Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

"It is rude, as you know, and you'll have to stick around for a while to get me to reveal my deepest secrets."

Amalie was half-joking, but also sort of feeling Billy out to see if he wanted to stay a bit longer. They hadn't talked about where they stood after jumping into bed, so this was her way of broaching the subject delicately.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm happy to stay as long as you want me," he replied without hesitation, reassuring her that he really was as interested in prolonging this arrangement as she was.

"We can take it slow, but I'm off from work for a week, so I'll have time to spend with you, if you want to stay," she told him honestly. Now, she knew why she'd felt the need to use her vacation time when she hadn't had any plans. It was good to know that her magical intuition functioned even when she wasn't using her power consciously.

He laid back down, and they just rested for a while. When they had been silent for a few minutes, she spoke again. "I like your lion."

The statement hung between them in the darkened room. She hoped he understood her tone to convey the deep and true admiration she had for the majestic beast that shared his soul.

"He likes you too," Billy said after a moment. She thought she heard both satisfaction and puzzlement in his tone, but she couldn't be sure.

She would've said more, but the fatigue of the day and the utter boneless bliss weighing her body down after their activities lulled her to sleep. His warmth around her, she slept.

The next morning, they went out for breakfast to a little place Amalie knew, where, she promised Billy, they served the best waffles in the state and a smorgasbord of breakfast meats. Amalie claimed the spread should tame even a lion of his size and appetite.

They enjoyed a leisurely, romantic breakfast in a quiet corner of the restaurant where they could be mostly alone while an indulgent waitstaff let them be, for the most part. Billy noted that a few of the women working there were shifters. They nodded just slightly in acknowledgement when Billy had first walked in with Amalie.

Billy's presence in the area hadn't had to be cleared with any particular Alpha because nobody laid claim to this particular town. At least, no Alpha of high rank, though there were a few shifter families in just about every town these days. He was pretty sure word of his presence was being spread through the local shifter grapevine even as he ate breakfast with the lovely Amalie.

Lions of any rank had a big presence. There was a reason wild lions were known as kings of the jungle. Even if the local shifter ladies didn't know exactly what he was, they felt his Alpha tendencies and his cat's enormous magical presence. They naturally deferred to him, and nobody challenged, which was usually how things when for him. Only occasionally would some puffed-up Alpha of another species challenge him in an effort to prove dominance.

It all depended on the situation and the challenger how Billy responded. Once in a while, he'd had to thump a few so-called Alphas on the head to get them to see reason. A few times, he hadn't had time or patience to deal with a challenge, so he'd walked away. It all depended on circumstances, really.

But right now, he didn't want to deal with anything other than being with his lover. Amalie was his focus, and he wouldn't countenance any interference with that. Luckily, the local shifters he'd seen so far seemed sensible and hadn't offered any challenges. He hoped it stayed that way.

After they'd finished eating and they were leaving the restaurant, Billy got a tingly feeling he knew all too well. He helped Amalie into his truck then got in on the other side. He started the vehicle before he spoke.

"Do you—" he started, but she finished his sentence.

"Feel like someone's watching us?" She nodded. "Yup."

Damn, he liked her tone and the way she didn't draw attention to herself. She sat casually, as if they were discussing the weather, so that any watchers wouldn't know they'd been made.

"Question is," she went on. "What can we do about it? Do you think we're in imminent danger?"

"That's always a possibility, but my lion doesn't really sense a threat, which feels a little odd to my human side. It's more curious than alarmed." He mused on that as he pulled out of the restaurant's parking lot and onto the road.

"Are your cat's instincts always right?" she asked.

"Usually," he replied, shrugging.

"Okay, then. How do you want to handle this?"

He loved that she was deferring to his expertise. If they were dealing with something magical, he'd probably do the same for her. She really was turning out to be a great partner, which boded well for the future. If he could convince her that they belonged together. Forever.

That word didn't scare him as much as he'd always thought it would. It turned out that contemplating forever with the right woman, wasn't scary at all. Who knew?

"I did a bit of reconnaissance around town the past day or two," he told her. "I think I know a place where we can force our watcher out of hiding and see what's what. Are you game? If my lion is wrong about the watcher's intent, it could get dicey, but as I said, my instincts are usually pretty reliable. Still, it's your choice."

She liked that. He could tell by the sparkle in her eyes as she thought it over. She was so beautiful, it made his heart hurt in the best possible way. Lively, intelligent, gorgeous inside and out…and magical. He didn't know what kind of magic she had yet, but he'd felt the tingle of it against his senses and knew she had power. How much and what kind would be a surprise to savor. He couldn't wait to spend the rest of his days learning every last facet of her personality.

But he was getting ahead of himself again. Billy drove slowly, watching the rearview mirror for the tail he sensed was back there, but he didn't see anything. Someone with skills, then. This game was kind of fun to his inner cat, who liked solving mysteries. Curiosity was part of a lion's—any feline's, really— raison d'etre .

"Let's do it," Amalie said, bringing him back to the matter at hand. "Where did you have in mind? I assume we don't want to lead anyone back to my place."

"Right," he agreed. "I saw a state park entrance just outside town that had a somewhat secluded parking area at a trail head. Didn't seem like a lot of people used it."

"I know the place. It's more popular on holiday weekends and summer vacation. This time of year, not many people will be around. Good call," she said, settling back in her seat. "What can I do to help?"

"Just have my back. When I park the truck, I'm going to get out, and I want you to slide over here into the driver's seat so you're ready to go if things head south. I'll leave my phone with you so you can call my brothers and let them know if I'm wrong, and this is something I can't handle myself. Rich has contacts with local shifter resources and can get you protection within minutes. Call him first," he advised.

"If I need to, I will," she promised him, and he felt marginally better.

"Good. I honestly don't think it'll come to that. My lion's never been wrong about something like this, but then again, there's a first time for everything. So they say," he replied.

He pulled into the far corner of the empty lot and parked. Billy got out of the truck, and as he'd asked, Amalie slid over into the driver's seat, leaning back, mostly out of view. Billy walked into the trees just in front of the truck to wait and see what might turn up.

Although he didn't see a vehicle, a few minutes later, a man walked into the area. The newcomer was stealthy, but not quite stealthy enough to evade Billy's detection. He felt more than saw the man approach the truck, though he stayed to the trees and didn't get too close. He seemed to be observing, not acting, which was good. If the guy attacked, Billy would kill him. No questions asked. But watching might mean any number of things. Billy needed to establish which side the man was on before deciding on a course of action.

Billy walked out into the open.

"I know you're there," he called out. "You might as well show yourself so we can talk this out. Otherwise, I might just have to start shooting."

Billy opened his lightweight jacket to briefly display the shoulder holster he'd put on that morning. No way was he going unarmed when he was escorting Amalie around town.

Billy heard a muttered profanity before a young man emerged from the trees, his hands up. There was something very familiar about the man, and Billy felt his inner lion inexplicably relax. What was this?

"Aw, shit. You're a damned Kinkaid, aren't you?" Billy muttered a few curses of his own as he shook his head and wanted to kick something.

The newcomer looked a little embarrassed. And well he should be at getting caught so easily.

"My name is Gavin. And you're right. I'm a Kinkaid. Sam sent me up here to see if I could help," he said, though Billy knew there was more to it.

"And to snoop, I have no doubt. Does the big badass lion king want to know what the poor relations are like?" Again, Billy felt the need to hit something, but there was nothing at hand.

"It's not like that," Gavin said immediately. "Sure, Lester called Sam about you guys, and he asked me to come here and shadow you, in case you ran into trouble. It was supposed to be good practice for me, and maybe a chance to get to know more about a lost member of the family." Gavin moved a little closer, lowering his hands. "From what I hear, you're not used to working missions alone. My presence was supposed to add a little insurance in case you ran up against something you couldn't handle."

"Really," Billy scoffed. "Son, you don't look old enough to be of any help in the field. Did you ever serve?"

Now, the younger man looked offended. "I may be younger than you, but I know what I'm doing." His chin came up defiantly. "In fact, I'm the same age as your younger brother. I doubt you question his abilities, despite his age."

Billy had to hand it to him, the kid had balls. "All right. But I know my brother's training and experience. I've worked with him for years. I know I can rely on him. You? I only just met you, and I don't really know the first thing about you."

Gavin nodded. "Okay. You've got a point there, I'll grant you, but Sam wouldn't have sent me out here if he didn't think I could be of some help to you."

Despite his annoyance at being spied on by the Clan, Billy found his anger dissipating. He couldn't really get too upset when his inner lion insisted on seeing Gavin as a younger family member. Not quite a brother, but a cousin, for sure. His lion liked the young bastard and wouldn't even allow Billy to give the kid a good scare. Dammit.

Billy let go of a gusty sigh. "Look, Gavin. I sense your heart's in the right place, but me and my brothers really don't want anything to do with the Clan. Nothing has changed there. While I appreciate you taking the time to come all the way here and try to help out, I doubt there's anything you can do in that regard. So far, the only threat I've sensed has been you. And the lady," he gestured toward his truck, "came out here to get away from magic. I'm seeing to it that she is protected, but I had to talk my way into even doing that much. I seriously doubt she'll want two shifters nosing into her business. And, she and I have gotten pretty close." He dropped his voice low so that only he and the other lion could hear. "At this point, you'd be a pretty annoying third wheel, if you get my meaning."

Gavin nodded, understanding dawning over his face. "Never let it be said that I got in the way of romance." He kept his own voice low so Amalie wouldn't hear, and Billy appreciated his discretion. Gavin advanced a few steps, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card, which he offered to Billy. "I'll be in the area for a few days. If you need anything, just give me a call."

Billy took the card. It had the man's name and a phone number, and that was it. He had to give it to the kid. He did have panache.

"I won't be calling you, but thanks all the same." Billy wanted to make sure this kid knew, in no uncertain terms, that the three renegade brothers really didn't want anything to do with the Clan.

"Heard and understood. It was nice meeting you, Bill."

"It's Billy." Now, why in the world had he felt the need to correct the man? Better to keep this Clan Kinkaid at arm's length, right?

"Billy," Gavin repeated with a smile. "Some of my friends call me Gav."

Crap. Now, they were using each other's nicknames. If he wasn't careful, soon Billy would be inviting this kid over for lunch. Damn. Gav had a way of sneaking in under someone's radar. Maybe that was his superpower.

Gavin left, and Billy shook his head. He couldn't help but smile. For a member of the Clan that had been so awful to his parents, this guy was actually kind of nice. Billy wouldn't let that influence him. He and his brothers had decided to keep the Clan out of their lives, and he would stick to that.

Billy turned and went back to the truck. Amalie slid back to the passenger side, allowing him to retake his place behind the wheel. He sat there for moment, still marveling at the encounter.

"I take it he was a friend?" Amalie asked gently

"Something like that," Billy admitted. "The Clan Alpha sent him to help me." Billy shook his head again. "Apparently, word has gone out about me and my brothers, and now, the Alpha wants to know more about us. The kid's name is Gavin, and he's my little brother's age." Billy handed her the card with Gavin's name and number.

"Well, that's kind of nice," she offered hesitantly. "Was this sort of an olive branch?"

"I guess so. Though I don't know this guy, and I don't know what help he'd be if there really was trouble," Billy told her. Amalie handed back the card, and Billy tucked it into his pocket. "He agreed to back off when I told him I wanted nothing to do with the Clan, but I don't know if that was just a temporary strategic retreat, or if he really will respect my wishes. Knowing lions like I do, I suspect he's gonna stick around, watching from afar. At least for a little while. Nosy little bugger. I wanted to scare him off, but my cat side wouldn't let me. The lion insists on seeing Gavin as family. It won't let me hurt him, much less scare him." Billy growled.

Amalie laughed, and he decided to just let it go. He wasn't going to let family nonsense intrude on his time with her.

He started the truck and headed back to Amalie's house. He had much better things to do with his time then worry about long-lost family.

"I noticed your backyard was a little overgrown," he ventured as they neared her place. "Would you mind if I did a little judicious pruning of some of the tree branches? It might make it easier to see if anyone is hiding in the undergrowth."

"Sure. I've been meaning to trim a few of the branches myself ever since I moved in. I don't think anybody's really taken good care of the garden for a few years. The landlord said I could do whatever I wanted, as long as I didn't rip out all the trees and bushes. Of course, Humblebee might object. He spends most of his time stalking through the undergrowth."

Billy chuckled. "Don't worry about the cat. I can have a little talk with him, if I must."