Hour of the Lion (The Wild Hunt Legacy #1) (25 page)

―Easy for you to say.‖

Jamie took her hand and pulled her off the bed. ―I‘ll take care of you. It‘s not a Gathering, so

nobody‘s gonna fight.‖

―No fighting? What‘s the point?‖

Giggling, Jamie dragged her into the living room. To Vic‘s horror, people surged through

the front door like ocean breakers.

Aaron trotted over and handed her a big mug of hot chocolate. ―I made this for you, young

lady.‖ He gave another one to Jamie before hustling away.

Vic stared at the mug . No beer? Dammit, she really wanted a drink. With a sigh, she sipped,

then choked as it burned all the way down, not from the heat, but from the amount of peppermint

schnapps Aaron had added. ―Good God.‖

She pulled Jamie‘s cup out of her hands and sniffed it. No peppermint, just chocolate.

―Okay, you can drink it.‖

Jamie took it back with a suspicious look. ―I bet yours is better.‖

―And when you‘re twenty-one, you‘ll get to find out, won‘t you?‖ Vic answered. ―Um.

What are we supposed to do now?‖

―We mingle and...and schmooze.‖ Jamie frowned. ―I‘m not sure what that means, but it

sounds cool.‖

―Come, come, let‘s introduce you around.‖ Aaron popped back and chivvied Vic and Jamie

forward like a hyperactive cattle dog. He stopped beside two women in their thirties seated on

the sofa. ―Victoria, this is Sarah and Gretchen. They‘re here visiting their mother until Samhain.‖

They offered chill nods.

Vic recognized Gretchen as the woman in Cold Creek who‘d run her hand over Calum‘s

chest. She was tall, slender, and fucking gorgeous with porcelain skin and French-braided

platinum blonde hair. Her sister looked completely unrelated with a curvy build, dusky

complexion, dark brown eyes, and wavy black hair. Also beautiful. ―Nice to meet you,‖ Vic lied.

―Jamie, Maude‘s grandson is here. He‘s just your age.‖ Aaron dragged Jamie away. Traitor,

Vic thought at the child, then sighed and took a chair. Although the women looked at her like

she‘d crawled out of a garbage can, she managed a polite smile.

―So you arrived here with Calum?‖ Gretchen asked, obviously already knowing the answer.

―That‘s right.‖ Should she mention the attackers? God, someone should have briefed her

before this party. ―Um, we hiked up from Cold—‖

―Hiked?‖ Sarah interrupted with a thin laugh. ―Why didn‘t you trawsfur? You made the

Cosantir walk like a stinking human?‖

Vic considered being polite for all of two seconds and discarded the idea. They disliked her,

for whatever reason, and the feeling was mutual. She rose and without one swearword—truly a

miracle of self-control—walked away.

―Well!‖

Vic didn‘t look to see who had spoken. Next stop? A mess of older people, including the

Elders, mingled on the other side of the woodstove. Three middle-aged men stood by the door. A

handful of women had taken over the kitchen. Jamie was engaged in a vehement argument with

two boys about her age. No Calum, no Alec. Damn them.

Maude disengaged from the Elder group. ―Come, child, there‘s food in the kitchen, and

people want to meet you.‖

Vic glanced back at bitch one and bitch two. ―Sure they do.‖

Maude tracked her gaze and gave a womanly snort. Tucking a hand under Vic‘s elbow,

much like Calum‘s habit, she guided her into the kitchen. ―Perhaps I should say most want to

meet you. Some unattached females, well—‖

―I usually have to do something before someone gets all huffy.‖

Maude laughed. ―Oh, you did, Victoria, you did.‖

What had she done? Vic had no time to think as she was introduced to Heather and her

mother, Helen. Round and soft with kind blue eyes, Helen smiled and took Vic‘s hand in both of

hers. ―We‘re delighted to have another woman for our Clan. Welcome, child, welcome.‖

―Thank you,‖ Vic managed.

The woman‘s daughter laughed. ―Every female is a stray chick to my mama, no matter how

old they are.‖ Heather was a tall, lanky woman about Vic‘s age wearing a russet sweater that

matched her hair. She handed her mother a plate of sandwiches. ―Here. I saw Leland looking in a

few minutes ago. Of course, I‘m not sure if he hungered for food or for you.‖

Helen flushed and frowned in mock disgust at her daughter. ―Such notions you get.‖ But she

took the plate and Vic noticed, headed straight for the tough old Elder. He looked at her like a

starving man spotting a McDonald‘s.‖

―Looks pretty gone on her,‖ Vic commented.

Heather leaned back against the kitchen table and grinned. ―The poor male‘s tried to get her

into his cabin for years. He‘d lifemate her in a heartbeat, but she wants to stay unattached for a

while.‖

―Ah.‖ Lifemated was the same as married, right? Why in the world hadn‘t Alec or Calum

provided a furball dictionary?

Heather tilted her head. ―You having an up-close-and-personal encounter with culture

shock?‖

―I‘m past culture shock and well on the road to a major melt-down.‖ Vic glanced at the

crowd. ―Is there a way to tell which shifter turns into which animal?‖

Heather shoved a package of broccoli toward Vic. ―Why don‘t you cut those up and we‘ll

put out some dip.‖ She started slicing up carrots. ―The werecats, like Calum and Alec, usually

have a prowling kind of gait. Maude and Aaron and Mama and my brothers are all bears; their

walk is more bouncy. A wolf‘s gait isn‘t as distinctive.‖

―But if your mama is a bear, then how come you‘re a wolf?‖

Heather rolled her eyes in a duh response. ―My father or his ancestors must have been one.

Me and my brothers are Gather-bred, so we‘re not sure of our fathers. But it‘s simple genetics,

just like red hair or blue eyes.‖

Fathers? Before Vic could ask, a commotion at the door got her attention. Alec and Calum.

Her spirits lifted so fast it was frightening. The men were quickly engulfed in greetings, but after

a minute, Alec looked around, spotted Vic, and headed into the kitchen.

―Hey, Heather,‖ he said, snatching a carrot from under her knife. ―How‘s it going? You still

CEO of that company?‖

Heather gave him a thin smile. ―You bet. We‘re raking in money hand-over-fist.‖

Alec shook his head, grinned at Vic. ―Wolves. Nobody‘s better at teamwork, and they know

right when to close in for the kill.‖ He plopped down in a chair beside Vic.

Just needing to touch, she stepped closer and patted him on the head, trying not to notice

how silky his hair was. The way he smelled of pine forests and masculine musk made her want

to nibble on his neck. ―Where‘d you guys go? The party started a while ago.‖

―The village has bathing springs.‖ He tucked his big hand around her leg, his fingers warm

against her inner thigh. His thumb inched up to press on the seam of her jeans—right over her

pussy.

She almost cut herself with the knife. Flushing, she glared and tried to move away.

He pulled her closer.

Heather snickered. ―Oho, so that‘s the scent in the wind. How‘s Calum feel about this?‖

What exactly was this? Vic glanced down at Alec. Surely Heather wasn‘t meaning some

relationship.

He had a lazy smile on his face. ―Oh, Calum is all in favor.‖

―Well, damn. About time.‖ Heather presented Alec with a carrot as if awarding a prize.

God, she hated being ignorant. ―Okay, guys, I‘m confused. What are you—‖

―I‘ve noticed some gaps in her education,‖ Heather said, frowning at Alec.

―No time. And‖—he gave Vic an appeasing smile—‖we didn‘t want to scare her to death.‖

―Scare me? What would—‖ A squeal from the doorway interrupted her.

―Alec!‖ Sarah, bitchy-sister-number-two, rushed in and pulled up a chair beside Alec. Her

wide hips were balanced by equally large breasts, and she‘d placed herself where Alec couldn‘t

miss seeing all that cleavage.

Feeling positively puny, Vic concentrated on her cutting. She didn‘t care. She was leaving,

wasn‘t she?

Heather‘s eyes held sympathy. ―Mom and I are making cookies tomorrow. We could use

some help. Stirring without an electric beater is tiring.‖

Vic managed a smile. ―I‘d like that.‖

―Good. Around ten or so. The house has a blue door since Mom had a feng shui kick a while

back.‖ She picked up the broccoli Vic had sliced and dumped it on the tray. ―If you bring the dip,

we‘ll take this out to the living room.‖

―Hey,‖ Alec protested as they left him.

―That woman reminds me of kudzu,‖ Vic said, glancing back. ―Whatever it wraps around

will suffocate and die.‖

―Good description,‖ Heather agreed. ―And Alec is so polite with women, he won‘t tell her

where to take herself. Should we go back and rescue him?‖

All that cleavage—he probably doesn‟t want to be rescued. The thought made her voice

harden. ―He‘s a big boy. If he wants to turn down what‘s being offered, he knows how to do it.‖

Going into the living room provided no escape, for there was Gretchen chatting animatedly

with Calum, one fragile hand on his arm while she gazed up into his eyes. Seeing the guys with

other women hurt, dammit, like someone was slicing her chest open, and that didn‘t make any

sense. Sure, she‘d slept with Calum, slept with Alec, but hell, she didn‘t own them. Not even

close.

Heather set the tray down on a coffee table in front of the Elders who had taken over the

couches. ―The dip?‖ She held out her hand, then followed Vic‘s gaze. ―Oh, girl, you‘ve got it

bad.‖

―It‘s not like that. I-I‘m not even sure I‘m staying. We‘ll probably never see each other

again.‖

―Well, honey, you just keep telling yourself that.‖ After setting the dip down, Heather

looked around the living room. ―Meantime, hmmm …‖

―What?‖

―You know, when I was a teen, and we first learned to trawsfur, Alec and Calum would leap

out of the trees and pounce on me. They almost scared me to death.‖ Heather‘s lips curved into

an evil smile. ―Although, I did bite Alec once, that‘s not nearly enough payback for all the

misery they caused. A delayed revenge is much sweeter, don‘t you think?‖

―Mmmmh, I guess I‘m more of a kill-them-now sort of person.‖ Would anyone notice if she

escaped to her bedroom?

―I‘m not. There he is... C‘mon, I want you to meet my brother.‖

Vic hesitated and then followed, shaking her head. Men usually talked sense—women could

be totally incomprehensible.

Heather‘s brother was a whopping big dude, Marine-sized, with keen brown eyes, shaggy

brown hair, and a mouth made for laughing. She liked him immediately.

―Now look at what my little sister brought me today,‖ he said, taking Vic‘s hand and

holding it to his very muscular chest.

Heather cleared her throat. ―Excuse me, Daniel, but I‘m still here. And you‘re only my big

brother by all of ten minutes. Victoria—‖

―Vic or Vicki; nobody calls me Victoria. Almost nobody,‖ Vic corrected. Although it didn‘t

sound wrong when Calum said it.

―Vicki, then.‖ Daniel kissed her fingers before releasing her hand. ―I‘m Daniel, crippled

from being raised with this evil woman.‖ He grinned at his sister.

―Oh, sure. And all those scars you and Tanner gave me after you learned to trawsfur? The

way you‘d swing at me with your giant claws, and you call me evil?‖ Heather punched his arm,

grinned at Vic. ―I left a six-pack of beer outside, want one?‖

―Something cold and alcoholic? You bet.‖

Heather wrinkled her nose at her brother. ―She sounds just like you.‖ She took a step, then

touched Vic‘s arm and whispered, ―He‘s completely healthy and entirely single, in case you

wondered.‖

Vic stared after Heather. No, she hadn‘t wondered, and although Daniel was exactly the type

of man she enjoyed, she sure didn‘t need any more guy problems.

―You look like a lost lamb,‖ he said and linked his hand with hers. ―C‘mon, we‘ll find a

corner to commandeer and avoid the wolves...and cats. In fact, I think I‘ll keep you to myself for

a bit.‖

―That won‘t be possible,‖ a cold voice said from behind Vic. Calum moved in, standing

close enough that his hip and shoulder brushed hers.

Daniel lifted her hand, pushed her sleeve up to her elbow, exposing the bare skin. ―Well,

now, doesn‘t appear like she‘s lifemated. Are you lifemated, Vicki?‖

―I‘m not sure I know what it means, but I don‘t think so.‖

―Oh, you‘d know,‖ he assured her, although his steady gaze never left Calum‘s.

Alec appeared on her other side, just as close as Calum. She was beginning to feel like a t-

bone in front of starving animals.

When she heard an actual growl coming from Alec, Vic turned to stare at him. What the

fuck?

―Vixen,‖ Alec wrapped his big fingers around her biceps. ―Let‘s go over—‖

Oh, right. The minute she found someone to talk to, they‘re all over her like bees on honey.

Not happening. She pulled her arm out of his grasp, and her hand from Daniel, and glared.

―Excuse me, Sheriff, but I think you have some cleavage—I mean Sarah—to see to.‖ Before he

could react, she spun to face Calum. ―And I‘m sure the Ice Queen desires your presence.‖

When Daniel laughed, she lost it completely. The hell with it if her behavior wasn‘t very

rational. And weren‘t they lucky she didn‘t have her Glock? She stepped out from between the

two brothers, pausing to smile at Daniel. ―Maybe some other time when I‘m in a better mood.

I‘m partied out.‖

As she walked away, she heard Daniel say plaintively, ―Mommy, I want that one. Can‘t I—‖