Here, Kitty Kitty (Shadowcat Nation)

by A. Star

  Like it or not, this was a male dominated society and one not inclined to trust any new cats. Several decades prior, the cougar shifter population had been in danger of being wiped out. Other shifters who moved in packs, like wolves and African lions, had slowly been picking off the species who were loners, like cougars and tigers. The mountain lions had responded to the threat by forming the Shadowcat Nation for protection.

  Hannah was smart and driven, and she’d always said how much she wanted to be a key part of Jaxon’s Council. She’d needed to do that without Nick, or the entire dare would see only his influence. As it was, being the Alpha’s sister, she already had a lot of bias to overcome. So after graduating college, Nick had taken a position that would keep him away a lot. He was the key liaison and negotiator with other dares, as well as other species of shifters.

  Now he was back. The agonizingly long wait was finally at an end, and he could claim his prize. He’d always pictured their reunion in more romantic circumstances. They’d be alone, and she’d run into his arms crying about how much she’d missed him. He’d kiss her passionately and reveal his true feelings for her.

  But instead, he walked into a crowded conference room, and Hannah sat across from him with her nose in her computer. His view of her was blocked by various members of the Council coming up to welcome him back home and shake his hand. Gradually, he made his way around to where Hannah was. She appeared to be working on some kind of spreadsheet and didn’t look up.

  “Hi, Hannah,” he said.

  But instead of turning that adoring, almost-hero-worship-like gaze on him that she’d had at sixteen, she just looked up with a detached, but polite smile. “Welcome back, Nick. It’s been a while.”

  Nick felt like a deflated balloon. He could just picture himself fizzing around the room as more and more air leaked out of him. Sure, he hadn’t expected her to fling herself into his arms in front of everyone. But maybe a special smile just for him, or at the very least, a hug for an old friend. Instead, she acted as though he was nothing special to her.

  So now here he sat, directly across from her at the long conference table. He had to admit he was impressed. Hannah was involved, in one way or another, with most of the business dealings for the dare. She was organized and clearly knew her stuff, and had definitely earned her place as one of the Council’s most respected members.

  But she’d barely acknowledged his existence. Her gaze seemed to skip right over him when she talked, and only landed directly on him if he spoke. Most of the business they’d discussed so far had been concerning other dares they had peaceful relationships with. So Nick’s insight from an ambassadorial point of view was minimal…which meant his mind was free to wander. And what it really wanted to do was to drift to Hannah’s eyes, or lips, or the sexy rasp of her voice.

  “So, Nick,” Jaxon’s voice broke into Nick’s reverie. “Tell us about your conclusions from the last year working our dare relations.”

  Nick cleared his throat. “You should all have a copy of my full report in your inboxes. We’ve solidified relations with the McGraw panthers in Florida and the Rodriquez pumas in Argentina. Our biggest areas of concern are the Carstairs cougars in Canada and the Silvas in Brazil. The Carstairs in particular seem to be positioning themselves for some sort of direct conflict with us.”

  Jaxon sighed. “Why choose to attack another dare? Why not attack our shared enemies? The wolves or lions? I understand that coyotes have moved into their territory. Why not focus on them?”

  “It makes no sense to me either,” Nick agreed.

  “They seem very willing to deal in business,” Hannah spoke up.

  Nick looked at her. “In what way?”

  She glanced at her notes briefly. “I’m scheduled to fly out to meet with them in person in four days. We’re looking at going in together on an oil-related venture in Alaska.”

  Nick got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “There’s something wrong then. Walter Carstairs himself essentially shut the door in my face. They’re not interested in peaceful relations with the Kellers or any of the others.”

  Jaxon frowned. “What do you think their play is with Hannah?”

  Nick shifted in his seat. “Walter’s son doesn’t have a Mate. If they took Jaxon Keller’s sister…”

  Jaxon looked grim. “A forced alliance against the coyotes, perhaps. Trust within the Nation has been one of our biggest issues. Or it could just be a power play.”

  “They’d have power over the Keller Dare, and not from a pact,” Nick murmured. He watched as color leached from Hannah’s skin.

  She recovered fast though, and after a long blink, she focused on him. “It will be difficult for me to get out of the meeting without offending them, especially if it’s legit. And that could damage relationships with them further. What do you think I should do?”

  It was the first question she’d directed his way, and Nick felt a surge of satisfaction. It meant she still trusted his opinion. As a child she’d always come to him first for advice. Before her parents, before Jaxon, before anyone.

  “And if it’s a true business venture, it could lead to future opportunities to build a relationship with them,” Jaxon added. Though he didn’t look happy about it.

  Nick tapped his fingers on the table and smirked.

  “I can see you have an idea, Nick,” Hannah’s soft voice pulled his eyes back to her. “What is it?”

  Nick glanced at Jaxon and then back at Hannah. He shrugged. “You still go. But I go with you…as your Mate.”

  Hannah’s eyes grew wide. “Excuse me?”

  “In name only, of course,” Nick added, and she pursed her mouth.

  “Of course. But they’ll be able to tell. You can smell Mates on each other, for one thing.”

  Nick shrugged. “I’ll spend the next four days in close proximity with you, twenty-four hours a day. Should fix that.”

  “Mates know each other, and…touch,” Hannah protested further.

  “We do know each other, Hannah. We grew up together. We were even friends once. And I’m sure we can fill each other in on the last few years.”

  Nick turned to Jaxon for his reaction. After several thoughtful moments, Jaxon nodded. “It’s a good idea. Nick will be able to help determine their motives and protect you if he needs to. And if their motivation is a Mate for the Alpha’s son, they won’t want an already Mated lioness.”

  Nick watched Hannah’s reaction closely. She had no choice but to obey her Alpha. Not without challenging him directly. The only sign of her agitation was a small gulp, but she nodded her agreement.

  *****

  The knock at her bedroom door heralded Nick’s arrival. As part of the “twenty-four hours a day” plan, they’d be sharing the same room…and sleeping in the same bed. Hannah wasn’t too thrilled about this. How the heck was she supposed to ignore him when he was with her all the time? Especially in the same bed?

  Hannah had gone back and forth on the pajamas she should wear. Sexy? Buttoned-up? Boy-style? She’d landed on a combo, opting for comfy lounge pants and a tight tank top.

  “Hi,” she said when she opened the door. Nick stood there and looked at her, not saying a word. Hannah raised her eyebrows and then stepped back. “Come on in.”

  “Thanks.” Nick seemed to collect himself and offered her a polite smile. He was still dressed in his suit from earlier and carried a small bag over one shoulder.

  Hannah pointed to the bathroom. “Feel free to make yourself at home. I have a little work to do first, and then I’m going to sleep.”

  “All right.” Nick crossed the room and closed the door behind him. When he returned, he was wearing only a pair of flannel PJ pants. Hannah glanced at the ridges of muscles in his chest, down his stomach, and down further…

  She forced her eyes back to her computer screen and diligently typed away at her report, although she was probably writing gibberish at this point. She had scooted to the far side of the bed, leaving Nick ple
nty of space.

  He walked across the room and slipped between the sheets. But instead of going right to sleep and leaving her alone like a good boy, Nick turned onto his side and propped his head on his hand.

  “Whachya working on?”

  His question brought back memories of growing up. Hannah had always been studious, and Nick more social. She’d be doing her homework while every other kid was out running around and having fun, and he would stop and tease her in the same tone of voice.

  Hannah’s lips twitched. Just barely.

  “I saw that,” he said, his eyes twinkling.

  Hannah frowned and gave him a sideways glance. “I’m working.”

  “What? You have no time for an old friend you haven’t seen in years? You’ve barely said two words to me all day.”

  Hannah sighed. She hit ‘save’ on her computer and closed the lid. Then she scooted down in the bed and mimicked Nick’s posture. “What would you like to talk about?”

  “Well… What have you been doing these last couple of years?” he began. “You’re clearly successful in the dare. What do you do for fun?”

  Hannah raised her eyebrows. “You really want to know what I do for fun?” she asked, her tone skeptical.

  “Of course. We were friends once. I’d like to get to know you again.”

  Hannah plucked at the sheet then gave a little one-shouldered shrug. “I read a lot. Mysteries mostly. And I like to help out with the cubs when I can.”

  “I can just picture you rolling around on the floor with them.” Nick grinned, and Hannah chuckled.

  “I do, actually. And they have sharp little teeth and claws when they’re cougars. I got this from one of them.” She held up the back of her hand and showed him the long, red scratch that ran from her knuckles almost to her elbow.

  “Ouch.” Nick reached out and softly traced the line with his finger.

  Hannah’s eyes widened and she went very, very still. Barely able to breathe. She hoped he didn’t notice the goosebumps his touch caused. She wanted to reach out and pull his head down to hers. Her eyes trailed to his lips.

  Bad… Bad… Bad… Look at what this kind of thinking got me last time. A lifetime of mortification.

  “I’m…a little tired. Do you mind if I go to sleep?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  Hannah was sure it was wishful thinking, but had that word been tinged with a little bit of regret? She flipped onto her other side, her back to him.

  “Ummm…” Nick paused as though trying to figure out his next words. “So it would probably help if we…spooned.”

  Hannah threw a startled look at him over her shoulder and frowned. His suggestion did make sense. Mates in a pack had each other’s scent all over, as lovers would. Other mountain lions would be able to smell it. They only had four days to achieve the effect, so as much physical contact as possible was a good idea. In theory.

  “All right,” she said.

  Nick wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her tight to his body. She was briefly grateful that she worked out daily, so the tummy he squeezed was trim. His heat and scent--a heady combination of soap, and aftershave, and something just Nick--surrounded her. Without really meaning to, she snuggled deeper into him. It was a minor miracle, but Hannah relaxed. Somehow, Nick’s arms seemed like the safest place she could ever be. She wanted to purr, but held it in.

  His voice softly rumbled around her and through her. “Do you remember when you were about six years old and were terrified of thunderstorms? One night there was a particularly horrible one?”

  Hannah gave a small smile, though she kept her back to him. “You stayed with me the whole time.”

  “That’s right. You were this tiny little thing. And you burrowed right into my arms. And I’ve wanted to protect you ever since.”

  “Hmmm… I don’t remember that result. You seemed to want me to go away most of the time when we were growing up.”

  A dry chuckle tickled her ear. “You did like to tag along with me and Jaxon. But later, I couldn’t get you to pull your nose out of a book and join us.”

  “So instead you’d bring your own books and read next to me,” she recalled. These memories were good. She’d forgotten them, eclipsed by her horrible embarrassment. “And then I had to go and get a big ol’ crush on you,” she added, quieter.

  She felt him stiffen. There was a long pause.

  “Did you really? I never knew.”

  Hannah said nothing.

  “…And I had a helluva time keeping my hands off of you,” he said.

  Hannah was stunned. Did he really say that? Or was it just wishful hearing?

  “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “I don’t quite remember it that way,” she whispered. “I remember having a huge crush on you, and you pushing me away.”

  Nick’s arm tightened around her. “I had to give you a chance to experience life. Could you imagine the same high school and college experience with me tagging along? Or establishing your place in this dare as an independent, successful woman?”

  “No… I guess not.”

  Nick was quiet for so long the silence became deafening. The air conditioner unit groaned to life with a startling bang and Hannah jumped a bit. Nick’s arm gently squeezed her reassuringly.

  “Hannah?”

  “Mmm-hmmm?”

  She felt his arm tense. “Is your crush completely gone? Wait…no, don’t answer that. But I want you to think about something…”

  “What?” Hannah prompted when he didn’t continue.

  He sighed deeply and his warm breath tickled her neck. “I’ve left you alone all these years to give you a chance to find your place in life, and in the Keller Dare. But not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you. I want to…woo you. To court you. Please think about it, and when we get back from this trip I hope you’ll have an answer for me.”

  Hannah felt as though all the air had been sucked from her body. And at the same time she wanted to do a little dance, and shout, and sing. And cry.

  “Will you think about it?” he asked.

  Hannah licked her lips. “Yes,” she whispered.

  *****

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Ms. Keller.”

  “Likewise, Mr. Carstairs.”

  Hannah tried not to stare at his mangled ear or the scarring across the left side of his face. He’d obviously been in some nasty battles with other cougars. She just barely stopped herself from pulling her hand back from Walter Carstairs’s limp, sweaty grasp. The man was…well, just icky. Being near him made Hannah want to take a shower. He just oozed slime.

  “Oh, you can call me Walter.”

  “Hannah, please,” she reciprocated. “And it’s Jensen now. This is Nick Jensen… My husband.”

  Hannah caught the slight flare of Walter’s eyes at the word as he shook hands with Nick.

  “Glad to have you, Nick,” the older man said.

  Before he could say more, a younger–albeit better looking, but just as slimy–version of Walter walked down the stairs to join them in the opulent foyer.

  “Ah… This is my son, Kyle,” Walter said.

  Kyle had a firmer handshake and a colder smile. Walter was creepy, but Kyle was just plain scary. Suddenly, Hannah was thrilled to have Nick at her side.

  “Oscar will take your things up to your room. We have lunch ready and waiting for you on the terrace,” Walter said. He offered Hannah his arm to lead her through the house. Nick and Kyle followed.

  The meal ended up being just as pretentious as the huge mansion the Carstairs called home. Hannah tried to keep things in a positive light. They were just trying to be good hosts to their guests…right?

  “So what are your initial thoughts in terms of a partnership on the land in Alaska?” Hannah asked as she sipped on some Perrier.

  “Oh, we have plenty of time to talk about that later.” Walter waved dismissively. “So how long have you two been married?”

 
; Nick reached for Hannah’s hand across the table. “Only a few weeks. I proposed as soon as I got back from an extended project.”

  “So you haven’t known each other too long?” Kyle asked.

  Hannah shook her head. “Nick and I grew up together. I’ve loved him since I was twelve. And even before then, he was always my hero.”

  Nick’s hand twitched in hers, so she sent him her sweetest smile.

  “The Carstair’s cougars don’t consider a Mating final until children are produced. A female without offspring is fair game for any male in the dare,” Kyle said—a little too casually, Hannah thought.

  Cougars weren’t naturally monogamous animals. But cougar shifters still had their human side. Often they would mate different cats each season until they eventually took a Mate as a spouse and settled down. But a permanent Mating had been known to be challenged.

  If Nick had been in his cat form, his ears would have lain back against his head, and his mouth opened in a silent warning.

  Hannah tried to defuse the tension and feigned a laugh. “It’s too early to tell, of course. Though we hope…well…” She demurely cast her gaze to the side and let the thought dangle.

  Nick pulled their linked hands up to lay a kiss on her knuckles. “Besides, that’s not a law in the Keller Dare.”

  “Unusual, that,” Walter said.

  Hannah raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Not really,” she replied.

  Walter fixed her with a rather direct look. “I’d say most of the dares would uphold that law. That, and the right to challenge for a Mating.”