by Bianca D’Arc
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a vehicle in front of the house, partially blocking the lovely sunset view. Two women got out of the open-topped Jeep and grinned at them through the glass as they approached the door. It was Franny and Deidre.
Ren stood to meet them as they walked right in the unlocked door as if they had the run of the place. He hugged both women, giving Deidre an extra little squeeze as he lifted her off the ground a bit. He turned toward Katrina, one arm still around Deidre’s shoulders.
“In case it wasn’t made clear before, Dee is my little sister. We don’t really advertise the relationship at work because some people might see her as a route to me, which wouldn’t be good for either of us,” he clarified, letting go of Deidre and ushering both newcomers to the table.
“I had no idea you were related, but now that you mention it, you’ve definitely got a family resemblance going there,” Katrina replied, happily surprised by the revelation.
Deidre laughed. “Oh, we all know Ren’s the prettiest one in the family. His legions of fans following his every move remind us, if any of us ever begin to forget.” Deidre reached out to touch Katrina’s hand on top of the table as she sat in the seat next to her. “Welcome to the family, Kat. I’ve never seen my big brother so at peace with himself, or so happy.”
The heartfelt words touch Katrina deeply. She turned her hand over to grasp Deidre’s and squeezed gently.
“Sorry if we scared you a bit the other day. We just wanted to show you how welcome you are,” Franny put in. “And frankly, I figured Ren would have prepared you a little better by that point, but I guess I was wrong.” She shook her head and shot Ren a sorrowful look.
“That really was you?” Katrina asked, surprised.
“In the fur,” Franny replied, grinning.
“I was scared,” Katrina admitted with a slight blush, “but also really impressed. Your jaguar form is really gorgeous, you know? Just as pretty as your human half, but a lot more mysterious and deadly-looking.” Katrina feared she wasn’t expressing herself well, but Franny seemed to preen under her words, so she guessed she’d gotten it right.
“I like that. Deadly-looking,” Franny repeated.
“We came to make sure you had something to wear for the party,” Deidre said in her quiet way. “We brought some things in case you needed something to wear. They’re in the Jeep.”
Deidre stood and ran out the door to grab two bags out of the back of the open-topped vehicle. While she was scampering around, Franny picked up the thread of conversation.
“We brought your other suitcase and a bag of stuff for you to look at if you want to borrow something. Just in case.”
“That was so nice of you,” Katrina said, feeling genuinely thankful toward her two new friends.
Ren had surprised her yesterday by producing one of her suitcases out of the back of his vehicle. He’d brought it up with them, having planned on keeping her up here at his house if things went as he’d hoped. Katrina teased him about his confidence but was grateful to have some of her things so she at least had a change of clothing.
“We don’t get super dressy, but sometimes, it’s fun to put on the glad rags, you know? And a mating celebration is definitely one of those times, since they don’t happen often,” Franny told her. “Ren, you go do something else while we look at dresses.”
Franny shooed him away, and he laughingly went into another part of the house, leaving the front area to the women. Deidre returned, easily hefting the two large suitcases, and Katrina marveled again at what had to be a gift of her shifter heritage. Deidre was strong, though she still looked delicate and feminine. Her resemblance to Ren was more easily seen now that Katrina knew to look for it. Deidre had a more delicate version of Ren’s classic jaw and nose that made her look like a porcelain doll.
They spent a fun hour looking over the clothing choices available before they decided on what Katrina would wear for what they were calling her mating celebration. Deidre and Franny left in their Jeep with an admonishment not to be late to her own party, which was starting in just a couple of hours. Ren appeared in time to see the girls off and then reclaimed Katrina’s attention for a very slippery, very sensuous shower.
When they finally finished washing up—which took much longer than it needed to, but was very pleasurable, indeed—they dressed for the party. Ren was devastating in dark trousers and a dark green silk shirt that he left unbuttoned part way down his chest. The color reflected his eyes and made him look just a little bit piratical.
Katrina dressed in the bathroom, taking a few extra minutes to put on a small amount of makeup and fix her hair. When she emerged, Ren seemed to appreciate her effort, kissing the light layer of gloss off her lips with enthusiasm. She had to remind them both that they were expected at the party. Ren reluctantly let her go and ushered her to the vehicle that had sat in the attached parking spot since they’d arrived.
She was surprised when he took another path down into the crater of the dormant volcano, rather than heading back around the outside to the mansion. She’d just assumed the party would be at the mansion she’d first seen, but apparently, she was wrong.
He drove competently down a zig-zagging trail through the dense trees that brought them out into a flat section of the caldera where several buildings could be seen, blending into the surroundings almost magically. A motif of giant cats in a vaguely South American style graced the sides of the buildings, making her gasp at the beauty of the flowing lines. The buildings were scattered among the towering trees, with a large central area that was clear of tree trunks, but still sheltered, for the most part, by the leafy canopy. The clearing was where all the people—and big cats—were gathered.
“Shelly designed this part of our communal area. Those buildings are her designs, built by our people,” Ren told her with pride as he ushered her from the Jeep, which he’d parked alongside several others of similar color and vintage, in between the buildings. “This is the first really big party we’ve had in the community center area,” he went on as he took her arm and walked with her toward the crowd in the clearing. “It’s an honor that they’re doing this on such a grand scale for us. I think the entire Clan is here.”
He sounded impressed, which impressed her. This man had been to the crème de la crème of Hollywood gatherings. He’d been at diplomatic events around the world. She hadn’t really thought anything could touch him so deeply, but it seemed, the demonstration of love and appreciation from his own people was it.
A cheer went up when they entered the clearing and people recognized them. Katrina and Ren were surrounded quickly by well-wishers who seemed to want to hug them both with great affection. She’d never felt more welcome, even though she hadn’t officially met everyone yet. One and all, they seemed genuinely happy for her and Ren, and their joy in the celebration was heartfelt.
They were led to one of the tables set up around the perimeter of the central dancing area. Mark and Nick rose from the table, along with their wives, and came forward to greet Ren and Katrina formally. She felt the entire clearing grow still and silent while the leaders of Ren’s people looked them over. Nerves set in, and her mouth went dry, but Mark’s smile went a long way toward relieving her unnamed fears.
“We gather tonight to welcome a new member into our Clan,” Mark said in a voice that carried through the silence all around. “Our dear Ren has finally found his One, and we couldn’t be happier for them both. Welcome, Katrina, into the Jaguar Clan, forevermore.” He stepped forward and kissed her cheeks, one at a time, then stepped back to let Nick do the same.
Shelly and Sully hugged her close, and it was Sully who whispered, “Welcome to the club,” which made Katrina laugh.
Chapter Seventeen
Katrina heard the party get started again as everyone cheered, and Ren and she were seated with the two couples who led the Clan. Food was served, and drinks were placed before them. It was mostly cake and cookies, fruit juices and spa
rkling water, which fit her mood. She saw platters of finger food being circulated around the crowd, and everybody seemed to be having a great time.
Ren danced with her, first energetic dances to a driving beat, then more slowly, as the night wore on and the mood became more intimate. She saw frisky little jaguars change into sleepy children, who were taken by their parents to a special area set aside for the littlest members of the Clan. An older woman, who everyone seemed to call simply Abuela, appeared to be watching over the group of children and holding court with some of the other elderly members of the Clan. But the kids were free—and safe—to roam around, as well.
Two, in particular, had come up to Katrina to be introduced. A little boy named Miguel and a little girl called Kensi had run up to her at the table shortly after they were seated, to say hello. Mark grabbed them both after a few minutes and put them both on his lap until their parents came over to find the two, who had run off by themselves. Introductions were made, and Katrina was interested to learn that both of the little ones were related to Mark, who was cousins with the fathers of both children.
The mothers were human, and Katrina was intrigued to meet both of them. She would have liked more time to ask them about what her life was going to be like now that she was part of this group, but the crowd and the noise didn’t really lend itself to serious conversation. She made a note to seek out both women at some point in the future, if the opportunity presented itself.
The party went on for hours, and Katrina felt as if she’d met every single person who’d come to the festivities by the time the music and dancing started to wind down. People had left by ones and twos until only a few couples were left, dancing slowly to the romantic music.
Finally, Ren suggested they go home, and she agreed. The party had been wonderful, but it would be even more wonderful to be alone with Ren for a while. Preferably until morning. They were due to fly to England tomorrow, and she wanted to spend the rest of her time on the island with Ren, making love and enjoying the comfort of his beautiful house.
That night, in the sultry warmth of their private tropical oasis, Katrina got to try teasing her jungle cat a little and found that she was able to make him purr. They were naked together in his giant bed, and they’d already made love once. The dancing they’d done as the party wound down had been a facsimile of foreplay, so they’d both been ready for action the moment they were back at his house…alone.
Once the edge had been taken off their passion, there was time to savor, which she was doing at that moment. She’d run her fingers down his chest to his abdomen as he lay on his back, his hands raised above his head, stretched out and in recovery mode after their first round. His eyes had been closed, but they opened the moment she stirred and started stroking him. The swirling energy of his green eyes was almost luminescent in the dimly lit bedroom. Breathtaking. Magical.
The intimacy of the moment made her bold. Katrina stroked down over his hard-muscled abdomen, enjoying the indentations of his six-pack abs and sliding her fingers lower, inch by tantalizing inch. She held his gaze as she reached lower still, finding what she’d sought and taking him into her hand as he went from replete to hungry faster than she would have credited.
“Is this recovery rate normal for shifters?” she asked in a low, approving tone. “Or are you just happy to see me?”
She grinned, and he chuckled, lowering his arms and reaching toward her. He slid one arm around her shoulders while the other clutched the bedding on his far side as she squeezed his cock gently, teasing him and learning more of what he liked.
“Shifters are better at a lot of things,” he rumbled in reply. “But yes, I am very happy to see you, and I love what you’re doing to me. Almost as much as I love you.”
Every time he said it, a little thrill ran down her spine, but she suddenly realized she hadn’t given him the words in return, though her heart had been lost almost from the beginning, regardless of how hard she’d fought against his magnetic pull. It was time she gave him the words. He hadn’t pushed, but as serious as he was about this mating thing, he probably wanted to hear them. She wanted to say them, too. It was long past time to fully commit to this new life he had shown her. It was time to grab it with both hands and never let go. She took a deep breath and met his gaze once more.
“I love you, too.”
His response was one she hadn’t expected. She felt his chest rumble in a way she’d never experienced before. It was as if his inner cat was making itself known as he purred in human form.
Silent but for the purring sound that continued, he took action. He shifted their positions, taking both of her hands in his as he placed her under him. In one smooth movement, he joined his body to hers and started a rhythm that soon made her want to purr in return, if such a thing was possible for a plain old human.
The sensation of the low rumble coming from his body as they made love was both surprising and delightful. It made her quiver in unexpected places and brought their lovemaking to a whole new level. When the climax hit, she screamed her love for him to the rafters, and he seemed inordinately pleased with the world as he held her throughout.
She honestly hadn’t thought she could feel any more pleasure than what he’d already shown her, but she was amazed to learn she’d been wrong. So delightfully wrong.
The next day, their flight from the island to the U.K. was pretty much a repeat of their earlier flight to the island. The same people sat in the same places in the cabin, but there was a definite air of happiness. Everyone was more open with Katrina, and their jokes alluded to the jaguar secret she now knew. She felt more like one of the group than ever.
She was sad to leave the island, but Ren had promised her they would return after filming was done. She was surprised by how much she looked forward to returning to Ren’s amazing house on top of a volcano. She’d never been anywhere like it, but what made it so very special was Ren’s presence, of course.
During the flight, they talked about a variety of things. She told him more about her parents and her life back in New York. He seemed concerned about how she was handling all the new things she’d been learning about him and his people. She loved that he was so concerned about her, and told him so.
“I know I’ve thrown a lot at you this weekend,” Ren told her. “And there’s still more you’ll need to learn. Tell me honestly, are you really all right with everything, so far?”
She took his hand in hers and looked deep into those famous eyes of his. “You make it all right,” she said honestly. “Being with you makes everything all right.” She shook her head, smiling softly. “I know it’s weird, but somehow, it all makes sense to me now. You really are magic. It’s not just an illusion up on the screen.”
“You’re the magic, kitten. To me.” he replied in a low, sexy voice that made her wish they were alone.
They sat quietly, gazing into each other’s eyes for a while after that, but when the plane started its long descent, they started talking again. They chatted about the filming that was scheduled for the next few weeks. The American location had been used for Marian’s family home. In England, they were shooting on the grounds of a real castle, which was going to provide the backdrop for many of the main attractions in the film, including most of the fight scenes. It was also the setting for the archery competition where Robin famously split an arrow to win the prize. The British castle was standing in for the Sheriff of Nottingham’s seat of power, but there were areas on the grounds, in the forest that surrounded the massive structure, that were to be used for the bandits’ camp.
They would also do a few studio shots back in London, Ren said, for some of the indoor scenes. If anything needed to be re-shot for whatever reason, they’d do it back in the States. They were going to be on site at the castle for the first two weeks, then a week outside of London for the studio work, and then, if all went according to plan, her work on this film would be done.
Katrina and Ren hadn’t discussed full details abou
t what would happen after her time on this project was up. Originally, she would have gone home to New York, but Ren and she had talked about returning to the island first. At some point, she’d have to go home and break the news of their relationship to her parents, but she wanted to hold on to the secret just a little longer. To savor it.
She had to sort out a few more things with Ren first. She had to know how much—if anything—she could tell her parents about his people and his plans for retirement in the coming years. She didn’t want to cut ties with her folks completely. She loved them and until now, had been deeply involved in their lives. She didn’t want that to change irrevocably. She didn’t know where Ren would want to live. If he chose to live on the island, she didn’t know how she would be able to see her folks, and that was important to her. They had a lot to figure out, but there was time.
She had at least three more weeks on this project before her family would expect her home. Until then, she had been calling them every few days to give them updates on how things were going. In fact, once they landed in England and got settled in the hotel, she had promised to call her mother and catch her up on the weekend.
Katrina would distract her mother with tales of meeting the reclusive billionaire and his wife, as well as the movie star, Sullivan Lane. That ought to be enough to keep their conversation away from the even more intriguing bits of the weekend—such as her new love affair with Ren, who just happened to be a shapeshifter.
