Cat Scratch Fever; Blue-Collar Werewolves V

by Buffi BeCraft

  “By Adam, you mean Adam Weis, your dad, is the wolven Pack leader?”

  Brandon gave one short nod of his head. That meant that Diana Weis, Brandon’s adopted mother, and Matthew’s real mother had fought with Naomi. His gaze jerked back to her. “Don’t worry too much about the fight itself,” Brandon told him. “My mother has a legendary territorial temper. I believe it when Naomi and Nathan say that Diana threw the first punch. On top of that, she’s a psychic with as much or more power than a Hunter. If Naomi bested her without doing any physical harm, then that’s an accomplishment. The wolven issue is that Adam wants to protect his family while Diana’s pride is hurt.”

  “Sounds like you’ve switched sides, wolf.” Morrow’s snarl wasn’t pleasant. “Makes us wonder if you run back to your wolf Pack telling our secrets.”

  Brandon snarled; the scents of cat and wolf mingled as his power level rose. “Enough,” Matthew told them. Surprisingly, Brandon paused. “Morrow, leave if you don’t have anything helpful to add.”

  Morrow turned on Matthew. “But Leo. He’s not one of us. Can’t you see that? He was a wolf first. That’s were his loyalty will lie.”

  “You can leave now.” Matthew stared the weretiger down. With a belligerent huff, he slammed out of the room. In the silence, Matthew realized that his plate was empty. It was shame, because he was still hungry. He looked at the door instead, not quite ready to face his newly acquired people. “There wouldn’t happen to be any clothes here that might actually fit me would there?”

  “This is your room, my Leo.” Nathan answered. “Check the closet.” He did and stood there at the small but complete wardrobe filling the space. Everything from jeans to a few suits was hanging neatly inside. A peek in the dresser revealed obviously new boxers, socks, undershirts. A little of everything he might need.

  “Guys, this is too much.” Matthew couldn’t think of anything to say at such generosity. Everything he’d gotten since leaving his mom, he’d paid for himself.

  “Nah.” Nathan waved it away. “Can’t have the Leo running around naked. It’d be bad for our image.”

  Matthew looked up from gathering items for his shower. “What kind of image do we have now?”

  “Wandering, forgetful, slack-offs.” Supplied Brandon. Matthew had forgotten he was there. He wondered what the man was putting off to be here. Definitely, Brandon was losing precious time that he could be spending with his family. “The naked part would definitely add another dimension to the cat’s reputation.”

  “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Matthew asked, pointedly. Brandon shook his head. “Family? Diaper duty? Something?”

  Brandon’s still calmness led Matthew to believe something was definitely up with his brother-in-law. Deciding to let the matter go until a more private time, he was a little surprised when Brandon answered. “Rebuilding was taking so long, that we’ve been looking for a bigger place. I put in an offer on a nice place not too far from here.” Matthew froze. How bad had the fight between Naomi and Diana been that Brandon had left his Pack? “We closed the deal almost immediately.”

  “Need any help moving?” Matthew felt about two inches tall. He hadn’t even seen his sister yet, and now she was having to move out of her home because of him.

  “No.” Brandon’s calm response gave no indication of his feelings. For all Matthew knew, the other man could be the well of calm he portrayed. But Matthew didn’t think so. Brandon’s lips twitched in a bland half smile. “But Karen likes the fake plantation monstrosity. There’s plenty of room for the pups to run.”

  “Yeah. I bet,” Matthew felt weird having all these people monitoring his coming and goings and he really wanted a shower. Finally, he turned, and headed into the bath.

  “She wants you to come out soon.” Brandon finished.

  “Tonight?” The thought of facing Karen scared him far more than the crowd outside.

  “Best to get it over with,” advised Brandon.

  “Hit the ground running.” Matthew replied. He nodded to himself and went to take his shower before something else distracted him.

  * * * *

  Nathan’s small house was located on several acres of property. As Matthew stepped outside, the hair raised on the back of his neck as one by one, those who’d arrived to see the return of the legendary Leo. Murmurs from around the vehicle covered yard whispered in his ears. His inner being felt energized and he had to wrestle a moment with the power inside him that wanted to spill out and touch each and every one of them. When he had the rebellious urges under control and the power locked away, he returned to his perusal.

  Everywhere Matthew looked, it seemed that he saw a vehicle, RV, or tent. Children, or kits as he’d overheard the others call them, ran back and forth in the makeshift campground. They weren’t kidding about the transient nature of the cats.

  Males and females didn’t group together in family groups like he expected. He saw plenty of women with children of different ages. Some Were groups of adult females herding multiple children. But oddly, the majority of the adult males avoided the cozy family units. Looking at their tired expectant faces, he thought that the nomadic lifestyle may not be part of their nature.

  Bastet had said that they were searching. He wasn’t so egotistical that he believed everything revolved around him. So what were they searching for?

  For you, Nimrod. Matthew blinked at the blunt answer in his head. He looked down, for the first time realizing that he’d spoken out loud. They were looking for him?

  “Ramses,” he grinned, and bent to pick the cat up. “How have you been, you furry monster?” Cradling the cat over one arm, he made a point to scratch Ramses’ favorite spot. The cat extended his neck out as far as he could, his eyes closed, rolling back in pleasure.

  Horrible. The panther expects me to relieve myself in the woods. Can you believe that? Me! Ramses, a temple cat, one of Bastet’s chosen, forced to contend with nature. Now I have fleas and they itch. I need a new flea collar. Ramses crawled up onto Matthew’s shoulder. His claws dug into bare skin, hanging on with a desperation born of a truly domesticated creature forced out of his comfort zone.

  On top of that, you left me behind with the wolves. I spent two days subjected to the indignity of small females dressing me in human clothes. I want to go home. They put ribbons and bonnets on me. And a dress! It was pink, Matthew. Pink! You can be the Leo at home. I want my litter box. My catnip ball. I need my Kitty Select gravy dinner. I want to go hommme. The last was uttered in a wail accompanied by a feline whine as Ramses buried his face against Matthew’s neck. If it hadn’t been so pathetic, he might have laughed. He glanced at Brandon, who’d followed him out. Nathan shadowed Matthew on his opposite side.

  “He was in the back of my truck with your stuff. Most small animals give the house a wide berth. The girls found him and had a blast playing dress-up. ” Brandon’s amusement was enough that Matthew almost wished he had some blackmail pictures to tease Ramses with later.

  It’s not funny. Ramses claws dug in deeper as he burrowed his weight closer. I don’t like it here.

  “Are you really the Leo?” A grubby kid blocked their path through the camp, staring through bangs the color of straw with dark eyes. He looked about thirteen, which was a hellish age for anyone. Those eyes sized Matthew up and were waiting the final determination. He crossed his thin arms over a faded and worn t-shirt. Shorts that had seen better days hung off his thin frame. “My mom thinks you are. My aunt thinks you’re going to save us all.”

  Matthew scratched the thick fur of Ramses’ neck ruff as he tried to figure out how to handle this situation. He wasn’t good with kids. Never planned on getting married or producing any. Plus, he couldn’t get a clear reading of what cat clan the kid was from. Even the small rules he thought he had down weren’t working right. “What do you think?”

  The kid smirked. “I think your cat’s a wussy.”

  Ramses stopped his snuggle-fest. His small head turned to slowly ta
ke in the one who’d insulted him. With a growl he jumped from Matthew’s arms and stalked away. Matthew crossed his arms, not intentionally mimicking the kid’s posture, but it worked for a small standoff.

  “Ramses can take care of himself if he needed to.” The kid didn’t look convinced. “He is a temple cat. The ancient Egyptians worshipped them as links to the gods.” He paused, wondering why he was trying to explain this to a snotty kid. The kid’s lip curled and Matthew had a feeling of déjà’ vu. He’d been a damn snotty brat himself. “Ramses is spoiled, used to having his own way, and likes his comforts. Is that any different from the rest of us?”

  The kid watched Ramses tail as he stalked off into a bush with royal dignity. Matthew knew the cat would sulk. “I guess so.” Turning back to Matthew, he offered his hand. “My name is Matthias. But everyone calls me Tie.” He pulled a face, unaware at the cold knot that had formed in Matthew’s stomach, as he took the child’s hand in a very grown up handshake. “Yeah, stupid. I know. My mom thought it would be super cool to name me after the last Leo.”

  “No, it’s not stupid Tie.” Letting go of the boy’s hand, he brushed his own hand over the kid’s already ruffled hair. “What clan are you from?”

  “You mean you don’t know already?” Tie’s brown eyes widened with surprise. “I thought you were supposed to know everything about us.” A woman’s strangled shock came from the crowd as an attractive woman darted forward. Matthias’s name spilled from her in warning.

  Matthew waved a casual hand in her direction. Mostly to calm the building shock and outrage from the gathered people. He smiled down at Tie, trying to show just how unoffended he was with his posture. “Usually, I can get a good reading on what clan someone belongs to, but you’re a bit trickier.” He shook his head. Whatever Tie was, it was dormant and waiting. “But if I were to guess, I’d have to say, cougar.”

  Tie’s mouth dropped. “My mom’s a cougar.”

  “I know,” Matthew said. He clapped Tie on the shoulder once more and bent down, intending for his words not to carry much. He wondered how much difficulty his own mother had hidden from him as he was growing up. His father’s drunk rambling had revealed missed child-support payments and plots to make Diana suffer for leaving him. How had Bastet allowed for her cats to fall into a similar pattern? “Go easy on her. Moms need our loyalty and support more than we think they do.”

  Tie’s mother edged closer, looking at Matthew with hope and expectation in her lovely gold eyes. She bent her head; her voice was nearly a whisper as she clutched the boy to her side. “My apologies, Leo. My son is at an age where he’s trying to discover his independence. But he is still a kit in every way.” Her voice pleaded with him to understand some subtlety.

  Matthew nodded. “How old are you Tie?”

  The boy turned red and glanced around at the other kids staring at the scene. “Fourteen,” he mumbled and stared at Matthew, waiting. His mother stared at him with the same eerie expectation. Once more, Matthew felt like he was in the middle of a badly directed play and he’d forgotten to read his script. He nodded as if he understood, relieved when the mom ushered her son away and blended into the crowd.

  They started walking again, following a wandering path around the small house where there were a few scattered tents and less people for Matthew to smile, shake hands, and greet. “You haven’t got a clue, have you?” Nathan said quietly as they left to walk into the woods surrounding the house.

  “Nope. Not a one,” Matthew assured him. “How much land do you own here?”

  “Fifty-five acres. I was looking into leasing or buying more for the running room, but haven’t felt completely sure on the idea. But that’s not what I meant.”

  “True,” Matthew stopped, listening for anyone following them. “No doubt, you’ll fill me in.” He thought about asking right out how much land the wolves had, then realized how insensitive the question was. He looked at Brandon. “How much do you think we need for…” he did some quick calculations in his head based on how many had already arrived. “about two hundred cats?”

  “That’s a lot.” Brandon stopped and ran a hand through his hair. “You’ll need a big chunk of change to get enough running room for that many. That would be a big target for the enemy when they come back at us for escaping BioPet.”

  Matthew smiled. “I’ve got a plan to deal with Faust Kemlec and those like him.” Yeah he had a plan alright. The beginnings of one anyway.

  “You want to take on the psychics?” Nathan looked like Matthew was insane. “Hunters, mad scientist groups, and a fanatic church? Oh, my! Are you nuts? They want us all dead, not just shape shifters. All supernaturals.”

  “Exactly.” Matthew told him. “Go ahead and lease the land. We’re going to need it. I’ll throw what I’ve got into the pot and come up with more. Then, find a builder or arrange for some of these guys to earn their keep. We need permanent structures for the families. Those kids need a school and a reason not to wander when they grow up.” He looked at Brandon, unaware of the quiet appreciation that the two men observed him with. “I need a crash course in everything supernatural. Species, history, who has what treaty with who. There’s more at stake here than whether or not Kemlec retaliates.”

  “And what would that be, O great and mighty leader of the cats?” Brandon’s droll question made Matthew chuckle for the camaraderie of it.

  “Everything. The supernaturals as a whole,” he answered. Brandon and Nathan looked at one another and shrugged, neither getting what he was after. The humor left Matthew as he got a glimpse of what the future held for them. “That woman shot you and got away with it. She should have gone to jail for trying to kill you. Hell, you did die.”

  He turned in the direction of his people, camped around the little house and let his magical side free enough to feel their hopes and fears. He swung around to face them. “I bet that the psychics hide behind human laws, pretending to be one of them. It’s too obvious. With the come-out of the shape shifters and the vampires, we stopped being able to pretend to belong to the human club too. The government is stalling with their committees and alleged talks with the vampire and wolven council. We need our citizenship back. We need a vote.”

  “I’ve heard this argument before.” Brandon mused. His hazel eyes narrowed in thought. Both the wolf and cat parts of him were very evident. “By ourselves, wolven make up a tiny percentage of the population. Cats too, especially since they don’t form Packs. Fairies stay off the radar. Same goes for the other supernatural species.” He fixed his newly changed eyes on Matthew. The dangerous, feral quality that never went away didn’t bother Matthew anymore. He understood now how those qualities were needed for survival in their world. “How do you plan on getting us our vote?”

  Matthew smiled, his expression matched his brother-in-law’s. “One step at a time.” He slapped Brandon on the shoulder and began the trek back to the house. “But first, I’ve got to follow Bastet’s advice. Then make a call to the bank.”

  “Don’t forget dinner,” Brandon warned. Both he and Nathan were right on his heels. “Karen’s not the best cook, but she’s going all out on your account. So don’t hurt her feelings.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Matthew had a lot to atone for, in this life and the last. Matthais had been a first class idiot. Matthew planned to learn from his mistakes. “I’m sure it will be delicious.”

  Brandon snorted. “You don’t know my mate. She’s a lousy cook but the best mother and partner. You may have to bring pizza.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Naomi called herself a coward for hiding in the tiny pantry on the excuse of deciding what dinner would be. She had a crowd in the house and outside too and the shelves were looking thin. The cat clans were independent and didn’t expect the Leo to feed them, but some of them still looked very undernourished. They needed an influx of money and hands to fix a large communal meal. That would ensure that everyone had something.

  She bit her bottom lip
in thought. There would be no help for it. She’d have to step on some toes again to get this done. Already she’d sent a few of the males off to hunt. She’d rather have sent the females, but too many had kits to watch. And more were waiting to see the outcome of who would become Lia. She left the pantry to face the other three women who’d taken up stations in the kitchen.

  Thank goodness, Katra was easy to work with. As was her female kin, Kandace. The tigresses were more than happy to spend time baking staple cornbread and rice for meals and had already donated their own supplies to the cause. The back door banged open to admit a trio of lionesses Naomi had never thought to see again.

  Katra, Jillian, and Marpha, all potential mates for the Leo, bristled at the intruders. “Go back outside with the others,” Marpha looked down her coffee colored nose and growled when Katra went to relieve one of the lionesses of her load.

  “Don’t be such a bitch,” Katra warned her as she set the grocery bags on the table. “Thank you. The Lia is always in need of donations for the kitchen.”

  “She’s not the Lia,” Jillian said, but it was the automatic tone of someone who didn’t much believe in the words anymore.

  Marpha backed up Jillian with flip of her silky tan with black tipped hair. “He hasn’t chosen yet.”

  The lionesses looked at one another then back at the three other Lia candidates. So far it was Naomi and Katra against Marpha and Jillian in a weird reality show style contest of, Who Wants to Marry the Leo? Naomi shrugged and grinned, throwing her arms wide in welcome. “Daria! Shana! Idri! Ignore them. Come in. How did you know we needed supplies?”

  More groceries were dumped on the counter and the other two lionesses, Shana and Idri slipped back out the door. Daria gave Marpha and Jillian the evil eye and went to hug Naomi. “The strangest thing. One of the kits brought home a temple cat from school.”

  Daria pulled back to assess Naomi with the same tilted lion golden eyes that their mother gifted them with. Daria made a face of fond irritation. “Silly cat has a list of orders a mile long, from what brand of catnip to buy down to one of those heated pet beds at the pet store. Then Nephy insisted that the goddess Bastet wanted us to bring the next Lia supplies.” She grinned and hugged Naomi again. “I can’t believe, my little sister is The Lia. We brought stuff. All kinds of stuff.” Naomi blinked tears back.