When the song ended, another similar one began, and Elizabeth readily kept dancing.
"Are you the Ellison that Ronan said he'd have help me with some carpentry?" she yelled over the music.
"Yep," Ellison said. "Spike and me will come by tomorrow. You close up on Sundays, right?"
She did, but Elizabeth usually went in to catch up on paperwork, ordering, inventory, accounts, and everything else. "Tell me something," she said. "Why is everyone acting like Ronan owns me?"
"He does, if he mate-claimed you. It's hands off for all other Shifters."
"To keep me safe, I thought," Elizabeth said. "Not to dictate every move I make."
Ellison stepped in close. "Honey, we're Shifters. It means we're horn-dogs most of the time. The minute you walked in here, every unmated male--which is most of them--wanted to howl. But now that Ronan's claimed you, we know we have to back off. When you reject the claim, though, you'll be fair game again, and we can go back to being rabid males after you. Rivals with each other instead of friends. Until someone else beats us to the claim."
"Are you serious?"
"Damn right I am."
The dance had them part again, and Elizabeth pondered what he'd said. She'd spent her life struggling to remain independent, to keep from having to rely on a man for . . . well, for anything. She'd watched girlfriends become victims to abusive men they were certain they couldn't live without. If I leave him, who takes care of me? they'd ask.
Elizabeth had learned to take care of herself. So much so that when she'd had to cut her losses and run, she'd been able to do it. If she hadn't run, her life would have become pure hell, and she shuddered to think what Mabel's life would have been. Much of her decision had been for Mabel's sake.
Now she'd walked into a society where the males thought nothing of saying openly, That woman is mine. Hands off. Animals in mating season fought each other, sometimes to the death, and Shifters had a lot of animal in them.
She glanced over at Sean and Andrea. They were sitting alone in the booth now, Mabel and Connor dancing together not far away. Sean sat against the wall, Andrea leaning back against him in the circle of his arms, and he had his hand on her abdomen, where his child slept. Protective, yes, but also loving. One didn't always go with the other, in Elizabeth's experience.
She thought of Liam and Kim, with their closeness, so comfortable, and Liam holding Katriona on his lap with a look of open love. Perhaps these Shifters had discovered something that had eluded Elizabeth all her life.
Elizabeth looked at Ronan, who was standing at the open door, watching people go in and out. He caught her eye and sent her, not a smile, but a reassuring nod.
A little warmth wound through her heart. Elizabeth would make him pay a bit for so obviously giving her his "permission" to dance with Ellison, but it was nice to think that Ronan was there for her. If she was going to have anyone stand up for her, Ronan was a good person to do it.
Meanwhile, she had fun dancing with Ellison. For the first time since the robbery, Elizabeth relaxed. She realized that no one was going to come into this bar and threaten her or try to kill her, not with Ronan on guard and this many Shifters in here. Marquez or whoever he sent wouldn't make it a step inside the door.
Strange to think that in a Shifter bar right outside of Shiftertown, she was safe. She decided to enjoy the feeling while she had it.
The bar closed at two, but when Elizabeth finally stopped dancing at midnight and sat down, she was exhausted.
"Mabel, let's go home. I mean, to Ronan's house."
Mabel looked at her in surprise across the table. "Are you kidding me? The night is young."
Mabel, at least, was good about not drinking too much. She enjoyed a beer or two, but she liked talking to people and dancing more.
"You lazed around all day," Elizabeth said. "I need some sleep."
"Go, then. Connor or Liam will get me home. Or Glory."
Mabel had adapted to Shiftertown quickly. But then, Mabel had always liked Shifters.
In the end, Andrea and Sean walked Elizabeth home. When Elizabeth said good night to Ronan on the way out, he stopped her and drew her into his arms for a big hug.
Ronan's arms were strong and lifted Elizabeth off her feet, but as he'd been at the house earlier that morning, he was as gentle as gentle could be. Elizabeth found herself looking into his big face, at his scarred nose and his warm brown eyes. She felt not only safe in his arms, but right. As though she belonged there.
He touched a kiss to her lips--brief and tender, almost chaste, but the spark behind it held heat.
"I'll be home soon, Lizzie-girl," he said.
"Good," was all Elizabeth could think to say.
Ronan set her down and gave her another brief kiss. "Go on, now."
Sean and Andrea waited a discreet distance away. When Elizabeth caught up to them, she saw that both of them looked amused.
"Is something funny?" Elizabeth asked, annoyed.
They started walking through the field that led to Shiftertown. "No," Andrea said. She was a wolf Shifter, Ellison had told her--like Ellison himself. A Lupine. She had gray eyes, as Ellison did. She was very pregnant, but she walked swiftly and strongly, as though she barely noticed her condition. "Ronan's a good friend."
"And a good man," Sean said, his Irish lilt like music in the night. "He's done me many a good turn. Now he's doing you one."
Elizabeth nodded. "I know he is."
Sean merely looked at her, his eyes speaking volumes.
"Wait a minute," Elizabeth said in amazement. "Are you worried that I'll hurt Ronan? Well, you don't need to be. He's helping me out, and I'm grateful. When this is over, I'll pay him back. That's all."
"That's not what I'm seeing," Sean said. Moonlight shone on his sword, a weapon, but one of great beauty. "I'm seeing a lonely Shifter looking at a woman like he might have a chance at some happiness. If you're not looking like that back at him, tell him now. Put him out of his misery."
"I only met him last night," Elizabeth said. "Give us a break."
Andrea said, "It can happen fast. You look at each other, and you know." She rested her hand on her abdomen and shot a look at Sean. He caught it. A lover's look, exchanging secrets without exchanging words.
"You two need to be alone?" Elizabeth joked. "Seriously. I like Ronan. I have no plans to hurt him. I might not be able to have a relationship with him, but I won't hurt him. I promise you that. I like him too much."