“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.”