Cat Scratch Fever

by Jodi Redford

  “I’m a novice at this too, sweetheart. We’ll just have to make it up as we go along.”

  The doubts continued to brew in her gaze. “I…I just need some time to let this all sink in. Okay?”

  Her reluctance to trust in them cramped his heart, but he saw no other choice but to be patient.

  And hope that she’d want a real relationship too.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Saturday afternoon, after Dante finished his meeting with his distributors and they’d made the trip back up north, Lilly convinced Dante to drop her off at her cabin on the pretense of her getting some work done before their big day tomorrow. She suspected he knew the truth—that she desperately needed alone time to sort out her chaotic thoughts—but thankfully he pretended to buy her ruse and let her be.

  See how pretending was so much easier? Too bad her common sense was finding it more and more difficult to cling to that theory.

  Dumping her purse on the couch, she carried her bags into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. She stared at the wallpaper until the flowers in the pattern blurred into indistinct blobs.

  Dante is in love with me.

  Sweet mother of whiskers, she didn’t know what the hell to do with that information. What made it worse was the disturbing possibility that she loved him back.

  Who was she kidding? There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Dante. Good God, she bit him like she was Vampira Kitty. It was completely mortifying and embarrassing. Sure, she’d asked during their marriage negotiations if he’d let her do that to him, but she’d never counted on enjoying it so much—or the thrill of excitement that buzzed through her at the notion he was her marked mate now. Why didn’t she just stamp him with a big red sign that said Claws off and be done with it?

  Grimacing, she straightened and yanked her laptop case from her overnight bag before she carried it to the small writing desk in the corner of the room. Might as well make an honest woman of herself and work on ironing out the details for the lynchats’ annual charity fundraiser this summer. After a few frustrating attempts, she managed to get enough of a satellite connection to log on to the internet. Just as she was about to bring up her inbox, her cell phone went off. She glanced at the caller ID and exhaled heavily. Kinsey.

  She’d been expecting this call for the last nineteen hours. Leave it to Kinsey to drag out the tormenting suspense. Steadying herself for the lambasting she knew she deserved, she clicked the Talk button. “Before you read me the riot act, I want you to know I’m sorry.”

  “For what, exactly?”

  “Can we just make this an all-purpose apology? Might be easier.”

  A lengthy pause preceded Kinsey’s reply. “Are you really marrying Dante for the land?”

  She gnawed her bottom lip. “Yes.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  “It was.”

  “And now?” Kinsey prodded gently.

  She swallowed past the lump of uncertainty in her throat. “I…I don’t know.” How could something that’d started out as a crazy business proposition turn into such a confusing tangle of emotions? It didn’t make sense.

  “Do you love him?”

  Everything inside her wanted to lie to Kinsey—which was weird, considering that yesterday she’d been all gung-ho on convincing her family that she was madly in love with Dante. But that was completely different from confessing the true state of her heart. God, she was so fucked in the head. “Yes…I do.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

  “Loving him doesn’t make you weak, Lilly. You know that, right?”

  “I don’t want to end up like Mom.”

  “You won’t. Besides, you’re not giving our mother enough credit. Dad begged her to let him move back in, but she put her foot down about that.”

  To say the news was more shocking than a two-by-four upside Lilly’s noggin would be an understatement. “Why didn’t she tell me that part?”

  “Probably because you didn’t give her a chance.”

  Recalling the way she’d stormed out of the house, Lilly heaved a groan. “Okay, that seals it. I’m the worse daughter ever.”

  “No, you’re not. But if it makes you feel better, you can tell her that tomorrow after your wedding.”

  She blinked back tears. “You guys are still going to come?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t we?”

  Because it’s not real. Keeping the lid closed on her pessimistic thoughts, she gave Kinsey the address for the Bowl ’N’ Brew—where the ceremony was being held. After exchanging goodbyes, Lilly hung up and eyed her laptop screen. Her enthusiasm at the prospect of getting some work done had vanished. She started to disconnect from the internet, but hesitated. Before she could change her mind, she typed bridal designs in the search field and clicked on one of the links. A second later, the page loaded, and she stared at a beautiful model decked head to toe in white silk shantung. A strange wistfulness fluttered in her belly.

  Up until now, she hadn’t given much thought to the ceremony part of her and Dante’s forthcoming nuptials. Dante had taken care of everything in that regard. He’d even arranged for a no-wait marriage license—one of the many perks of being related to the county clerk.

  Bottom line, she’d been all too happy not to deal with any of that stuff. Probably because it’d made it easier to delude herself that this was merely a business transaction. Adding the frippery of a Cinderella wedding had seemed silly at the time.

  Her attention returned to the gorgeous dress displayed on the web page. It was without a doubt far more eye-popping than the simple ecru silk suit she’d brought from home. Sure, the haute-couture design would look ridiculously out of place at the Bowl ’N’ Brew, but damn, she’d be the most fashionable redneck bride to ever grace Hope Falls. Chewing her thumbnail, she let her focus drift to the garment bag she’d left on the bed. Anyone who’d see her in that boring suit would know this wasn’t serious. Wasn’t real.

  It could be.

  She shook her head to rid it of Dante’s phantom suggestion, but it didn’t do any good. She could still hear him in there, tempting her with what ifs.

  Would it be so horrible?

  She used to think so. Truthfully, a lot of that was because of her fear of being hurt or making the same mistakes as her mom.

  But was she committing her own foolish, even bigger mistake by shoving aside the chance of real love and happiness with Dante?

  Sometimes playing it safe wasn’t the answer.

  Her pulse quickening, she logged off the computer and hurried from the bedroom. She needed to tell Dante that she loved him. Make the leap before cold feet got the better of her. Tossing on her coat, she grabbed her keys from the pocket and rushed outside. Her breath puffing in front of her face, she turned to lock the door. Something slammed into the back of her skull, and she fell forward with a startled cry. Dazed and winded, she staggered sideways to see what had knocked her off balance, and frowned when a woman with curly brown hair stepped into view.

  “That’s for stealing my man, you whore.”

  Lilly gaped at the deranged female. Self-preservation kicking in, she scrambled for the door handle behind her. Before Lilly’s clumsy fingers got a decent grip, the strange woman snatched her arm and propelled her sideways. Thanks to the porch’s snow-slick floorboards, Lilly lost traction and skidded into the rail. She grunted at the bruising contact with her kidney. The woman grabbed Lilly’s hair and gave a vicious tug. In retaliation, Lilly jabbed her assailant in the chest with an elbow, earning the female’s angry shriek.

  A pair of talon-like nails tried to rake across Lilly’s cheek, but she yanked her head back in the nick of time. “What’s your problem, you crazy bitch?”

  The woman’s eyes flashed fire. “Dante is mine. You have no right to take my place at that altar tomorrow.”

  Finally the haze of confusion cleared from Lilly’s brain. “Anna, I presume?”

  Rather than answer, Anna issued another banshee wail and l
unged at Lilly. Prepared this time for the attack, Lilly countered the intended blow, taking Anna down with one of her own. Landing on top of the female werewolf, Lilly pounded a fist into Anna’s nose. Another screech rang from Anna. Satisfied she’d gotten her point across that she wasn’t a cat to be tangled with, Lilly started to push to her feet. A searing pain splintered through her rib cage and she gasped, falling sideways again. Blinking back tears of pain, she watched helplessly as Anna struggled to her knees and pocketed the taser she’d zapped Lilly with. Reaching down, Anna snagged the hood of Lilly’s coat and hauled her toward the stairway.

  Lilly barely registered the additional pain as her useless limbs were carted unceremoniously down the steps and toward her SUV. Anna propped her against the side of the vehicle and used the keys she’d swiped from the cabin door to free the lock. “Mind if I drive? Walking to my car might be too much for you.” Her shrill laugh grating, Anna hoisted Lilly into the passenger seat. Anna stooped and grabbed something she’d stashed beneath the vehicle. A second later she straightened, revealing the bundle of straps and bungee cords in her arms. Her motions brisk and efficient, she secured Lilly tightly in place.

  While Anna walked to the other side of the Escape and situated herself behind the wheel, Lilly tried not to let fear get the better of her. If she wanted to find a way out of this surreal situation, she needed to keep her wits about her. “Where yous taking meh?” Her tongue felt thick and useless as she slurred the weak demand.

  Rather than respond, Anna cranked up the volume on the radio. They drove for roughly twenty-five minutes before Anna pulled down a deserted stretch of road that hadn’t seen a plow in recent days. Apparently unconcerned with the possibility of getting stuck, Anna continued blazing her own trail until she came to a dead end. She stopped the vehicle and swung open her door.

  Fear and panic spiked Lilly’s heart rate into triple time as she watched Anna tromping through the knee-deep snow toward her. After Anna tugged her wool hat lower over her ears, she wrenched the door open and zapped Lilly again with the taser. The fresh surge of pain that exploded throughout Lilly caused her to retch, but nothing came up.

  Her lips twisting into a cold, cruel smile, Anna tossed the taser onto the driver’s seat before loosening the bungees securing Lilly. “Had to make sure you wouldn’t give me a fight.”

  Wrapping her arms around Lilly’s limp body, Anna hauled her from the vehicle and wrestled her toward the edge of the road. A steep embankment led down to a heavily forested valley. Anna unceremoniously dumped Lilly onto the snow and rolled her over the side. Gravity took over, and Lilly slid through the thick powder, helpless to do anything to stop her chaotic tumbling. A tree trunk finally broke her fall. Dazed and winded, she wheezed for breath, her lungs burning with pain. She willed herself to move, but her useless limbs refused to cooperate.

  The steady crunch of snow announced Anna’s approach. Lilly blinked up at the female werewolf. “Yous won’t get ’s’way with thish.”

  “Oh believe me, I most definitely will. No one comes out here. Especially this time of year. By the time spring comes around, there won’t be much left of you to ID, beyond the pickings the bears and wolves leave behind.” Anna caught her stare and grinned evilly. “Don’t worry. I have no interest in eating you. Though I can’t say my brothers would feel the same.”

  “Dante’ll look for me… He’ll find me, and when he doesh, he’ll kill you for thish.”

  “Trust me, he’ll have no reason to suspect foul play. Especially since I plan to sink your car in the Au Sable River. Everyone will just assume you lost control in the snow and ended up succumbing to an unfortunate, watery death. They’ll never find your body, of course. Not that it matters.” Stooping, Anna grabbed Lilly by the hood again and dragged her deeper into the forest. Once they reached a section of fallen evergreens, Anna stopped and bound Lilly to one of the few upright birch trees with the strap and pair of bungees. Pulling her glove off with her teeth, Anna reached into her pocket with her free hand and pulled out a clear vial filled with a murky substance. Hunkering next to Lilly, she unscrewed the cap before forcing the bottle between Lilly’s lips.

  Sputtering, Lilly tried to spit the nasty-tasting concoction out, but Anna slammed a hand over Lilly’s mouth, making her choke the liquid down. Tears of frustration and anguish leaked from the corners of Lilly’s eyes, earning a taunting laugh from Anna. “Alas, I didn’t poison you. Where would be the fun in that? No, that was merely a precaution to guarantee you’ll be unable to shift and find your way to safety before either the cold or the predators do you in.”

  Anna hefted to her feet and brushed the snow from her knees. “Well, I really best get going before the sun sets. It’s going to be a wickedly chilly night you know.” Her own laugh resembling splinters of ice, Anna pivoted and disappeared through the dense copse of trees.

  Shivering in fear, Lilly strained against her bindings. God, she’d been so stupid. And stubborn. If she’d given in and told Dante how she felt, none of this would be happening. She could be in his arms right now, instead of waiting to die.

  Alone.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dante’s fingers were surprisingly steady as he knotted his tie and glanced in his bathroom mirror. If anyone told him a week ago that he’d be getting ready for his own wedding and not experiencing the typical pre-ceremony jitters, he would have labeled them certifiably nuts. Then again, he never would have guessed in his wildest dreams he’d be punch-drunk in love with Lilly Prescott.

  Yeah, the world was an insane place.

  Grinning to himself, he tugged on his suit jacket and stepped from the room. The clock on his nightstand confirmed that it was almost nine thirty. Thank Christ they were doing an early ceremony. No way could he survive waiting even another hour to pledge the rest of his life to Lilly.

  He just hoped like hell that a good night’s sleep had banished her fears and concerns about their future.

  It’d about killed him to give her the space she’d needed yesterday, but he’d understood the necessity for it. Still, staying away from his mate when he’d ached to ease her worries and prove to her that he’d remain by her side, no matter what, had been one of the toughest things he’d ever forced himself to do.

  Well, after today he’d never leave her side again.

  With that affirmation burning in his gut, he snatched his keys from the kitchen island and headed outside to his pickup. After scraping the fresh layer of snow from the windshield, he hopped inside the cab and drove in the direction of Lilly’s cabin.

  Bafflement and consternation battled for foremost supremacy as he stared at the empty spot where her SUV was usually parked. Had she already left for the ceremony site?

  Deliberately ignoring the faint stirrings of doubt creeping in, he swung out of her driveway. Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the Bowl ’N’ Brew. Judging from the amount of vehicles congesting the lot, the majority of his pack and a few other invited wedding guests had already arrived. He didn’t spot Lilly’s SUV. The niggle of worry worming through his insides intensified a fraction. Deliberately tuning out the sensation, he climbed from his truck and strode toward the bowling alley. Inside the building, he was greeted by boisterous catcalls and bone-crushing hugs from friends and relatives.

  He spied Shane sidling toward him, a grin planted on his mug. “Lookie here, it’s the man of the hour.”

  Dante bumped fists with his cousin, but his gaze continued to comb the growing crowd. “Any chance you’ve seen Lilly?”

  Shane thumped him on the back. “Don’t you know it’s bad luck to see your bride before the deed is done?”

  “You know I don’t believe in that superstitious bullshit.”

  Shane chuckled. “Sorry, can’t say I’ve seen her. But I only got here a few minutes ago myself.”

  “I’m sure she’s on her way.” Dante didn’t realize how desperate he’d sounded until he caught Shane’s knowing look. He fought back a scowl. �
��She will.”

  “Yeah, I don’t doubt it.”

  Dante abandoned his cousin’s side and made his way through the sea of guests, stopping occasionally to shake a proffered hand or accept yet another hug or kiss. By the time he made it to the far end of the bowling alley where the ceremony would be held, his previously stalwart nerves had begun jumping ship.

  He glanced at the enormous digital clock centered on the nearby wall. Where the hell was Lilly? She should have been here by now.

  “Dante!”

  He swung at the sound of Kinsey Prescott’s frazzled voice. He spotted her and Chloe weaving their way through the throng. The tension uncoiled from his gut. With everything on his mind lately, he’d forgotten that part of the Prescott clan had decided to make the trip up north. No doubt that explained where Lilly had been.

  Chloe made it to his side before Kinsey. Tears of happiness glistening in her eyes, she threw her arms around him and squeezed. The woman was deceptively strong for such a little thing.

  Kinsey cleared her throat. “Easy, Mom, you don’t want to kill Dante with hugs before he’s even been declared your son-in-law.”

  Sniffling, Chloe eased her grip. “Oh phooey. He’s a strapping boy. He can take it.”

  Dante resisted the urge to check his ribs for bruises. Chloe patted his arm. “Now where is that daughter of mine? I intend to give her a proper hug before Kinsey and I walk her down the aisle.”

  He frowned. “I thought Lilly was with you.”

  “No, we just got into town two minutes ago.” Kinsey grimaced. “The roads were so bad last night, we opted to stay in Gaylord rather than risk ending up in a ditch.”

  His festering doubts returned to the forefront. “So you haven’t seen Lilly at all this morning?”

  Kinsey and Chloe both shook their heads. Before Dante could say anything more, his uncle Wayne approached their small gathering. After Dante made the introductions and explained that Wayne would be performing the ceremony, his uncle clamped a meaty fist on Dante’s shoulder. “You want me to start rounding up this crowd so we can get the show on the road?”