“Something tells me you have a place in mind,” Rafe stated.
“I do,” Richard told him. “We’ll need to go to the other side of the bay, but I believe we can get some help from one of Connor’s enemies. I’m not willing to rely completely on your mate to take this territory.”
Rafe nodded even though Richard suspected he wanted to argue. Theirs was definitely a reluctant alliance. Richard would betray the jaguar if he no longer needed him, and he was certain Rafe felt the same lack of loyalty to him. It was somewhat thrilling, wondering what would happen. Rafe was almost a challenge.
Chapter Thirteen
Winn looked around the cabin, trying to make sense of her situation. Vague memories played at the corners of her mind, and what confused her most was her fear of getting close to those memories.
There was a firm knock on the door, pulling her from her thoughts.
“Come in,” Winn called out, figuring it had to be Cord’s daughter.
The female who walked into the room was tiny, and many might think she was young, but Winn would guess she was much older than most would assume. She was stunning, with deep red hair and eyes an extraordinary shade of green that seemed to glow with an unnatural light. Her ivory skin had a dusting of freckles across her nose, and her features were delicate, almost elfin.
“You must be Vexx,” Winn remarked.
“And you’re Winn,” Vexx replied with a warm smile. “I’m so glad to meet you.”
Winn’s brow furrowed in confusion. “We haven’t met before? How is that possible if I’m your father’s mate?”
“He just found you,” Vexx replied.
“That’s right,” Winn said, remembering what he’d told her. “He didn’t have a chance to tell me everything before he left for his meeting.”
“I’d tell you all the details, but then he’ll be angry with me, and I’ve done enough to make him angry lately. Thankfully, he doesn’t know about most of it yet.”
“You get into a lot of trouble?” Winn asked.
“More than my other sisters,” Vexx admitted.
“Then I suppose you’re appropriately named,” Winn remarked.
“That’s what my father always says,” she admitted.
“I seem to remember hearing redheads are wild,” Winn mused, wondering how she could remember a detail like that while having no clue where she’d heard it from.
“I’m not sure about that,” Vexx argued. “Neither of my two other sisters with red hair are overly wild. Although, one is still young, so she may get wilder when she’s older.”
Winn considered her words for a moment. “Isn’t red hair pretty rare among shifters?”
Vexx nodded. “It is. We’re the only ones in our clan, so it’s anyone’s guess how that happened. How are you feeling? Beck told me you have a head injury. I’m pretty good with healing, so I may be able to help you.”
“Can you help me get my memory back?” Winn asked, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a moment of panic.
“I’m afraid not,” Vexx admitted. “My mom taught me a few things, but I’m not sure if there’s a spell for that sort of thing.”
“You’re a witch?” Winn asked.
“See!” Vexx exclaimed. “You haven’t forgotten everything.”
“I’ve forgotten everything about myself except that your father is my mate and I find healing in nature,” she admitted.
“I’m sure your memory will come back,” Vexx said with a reassuring smile. “You were only recently injured. Give yourself time.”
Vexx’s smile faded, and she grew quiet as voices neared the cabin. Winn was suddenly on alert and began to gather her power around her like a cloak. She had no clue why she did this or how she knew what to do. It was just instinct.
Vexx’s eyes widened in alarm. “There’s no danger! I just thought I heard someone I’m trying to avoid.”
Winn’s cheek’s heated with embarrassment. “I’m not entirely certain why I did that.”
“Try not to worry too much,” Vexx told her. “You’ll get your memory back and all of this will make sense. In the meantime, just try to relax.”
Winn snorted. “It’s not easy to relax when you have no clue who you are.”
“I’ll bet it’s not,” Vexx agreed without an ounce of sympathy. “Sometimes, things just suck, and we simply have to deal with them.”
Winn laughed, really liking Vexx’s blunt nature. “Thank you for not pitying me. I’m pretty sure it would only make things worse.”
“I’m the same way,” Vexx admitted before looking toward the door. “Beck is here. He’s my father’s second in command, and he’s mostly okay—for someone with a stick up his ass.”
Winn was more than a little confused by what Vexx had just said.
When the door opened, a male entered and smiled at her. “You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Beck,” he introduced himself.
“Why would you put a stick in your backside?” she asked Beck. “It seems like it would be very painful.”
Beck glared at Vexx, who was trying hard to stifle her laughter. “It’s a figure of speech,” he explained. “Vexx is the real pain in the ass. Your father wants you to meet the lynx,” he told Vexx.
“Why?” Vexx nearly gasped.
“Max brought his unmated son, and Cord wants the two of you to meet,” Beck explained.
“Why?” Vexx repeated.
“You already know why,” Beck answered with an exasperated sigh.
“I’m not mating with the lynx. Why not send Nan or Wren? Even Faye would be a better choice. I’m not going to fall in line and let some lynx impregnate me to unite the clans.”
“Vexx,” Beck warned. “Your father didn’t send me to ask who you thought should meet the lynx. He wants you to meet Jase. This is his second attempt to get you to meet him, and I’m not sure you want him to lose his patience over you refusing yet again.”
“I’d really like Vexx to stay with me,” Winn interrupted.
“Someone else can come to stay with you,” Beck offered in a much kinder tone.
“I’m really out of sorts, and I’ve already started to get to know Vexx. It would be upsetting if she had to leave before Cord gets back.”
Beck hesitated, and Winn suspected he didn’t completely believe her, but he wasn’t willing to risk upsetting her. “I’ll tell Cord you need Vexx with you. I suppose I can try to track down Wren. She’s more Jase’s type, anyway.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Vexx snapped.
“Just that Jase seems like a stickler for the rules,” Beck explained. “I can’t imagine fate pairing him with someone who goes to such great efforts to break every rule.”
Vexx grinned. “What can I say? I like to test the boundaries.”
Beck snorted. “I’m just surprised your father’s never taken up beating you. Someday you’re going to find a mate, and I hope he spanks some sense into you.”
“Dick,” Vexx said in a playful tone that led Winn to the conclusion Vexx and Beck enjoyed their verbal sparring. In her youth, Winn had sparred with her. . .
Winn frowned, lost in her own thoughts as Vexx and Beck continued baiting each other. Who had she been thinking of? For a moment, there’d been a face in her mind, and she’d recognized the male. Now, the memory was slipping away. It was like she was trying to hold fog in her hands.
“Are you okay?” Vexx asked with a hand on her arm.
“Yes,” she replied. “I remembered someone, but just like that the memory was gone. I was excited about remembering him, like he was someone important to me when I was younger.”
“Try not to push it,” Vexx said, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. Vexx’s eyes suddenly glowed even brighter and locked with Winn’s as she spoke. “Sometimes we must forget who we are supposed to be to learn who we truly are.”
Winn had no idea what to make of Vexx’s strange words, but Vexx seemed startled, too, and quickly yanked her hand away.
&n
bsp; “Sorry,” Vexx mumbled. “I sometimes get visions. It’s a curse I inherited from my mother.”
“Why do you call it a curse?” Winn asked.
“The visions never really make sense, and some of them are terrifying. I touched a man and saw a vision of him rampaging through the streets, tearing out people’s throats with his fangs. A month later, most of the humans in the area fell victim to the Moon virus.”
“The Moon virus?” Winn asked.
“It turns humans into vampires,” Vexx explained. “Many of them become mindless killers.”
“That must have been frightening,” Winn said softly. “Both the virus and your vision.”
“It’s why I’m not having kittens,” Vexx explained. “As much as it annoys my father, I manage to take off before every heat cycle.”
“And that’s why you don’t want to meet the lynx,” Winn concluded.
“Most of it, anyway,” was Vexx’s vague response. Vexx scented the air. “My father’s coming.”
Winn was suddenly nervous, and she was surprised when Vexx slipped an arm around her shoulders. “My father won’t hurt you.”
“I know,” Winn told her. “It’s just that I feel like a female before her first heat cycle—nervous and excited.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Winn,” Vexx stated. “My father needs you, and I think forgetting who you are is the only way you’ll ever accept how much you need him.”
Winn’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would you say that?”
Vexx shrugged. “I’m not sure. I just know it’s the truth.”
“It must be a witch thing,” Winn suggested.
“Most things I can’t explain get categorized as witch things,” Vexx explained.
Winn laughed at Vexx’s response. “Do you use that line a lot?”
“I generally only use it when I’m trying to get away with something. It usually works,” Vexx replied. “No one around here knows much about witches.”
“That must annoy the others in your clan,” Winn added.
“My father often says I vex them all,” she admitted. “I suppose you’ll be able to do the same.”
“How do you figure that?” Winn asked.
“No one really knows what mage do either,” she explained.
A humorless laugh escaped Winn’s lips. “That might be more comforting if I had any idea what mage do.”
The strangest thing about that admission was that Winn wasn’t entirely certain she wanted to remember, and she had no idea why.
Chapter Fourteen
Cord was definitely beginning to think Beck was right, and he should have beaten Vexx growing up. He only had daughters, and he’d indulged them all to some extent. Actually, he’d indulged them quite a bit. He’d been born in a time when females weren’t valued, even among most shapeshifter clans, but he’d never agreed with that. Despite what some of his past actions might suggest, he wasn’t an asshole who thought of females as property. He’d been thrilled each time he’d welcomed a new daughter into his life. They were all precious treasures, and each was strong and confident.
None of his daughters fought him as much as Vexx. Vexx had been challenging him since she could talk, not that he was surprised considering how strong-willed her mother had been. Cord’s other daughters were all full cougar shifters. Only Vexx was a half-breed, and she was the biggest reason his clan had so much respect for shifters of mixed heritage. Many underestimated her strength because of her size, but Cord had seen her fight and win against many of the males in their clan. Despite her strength, he often worried her reckless behavior would lead to her being alone—not because males wouldn’t appreciate her attitude. Shifters valued strength, and many of the males in his clan had shown interest in Vexx over the years. He simply worried she’d refuse to accept any male. His stubborn daughter always insisted it was just her desire to be alone that made her avoid finding a mate, but he suspected there was more to her resistance.
Part of him wanted to wait for her to tell him what was really going on, but it was never a good idea to show any weakness when dealing with dangerous predators. As a male with six daughters, he’d discovered females were the most deadly of all predators.
“Why did you refuse to meet Jase?” he snapped at his daughter.
“I needed her with me,” Winn told him.
Vexx said nothing.
“While I’m glad you’re willing to stand up for my daughter, that’s a lie,” Cord told Winn, giving her a warm smile. He did appreciate her trying to defend his daughter, even if it was from him. His attention shifted from Winn to Vexx. “Explain yourself, Vexx.”
“I’m not getting near the lynx,” Vexx argued.
“Vexx, I have been very patient with you,” he began. “You have a heat cycle coming up soon, and I want you to take one of the males. Jase would be my preference, but you will take a male. This will be better than suffering through your cycle again. I don’t know why you insist on torturing yourself every year.”
Just like that, Vexx looked like he’d struck her and Winn glared at him, making him feel like a complete asshole. He could have kept up the tough attitude if Vexx had continued to challenge him. This was how his daughters really got their way—they gave him looks that suggested he’d broken their hearts.
“You’d force me to have sex with a male?” Vexx demanded, sounding more hurt than angry.
“You can’t do that!” Winn added.
Cord let out a frustrated growl and ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at the ends. He’d lost the argument, and he knew it. “Sorry, baby,” he told Vexx in a soft voice. “I’d never force you. I’m just worried about you. You’re so determined to avoid getting attached to any male, and I don’t want you giving up your chance to have kittens. I really think you’d like Jase. He’s a good male, strong and reliable. He’d be a good father. I truly believe you’d be happy with him as your mate, but he wouldn’t push that. That’s part of the reason I think he’s good for you. Mostly, it’s just that he won’t hurt you. Your impulsiveness can be trying.” Vexx’s witch mother had also been wild and immature, something that was common with witches.
“How many times do I have to tell you no?” Vexx demanded. “I’m not going to have kittens. There is no way I’m passing down this curse from my mother to anyone.”
“Curse?” Cord was confused by her outburst.
“I don’t want to pass on my witch abilities,” Vexx explained.
“Your witch half makes you stronger. Still, it’s unlikely your kittens will inherit much in the way of witch abilities,” Cord reminded her.
“Unlikely is not the same as impossible,” Vexx argued. “The only way to avoid passing on this curse is to avoid getting pregnant.”
With that, Vexx stormed out, and Cord was torn between his desire to go after her and his need to be close to Winn.
“She’s a grown female,” Winn reminded him. “You need to stop trying to protect her.”
Cord let out a humorless bark of laughter. “I’m not sure I’ll ever stop trying to protect my daughters. It’s even harder with Vexx because she acts so much younger. Witches can be somewhat childlike.”
“How many daughters do you have?” Winn asked.
“Six,” he replied. “Cass is my oldest, and she found her true mate decades ago. They’ve been trying for kittens since then with no luck. Vexx is the second oldest. Then there’s Faye, Wren, Nan, and Lark.”
“Any sons?” she asked.
“Nope,” Cord replied. “Just daughters. They make me crazy, but I love them.”
“Are you involved with their mothers,” Winn asked, and he wondered if she was jealous. Shifters could get that way with their mates. Normally, a shifter didn’t stray from their true mate, but Cord had fathered Lark after meeting Winn, when she’d left him and he’d had no hope of seeing her again.
“Except for Vexx’s mother, they’re all part of my clan,” he explained. “I’m not sure I’d say I’m involved wit
h them. Each came to me during her heat cycle with the intention of giving me a kitten. None ever expected to be marked by me. They’re all good mothers.”
Winn nodded. “It was that way with my father, too,” she began. “He had a mate, but she died. My mother was a mage and my brothers were all. . .” Her voice trailed off, and she looked confused. “I can’t remember anymore. For a moment, it felt completely natural to tell you, but then the memories stopped flowing.”
“You remember your mother was a mage and your father was a shapeshifter,” he told her. While he’d suspected as much, it was nice having his suspicions confirmed by Winn.
“I wish I knew what kind of shapeshifter,” Winn said on a sigh.
“Jaguar,” he told her. “I can smell traces of jaguar on you. I just learned that jaguar shifters entered this land looking for you.”
“Jaguar,” she tested the word before nodding. “Yes, that sounds right, but I don’t think I can shift.”
“Many half-shifters can’t,” he explained. “Vexx can, and we have a few others in the clan who can shift, but it’s very uncommon.”
“Tell me more about me,” she urged.
Cord hesitated, not sure she was going to like his answer. “I’m only going to tell you what you need to know to stay safe. I told you about the jaguar because they may be hunting you. The rest, you’ll remember in your own time.”
Just as he’d expected, annoyance flashed in Winn’s eyes. “I have a right to know who I am.”
“Your memory will return,” he promised. “It’s only been a day, and you’ve already remembered something about your childhood. For now, just know you’re mine, and I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you safe, Winn. Can you trust me to do that?”
Winn studied him before responding. “I should say no. There is no logical reason to trust you, and something tells me I don’t normally let others take care of me.”
“But you do trust me,” he finished for her.
“Yes,” she breathed out. “I trust you. I’d like you to kiss me, Cord.”
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