothing else on the subject. “You mentioned she has a daughter?” it was beautiful to know their heritage was being passed down. A lot of shifters saw it as a curse but she wasn’t one of them. Her animal was a gift.
“Yes, she just turned three. She and the baby’s father, Jax, he’s also my nephew, are engaged to be married.” once more he tried to mask his expressions but she saw clear as day the regret and guilt he was struggling with.
“That makes sense, you’re family and that’s how you know so much about her.” If this Jax guy looked anything like his uncle she could see why Ariana might like him. Marc had a rotten personality as far as she could see but the man was beautiful.
“Yeah, that’s it.” He stood and carried the dirty dishes over to the sink. “Is there anything else you want to know?”
“Yes I want to know everything. It’s been me and my mom for so long I’m amazed to learn about my cousin and second cousin.”
“I’ll tell you what I can but I think its time we talk about you again.” Whatever he had been struggling with emotionally was nice and tucked away as he stared at her again with those determined eyes that spoke volumes of how serious he was.
“If it helps ease your wariness toward me then sure ask me whatever you’d like.”
He pushed off the counter he had been leaned against. “Follow me. I’m going to show you around and introduce you to everyone before we continue.”