Mountain Lion (10 page)

She twisted her hands in her lap, sensing Wyatt tensing next to her. “I don’t know how long I’m staying.”

“Right now she’s just trying to avoid the people her father sold her to,” Wyatt said.

Jesse’s eyebrows snapped down. “What do you mean?” He looked at Shane. “Why wasn’t I told about this?”

Shane shook his head. “I knew you’d freak out. We decided to let you meet her first. Let her or Wyatt tell you. So you didn’t treat her different.”

“She’s my cousin,” Jesse said. “If someone’s abusing her…”

“No one is abusing her, so calm down,” Wyatt said. “Unless you count me hogging her to myself as help for the horses. She’s amazing with them.”

“Really?” Maverick asked. “Wait, now I know why your voice sounds familiar. Didn’t you call asking about a job?”

She nodded, flushing. “I did. But I found a position elsewhere, so don’t worry about it.”

Maverick grinned again. “Yeah, you did.” Wyatt punched him in the shoulder and he pouted. “What was that for?”

“For giving us that weird-ass look,” he said, frowning.

Valerie grinned and looked down as the food came. It was served by a woman named Fanny, who was curvy and pretty, with an apron tied over her ample waist. She had dark hair laced with gray and a face that had experienced a lot of smiles.

She gave Valerie a little side hug as she served her. “Glad to have you here, honey. Someone needs to get that cat to settle down.”

Wyatt opened his mouth to correct her, but she was already gone, swishing back to the kitchen with a wave.

“Wow,” she muttered in a low voice for only him to hear, as the others talked about the past week on the ranch. “They all seem eager to hook you up.”

He shrugged. “They’re all happy and they want others to be happy.”

“Except Fanny,” Val said. “We should introduce her to Wayne.”

Wyatt gave her a sidelong glare, tilting his head. Then he broke into a smile. “You know, I never thought of it that way. You’re really thoughtful sometimes, you know that?”

She turned to her soup, pulling off a piece of bread to dip in it. “I just see things other people don’t sometimes.”

Wyatt nodded and put a hand on her leg, removing it when she tensed.

As much as she liked his touch, she didn’t want possessive gestures in public. She didn’t want to be known as his so much as she wanted to be known as herself.

“So,” Wyatt said. “How are the pregnancies going?”

Ruby and Harmony both gave him a grin. “Not too bad,” Ruby said. “Considering it’s a bear shifter in there.”

“And as for me, I’m only a month and a half along,” Harmony said. “So I can’t really say. I haven’t been barfy though, so…”

Maverick wrinkled his nose but laughed when Harmony elbowed him again.

Bonnie was quiet, and Valerie studied her with concern. Bonnie looked down at her hands, where she was twisting her napkin, and then looked up to face the group, eyes bright with emotion.

“And we… just had a positive test. I know we’re supposed to wait until twelve weeks, but we just had to share. We know you’ve all been worried.”

There were whoops and yells, and she and Wyatt watched as the McAllisters embraced.

Wyatt turned to her with a grin. “Jesse and Bonnie weren’t sure they’d be able to mate, whether bears and cats would be fertile together.”

“I’m happy for them,” she said honestly. Watching them all together, she felt a wistful feeling that shone in Wyatt’s eyes as well. What would it be like to be part of such a big, beautiful family? Where everyone watched out for one another.

Still, they were good at making her feel welcome, and as they settled down from their news, they got straight to work getting to know her.

Where she was from, how she’d found Wyatt, how she liked the ranch.

Everything but what was going on between her and Wyatt. For now, she’d keep that to herself. Not that she really knew what was going on at all.

They were wrapping up lunch, finishing with popsicles that had been shipped in, when they heard the front door of the lodge open and slam shut.

Wyatt and Maverick immediately stood, on guard, and Val felt the hairs rise on her neck at their alarm.

Someone had just entered the building. Someone they weren’t expecting. All she could do was pray it wasn’t her family or anyone related to them.

“
S
tay here
,” Wyatt said, putting a finger to his mouth.

“You got this?” Shane asked, and Maverick nodded. “Okay.”

The two men jogged toward the front entryway, which was out of view of the dining room.

Valerie heard raised noises, a loud thud, and then silence. Then shouting again. Then normal talking. She couldn’t help standing, wanting to go over and see what was happening, but Harmony put a hand on her arm to stop her.

“Whatever it is, those two will deal with it,” she said. “No one can take out Mav.”

Val nodded and slowly sat back down, but nerves went through her at the thought of anything happening to Wyatt.

The next moment, Wyatt and Mav were walking into the room, struggling to drag in a huge man between them. They dropped him in the middle of the floor, and Valerie rushed up to go over to them.

“What happened?”

Shane and Jesse came over too, but not before reassuring their pregnant mates they should stay put.

Val wondered if that’s what being a mate was. Having someone that told you what to do all the time.

Still, the women seemed very happy with the arrangement, practically glowing.

Val turned her attention to the man in the middle of the floor, with Mav and Wyatt standing over him.

She looked from Mav, who looked confused, to Wyatt, who was rubbing his fist for some odd reason.

The man in front of them was unlike anything Valerie had seen.

He wore a black leather jacket, the same color as his silky black hair that fell over his forehead. He had sharp, handsome features, a strong jaw, a hawkish nose, a prominent chin. He was wearing black jeans tucked into motorcycle boots, and on his hands were black leather gloves, cut off at the fingers. One of his ears was pierced, and even when unconscious, he seemed to be frowning.

“What the hell did you do?” she asked, looking at Wyatt, who seemed guilty.

“I… might have jumped to conclusions,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But he walked in asking for Valerie, and I just… reacted.”

“I see,” Shane said. “You reacted a lot.”

“Yeah,” Wyatt said. “I’m overprotective.”

Val knew it was hard for Wyatt, having seen what she’d gone through. But this wasn’t one of the men who’d hurt her, and he must have known that now from the way she looked at him with surprise and curiosity rather than fear.

Wyatt shook his hand. “I didn’t know who else would come looking for you,” he said. “And I definitely smelled cat.”

“Damn, that’s not fair,” Maverick said, folding his arms as he crouched next to the fallen man. “You cats being able to scent each other, but we can’t scent you.”

“He’s a cat?” Val asked. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Wyatt said.

“I can’t scent him,” she said.

“I have purer cat blood,” he said, not in a bragging way, just matter-of-fact.

Jesse came a little closer. “I scent it too.”

Wyatt nodded. “You’ve always had a pretty good nose.”

Val was mildly offended to be left out, so she scented the air and focused hard. Then she caught it. This slightly unfamiliar, acidic scent that made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

“That’s no cougar,” she said.

The man’s eyes flickered open for a second, and they all tensed up. There was a flash of orange before his lids flickered closed once again and he let out a sigh.

“You don’t think…” Wyatt said, looking at Jesse and the others.

Jesse folded his arms. “I’d heard rumors… but I don’t know. I thought they were just rumors.”

“I didn’t call the dragons,” Wyatt said. “I thought these guys worked only with them…”

“Will someone tell me what the heck is going on?” Harmony yelled from their table.

The men looked between each other as the stranger started to stir. Shane shook his head at Wyatt, who nodded.

“Let’s get him out of here. Whoever he is, we can’t risk him around the mates.”

“We’ll be right back, Harmony,” Maverick said. “I promise.”

Harmony let out a huff and sat back as the men worked to raise the tall man to his feet. He was easily the size of Maverick, with a well-muscled body that seemed almost too good to be true. Like he’d walked out of an action movie.

The men started to walk out of the room with him, and Valerie followed. Wyatt pinned her with a look. “Stay here with the others.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” she said. “And he asked for me. This involves me.”

“Exactly why it’s not safe for you,” he said. “You need to stay here.”

“And you need to get that you don’t get to tell me what to do,” she repeated. “I’m coming, and that’s that.”

Finally, Wyatt sighed and shrugged.

“All right.”

There was nothing he could say or do to convince her. He might want to protect her, but Valerie wanted to have a say in things that concerned her. She wasn’t his mate yet; she didn’t have to stay behind if she didn’t want to.

And if he was that worried about her, he’d just have to protect her.

Just like she would protect him if he ever needed it. Because that’s what friends did.

They didn’t leave each other behind.

W
yatt stared
down at the stranger they’d just dumped in the study. Valerie was sitting on a chair behind them, where he could protect her if needed.

Maverick was rummaging through the man’s pockets. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he said, lifting up a wallet and looking inside. He held it out to show the others an ID. “They’re real.”

He was what they’d thought when they saw that flash of orange eyes.

A very rare, very powerful creature. One who was technically on their side.

And Wyatt had laid him out with one punch. He put his hands through his hair. He didn’t know what had come over him. He was never the type to punch first and ask questions later.

But when the man had walked in, looking dark and dangerous and asking questions about the woman Wyatt loved, all he could see was her bruises, her pain.

And anyone coming for her would have to go through him.

Maverick put the man’s wallet back in his coat and grabbed a glass of water. He threw it over the man’s face and he startled, gasping and trying to sit up.

Jesse put a hand on the huge man’s shoulders, holding him back. “Take it easy,” he said.

“I didn’t mean to hit you that hard,” Wyatt said, somewhat unapologetically. “But you hit the wall.”

The man narrowed his unnerving orange gaze, shaded by long, dark lashes, on them. “And you hit me why?” he asked, slowly bringing himself to a sitting position.

“Why are you looking for Valerie?” Wyatt growled, unwilling to give the man any information until he knew what he was doing.

“Someone reported a kidnapping,” he said. “To the dragons. You’ve probably heard there are a few of us working for them.”

“So it’s true, then,” Shane said. “You’re a tiger.”

The man nodded, and Wyatt studied him carefully. They were rare creatures, supposedly bred to help dragons keep up with the increasing number of reckless shifters. They had the senses and ability of cats, plus a few other traits.

Like those orange eyes and that coal-black hair.

And, apparently, a grumpy personality.

The man sat forward, arms over his knees. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t take you in myself,” he said, glaring at Wyatt.

“Because I wasn’t kidnapped,” Valerie said, standing and walking forward, arms folded, eyes glaring intently. “You heard wrong.”

“Valerie came to me seeking shelter,” Wyatt said. “I’m her employer.”

The stranger looked between them, dark hair partially shading his eyes. “That’s all you are?”

“None of your business,” Wyatt said.

The room got tense for a moment, and then Valerie pushed between them and shook her head.

“Let’s all calm down for a moment,” she said. “Wyatt, show him the photos you took the day after I got to your place.”

“Okay,” Wyatt said, reluctantly pulling out his phone and handing it to the stranger with the photos opened.

It was silent while the big man looked down at the screen. Then he let out a hissed curse. “Who did this to you?”

She bit her lip. “Probably the man who called you.”

“Lyle Blake?” he asked, still flipping through the photos. “Rich dude? Snobby?”

She nodded. “My family—”

“Tried to sell you to him, didn’t they?” he asked in a dark voice.

She nodded. “How’d you know?”

He waved a hand. “A guess. I deal with the worst of shifter kind. It’s my job.” He put out a hand for her to shake it. “My name’s Jace. After seeing those photos, I’m one hundred percent on your side.”

Wyatt cleared his throat, and Jace switched his attention to him, reaching out to shake his hand, which Wyatt shook a little too harshly. “I’m sorry I clocked you. We don’t take well to strangers around here. I’m Wyatt, and this is Shane, Jesse, and Maverick McAllister.”

“Right, I read up on the McAllisters,” he said. “Bear shifters that own the ranch. And as for hitting me, hell, if you thought I was one of the dudes looking for her, I don’t blame you.” He sat back in a chair. “So what now? Were you planning to call and report this at some point?”

“Yes,” Wyatt said, leaning on the desk as Valerie came around to stand at his side. Seeing her there made him well up with pride. There was that damn possessive instinct again. “I was waiting until Valerie was ready to deal with it, but we were going to call the hotline today. We ran into someone she knew and we think he could potentially tell the family and make them step up their efforts to find her.”

“Or we could find them,” Jace said, cracking his knuckles.

“We’ll help however you need us,” Shane said, looking to Maverick and Jesse, who nodded.

“Thanks,” Jace said, shaking each of their hands. “I’m still thinking, but what would probably be best is if you could hide Valerie here with you while Wyatt and I go back to the ranch and find a way to lure them there. For instance, I could place a call to Lyle, letting him know I found her and let him think she’s at Wyatt’s ranch when she’s really here. Then arrest him when he shows up.”

“Okay,” Wyatt said. “Not a bad idea.”

“I want to stay with Wyatt,” Valerie said, folding her arms. “I understand the risks, but—”

“No,” Wyatt said, not even leaving it up for debate. If they were going into danger, the last thing he wanted was to take her with him. She’d been hurt enough. Now she deserved to sit back and let others dish out the vengeance these men rightfully deserved.

“I deserve to get them back,” she said.

“Oh?” Wyatt asked a little too sarcastically as he turned toward her. “And how would you do that? You’re basically human.”

He hadn’t meant to fling the words at her like that, but he’d been drawn tight as a wire. So far, he’d let her make all the rules, decide everything, because he knew she needed her freedom. No matter how she’d stressed him or bothered him or demanded things from him, he’d always given in and agreed.

But no more. Not when it came to her safety. He and the tiger were purebred cat shifters. She couldn’t even shift, let alone have shifter healing.

Someone had to make that clear to her.

Instead of accepting he had a point, her eyes narrowed dangerously, and a hint of tears glittered at the edges. “Fine, you asshole. See if I care.” Then she turned on her heel and went out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

The room went quiet, and then Maverick scratched his head. “Dude, you better go after her.”

“I second that,” Jace said. “We have to know she’s on board with the plan. That she won’t try to run.”

Wyatt pushed himself off the desk with a little groan. “She won’t try to run. But yeah, I’ll go talk to her.”

“And dude?” Jace said, folding his arms and wrinkling the leather on his jacket.

“Yeah?” Wyatt asked, turning back.

“She might just be more shifter than you think,” he said.

Wyatt gave him a reluctant look, then quirked his mouth in a sad smile. “And I might be more in love with her than you think,” he said, leaving the room gaping as he shut the door and went to seek out the woman he wanted as a mate, no matter how human she was.