by Danica Avet
Chapter Two
Present Day
Kitty Chambers balked at the entrance of the Pointe-Aux-Chat High School gym. It was packed to the rafters. The sound of hundreds of people had been muted by the amazing soundproofing the builders had insisted upon. She hadn’t known what to expect when Daisy asked her to attend the premier of Saber’s latest video, which had been shot in Maison Rouge. Figuring it would be a small turnout with the band members and a few others present, the size of the crowd baffled her even as it made her heart leap into her throat.
“C’mon, we have seats right up in front,” Daisy Picou urged with a tug on Kitty’s arm.
“Um, why don’t I just stand in the back?” Kitty pulled back against her cousin’s hold. She did not want to go in there.
A big, heavy arm draped over her shoulders from behind, the scent of man and tiger surrounding her. “Aw, c’mon, Kitty. You can sit next to me and tell me how hot I look.”
If Nick Gamble had been going for the distraction, he’d succeeded. Kitty glared up at him, giving Daisy enough slack to tow her farther into the gym. Nick snickered, but didn’t let go of her, as though the two had planned it in advance. She shook her head and followed Daisy to the front row of floor seats. She was not going to start suspecting her cousin of conspiring against her. If there was anyone in the world she could trust to have her back, it was Daisy Lynn Picou soon-to-be Reinhardt.
Kitty didn’t look around at the humans and shifters packed into the bleachers or seated in the rows of chairs set on center court. Part of the reason was from the memories bombarding her, but mostly because she was scared to death to see contempt and outright hatred on the faces turned her way.
She’d only been home three days, but luckily had managed to avoid going into town. First it had been because of exhaustion and stress due to working nearly around the clock for the entire week prior to her trip to Louisiana. Despite being her own boss, she had a fall line to design and prepare for as well as regular business problems, like making sure her employees were paid and disinclined to rebellion.
Once she’d caught up on her sleep after hibernating in her childhood room, it had been time to meet Daisy’s fiancé and his friends. Kitty shot Daisy a glare when her cousin pushed her into one of the folding chairs on the front row, only to receive an impish grin in response. Francine and Hunter, Kitty’s parents, sat farther down the row with Daisy’s parents. Knowing there was no way out now, Kitty forced herself to relax. Nick sandwiched her between him and Daisy, his big shoulder almost pinning her in place with Ram doing the same on the other side of Daisy.
It was still hard to believe her cousin was marrying one of the hottest men in the rock world. But after seeing Daisy and Ramsey “Ram” Reinhardt together, Kitty no longer doubted that they were perfect for each other. It had been a bit surreal to meet the rest of the band who’d hugged her as if they were part of her family. It wasn’t because they were famous—she rubbed elbows with movie stars and dignitaries all the time. It was more because they were all so sexy.
Kitty shivered and focused her attention on the massive television screen set up at the front of the gym. She frowned. Back when she’d been a student here, they’d barely been able to afford new books, yet the school board had purchased a television screen the size of a stadium big screen?
“We brought the television,” Nick whispered in her ear.
If her skin rippled, it was because her ears had always been one of her biggest erogenous zones. It had nothing to do with the wild scent of tiger that made her bear rouse in mild interest. As attractive as the all-cat-shifter band was, Kitty did not mess with felines anymore. It didn’t matter what subspecies they were, she didn’t go there.
Daisy patted her hand. “Just relax and enjoy.”
Just then Mr. Fourchier, Pointe-Aux-Chat’s Parish President, emerged from the direction of the locker rooms and came to stand next to the television. His red face shone in the light, his smile huge and blatantly false.
“Good evening, folks,” he said into the microphone. The sound system squealed, which elicited howls from the wolf shifters. He fiddled with the base of the mic for a second. “Sorry, is this better? Good! Hey y’all, I want to thank y’all for coming out tonight to celebrate the premier of a music video that was shot right here in Maison Rouge.”
Kitty glanced around at the shrieks and screams of excitement. They came mostly from the teenagers whose faces were bright with anticipation. The older shifters and humans looked tolerant, if skeptical.
“Yes, well, exactly. It’s an exciting occasion and it wouldn’t have happened without help. I, along with the other members of the parish government, have been working to make changes in Maison Rouge. As you all know, our reliance on the oil industry has its ups and downs. While things are good right now, they might not always be that way, which is why we’re trying to turn our little corner of south Louisiana into a tourist attraction.” He beamed, ignoring the sighs of boredom from the young crowd. “When we were approached by the Pointe-Aux-Chat Festival Committee about bringing in bigger headlining acts, we weren’t certain what the result would be, but it seems we underestimated the committee’s esteemed chairman who brought us the band Saber for this year’s festival.” The crowd cheered again.
Kitty struggled to hide her amusement as Mr. Fourchier looked startled by the noise. Then his smile grew bigger. Poor man obviously thought they were cheering for him. The silent shaking of Nick’s big body told her that he found this amusing as well.
Mr. Fourchier preened. “They shot a music video at the festival, which we’ll see tonight, but the good news didn’t stop there.” His bright blue eyes zeroed in on Daisy and Ram. “The lead singer, Ramsey Reinhardt, fell in love with and mated our very own Deputy Daisy Picou, and he’s planning to make his home with us here in Maison Rouge.” The crowd started up again, but Mr. Fourchier talked over them. “Even better, Ramsey has assured me that he and the rest of the band are planning to set up a recording studio here in town for not only their use, but any other bands who might be interested in enjoying the special qualities our community has to offer.”
This time there was no talking over the screams of excitement. Kitty glanced at Nick, who looked a little uneasy by the attention, but kept it well hidden with a charming smile he aimed at the audience surrounding them.
Mr. Fourchier was talking again, apparently overcome by the excitement in the air. “There’s more information to come, but let me hand the floor over to the man responsible for helping Pointe-Aux-Chat Parish by bringing Saber to Maison Rouge, Monk Badeaux, Chairman for the Pointe-Aux-Chat Festival Committee!”
Kitty’s entire body stiffened as a tall figure emerged from the double doors leading to the locker rooms. She hadn’t been prepared for this. Not at all. Since coming home, she’d made a point of not mentioning Monk and had purposely turned her attention elsewhere when his name came up.
Daisy reached out again and gripped her hand. Kitty held on to her cousin, needing her strength because God knew if she’d been standing, she would have fallen to the ground in a crumpled mess. It wasn’t fair for him to be sexier now than he’d been as an immature boy, but he was. He’d grown taller and broader, his body fulfilling the promise his lanky frame had hinted at years ago. His hair was cut a little shorter than it used to be, but it was still thick and light brown. Monk’s face had lost its softness, turning lean and hard, making him look like a young Clint Eastwood.
Kitty’s heart pounded and her mouth dried as Monk took Mr. Fourchier’s place in front of nearly the entire town. Sharp green eyes scanned the audience as he waited for the applause to die down and that’s when his gaze snagged on Kitty. She felt closer than ever to the seventeen-year-old girl who’d had to pull the shredded remains of her dignity around her. He looked so remote and handsome and impossibly perfect. Kitty went back to that place, the one where she realized she wasn’t good enough to win his love, but a squeeze on her hand brought her back to herself.
Fifteen years later.
Kitty took a deep breath. She was no longer that insecure little girl who’d given her heart to a male who didn’t deserve it. She was Kitty Chambers, fashion designer, independent woman, feisty lover and grizzly shifter. She was stronger than her memories and damn well strong enough to face down the bastard who’d tried to make her a victim.
Kitty’s chin went up as she straightened in her chair, her grip on Daisy’s hand less of a panicked hold and more of a clasp of friendship, of love. She even let her lips curl in amused contempt at Monk’s continued stare.
Fuck you, you bastard.
Monk couldn’t find his voice. Standing there in front of the entire town of Maison Rouge, he lost all powers of speech because of the woman sitting in the front row. Kitty Chambers here in the flesh and what beautiful, perfect flesh it was.
He hadn’t recognized her at first, only noting a beautiful woman sitting between Daisy and Nick, but the more he stared, the blanker his mind became and the harder his heart pounded. There was no mistaking the sleek cap of black hair, although it was much shorter than it’d been in high school. His cougar mourned the loss of the long tresses, but Monk had to admit it showed off her petite face and long, slender neck to perfection. It also helped display her wide-spaced, dark eyes, making them the focal point of her dusky face.
Had he ever paid that much attention to how gorgeous she was? Or had he taken her for granted because he’d grown up with her, had seen her with acne, with braces, with mud smeared all over her face. But he was looking now and God, how could a cougar get so lucky?
His cock threatened to lift the fly of his slacks and the applause had died out a few seconds ago, leaving an awkward silence behind. Someone coughed and another person let out a nervous chuckle. But he couldn’t stop looking at her, staring into her dark eyes. Even when those eyes went cold and hard, the surprise fading away beneath the ire of furious predatory female.
“Did you forget your speech?” Mr. Fourchier whispered. As if whispering did any good when the microphone picked up his words and broadcast them to everyone in the gym, causing a few chuckles.
Monk looked away from Kitty, finding it almost impossible to do so, especially when his cougar recognized her as its mate. Down, boy, we’ll get to her as soon as we finish this. Momentarily appeased, the cougar sat back, tail twitching with impatience.
His confidence came surging back and he smiled. “Sorry about that, it’s been awhile since Mrs. Simmons’ speech class.” His old classmates chuckled. “The Pointe-Aux-Chat Festival Committee has been working in close association with the parish government to put Pointe-Aux-Chat on the map as a tourist destination. We have a lot to offer the world, things that our neighbors in New Orleans can’t.” He started pacing back and forth in front of the big screen, his excitement growing. Giving his parish a way to generate more income had become his reason for living ever since his father nearly lost everything during the last oil bust and Kitty left Maison Rouge for greener pastures.
Any hesitation he’d felt earlier vanished as he spoke with increasing excitement about the changes coming to the parish. Words tumbled out of his mouth, faster and faster, the crowd’s anticipation feeding his own. These were good people who deserved to keep their way of life preserved. The parish government had thought about knocking down buildings, developing marsh and all other kinds of gimmicks to attract residents until Monk convinced them that if they had a tourist trade, the residents would come on their own and they wouldn’t have to weaken their ecosystem to do it.
He’d watched far too many parishes lose the natural resources that made south Louisiana a mecca for shifters by attempting to become more modern, but in doing so only managed to destroy themselves. Thousands and thousands of acres of untouched swamp and marsh protected the little town of Maison Rouge from hurricanes, but it also provided hunting grounds and areas for shifters who needed to let their beasts stretch. Monk wanted to keep Pointe-Aux-Chat as unspoiled as possible and keep jobs coming in.
Several of the people he’d talked to through the years expressed interest in hosting boarders, some of them going so far as to expand their homes to turn them into bed and breakfasts. They didn’t want big hotel chains to come in with their massive parking lots and unattractive buildings. Everyone wanted the town to retain the old-world look their ancestors had built.
Monk wasn’t sure how long he talked about the plans he and the parish government were in the process of following, but when he stopped, the gym was silent. Coming back to himself, he looked around to see the young people looked bored, but the older crowd seemed just as excited as he felt. They were the ones who feared losing their kids to the lure of the big cities where jobs were plentiful. The plan to bring tourism to Maison Rouge would mean more jobs and more opportunities for the younger generation.
Satisfied he’d gotten his message across, he couldn’t resist glancing Kitty’s way only to see her snuggled next to Nick, her eyes closed. If Monk had been in his cougar form, the fur on his entire body would have puffed up. His cat let out a feral, subvocal snarl at the tiger who was entirely too close to his mate. Nick inclined his head at Monk, not seeming to realize he was on the verge of being maimed.
But before Monk could leap across the distance between him and his prey, Mr. Fourchier appeared at his side with a loud laugh. He grabbed the mic from Monk’s weak grasp.
“As y’all can see, Monk is very excited about the changes to come. If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to contact your parish councilman. We all need to work together if we’re going to attain the goals we have for our lovely parish.” He nudged Monk to the side. “And now for the video we’re all excited to see. Someone get the lights please!”
Monk was still glaring at Nick who’d tickled Kitty awake by digging his fingers into her ribs. He took a step forward, determined to tear the bastard apart, except Mr. Fourchier grabbed his arm and tugged him off to the side where the parish officials sat to watch the video. He could have broken away from the older man’s hold, but even cougars couldn’t overpower a fully grown boar shifter when they were determined.
Vowing to catch up with the Goddamn bear-stealing tiger after the assembly, Monk sat where he was directed and crossed his arms over his chest to stare at Kitty and Nick. She’d fallen asleep during his speech, she’d let some tiger provide a resting place for her, and now she ignored him as though he didn’t exist. Kitty Chambers was in a lot of fucking trouble when he got his hands on her.
* * * * *
Kitty pressed one of her knuckles into Nick’s ribs, eliciting a strangled scream out of him. “That’s what you get for tickling me,” she muttered under her breath as the lights in the gym dimmed.
“You were sleeping,” he protested, rubbing his ribs with a wince. “Damn, woman, you have the boniest fucking knuckles!”
She didn’t deign to answer him, mostly because she hadn’t been sleeping. She’d been trying to pretend she didn’t exist, that she wasn’t here listening to her first love—a.k.a the fucker—rave about something that was amazingly perceptive. In the years since she left Maison Rouge, Kitty had done her best not to think about Monk, but when she did, it was with the hopes that he’d become an overweight, henpecked shifter with a bad case of fleas who had resorted to speaking in grunts. It just wasn’t fair that he’d turned out to be something so much better.
His plan, and she knew it was his alone, was thoughtful and practical. With her eyes closed, she could almost see the future Monk envisioned for Pointe-Aux-Chat. It would be a place where tourists, of the shifter and human variety, could learn more about the Cajun culture, enjoy Cajun food—something she’d dearly missed while living in New York—and help provide jobs for the community. It was a brilliant plan.
Damn the bastard to hell. When had he developed a community conscience? The signs hadn’t been there when they were younger. Other than what he’d done to her their senior year, he’d never displayed a streak of c
ruelty, but neither had he gone out of his way to help anyone. Monk had been the golden boy, the quarterback, the one most likely to be shot by outraged fathers. He hadn’t given a single thought to community service, yet here he was, trying to lead Pointe-Aux-Chat into a bright, new future.
It was too bizarre to dwell on and Kitty thanked the distraction of the video. She couldn’t help but laugh as she heard the kids in the audience shriek when they saw themselves on television. The song was from Saber’s latest album, one she’d listened to on the flight from New York, and she had to admit, it was downright awesome to see shots of Maison Rouge interspersed with feed from the show the band had performed at the festival.
“Oh my God,” Daisy moaned as the camera zoomed in on her standing at the front of the stage in her uniform.
Kitty laughed out loud at her cousin’s dismay, especially when Ram whispered loudly, “You looked hot.”
The picture went to a broader view of the fairgrounds and she caught a glimpse of a solitary figure standing next to the food stands. Her heart leapt as she recognized Monk. She chanced a quick glance over to the seats where the community leaders sat and quickly averted her gaze.
Monk was staring at her. Hard. Even in the flickering lights coming from the screen in front of them, she’d seen the way his green eyes glittered dangerously. She frowned at the images in front of her, trying to figure out what she could have done to piss him off. Breathe maybe? Did he hate her so much after all this time? Kitty ignored the pang in her chest at the thought. It didn’t matter how he felt about her. They would have no reason to see each other after tonight and if she had her way, she wouldn’t come in contact with him at all while she was home.
The video ended with a thank you from the band to the people of Maison Rouge for their warm hospitality. The kids in the crowd, hyped up after seeing themselves on television, screamed again, kept in their seats by the deputies standing on the floor. Kitty couldn’t help but smile at their antics as they chanted, “Saber, Saber, Saber” while stomping their feet. She remembered many concerts she and Daisy had gone to in their misguided youth when they’d been just as rabid for their favorite bands.
