“Let her call them, Cal,” Sherra advised on the end of Taber’s statement. “They have to be terrified for her. She’s their baby sister. John’s child. Maria would have hated this.”
The reminder of his surrogate mother and her devotion to John Tyler pierced at him.
“It wouldn’t hurt to let her call,” Taber agreed. “Let her arrange for them to meet with Doc before they come in like the damned Marines. Merinus won’t thank you if you hurt one of them.”
She would likely try to kill him herself, he grimaced.
“Maybe you’re right,” he sighed. “Maybe it would calm her down some. She’s like a damned volcano ready to erupt.”
“And when she does, it’s your ass that’s gonna get burned,” Sherra told him with little sympathy. “Your attitude with her sucks.”
Callan frowned.
“It’s normal.” Doc grinned. “The mating ritual of all animals. The males fight for dominance over their females. Human males have lost the fight in the past generations with feminism and equal rights and getting in touch with their sensitive sides,” he snickered. “Callan’s DNA refuses to allow him the choice in dominating her. It’s part of his genetic code.”
Callan snarled. Just what he needed, a fucking scientific explanation of the problem.
“Great,” Taber muttered. “Just what we needed to know.”
And the need to dominate was growing worse. Callan’s fight with his needs, his sexual desires, was a constant battle now.
“I’ll need more samples from Merinus after your next, um, association.” The doctor cleared his throat, ignoring Callan’s look of amazement at his choice of words. “As her body reacts so violently to any touch but yours, I suggest you come with her.”
“I guess I’m here for the night again then,” Sherra yawned, stretching tiredly. “So I’m heading on to bed.”
“Me too.” Dawn, the most silent of the group, rose from her seat.
She carried her cup to the sink, rinsed it, then set it in the basin.
“Let’s go, Tanner.” Taber was on his feet, slapping Tanner on the back as he rose. “Time to go to work.”
“Yeah, work,” Tanner grumbled, but there was no hesitation in his movements. “Man, remind me when I get all dominant to find a woman that doesn’t argue. You could hear Merinus cursing Callan all through that forest.”
“Watch your mouth,” Callan ordered darkly.
Tanner grinned, lifted his hand in a friendly salute and followed Taber out the kitchen door. The house was silent now, emptied of the Pride and their worries, concerns and affections. It left Callan feeling tense, almost alone. The feeling left him longing for Merinus. Not just sexually, but for her companionship, the measure of understanding he had found in her, despite her anger.
He rose to his feet and paced into the living room. He turned the television on low, hoping to fill the silence that had never bothered him before. As he lowered himself wearily to the chair, a small vibration in his jeans had him frowning in surprise. Merinus’ cell phone. He pulled the device from his pocket, stared at it a moment, then flipped it open.
“Yeah?”
There was silence over the line.
“I want you to give this phone to Merinus.” The command in the male voice had Callan’s brows lowering, his possessive instincts towards Merinus flaring.
“And may I ask who’s calling?” Callan smirked. As though he didn’t know.
The silence again. The echo of quiet rage.
“Is she alive?” Had he been a lesser man, a shiver would have worked down his spine, Callan thought.
“Of course she’s alive,” he bit out. “Killing innocent young women is next year’s job. This year I’m just stalking asshole soldiers.”
“You have enough of them following after your ass,” the voice snapped. “I sent my sister there with an offer of help, not so you could abuse her.”
Callan came to his feet.
“I have not abused her,” he growled furiously. “If anything, that woman has, at every opportunity done her best to foil my best attempts to keep her from my problems. I blame you, Mr. Tyler, as her older brother, for her willfulness and her total disregard for authority. Your sister is a menace.”
Frustration edged a deeper growl from his throat as he allowed his frustrations rein on the man who had most likely caused Merinus to develop such traits.
“Then you will have no problem giving her this phone so I can make arrangements to collect my willful sister,” Kane remarked smoothly, suspiciously. “I’ll be landing at the airport in a matter of hours. I expect her to be waiting for me.”
Callan stilled. “I don’t think that’s possible, Tyler.” He kept his voice smooth, calm. “Regrettably, your influence on her has been detrimental. She is a stubborn, determined woman, but she is now my woman.”
Silence again. Callan imagined the man was fighting for control himself, a way to ease his sister from whatever danger he believed she was in.
“Don’t make me come in and take her,” Kane warned silkily. “You wouldn’t like it, Lyons.”
“And your sister would not survive it,” Callan answered him quietly. “Do not make that mistake.”
“Harm her—”
“I could no more harm her than I could harm myself,” Callan bit out. “Your sister is not in any danger from me. But she can’t leave me now, for her own safety, it’s out of the question.”
“She’s in more danger with you.” Kane bit out.
“She is tied to me now, Tyler, in ways you do not understand,” Callan sighed. “You may see your sister. You may speak with her, but at a time that is of my choosing.”
“And you expect me to calmly accept your decision?”
“No, knowing Merinus must have learned her willfulness from somewhere, I would suspect I had better be watching over my shoulder for a while now.” Callan grimaced. “But never fear, Mr. Tyler, I have grown quite used to that habit anyway, so it will be no hardship.”
Callan happened to glance up at that moment, Merinus’ scent drawing him, heating his blood. She stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her breasts, a frown marring her expression
“You’re wasting your time,” she told him patiently. “If that’s Kane on the phone, then you won’t convince him of anything.”
“Who says I wish to convince him at all?” he asked her, allowing a smug smile to tip his lips. “I merely grew bored with my own company.”
“Let me talk to her, Lyons.” Tyler’s voice was suddenly imperative, coldly furious at his ear.
Merinus stood patiently in front of him, her hazel eyes suspicious, hopeful. He sighed roughly. He should have never answered the damned phone.
He covered the mouthpiece carefully, watching her.
“I won’t mention the others,” she said softly. “But if you don’t let him talk to me, he’ll become dangerous, Callan. I don’t want you or my brothers hurt. And you can bet Kane’s not alone.”
Callan snarled softly. A complication they of course did not need.
“Talk to him, but Merinus, remember. My Pride would give their life for yours. Don’t betray them.” He didn’t think she would, but they hadn’t survived this long on faith alone.
She came to him slowly, her slender arm reaching out for the small phone. Callan handed it to her, watching her, assessing her soft expression as she brought it to her ear.
He listened to her talk to her brother. He heard the tremble in her voice, her unwavering faith in Kane as she talked to him. Argued with him. Assured him.
“It’s not that simple, Kane. I can’t leave him,” she finally said softly. “I know you don’t understand, but I’ll explain it all when I understand it myself.”
Callan reached out, his fingers gripping her other arm lightly.