Cougar

by Cougar (lit)

  And more. The Black was anything but old school. And I wouldn't scare her with all the Shifter science I'd learned. "Yes."

  Sue escorted me directly to the back of the village and a small circle of older children sitting within a tree's shade cast by an enormous canopy. Two women worked inside the circle. Both helping a different child. They noticed our approach. The tall brunette rose and waited for us. This only set off the children.

  "That's her, Ms. Trinkle. She plays the guitar."

  The brunette shot the boy a stern glance. "Back to work, Tommy. I know who she is."

  The scolding look Ms. Trinkle used to observe my advance didn't indicate I was welcome. But why would I be? I'd already disrupted village life. Death Summit lost one of its wealthiest families. And then Jackal was off the market. I'd have to prove I was more than a fuck bag.

  The other woman, a short thin redhead, stood up before the children and kept their attention while Ms. Trinkle met us a few steps from the huddle of students.

  "Ann," Sue nodded.

  Ann didn't bother offering a smile to Sue. "Sue." She reciprocated the nod. "Can I help you?"

  "This is Sierra. She reads, writes, and does math." Sue smiled at both of us.

  "And I'm educated in biology, geology, and chemistry." It couldn't hurt to appear to be a valuable resource.

  Ann eyed me from boots to forehead before anchoring her gray eyes on my gaze. "So you want to help here?"

  The woman's disbelief could have slapped me in the jowls. "Why waste what I know when you can use it to broaden the children's minds? They just might need the knowledge I can share, one day when facing the enemy."

  Ann blinked slowly, the wheels in her mind churning shadows in her eyes, and sighed before eyeing Sue. "This is a safe place for children. I won't allow any bad behavior. We want the children to feel comfortable here."

  Sue planted her hands on her hips. "Why are you telling me this? I'm not the one with the knowledge to pass onto them."

  Ann's gaze sharpened even more. "Don't play games with me, Sue. I don't need your crap today." She slid her icy glare to mine. "You make one inappropriate move and you'll be working in the laundry. I promise, Sierra."

  "I worked with children for years. They're our future. It's more important for me to help them than sit around whining about being bored."

  "Time will tell." Ann spun back to the curious children. "Class, I'd like you to welcome Ms. Sierra. She will be helping you learn to read and write."

  * * * *

  Later after hours my working with the children, Jackal leaned against the side of a lodge near the laughing children when I turned around after finishing up working with the children's one-on-one reading lessons. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Maybe he liked seeing me busy. Out from under his constant supervision.

  I'll teach mine. Cougar snorted.

  For Pete's sake. Be quiet.

  Ann stepped to my side. "You did well, Sierra. I look forward to having you help tomorrow."

  "Thank you." The compliment was well worth the day I exchanged in earning Ann's praise. Working with children required more patience than dealing with Tornado. It was probably a good thing I had all the practice back with Father's clan. Or Tornado would have killed me if I'd reacted differently and pulled a gun on him the day I rode into Death Summit. But one couldn't go back and change the past.

  "We'll see you after breakfast then, tomorrow," Ann said.

  "Yes." At least, she hadn't asked me to leave my guns at home when I returned. I stepped off to meet my mate.

  Jackal shoved away from the wall and waited for me.

  What would he do? Commend me for staying busy, leaving him to himself? How could I have gotten mated to a man who obviously would tire of me as soon as he found something better to do? Would he eventually just seek me out when he had to relieve his pent up lust? Did it matter in a world where those reasons were the norm with men taking mates? I took the final step to his side.

  "Did you enjoy yourself with the children, Kitten?" he cooed.

  His gentle gaze tempted me to fancy him sincere. But I wasn't going to fall for that again. The Black had raised one intelligent daughter. I suffered from extreme sorrow when Jackal and I first faced the marking. My vulnerability had gotten the better of me. Even though I rationalized, I had made a logical choice. But Jackal's touch had a special kind of overwhelming power.

  Even Cougar responded.

  I'd been sucked into his game through some metaphysical addiction I couldn't fight.

  Or something.

  And now I must deal with the reality of my situation as the pawn who had served its purpose. I could exist the useless mate. Survive. Or settle for finding solace in working with the children. Maybe in time, I'd earn Jackal's respect. After all, we'd just met. How could I possibly think myself important to him beyond the lust of Shifter mating? But he stood there waiting for an answer about my day. "The children are our future. They make me feel as if I'm doing something good again."

  His mouth curved into a smile. "Good. Let's find you something to eat so you can carry on with your work tomorrow."

  The sad thing about my life was I required an escort to go anywhere in the village. Am I endangered? Or just perceived as completely inept? I suppose there were far worse aspects about a relationship with a Shifter I could dwell upon. Like he was abusive. A few Shifters had gone almost rabid in the past. Not a pretty possibility.

  "You're quiet," he noted.

  I would dig my hole deeper if I just tossed the damned shovel in and acted normal. "Tired." I lied to avoid my irritation with my choices I'd made.

  "Maybe you need to ease into village life again after eight years away from village duties."

  "And have everyone call me lazy or weak?"

  "Nobody would say anything."

  "You weren't there when I arrived at the school. Ann did not want me near the children." I met his misleading genuine gaze. "Because they'd already said many things about me."

  "People will be people. They don't trust easily. They don't like change. Give them time, Kitten. This is your home now. And the others will see what I saw."

  Lovely lead in… What would he say? "And what would that be?"

  He halted and looked me in the eye. "That you are my heart and soul. My life." He leaned down and planted the warmest softest kiss on my lips, enveloping me in the strength of his arms.

  Damn the tender touch. It didn't matter his motives were different in the beginning. The kiss conquered me. Lifted me up into the strongest arms. Numbed my fingers and toes. Buckled my knees. And I sank into his beating heart.

  But his warmth withdrew.

  I leaned against his solid chest locked within the circle of his arms, and I sucked in a breath.

  He smiled at me. "I don't like it when you look so exhausted, Kitten. Maybe I'm just selfish. But you don't need to work yourself to death. I can take care of us." He squeezed me in his enormous arms and kissed my forehead. "I'll show you after we eat."

  What did he mean? Usually we spent the nights in our lodge where he touched me into a dead sleep. What would he show me? "Alright."

  He ushered me back through the lodges toward the eating area.

  Why did I cooperate? Was my body working against me? Maybe the guilty party was my Cougar. Is she my instinct?

  Damn instinct. Could a person trust her instinct? Go with what made her feel good? Was that what life was about? Feeling good? Hell, it hadn't been but days since I lost one love to find a mate that struck far too deeply, making me doubt myself.

  Sue met us with her standard smile. "How did your day go with the children?"

  "Fine. They can drain every drop of your enthusiasm though."

  She chuckled. "Maybe you'd rather do laundry?"

  No way. "I already promised to begin biology lessons tomorrow."

  Sue snorted and handed me a silver dish. "Then we'd best feed you. You'll need your strength for carving out humanity's future. And you," s
he looked at Jackal, "your job is to see she gets her rest. I don't want to learn you kept her working all night."

  Jackal surprisingly didn't roll his eyes.

  "Don't worry about me, Sue. I've got her best interests at heart." He shot her a wink.

  We returned to our lodge where we sat to eat at the rough-hewn table.

  "I can see I don't like you working at the school," he timbered.

  I rolled my gaze up from my vegetables and rice. "What?"

  He scraped his fork around his green beans and carrots. "You're too tired to talk to me." He propped an elbow on the table. "Unless something else is bothering you."

  Shit. And I get the mate who would notice. "What would be bothering me?"

  "Are you missing Rattler?"

  Actually, John was the last thing on my mind. "I'm too busy to dwell on the past." Of which the past all too often kept people from embracing their future. But that was a Rites-of-Goddess mantra. He probably didn't want to hear anything handed down from the sisterhood.

  His scrutiny trailed down to my lips, lingered a moment, then moved down my arm to my hand and over to his plate. "We can play cards then?"

  Why did he suddenly seem like he wanted to spend time with me? "I'm tired. I'd like to just lie down and sleep."

  He didn't look at me. Just nodded and scooped up some green beans.

  * * * *

  She'd just gone to bed. For the first time without me. Jackal sighed. She'd stretched out on her side with her back to me. Fully clothed except for her boots placed neatly out of the way toward the end of the bed. And she'd unbuckled her gun belts. Lain both beside her boots.

  Her silence had nothing to do with working with children. She'd loved the attention they focused on her when she played her guitar and sang last night. So, working with the kids at the school shouldn't have tied her tongue. She was avoiding me. And my inner Wolf didn't care about her feigned exhaustion.

  Even worse, my Wolf could smell her confusion.

  Something bothered her.

  And I'd find out before it turned me into a raging beast focused on nothing more than burying my seed inside the only woman who ever made me forget about the consequences. The woman who avoided me. I conjured up my night vision, focused my honed animal senses across the room at her form lying on my bed, and sat before the dancing flames of my fire on the earthen floor.

  My Wolf sensed she was awake.

  With her back to me.

  Ignoring me.

  Why?

  What had I done to hurt her? I'd spent all my time with her since her arrival. Guarding her. Touching her when she begged for it. I couldn't have been the cause of her disregard. Had I misjudged the opportunity I found? Forced my affection on her? That had to be the answer. Her love had to still lay with Rattler. She'd never claimed to have such feelings for me. If anything, I had become her security. And her curves turned to the comfort of my bedding.

  I'd have to be more comforting than the damned bed.

  I'd have to win her over the way a man won a woman's heart during courting.

  Or my Wolf would devour me from the inside out.

  Because Sierra is my mate.

  And I have no choice.

  What a man did for honor's sake and a pair of innocent sky-blue eyes truly defied logic.

  I waited until sleep eased her frustration and climbed into bed to wrap my arm around her slim waist and drift away myself.

  * * * *

  The cries tore through my mind. Sierra shuddered. Louder than muffled screams. Real. Piercing.

  The darkness jolted.

  I'm asleep. I jerked up, throwing my feet at the side of the bed.

  Jackal yanked at his bootlaces, hunched over, sitting on the bed's edge.

  "Bounders?" I blurted.

  He twisted around to look me in the eye with a commanding glance. "Stay here. Lock the door." He shoved his muscled form onto his feet and headed for the window.

  The screeches sounded like they were right outside.

  "They're in the village?" I asked since he could look out the window.

  "Yes," he snarled and turned a pinched gaze toward me. "Lock the door after I leave, Sierra." He left, snapping the door shut at his heels.

  Protect mine. Cougar clawed for release.

  Holy shit. Jackal said to stay.

  I could help. Fight. But Jackal might get angry. I'd better think this through a minute before my Cougar pressured me into rash behavior. I leapt up and slammed the two by four into place.

  Save mine!

  Cougar, he's a Shifter too. He can save himself. That's his job.

  Wrong. So wrong. Bad things. Very bad.

  How had Bounders breached the village's walls? And why hadn't the guards seen them coming? Maybe something was wrong here. Terribly wrong. I quickly pulled on my boots and buckled my gun belts to my thighs.

  And why did Jackal yell at me? I hopped to the window and scanned the moon-lit expanse of courtyard beyond the glass.

  Kill them before mine is hurt.

  The shadows shifted with the lurking dark extraterrestrial masses pulling the ground toward them with their stiff arms and taller more agile Guardians out trying to stem the invasion.

  Damned horrible creatures that gnawed off human body parts. And the Bounders ran freely as if they enjoyed terrorizing the sleeping community. There were so many of them that I couldn't keep up with which were coming and going. People could die. Guardians. Even Jackal could die.

  Mine must live.

  My heart did more than flinch at the shrill gunshots contrasting with the lower-pitched Bounder screams beyond the door.

  There were so many Bounders that the Guardians needed every gun they could find out picking off alien monsters. Before one got a hold of my mate. I wasn't ready to be passed onto another Shifter and learn how common or unusual Jackal's treatment was toward me. I fingered the grips of the pistols at my hips.

  Jackal would be pissed. But I could follow orders or continue to carve out another niche for myself in the community. Maybe Tornado would see I had value beyond strumming the guitar. Boy Tornado had to be pissed I hadn't played tonight. Killing the Bounders just might earn me respect where it was most needed at the moment too. It wasn't like Jackal gave a shit about anything but his own feelings anyway. I grabbed my night-vision goggles, secured them over my eyes, and jerked the door open.

  * * * *

  The steady sound of rapid gunfire made Jackal's skin crawl beneath his thick coat of Wolf fur. The only other thing that made a similar sound was the machine gun on the wall. And nobody dared open fire upon Guardians in the middle of a pack of hungry Bounders. Especially at night. Guardians would die. The sound meant Sierra, my mate, was in the thick of the fray.

  She'd disobeyed me.

  Must save her.

  I whirled toward the sound.

  Darkness shifted everywhere as the orange-red boxy bodies of Bounders used their front legs like crutches to maneuver through the silver moonlight. Hundreds of feet away, in front of my lodge, I spotted her slim curvaceous orange form, both arms outstretched, yellow flames bursting from her hands with the rattling pops of each shot she fired. Warm Bounder bodies littered the ground. More angled toward her. Away from the massive Guardian forms killing the monsters closest to them. Her gunfire picked off the Bounders so quickly, so efficiently, that she dropped her arms, scanned the darkness, pivoted, and returned to our lodge without a word.

  The Bounders were dead.

  Tornado stepped before me, blocking my view of my mate. His glowing red gaze stared up a couple inches into my eyes. "Your mate."

  What of Sierra? But fully-shifted Guardians often had difficulty speaking. We'd have to shake the euphoria before the event could be discussed.

  I nodded once in more of a submissive manner. Just to get him out of my face.

  Tornado hulked off through the darkness to kick at the reddish masses dying beneath the almost-full moon.

  My mate. Disobeyed me.
Tornado knew. He didn't have to tell me. I could feel it. There was nothing I could do but wait for my body to shift. And then I'd confront her.

  * * * *

  The door clattered against the two by four securing the lodge from whoever attempted to enter Sierra's home. Waiting for the Guardians to calm down enough to call a meeting began to nibble away at my sanity. Who was outside?

  Mine. Mine

  Where was Jackal? Had anyone been killed? Gods, not Jackal. Being passed onto another Shifter would undoubtedly be utterly horrible. At least, Jackal never hurt me during sex. But given my loss of another mate, surely Tornado would insist on someone taking me off the marriage market. I peered through the cool glass of the window.

  Watching the Shifters drag the Bounder carcasses out the gate, now, didn't assuage my snowballing anxiety. I'd just have to insist my goals in entering the battle were to save the community and its Guardians. I had always made choices for the benefit of the clan. Jackal couldn't be angered with those motives.

  A snarling hulk of a shadow passed the window.

  Mine!

  Shut up, dammit! I should have just stayed put. Jackal would be pissed. But who could stand around and watch a nightmare unfold without lifting a finger to help? I was qualified to end the attack. I did. I'd done nothing wrong. And after witnessing my parents die without lifting a finger to prevent their pain and deaths, I damned sure wasn't going to stand around tonight.

  Never again.

  It's better to die having faced your foe than to have lived with the regret of tucking tail and running. I packed shells into my pistols' clips, yanked off my boots, and crawled into bed.

  If he wanted to fight in the morning, I'd be ready for battle.

  But sleep didn't soothe me with all the growling beyond my door. I sat with the cold hard wall biting my back, my knees pulled to my chest. As if the position would contain my heart thrumming inside my chest. Because most of the werewolf forms had disappeared when the carcasses had been removed from the village. The Guardians had gone to bed. Yes. They must have.

  Find mine.

  Stupid Cougar.

  If Jackal would just come home, the damned Cougar would leave me alone.

  Faint growls seeped through the lodge's curved wall.