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could make even the most outgoing people nervous, let alone
some poor kid that had probably only seen the same four walls for a long time.
    She was going through her mating cycle, too, which made
everything ten times worse. Riley had warned him, but he thought he knew
better. Striding out of the kitchen, he took the stairs two at a time. Quickly
going into her room, Mac sat down on the bed. Lisa kept crying. She was trying
to heave in huge lungs-full of air as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in the
room, and she shook all over.
    He laid her gently down on the bed and curled her into him
tight. Rubbing his hand up and down her back, he feathered little kisses on her
face while he waited for her crying to ease. She was mumbling something to him,
and he caught a soft sorry.
    “Babes, don’t you dare apologize. This is my fault, not
yours. I didn’t think. I just wanted my family to see how beautiful you are. I’m
so sorry I put you in that situation. Here, water?”
    Lisa focused as he held the water bottle out to her, and she
took a couple of sips.
    “There, that better?” He smiled and tucked her into him
again.
    Mac breathed slowly. He knew she was feeling the connection
between them, and when her fingers innocently brushed his skin, tiny needles
pierced him, and his eyes zeroed on those full lips. His whole body tightened
in response, and he let out a long breath, willing himself to calm down.
    “Mac?” The tremulous voice wobbled.
Lisa fixed her eyes on his shirt. “Mac, why am I here?”
    Mac paused. He wanted to slap his head. Duh! He’d been so fixed on getting her safe and well, and with the
whole mate thing throwing him for a loop, he hadn’t given any thought to
answering her questions. He couldn’t exactly blurt out about her being a
shifter. She’d probably think they were all ready for locking up.
    “Lisa, Raleigh Point is a group home. You’ve been in one of
those?”
    She nodded hesitantly.
    “Well, a doctor friend of ours visited the place you were in
and, thankfully, saw you.” He let out another long sigh, and Lisa shivered. He
tucked her in closer. “You shouldn’t have been there. You’re obviously too old
for a regular group home, but he thought this place would be good for you.” Lame, Mac, so lame.
    A soft knock had Riley appearing around the door. Lisa
immediately changed and nearly tried to climb inside him.
    Mac looked at his brother, bewildered. She knew Riley, and
she hadn’t been this frightened of him earlier. What had changed?
    “I just got off the phone with Brett.” Riley spoke quietly,
but made no move to come toward them. Lisa quieted slightly at the sound of
Riley’s voice. Mac knew he wanted to come closer as he needed touch to be able
to calm her down.
    “Honey, let Riley check on you. I’m
not going anywhere.” He continued to rub soothingly on her back, as Riley fully
came into the room.
    “Hey, Lisa? Don’t mind the kids.
They get a bit full of themselves. Especially Alex, huh?” Riley continued to talk nonsense, and Mac brushed a hair out of her eyes. She
blinked slowly. Mac studied the long lashes that fanned her cheek for a second
before they pulled up again. She would be stunning when the bruises were gone.
He lightly traced one finger along her cheekbone, carefully, gently. Her lashes
swept up again at his touch, but not all the way. He just caught her pupils
widen and her eyes glaze slightly. Her breaths slowed. Riley edged nearer.
    All of a sudden, she sighed against Mac and shut her eyes.
His bear nudged at his insides, and a wild possessive urge flowed around him.
She was his, dammit. Nothing would
ever hurt her again. Mac murmured quietly to her as her body shuddered once and
then stilled. He wrapped his big arms around her and willed her to feel safe.
    “She’s asleep, Mac.” Riley removed his outstretched hand and
sat on the chair next to the bed. “I don’t think she’s fallen asleep naturally
in a long time.”
    “Well, yeah, but