Precious Angel (Alpha Province #4)(11)

"And you have to admit they're all pretty darned sexy." Emmy grinned.

"So, to answer your unasked question," Dusty said, "the reason you're  attracted to Jayson, Jordan, and Jenson is because you're their mate."

Kenzie shook her head and wheezed in a breath. "I can't be their mate. I'm not a shifter."

"Neither are we," Pixie said.

Kenzie shook her head again as panic set in. She couldn't be a mate to  three men. She'd never even been with one man. She didn't realize she  was hyperventilating until Emmy took her hand in hers and held her gaze  with her own. "Hold your breath, Kenzie." She did as the other woman  ordered. "Now, exhale slowly." She breathed out. "Good, now inhale just  as slowly."

Kenzie repeated the process a few times until her rapid heartbeat and  breathing regulated. "I don't know if I can do this. I don't … I can't … "

"You don't have to decide anything right away, Kenzie," Dusty said. "You  need to rest and heal. No one is going to force you to do anything you  don't want to."

"Will you please give them a chance, Kenzie?" Emmy asked. "Jayson,  Jenson, and Jordan are wonderful, caring men. They think no woman will  ever want them because of their scars. I've seen the way some women  react when they look at those three heroes. They might look confident,  but deep down they gave up hope of ever having a woman to love them for  who they are. Can you look beyond their scars to the protective, gentle  souls they try to hide?"                       
       
           



       

"Their scars don't bother me," Kenzie snapped and then sighed when she  realized how rude she was being. She understood why Emmy had asked such a  thing of her. The other woman had seen how the opposite sex spurned the  three panther shifters because of their war wounds. An ache formed over  her heart. She hated to think of the pain and rejection they'd suffered  because of the marks on their skin.

Kenzie was very, very attracted to the Cannon men and wanted to get to  know them better. These people, Jordan, Jenson, and Jayson included,  showed her how compassionate they all were. She had nowhere else to go,  no means to get wherever she decided to wander to next. If she stayed  here in Ambrose, she could recuperate from her injuries and maybe even  find a job to earn some money.

The only way she could lose was if the pimp, his men, or the Triad  leader found out where she was. While that thought scared the absolute  crap out of her, she remembered that the men in this town were trained  military. They could also change into animals.

She would be safer here than out in the world on her own. She'd heard  the other women's stories and didn't want to spend the rest of her life  on the run and looking over her shoulder.

Staying in Ambrose might be the best decision she'd ever made in her life.

"Let them take you home with them, Kenzie," Pixie urged.

"You won't regret it," Dusty said. "If things don't work out, all you have to do is call one of us and we'll come get you."

"Promise?" Kenzie asked.

"Promise," all three women answered simultaneously.

Kenzie sucked in a deep breath and hoped she wasn't making a mistake. "Okay."





Jenson's knees buckled when he heard Kenzie agree to go home with them.  He stumbled and managed to stay on his feet as elation poured into his  heart and soul.

Although she'd snarled at Jayson when he'd asked if their injuries  bothered her, he hadn't really believed her until he'd heard her telling  Emmy the same thing. When she'd scrambled from his lap and stumbled  away from him and he'd seen the silvery white lines of scars on the back  of her thighs, rage had hazed his gaze red.

He'd felt anger before but seeing his mate bruised, swollen, and injured  from years of abuse had almost snapped his control. How he'd managed to  keep it banked when he had a raging cauldron scalding his gut he would  never know. Maybe knowing he'd scare her had been enough to keep it  locked down. Whatever the reason, he was grateful. Grateful to the other  women for their help in reassuring their mate. For the help in  explaining what they were to her.

When first Emmy, then Pixie and Dusty had arrived in Ambrose, he'd been  happy for their men, but also jealous because he'd never expected to  have a woman of his own to love. Now that she was here and had agreed to  come home with him and his brothers, he was scared. Scared he'd fuck it  up and send her running from them. Scared to hope too much only to have  her reject them, to turn away from them and walk out of their lives,  leaving them in the cold, empty shell they'd surrounded themselves with  since they'd been medically discharged from the Marines.

He was excited and nervous all at once and wasn't sure which way to  turn. He glanced at his brothers and saw they were both as tense as he  was. Jayson was clenching his jaw and Jordan had his hands curled in  white-knuckled fists.

"You need to make sure she eats," Broden said breaking the tension in  the room, albeit only slightly. "She needs to keep her fluids up and  give her pain meds every four hours without exceeding the dosage. If the  pain gets too much for her, call me and I can give her a shot."

"We will," Jayson said and held his hand out toward Broden. "Thanks for caring for our mate."

Broden shook Jayson's hand. "You're welcome. Airen, Archer, and I will be taking over in the hotel's kitchen."

Jenson and then Jordan shook hands with the Kodiak shifter.

"Don't forget to tell her about the benefits of mating to a shifter."  Broden nodded to them and then wandered toward the clinic's kitchen.

Emmy opened the examination room door and smiled at them as she hurried over to Jett. "You're amazing, mate. I love you."

"I love you, too, Jett." She giggled when her polar bear mate swept her up into his arms and carried her out.

"We'll see you soon, Kenzie," Pixie sad as she rushed toward Tatum. "Let's go, my king."

"You're such a smart-ass." Tatum smiled.

"You love my ass." Pixie laughed when Tatum growled.                       
       
           



       

"Where's Broden?" Dusty asked but held her hand up before they could  answer. "Don't worry I've found him." She rushed toward the kitchen.

Jenson took a step toward the open doorway, then another and another. He  paused and drew in another deep breath, trying to get his raucous  emotions under wraps. When he was sure he wouldn't pounce on Kenzie as  soon as he set eyes on her, he entered the room. Jordan and Jayson were  right behind him.

He stopped at the end of the bed and stared at his beautiful mate. Even  with her face bruised and swollen, he knew she was stunning. Her long  blonde hair was a wild halo around her head and shoulders. Her golden  eyelashes were crescents fanning her puffy, discolored cheeks. Even  though the examination bed was narrow, it was longer and wider than the  usual bed to accommodate their large shifter bodies, if they were ever  too injured to heal quickly. She looked so damn tiny in it, almost  child-like.

Her eyes fluttered open, she gave them a sleepy glance. She tried to sit  up and Jayson hurried to her side to help her. "Do you really want me  to come home with you?"

Jayson gently brushed some strands of hair back from her forehead. "We do, honey. More than anything."

"I'm not promising to … " She waved her hand in the air and her cheeks turned pink as she glanced away.

"We won't pressure you, sweetie," Jenson said as he moved around to the other side of the bed and laced his fingers with hers.

"We'll go at your pace, baby." Jordan patted her shin.

"Then can we please get out of here?" Kenzie asked. "I've had an aversion to hospitals since my mom died of pneumonia."

"Do you want to walk, or do you want me to carry you, honey?"

"Uh, I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to walk right now." Kenzie  grimaced. "I'm still feeling a little woozy and I don't want my ass  hanging out for all the world to see."

"I'd never let that happen, mate," Jayson said in a growly voice as he scooped her up into his arms.

Jordan made sure the blanket was secured around her body and then they all headed out toward the truck.

Jenson followed his brothers and mate, his face aching as he used  muscles he hadn't used in a very long time. He couldn't remember the  last time he'd had a reason to smile.

Or the last time he'd felt happy, excited, and optimistic.





Chapter Five




Kenzie watched the road as Jayson drove the truck. Jordan was sitting  beside her in the back and Jenson was sitting in the front passenger  seat. She was nervous, but she wasn't scared anymore. Her fears had been  laid to rest and now she was just tired. Her belly gurgled with  emptiness and she tried to remember the last time she'd eaten anything.