Cougar Bait Read online

  “You’re pregnant?” Samantha asked blankly.

  “Oh, that’s right—I never got to tell you!” Sadie took a deep breath. “Yes, I am. I know I’m babbling. I’m just so glad to hear from you! Anyway, Fiona wanted us to stay away and leave finding you up to Keller because of the partial life-bond you two had—”

  “Not so partial anymore,” Samantha said, and shivered, thinking of the strange way the big Shifter had been able to actually talk directly into her mind. That couldn’t be normal, could it?

  “What was that?” Sadie asked. “Did I hear that right? Did the two of you bond?”

  “Yes,” Samantha said shortly. “But only because he wanted me to have his baby. That’s all he cares about—all he’s ever cared about.”

  She couldn’t help remembering the light in Keller’s eyes when he’d talked about the baby—about how he would take care of it if she couldn’t manage. She was still more than half convinced he’d been working with Lounds all along. It all made sense when she thought about it—the fact that the attack had happened in Vegas in a hotel room he had rented for her, the way he’d been there to comfort her and pick up the pieces afterward, both times Lounds had hurt her, the way he’d managed to win her confidence, even her affection and then . . .

  Then he used it against me. He waited until the breeding fever was on me so strongly I couldn’t help myself—waited for me to beg him to breed me! The thought made her sick. Sick and angry and scared and shaky. A bad combination of emotions that swirled inside her like muddy water.

  “Samantha, honey, I really don’t think that’s true—” Sadie began, but Samantha didn’t want to hear it.

  “I don’t want to talk about it right now. Don’t want to talk about Keller ever again,” she cut her sister off.

  “I don’t understand. What happened?” Sadie persisted. “Didn’t he find you? Didn’t he help you?”

  “Just come get me,” Samantha said. She rattled off the address of Mimi’s Diner from the menu in front of her, which boasted specialties like mudpuppy stew and deep-fried gator tail. “And please hurry.”

  Sadie knew when not to push.

  “On my way,” she said simply. “I love you, sis.”

  “Love you too,” Samantha said, softening a little. “I can’t wait to see you.”

  “Can’t wait to see you either, Sammie. Mathis and I are coming for you.”

  She hung up and Samantha was left to study her cup of coffee and wonder what she was going to tell her sister. And what the hell she was going to do with her life if she did indeed turn up pregnant.

  * * *

  Keller watched from across Alligator Alley, hidden deep in the tall grass and scrub bushes, still in his Cougar form. He’d been shadowing Samantha all night, making sure she didn’t run into trouble during her first Shift. Her female Cougar was beautiful, with sleek fur and sharp fangs—the perfect complement to his own Shifted form.

  Too bad she didn’t want a damn thing to do with him.

  If Keller could have sighed and run a hand through his hair, he would have. Of course, that was impossible in his animal form, so he simply growled mournfully.

  How could he have gotten things so damn wrong?

  In his defense, it had seemed like Samantha was finally coming around to the idea of being his mate—at least while the breeding fever was on her. She had been through Rejuvenation and her body was young and fertile—not only that, she had begged him to give her his seed. Keller had been hoping that she had realized they belonged together—that she was his true mate and the female destined to bear his children.

  No such luck. She didn’t want him or his child any more than Rachel had.

  Was there something wrong with him? Something defective that drove away the women he loved?

  Such philosophical questions were complicated in his Cougar form, which was more basic than his human one. Still, though many Shifters reverted to pure animal instinct during a Shift, Keller had always managed to retain his sharp intellect, even when he lost the rest of his humanity. He suspected that Samantha had retained hers as well, which was why Shifting made her more upset rather than calming her down.

  Now she’s stuck with her animal form and all the complications that go with it, he thought grimly, watching her with his sharp Cougar’s gaze as she sat in the diner and stirred her coffee morosely. Stuck with a bond to me . . . and to the monthly needs that will start manifesting soon.

  If she wasn’t already pregnant, that was.

  Was she? The question gnawed at Keller, but he knew he could do nothing about it either way. Samantha wanted nothing more to do with him, and she wasn’t interested in explanations or excuses. Basically, she wanted her old life back, before she’d found out she had the Shifter Gene and her whole existence had been turned inside out.

  Well, he couldn’t take away her knowledge of the Shifter World or give her back the worldview she’d had before she understood her true heritage. But he could give her back her old life—at least Keller thought he could.

  As he watched, a rental truck drove up to the diner, and Mathis and Sadie got out. Sadie, whose belly was bulging even more than the last time he’d seen her, went rushing into the diner and threw her arms around her sister. There was a tearful reunion, and he saw both of them were crying—Samantha shaking her head while Mathis looked helplessly on, watching as his mate comforted her sister as best she could.

  Keller was careful not to intrude mentally on her, but he couldn’t help picking up the emotions she was putting out loud and clear. There was no joy in her mating to him and no excitement in the idea that she might be pregnant. There was only fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

  Samantha was miserable, and he, Keller, was the author of that misery.

  She hates me, he thought. Wants nothing to do with me. God, how could I screw things up so badly?

  A rush of sadness and loss ran through Keller in a flood. If he’d been a Wolf instead of a Cougar, he would have thrown back his head and howled his sorrow. But he couldn’t howl. Couldn’t do anything but give Samantha what she seemed to want more than anything else—her freedom from him and the whole Shifter World.

  Satisfied that she was in safe hands, he turned and loped off into the scrub brush at the side of the road. He had to get back to his rented Porsche, and from there back to his jet, so he could return to his lab in New York.

  He had a lot of work to do before he could talk to Samantha again . . . for what would doubtless be the last time.

  Chapter 20

  “Now you’re sure you’re okay and you feel comfortable being alone?” Sadie looked at her anxiously, wanting to be sure, no doubt, that she wasn’t abandoning her sister.

  “Perfectly comfortable,” Samantha lied. “And I’m really okay with being alone—honestly.”

  That last part wasn’t a lie, anyway. Although she adored her sister and liked her new brother-in-law Mathis just fine, it had been three weeks since they got back to Tampa, and she was ready to have her house to herself again. Plus, it was just plain awkward having houseguests when she hadn’t prepared for them—especially Fiona, Cougarville’s resident wise woman—who had also insisted on staying to keep an eye on Sadie’s pregnancy.

  If Samantha was honest with herself, her sister’s pregnancy was the main reason she was ready for some alone time. As much as she loved Sadie, watching her belly swell and hearing her and Mathis discuss possible baby names while Fiona dispensed Shifter birthing lore was almost more than Samantha could take—especially since she wasn’t yet sure if she herself was pregnant or not.

  I should take a test, she told herself for the hundredth time. I should find out for sure so I can deal with the results.

  But she couldn’t bear to do it. Even though it had been over three weeks since Keller had bred her—and that was how she thought of it, because it most certainly hadn’t been making love or even just plain sex—Samantha still couldn’t stand to know for sure.

  Her period was a lit