Surrounded by Secrets

by Mandy Harbin

“You bastard! You infected me with some kind of kitty disease. No wonder my father never liked you all, you worthless troll!”

  “You can call me all the names in the book, but it doesn’t change things.”

  She growled and charged him. He jumped to the fridge. At least the loser knew better than to fight back. “Run, little boy. I’ll just kill you when I catch you.”

  She caught up with him at the refrigerator and jumped, but Jack shoved his arm down her throat as she tried to rip it off. With his other hand, he yanked open the fridge and pulled something out. She barely saw the needle before she felt the sharp pain in her neck.

  Lillian growled at him. “What was that?” But her mind was already getting foggy.

  Jack panted as she slumped to the floor in front of him, releasing his arm. “An insurance policy. Ariel wanted us to have tranquilizers around the estate after my little aggressive mishap.” He took in a lungful of air as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “When you wake up, I’ll introduce you to her and the rest of your new family. Maybe we can talk them into throwing you a bridal shower or something.” He smirked.

  She shifted back to her normal self, and the floor was cold against her naked skin. She couldn’t even see him anymore. Her eyes were too heavy. The darkness slowly came over her.

  “Will . . . kill . . . you . . . later.”

  “Night-night, Lilly.”

  “Lilliannn.”

  * * * *

  Jack held Lillian by the arm as he escorted her to dinner. She was pissed, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d taken away her right to choose, and now she was stuck here. If it could be any different, he’d tell her, but there just wasn’t any other alternative.

  She’d awoken an hour ago, groaning and cussing at him about fighting dirty. He’d laid out something for her to wear, but she’d turned her nose up at it and grabbed something else out of the bag of Mikaela’s clothes she had left for her. She’d bitched and growled at him the whole time she got ready, and each time Lillian’s anger got to the breaking point, he’d wave another sedative in front of her. He didn’t like the idea of keeping her drugged, but she was being difficult on purpose.

  He’d finally explained to her that she needed to stick around at least until she’d accepted what had happened and learned to deal with it, but she was still argumentative. The little minx would argue with the sky about its color if she thought she could get it to fight back. And when he thought he’d take the high road and not let her bait him, he’d instead swallow that bait and beg like a dog seeking a treat every damn time. He didn’t know what it was about her that caused fire to stir within him. If it wasn’t the heat of attraction, it was the blaze of infuriation. Either way, she burned him.

  “There better be something good to eat here. I haven’t eaten all day,” she grumbled as she walked beside him.

  “You’ve been asleep all day. Hard to eat when you’re not awake.”

  “Hard to stay awake when you’re being drugged.”

  Jack groaned as they rounded the corner and came up to the dining room door. He pushed it open, but this time, there was no laughter to die down, only soft murmurs that immediately ceased. He walked up to the table where everyone had gathered, knowing he wore a somber look on his face.

  The feeling was too deeply ingrained to hide right now.

  “I’d like you all to meet Lillian Caldwell.”

  “We met her yesterday when you were showing her around,” Rob said softly to him and then looked at Lillian. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Hmph.” She looked away, not meeting anybody’s stares.

  Jack sighed. “Right. Um, Lilly, this is Krista, Ariel, and Mikaela.”

  Her eyes cut to him. “Lillian.” Then she looked at the women. “Are you all prisoners of the cat people, too? I say we rise against them and break free.”

  Mikaela frowned at her. “You’re part of this family now, too. We’re all alike.”

  “Oh, right.” Lillian turned to Jack with mock excitement. “Hey, love muffin, can we get T-shirts that say Thing One and Thing Two? You get to be number two, shit ball.”

  Toby busted out laughing. “I’m gonna like her.”

  Krista elbowed him, but Toby wasn’t the only one who found Jack’s miserable life humorous. Josh and Rob both had their mouths pressed in thin lines, but the dancing in their eyes and the slight shaking of their shoulders gave away their need to join Toby.

  Thomas cleared his throat. “Jeffery has already set the table. We felt it’d be best to have dinner already waiting.”

  Mikaela smiled. “What he’s really saying is that he’s quickly learned not to keep the pregnant woman waiting for food.”

  She turned and headed to the other side of the table. Josh stayed on this side, and Mikaela took the seat across from him. Rob left a seat empty next to Josh. Ariel sat across from her mate. Krista sat next to Ariel, and Toby sat next to Rob. So the women were all sitting across from the men, leaving a spot for Jack and Lillian to sit next to Josh and Mikaela.

  Jack walked Lillian around the table, and she huffed as she fell onto her chair. He tried pushing her up to the table once she’d seated herself, but she whipped her head around and glared at him. He lifted his hands in surrender and walked to his seat.

  Everybody passed food around, and he kept glancing up to watch her. She took a little bit of everything, but he wasn’t sure if it was because she was really hungry or if she was just being polite, though that was not a word he’d typically use to describe her.

  “So, Josh, how did things go today on the northern side of the estate?” Thomas asked as he cut his brisket.

  Josh’s eyes slid to Mikaela before he picked up his fork and answered, “Good, good. Should finish up in a couple of weeks.”

  Jack looked at Mikaela. She was scarfing down her diner. Then he looked at the other women. They were still fixing their plates. His other brothers sat patiently by, waiting. He groaned. He’d forgotten about the need for a male to let his mate start eating before he ate. It was something that had been ingrained in them, but not something Jack had to experience before.

  Until now.

  He looked at his fork and picked it up. Maybe he wouldn’t have to wait. It wasn’t as though he was in love with her or anything. As he held his fork, he felt sweat bead his brow as a nauseous feeling engulfed him. As the seconds ticked by, the feeling got so strong that he’d start dry heaving at any moment. He slammed his fork down. “Shit!”

  “Don’t worry, bro,” Rob said. “You’ll get used to it.”

  As if that was supposed to make him feel better.

  Lillian tilted her head to the side, watching him. She’d already picked up her fork, but Jack’s little outburst had startled her. “Get used to what?”

  Ariel leaned over and whispered, “He can’t start eating until you do. It’s something about the mating bond.” She shrugged, then scooped up some potatoes and took a bite.

  Lillian chuckled, looking at him now. Hell, that didn’t sound good.

  “You mean you can’t eat until I do?”

  “That’s what she just said, wasn’t it?”

  Lillian dropped her fork and crossed her arms. “Oh, I’m not hungry.”

  Jack growled. “You just said you were starving not ten minutes ago.”

  “It’s passed.”

  “You’re fucking lying, Lilly. Quit being childish and eat.”

  “Lillian. And I think I have every right to be however the hell I want to be after you did this to me.”

  “Why do you have to be so difficult? Just pick up your fork and eat, for Christ’s sake.”

  “Jack.” Thomas’s low voice didn’t distract either of them.

  “You can’t tell me what to do, Garfield. I don’t have to eat if I don’t want to.”

  “You’ll starve, Lillian.”

  “So will you, Jackson.”

  “Lillian, please.” Thomas tried again, this time with her and not Jack. “I apologize for wha
t has happened. I know this has to be incredibly difficult, but if we’re going to figure this out, we need to stay focused. And strong.” He looked pointedly at her plate.

  She sighed, looked at her plate, and picked up her fork. “Can you only eat what I eat?” she asked Jack with an eyebrow raised.

  “I can eat whatever I want as soon as you start to eat.”

  “Too bad. Would’ve been fun killing you by making you eat something you’re allergic to, sugar booger.”

  She took her first bite, and Jack felt the tension ease from his shoulders as he glanced around the room. His brothers, all his brothers, had smiles plastered on their faces.

  God, what a mess.

  Chapter Five

  “Remember, you have to do exactly as I say.”

  Lillian glared at Jack as they stood in the woods. She was tired of his damn orders. She wasn’t a toddler. Just because Jack pissed her off didn’t mean she didn’t know how to follow directions. She just wanted to reserve the right not to follow said directions.

  Eating with his family hadn’t been too horrible, though she didn’t really care to carry on any major conversations. She’d heard them all hypothesizing about how she hadn’t attacked Jack after the mating. Yeah, that was a new experience. Never had her sex life been a topic for dinner conversation. At least the chatter had never veered into positions or technique used. That would’ve definitely been cringe-worthy. But Thomas had seemed genuinely concerned that an attack could still happen. Josh believed the worst of the danger had passed. The others hadn’t known what to think about it, and they’d all agreed that Jack should stay armed with a sedative in case she got her panties in a wad over something.

  Just what she needed, a pissed-off kitty armed with a needle.

  After dinner, her newfound lover had decided she should run with him in cat form, said some crap about it helping her adjust to her new way of life. She’d refused at first, but he’d been determined. She’d threatened to neuter him, and he’d spouted off something about her just trying to find an excuse to touch his balls. She would find his relentlessness funny if it wasn’t about her, so it just made her even madder at him instead.

  “Yes, yes, my liege.” She twirled her arm and bowed. “Stay at your flank. Don’t run off. We’re only running to the border of our properties and back. Don’t run off. Don’t attack the animals. Don’t run off. Don’t attack you. Don’t run off. I think I got it. Though I’m not clear on the whole running off rule. Do you mean no running off something like a cliff or no running off in general?” She smirked.

  “Both.”

  Lillian nodded as she headed away from him, but he grabbed her arm and whirled her around.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “To put on my cat costume, Simba.” She paused, her eyes popping open wider. “You think I’d let you see me naked, honey bear? Tsk, tsk, tsk. That’s what you get for thinking, big guy.” She yanked her arm free.

  “Don’t go far.”

  “Fuck off.”

  He growled, but didn’t come after her. She walked a few feet into the forest, where she felt she was covered from Jack’s prying eyes. It was ironic how just a couple of days’ time had changed things.

  This time yesterday they had been either getting plastered or already having sex. And tonight they were going to go running in the woods, maybe find a spider or two to play with until it died or played dead. You sure know how to pick ’em, Lillian.

  She stripped out of her borrowed clothing and shifted. Changing into an animal seemed much easier this second time. It still felt odd, but not uncomfortable. Hopefully it would continue to become easier.

  Ugh, easier? Why was she concerned with making this easier? Her infector never said shifting was mandatory, so maybe she wouldn’t have to do it ever again once she left this place. She could try to live a normal life sans Jack and this mountain-lion mumbo jumbo. Maybe if she ignored it long enough, she could pretend to be normal again.

  And Jack was another matter entirely. Her feelings were confused. There was no denying some kind of connection with him—at least to herself. She could and would deny it with him. Plus, she still wanted to hurt him in the worst way, but she tried really hard not to dwell on those emotions. The initial urge to kill him was slowly getting better.

  Because death would be too easy.

  If she had to live life as a freak, then he should be forced to live in pain and suffering, too.

  “Ready or not, here I come,” she thought as she trotted out to where Jack had been. Now he was in his mountain-lion form, too.

  “I know what you look like when you come, and this isn’t it.”

  “You’re an ass.”

  “Follow me.”

  For what felt like hours, they ran. They’d made it to the property line and back several times, zigzagging throughout the trees, stopping to sip at the creeks, and even chasing a field mouse once.

  For the first time in her life, Lillian felt alive. Free. As the wind ruffled her short fur, she felt as if she could spread her legs and fly.

  They hadn’t spoken much, and she was okay with that. If the jerk opened his mind up to her, she just knew it would ruin the peacefulness of this experience. But that also left her alone with her confused thoughts about this ability and way of life. Why was she so accepting of it? Because for the first time in a long time, you feel cherished. That thought shocked her. Her mother had always nurtured her, but after the accident that had taken her from Lillian, she’d been left with her father as the sole provider of all things. His love had been lacking, but he worked hard to provide for them, so she had no right to complain.

  But why did she feel cherished now? It wasn’t as though Jack was gushing all over her. He was still a prick.

  When they reached the gate that led to her property from his, Jack slowed.

  “This gate was left open yesterday, too. I think Rob is working this section. I’ll need to remind him to lock it when he’s done.”

  “This is the way I came yesterday to work. Maybe he left it open because he thought I’d be using this path to get to and from work.”

  “No. He knew earlier today that you wouldn’t be going back home. He should’ve locked it before dinner.”

  She growled at him. “So after you drugged me, you ran and bragged to your family about kidnapping me. Do you think this gate will hold me here?” If this was what she thought feeling cherished meant, then she needed to seek a psychiatrist, like, yesterday. Her father’s lack of love must’ve really done a number on her.

  He hissed at her. “You know it wasn’t like that. But I did inform them of what had happened. And no, I don’t think this gate will keep you here, but it needs to stay locked.”

  “Because?”

  “Because I fucking said so!”

  That was it. She lunged for him, snapping at his throat. She’d had all she could stand of his righteous attitude. She was pissed at him, and at herself, for him making her feel so confused. He rolled them, pinning her beneath him. She tried wiggling out from under him as she growled and hissed, but all she managed to do was get herself off her back, onto her legs. Things had just gone from bad to worse because now he straddled her backside in a stance of complete control.

  And it felt right.

  His teeth scraped against the scruff of her neck and bit. He was too powerful to resist. Somewhere deep inside she knew it was her place to submit to him, and when she felt his erection against her tail, she couldn’t help the needy sound that slipped out or the head that bowed and rested on the ground. She didn’t want this. She. Did. Not. Want. This. But need . . . now that was clawing at her.

  “Shift.”

  It was a command she couldn’t ignore. Her traitorous body was aching for him, for whatever he wanted. She didn’t know if this was tied to the bonding thing or the fact that she just needed to feel him inside her. She shifted, and in that same moment, she sensed him shifting, too.

  His palms cupped her hip
s and lifted her until she was on her hands and knees. Then he wrapped one arm around her belly and used the other hand to grab his cock. He rubbed it against her soaked slit, and she leaned her head against his shoulder and moaned.

  “So wet, Lilly. You want me to fuck you just as bad as I want to take you, don’t you?”

  She moaned. God, he was right, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.

  He growled behind her at her refusal to admit the truth and plunged into her with one hard thrust.

  She screamed and bucked against him, her sensitive tissues flaring to life. He bit her neck as he pounded into her.

  “You’ll fucking say it,” he demanded.

  “No,” she breathed. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.

  He pushed her shoulders down to the ground, forcing her ass up in the air, and fucked her harder. She panted, her orgasm building so fast she was already lost. Her pussy convulsed. Her spine tingled.

  She was so close she knew she was about to go over, and she didn’t care. She wanted it. She needed it. She needed Jack to give it to her.

  He stopped and pulled out, still holding her down. She was empty, lonely, aching. She felt wetness hit her back and realized he was sweating with the effort to either hold her in place or hold back his own release.

  “Say it, Lilly.”

  Oh God, he wasn’t going to let her come. He was going to torture them both until he got what he wanted.

  “You’re the devil! Just fuck me.”

  “Say it.”

  She groaned and tried rubbing her ass against his erection to entice him back into the warmth of her velvet heat.

  “I will masturbate and use my seed to mark your back if you don’t tell me the truth right now, damn you!”

  “Yes! Yes, I want you to fuck me. I want you to take me. To own me. To—”

  He knifed into her, and she screamed.

  “God, I want you so bad, Lilly.”

  She wanted him too, and she knew she was going to hate herself for it. She was at her body’s mercy. Maybe it was the lack of sex or how strong and sexy Jack was, but right now, she just needed this.

  And so she gave herself over to it. She grabbed handfuls of grass and arched her back as much as she could, allowing him to take her as deeply as he could. Each time he pushed into her, he hit her cervix and she whimpered, “So good.”