Sara Humphreys: Unclaimed

Dominic stepped closer as he spoke, but she held her ground and looked him in the eye.

“Two human assassins snuck onto the property recently and attempted to kill the prince and his family.” His tone grew gentler as did his expression. “I do not hate humans. I do, however, have a bone to pick with anyone who would harm the people I care about. That includes humans or Amoveo.”

Heat spread over her skin as she held his stare, and Tatiana’s breath caught in her throat. She hoped like hell she could get a hold over her out-of-control hormones before she embarrassed herself and let her eyes shift. That only happened when she got really mad, or turned on, or in this case, both.

Dominic stilled and arched one eyebrow. “Did Layla say there’s a human waiting in your car?” His voice dropped low. “You brought a human to this ranch?”

“Yes.” Tatiana stepped to the side and picked up the backpack she’d tossed on the couch when she came in. “If you hadn’t been so busy lecturing me and telling me how badly I stink, you might’ve realized it sooner. In fact, now I’m the one who’s being rude, because he’s been out there for a while.”

“ He? ” His eyes flickered and snapped to their clan form as his hands balled into fists at his side. “You traveled here with a man? Alone?”

Holy crap. He was jealous.

Tatiana suppressed a smile as she realized the tide had turned in her favor. Matt’s presence would not only keep the Amoveo at bay, but he could also keep Dominic at arm’s length. How could he pursue her and claim her as his mate if she was already spoken for?

“Yes.” Tatiana threw her backpack over one shoulder casually. “Matt’s my vet tech and my boyfriend.”

“What?” Dominic and Layla said in unison.

Before Layla could call her out on her big fat lie, two of the most beautiful people Tatiana had ever seen swept into the room. The woman had a little girl about eight or nine months old in her arms. They radiated power, and based on the strength of their energy, they had to be the royal couple.

Her heart pounded as they moved toward her. She had never been around this many pure-blood Amoveo in her life. Long-held fears flooded her, and she gripped the strap of the backpack, praying for the strength to at least look like she wasn’t terrified. She was relatively certain that her energy signature revealed her for the coward she was. It practically screamed get me the hell out of here .

“Outstanding,” the prince said as he entered the room with his wife at his side. “We’re glad to see you’ve arrived safely.”

Dominic stepped aside but didn’t take his intense gaze off her. Tatiana tried not to notice the way he looked at her, but it was unavoidable. He was unavoidable. She did her best to ignore him and focused her attention on the prince and his wife.

Richard had long, shoulder-length black hair and light blue eyes. Dressed in jeans and a tailored shirt, he radiated casual confidence and approached Tatiana with an extended hand. The two of them didn’t look a day over thirty-five, but according to Layla, they were over three hundred years old.

Maybe that mating thing wasn’t all bad?

“I am Richard Muldavi, Prince of the Amoveo. This is my mate, Salinda, and our daughter, Jessica. Welcome to the ranch, Tatiana. We are immensely grateful that you agreed to treat our horses.”

“We can’t tell you how much we appreciate this,” Salinda said as she leaned into her husband’s embrace and gave him a loving look. Jessica gurgled and smiled at her parents as she grabbed a lock of her mother’s long, dark hair. “Richard was worried you wouldn’t be willing to do it, but Layla assured him you would rise to the challenge.”

“I’d do anything for my sister.” Tatiana smiled tightly and stuck her hand in the pocket of her shorts. “Even come to a ranch full of Amoveo.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Dominic interrupted. Everyone looked at him in surprise, and Layla moved across the room. She stood protectively at Tatiana’s side and sent her comforting waves of reassuring energy. “You are Amoveo, a hybrid from the Wolf Clan—Timber Wolf Clan, if I’m not mistaken—so why are you reluctant to be among your own people?”

“Dominic—” Layla began.

“No, Layla. I am the Head Guardian of this property,” Dominic continued. “It is my duty to protect everyone here from any threat. Purist. Caedo.” He leveled a deadly glare at Tatiana. “ Anyone who is a threat to our people will not be tolerated, so I think we deserve an answer to my question.”

A heavy silence filled the room, and just when Tatiana thought she’d scream with frustration, the baby laughed and reached toward Dominic. The sound of Jessica’s gurgling immediately broke the tension, and without missing a beat, Salinda passed the baby to Dominic.

The transformation from beast to man was instantaneous and rendered Tatiana speechless.

“It seems your girlfriend is vying for your attention again, Dominic,” Salinda said with a laugh. “She adores him.”

Tatiana watched in stunned silence as the hulking brute of a man was reduced to jelly by the chubby little baby in his arms. Dominic grinned at Jessica as her pudgy fingers found the chain around his neck. He pulled a set of dog tags from beneath his T-shirt and gave them to the baby, who promptly drooled all over them.

“The feeling’s mutual,” Dominic said as he glanced at Tatiana.

Tatiana’s gaze met his briefly, and even that momentary connection made her stomach flutter. What was it about the sight of a man holding a baby that could make a woman swoon? A couple of minutes ago, Tatiana would never have suspected that he was capable of anything other than caveman-like behavior, and yet here he was, wrapped around the finger of an adorable little girl.

“Dominic,” Richard said. “Tatiana is our guest, and she has come here, after much convincing by her sister, to help us.” Richard faced Tatiana as he placed his arm over Salinda’s shoulders. “She is not only a hybrid, but also a talented veterinarian, and if Layla trusts her, then we will as well.”

“I’m sure that before long, the trust will flow both ways,” Salinda said warmly. “We have set up one of the guest cabins on the property for you. I hope you will be comfortable there. I can assure you that your privacy will be respected, and Dominic and Eric will do their best to keep all of us safe.”

“Yes, well, I heard about the incident you had here recently. How can you be certain something like that won’t happen again?” Tatiana asked the question as though she wasn’t totally unnerved by the entire situation. She glanced at Dominic and the baby, and when the cherub-faced little girl smiled back, some of her nervousness eased. She turned her attention to Richard. “Are you concerned about other surprise visits?”

“We’ve taken a few extra safety measures. I’ve placed a shield around the property, which should alert us if any other Amoveo visualize themselves here.” Richard smiled at his daughter who reached out to him with chubby little arms. He took her from Dominic and placed a kiss on the child’s head. “The people I care most about in the world are here on this ranch, Tatiana. The last thing I want is violence taking place at my home and around my daughter. I won’t lie to you. Ever since Artimus and his followers declared war on the rest of our people, we have all been in danger.”

“Artimus?” Tatiana looked at Layla for answers.

“He was the leader of the Purist rebellion. A real bastard,” Layla said. “The kind of charismatic psycho who gets people to follow his lead, and then by the time they figure out what a crazy asshole he is, they’re too terrified to stop him.”