Saving the Beast(51)

“Ready?” he asked when he walked back to Diane.

She smiled at him and, bracing one hand on his chest, leaned up. He met her halfway, welcoming her kiss.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you,” he whispered back and pulled her closer for a more thorough kiss.

When they came up for air, she looked around with embarrassment for Kenzie. The last thing the other woman needed was to see Diane so happy with her mate. But Kenzie wasn’t there.

“Did she go outside?” Diane asked.

“She went ahead,” Zane said.

“What? Is that safe?” Diane demanded.

“She’ll be fine on the way back,” Zane said. “Angel was certain there were no other hunting parties around. I trust him. And Kenzie needs some time alone to come to grips with everything that happened here.”

Diane looked at him and knew from his expression he saw the concern in her eyes.

“She’ll be okay,” Zane said. “We’ll make sure of that. Right now, she needs time.”

“I hope so,” Diane said. “She didn’t grin once,” she stated quietly.

Kenzie grinned a lot. She had a way of smiling and making you smile, too. Diane hoped that didn’t change.

“Hard to smile when you’re heart’s breaking,” Zane said.

“Tah’s going to be angry with her,” Diane told him.

Zane shook his head. “No. One look at her face, and his heart will break for her. When he finds out what happened here, he’ll smother her with love and affection like the kid sister he sees her as. Abby will do the same. Hell, everyone will rally around her, whether they know what happened or not. Her pain will become theirs.”

“She has a bigger family than she ever imagined,” Diane said. She just hoped the other woman realized it.

“We all do, and it will only keep growing. Ready?” Zane asked and held out his hand to her.

“Yes,” Diane said. “God, I can’t wait to get back and have a hot shower and food. Mhmm,” she moaned just thinking about it. “Something hot to eat. And a bed.” Her gaze flew to Zane’s, and her heart rate kicked up at the seductive look on his face.

“I’m anticipating a bed myself,” he purred at her. “Let’s go.”

She took his hand and headed out the door more than ready to be home.

“If I’m lucky, maybe Abby hasn’t had the baby, yet.”

“Probably best if you’re there instead of the Professor and Tah trying to deliver,” Zane said.

“Oh, she has Orsai.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God! I’m so sorry, Zane. I didn’t think.”

“My uncle’s there?”

She nodded. “He arrived right after you took off. He’s been staying, said he was going to be there when the baby was born because Abby would need him.”

Zane smiled. “It’ll be good to see him. So tell me, what do you think of him?”

“I like him,” Diane said. “He’s a fountain of wisdom. He and the Professor have become as thick as thieves.”

“Whoa,” Zane said. “Why the surge of anger there?”

“I just remembered how angry I am with the Professor,” Diane admitted.

“What did he do?” Zane asked, and he sounded angry.

“He’s the one who gave me a shot before I left,” she told him. “Only, instead of the tetanus booster he said he was giving me, it was a drug guaranteed to make you find me,” she said.

“He forced ovulation?” Zane asked with a growl. “Knowing I was already primal?”

Diane nodded.

“I’ll rip him apart for doing that to you,” Zane assured her.

But Diane was remembering the Professor telling her he was only doing what he thought was best. He might make crappy decisions sometimes, but they were made with love. And it had worked. Zane had found her, and she was happy—incredibly happy.

“He meant well,” she said out loud.

“Meant well, my ass,” Zane muttered, then stopped. “Fuck! Thick as thieves with my uncle! This might not have been the Professor’s idea, or at least not only his idea.”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that,” Diane admitted. “But either way, it worked out okay.”

“But it might not have.” Zane grunted as they started walking again.

She stopped him this time. “I can’t stay mad at them for helping me find you, or helping you to find me. For helping us find each other.”

“What if you’re pregnant?” Zane questioned, and Diane took a step back, dropping her hands to her belly. “Yeah, you didn’t think about that, did you?”