Staking Their Claim

by Rebecca Airies

  “She said to leave you.” Penny clutched the phone tighter and took a deep breath.

  “What? Not going to happen. Who was that?” Griffin scowled.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t recognize the number, but thought that it could be someone with a new number.” She stared at the wall. Her pulse raced. What did the woman want?

  He took the phone and lifted it to his ear. “No one there. I’ll call John. He’ll want to know about this. Then I’ll text Dawson and Ethan so they don’t freak out if it takes us longer than normal to get home.”

  Griffin spent the next few minutes on his phone. Penny made her rounds. Her hands trembled as she checked on her patients again. Would she have to deal with this until the crazy man was caught?

  John arrived just as she locked the front of the clinic. Griffin re-locked the door after John entered. He raised a brow, but continued into the reception area.

  “Any other time, that might raise my hackles, but I understand you’re protecting Penny.” John glanced around. “Is there anywhere we can sit down and talk?”

  “Sure, let’s go to my office. It’s not big and Griffin will need to grab the chair from the reception desk, but we’ll all fit in there.” Penny nodded to the door near the reception area. She swung that way.

  “That’s good.” John nodded.

  “It’s tiny. Be prepared.” Griffin grabbed the chair and towed it to the door.

  Penny took the chair behind the desk. Really, the only place with space for her big ass cast and crutches. They could easily trip on the metal sticks.

  Griffin pulled the chair around to sit close, leaving John on the other side of the desk.

  “All right, tell me about what happened.” John settled in the seat.

  “I got a call. I didn’t know the number. The woman said ‘leave them.’ I didn’t know what she was talking about. She again told me to leave them. You said the person who came into my house was a male, so why is a female telling me to get away from you. She said to leave you or someone would get hurt.” Penny drummed her fingers on the desktop and looked at Griffin. Strangely, the woman hadn’t used the stalker’s favorite word. Whore.

  “Give me your phone.” John held out his hand.

  Penny handed it over. John took out his phone and keyed in a few things. He passed her cell back to her.

  “I’ll look into this number when I get back to the station. As for the caller, the stalker could have found someone to make the call.” John lifted his head, and a grimace twisted his lips.

  “What about what the woman said?” Penny glanced at Griffin. Maggie would never forgive her if something happened to her brothers.

  “She wanted to scare you, Penny.” John leaned forward.

  “I know she did, but is there a threat to them? Should I think about going somewhere else? I don’t want them to be hurt because of me.” Penny clasped her hands together.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” Griffin’s voice hardened.

  She stiffened. Damn, how did he sound so intimidating?

  “Penny, you need to trust them. They can take care of you. You’re safest with them. The stalker wants to scare you.” John tapped his finger on the desk.

  “But they could get hurt.” She took a deep breath.

  “He probably found out who and what we are. He’d want us away from you, because very few humans would try to go through a whyr.” Griffin reached over and rubbed her hand. “If you leave, you’ll give him an opportunity to get to you.”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you. How do you think Mags would feel if she discovered that my problems resulted in one of you being hurt, or worse?” Penny turned her hand beneath his and gripped his fingers.

  “Maggie knows that we’re watching over you. She wants us to do it. She won’t blame you. This is our choice.” Griffin tightened his hand on hers.

  Because risking your life for someone you barely know is so common. Penny exhaled. Why had they been so ready to step up?

  “I’ll try.” She nodded.

  “I’ll take this number to the station. Maybe your stalker made a mistake this time and this will give us a clue. I’ll call you if I learn anything.” John rose. “Will you two be all right here?”

  “Yes, we shouldn’t be here much longer. We’re only waiting for the night tech.” Penny nodded. “And we know who to call.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Penny, you’re our mate.”

  That couldn’t have come more out of nowhere if Ethan had tried. Four blunt words uttered on the way back from seeing Judge. Penny rubbed at her temple. They hadn’t acted like she was their mate. Could she believe it?

  Penny sat on the couch with her foot braced on a pillow and her phone to her ear. Come on, Leslie. Answer. The ringback tone buzzed. Leslie would know. She was a mated cougar. Later, she’d ask Chloe about how it felt as a human turning to a shifter, but right now, she needed the perspective of a shifter about what shifters would do.

  The tone stopped. Penny sighed and waited for the message notice.

  “Hello,” Leslie said.

  “Hi, Les, do you have a little time to talk?” Penny sighed and relaxed back in the plush cushions.

  “Yeah, did you want to come over or work this out on the phone?” Les sounded cheerful.

  “Over the phone is fine. I’ve got some semi-privacy here so we can actually talk.” Penny drew her finger over the fabric on the arm of the couch.

  Ethan was starting dinner, looking way too sexy with his white shirt open to mid-chest and black slacks. Dawson worked in his office and good thing. His all black shirt and jeans look made her want to peel him out of it. Griffin hadn’t made it home, but him in a suit was lethal.

  “Semi-privacy, huh? Better watch out for that. It disappears fast.” Les’s laugh filtered through the phone.

  Penny turned toward the kitchen. Pans scraped over metal. Ethan was busy and should be for a while. They’d probably have to pry Dawson out of his office to eat.

  “I think I should be okay for around ten minutes.” She leaned forward and picked up a pen. Restless energy burned through her.

  “All right, so what did you need to talk about?” Leslie asked.

  “Mating. When Mags explained it to me, it seemed as if there would be no mistaking if a whyr was my mate. They don’t play around with it or hide it.” Penny twirled the pen in her fingers.

  After a pause and an audible exhale, Leslie answered, “It normally isn’t something that can be mistaken. What happened?”

  “On the way back from my visit with Judge to check my leg, Ethan just popped out with ‘you’re our mate.’ My God, that came out of nowhere.” Penny tossed the pen onto the table.

  “Out of nowhere?” Leslie asked. “You’re living in their house and they’re personally guarding you.”

  Minnie jumped up onto the couch, slinking over and stopping beside her. The sleek gray cat licked her lips. Penny shook her head. The cat probably just finished begging food from Ethan.

  “Maggie asked them to and I thought they felt guilty because of what happened with the women. There hasn’t been the intensity. Only two of them have even touched me.” Penny scratched between the cat’s ears.

  “They could have someone watch you. The fact that they did it should tell you something,” Leslie offered.

  “Yeah, but they seemed perfectly fine just living in the same house as me.” Penny clenched her fist. Their behavior didn’t fit. “They seemed like normal roommates. I couldn’t see any sexual interest other than those two times.”

  Minnie butted Penny’s hand. Penny stroked the cat from head to rump.

  “Maybe they should have done it differently, but you were going to have problems either way,” Leslie pointed out. “You wouldn’t have believed them, or maybe you would have tried to leave. That would have driven them crazy.”

  “Maybe.” Penny ruffled Minnie’s fur before smoothing it back down.

  “You were hurt, Penny. Not just some minor
thing that might cause irritation. You had a broken leg. Males take care of their mate,” Leslie said. “Do you think they wanted to chance hurting you? A mating might not be savage, but I guarantee they would have bumped your leg. Do you think they want to see you in pain, not to mention cause it? Mating isn’t something they lie about.”

  Something moved near the doorway. She turned her head. Ethan leaned against the jamb. His eyes locked on her.

  “I guess they wouldn’t want to do that. Thanks, Les.” She eyed him.

  “You still don’t sound sure. The semi-privacy must have ended. Call me if you have any other questions.” Leslie sounded amused. “Next time, try locking yourself in the bathroom with maybe some music playing, but don’t ignore them too long if they start pounding.”

  “I will. That last suggestion might be a good idea. I’ll talk to you later.” Penny exhaled. How much had he heard? How would he react?

  “Any time. Don’t let your doubts hold you back. But keep in mind, they are as involved as you. Why would they say you are if you aren’t? It would lead to trouble and heartbreak for them, as well. I’ll speak to you or see you soon,” Leslie said.

  Penny swiped her finger over the face of her phone and put it aside. Minnie jumped to the back of the couch and then leapt to a shelf. Penny took a deep breath and turned to Ethan. He crossed the room and sat in the chair.

  “We weren’t fine living in the same house as you. And it was never a roommate relationship.” Ethan braced his arms on his thighs.

  “It seemed that way.” She clasped her hands together.

  “Being near you was driving us slowly crazy. We couldn’t press the mating then.” Ethan stood and eased onto the couch next to her.

  “Why couldn’t you?” She turned a little.

  “Well, you were hurt, but there were other considerations.” He put his hand on her thigh.

  “What other considerations?” She rubbed at the back of her neck. Her mouth dried. Why was he being so secretive?

  “The mating itself.” Ethan took her hand in his.

  “What about the mating? Other than you might hurt me.” She tightened her fingers on his.

  “When we mate you, we’ll bite you. It would begin the change. We couldn’t begin that with your leg broken.” Ethan traced her knuckles.

  “But Maggie told me that whyr heal faster. Wouldn’t changing me help that?” She leaned back. A shorter time in that cast would have been great.

  “Yes and no. I’m not trying to be confusing. Yes, it would help you heal faster, but unless it’s an emergency, we don’t begin the change in someone with a broken bone. Especially with the feline whyr.” Ethan eased closer.

  “Why? Mags and I talked a lot, but that never came up.” She ran her fingers through her hair.

  “The situation doesn’t come up often. Dawson had to ask if the change would interfere with the healing. Judge said we should wait. It would be better if the bones were almost healed. Jumping and landing can be hard on the bones.”

  “You asked him?” She leaned back. They’d known back then.

  “Yes, we had to know if it would be safe.” He traced his thumb over her palm.

  “Why would it matter?” She frowned.

  “Because the change takes a lot of energy. Judge wanted to make sure the bone would be strong enough to hold up when you shift forms. We don’t want you to reinjure it.” He slid a little closer.

  His leg touched hers. Her stomach tightened. Why would he make up a problem like that? The transformation had seemed like an entirely positive thing.

  “And so why did you tell me about it today?” She glanced down at their twined fingers.

  “Because you’re healthy enough now to begin the change.” He grimaced, but stroked his fingers over her cheek. “We would have told you that first day if you hadn’t been hurt.”

  “But you stayed away from me while I was recuperating.” She shook her head. That still made no sense.

  “We wanted you. There wasn’t an easy solution. The attraction increased as time passed and, if you recall, we didn’t entirely stay away. Only that leg held us back.” He skimmed his fingers over her cast.

  “It’s still not completely healed.” She looked down at her bare leg and the removable cast on the floor.

  “You still have some time before it’s fully healed, but Judge says it’s solid enough now. When the change happens, the bone will be strong.” Ethan’s thumb traced her throat.

  “Um, but when will the mating happen?” Penny stared at their hands. This was so different. Where was the intensity or passion? Did they feel more than that? Maybe love. After their attentiveness while she healed, she already teetered on the brink.

  “We’ll mate you tonight. Your leg isn’t quite healed so we’re planning it.” Ethan tipped up her chin.

  “Okay.” She forced a smile.

  “I know you’re still not sure. I can see and smell the doubt.” He raised a brow.

  “Nothing matches with what I’ve been told. The passion and force of feeling isn’t there.” She waved her free hand. This all seemed so strange.

  “The attraction is definitely there. Do you think you’d easily go from kissing one man to letting another slide his hand down your pants when you live in the same house as they do?” Ethan tightened his fingers on hers.

  “No, I guess I wouldn’t have.” She sighed. But is it more than physical? “Is it possible for you to change and claim someone who isn’t your mate?”

  “No. We could bite you, but the change wouldn’t happen. It’s not anything mystical. It’s all biological. The enzyme won’t be produced unless we’re with our mate. And believe me, we are definitely producing the pheromones. You’d feel more than attraction if you were whyr.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.

  “All right.” She nodded. So it wasn’t possible for them to change someone who wasn’t their mate.

  “Are you feeling more sure about it now?” He brushed her hair away from her face.

  “Yeah, I’m better now.” She nodded.

  “If you have any more doubts, come to us. We’ll talk with you and hopefully reassure you.” He stood. “I’ll go and check on the things I put in the oven. If you like, you can come supervise.”

  “You wouldn’t want to talk while you cook, would you?” She grinned.

  “That might be one reason, but you’re also gorgeous.” He lifted his eyebrows.

  “Sure, I’ll come into the kitchen. It will take me a little longer than it will you. Plus, I need to strap on this big thing.” She grabbed the black cast.

  “I’ll go in and expect you soon.” Ethan leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

  He straightened and walked away. She watched until he left the room. The material of his pants molded to his buttocks. Such a nice ass.

  She strapped on the temporary walking cast and leaned over to grab her crutches from under the coffee table. It would be so good if these could go.

  She swung her way into the kitchen. The rubber pads thumped against the floor. She wouldn’t miss that sound once her leg fully healed. Ethan turned and smiled.

  “I’ve stolen one of those little pillows from a guest room so that you can put your foot up.” Ethan gestured to one of the chairs.

  “Thank you. I’ll take off this big contraption and rest my foot on the pillow. You have no idea how much I love feeling the air on the skin.” She put her foot on the pillow.

  A loud rip tore through kitchen when she tugged the strap free. She winced. So damn loud. She put the boot under the table. That should be a safe place.

  “I know you like being able to wash it. You were in the shower for an hour.” Ethan grinned and turned to the stove.

  “It felt gross and just the idea that it had been in that cast for weeks without me being able to get to it…” She shuddered. Her skin crawled and she rubbed at her leg.

  “I spent some time in the hospital once after an accident. I wasn’t able to take a full shower
for only two days and it nearly drove me crazy.” Ethan glanced back at her.

  “Magnified by about fifty for me. If I hadn’t known that it could result in much worse results I would have stuck something down in that damn cast and scratched.” She glanced down at her leg. It had itched so bad and she’d come close a couple times.

  “Well, your skin is glowing right now. I’d love to get my hands on it.” Ethan winked as he grabbed a bowl and some potatoes from a cupboard.

  With both moisturizer and lotion, she should have a glow. Ethan prepared the meal. About twenty minutes later, the door to the garage swung open. Griffin strolled in. He put his briefcase on the floor near the door.

  “Well, hello, Penny, it’s great to see you without that big cast.” Griffin strolled over and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

  “I’ve got a big walking version of it underneath the table, but it is good to be free of the confinement.” She grinned. The kisses were nice.

  “Yeah, I saw it there, but I imagine getting to take it off helps.” Griffin tugged a chair over beside her.

  “It definitely is. How was your day?” She turned to face him.

  “It was great. Happy clients and busy.” He reached over and hugged her.

  “Why don’t you go put your things away and change clothes? Dinner will be ready soon. Roust Dawson out of his office on your way back.” Ethan tapped a spoon on a pot.

  “It smells good.” Penny took a deep breath. The savory scent of meat and onions filled the room. Her mouth watered.

  “Ethan makes wonderful steak. I’ll be right back.” Griffin strode over, grabbed his briefcase, and left the room.

  “What else are we having other than the steak?” She reached under the table and pulled the boot out. With three others around, she should take extra precautions. Not so much them, but more her reactions or overreaction if they touched her leg.

  “Roasted vegetables and herbed rice.” Ethan dumped the rice onto a platter.

  Griffin strolled back into the room with Dawson. She smiled. Griffin reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a pitcher of tea. Ethan brought over some glasses before he carried over the food. They ate and talked a little. As the food on her plate decreased, her muscles tightened.