by Lauren Dane
She felt part of his pain over it and turned to hug him tight. “I’m so sorry for that. I know that’s not my fault and all, but I wish I could make it not happen. I wish he wasn’t doing this. I hate that you’re hurting from it.”
“Aw, babe, you’re everything. I wish it wasn’t happening too. But it is and I have to face it. Today.”
She got out, handing him a towel when he followed.
“I suppose one bright side is that it’s Spring Break at school and I have the day off. It’s not quite five, sorry I woke you up so early.”
He kissed her so thoroughly she got revved up all over again. “Damn, you’re good with that mouth.”
His grin made her knees rubbery. “I am and you taste so good too.” He moved toward her and she leaned against the counter, watching.
His phone rang, breaking the taut silence between them. “Damn.”
She groaned. “There goes my phone. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Naked but for the towel low-slung around his hips, he grabbed the phone and sent her a look over his shoulder. “I will be eating your pussy later. We have a date.”
She laughed for a second until she saw the caller info on her phone.
“This is Kendra.”
Rosemary, calling from the Clan building in Providence, sounded exhausted. “Why don’t you go ahead and come down here? I’ve sent the directions to Gibson. We’ve found out a great deal since last night.”
“Have you been home at all? Is your arm all right? You sound terrible.”
Her aunt gave a bone-deep sigh. “Arm is fine now. Renee and Mary did something to me. I’m sore, but I can move it. I slept over at Mary’s. She and I drove down about an hour ago because we couldn’t sleep.”
“It’s bad.”
“Yes. It’s terrible and I hate that you have to hear it.”
“But I do. I’ll get Renee too.”
She dressed quickly, grabbing up her things as she phoned Renee. An apology for waking her so early was on her lips until her sister answered, clearly awake.
“Is it bad?”
Kendra swallowed, deciding to hold back details until she was face to face with her sister. “I’ll be by to grab you shortly.”
Max interrupted. “We will be by to grab her shortly. I’m having Gibson bring the SUV. He and I need to talk about Carlos on the way.”
She looked to Max, seeing the stress lines around his eyes. Knowing he hurt. “Did you hear that?” He nodded.
Renee spoke again. “Galen just came in and told me the same gruff bit about all of us going. I’ll bring coffee.”
“You rock. Love you.” She hung up.
“Tell me.” She grabbed her coat and Max helped her into it, pausing to breathe her in, letting her scent settle him even just a small amount.
That she cared so much, especially after some of his family had been so unwelcoming to her, meant a lot. Sometimes it blew him away that the joy of holding this woman against his body was something he’d never imagined at this time the year before. Life was fucking odd sometimes.
Max opened the door. “Gibson’s outside. Let’s go and he’ll brief us. Since we’re in charge and everything.”
She made a face and shook her head. “I keep forgetting that part.”
The drive wasn’t long, and in the predawn hours, it wasn’t too crowded either. Max gave the order to Gibson to brief Galen and Jack on the Carlos situation as well.
Kendra sat curled into his side, warm and soft, their connection wrapping around him and easing some of his anxiety. Some.
Jack drove while Gibson spoke.
“Carlos tipped them off last night. He gave them not only your home address, Max, but Mom and Dad’s address.”
Kendra tensed and a growl trickled from her lips. His cat responded until Max wrestled his control back into place.
“It gets worse.”
“How the fuck can it get worse than my brother hanging my wife and family out to dry? He set us up. Set my wife up to be killed!” Galen pulled Renee closer and Kendra squeezed his hand briefly before settling back into Max’s arms.
“What else?” Max asked.
“He’s the one who told them…the mages…about Renee.”
Jack nearly got them into an accident at that.
“Get your fucking mind on the road or don’t drive the car.” Kendra sat up straighter, and right before Max’s eyes, she owned her alphaness totally. “I know you’re pissed off. I am too. But what will it solve to have a cowardly, self-loathing prick like Carlos cause you to kill us all? You’re an alpha wolf, Jack. Revenge will be yours.”
He sighed but the sound was precariously close to a growl. Renee kissed his cheek and rolled her eyes at Kendra. “Be nice. He was just shocked.”
Gibson began to speak again after a bracing sip of coffee. “It was Jack. Or rather, it was when she mated with Jack and Galen. It pushed Carlos over the edge he’d been walking for years.”
Kendra’s voice was clipped, businesslike. “What part did my ex-in-laws play?”
“He met them at some gathering. They’re quite active in the anti-shifter movement and were talking about you, about how they’d held you in their basement. Chained.” Gibson paused, his jaw clenched as Max saw spots of rage. “They chained you, bebe?”
Kendra blinked back tears. “Yes. What else did he say?”
Renee turned to her sister, tears in her eyes. Max saw it and shook his head to stay her. The last thing Kendra needed just then was to have them all upset on her behalf. She was barely holding on as it was.
Gibson met Max’s gaze for long enough that they agreed to take care of this little problem very soon.
“He didn’t know it was you they were talking about. Not until you came into Max’s life. I did a background check on you and your aunt when you first got to town. He overheard me reporting to my father and Galen. He knew it was you when I said your ex-husband’s name. He got back in contact with his friends in the movement as he called them and eventually they hooked up and he led them straight to you. Well, first to Renee, with the help of Susan and your father, Ren. I’m sorry, but they were part of all this from the start.
“I had his place swept, took all the electronics, all his files, cleaned out his car, his desk at work, his everything. Part of this started a week ago. As Max knows, we’ve suspected Carlos for a while. Just…not this. He told us everything anyway. We have names and numbers. Jack, you and I need to decide to share or not with Arel. The anti-paranormal groups are working together now with self-titled bounty hunters of all sorts. These mages painted themselves as humans out to drain witches of their demon-possessed magic. There are those who hunt shifters and those who poison vampire blood supplies with holy water.”
“The witches need to know.” Kendra seemed to come out of a dream. Her entire world had been torn from around her, but she had to get over it and lead. “They have to know. The shifters need to know. The vampires, fuck me, there are vampires.” She shook her head. “They need to know too, because we have to fight back.”
Gibson’s gaze went to Max, and she snarled, putting herself between them. “I am alpha too. I gave an order and I won’t have you patting me on the head and waiting for my husband to give you permission to obey me or not. I’m either in charge, or I’m not.”
Max’s brows flew up, but he shrugged. “She’s right.”
“I won’t give orders on things I don’t understand and I won’t be a despot, but I am a witch and this is genocide. I won’t sit by and let my people, jaguars, withhold information that could save us all.”
Gibson nodded. “You’re right.”
“Papi was there you said? How is he?”
Gibson looked at his brother. “How do you think he is? He’s angry. He’s grieving. He’s worried about Kendra and Renee. He hates that this happened and feels responsible. He had to carry out the sentence, which tore him apart. But he told me it was his duty. He expects you both to be around later today. The
y’ve called an all-jamboree meeting and you’ll need to tell everyone.”
Kendra didn’t want to ask what carrying out the sentence meant. She had a feeling she knew and she didn’t want to think about it.
“I think we should send your parents on a trip. Send them to Kingston or Seville. Just let them grieve and heal but out of the glare of attention.” She spoke softly to Max, who took in a deep breath and then sighed.
“Good idea. I’ll get my assistant on it. You’re going to need an assistant too. Running the jamboree will take a lot of your time and you’ll need the help.”
She nodded, numb.
The clan building in Providence was as pretty as the ones around it. It looked like any other office building, but when they got to the doors, Miles was there to let them in. Silently they rode an elevator up several floors to a reception area where Rosemary and Mary were waiting.
The rest was sort of a blur. They were ushered into a conference room where some food and coffee had been laid out. A sleek, beautiful woman in her early thirties stood and moved to them.
“I’m Sadira Rodas, leader of Clan Rodas. Please be welcome.” She shook hands, her gaze lingering on Arel for just a few seconds longer than everyone else. Not that Kendra could blame her, the Hunter was in fact a very fine-looking man.
“I’m afraid we have some distressing news. Please sit down and have some coffee or juice. There are bagels and other things. Mary reminded me about shifters needing protein so the covered platters have eggs and bacon.”
Rosemary sat, holding Renee’s hand on one side and Kendra’s on the other. “I’ll do most of the talking. It’s easier this way. Carlos de La Vega has been selling information about you and the shifters to these radicals.”
When no one looked surprised Rosemary sighed. “You knew?”
Kendra nodded. “We only just found out. I’ve advised Gibson to cooperate and share information with Arel and the other clans. We’re being targeted. We need to protect ourselves.”
Sadira nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
Rosemary began again. “Andrew was a bit player. In this anyway. He didn’t really know much. The other two did. As we discovered last night, Andrew had been working with the mages for some time. His memories were spotty and it appears they’d messed with him too. In the plus column, I think Mary and I have the key to unlocking Renee’s memories totally. Though we might want to continue doing this slowly because I worry about the emotional and mental trauma that may come from a rush of bad memories.”
Renee leaned into Jack. “Good grief.”
“Yeah.”
“Your mother had always been suspicious so she got you out of there. She went back to protect your whereabouts, Kendra, but eventually she ended up pregnant. This part is garbled, but it may not have been consensual. She had you, Renee, and Susan became a far more dominant force in his life. They stole magick from your mother and sold it to these other mages. Susan appears to have used the magick herself, your father learning how later.”
“He got stuck.” Stuck was magickal slang for an addict.
“Indeed. He’s rather eaten up inside from it. That’s how I could get in so easily.”
“Why would they let him of all people come out here then? If he’s so fucked up and all, why let him come instead of someone who was stronger?” Galen sat next to Renee, his arm around her.
“He’s expendable.” Mary spoke from the other end of the table. “It could be that they underestimated your strength. They don’t know you’re taking lessons from me. I’ve kept a low profile in Boston and they certainly haven’t paid me much attention.”
“They killed our mother.”
Mary sighed sadly. “They did. She’d erected a great many personal wards and over time Susan couldn’t get anything out of her. Killing her was the way to free everything left over. I doubt your mother would have imagined they’d actually kill her. She was smart, your mother. Smart enough to ward Renee with her own blood, the wards she has are bone deep, which is what kept her alive I’d wager. But even just a decade or two ago this sort of targeting for theft of magic, killing for it, wouldn’t have been commonplace. These thieves’ numbers have only recently begun to rise.”
“And unfortunately, Carlos de La Vega has given them enough information that they’ve leapt years ahead in intelligence gathering.” Arel spoke, looking at Max, “I’m sorry about this. I’m sorry to have to reveal this to you. No one should have to deal with the betrayal of family.”
“No, they shouldn’t. But that’s all on Carlos and he won’t be a threat to anyone again.”
Max and Arel shared a moment of understanding. Kendra leaned her head on Max’s shoulder for a moment and his cat eased back a little.
Rosemary looked to Renee. “They killed your mother, found they couldn’t kill you and instead took you along, stealing your energy slowly over time. Just a year ago, they hooked up with the group of mages who attacked you. It wasn’t until Carlos, until you mated with Jack and Carlos apparently got crazy angry and told these thugs all about you. They’ve got quite a racket, stealing magic, using the anti-paranormal movement to get their information on the whereabouts of witches ripe for their victimization. Worse, one of them became obsessed with you. Instead of slowly siphoning—and this is what happened each time you had one of your mental breakdowns, it was your body’s way of shutting down and trying to protect itself from them—he went rogue and decided that killing you would be his way of not only taking your power, but possessing you in the bargain.”
Mary turned those pale green eyes to Kendra. “And you they didn’t bargain for at all. Not until, again, Carlos. When Renee confronted Andrew and Susan about you, they panicked and bolted. They’re in trouble with their so-called friends who want you badly.”
“They want us all.” Arel sat forward. “Question is, how do we handle them?”
Kendra looked to Max, who gave her a narrowed glare but broke off with a sigh. “We fight. You have our jamboree behind you. After all, we’re threatened too and Kendra is our alpha now as well.”
Jack nodded. “And the wolves. I spoke briefly with Cade Warden, the National Pack alpha and he’s given me the green light to cooperate with you.”
Gibson sat back in his chair and eyed them all. “Well then, let’s get this show started, shall we? Kendra and Max have to attend a meeting tonight where they must inform our cats one of their own has betrayed them. My parents will need some time away and yet, time is of the essence.”
“Step one is getting witches on board and training them all.” Sadira looked to Kendra. “You know you’re going to stir a lot of anger and fear. There’ll be success, too. But also estrangement and accusations. Witches love drama. Some will embrace that instead of the harsh realities we offer.”
Kendra shrugged. “Fuck ’em. We have to be strong or become meat. I have no intention of becoming meat for anyone.”
Max took her hand, kissing it. “We’ll fight and we’ll win.”
About the Author
To learn more about Lauren Dane, please visit www.laurendane.com. Send an email to Lauren at [email protected] or stop by her messageboard to join in the fun with other readers as well. www.laurendane.com/messageboard.
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Chase Brothers
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Taking Chase
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Making Chase
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Wolf Unbound
Standoff
Fated
Trinity
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One witch, one cat shifter. Add one wolf. Blend. Safety glasses recommended.
Trinity
© 2009 Lauren Dane
De La Vega Cats, Book 1
Renee Parcell loves her life. Her smoothie/coffee cart business is successful, and she
’s deeply in love with her boyfriend, Galen. He makes her laugh, he’s gainfully employed, and he satisfies her as only a sexy cat shifter can. He even puts the toilet seat down.
Yet they both sense something in the air. An anticipation that leaves them both unsettled.
Tall, blond and gorgeous Jack Meyers, Enforcer of National Pack and one of the most beautiful men Renee and Galen have ever seen, stumbles into Renee’s life and the riddle of their expectation is solved—Renee is Jack’s mate. What surprises them all is when the three of them touch, magick creates an unexpected triple bond of witch, cat and wolf.
Even as they learn to navigate the steamy intricacies of their bond, a threat looms over Renee. First in the form of resurrected memories, then in the shape of darker magicks someone is aiming at her. Set on stealing her inherent powers—even her life.
Renee can stand to lose almost anything, except her mates. But there seems to be no talking them out of laying everything on the line for her…
Warning: All kinds of alpha maleness going on up in here and the woman responsible for keeping them in line. Sexin in many varied settings and positions, including sexy times between dudes. Bad words. Tight butts in worn denim. Some violence here and there.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Trinity:
She could think about the deliciousness that was Jack Meyers all she wanted, but she knew that’s all it would ever be. Flirting and thinking. Never doing. Never, because she had everything she wanted and would not jeopardize it. Even if she had the very strong feeling he was connected to something bigger. What or why, she didn’t know.
As if her thoughts had conjured him, she looked up and caught the light glinting off the blond hair. Their gazes met and he smiled, sending heat to her toes and a fresh wave of guilt rolling through her.
“Good afternoon, Renee.” He approached and she saw the similarities between him and Galen right off. Both had that predatory walk. They appeared laid back on the surface, but the eyes took in everything, the muscles coiled just so, enough to spring into action when and if needed.
