Channing: Big Cat Shifters Looking for Fated Mates (Big Cats Book 5)

by Crystal Dawn

  “Where are we going?” She asked.

  “Where do you want to go? What would you like to eat?”

  “I’d love a steak, juicy and medium rare.”

  He pressed the button on his phone. “Cook? Could you add two steaks medium rare to the meal?” Then he hung up.

  “We’re eating at your house?” Viv asked.

  “Why not? There are few places better to eat and you can have whatever you want.” It was clear she was nervous now, but she didn’t say a thing. She might as well get used to staying at his house. This woman was his. They made it to his house and the lights on the porch were on welcoming them home.

  Hurrying round, he open her car door and helped her out. Together they walked to the stairs and up them. Opening the main door for her, they both entered. The aroma of an amazing meal hit him and he led her to the dining room table. There sat his sister already eating her meal. Anger rolled over him but he hid it.

  “Tamra, I thought you would be out tonight.”

  “No, I had no plans and Cook made such a wonderful meal. You two should get your plates now before it’s all gone.”

  He saw Viv fighting a smile. Maybe she wasn’t aware of how angry he was at his sister? A note had been left for her but she’d ignored it. They would have a talk soon, but not in front of his mate. It was time for his sister to get her own place and there was no time to waste.

  “I need to go freshen up.” Viv said.

  “You know where to go?”

  “I do. I’ll be right back.”

  As soon as she was out of sight, he turned to his sister. “What is the matter with you?”

  “I’m trying to help you avoid a mistake.”

  “We are already mated.”

  “I’ll take care of her for you. She smells like she would taste good.”

  “Are you crazy? Do you eat humans?” He asked.

  “Of course not. It was just a little joke.”

  He looked at her suspiciously. Did he believe her? No, he wasn’t sure she was being honest. “Next time I want a private meal with my mate, you better not be here.”

  Viv came back about that time. He helped her to her seat and worried about what she might think of his poor relationship with his sister. The white wolf clan was close. They loved and supported each other without exception.

  “Come let us eat. Tamra has a date and will have to go. Maybe you and she can get to know each other another time.” His sister knew better than to push him anymore. Once she said goodbye, she left quickly.

  Cook brought the food, a plate for each of them and some extra food set out on the table. He got drinks and he had high hopes for dessert of more than one kind. Still, in the back of his mind he planned to contact several people to find Tamra a place of her own. Thank the goddess Hector was alright. He wondered if his other siblings would be alright or a problem? There might be regret that he’d invited them.

  Right now he and Viv sat alone and he was enjoying the meal and her company even though neither of them spoke. Sometimes a companionable silence was better than speaking just to break the silence. The meal was excellent and he could see his mate was enjoying it. Maybe it would help convince her to move in with him. He needed all the help he could get. So far all outside forces seemed to have a negative effect like Tamra.

  A little positive assistance would be most welcome. Now that he was almost done eating, he thought they could talk a little. “My sister is almost desperate to find a place of her own. I think she’s messing with me because she feels I’m not trying hard enough for her.”

  Viv shot him a look. “I’m sure you’d also like her out of your hair?”

  His face turned red. “Maybe a little bit. We’ve not been around each other much on many years. I’m not sure what to make of her.”

  “That was hard to miss.”

  “Any ideas?”

  “It shouldn’t be too hard to find a small lake house. Is a small place what she wants?” Viv asked.

  “I’m pretty sure. She said something about a two bedroom but she never gave me her requirements for a job. Maybe she doesn’t need another one. Her position for me part time pays enough to get by, but most of our kind like to live well. Without knowing her budget, it’s harder to match her up with a house.”

  “Maybe she already has a job?” He shot her an incredulous look. “The work at home industry is quite large.”

  “Maybe.” He grudgingly agreed.

  “It might help if you ask her so we knew for sure.” Viv pointed out and he knew she was right.

  While Hector would eventually want his own place too, right now he was fine with staying here and he didn’t mind it either. His brother kept his mind and his tongue in his own business. Cook brought out a cherry cheesecake and it was amazing. Viv liked it especially well so hopefully Cook would make it more often.

  “We need to discuss our living arrangements soon.” He suggested.

  “I’ve not been divorced long. Having another male in my life wasn’t in my plan.”

  “I’m sure that’s true, but we are fated mates and that means our connection came from a higher authority.”

  “I just need time. Can’t you understand that?” Viv asked.

  “I need time too. Time with you so we can grow closer. We were always made to be together. Let’s go to bed now and I have clothes for you to wear tomorrow.”

  He wasn’t sure what her feelings truly were, but she gave him her hand and he led her to his bedroom. Maybe she had fears, but her needs were stronger than that. In time, he would win the battle, but he hated to wait that long. Once inside his bedroom, the world outside shut down and all their attention was just on each other.

  Stripping naked, he looked at Viv seeing she hadn’t undressed yet. That was okay because he didn’t mind unwrapping his gifts. There were signs of the change she was going through and she seemed ten years younger. He suspected she would have more energy and that possibility thrilled him. Pulling her to him for a kiss, he closed his eyes and noted her raised temperature. Her scent was changing, he could just barely pick up the feline scent under her human scent.

  It wouldn’t be long and the cat would overwhelm any other smell she put off. He couldn’t wait until his mate changed completely. Now he slowly undressed her enjoying revealing every inch at a time. His woman was beautiful and he ached to join with her as quickly as possible. His shaft pressed against her hurting with need. Once she was bare, he positioned her on the bed. Normally he would take time to build their excitement, but he wanted her now and he could scent her readiness too.

  Viv was on her hands and knees on the bed sending him a heated look over her shoulder as he got into the perfect position. As he sank into her the feeling of being exactly where he needed to be rolled over him. Her sweet sounds as she felt filled and joined with him made him feel even more delighted. After a brief pause so they could both adjust, he slowly began to move. His speed picked up as he saw she was encouraging him to move faster and deeper.

  Her velvety sheath wrapped around him clutching at him sweetly. Her muscles gripped him much like a hand might. The aroma of her cat was building in strength and her change was taking on a life of its own. It wasn’t long before he drove in and out fast and hard. On the very edge of his bliss, he needed her to find hers first. His hand moved around her to the button that would set her off. Without even slowing down, his hand found the perfect spot and he circled it pressing harder and harder until she went off like a rocket screaming his name.

  In seconds, he followed filling her full of his essence as he growled like the cat he was. Deep inside, he just knew she had conceived. If nothing else would, this child would bring them together. He fell on the bed then rolled to his back exhausted but so happy a smile was stuck to his face. Something was finally working out. The bad side was she wouldn’t know, not for sure, about the cub for weeks. There had to be a way to get her to the doctor sooner and get her a full physical.

  While it was true Ar
iel had helped him some, he wasn’t too shy to ask for more help. His home and his life felt empty without Viv in it. Her mother might be an ally too. He’d take all the help he could get. Rolling onto his side, he watched Viv as she slept. The change was strong on her and she had little to go before it was complete.

  Now she might be safe from others wanting to claim a white wolf especially since she was clearly some type of cat. Moving closer, he pulled her into his loving embrace. Her scent wrapped around him relaxing him more than anything else could. Was it any surprise they both fell into a deep healing sleep? When he woke dawn was well on its way to conquering the sky.

  More often than not he woke around this time ready to do what needed to be done. His work often took him to midnight before he felt he could get away to rest. He knew many said that shifters needed less rest than humans, but that didn’t mean they didn’t crave more than they usually got. When he was with Viv all he wanted to do was rest in her arms. Goddess, he was getting sappy. His decision was made, he snuggled against his mate and went back to sleep. The day would take care of itself.

  “Holy crap!!!” Viv screeched.

  “Something wrong?” He asked as he lay there smiling at her.

  “Shit yes! I should have had my day started a couple hours ago. Don’t you have things you need to do too?”

  “Getting upset won’t get it done. Sleeping the night with you relaxed me and I feel ready to take on anything now.”

  Viv rolled her eyes. “Then get to it. Where’s the clothes you said you had for me?”

  “Look in the closet.”

  She opened the door and looked stunned. “You got all this for me?”

  The closet was half full of her items. He’d gotten Caro to buy a mix of things for her mom. That girl was a perfect ally. She didn’t want her mom to be alone anymore. There was no need for it anyway now that she’d met her true mate. They would be good together if Viv just let it happen.

  “Who did you get to help you? Men aren’t good at this usually.”

  “I asked Caro.”

  “She knows about us?” Viv asked.

  “Most of your family seems to without being told.”

  “Scary, isn’t it?”

  “Helpful at times. Let’s grab a quick breakfast and you can tell me what your plan is for your day.”

  “I suppose that will work for me.” Viv agreed. It made him happy to get even the smallest agreement out of his stubborn mate.

  Getting up he dressed in a few minutes and led her to the dining room. Cook brought out two plates right away. Both of them immediately began to eat. It seemed the hot sex between them brought out a voracious appetite for food as well. Neither spoke until their plates were almost empty.

  “I’m not sure what I should do next. Haze has taken over the Coalition house. It’s nearly done anyway. Your guy has been working on some of the projects you have. I believe the house near the school is done.”

  “When was that completed?”

  “Yesterday if they didn’t run into any problems.”

  “Why don’t we go inspect it before we worry about anything else? I think we have someone here that wanted that place. She’s a teacher and already has a job at the school. Since she’s a halfling being in town shouldn’t bother her as much.”

  “Halfling? You really call them that?” Viv asked.

  “They formed a community near our other one and that’s what they call themselves. I thought it was cute.”

  “Only because you don’t understand that identifying them as a separate group fosters racism.”

  “Alright. I suppose you are right. How do I change that?”

  “You set an example by making them part of the group instead of a group that has a limited membership. What makes them considered halflings anyway?”

  “It is any cheetah with a large amount of human or other blood. We have to track it because at some point they can no longer change form.”

  “So at what, a quarter? Then they may or may not shift?”

  “Exactly. Not unless they have a strong bloodline. There are only two of our kind that have that blood, mine and the Allingtons. I don’t know where any of them are. We need a historian to research and keep records. I’ve heard your family has one.”

  “That’s true. Cousin Lucille is wonderful at it. She’s found family we had no clue about. Even those born outside of known relationships. I believe it may be her gift.” Viv admitted.

  “Once my people are settled, we have many positions to fill like historian. Our hierarchy hasn’t even been started. The fights will be exciting.” Viv rolled her eyes making him laugh. “I’ve heard you were a scrapper when you were younger.”

  “It’s true, but we fought for fun, over insults and slights. That was mainly among family.”

  “Hm, sounds a bit like hierarchy.” He noticed she didn’t say anything. “Would you like a coffee to go?”

  “Absolutely. You have travel mugs? I try not to use paper cups.”

  “I actually bought you a travel mug. I’ll go get it.” Speedily he went to the kitchen and grabbed the travel mug he’d had washed.

  Hurrying back, he smiled knowing she’d like it. “Here it is. I had it made.”

  The mug was large the color purple. Cheetah paw prints were on it and Vivian was printed in fancy letters. She gasped in surprise. “I didn’t expect this. It’s perfect.” She stood and hugged him and kissed his cheek.

  It was amazing how good it made him feel to please her. Never in all the experiences he’d had with females had he worried about pleasing them. Not that he wasn’t a considerate lover. He believed in giving them their joy first. But that wasn’t because he cared for them only because that was the way a gentleman did things. He’d had little to do with any of them outside of bed. There had never been a sense of companionship and none of his lovers had ever been his friend.

  Viv was everything to him. His lover, his friend, his advisor and his soul mate all wrapped up in one. No one had ever meant more to him. It was his biggest dream that she would someday feel the same way. She had her coffee mug filled and ready to go. He quickly fixed himself a mug of juice and they left. Taking his SUV, she sat shotgun. That odd term came from the old days when one drove and the other person guarded whatever was in their wagon. They would sit there with a shotgun in hand ready to fire on any enemy that made themselves known. His father had lived through those times and told many stories, both scary and humorous.

  They went to the little house in town first. “I can’t believe this is the same house.” He admitted as they walked to the door. The changes with this house in particular were stunning. “What is it? A two bedroom?”

  “Yes, but it could have been more. We enlarged the kitchen slightly, put in a good sized utility room, and it has a nice home office. You can also see both the front porch and back deck give added room. They only had wooden steps before. The two bedrooms are upstairs and each have their own bathrooms. The one is plain the other for the master is nicer. There is also a storage room upstairs.” Viv explained.

  “You did an amazing job. I’ll call the teacher and have her take a look. She already has a key.” It was a relief to have this shack rebuilt. When he’d seen it empty, he’d seen why no one wanted to take it. Now it was perfect for a small family.

  “Where to next?” Viv asked.

  “Where does that house with the land stand?”

  “It too is nearly complete. The exterior is done and they are finishing up on the inside. Your crew is small, but with a few things outsourced, they do alright.”

  That gave him something to think about. He could offer Tamra a choice of that or a small lake house he had bought. She’d even get a choice to buy or rent. That was how bad he wanted her gone. They pulled into the house that had a similar look to farmhouses when he’d bought it. The size and shape hadn’t changed, but the house still looked different.

  It had been reroofed with metal roofing and stone had been put halfway up the f
ront and used to make a larger more inviting porch. “This is great too. It’s amazing when you see them before and after.”

  “That is part of what makes the job so satisfying.

  “How large is this house?”

  “It was a three bedroom two bath with an unfinished section in the back. It looked to be intended as a master. We finished it and not only does it have a nice master suite, but it has a walk in closet the size of a small room an office space and a storage room. That makes it an especially nice four bedroom three bath.” Viv explained.

  “How does that work?”

  “The master obviously has a well-appointed bathroom to itself. Two bedrooms share a bath and the other bedroom shares the bath that has access for guests. It’s the closest one to the living room.” Now she led him into the house and he was impressed with the old wood floors that had been brought to better than new condition.

  “How were you able to save the wood floors?”

  “It was pretty bad. We tore out the rotten ones and used some from another project that had floors that couldn’t be saved. The guy that does this kind of work is a genius. Now it’s got the character of several lifetimes and looks better than when it was new. He does all of Ariel’s wood floors and he’s first on my call list and Haze’s.”

  “I’d thought about offering this too my sister, but this place needs a family. She never plans to have one and she doesn’t like kids.” He admitted.

  “It does call out for a family. This place would be easy to add on to as well.”

  “I’ll add it to my list of rentals for now. Are you ready to go to the coalition house to see how it’s progressing?”

  “Are you willing to get recruited if they’re behind?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Hazel’s been known to put people to work if she needs help even if they are untrained.”

  “That might be interesting. Let’s go.”

  When they arrived, everything seemed to be in chaos. “Where’s Haze?” Viv asked a male worker.

  “Craziest thing I’ve seen yet. This guy walked up to her and asked her if she was the crew boss. She said, ‘Damn tootin I am.’ The guy picks her up and walks away with her.”