Page 49 of A Cougar's Kiss
“Good,” Rome told him. “What’s not good is that this is the second time you’ve been coordinating something behind my back. I’m sure you know how problematic that is.”
Everything Keller had done was undoubtedly disrespectful to Rome and the Assembly leadership, but Keller wasn’t sorry for doing any of it.
“I can see your position in the matter,” he replied, because he could. Kyss, whom they still had not seen or heard from, had gone against his command and killed Mackey. While there was no love lost at having a known shifter killer now dead, Keller had still felt the anger that she’d done so without consulting or after the fact, confiding in him.
“You took my daughter away from her home,” Nick chimed in and Keller turned his attention to the other shifter.
“I asked an adult to come with me,” he replied. “And she agreed.”
Nick’s hands fisted, his lips going into a tight line.
“Out of respect for Shya and for your position, I won’t tell you how to be a father. But as her mate, I feel obliged to say that your plan to hold her as close to you as you could forever failed, and it was hurtful to her.” Keller stopped because Nick looked like he was ready to pounce on him at any moment.
But he didn’t. Instead, he nodded at Keller. “Parents do what they think is best at the time. It doesn’t always work out the way they want.”
“And that, clears the air in the best way that three headstrong, dominating shifters can,” Rome said. “Now, for the next item on our agenda. We want you to know that we haven’t been ignoring your concerns. Or Decan’s and Gold’s. Just like Nick said about parents, we handled the situation with Oasis in the best way we could at the time. We’ve made steps to change things and we want you on board with us instead of working behind our backs to achieve the same goals.”
“How do you suggest we do that? Because I don’t plan on abandoning the safe houses. They’re needed to help ensure the safety and the prosperity of the shifters,” Keller told them.
Nick and Rome nodded. “We agree,” Nick said.
“That’s why I want to make you director of the New World Alliance. You will spearhead all reunification efforts throughout the States and coordinate with the foreign directors so that we’re all working under the same parameters and will hopefully achieve the same measure of success.”
Again, Keller didn’t know what to say. They were offering him one of those fancy Assembly titles and the opportunity to do what he planned while working with the Assembly instead of against them. He thought about Shya’s defense of how Rome had ruled the shifters and knew without a doubt what she would want him to say.
“That sounds like a good plan,” he told Rome and accepted the Assembly Leader’s hand when he extended it for a shake.
Nick took a few extended seconds to step to Keller after Rome had smiled and released his hand. Keller cleared his throat feeling like he should say something nice to Shya’s father but recognizing that he and the guy still had a lot of tension between them.
“You’ll do a good job,” Nick said and extended his hand.
Keller didn’t hesitate to shake the man’s hand. “We’lldo a good job,” he said. “The Shadow Shifter’s Assembly Leadership together as one.”
“She’s awake,” Ary said as she pushed through the door.
Keller turned so fast at the sound of her voice he almost dropped the bottle of water he’d forgotten he still held in one hand. Without another word he pushed into the room, setting the bottle on the nightstand as he approached the bed.
“Hey, little cat.” His voice was husky with emotion as he took her hand. “How’re you feeling?”
Her lips spread in a slow smile as she looked up at him. “Hi, Keller. I feel just fine. I mean, really, I feel better than I have in a very long time.”
“You gave me a little scare taking so long to wake up from your nap.” Those words couldn’t hardly convey how afraid he’d been at the possibility of losing her.
“I feel different now,” she said and squeezed his hand tighter.
He nodded. “Your mom said you would feel refreshed after the long sleep. I was looking for your medicine pouch for when you woke up but Ary said she would bring it if you needed it.”
Shya shook her head slowly. “I won’t need it.”
“What? How do you know? I mean, you’re probably feeling fine now because they’re giving you medications.”
“No. I’m not getting any medication right now. Mom said I haven’t been getting anything for pain or to prevent infection for the last nine days. And since I didn’t display any signs of pain or discomfort, she didn’t bring out the medicine pouch.”
Dammit, he’d been sitting here all this time and hadn’t even noticed that the IV bags attached to a pole were empty. The sounds and sight of things in the room all appeared the same to him, nothing was going to be different until she opened her eyes. Now that she was staring at him, Keller didn’t want to think of anything else. He leaned over and kissed her forehead and then her cheeks. She lifted her hands to cup his face and brought his mouth to hers.
The kiss was lighter than they usually shared and more intimate than anything they’d done together so far. A rush of emotions swelled in his chest and the scent…theirscent wafted up between them.
She smiled as she let him pull away, but he didn’t go too far. He barely resisted the urge to climb into that bed and cradle her in his arms. For endless moments they simply stared at each other, lost in the moment and the magnitude of all that had happened between them.
