AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"She's a lovely child." He stepped closer as Rachel shifted her gaze to Jonas, her nerves making her ill.
"Settle down now, Ms. Broen." Leo smiled. A faint quirk of his lips, which added weight to Jonas's vow that nothing bad was going to happen here. "May I hold your precious angel?"
Rachel licked her lips before turning Amber over to the tall, roughly hewn patriarch.
Amber whimpered for several seconds before settling back down, her eyes staring up at the unfamiliar male as Leo made a small, almost purring sound as he held her. It was a sound she had accidentally caught Jonas making one night as she pretended to be asleep while he slipped Amber from her crib for a bottle and diaper.
"The purr is distinctive," Leo told her as he glanced up at her. "A mated Breed has many different sounds that they don't make before they mate. The purr they have for their mates. The one they have for their child." He ran his finger over Amber's cheek as his gaze lifted to Jonas. "She's a perfect addition to Sanctuary, I believe."
Jonas shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to wait.
"I'm nearly a hundred and thirty years old, Ms. Broen." His smile was quick, amused, as he glanced at her. "Can you tell?"
"I thought your arrogance was rather defined for a mere century," she quipped, barely refraining from rolling her eyes.
Leo chuckled, obviously taking no offense. "That comes from being the leader of a Pride of hardheaded, rough-bitten, less-than-congenial Breeds in the wilds of Africa," he assured her. "You develop it better than they do, or you suffer."
"You also learn the fine art of bragging," Elizabeth snorted, though she did so with an edge of pure love as she gazed at her mate. "Get on with it, Leo. I'm certain Rachel would like to leave here sometime today with a knowledge of what's going on."
"The Leo has a hell of a way of wasting time," Dane informed her.
"Watch your language, Dane." Jonas frowned, his brows lowering with dark warning.
Dane's own brows lifted in surprise, though those green eyes held understanding. "Of course, brother. Forgive me."
An apology from a Breed, how interesting. But the bit of byplay helped ease her nerves marginally.
"Come here, little one," Leo crooned, the gentle purr in his chest increasing as he turned and walked to the rocking chair that sat on the other side of the gurney. "Let the Leo get a feel for your scent here. Though my own angels are going to protest a bit when Papa returns with the scent of another babe on him. They're a bit possessive, you know."
He continued to speak to her as he rocked, his head lowered, his nostrils flared, as he obviously drew in her scent.
Rachel rubbed at her arms as she felt Jonas move behind her. His hands settled on her shoulders, his strength and warmth behind her lending her courage.
Leo frowned, then his brow cleared. He smiled a bit, managed to get a chortle from Amber and frowned again as Dr. Amburg watched the scene curiously. Elizabeth moved behind her mate, her hands settling on his shoulders as she watched Amber reach up for the long strands of hair that fell over the Leo's shoulder.
Coarse, a rich tawny blended with black, russet and golden browns.
"Her mother's scent is strong," Leo murmured to Elizabeth.
"I assumed," Elizabeth agreed quietly. "She looks much like her mother. She'll be a replica of her when she gets older."
"The day will come when strangers will believe you're twins rather than mother and daughter." The Leo chuckled as he glanced at Rachel.
Rachel couldn't speak. She knew what was going on. The Leo was using his own senses to draw in the scent of whatever was changing in her child.
"Dane, could you come here?" Leo rose from the chair as Dane moved to him. "Hold her for a moment."
Dane accepted the slight weight as Rachel felt her stomach knot in panic again.
Dane spoke gently, easily, to the baby. He obviously had experience with children. Within minutes, he had Amber cooing, her eyes bright, her lips stretched wide in a smile. Her daughter, even at her young age, was quite content with the male attention she was gaining.
"I can't stand this," Rachel whispered as she felt Jonas's head against the side of hers.
"Easy, love," he whispered, laying a kiss to her ear as though there weren't five others standing there who glanced at him, their expressions registering momentary shock before they returned their attention to Amber.
"There are slight physical changes," Elizabeth remarked, then glanced at Rachel. "May I remove her gown?"
Rachel nodded jerkily.
