Chapter Eight

Ronan scented the sharp spice of Elizabeth's fear. He also scented her defiance, even before she spoke.

"That's really none of your business, Liam," she said clearly.

Liam's eyes widened, and despite Ronan's disquiet, he wanted to laugh. The arrogant Feline had grown used to people obeying him without question. People meaning everyone but his wife, his brother, father, and nephew. All other Shifters pretty much fell in line.

"When you're in Shiftertown, you're under my jurisdiction," Liam said. "It is my business."

"We're not in Shiftertown right now." Elizabeth took a step forward. She was afraid to, Ronan knew, but she did it anyway. "My past has nothing to do with Shifters, and it's nothing that can hurt Shifters."

"Will you let me be the judge of that?" Liam asked.

"No. I said it's none of your business."

"Lass." Liam's voice gentled, which meant he was falling back on the coaxing approach. "I have one of my very best fighters guarding you. I want to know who he's guarding. I can't chance endangering him. Neither can his family."

"I never said he had to guard me," Elizabeth said. "If you don't want me endangering Shifters, then Mabel and I are happy to leave Shiftertown."

She started to turn away. Ronan stopped her by simply not moving. "You're not going anywhere until the threat to you has been eliminated."

Elizabeth's eyes flickered at the word eliminated. "If Liam won't be happy until he hears all my secrets, then I can't stay," she said. "He'll have to be disappointed."

"Lass," Liam began, again in the coaxing tone.

"Leave her alone, Liam," Ronan said. He looked at Elizabeth and her blue eyes, not at Liam's. "She doesn't want to tell you."

"Ronan, she's using a false name. Until six years ago, she didn't exist."

"She exists now."

"Ronan . . ."

"I said, leave her alone, Liam."

The room went quiet. Ronan expected Sean to come charging across it to stand by his brother, his sword a silent threat. He'd seen them do that, and Shifters wilt under the double-alpha stare.

Sean didn't move or speak. Neither did Kim, who usually was ready with some opinion. Even baby Katriona made no noise.

"Do you want to make that official?" Liam said in a quiet voice. "Be responsible for her?"

"Vouch for her, you mean?" Ronan let Liam hold his gaze. He'd already vouched for Scott, Cherie, and Olaf--clan-less, family-less Shifters with bad pasts. No one knew what the cubs would do or what kind of adults they'd become. Ronan had vowed with his life that they'd not be threats. Liam was asking him to do the same for Elizabeth.

"No," Ronan said.

Liam's eyes went wider, and Kim stirred. "Liam, stop it. You too, Ronan. This is Elizabeth's choice. She's not a cub. She's not even Shifter. The same rules don't apply."

"Much as I hate disagreeing with you, love, they do," Liam said. "Will you let him vouch for you, Elizabeth? That means that, if you are lying to us, or you put a foot wrong, it's on his head."

"No!" Elizabeth said fiercely. "What is wrong with you all? I didn't ask you to bring us to Shiftertown. I'm grateful for your help, but I don't have to stay with you. So thank you, but I'm leaving."

Again Ronan stopped her by being too big for her to walk around. "I said I wouldn't vouch for you," he said. "But that's because I'm going to go one better, and mate-claim you."

"Ronan," Liam said, warning in his voice.

"Mate-claim?" Elizabeth said. She took a step back, which put her against Liam's desk. "What does that mean?"

"It means not only do I vouch for you, but I ensure that all Shifters stay away from you, always, including Liam. The bond of the mate supersedes the authority of the clan leader and even the Shiftertown leader. If Liam has a problem with you, he has to come through me first. Trust me, he doesn't want to have to go through me."

Liam, instead of getting upset, sat down and leaned back in his chair again, grinning his annoying Irish grin. "It's an interesting solution," he said. "Very interesting."

Elizabeth looked from Liam to Ronan. "What are you saying? That I'm now your mate? I don't want a mate!"

"Tell her she can reject the claim," Kim said. "Be fair. She doesn't understand complicated Shifter rules."

Liam shrugged. "A mate-claim only means that Ronan now protects you, and that you're off-limits to all other Shifter males. Doesn't mean you're mated. Yet. And yes, you can reject the claim. He can't force it on you." Liam said the last part reluctantly, as though he'd be happy for Elizabeth to be stuck in the claim.

"Then I reject--"

Ronan put his fingers over Elizabeth's mouth. "Wait. Let it work, first. If you stay under my claim, then Liam can't make you tell him about your past, or any other detail he wants to poke his nose into. I stay with you and protect you from angry gang leaders who want to kill you. Once the danger is over, you can reject the claim. We can't stop you. That's Shifter law."

"I'm not Shifter," Elizabeth said, her breath warm on his fingers.

"Doesn't matter. I am. Elizabeth Chapman, I mate-claim you, witnessed by Liam the leader of the Austin Shiftertown, Sean the Guardian, Kim the leader's mate, and Katriona, the leader's firstborn."

As Elizabeth stared at him over his blunt fingers, Ronan sensed a click inside himself, as though something that had long been unresolved had at last completed.

Elizabeth was a survivor. Ronan saw that in her. She was a survivor as much as he was, as much as the cubs in his house were, as much as Liam and his family were.

Elizabeth drew a breath. "All right. For now, I won't reject it."

Ronan relaxed, feeling a tightness in him loosen and flow away. Elizabeth held his gaze, her chin lifted. Nothing submissive about her.

"But that doesn't mean I'll do everything you say," Elizabeth said.

Ronan growled, feeling suddenly playful. Wait until he got her home and she looked at him with that challenge in her eyes. He'd never mate-claimed anyone before. Was this how it felt, an unexpected lightness, sudden joy? An excitement, anticipation of the next moment, of every moment? Ronan no longer wanted to work his shift. He wanted to take Elizabeth home and simply be with her.