by M. A. Church
“Are you sure this werecat didn’t have a scent? Because, you know, we all do.”
“—and yes, I’m positive. I know we all have one, Heller. This one didn’t,” Brier continued. “Trust me, it’s not something you can miss.”
Janelle shook her head. “Sam found it first and said it confused his cat. Left him feeling territorial. Kinda pissed. It bothered him, which was why he brought it to our Alpha’s attention.”
Dolf folded his hands on the table. “Which begs the question: How does a werecat not have a personal scent? I’ve never heard of such, so I called Dad. He did some digging and even talked to some elders in other clowders, along with ours.”
“Oh man.” Heller cringed.
“They were not pleased by my interest.” Dolf rubbed the bridge of his nose. “As I was saying, no one has an explanation. But Dad was referred to an Alpha who lives in the state of Maine. He claims there was a half-breed who lived somewhere along the less traveled part Appalachian Trail, but he has since disappeared.”
Brier perked up. “He?”
“Disappeared?” Janelle added.
“Yes. At least that’s the information Dad was given, and it’s all word of mouth. And wouldn’t you know it? Supposedly this half-breed has no personal scent marker.” Dolf released a long breath. “Dad also said the Alpha he spoke with was an ass.” Dolf’s lips tightened. “Plus, this Alpha and his elders are very set in the old ways, which makes me even less inclined to believe the half-breed just up and ‘disappeared.’”
“You’re thinking they made him leave,” Remi stated. “Probably threatened, I’d think. Possibly violently.”
“We all know what ‘set in the old ways’ means.” Janelle grimaced. “Speciesism, at the very least.”
“Uptight assholes.” Heller flipped his hair over his shoulder.
“Oh, he’s pissed if he’s flipping the hair.” Remi snickered.
“Better believe it.” Heller scowled. “Every damn one of us at this table would be on those assholes’ shit list because of who our mates are. Well, except Brier.” Heller grinned evilly. “And who knows who the goddess has in mind for you.”
Brier flashed a fang at Heller. “You can just—”
“Don’t make me call Kirk in here, you two.” Dolf raised an eyebrow. Heller and Brier both gulped. “Right. Anyway, there were already rumors of a half-breed who lived up north, so I can’t discount the information completely. And we all know how such a werecat is viewed.”
“Sam said they don’t usually survive, but he didn’t say much other than that.” Janelle glanced around the table. “Since I’m not a werecat, how about filling me in?”
“A shifter-human pregnancy is rare,” Dolf said. “If one occurs, the pregnancy usually terminates. If the baby goes to full-term, it usually dies within the first year. Even with those odds, a few manage to live, but they keep a low profile. Clowders refused to accept them because the baby was a half-breed. A kind of hybrid. They’re thought of as mistakes,” Dolf said.
Heller pressed his lips together. “That’s a nice way of saying they’re abominations. Freaks. Unnatural. And yeah, we all know I have personal experience with this topic, and it pisses me the fuck off.”
Remi patted Heller on the shoulder, then looked at Dolf. “So, what do you want us to do?”
“We keep our eyes open. If this werecat is here, we handle him with caution but respect.” Dolf sat forward, making eye contact with each beta. “I can’t stress that enough. I don’t imagine he’s very trusting, so go easy if he’s found. If he is, I would like to speak to him.”
“Are you saying we should restrain him?” Brier asked. The thought didn’t settle well.
“Fuck, how is he not going to see that as threatening?” Remi ran his hands through his hair. “What do we do? Ask nicely with sugar on top not to run?”
Heller smirked. “Maybe you have a T-shirt that would defuse the situation.”
“Okay, boys, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He may not still be here,” Janelle added.
“There is that. He may have moved on,” Brier said. “I can’t imagine what kind of life he has lived.”
“Not a good one, I’d think, which is why we will not treat him as a freak.” Dolf stood, and the betas did also. “On that note, thank you all for coming.” Dolf walked to the office door and opened it. “If you run across anything unusual, anything at all, contact me immediately. Brier, a moment, please.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Brier sat again.
Once everyone left, Dolf joined him. “Kirk said he checked your truck, and it’s just a dead battery. He’s replacing it now.”
Brier collapsed against the chair. “Oh, thank all that’s holy. I was afraid it could be the starter.”
“He’s changing your oil too.”
“Cool. I knew it was time, but… you know how it goes. Been busy.”
He and Dolf spent the next hour discussing clowder issues and other things. While they were talking, Aidric called to catch up. Dolf put him on speaker. They’d just hung up when Kirk knocked, then entered, with Tal right behind him.
“Hey, Brier,” Kirk said. He and Tal strolled into the room. After a three-way kiss that damn near made Brier blush, Kirk and Tal sat on either side of Dolf.
“Thanks for doing the oil change. It was on my list of things to get done.” Brier cleared his throat. Fuck, that kiss. Seeing three men do that…. Jeez, was it hot in there?
“No problem. Everything was charged to your account. And speaking of oil changes, seems like everyone is needing one.” Kirk chuckled. “Ann stopped by yesterday and wanted hers done. She had to be at work by noon, and my other mechanic was busy, so I did it.”
“I’m sure Remi appreciates that, since she works for him,” Tal said.
“No doubt. If she was late, it wasn’t because of me. I got her out with plenty of time to spare.”
Dolf tensed. “Was she alone?”
“Is that your subtle way of asking if her grandfather was with her?” Kirk smirked at Dolf.
Dolf hiked an eyebrow. “Sexy—”
“Naw, the old coot wasn’t. Thank all that’s holy,” Kirk added.
Brier gritted his teeth. Ann’s grandfather was Elder Conrad. He was displeased with his granddaughter working because women should be at home, tending the house—according to him. He blamed Dolf for that change, along with allowing the human mates to join the clowder.
Elder Conrad had been especially nasty when Janelle and Marshell mated and joined. Brier though the old coot, as Kirk called him, would have a heart attack when Janelle won the beta position Aidric vacated when he mated to his Alpha werewolf. And that was another thing… Dolf let Aidric mate a werewolf. Elder Conrad was furious and obviously willing to ignore that such a pairing was blessed by their goddess.
Elder Conrad also voiced concerns with how Dolf ran the clowder. Brier hoped Dolf addressed the matter soon, because he was tired of the elder’s crap. He was purposely stirring up animosity toward Dolf, which worried Brier.
On the other hand, new members came to them because of Dolf’s modern ideas and his open-mindedness. Brier’s dad was seriously thinking about approaching Dolf and applying for an elder position, which would probably send the rest of the elders against Dolf into a tizzy, since Brier’s dad was progressive.
“Well, if that’s all, I’ll be on my way.” Brier stood.
Tal, Kirk, and Dolf joined him. After goodbyes were said, Kirk took Brier to his truck.
NOT TEN minutes after he left Kirk’s garage, Breanna called.
“Seriously? Why didn’t you ask me to do this when I was there?”
“I forgot! We were talking about more important stuff and… I mean, it’s a garbage disposal. How hard can it be to put a new one in?”
“Oh, really? In that case, why don’t you do it?”
“You know I’m not handy. Pleeease? The old one broke, and there’s food in it. It’s starting to stink.”
“Lovely. D
o you have any tools over there?”
“I should have everything you need.”
“I’ll be there shortly.”
Brier arrived, picked on Breanna about her forgetfulness, and changed out the garbage disposal. He was testing it when there was a knock. Breanna and Brier both turned toward the front door.
Brier turned off the garbage disposal. “Expecting company?”
“It’s probably Shannon. I invited her over.”
Brier washed his hands and dried them. “Dammit, Bre, I’m a mess from working under your sink. Thanks for the warning.”
“Consider this your warning, then.” Breanna eyed Brier. “You look fine. And be nice.”
“I do know how to conduct myself.” Following her from the kitchen, Brier stopped by the couch. “I wasn’t born under a rock.”
“That’s debatable.” Breanna rested her hand on the doorknob. “Give her a hard time, and I’ll use you as a scratching post.”
Brier’s mouth dropped opened. “Why the hell would I do that?”
“I know how you used to feel about humans.”
“Used to being the key words.” Brier threw his hands into the air. “I’m a reformed asshole, I promise. Open the damn door already.”
Breanna pinned Brier with one more nervous look, then got on with opening the damn door. “Hey, babe. Come on in.”
Shannon swept through the door and kissed Breanna—who had to bend down—on the cheek.
“Hi!” Shannon walked to Brier. “I’m Shannon… Shannon Smith.”
Shannon was small, slim, and very trendy, from what he could tell. Her hair was lilac—Was that the right color?—and cut short on one side. Darker roots showed around her face. The other side hung past her chin, and the top was kind of spiky. Eyes the color of lush grass matched her sleeveless V-neck shirt. She wore those cuffed jeans that ended above the ankle and a pair of brown sandals. Hoop earrings finished the look.
Shannon held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.” He shook her hand. “I’m Brier.”
“Oh, I know.” Grinning, she released Brier’s hand and stuck a pose. “So, do I pass inspection?”
Breanna groaned as she shut the door. “And here we go.”
Brier goggled at Shannon. Okay, so she caught him studying her. Apparently she was a straight-to-the-point type of person. He liked that. She might be tiny, but from what he’d seen so far, her personality wasn’t, not if her comment was anything to go by. “It’s not me you have to worry about, I hope you know.”
“Hmm, see? I don’t agree. You’re her brother. She’s very fond of you, so your opinion matters.”
Brier gestured to the couch. “Let’s sit. Breanna seems to have lost her manners.”
Breanna shook her head. “Coffee. I need more coffee. Anybody else want some?”
“Yes, I would.” Shannon giggled as she sat.
“Me too.”
Breanna paused. “Behave, Brier. I mean it.”
“Again—not born under a rock.”
“Again—that’s debatable.”
Chuckling, he faced Shannon. “So.”
“So.”
“Welcome to the family.” Might as well warn Shannon what she was getting into. “My sister is addicted to coffee, hardheaded, and fucking brilliant with numbers. It also takes her hours to get ready, she tends to hog the bathroom mirror, and is an absolute terror first thing in the morning. Approach with caution and caffeine. Or a ball of yarn. I love her dearly.”
“Yarn, huh? I’ll remember that. Thanks for welcoming me. So, about me. I like long walks on the beach, rainy days, and cats.”
“Good thing about the cats, considering.”
Shannon smirked. “Okay, most of that is bullshit. I hate the beach—the humidity messes up my hair—but I do love cats. Can’t say I’m addicted to coffee, but I am hardheaded. What else? Oh yeah, math is gibberish, we share taking hours to get ready and hogging the bathroom mirror, and I’m human, which is apparently a bad thing.”
Abruptly the fun and easy atmosphere disappeared. “She told me.”
“Going to hold that against me?” Shannon questioned.
“Me? No. My Alpha? No. The elders? Probably. They’re already up in arms over non-werecats joining our clowder.”
“She warned me, and I can’t wait to meet them. That’s sarcasm, if case you were wondering. I have to say, though, I’m looking forward to meeting her friend Janelle.”
“Goddess have mercy.” A friendship between these two would probably knock the Earth off its axis. “Just so there’s no misunderstanding, I want you to know that I accept you and this mating between you and my sister. After our parents get over the shock, I’m sure they will too. Everybody else? I make no promises.”
Breanna returned with the coffee and handed out the mugs. She sat down next to Shannon and clasped her hand. “Our clowder accepted Kirk, Lawson, Marshell, and Janelle, so they can damn well accept Shannon.”
Brier didn’t know if “accept” was the right word choice. Maybe “grudgingly tolerated” Janelle and Marshell was better, but that really didn’t cover it either.
“I told our Alpha that you found Shannon, and he said to tell you he’d contact you within the week, Bre, and go from there.” Brier didn’t see the point in telling them Heller would check out Shannon. “Shannon, if Dolf agrees to meet with you, please don’t be offended if he brings Heller or Janelle with him.”
Shannon didn’t get it, but from the way Breanna was growling, she did.
“Heller and Janelle are betas to our Alpha,” Brier said. “As am I. Since you’re not a werecat, he’ll have protection. That’s just the way it is. And dammit, stop growling, Breanna.”
“Our Alpha had better not make me choose between my clowder and my mate,” Breanna snarled.
“Goddess, I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Chapter Seven – Seth
“WHAT DO you mean, ‘well, shit’?” Seth demanded.
“Omigodomigodomigod.” Tyler hopped up. “I told you, once we find our mate, we’re done. No one else will ever draw our attention—you won’t even be able to get hard because you wouldn’t feel desire. Remember that?”
“Well, shit.” It hit Seth what Tyler was saying. “I got hard.”
“And the only one who should make you respond like that is me! Since I wasn’t there….” Tyler gestured wildly. “Do the math!”
“He’s our other mate, but we kind of already knew that, Tyler. This just proves it.”
“Fuck. Fuck.” Tyler paced in front of Seth. “Did he react to you?”
“I… that tingle when we touched. I think he felt it.”
Tyler groaned.
“Babe, stop pacing.” Seth snagged Tyler’s hand. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t know what was happening.”
Tyler took a deep breath, held it, then slowly released it. “If he’d thought you were his mate, he would have reacted differently. Wonder why he didn’t.”
“I doused myself with that cologne you hate so much, remember? Even you said it messed up your sense of smell, so I’m going to assume it played havoc with his. And I smoked on the way there too.”
“I guess. I just don’t understand how he was fooled. I mean, you present as human. You smell like one. I took one look at you, smelled you, and knew.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide from you. I was trying with him. Well, not him per se, just werecats in general. I don’t have answers, babe. For all we know, Bast may have done something so he couldn’t tell I was a mate.”
Tyler groaned. “Great. Lovely. Sure. Why not? That makes as much sense as anything else. Fuck, what did you say his name was?”
“Brier. He’s about six feet tall with a swimmer’s build—you know, long, lean, and toned. Like most of your kind actually. He has shoulder-length light brown hair that was parted on one side and flipped over. He’s lightly tanned, has an angular face with a slim nose and a mustache with hair on the bot
tom of his chin. He’s sexy, Tyler. I won’t lie.”
“He sounds like it. But he’s a werecat, and that worries me.”
“Why don’t we go to the waterfall and relax? Just forget about this for now and take some time for ourselves? Then I’ll cook dinner for you.”
“That’s sounds like fun.”
Seth kissed Tyler’s knuckles, then went to hunt up some towels.
THE NEXT morning greeted them with vibrant sunlight, making it the perfect day for what he planned. Unfortunately, Tyler didn’t agree, and they spent a good hour arguing.
“Is this really necessary?” Tyler griped.
“I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t. We know nothing about this clowder, and we need to.” Seth fully intended on checking into the West Falls clowder, because damned if he was going to subject Tyler to more heartache that his kind so blithely handed out. “You obviously cannot go into town, so that leaves me.”
“Still don’t like it,” Tyler complained. “This could backfire spectacularly.”
Seth smirked. “Unless they have another shadow walker wandering around, they’ll never know I’m there.”
“You’re being a smartass, and yes, it sounds unlikely, doesn’t it?” Tyler grimaced. “But there were Vetalas, and there shouldn’t be. That’s not usual. Just be careful. There’s something about this town and its clowder.”
“I will.” Seth stood and brought Tyler to his feet. He hugged Tyler. “I’ll be back soon. Love you.”
“Love you too.” Tyler worried his bottom lip. “I hate that I can’t go with you.”
“Well, you could, you know.”
Tyler wrinkled his nose. “No thanks. Traveling through that black endless hell of your world creeps me the fuck out.”
“I know.” Seth chuckled. Where he treaded was definitely an acquired taste. “And I hate leaving you here unprotected, so we’re even.” He really did, but sometimes it couldn’t be avoided. There was no way he could spend every second of every day with Tyler. “Sure I can’t talk you into going?”
