The Purrfect Predicament (Australian Shifters)

by Angela Castle

  "Yes. River and Forrester are here. They know who she is."

  Hamish stiffened at the news, his concerned expression mirroring Andy's. "Let's not keep them waiting them."

  Andy nodded. On a united front they would face whatever the hell it was Forrester had discovered about their little mate. There was a heck of a lot they didn't know about her yet. But no matter what it was, nothing would jeopardies the fact she was theirs. Everything else could be sorted.

  ~ * ~

  Juniper awoke, on a soft unfamiliar bed. It took a moment for her to realize where she was and how she'd come to be there. She sighed, rolling over onto her back. It was so nice to wake up in a warm, cozy bed for once.

  She blinked against the fading light of the evening streaming in the window, the large colonial square window, of the bedroom.

  Her body ached, but in the most delicious ways. The memories of Hamish and Andy's passionate, yet tender loving of her body brought a smile to her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe and relaxed.

  Where were they? She rolled over and had to crawl over to the side of the bed. Her sore feet sank into the plush cream carpet. She sighed, glancing down at her nude and well-loved body. There was no clothing except for one of the brother's t-shirts hung over the back of the bed. She reached for it, holding it to her nose, inhaling the spicy masculine scent, and knew it belonged to Hamish. Andy, his scent held a more woodsy flavor, but none-the-less intoxicating. With a smile, she tugged it over her head, covering her to her mid thighs.

  If they really thought she was as sexy and desirable as they'd claimed, then they wouldn't mind at all if she wore their clothes until she had some of her own.

  She fought back a wild giggle. It had been a long time since she'd felt girly and giggly. A dress, oh, how she longed to wear a dress again with a bit of perfume and lipstick. She tugged at the short strands of her hair. It would grow again. The black dye would eventually wash out leaving it a natural sandy brown.

  Quiet as a mouse, she padded out the door, glancing up and down the corridor. There were four other doors on this floor. But she headed for the stairs. Reaching the bottom step she paused, hearing low masculine voices coming from the room they'd been in earlier. At their games' room, she drew closer and paused outside the partially closed door.

  "Juniper Carver is involved in some serious shit." An unknown male voice spoke. Her breathing seized in her lungs as she listened. She clenched her fist as her hands and body began to shake.

  "These newspaper reports are about a year old. But, she's wanted by the Federal Police, State Police and no doubt the organized crime syndicate operating out of Melbourne. She was to give evidence, against the Rosso family and against William Carver, otherwise known as Bloody Bill. She was in State Police protection before the trial, but it didn't stop them. Five police officers were murdered, and all reports stated that she was also shot."

  "It explains the gunshot wound under her breast." She knew Andy's voice right off; he sounded strained.

  "This William Carver is her, what then, Brother?" Hamish asked.

  "Daddy dearest." The stranger explained.

  Yes, dear old daddy, there was so much she hadn't known about that man, until the day she'd witnessed him sink his knife into her boyfriend's stomach. Her whole world had turned upside down, and gone to hell in a hand-basket. It was even worse when she'd found out the reason her dad had murdered Neil. The police had told her he'd been an undercover cop. It then sank in that he'd only been pretending to like her, in order to get close to the Rosso family she worked for, and get close to her dad Bloody Bill. Her stomach churned, and she battled to push down the bile threatening to rise.

  "Her own father tried to murder her, that's… Fucking low. There are two hundred and six bones in the human body; I'm going to break every fucking one of them." Andy's low, dangerous growl sent shivers down her spine.

  "If she was shot and was in the hospital, how did she slip out of police custody? We found her hiding and in disguise."

  "No idea, when I went digging into the police reports, they stated she just vanished, there's been a missing person's file on her for a while now. Everyone's crook and cop is looking for your mate."

  "She escaped because she's fucking smart."

  The pride in Hamish's voice made her heart swell.

  "Her disguise was so good, she even had us fooled for a while. She did what she had to do to stay hidden and survive. Everything, her behavior, where she lived, is now making perfect sense."

  "We're her family now, and we'll protect her from that asshole, no one's getting to our mate." Andy practically growled the last few words. They sent a spear of hope through her heart; they really did care about her. They'd kidnapped her, no, rescued her, from her dilapidated state. If not for her twins' intervention, she more than likely would have stayed like that for the rest of her miserable life or until her dear old daddy found her and put a bullet in her brain or a knife in her heart.

  Andy's growl turned into a dry chuckle. "Hamish is right, she is smart. I have no prejudice against guys who bat for the other team. I just knew I wasn't one of them."

  Tired of hiding in the shadows, tired of being forever fearful; there was more at stake now than just her pitiful life. They had to understand what danger they put themselves in by wanting to protect her. Juniper sucked in a deep breath.

  Be brave, be strong. She raised her hand and knocked on the door, more to let them know she was there before barging in.

  Even before her hand fell, the door swung in. Hamish smiled down at her, his gaze running down her length, making her blush at the heat in his chocolate gaze. He reached out and tugged at his shirt, a sensual smile on his, oh-so-kissable lips. Yes, it seemed little Miss Juniper Carver was already utterly smitten with these two men. "This shirt never looked that good on me. Damn, baby girl. Come in, there are some people I want you to meet."

  Before she could even think to protest, as she was not decently dressed, he tugged her into the room, and in front of the strangers.

  Andy's lips curved up into a smile, seeing her. The other two men present stood, giving polite nods of their heads. They were just as tall as Hamish and Andy. Her gaze fell on the tall dark haired and very handsome man. He was just as well built, as her twins, muscles poured into his dark blue shirt, and his black jeans. Raw power and authority practically radiated from the man as he took her in, from head to toe. She felt as if he was sizing her up, like a predator would its prey. The other man had light brown hair. His clean-cut good looks and clear almost golden eyes, six-foot-four height fit in well with the clean-cut lines of his blue police uniform. Normally, anything in a police uniform made her nervous, after everything she'd been through. But she suspected he was a part of this shifter thing, and his kind sympathetic smile made her feel more at ease.

  As gorgeous as these new men were, they felt pale and dull in comparison to her twin brothers.

  Damn, I have to stop thinking of them as mine.

  "This is River Black. He's our town's Alpha and our cousin." Hamish made the introductions.

  "Miss Carver, welcome to Black Town and to the family. No doubt you'll have your hands full handling these two." River smiled, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

  "And this is Forrester Baker, our town's police presence."

  "Are they…?"

  River chuckled. "I'm a Black Panther, and Forrester is a Jaguar."

  Her eyes widened at this. "How many more, uh, cats are there?"

  "Ninety percent of our town are feline shifters of some form. The other ten percent are people like you, mated to shifters. I'm sure my mate and wife will love to meet you, Juniper, once you've settled in."

  "So you don't want to get rid of me then?" she blurted out.

  All the men in the room stiffened. "Why would we want to do that, sweetheart?" Andy said, moving in on her other side, his brows dipped in worry as he studied her.

  River shook his head, his sensual masculine lips cur
ving up into a knowing smile. "I think she was at the door listening."

  Heat flushed into her face, proving River's theory correct.

  "How much did you hear?" Hamish asked.

  "A fair bit," she admitted.

  "Then, if you're up to it, maybe you could fill in the blanks for us. If we're to protect you, then we need to know everything." River motioned for them to sit down.

  "My story doesn't matter, what does matter is that you're putting everyone in this town in danger with me here. If they find out I'm here then…" She shuddered. Hamish pulled her against his chest. "It didn't end well for the last people who thought they could protect me from…from him."

  "No one's going to hurt you." Andy closed in on her other side.

  "If the four police men at the safe house couldn't protect me…"

  Forrester frowned; he sat down and glanced at the papers spread on the table.

  "If you haven't noticed by now, sweetheart, we're not ordinary men. Along with being able to shift, comes some supernatural enhanced senses. We're stronger, faster, have keen eyesight and smell. Not to mention wickedly sharp claws and teeth." Andy's smile widened to include his white teeth. "Trust us when we say we can protect you better than any ordinary person."

  She frowned, glancing between Andy and Hamish. "He won't care what you are. I can't stay here and put your families in danger. I'm not worth it."

  Andy's whole playful demeanor changed into something more dark and dangerous. Her eyes widened, and her heart leapt at his predatory stare. He tugged her from Hamish's arms and into his own, tilting her head back to hold his gaze, blazing with a barely suppressed anger. "Don't you ever say something like that again, or I'll have you over my knee and spanking your delectable ass faster than you can blink. You are everything to us."

  She glanced at Hamish. "Oh, I'll help him and take my turn."

  River chuckled at Andy and Hamish's threat, but it was more than just a threat, from the intensity of their stares—she had no doubt they would follow through.

  "Juniper, let me explain something about mates, and I speak from personal experience," River interrupted as Andy pushed her down onto the couch, before the twins took a seat on either side of her, hemming her in.

  Despite Andy's words, she didn't feel trapped or threatened, but oddly safe and warm. Andy kept his arm around her waist. Hamish took her hand and held it in both of his, as if they needed to touch her in some way.

  "Because of our genetic makeup and how the Goddess put shifters together, if a fated mate, once found, left, it drives them mad. They turn feral. I've seen cases where we've had to help a shifter by putting them down, to end their suffering, because they reached a point of no return."

  She stared at River. It seemed ridiculous that someone could go mad from not being around another person and that it could kill them because of it. Then again, they weren't fully human.

  "So you're telling me, it's my fault if they go mad, if I decide to leave?" Not that she really wanted to, but she also wouldn't be emotionally blackmailed either. "I can believe you turn into cats, but that sounds a bit too far-fetched and barbaric." She met River's blue gaze.

  Hamish sighed heavily against her. "If you really can't stand to be with us, then we will still do everything in our power to protect you, give you anything you need. We can't and won't force you to accept us."

  "Give us a chance, sweetheart. It's all we ask. Let us prove we can protect and care for you."

  Despite his caveman threat to spank her, she didn't miss his pleading tone. They'd done nothing but care for her since they kidnapped her from her rundown place in the suburbs.

  "I know we didn't give you a choice before, but we're giving it to you now. What is it you want? To leave us?"

  Her heart clenched at the utter vulnerability in both Andy and Hamish's eyes. Yes, it was an unorthodox, bizarre situation. supernatural men wanting to protect her from dangerous killers, and having wild passionate sex—it was a heck of a predicament to be in.

  All the men in the room seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for her answer.

  "Alright, a chance, but don't go blaming me if you get your asses shot."

  The tension in the room deflated. "No one's getting shot. We've been around a long time, sweetheart, and know how to handle ourselves."

  She found herself pinned between the sexy twins like meat in a manwhich cuddle. Safe, protected, loved?

  She mentally gave her head a shake at the silly thought. It's way too early to be thinking things like that.

  River cleared his throat. "Now that's settled can we get back to the matter at hand?"

  Heat flooded her face, realizing the spectacle they were making in front of the other men, but they appeared more amused than embarrassed.

  "We have a different set of laws than humans, Juniper. Mates are mates even if you get one or two. We treasure and protect what is ours. You are now a part of this community, and family, so it is my duty, working with your mates, to see to your safety. Family protects family."

  Not where she was concerned. What remained of her blood family wanted her dead and had almost succeeded. But having cat shifters for a family, somehow, deep down it felt right.

  River sat down in the armchair and nodded at Forrester who rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. All the men frowned at him.

  "I understand she's your mate, but there's more to this than I realized. She may be right about the town being at risk. I'm positive that my search for her name in the national police data base has sent up red flags to the people handling this case. I did a little bit extra digging and discovered that Bloody Bill was released from prison a few days ago. Without your mate's testimony, they couldn't pin any of the charges of first degree murder. I think we'll have the federal police poking their nose in here any day now, looking for you."

  "I didn't even know he'd gone to prison." Juniper couldn't contain the wild thumping of her heart, the fear making her shake. Hamish squeezed her hand, and Andy rubbed her arm. "I can't go back into Police protection. He killed the officers assigned to protect me, then almost succeeded in killing me too."

  River paced for a moment before asking, "What happens if she testifies, he goes away for life, right?"

  "It's not just dear old Dad, I have to contend with Mr. Black. The Rosso family are…persistent in getting what they want. Me, dead, and anyone who stands in their way, even if my, uh, if Bill is put away for life. They will send someone else after me. I've managed to stay alive by hiding everything about myself. I've got no doubts they've got someone inside the police department feeding them information. If it's true what you say about the red flags. That information will be given to Bloody Bill."

  "We won't jump to any conclusions just yet; right now we need to hear your side of the story. Anything and everything you tell us will help us deal with this possible threat, so the more details the better," River stated firmly, but she could see the sympathy in his steady blue gaze.

  She swallowed and nodded. "Where should I begin?"

  "From the start, baby girl, how you first came to be mixed up in this."

  Pain swamped her as she thought back over the last few days of her mother's life. "I was fourteen when my mom died of breast cancer. We lived in Adelaide, South Australia. Having no other family, I was sent to live with my dad in Melbourne. I had no idea what he really was. He told me he was a handyman and did different jobs to help with the running of the Rosso family business scattered across Melbourne. So he was out a lot. I went to high school in the area and after I graduated high school, the Rosso's hired me to waitress in their Lygon Street restaurant. I went to college to learn office management. So between work and school I rarely saw my dad."

  She drew in a breath. "Neil was nice, handsome, and I was nothing but an overweight nerd." She startled at Andy's low growl.

  "Sweetheart, that's not what we see," Hamish said with a touch of a growl.

  "Knock it off you two, let her finish the story.
You can deal with her self-esteem issues later." River folded his arms, glancing between Andy and Hamish.

  Juniper blinked, her brow scrunched in a frown, staring at River. Self-esteem issues?

  "Thanks River." Sarcasm dripped from Andy's tone.

  "Oh, c'mon, I've had to deal with this with Storm, and Hawk with Tinder. Face it; women can't see their own worth. Constantly measuring themselves against other women and how they think they should look. Even when we tell them how Goddess damn sexy they are, and how much they turn us on. Thankfully Storm came to her senses months ago."

  Something clicked within Juniper's mind. She realized River was right, her sense of self-worth was based on how she compared herself to skinnier, prettier women. Not once did she stop to think how men like Andy and Hamish saw her. Over and over they kept telling and showing her how sexy and desirable she was to them. How much they wanted her. Her own mental blocks had held her back from believing what they saw as truth.

  It didn't matter what the rest of the world said, only the ones who truly cared about you, and you them, only their opinion mattered.

  The revelation felt…enlightening, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  She drew in a deep breath, knowing her story had to be told.

  "I met Neil in a book store; I'd noticed he'd been kind of following me around. I ducked around the shelves and confronted him. He blushed and said he was trying to gain the courage to ask me out."

  "Isn't that cute, just like a fucking romance movie." Andy sneered, the jealousy dripping from his tone startled Juniper.

  "Shut it." Hamish reached around, slapping Andy up the back of the head.

  She shook her head but continued. "At first I thought he was crazy, but he was so sweet and persistent. I gave in and we went for coffee. The thought of anyone liking me, especially someone as handsome as Neil…"

  "We seemed to share similar interests, reading and art. We were both kind of shy geeks. We went out on dates, shared stories and kissed. But that's as far as it ever went. He told me he wanted to meet my family before we progressed further in our relationship. So I took him to The Rosso family restaurant to meet Dad at the time I knew he would be there."