The Werelion Tycoon’s Forgotten Mate: Howls Romance Read online

  The baby’s father.

  She allowed herself to toy with the idea that he would swoop in and save her. Maybe he was the one she cried for, night after night. But why didn’t he claim her? Reports had been made and statements issued by the press, yet no one came forward.

  Hell, for all she knew, he was the one to dump her in the river.

  Support workers visited her not long after she woke, and when she was well enough, they moved her to a woman’s shelter. She took care of herself in basic ways and before long, they told her they would help get her home—to America.

  Even with her memory gone, the place seemed familiar. She had returned to the states to discover her life had fallen apart just before her whirlwind trip to Greece. She’d lost her job, let go of her apartment, and emptied her bank account to fund her vacation. Stupid, now that she thought about it, but there was no arguing with Past Avery about her choices. There was only Present Avery and the baby to think about. So, she worked with support groups until she was ready to strike out on her own, get a job, get an apartment, and prepare for the baby.

  What about my memory? she had asked her medical team. Can’t we get it back?

  No, her doctors said. It had to return on its own, if it would come back at all.

  This terrified her at first. How could she go out in the world, have job interviews and fill out applications for apartments when she didn’t even know who she was?

  She had support from the hospital, and in time, she found her apartment and her job. Her sense of accomplishment raised her spirits and gave her hope for the future.

  And every night she curled around her belly as it grew larger. She never cried anymore. She smiled. Because she didn’t need to know who she was in the past to be a great mother today. All she needed to know was her baby. Her baby would know her, and they would find the future together.

  This thought made her smile as she finished her breakfast and threw her trash into the bin at the edge of the foyer before striding onto a waiting elevator.

  When a long-fingered hand on the end of a massive, gray-sleeved arm shoved through the doors, she jumped and scurried to the back of the space. The man pushed the doors apart and joined her in the elevator before stabbing the button repeatedly to close the doors.

  Thinking he was just late for work, she smiled politely and remained quiet, empty hands cradling the roundness of her stomach.

  He grinned down at her with a familiarity that was almost menacing, an edge to his smile that set her on alert for some reason. He made her feel… strange. But not scared. Not exactly. Though Lord knew she should probably be frightened of such an intimidating male—his smile feral in its intensity.

  He was huge—towering over her even though she wore a pair of three-inch heels. He had to be well over six feet tall. The light caught the gold in his hair and spun it so finely that it seemed to reflect against the walls. His amber eyes glowed with the urgency of an apex predator and the way he stood over her felt… Well, it felt…

  Warm. Comforting. Loving.

  What the hell? No. No. She couldn’t be thinking like this! He was a stranger and his behavior was too familiar. He stood too close. Stared at her too intently. Looked into her soul like he knew every part of her.

  She wrapped a hand around her belly and took a step back, staring up at him.

  He leaned down, so his face hovered just above her hair, and inhaled deeply—the breath audible in the silence of the elevator. Then he made a small sound—a moan. Something like release and, most definitely, pleasure.

  At the whisper of happiness from him, something shot through her. Her nipples came alive with hot lines of fire that raced to her clit. She gasped at the strength of her body’s response and her hands trembled.

  What the hell is going on with me?

  She wanted to step back again, but something wouldn’t let her retreat. Some part of her refused to allow her to show anything but strength. What she really wanted to do was get closer, step right up to that warm, wide chest and sniff him right back. At the very idea her clit burned and ached, begging to be touched, stroked, and teased. Her inner core that had stayed silent for so long suddenly throbbed and dripped at the proximity of this man—at the mere idea he would touch her intimately.

  Touch me, take me, give yourself to me.

  She shook her head again, closing her eyes while she tried to banish the sight of this man. What was happening to her?

  His next words shocked her more than the reactions of her body. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  She snapped her eyes up to his face, edging away so she could look into his eyes.

  “What?” She was thrown. Her hands trembled with fear, anxiety and a hint of hope pouring through her in equal measure. He knew her. From where? How?

  “You’re pregnant.” His voice was so smooth and somehow familiar. It moved her, somewhere deep inside her chest there was a light, a warm place that woke and reached for him, stretching to capture him once again.

  Again?

  He moved closer and she backed away, a dance and battle in one—her valiant attempt at keeping distance between them. His smile was so sure it would have freaked her out if it wasn’t also full of innocent joy.

  This was a predator. She was as sure of that as she was of her name. It was written in his every line, tracing out the beautiful body with hard, sculpted muscles. The glare in his eyes, the soft falls of his feet.

  But she wasn’t afraid. Not of him.

  Though Lord knew she should be. She had been far too innocent when she awoke from her coma. Avery had to learn all over again how to watch herself in crowds, hang on to her purse and be careful at night. Intellectually, she knew his behavior was not okay. It wasn’t normal. It was… predatory in nature.

  Yet, it didn’t seem to matter. His eyes roamed over her body, not just hungrily, but with a sense of wonder. She had never seen anyone with such an expression.

  Her own body begged her to step closer to him, every inch of her screaming for this stranger. Her mind fought her body’s desires and the never-ending conflict nearly brought her to tears it was so strong.

  Her instincts knew what they wanted. Her body knew what it craved. The one thing she wanted in the entire world was to press herself up against him, hands on his sculpted chest, their bodies aligned, their mouths meeting in a passionate kiss that would lead to more… Let his hands go around her waist while she tipped her head back and let him drink from her mouth. Their tongues coming together as their lips explored.

  She almost reached for him. He leaned over her, hungry and full of longing. His hands reached for her, his fingers twitching as he gave in to the same overpowering urge that rose in her like a flood. Her heart hammered in her throat. She couldn’t get away. This was wrong. She couldn’t be doing this!

  The sharp ding of the elevator shocked through the haze of her thoughts. She jumped just a little as the doors rattled open, and she took the opportunity it gave her—freedom.

  She ducked past him and ran like hell, one hand clutching her stomach while the other gripped her purse.

  “Security!” she screamed for help, immediately attracting the attention of three blue-suited men stationed around the room.

  “Help!” she bellowed, breathless and dizzy. She had put herself under far too much stress for an expectant mother. Her head reeled from the musky scent of the man and the look in his eyes. Yes, it was lust. He wanted her. But it was something else, far deeper.

  He needed her.

  And she needed him.

  How could she know anything without her memories, without her past self to guide her? The nurses and support workers had been very clear to her. She had to be extra careful about trusting people. It was very easy to take advantage of someone with amnesia. There were animals everywhere who would, just for the sake of the challenge.

  And patients like her… Well. They wanted to remember. They wanted to find familiar things. If someone claimed to know them, gave them thing
s to hang on to, they might just believe others whether they spoke the truth or not.

  Security officers gathered around her. One of them got her a chair, another brought her a cup of water. Her hands trembled as she took it.

  Why does everyone bring you water when something happens? she thought furiously. I could use a donut after that kind of stress.

  She couldn’t see the man anymore and part of her cried out at the loss, missing the sight of him, his scent, his supportive presence. She could hear their voices rumbling but she couldn’t work out what was said.

  Avery rubbed her forehead, shaking her head as she struggled to clear her mind. She needed to get the hell out of here. If she could get away from him, she’d be able to think clearly. Her reaction was just her desperation to connect, nothing more. She had the baby to worry about and she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Like throwing herself at some stranger on an elevator. Even if everything in her called out to him and begged to be possessed by him once again.

  Again?

  Something was wrong with her. With this situation. With… everything.

  She sipped her water and gathered herself to rise and go on with her day. Security would handle the strange man who acted like he knew her, who seemed familiar despite the fact that her memory was nothing but a dark, swirling pool of blackness. They would get rid of the man with the gold eyes, amazing shoulders and beautiful hands.

  And she would forget about him. Just as she had forgotten her entire life.

  Except, it was like her mind had been rewritten now. The only vision behind her eyelids now was his gorgeous smile.

  Yeah, Avery, she scolded herself, you can totally forget about him.

  Chapter Three

  Shock held Elias immobile, unable to do anything other than watch Avery run from him.

  He knew something was wrong the second he got close. The way she looked at him was tinged with that old sweetness he treasured, but there was a strange fear in her eyes.

  Why fear?

  Yet he detected no unease in her natural scent, the mix of her feminine flavors reaching out to him. On some deep, core level she was not truly afraid. This reassured him greatly, but the expression on her face, the currents of uneasiness… Why did she not recognize him?

  Surely, she knew he could never harm her. No matter what had become of her in the time they had been apart, she should know he would protect her at all costs. Bone deep, in the shadows of her soul, she must know.

  Reality halted as she disappeared into the sea of desks and people who filled the office floor. She was so close. Mere seconds away. All he had to do was take her and claim her all over again.

  She’s carrying my child.

  He wrestled with the truth—finding her again, knowing she lived—was unbelievable. After months of begging for any sign and losing hope a little more each day, the shock was near absolute.

  But pregnant… Pregnant with his cub! There was no doubt. She was obviously pregnant, the roundness of her stomach unmistakable, and the child was his. Of this he had no doubt.

  His beast surged, attempting to break free so he could chase Avery, and he struggled to keep it contained. He moved toward her, lightning fast on soft feet, like the cat that he was. Though instead of reaching her, he ran straight into the security guards who had come at her call. They grabbed him, halting his progress. He could fight them off. They were nothing to him. He would crush them, tear them apart!

  How dare they stand between him and his mate!

  He prepared for the fight, his shoulders tense and body coiled to spring, but then he caught the gaze of one of the men. Then came the stinging scent of fear rising from the guards, surrounding him in the cloud of increasing terror.

  They were just men—humans. They didn’t know the kind of power he could unleash. Worst of all, they believed themselves to be in the right. They were protecting an innocent woman—a pregnant one, at that—from a crazed stranger.

  Me. They’re protecting her from me.

  Taking a deep breath, he leashed the beast, wrapping a mental chain around the animal and dragging it to the back of his mind. He pulled it snarling and growling into that place deep within him where it waited, firing his blood and making him so much more than a man.

  Once he was sure it lay dormant in his hidden depths, he relaxed and held up his hands in surrender. As they stepped back, he took another few deep breaths and struggled to figure out his next step. He didn’t know how to handle this situation. He couldn’t let Avery escape him, but they weren’t going to let him into the office, either.

  “I apologize, gentlemen.” He used the same soothing voice he used on clients. Smooth and deep, it worked like a purr and immediately put humans at ease. It had never failed him before and it had the same effect now, even with his anger simmering beneath his tone.

  “What is your business here?” the tallest one snapped at him, eyeing him with a flinty glare. He clearly wanted to do his job, but he also didn’t want to offend a man in an expensive suit who might be an important client.

  “Would you please call Galen Liakos?” Elias gestured toward the receptionist’s desk and the phone sitting within view. “He can help clear this up.”

  One of them strode to the waiting desk, picked up the phone, and pressed a few buttons. All the while his attention remained on Elias, as if he would continue to cause trouble.

  After a brief exchange of words, he nodded to the other security guards and then looked at Elias. “Mr. Liakos is on his way.”

  Only a few seconds passed before Galen came striding from the back area of the office. He was pleased to see his friend hurrying yet his strides were as long and smooth as someone strolling on one of Greece’s pristine beaches.

  Shifter grace—the animal always present even when unseen.

  “What is the trouble here, gentlemen?” Galen ignored Elias and spoke to the security guards.

  “He was harassing a woman, sir. One of your personal staff, I believe. She stepped off the elevator and called for help.”

  Galen looked to Elias, eyebrows raised and probably expecting some sort of explanation. Elias simply shrugged, which had Galen rolling his eyes as he turned back to security. “I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding. Wasn’t it, Elias?”

  “Of course,” Elias replied smoothly and without hesitation, causing Galen to nod in response.

  “And you won’t be causing any more trouble here. Will you, Elias?” Galen gave him a glare.

  Elias ignored the narrow-eyed stare and straightened his sleeves, tugging on the right cuff and then left, before answering. “Not at all. I’m very sorry to have caused such a disturbance.”

  “Back to work then. Thank you very much. You’ve done your job well.” Galen then turned toward Elias, dismissing the security guards without even looking at them. “Good to see you!” Galen gave his hand a firm shake and then led Elias quickly to his office so they could talk privately.

  The moment the door was closed, the wolf shifter turned on him with a rumbling growl. “What the hell are you doing, man! I’ve never known you to get out of control like that.”

  “I told you,” Elias tugged on his tie, loosening it so he could breathe. “She’s my mate.”

  “So you told me, yesterday afternoon. But I didn’t expect to see you show up here, like you threatened.”

  “Threatened?”

  Galen stared him down. “You didn’t exactly ask permission to come accost one of my staff. I invited you to go over paperwork, not harass my assistant.”

  Wolf met lion in a tense glare where neither would back down.

  Elias turned, went to the window and leaned on it. He eyed the wide, dramatic skyline but hardly saw the beauty of the city laid out before him. His need for her was so great he could not be still.

  After missing her so much, feeling her absence every moment of every day… He just wanted to bask in her presence, like a lion enjoying the warm sun as he stretched out in the savannah.
/>   Elias let the silence stretch out, each moment becoming heavy with atmosphere as his emotions filled the room. He was angry, frustrated and above all… confused.

  “Elias.” Galen said softly, trying not to trigger his lion.

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not fucking okay!” He spun to face Galen, fury etched in every inch of his body. His muscles were tense and frustration thrummed in his veins. “She’s my mate! Why are you trying to keep us apart? Why doesn’t she know me? That’s my baby in her belly, and she doesn’t even know who I am! Why does she keep running from me?”

  “Look, Elias.” Galen sighed, cracking his knuckles. “I know some things about her. There is a reason why her résumé was short and why I decided to give her a shot over others. I believe I understand what’s going on here.”

  Elias crossed the room, putting his hands on the desk where Galen sat and staring him down with calm eyes. “So, tell me.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why? What the fuck do you mean?” he exploded, only a little but still with a raised voice and sudden action that made Galen growl.

  “It’s not my place to say, Elias. Things have happened to her. It’s up to her to talk about them.”

  Elias’ heart dropped out of his chest. It went cold, leaving him sick and shocked. He had never stopped to think what terrible things might have befallen her in the time after being kidnapped. He now wished he had kept the rival lions alive a bit longer. They had died far too quickly.

  “Look, I can see if she will talk to you.” The words were so reasonable yet at the same time so impossible that Elias looked at the floor, clenching his fists.

  He needed permission to speak to his mate. It was not guaranteed that she would agree to give him any of her time. This was almost worse than thinking she was dead.

  Almost.

  He couldn’t stop the joy rising inside. She was alive. She was well! Even more amazing, she carried his cub.

  “Okay.” Elias’ shoulders sagged. His lion fell into its den at the back of his mind and slumbered. He understood this was the only course possible. Galen would ask permission and if she said no, well, Elias would have to find another way.