Curled up on the sofa, Layla took in her sister. The bright smile and easy-going attitude proved unexpected. Whatever Korbin had said to her had sparked a major change in her attitude. She hadn’t expected this change and had actually been dreading Mella’s arrival since Luca texted the guard. With Korbin gone and who knows what happening, she didn’t have it in her to fight with her sister.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Mella curled her legs up under her.

“I’m going to wait for Korbin. He should be back soon, hopefully.” She didn’t have the energy to do anything else. The stress and lack of sleep weighed on her like lead.

“Neil tells me there’s a pool over in the new building. Maybe when he gets back we could take a dip?”

“Most of the guards do laps as part of their workout routine, so the pool is normally busy between rotations but other than that, it’s empty. It’s indoor so you don’t have to worry about the weather,” Sparks explained.

“I don’t have a swimsuit.” She glanced down at the clothes she was wearing and wondered for the first time where Korbin had got them. “I don’t have anything.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it,” Sparks assured her. “I’m sure Rachel has a suit you can borrow.”

“I think a shopping trip is in order,” Mella suggested.

Fear blossomed within her at the very thought of a shopping trip. Leaving the compound terrified her. Donald was out there somewhere. Was he looking for her?

“That’s not going to be possible. At least not for now.” Sparks shook his head. “Korbin is handling the situation with Donald but having either of you in town at the moment would be too dangerous. If you need anything, we can get someone to pick it up. Right now, you both need to stay put.”

“Seems like you’ve got a spoilsport, too.” Mella tipped her head toward Neil who was standing near the door. “These guys have no sense of humor or adventure.”

“I don’t know about them but I’ve had enough adventure to last a lifetime.” She glanced at Sparks and Luca. Unlike her sister, she appreciated the protection and they seemed relaxed and friendly. They might not have been Mella’s normal bunch but these were good guys. They weren’t the partying type that Mella hung out with so no wonder the young woman wasn’t impressed.

“Life is supposed to be full of adventures.” Mella’s words pulled Layla back from her thoughts. “I bet these guys could show a girl a good time. Oh, that’s right—you’re taken by the head guy around here.”

“Korbin,” Layla reminded her.

“Yeah. You always did like the leader of the pack. I guess it matches your personality. You were never a follower.”

A truthful statement—but why did it feel like a jab when Mella said it?

“That’s why she’ll be the Alpha Female,” Sparks stated with pride. “She’ll make this clan whole and we’ll thrive because of her and Korbin.”

“Sounds like my sister.” Mella shook her head. “She can work her life away. I’d rather enjoy the good times.”

“Good times…” The words came out as barely above a whisper but Mella looked toward her. “The last good time I had was at that picnic Mom and Dad took us on. Days before she died, but she looked so happy even though I could tell she was exhausted.”

“You need to live more. That was too depressing.”

“No, those were memories,” Layla said. “Those people you call friends at school, they’re not. They won’t remember you in a few years. I’d rather have one really good friend than a hundred so called friends. Those are the friendships that matter, the people that make an impact on our lives.”

She glanced toward Sparks. He and Rachel had been that for her. She barely knew them, had only seen them a few times in town when Donald had allowed her to show up for her job at the general store. That friendship she had developed with them was what had saved her, and then, they’d brought Korbin into her life.

“So you’re serious about this…” Mella waved her hand around the room.

“You mean staying here? Korbin? What, Mel?” She wasn’t in the mood to play guessing games.

“Staying here with Korbin, mating, the whole thing. He explained some of it to me this morning, but are you sure?”

“I’m not sure what he told you, but yeah.” She leaned back to rest her head against the arm of the sofa, her gaze on her sister. “Korbin is unlike anyone I’ve known before. He’s…I don’t know how to put it into words. He stirs something within me. He’s protective and caring—the type of man I want to see you with, too. Not someone like Donald or that jerk you were dating.”

“Total jerk.” Mella sighed. “I found him in bed with my roommate. Now I have the two-bedroom apartment to myself and can barely make the rent. He only cut me a break last month when my payment was late because Donald was there.”

“What?” Layla’s back straightened. “He was at your apartment?”

“Yeah, he…” She shifted uneasily and brought her legs in front of her, hugging them to her chest. “He said you asked him to stop by to see how I was doing. You were busy with wedding plans and the migraines.”

“That bastard.” Layla ran her hand through her hair, pushing the long strands away from her face. “He never touched you, did he? I swear I’ll kill him if he laid a finger on you.” Everything she had done was to protect Mella and now she found out Donald had been visiting her. She had been diluting herself to believe she could protect Mella by being an obedient fiancée.

“No.” Mella’s voice rose, making Layla’s eyebrow rise in question. “Nothing like that, ever. He was sweet, caring. We’d talk. He never hurt me.”

The door behind her opened and Layla turned to find Korbin strolling through the door, Zaz a step behind him. Her gaze slid down his body, looking for any injuries or blood, but found nothing. Had he killed Donald? In that moment, she didn’t care. All she cared about was that he’d returned. “You’re back.”

“I told you I wouldn’t be gone long.” Stepping up behind the sofa, he brushed his fingers along her shoulder. “Mella, it’s nice to see you again. If you could excuse us, I need a moment alone with Layla.”

“Sure, I’ll go.” She glanced from him to Layla.

“There’s no need,” Korbin assured her as he came around the sofa and took Layla’s hand in his. “We only need a few minutes. Make yourself comfortable.”

“What happened?” Layla questioned as she followed him down the hallway to his bedroom.

“I’ve taken care of it.” Entering the bedroom, he pushed the door shut and wrapped his arms around her. “I needed this.”

“Huh?”

“You, baby.” He pressed her tight against his body. “I needed to have you in my arms again. My tiger has been straining my control since I left the compound. Knowing my mate is here while I’m off dealing with shit and not having the connection complete had my beast furious.”

“You could have taken care of that last night.” Needing to feel his embrace as much as he did, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“This needed to be taken care of so you would be sure.”

“And is it?” she pressed, needing to know what had happened with Donald.

“We delivered the message. Now it’s up to him to follow though—though we assured him if he comes anywhere near you, we’ll see he’s brought up on charges.”

“No.” She pulled back in his embrace to look up at him. “I signed a sworn statement—”

“Not about your father, though I know a good lawyer who can make sure nothing happened to you for that since you signed it under duress. I was talking about attempted murder charges for shooting you.” He ran his hand down her back. “We took Deputy Nora French with us. She’s Ted’s cousin and a cougar shifter. We’re handling this as shifter business for now but if he wants to make the matter public, she’s gathered the evidence to assure we can file charges.”

The thought of so many people involved, so many risking their safety to protect her made her ill. What had she done to deserve their goodwill? She’d met Nora a time or two when the woman had come into the general store but she barely knew her. She’d been brought into this because she was a shifter and a police officer—a necessary thing, but it didn’t make her feel any less guilty.

“So now what?”

“We wait.” He slid a hand down her back. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s all we can do. We have to wait and see if Donald makes a move or if he’ll leave things be. In the meantime, you and Mella need to stay here where you’re safe.”

“What happens afterwards?” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I mean with us.”

“If I have my say I want you by my side, as my mate and the Alpha Female of the Ohio Tigers.”

“I told you—”

He pressed his finger to her lips, silencing her.

“I know, but I want you to be sure.” Pulling his finger away from her lips, he watched her closely for a moment. “We stripped the place of anything belonging to you. The guards will bring the bags in when I leave. Go through it and keep what you want. Unpack what you’ll need for the next week or two. The rest I’d leave in the bags. Otherwise, you’ll have to repack. In the next week, I hope the new building will be complete.”

“When you leave?” She didn’t realize she was clinging to his shirt, holding him there, until her arm cramped.

“I’ve got to check on the progress with the new building. Then touch base with Ty, the Alpha of the Alaskan Tigers, to see how Merrie is adjusting. I won’t be long. I have to be back for a call with the website designer. He needs a name for the site.”

“What will it be? What are we planning to do here?”

“I love the sound of that.” His lips curled into a smile. “We.”

“I…”

“Accepted your place as my mate.” He ran his hand along her back. “Tonight, we’re going to have dinner together. Just the two of us. Knowing Luca’s mother, she’s going to whip us up something amazing. Afterwards, I’ll take you over to the new building and show you around. To answer your question, we’re going to give shifters who need to escape vindictive Alphas a new start. I’ve taken the concept of Manetka Resort which is run by the Texas Tigers and made it my own. This place will be a haven for those like Merrie who need to regain their confidence before they can move on with their lives.”

“Untamed Oasis? Untamed could show the wild side of your inner beast while oasis means a safe place. A mixture of beast and peace.”

“That’s better than anything I’ve come up with.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Care to join me for the call with the web designer? I think you could give him some tips on a professional but unique design. A woman’s touch is just what we’ve been missing.”

“Should I expect the new building, will be needing a woman’s touch, too?” She leaned against his chest. “I’ll be there for the call and whatever else I can do.”

“Good, and Rachel has helped with the designs but I’m sure she could use your help. Maybe you can get Mella involved in that, too.”

Her body froze at the mention of Mella. “What are we going to do with her? She seems in a better mood today but she’s going to want to go back to class. College has been her escape. She might give us the week but by Friday, she’s going to be a nightmare. She likes the party life she has at college.”

“I’ll handle her,” he assured her. “I think she likes being alive more than attending a party. At least, I hope so.”

“Thanks.” She rested her head on his chest. “I’ve known you less than a day but I feel like it’s been so much longer.”

“I know.” His fingers tangled in her hair. “We’ve got the rest of our lives.”

The rest of our lives. That sweet statement sent butterflies through her stomach. In his arms, she felt as though she belonged. This was where she was supposed to be, where she could feel so good. More than anything, she felt loved. If someone had asked her a few days ago if she believed in fairy tales or love at first sight, she would have told them ‘not a chance’. Now, she knew all of that existed. She was falling in love with him.

No, I’m already in love with him.