Page 5 of Amira

CHAPTERTHREE

Less than twenty-four hours later, Amira pulled up in front of a beautiful two-story house out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a forest of trees. She knew from a second call from Colton that all homes within approximately a fifteen-mile radius were owned by the pride. Also, while Zev and his little sister, Danica, were ligers, everyone else in the pride were lions.

There were several vehicles in the drive, but Amira was able to park her truck in a position where she could leave right away if needed. She hated being stuck anywhere, and even though everyone in that house should be ‘friendly’, she wanted a way out just in case shit went sideways.

As she watched, the front door opened and a young boy slipped out, a little girl right behind him. They looked around the yard, and then sat down on the top, front step, huddled together. The boy put his arm around the girl’s waist, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

Amira sat for a few minutes watching them, then she opened the truck door and got out, shutting it quietly behind her. The boy’s eyes immediately tracked her, and she saw his body stiffen. She gave him a gentle smile, holding her hands out in a non-threatening way as she made her way to them. She had weapons on her that were in full view, along with others that were hidden, but she wasn’t removing them. She refused to be defenseless in a house full of shifters she didn’t know.

It was clear to see the children were siblings, with their matching, light blond hair and hazel eyes. A sadness clung to them both, bringing tears to Amira’s own eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. The boy had bruises on the left side of his face, and he held his right arm close to his chest. Amira could sense his cat was close, but for some reason he hadn’t shifted to help his healing.

“Hello,” she said softly, stopping several feet from them. She didn’t want to scare them any more than they already were, if possible. “My name is Amira. I’ve come to see your alpha.”

The little girl raised her head, her eyes widening in surprise, before she whispered, “You’re here. You’re finally here.”

The boy stiffened, glancing down at his sister, before his gaze came back to Amira. “Is that her?”

Amira was aware of the door opening again, but the children in front of her had her full attention now. The girl obviously had the gift of sight, although with her being as young as she was, it was surprising that she knew how to wield it.

“What are your names?” she asked softly, although she was afraid she already knew. They had to be the missing beta’s children. They’d lost so much in their short lives. First their parents, and now their adoptive father was missing. It was no wonder they both felt so much sorrow.

“I’m Willow,” the girl said, taking a step toward her. “This is my brother, Walker. We’ve been waiting for you for so long.”

Amira knelt down on one knee, her eyes never leaving Walker and Willow. She had a feeling her entire life was about to change, and she couldn’t stop the slight tremble going through her body. “You’ve been waiting for me?”

“Willow? Child, who is this woman?” a deep voice full of confusion and suspicion asked.

Amira glanced over just long enough to see a large, older man with dark blond hair standing next to a small, brunette woman with kind, blue eyes. Several more people stood beside and behind them, but Amira brought her attention back to the little girl as she said, “She’s the one who is going to make us a family again.”

“What?” the woman gasped, her hand going to her throat as she took a step toward them.

“She’s our mommy now.”

The breath left Amira’s lungs, and she almost fell over. If she didn’t have one knee on the ground already, she probably would have.

Holy shit.

You’re telling me,she responded to her dragoness in shock. What the ever-loving fuck is happening right now?

Sounds to me like you just became a mother to two little cubs who obviously need someone to take care of them and love them.

No way in hell, Amira almost screamed in denial. She has to be wrong.

Do you want to tell her that? Because I’m not going to be the one to break her heart.

Amira opened her mouth, then closed it again right away as she looked into the child’s large eyes.

You know what else this means, right?

What? Amira snapped in irritation, as she tried to figure out how to fix the situation. She couldn’t be a mother to two little kids. She wasn’t good mother material. She fought hard, cussed like a sailor, and couldn’t stand to be around too many people for more than a couple of hours. She saved lives, but in doing so, had so much death on her hands she was afraid she would never feel clean again. How could she be the kind of mother a child would need, after everything she’d been through and done over the past ten years?

Focus, Amira! her dragoness snapped. You need to think this through, and then we need to go hunting.

Amira raised her head, her brow furrowing as her gaze moved over the people who were still standing on the porch watching her warily.

Hunting?

“I think maybe you should tell us your name, and then we can go from there,” a woman with raspberry colored hair said, her hand hovering over a Glock that was strapped to her leg.

“Sounds like a good idea to me, mate,” the man next to her growled as he took a step in Amira’s direction.

“No!” Willow cried, throwing herself at Amira. Amira caught her in her surprise, and rose, holding the girl close. Willow wrapped her tiny arms around her neck and held on tightly. “You can’t hurt her, Alpha! I won’t let you!”

“Hush, Willow,” the alpha said, taking another step. “I’m not going to hurt anyone. We just want to talk to her.”

Walker ran to Amira too, placing himself in front of her as if to protect her from Zev, their alpha, and the rest of the pride. When Zev’s eyes narrowed on the boy, and he went to take another step, Amira let out a low growl of warning. She knew it was all just a misunderstanding, but no one threatened her cubs.

Well, sounds like you already made your choice.

What the hell are you talking about? she grumbled as she placed a hand gently on Walker’s shoulder and moved him to the side, out of the way. Tugging on Willow’s arms, she pulled them from her neck and set her on the ground next to her brother, then she stepped in front of them both protectively. She let out another warning growl, knowing her light green eyes were now flashing with an iridescent deep purple hue, showing her animal was near the surface.

You just went against the alpha for them. To protect them.

I would protect any child.

You thought of them as your cubs.

Amira stiffened, realizing her dragon was right. She had thought of them as hers.

“Look, dragoness,” Zev said, holding his hands out, palms up in a placating manner. “I’m not going to hurt the children. I’m their alpha. They are mine to protect. I would never harm them.”

She knew that, she really did, but for some reason she still didn’t want to let them go.

They are now ours to protect, too.

“Zev, please, let her be,” the small, blue-eyed woman from before said, holding an arm out toward them. “She isn’t going to hurt the children.”

“Of course, she won’t hurt us, Grammy,” Willow said, sliding her hand into Amira’s and leaning into her side.

This has gone on long enough. Tell them who you are so we can move on to more important things.

Amira gritted her teeth before she let out a sigh, shaking her head in exasperation. “My name is Amira Calisto. I’m a Rogue Enforcer. Colton and Katia sent me here to help you find your beta and protect…” Amira froze, her eyes widening with horror as what she said registered in her mind. She’d been sent to find the beta. Rylan Baker. Walker and Willow’s father. Which meant, if what Willow said was true, he was also her mate.

Now you are catching on, her dragoness growled. Let’s finish this so we can search for our mate.

“Rylan.” She whispered his name, her eyes meeting the woman’s who Willow had called Grammy. She had to be his mother, as Colton had told her Walker and Willow had no other family except Rylan’s.

The woman seemed to crumble right in front of her, her mate catching her before she hit the ground. Her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “He’s been missing for two days. We can’t find him. We don’t even know who attacked us and took him.”

Rylan’s father’s eyes met hers, and his began to glow a deep golden color, his cat showing as he snarled, “We will not stop looking for my son. We will find him, no matter what it takes.”

“No matter what,” Amira vowed, slipping her other hand into Walker’s. Looking down at the children Fate seemed to have deemed to be hers now, Amira smiled as she squeezed their hands gently. “It’s time for you to go back inside with your Grammy.”

“Where are you going?” Walker asked, his eyes narrowing on her.

Hunting, her dragoness growled in her mind.

“She’s going to find Daddy so we can be a family.”

Amira fought back tears as she looked down at the little girl, wondering how she had gotten to where she was right now. Just an hour ago, she was single, no kids, footloose and fancy-free. Going wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Nothing to tie her down. No one else to worry about.

Now, with one child’s simple statement, her entire life had changed.

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