Page 16 of A Cougar's Kiss
“When we get to the house, you’re staying in the room with me.”
It was a pronouncement and there didn’t seem to be a margin for negotiation which was fine, she didn’t feel like talking—she was too busy trying not to hyperventilate.
* * *
Miami, FL
Almost Midnight
“What is this place?”
He’d wondered how long it would take her to start asking questions. Shya didn’t talk a lot but she was always thinking. Keller had figured that out about her months ago. Not one time that he’d seen her either in the dining hall, the main supply hall or the training facility had she ever been with another shifter talking, socializing, laughing. Each time she’d had that serious look on her face, the one that said she was contemplating something, considering, wondering. He’d bet there were a million questions in her mind at any given moment, about shifters, humans, life and all the other sticky stuff that came with that combo. He hadn’t meant to add to that list.
“It’s going to be a transition center once I get it up and running.” He could answer her now that they were no longer in Oasis and there was no other reason, but for someone possibly overhearing him, not to tell her.
“A transition center for shifters?”
He walked across a light hardwood floor, newly installed and gleaming. Stopping at the lone table in the room, he set his bag down, while keeping hers wrapped across his body. There were six floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the wall, the glass tinted so that it was impossible for anyone to see in and the view out was dulled by the dark color.
“Yes,” he replied. “There has to be a reunification period before they can all return above ground.”
“To the lives they were living before the Unveiling.”
That wasn’t a question, but a simple statement that said she understood exactly what he was saying. She was still in pain, he’d picked up the scent that resembled burning paper, when they were going up the stairs to the passageway. There were lots of steps, but there was no other way. If they’d been able to travel to the underground bunker he’d had built just north of where they were in Miami now, they could have taken the elevators he’d had installed. His private bunker had been built upward toward the entrances and exits to above ground, while Oasis had been built to delve further into the earth, further away from all civilization.
“Yeah. We can talk about that in the morning. It’s been a long day.”
“I’m not tired.”
He turned at her words. The burning scent was stronger, so he knew she’d crossed the room and now stood closer to him, staring at him when his gaze rested on her.
“I’d like to know where we are and what your plan is because if you brought me here and away from Oasis I’m guessing it’s something big. Possibly something I need to warn my parents about.”
Anger surged inside of him and the cougar struggled not to roar out in show of its discontent.
“I get it,” he admitted with a nod. “They’re your parents so you’re inclined to believe them, to love them.”
Keller had loved his parents with every fiber of his being. He’d also believed them when they pledged their loyalty to the Assembly and taught him to follow Roman Reynolds’ lead. After all that had happened in his life, Keller now chalked his stupidity up to being young when his parents told him that. Too young to understand the ways of the world, but apparently not too young to experience them. None of Rome’s rules about being peaceful, and blending in with the humans, had saved his parents’ lives and as if that weren’t bad enough, years later the remnants of Rome’s cowardice had knocked on Keller’s door and broke him again.
“I believe them because that’s all I know. If there’s something else, please just tell me.”
Her words were spoken so earnestly and innocently it almost hurt to hear them.
“Not tonight.” She’d gone this long without knowing, surely, she could wait another few hours. If that was the excuse he needed to go with how sick he felt inside at having to destroy her innocence in yet another way, then so be it.
“They just finished construction on this building last week, so it’s not fully furnished, but the living quarters on the top floor should be fine for us to stay here tonight.” He waited a beat, watching her while she stared at him warily.
She didn’t know what was going on and she hated it, she’d always hated it, he could tell by the frustration etching her voice. Now, Keller got to feel bad for her because he wished someone had told him a long time ago as well. But he couldn’t do it, not tonight. The scent of her pain was stinging his nose and his cat was pressing against his bones with rage.
“Where are Gold and Kyss? Are they staying here too?” she asked.
Looking around, she turned back to him because Gold and Kyss were not in the room with them.
“They’re outside checking the perimeter. They’ll spend the night down here since we haven’t installed all the security precautions just yet. You can’t scent them can you?”
She blinked and because his question put her on the defensive, folded her arms across her chest.
“I didn’t try.”
