Staking Their Claim

by Rebecca Airies

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. You big cat, me woman. You can beat your chest more later.” Leslie laughed. “We’re catching up in here. It’s been a while since we’ve all gotten together.”

  Archer growled. He bared his teeth, turned, and left. Even with that, the affection glowed between them.

  “So what’s been up with you, Leslie?” Shonna snagged a cracker loaded with egg and meat.

  “Well, there’s the job, but that’s great. I did have that talk with my men. I brought it up the night of our discussion. I knew that Griffin would tell them and I didn’t want to be a coward about it.” Leslie shook her head.

  “So what did they say, woman. You can’t just leave it hanging.” Chloe scowled at Leslie.

  “They said that if I wanted a big wedding, then I could have one. And they looked forward to peeling me out of that white dress after the ceremony.” Leslie smiled. “Did I tell you Judge heard from his friend? He’ll be combining his practice with his friend.”

  “His friend? I think you told us that he might combine it at one point, but not that it had. Who’s his friend?” Shonna lifted her eyebrows. “Anyone I might be interested in?”

  “Not unless you’ve decided to go for bears. His friend is a bear, Micah Conrad. He’ll be moving here with his partners. I don’t know much about the partners, but his friend came down briefly…” Leslie looked to the ceiling. “Last month, I think. He met Judge at the practice and looked around. They’ll be renovating the offices next door and connecting them to Judge’s office with one central entrance.”

  Dixie lifted her head, but then grimaced.

  “Well, damn, a smart, successful man and I have no shot at him.” Shonna sighed. “The story of my life.”

  “What did you think of him?” Penny picked up one of the crackers. Leslie was usually sharp with details, yet she’d had a hard time remembering anything about this man.

  “I barely met him. They introduced him when I came home from work, but he couldn’t stay long. He left right after dinner.” Leslie waved her hand. “He seemed like an easygoing guy though.”

  “Most bears are that way.” Dixie nodded.

  “Really, Ms. Bowling with people?” Shonna turned to Dixie.

  “Not to mention how intense she can be when she goes after something.” Chloe shook her head.

  “Hey, I said we seemed that way, not that we are. Get it right.” Dixie laughed. “So what’s up with you, Shonna.”

  “Not much out of the ordinary, but I do have a conference/ learning seminar that I have to go to two weeks from now. Most of the time those things are boring as fuck. Men looking to hook up with a woman for a one night stand, not very good food, and usually the same classes every time. But it’s continuing education and that’s necessary for my job.” Shonna grimaced.

  “Hey, maybe this year will be different. You could meet Mr. Tall, Dark, and Wolfy.” Dixie smiled widely.

  “I almost wish that was true, but I haven’t met many wolves in my profession. Too much time indoors and usually a company owned by humans. The males don’t do well taking orders from humans.” Shonna waved a hand.

  “He could own his own company. The alpha wolf of your dreams.” Dixie clasped her hands together.

  Dixie’s dreamy voice and too sweet demeanor finally clued Penny in. She was teasing Shonna. Judging by the way the other woman stiffened and growled, Dixie found the right button to push.

  “Alphas are pains in the ass. I’d rather have someone who can work beside me than someone who wants to give me orders all the time.” Shonna shook her head. “I’d rather not deal with an alpha.”

  “Someone getting on your nerves?” Dixie turned and folded her arms over her chest. “I doubt it’s the actual alpha of your pack since everyone seems to like him.”

  “Yeah, a wannabe alpha who has been at the last two fundraisers I volunteered with. The man knows nothing, but has been trying to order everyone around. The only good thing is that I don’t think we’ll see him there again.” Shonna exhaled.

  “Why not?” Penny sat forward. She knew even less about the wolves than she did about the cats.

  “One of the younger betas put him in his place. Had him almost belly to the floor.” Shonna waved her hand.

  Dixie laughed. “Yeah, having a male with graying hair put his butt down probably stung his ego. Your alpha and his men are aging.”

  “That at least is a good thing, but I could so do without the alpha attitude.” Shonna cupped her hand around the bowl of the glass.

  “Was there more to the situation?” Dixie’s head tilted.

  Penny blinked. Why was Dixie watching Shonna so closely? Did she think Shonna was hiding something? Other than being irritated at the man who’d made her day volunteering hard, there hadn’t been any sign Shonna lied.

  “The guy who put the jerk in his place was in a bad mood the rest of the day. He didn’t take it out on anyone, but it brought down the tone of the entire day. Even the humans who came in to volunteer sensed the heaviness.” Shonna put her glass down. Her head lowered.

  “That doesn’t sound like a guy who would be suited for any power, much less handle it like you said he did.” Leslie snagged a veggie.

  “I don’t think that it was all that situation, but you know it pretty much made the day suck.” Shonna ran a hand across the back of her neck.

  “Maybe it was the topper on an extremely bad day. We’ve all had those.” Dixie shrugged. “Who knows what happened earlier in the day.”

  “You’re probably right. And his reaction on top of the actions of the wannabe did make my day more than uncomfortable.” Shonna nodded. “Still don’t like alphas.”

  “And you don’t have to.” Dixie waved her hand. “Unless you meet your mate and he’s got alpha tendencies. Then you’ll just have to suck it up and deal, puppy.”

  “All right, Ms. Teddy Bear, you’re going to make me get you a shirt that says ‘I am that woman. Better walk away.’ I know you got those results and what they said.” Shonna folded her arms across her chest.

  “Eh, a shirt won’t do any good. I’ve worn shirts that say ‘I don’t like people’ and they still come up to me.” Dixie flicked her wrist.

  Results. Penny gasped. The test Dixie had run to check for the mating hormone. How had she forgotten about that? And it must have come back positive.

  “You found your mate? For certain?” Leslie leaned forward.

  “Yeah, whoever he, well, they are. I haven’t ever seen a singular mating with bears.” Dixie sighed. “I kind of have more sympathy for John and his brothers at this point. I have no idea who or even where I caught his smell.”

  “It will work out, Dixie.” Leslie patted Dixie’s hand.

  “Yes, it will. We’ll help you look around.” Shonna straightened.

  “I’ll help after we catch the man who’s stalking me.” Penny nodded. “We can drag a couple of my men along. We’ll hit stores, restaurants, and anything else we can think of to see if you can actually pick up their scent.”

  “Yes, we’ll accompany you on your search and keep your spirits up.” Leslie smiled.

  “And get your jollies while I’m stressed out by the lack of results.” Dixie narrowed her eyes.

  “Yes, that’s definitely one of the perks.” Leslie laughed.

  “Food is ready. Are you hungry, angel?” Archer poked his head into the room.

  “Definitely, let me take away the tray and I’ll bring in the iced tea and some glasses.” Leslie stood and grabbed one of the trays.

  “I’ll get the other one. I can smell the steak now and it’s making my mouth water.” Dixie popped to her feet, gathered the plates and put them on top of the tray, before carrying it into the kitchen.

  “We’ll get you fed, bear.” Leslie’s words floated back. “We have been snacking throughout our discussion.”

  “Bite me. I keep busy and, yes, I’m hungry enough to eat again,” Dixie said.

  “You’re too evil to bite. Not anythi
ng I’d want to choke down.” Leslie carried in a pitcher of iced tea and a stack of glasses. “There are more glasses on the counter.”

  “Now you’re just being a mean kitty.” Dixie carried in more glasses. “I am not evil.”

  “Well, you haven’t done anything evil lately.” Chloe lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

  “She has been kind of quiet.” Tony walked into the room. He leaned down and dropped a kiss on Chloe’s cheek.

  “And now you’re ganging up on me. I’m telling grandma.” Dixie shook her finger at Tony.

  “Go ahead. I’m really scared.” Tony settled into a seat beside Chloe.

  “Come on, peaches. Let’s move down the table. I want to sit beside you and I’m sure Ethan or Griffin does, as well.” Dawson held out his hand.

  She slipped her hand in his and stood up. “You don’t plan to offer them the chance to sit beside me?”

  “No, one of them gets the chance and the other can sit beside him or across from you.” Dawson shook his head.

  He led her to a seat a little down the table and pulled it out for her. She settled and glanced to her right as he eased in beside her. Ethan pulled out the chair on the other side of her.

  “Hi, peaches, you look beautiful. Did you have a good chat with your friends?” Ethan leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips.

  “Oh, yes, caught up with them. Made some plans for when I can finally get out again and not worry about the asshole stalker making an appearance.” She slid her hand over his arm. “Did you finish your discussion over what to do next?”

  “Yes, we did. We’ll talk about it later.” He nodded.

  “We certainly will.” She raised an eyebrow. It better be more than just the basics and highlights.

  Chuckles rolled from the other end of the table. Penny lifted her head. Archer and John smiled as they placed platters onto the table.

  “Yeah, be amused. You know you’ll be telling me everything, as well.” Leslie folded her arms over her chest.

  “Yes, I know. It’s just nice to see our alpha find his mate.” Archer leaned over and kissed Leslie.

  “I don’t hear a compliment in those words.” Ethan slid his fingers over her arm.

  “Because there wasn’t.” John sat down. “Now, all laughter aside, let’s eat.”

  Penny cut into her steak. When she popped it into her mouth, spice hit her tongue as the tender meat practically dissolved without chewing. Conversation flowed, but nothing heavy or related to the stalker. Laughter and friendly teasing interspersed with appreciation for the delicious meal.

  Much later, the gathering finally broke up. Penny hugged Leslie at the door, thanking Leslie and her mates for the meal and the conversation. As they left, warmth welled in Penny. It had been so relaxing.

  “That was fun.” She leaned against Ethan. Now, she could have some time with them.

  “Yes, it was. We’ll have to do it again. Maybe host next time or take them out.” Ethan pressed a kiss to her forehead. His arm tightened, pulling her closer.

  A beep sounded and the lights on the car flashed as the doors unlocked. The soft brush of fabric on fabric caught her attention. She turned her head. Dawson and Griffin whirled around. Five men rushed across the grass toward them. Where had they come from?

  She tensed. Ethan shoved her behind him. They should run. She froze. The house was too far away and the men were between them. Fuck.

  “Get to the car, Penny.” Dawson tossed the keys.

  She grabbed them and ran for the car. The smack of flesh against flesh sounded in the night air. She yanked on the handle. It slipped from her hand, but swung open slightly. Damn it, why couldn’t anything go smoothly.

  She grabbed for it. A heavy weight hit her in the back, shoving her forward. She hit the door, pushing it closed. A hand gripped her hair, slamming her head forward. Her head hit the car roof. Pain flashed through her head. Her fingers pushed at the buttons on the keychain.

  The car horn honked. She pushed again, trying to find the same button. It honked and kept honking. The alarm. Thank God! She twisted, trying to get away from the hand grabbing at her shoulder.

  The man shoved her forward again. A hard fist drove into her back. She groaned, but swung her elbow back. It hit. The man drew in a breath. She twisted and ducked, slipping out of the man’s grasp. Dizziness swirled through her. She stumbled to the left along the car and turned. No way was that asshole grabbing her from behind again.

  A dark-haired man lunged for her. Son of a bitch. She should have listened to her friends and taken those fucking, self-defense classes. Maybe then she could put this man on his fucking ass.

  She swung at him. Her fingers clawed along the side of his face. His fist drove into her stomach twice. Her breath exploded out of her. A searing ache bloomed. Fuck, she couldn’t breathe.

  Her hands shoved and scrabbled. She struggled to draw in air. The tight grip stung and his hands tightened. Her chest heaved. Little air seeped into her lungs. She tried to fight off the rising panic. Her heart pounded against her chest. She slapped at him and drove her knee up. It hit the side of his leg, but he grunted.

  “Get off me!” She clawed his face.

  He wrenched her arm away and slammed it against the edge of the car. She yelped. Agony streaked from her arm through her shoulder. He’d break her arm.

  The man shoved her against the car. Pain shot up her back. She gasped. He drew back and slammed his fist into her jaw. Her vision dimmed.

  A rolling snarl ripped through the night. Something hit the man from the side. He wrenched away, but the momentum took her off her feet and down to the pavement. She pushed to her hands and knees.

  Dawson straddled the man who’d hit her. He slammed his fist into the man’s jaw. The man swung back at Dawson. Dawson didn’t even flinch. He continued hitting the man, almost shrugging off the man’s blows. Light flared. She glanced over. John and Archer raced from the house. The men scattered, except one man sprawled on the ground and the man Dawson pinned down.

  The man wrenched, trying to throw Dawson off. Dawson punched him. He growled and drew his hand back again. His hand jerked forward. Someone grabbed Dawson’s arm. Penny looked up at the man standing behind him. John. She exhaled and sagged. The energy suddenly washed out of her.

  “Enough, Dawson. I’m here. Hand him over and I’ll cuff him.” John didn’t release Dawson’s arm.

  Dawson growled. A rustle of fabric to her left drew her attention. She whipped around, groaning as pain shot through her head.

  “Are you all right? Where does it hurt?” Ethan brushed her hair away from her face.

  Where didn’t it hurt? Her back, her head, her stomach. If only her cat had made an appearance today. She might have ripped that man up instead of her getting her ass kicked.

  “My back, my head, and my stomach the most.” She groaned.

  “We’ll get you some help.” Ethan eased closer to her.

  “Dawson, let go.” John held him, keeping him from hitting the man again. “Dawson, you need to go to Penny. She’s hurt. Hand him to me.”

  Dawson’s head came up. He glanced over at her. A moment later, he released the man and sprang off. John flipped the man onto his stomach.

  “You just got lucky.” John cuffed the man with quick, practiced moves. “He would have killed you.”

  Dawson blocked her view of John and the man. She shivered. His mouth set in a grim line and his eyes burned golden with intensity. He knelt in front of her and touched her shoulder.

  “Are you all right, peaches? I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.” Dawson’s fingers lifted to graze over her cheek.

  It was swelling. The skin pulled tight and an ache pulsed through her cheek in time with her heartbeat. She forced her lips into a smile, but couldn’t hold it.

  “It’s not your fault.” She stroked her fingers over his chest.

  “I should have finished the one who came after me faster.” He shook his head.

  “You knocked
your man out and pulled the second one off me.” Ethan put his arm around her.

  “Yeah, but he got his hands on her.” Dawson clasped her hand in his.

  “There were five of them, Dawson. Unless they all went after you men, one of them would come after me.” She shifted uncomfortably.

  “We have an ambulance coming.” Archer edged close and looked down at them.

  Dawson turned his head and growled. Archer stepped back. Dawson’s shoulder muscles shifted. She stroked Dawson’s chest. The big, growly cougar was in full protective mode, but it wasn’t helping right now. The warmth of his skin, even through his shirt, drew her to sweep her hand over the taut muscles again.

  “Dawson, I’m all right. I don’t think anything’s broken. Archer won’t hurt me. He’s here to help.” She kept her hand on his chest. Not that she could hold him back if he decided to go after Archer.

  He took a slow, deep breath. “I know. I’m just running on instinct right now. Everything is a threat if it’s not one of us.”

  “I understand.” Archer held his hands up and backed off a little more.

  “Judge is coming out to check her. Archer, go back in the house with Leslie.” John glanced to the house.

  “I will.” Archer nodded and headed back.

  Once Archer reached the door, Judge came out and rushed toward them. Before he came close, he stopped and approached slowly.

  “All right, I’d like to see how badly the man hurt her.” Judge stayed where he was.

  “Dawson, we need to get her medical attention and Judge is a doctor. He won’t hurt her. Can you hold back enough to let him?” Ethan edged over to Dawson’s side.

  Dawson’s shoulder’s rose and his eyes closed. “Yes, he can come. Her health is more important than my agitation.”

  Judge strode over and knelt beside her. “I need to know what happened. I didn’t see it so I have no idea where you’re hurting. You can tell me where the worst pain is or you can tell me what you remember.”

  “My head hurts. He slammed it into the car. He punched me in the back and that hurts, but I’m not sure if it’s because of that or when he shoved me back against the car.” She grimaced.