Prey & Prejudice: Cougar Falls, Book 7 (22 page)

Scuffling, more noise. Hands reached for her protectively—she scented Quince and Ellis and pushed her hair out of her eyes, thanks to her broken hairband. Dana and Willow quickly pulled her close with them behind the others.

“Shit,” she heard Joy swear.

“What the hell?” She brushed the others off her, confused and more than aggravated.

But when she moved next to Joy to see what had happened, she froze.

Miles lay on his belly on the floor, blood pooling under him. Across from him, Lisette stood with a gun in her hand, still pointed at him. Malice radiated from her in waves while the entire room watched her in shock and dismay.

“Lisette, no.” Even Brian had to know this would come to no good.

They’d lost fairly, by their own rules. Now the raptors intended to cheat and go against the Ac-taw honor code to take another’s territory? They might win Miami, but with no money and a reputation for being lower than scum, if the foxes didn’t move to wipe them out, the wolves certainly would.

“She ruined
everything
.” The woman swore and waved the gun around, her finger way too close to pulling the trigger again for Zoe’s peace of mind.

She intended to jump Lisette and rip her throat out, regardless of the audience. Such a slap against everything Ac-taw stood for couldn’t go ignored. That and the fact that her mate was
bleeding out on the floor
.

“Miles.” The others had gathered around him while she pushed herself between him and Lisette. For a heartbeat, her entire world ended at the thought of him dead. The pride was all well and good. Her destiny… But it meant nothing without Miles by her side. She’d never be able to—

“This was a brand-new suit. Son of a bitch.” Miles cursed and bitched as they helped him to his feet. His shoulder had been wounded, but it wasn’t a fatal injury.

“Thank God.” She turned and kissed him in front of everyone, more than declaring they’d mated.

“Fuck. How did I miss that?” Brian spat.

“Dumbass.” Miles glare at him, then turned his displeasure on
Zoe.
“Well? She shot me. Deal with it.”

“I have the gun here, assholes.” Lisette lifted it and shot at the ceiling, and everyone around them cringed before she turned the gun back on Zoe. “You hurt me? Well I’ll hurt you. The next bullet goes right between your mate’s eyes.” Lisette narrowed her own, the beady bird looking uglier by the minute.

She raised the gun and started to squeeze. Zoe launched herself at Lisette at the same time Oscar knocked the gun down, so that the bullet fired into the floor.

He grabbed the gun from her at the same time Zoe reached the witch.

Lisette looked panicked, as well she should.

Zoe didn’t think. She broke the woman’s jaw, then her collarbone, and then hands pulled her back.

Bill and Henry were there, as was Quince, while Oscar babbled and sobbed.

“Please. I know she was wrong, but please, Zoe.” Oscar huddled over her broken body on the ground while the woman moaned. “I saved your life, give me this.”

Bill and Henry stepped away when she growled at them, and Quince helped push them back. The rest of the pride had gathered right behind her, and she felt Miles’s warmth at her back. Satisfied her mate stood by her and that she’d conquered her enemy, she sneered at the weak female sobbing and in pain.

She crouched down and slapped Lisette to get her attention. Barely conscious, the woman blinked through tear-filled eyes.

Zoe warned, “You’re not welcome here again.
Ever.
I see you, I even smell you near the Florida border, and I’ll hunt you down and feast on your heart.” She meant it. Zoe inhaled Lisette’s fear and smiled, her cat staring into Lisette’s animal spirit with the need to kill.

Satisfied she’d made her point, she looked at Oscar. “You did good. You and I are even. You saved my mate, I saved yours.”

His head bobbed furiously as he thanked her. Good old Oscar.

She rose and stared at Brian until he swore and looked away. Pleased she’d gotten her point across, she raised her voice to the others who stood watching her without sound. “The rest of you, clear out.
Now.
You’ll make reparations for the damage you’ve caused. As soon as you return home, your finances will be restored to order. Oscar can vouch for the transaction.” She’d keep her word even if they almost hadn’t.

“This is over. We own Miami. And I’m sorry to say that you guys need to steer clear of our city for a few years, because my standing order is to kill any raptors we find in town. And I don’t give a rat’s ass if it’s your grandma or your two-year-old niece. You come to Miami before I say you can, I’ll bury you deep in the Glades, and they’ll never find you. Understand?”

Brian didn’t hesitate. “Right. We’ll pay for the damages.” He swallowed hard. “And you have my deepest apologies for my sister’s regrettable behavior.”

The other raptors glared at her, and Zoe knew everything would be all right.

“Yeah, well if you’re smart, you’ll handle her. She’s going to be the death of your nest if you let her run things like you have.”

He gave a short nod and turned to the others. “Raptors, let’s go.”

A few of her old friends nodded at her, and she nodded back, sad things had to end this way. But she’d made her point. They knew better than to fuck with the pride now, and word would spread. Would she really kill an old lady or a kid if they happened to find a raptor in Miami? No, but she’d sure as shit hide them somewhere until the raptors believed she had. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

“This was a five-thousand-dollar jacket,” Miles growled as he bled all over the place.

Joy and Quince dragged him to a nearby chair and shoved him in it. “Sit still, you whiner.” Joy huffed. “I can’t stop the bleeding if you won’t stop moving. Deal, idiot. The jacket is ruined.”

“And your mate is hot,” Sam said with a grin. “She royally kicked Lisette’s ass.”

The others congratulated Miles on having such a strong mate.
Typical.
She did all the work, he got all the kudos.

They watched the ballroom empty as she joined her mate by his side.

He brushed Joy off and stood on shaky legs. So she held him as much for his support as to remind herself he was okay. So warm and strong.
So hers.

He hugged her tight and whispered, “You ever do that again, and I will personally tie you up and never let you go. You scared me to death.”

He squeezed her so hard with his good arm that she squeaked.

Quince gave her a knowing grin and winked. “My little sister. The badass.”

“Must be all those tattoos,” Dana commented, looking interested. “Where’d you get them?”

Jace blinked. “What do you think about getting a leather top too, Dana? Hot damn. I’m going to get my own slutty biker chick.” He stopped himself. “Uh, no offense, Zoe.”

“That I’m slutty or a biker chick?” she asked wryly. “None taken.”

Miles sagged, and she turned her attention back to him. “It’s okay, I have you.”

“Tell me,” he rasped and grew heavier.

Truly concerned at his blood loss, she called for help. “Quince, Ellis. He’s fading.”

“Tell me,” he whispered.

“I love you, Miles,” she said loudly enough for all to hear.

“No, the suit. Is it salvageable?”

She stilled, then collapsed under his weight and his laughter as they fell to the floor. “I love you, Candy. So sticky sweet,” he slurred.

“Ew, get a room,” Quince and many of the others said with good cheer as her mate slobbered all over her. Blood and kisses. And she couldn’t have been happier.

“A room? Not in
my
hotel,” Alissa screeched from the entrance as Zoe’s backup stormed through the doorway. She’d kept much of her fighters behind on the off chance they needed more. “What the fuck happened in here?”

Miles groaned, and Zoe felt his pain as her own—he’d fallen on top of her after all. “Okay, now you’re getting too heavy.”

“Um, sorry, Zoe. I really can’t move this time,” he said, sounding weaker than he should have. “Think you can carry me out?” he said as he passed out.

Doc Hicks hurried in after Alissa with his assistant on his heels.

Confident Miles would be all right, she let the others take over so Doc could work his magic. They rolled Miles off her before helping her to stand so she could worry over him.

“Typical male,” she said, deliberately replacing her worry with disgust. “I do all the work while he sleeps it off. Cats.”

The women with her shook their heads, while the men looked embarrassed for Miles.

Quince cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, but he took a bullet for you, Zoe. And let’s face it, he does look good in the suit.”

She nodded before she realized what Miles had said before. “Five thousand dollars for that thing? Now I feel faint.”

The laughter returned, and Zoe smiled with them.

Chapter Fourteen

“If you ask me one more time about that damn suit, I will burn all your clothes and shave you bald while you sleep,” Zoe threatened him for the fifth time that evening, three days after their altercation with the raptors. And man, even annoyed, she was hot.

Celebrating their mating as well as her official position as new pride leader at the House, they’d been inseparable since he’d woken up after being stitched up and drugged by Doc Hicks. The doc had used some kind of wonder cure on Miles—an experiment, he’d been told—how lovely. But to Miles’s relief, his arm no longer ached, only twinged anymore.

“You’re just lucky the bullet passed straight through,” he reminded her. “My beautiful body might have been scarred for life after that dramatic, selfless act. You know, when I saved your life.” He’d made sure to mention his heroics once every half hour.

She flushed and gritted her teeth. “Miles, so help me. If you don’t shut up about it, I’m going to do to you what I did to Harold.”

“My mate, a legend already at thirty-two.”

“Thirty-one, you jackass.”

He was so proud of her. “And only a few days into your duty as pride leader. Not only did you win
me
, you defeated that monstrously large brawler in front of everyone. You sent the raptors back home with their heads held in shame. You’re amazing. And so sexy,” he added in a low voice as he snuggled closer. They sat at the lead table outside on the patio, where the pride continued to party through the night.

“True.” His vain mate deserved the praise, as she well knew.

“You’re gorgeous, devious and mine.” He blew a kiss into her ear and watched her shiver with satisfaction. “Even if you are the worst damn nurse I’ve ever seen in my life. But—” he said quickly to forestall an argument. And really, he hadn’t lied. Her bedside manner was terrible. “Suck it up and deal” wasn’t exactly reassuring. “You can make it up to me tonight.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, my amazing pride leader.” He leaned closer to add, “Come to bed wearing my jacket and nothing else. Then let me fuck you any way I please. And maybe we’ll be closer to being even.”

She drew back and blinked at him, but already he caught her desire in the air. “
Even?
I saved the pride, our territory
and
your life.”

“But not the jacket.” He blinked at her with sad eyes. “I loved that coat.”

“Oh for God’s sake.” She tried but couldn’t keep a straight face. “I love you, Miles.”

He smiled widely. “Of course you do. You, honey, deserve the best life has to offer. And that would be me.”

Quince took that moment to join them and caught the end of their conversation. He tugged Joy with him, and the pair frowned. “Honestly?” Quince huffed. “You two deserve each other, because no one else could handle your massive egos.”

“Jealous.” Miles shook his head. Across the pool, Esmie sat with Nettles and smiled at him and her daughter. She lifted a glass, as if in toast, and Miles nodded back.

“Obviously envious,” Zoe confirmed. Then she tugged Miles to his feet. “We’re retiring for the night. We’ll see you in the morning, brother. Try not to be so loud out here. Noises carry at night, and there are kids around.”

“Shut up, Zoe,” Joy muttered, her cheeks pink.

Miles chuckled and left with Zoe for their room. “You handled that well.”

“I handle everything well.”

He pulled her into the room, locked the door, and kissed her until neither of them could breathe. Then he dragged her hand to his erection. “Yes, you do.”

They lost themselves in more kisses before he pulled back. “Before I forget myself and bend you over the bed, I have something for you.” He went to the closet where he’d stashed his ruined coat. He withdrew it and Zoe groaned.

“You were serious about the jacket? Really?”

He grinned and withdrew a small box from the inside coat pocket. “Yes. I want you to wear the coat for me. Well, and this. I would be honored if you’d wear it too.” He opened the box and pulled out a necklace worth every penny he’d paid. The charm was a blending of Z and M—their initials—and inset with amber and diamonds to match the sparkle in her eyes.

“Miles?” she whispered.