by Cara Adams
“Oh, I won’t. The storeroom’s just near the guest bathrooms.”
“I didn’t know that. I’ll come with you.”
Jubilee took Ramona to the guest bathrooms, and sure enough, tucked away at the end of hallway was the storeroom stocked with toilet paper, towels, shampoo, soap, and a million other things, including a few hairbrushes, packets of hairclips, and tiny hair elastics for tying up braids.
“Oh, look. I’d love someone to braid my hair into cornrows,” said Jubilee.
Ramona looked at Jubilee’s dark-blonde hair, falling just below her shoulders. “That should be doable. There’s no time like the present. I’m pretty sure I saw Gaynor here. Let’s ask her to do it. She helps with hairstyling at work sometimes.”
Gaynor’s hair was pure white, so she was always easy to find in a crowd. Ramona wandered around and soon saw her over to one side of the large barn, sitting on a couch and talking to Lucy, another of the human members of the BDSM community.
Jubilee sat on a footstool, and Gaynor began braiding her hair. Ramona handed her the little elastic bands to put on the end of each narrow braid.
“I think I could do that,” said Lucy. “It’s just a matter of planning the braids carefully so they all end up the right thickness and in neat lines, not higgledy-piggledy all over her head. Can I braid your hair, Ramona?”
“Ramona’s hair will be more difficult than Jubilee’s because it’s much longer,” warned Gaynor.
“I’d still like to try.”
Ramon fetched another stool, and soon most of the women in the room had gathered around and were watching or offering advice. Autumn began braiding Serena’s hair, and Verity went back to the storeroom to look for more elastic bands.
An hour later, cornrow hairstyles were in evidence all around the barn and the women were much more relaxed and dealing better with the worry about the rogue panthers.
Gaynor stood up to stretch her back and looked around the room. “Leticia isn’t here. Has anyone seen her tonight?”
“Likely Sam’s locked her in her room. He’ll be guarding her door as always,” said Jubilee.
“No, seriously. Has anyone seen her?”
Ramona thought carefully. Sam was so protective, Leticia didn’t leave her room much anymore at all. Even for some meals Sam had one of the panthers he trusted bring food up to her room so he could continue guarding her. Should she ask Omar to check on Leticia, or might that just antagonize Sam? What if she asked one of Sam’s trusted friends instead? But would that look like she was interfering in Sam’s business? Or perhaps she could ask Oliver? Oliver seemed to care for Leticia. Ugh. It was so hard to know what to do. In all probability Leticia was perfectly all right. But just in case…if there was that slight chance she should do something…After all, Leticia was the only of-age, full-blood cat-shifter left unmated in their pack…
She needed to tell Omar. Likely everything was perfectly fine, but still she would call him.
“Omar, Gaynor just noticed Leticia’s not here in the barn with us, and no one around us has seen her tonight. Would you like a few of us to check the house and see if she and Sam are all right?”
“JB and Oliver are checking the fence line. It needs to be someone Sam trusts implicitly, so he doesn’t shoot first and ask questions after. Is Frank in the barn? Or Bill?”
Frank was a good choice, one of the older panthers and someone Sam would believe. Bill was a human, so she didn’t know much about him. Ramona looked around the room. The barn was big, but just one huge room with a small stage in the center and chairs and couches pushed toward the walls. Yes, she could see Frank. He was chatting to Kurt. Kurt was a werewolf shape-shifter so maybe not a good choice. “Frank’s here,” she said, still looking around for Bill. “I don’t see—oh, yes, Bill’s here, too, in the far corner.”
“Thanks for telling me. I should have checked on Leticia already. I’ll call Frank, and he and Bill can follow up on her and Sam.” Omar ended the call, and Ramona could tell he was worried. She was sorry to have disturbed him, possibly for no reason, but it would be good to know they were perfectly all right.
“Is anyone else missing? Is there anyone else you haven’t seen tonight?” she asked the women around her.
“The only people from my community who aren’t here or at the gate are checking the fence line, like Carey,” said Jubilee.
“That’s correct,” said Lucy.
“Gaynor?”
“Yeah, the only ones missing are Leticia and Sam, which indicates he doesn’t have one of the other men backing him up,” answered Gaynor.
Ramona watched as Frank, Bill, and Kurt hurried from the room. “Uh-oh. Kurt’s gone, too. I hope Sam recognizes him and doesn’t just scent he’s a wolf,” she said, shaking her head.
“Oh my gods. Imagine the mess that would cause,” said Verity. “If Sam damages Kurt, Nicholas and Tor will tear him limb from limb.”
“There’s so few wolves, they are rather protective of each other,” added Serena.
“Yeah, well, if they’ve got any sense they’ll let Frank knock on the door,” added Gaynor.
Ramona’s gaze kept returning to the door, but there was no unusual activity. No one came running for help. “Tempest in a teapot, I guess,” she said.
“Cicero, in de Legibus, originally ‘a tempest in a ladle.’ The British say ‘a storm in a teacup,’” said Jubilee.
“You’re obviously feeling better, if you’re quoting trivia facts at us.” Ramona grinned at her.
Jubilee looked thoughtful then grinned back at her. “I guess I have relaxed. I sort of think if there was trouble it would have happened by now, or at least we’d know about it.”
“That’s how I feel, too. The two groups checking the fence line will have met up by now, and they’d have phoned us if the fence had been cut,” added Autumn.
“Here’s Frank and Kurt back,” said Gaynor, starting to cross the room to meet up with them. But Frank raised his hand in the air and spoke to the room at large. “Leticia’s fine. Sam had locked her in her closet, and we’ve persuaded him to let her out. Bill’s gone to get them some supper.”
“Someone’s going to have to talk to that man. If he doesn’t get his head on straight soon, that daughter of his will rebel, and then he really will have a problem,” said Jubilee.
“Exactly,” agreed Ramona, remembering how she’d told Omar she’d climb out the window if she was locked in her room.
But Leticia was the only of-age, full-blood female shifter unmated, which made her a valuable target. So in Leticia’s position, rebellion wouldn’t be very smart as the risk was real. For a moment, Ramona felt guilty at having mated Omar and JB. No, Leticia could mate if she wants to. It’s not my fault. But it wouldn’t just be Sam who was in big trouble if Leticia got tired of being locked in a closet. The whole pack would be in great danger.
Chapter Seven
“So exactly what the fuck happened out front tonight?” asked Javier, rubbing his aching feet. He must have walked a million fucking miles, and he was exhausted. Besides, it was no use going to bed now. By the time he’d lay down it’d be time to get up again. He must have had all of ten minutes’ sleep tonight.
Omar scrubbed his hands over his face. He looked as tired as JB felt. “It was a small breakaway group from the rogue panthers. It seems their leader wants to leave this area, try somewhere else, and this bunch decided to have another attempt at stealing our women first before they leave.”
“Instead of which they totaled their trucks and hurt themselves. Were many of them hurt?” asked Ramona, kneeling in front of Javier and helping him rub his toes. Damn, that felt good.
Javier leaned back on his elbows and let Ramona tend to his feet. She did it so much better than him. Ahh, that felt wonderful. He almost moaned as she stopped massaging his heels and moved to the arches of his feet. Her thumbs were pressing into the sensitive skin, soothing him yet at the same time making his dick grow. Five minutes ago he was too exha
usted to do anything other than collapse. Now, maybe he could think of other things to do before he had to officially start the day.
“There were only six of them, and these ones were from the shallow end of the gene pool,” said Omar.
Javier snorted at the term. “Not so bright, eh?”
“Definitely not. They actually thought those piece-of-junk trucks would be sturdy enough to knock the gates off their hinges, and they were just going to come inside the property, grab the women, and drive away again. They had no idea where the women would be. Standing in the middle of the courtyard holding a sign saying ‘Abduct Me,’ maybe. Besides, anyone who’s paid any attention at all in high school physics class would have to wonder whether two big, sturdy metal gates would really smash open that easily. And just to prove he was completely out to lunch in the brains area, one of the men in the backseat wasn’t wearing a seat belt. So as soon as the car hit the gates he went flying over the front seat, kicking the driver in the face and breaking the driver’s nose plus hitting his own head on the windshield.”
Javier couldn’t help it. He laughed. A snort he tried to smother turned into a cough, then he let go and laughed until his ribs began to ache. Omar had a huge grin on his face, and Ramona was giggling, too.
“It sounds like a scene out of a slapstick 1920s silent movie,” Ramona gasped between giggles.
“Hell yes,” agreed Javier.
“There was blood everywhere because of the driver’s broken nose and the backseat passenger’s cut head, but the paramedics said they would be fine. They strapped up the man’s nose and put that glue stuff on the other man’s head. Tor wanted them admitted to the hospital to watch them for concussions, but they’re more likely to spend the next twenty-four hours locked up. Even if what they did wasn’t exactly ‘breaking and entering,’ it certainly qualifies as dangerous driving,” said Omar.
“Dangerous to themselves anyway,” said Ramona, still giggling.
“Absolutely. We really thought the fence was the main target and they were just a diversion. The way Curtis and Oliver were behaving, we could have been in Afghanistan, not America. Oliver changed into his panther form to sniff every branch and twig we passed, and Curtis had a heavy-duty flogger in one hand and handcuffs in his back pockets.”
“And what about you?” asked Omar.
“I just followed them carrying Oliver’s clothes, and I hoped like hell no one hit me by mistake.” That wasn’t quite true. He’d damn near wet himself at one stage when he’d mistaken a shadow by a tree for a person. But there was no way he’d own up to that. Especially not now, safe at home, with his precious, precious Ramona doing amazing things to his aching feet.
“What about the old barn? Was the camera working properly there?” asked Ramona.
“Oh, yes, there was no trouble with it. I snuck in and checked it, and it was going perfectly. I swapped the batteries while I was there, and I brought the ones that had been in use back here for charging. I’m thinking of a way to get electricity to that barn without it being too obvious. It would be so much better if we didn’t have to go there every few days to change over the camera batteries. Plus, with electricity, we could run a few more things from there, too. Extra safeguards. Maybe if we used dirty cable and old fixtures, made it look like the electricity had been there for years. Ran the cable through the trees so it’s not so obvious. I’m thinking about it,” added JB.
“I’m sure you are.” Ramona hugged his knees. Hugging him a little higher up would have been appreciated even more.
“I like your hair in that style,” he said, just noticing it was braided all over her head. It was different but suited her. Her face almost seemed a different shape somehow, with her hair not pulled back in a ponytail but braided down from the top. He couldn’t explain it, but he liked it.
“I like it, too, and it was a very clever way of keeping the women occupied and not worried about the attack,” said Omar.
Javier’s jaw cracked wide open in a yawn that wouldn’t stop. He was so tired, and he needed to be up for work in—hell, half an hour.
“Time for a nap,” said Omar.
“There’s only half an hour before we usually get up for work,” objected JB. Then he realized he’d contradicted his Dom and felt his cheeks flush with heat in embarrassment.
“I think we can safely say everyone else will be sleeping in this morning—including Nicholas and Curtis, so you don’t need to worry either, Ramona.”
“A nap sounds good,” she agreed.
Yeah, maybe an hour would be good. Javier climbed off the chair and staggered into the bedroom. It wasn’t worth getting undressed. He wouldn’t be here very long. Javier lay down and didn’t even feel the others joining him on the bed.
* * * *
For a week after the ram raid, Omar had been ultravigilant. Logic told him that those men had been idiots, but his heart remained worried that his pack, his family, could be attacked at any time. The panthers and the wolves took turns to patrol the fence line, staying deep among the trees but always alert for any signs anyone had been near the fence. So far so good. There was nothing to indicate anyone had approached the property.
Javier had also shown Omar his plans to connect the derelict barn to electricity. It was a clever design, keeping the look of an old, disused building on the outside but upgrading the interior just enough to have it set up to send film back continuously to the security center at the main house, with an alarm to alert the people if motion was detected. All of this could be done soundlessly on site, to avoid alerting any potential attacker. Omar was so proud of JB. The human was damn near a genius to design something as clever as this.
Then there was the issue of Sam. The man was very nearly unhinged in his behavior regarding his daughter. Leticia was a grown woman, yet he was keeping her locked away like some medieval baron or something. Omar had asked a couple of the older panther men to talk to Sam, to explain he needed to loosen up and give Leticia some freedom, at least inside the property. Or even just inside the main house. But Sam wasn’t listening. Something had to be done. He couldn’t let this continue as it was. Either Leticia would crumble into mental illness, or she’d rebel and break out of the community.
Omar had a bad feeling that either action could be disastrous for her and for the pack. There weren’t just rogue panthers out there. There were also all types of human men who’d be happy to take advantage of a woman as innocent and as pretty as Leticia.
Finally, there was his own private life. He’d thought once he was mated he’d be content, but he wasn’t. Some days he was still stunned he needed JB as well as Ramona. But he did. Both of them were his. So he needed a symbol of their mating. A symbol that showed JB and Ramona belonged only to him. His to love, his to care for, his to protect forevermore. He wanted them both to wear a collar. His collar. Collars he’d chosen for them that fitted their personalities yet proclaimed his Dominance.
Leather for JB. A broad, practical collar he could wear while he worked at his trade. Something that fit snugly around his neck and wouldn’t get caught in any machinery if he took off his shirt on a hot day. But something handsome, as befitted this clever, gifted man with a heavy, engraved metal D ring. And for Ramona, something lighter, prettier, more feminine. Maybe white leather, with a locket or heart loop.
Ah, but would they agree to wear them? That was the catch. They were bonded, mated, committed to each other. But that was only really obvious here in the community at Carnal Connections. Their collars would be worn everywhere, all day, every day. It would be a statement they belonged to him, yes, but it was also a statement they followed the BDSM lifestyle. Would they agree to that? Agree to have their sexual practices made known out in the everyday world? He thought perhaps they would. But he couldn’t be sure. He was worried that if they refused him, he’d lose some of the bond they already shared. He risked losing their fellowship and closeness because he wanted more from them, something they may not be prepared to give. And what i
f one agreed and the other refused? Where would that leave them all? They’d be divided, whereas now they were united. He was asking them to do more than was being required of him. They would wear collars. His neck would have no such sign of possession on it. He supposed he could buy a wedding ring, but that wasn’t really the same at all. There wasn’t the depth of meaning involved in a ring for people in their lifestyle that there was in the external community. He needed to demonstrate he was giving as much of himself as he was requesting them to trust him with in their lives.
Omar was a Dom. He could never be anything else. But that didn’t mean making decisions was always easy. He had to weigh up so many different considerations, it was worse than trying to play chess. This was all about the lifetime happiness of three people. People he loved with a depth and passion he’d never imagined could be his. Chess was only a game.
* * * *
The vibrating massage gloves were the most amazing sex toy Ramona had ever seen. The batteries fitted into the base of the glove, and every finger vibrated according to the speed it was set at. Of course, Omar chose the speed and told her where to massage him and Javier, but she could trust Omar to always make such decisions perfectly. He seemed to know by osmosis what she needed and when.
When the glove had been used on her, the combination of human hands, plus the fingertip vibrations, sent amazing sensations from her head to her feet and everywhere in between.
Javier was lying on his front, on the rug in the living room, and she was sitting across his hips, massaging his shoulders at the moment, following Omar’s directions. Omar was wearing a tight black turtleneck top that clung to his torso, displaying all his muscles, and equally tight black jeans. He looked very much the Dom, and oh so handsome. As usual, she and JB were naked. Her cunt was already dripping her cream onto JB’s hips, and from the way his ass kept clenching under her, he was very aroused, too.
