“No, hop in the back and I’ll take you the rest of the way down, then get Paxton to go with you.”
“You sure?” Alison asked.
“Yep.”
Alison went over to the tailgate of Rance’s truck and let it down, then climbed up and sat on the edge, her legs dangling. Maeve lifted Griffin up to sit beside Alison, then climbed up herself.
“This is gonna be so much fun!” Griffin exclaimed.
Alison and Maeve both laughed, then Alison knocked on the side of the bed of the truck and Rance, double checking in therear view to be sure they were settled, took his foot off the brake and began easing down the mountain.
Alison and Maeve both laughed and completely enjoyed Griffin having a ball doing something as simple as riding in the back of a truck.
“You forget how much fun the simple things were when you were a child,” Maeve said.
“Yeah, you really do,” Alison agreed. She looked out over the landscape, then her gaze wandered to the Suburban behind them, staying a safe distance away. She couldn’t tell who was sitting in it because all the windows were so tinted, but smiled anyway. There was no reason she couldn’t be nice to whoever was in it.
A few minutes later the truck was easing to a stop and they all three hopped down, then walked around to the driver’s side of Rance’s truck.
“I don’t want them, or any female, leaving here without at least one male escort. Things are just off kilter for now,” Rance was saying to Paxton.
“No problem at all. I’ll take them,” Paxton answered.
“You sure you don’t mind? We can wait until later if you have plans,” Alison said.
“Girl, please! You know I love every opportunity to go to town,” Paxton teased.
Alison laughed. “You do seem to,” she agreed.
A car door slammed, and footsteps could be heard coming toward them, but Alison didn’t bother turning around.
“Are you going off premise without a guard?” Feral demanded.
Alison’s smile fell slowly as she turned to look at Feral. “What?” she asked.
“Are you leaving here without a guard?”
“No, Paxton is escorting us.”
Feral’s gaze shot to the auburn haired male who was currently sizing him up, before looking back at Alison. “You were walking down the mountain until Rance stopped you. It’s not safe, Alison.”
“First, you’re not my Alpha. Second, I’m not mated, nor even engaged or promised. Even if I was, I can walk down this mountain, and back up, and down again if I choose to. I’ve lived here all my life and pretty much did everything alone here and in town. I don’t need permission from you or anyone else to do so. Rance asked if I’d mind taking someone with us, and under the circumstances I understand the need and will agree to it. Plus, it’s Paxton, and I like Paxton. He’s nice and friendly, instead of lording it over someone he thinks is incapable of taking care of themselves.”
“That’s not what I was doing,” Feral said.
“Isn’t it, though? You need to understand something, Feral. Quiet, alone… neither of those words means weak.”
Feral opened his mouth, to answer, but Alison turned her back on him and walked over to Paxton’s truck which was parked a few feet up the mountain to the side of the road, opened the door, climbed up into the truck and slammed the door behind herself.
Feral shook his head as he looked at Maeve. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I don’t know you, so I don’t know if this is a habit of yours or not. But despite the fact that Alison is quiet, and sweet, and kind, she is still a Lion shifter. She will never take well to be bossed around, or told what to do. You need to find a way to protect her without telling her what she can and can’t do. Or maybe a little faith in her would help, too,” Maeve said. She was holding Griffin’s hand and tugged him a little to follow her as she went toward the truck that Alison was already in.
Feral stood there, watching Alison who was sitting in the front seat of Paxton’s truck, apparently.
“You need something?” Paxton asked.
Feral shook his head. He looked from Paxton toward the truck the women were sitting in. “I just want her safe.”
