Page 24 of Their Defiant Mate

“Good.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

The gesture surprised her. It seemed out of character for Jon. Then his heated words echoed back to her,I didn’t want to be transformed into this savage creature. But here we are.

Who had Jon been before his transformation? Some part of him was bothered by his new savagery. If she could access that part of his personality, maybe there was hope for this courtship after all. She turned her head and looked at Kyle. He smiled tentatively. She liked Kyle, had no trouble picturing herself in a relationship with him. She shifted her gaze to Isaac and tensed. Like Jon, Isaac was too stern, too domineering for her peace of mind.

And yet she’d known more pleasure in this one day than in the rest of her life combined.

But there was more to life than sex. Without other pursuits, other challenges, life became shallow and meaningless. So, would she enjoy being with this coalition when they weren’t in bed? There was only one way to find out. She needed to spend more time with them.

“Do you want me to go back to my cabin or am I allowed to stay here?”

Jon seemed surprised by her question. “You are willing to stay?”

“If we’re serious about this courtship, I think it’s a good idea.”

“We’d love to have you here,” Isaac said, shooting Jon a warning look.

“My roommate just agreed to a courtship, so they’ll be relieved to have me gone.”

“Is that why you asked the question?” Jon pushed her back, his gaze assessing her face.

“This trust thing goes both ways,” she pointed out. “I’m trying hard to trust you guys, but you have to start trusting me too.”

Jon started to say something then closed his mouth and paused. “You’re right. I can’t expect something from you that I’m not offering myself. I’ll strive to be more trusting.”

She pressed a light kiss to his lips, then asked, “Can someone come shower with me?”

“The shower is too small for all of us. But as always, we’re willing to share.” Isaac flashed a bright smile and took her by the hand, leading her into the bathroom.

CHAPTER 4

Kyle knocked on the door to Diego’s cabin the following morning, but he fervently wished he was still in bed. Waking up with Tara pressed against his side, feeling her warmth and softness, filled him with wonder and appreciation. She hadn’t agreed to bond with his coalition, but he was relatively certain she would. She’d been in the feline village for six weeks and numerous males had attempted to draw her attention. She was wary about bonding, so she wouldn’t have allowed them to fuck her if she wasn’t seriously considering them as mates.

Leaving her side had taken all of Kyle’s willpower and several persistent tugs from Isaac and Jon. Kyle was the strongest telepath in their coalition so this task fell to him. Malik, one of Diego’s coalition mates, opened the door and greeted Kyle with a warm smile.

“Good morning. Diego told us that you’d stop by,” Malik had wavy brown hair and dark eyes. Though not technically a doctor, his extensive education and medical background were invaluable. Malik had saved many lives since coming to Rydaria.

“I wish this were a social call, but we discovered something disturbing in the lupine village.”

Malik nodded and motioned him inside.

Kane, the coalition leader, pushed back from the access terminal in the far corner of the room. He stood and crossed to Kyle. Kane’s dark hair was shaggy, and a short beard shadowed much of his face. Still, his striking features and confident bearing commanded attention wherever he went. “Diego and Zion headed up to the raptor village so you’re stuck with us.”

“You and Malik are who I came to see,” Kyle assured him.

“Would you like a cup of coffee or anything before we get started?” Malik offered, motioning toward the small kitchen.

Kyle shook his head. “I’m anxious to hear what you think about what we witnessed.” They sat down around the dining table. Theirs was square rather than round, but the cabins’ layouts were nearly identical. “We confirmed that Babcock is still alive and up to no good, as usual.”

“We all hoped the rumors were false, but I don’t think anyone will be surprised,” Kane predicted. “Babcock is wily and ruthless, a very unpleasant combination.”

“It would be fastest and most effective if you just show us what you saw,” Malik advised.

Kyle held out his hands. “My memory transfers are more detailed with a physical connection.” Malik took Kyle’s right hand while Kane grasped his left. Kyle started by showing them the documents Babcock had been studying before the couple arrived. Kyle paused over each graph and report, making sure Malik had a clear view of what Babcock had been analyzing.

“Damn it,” Malik muttered. “This can’t be good.”

Opening his eyes, Kyle paused the transfer and waited for Malik to elaborate.

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