Snow Cat

by Edward Kendrick

  “Do you do that a lot?” Mick asked when Wynn had finished.

  Wynn snorted. “Not hardly. I’m an artist, pure and simple. Like I said, I sort of got roped into it. I’d probably have told them to go fly a kite if I hadn’t had my own personal run-in with the bastard.”

  “If it had been me, I’d have strangled him when that happened and saved a few lives as a result,” Mick growled.

  Wynn smiled wryly. “If I’d known what he was going to turn into, I might have considered it. But, of course, I didn’t. I just figured he was a son-of-a-bitch who thought he could buy my favors by offering me what he thought I wanted, a chance for fame and fortune.”

  * * * *

  There was a long pause then, as if neither man knew what to say next. Mick broke it finally by asking, “Now what?”

  “I suppose that depends on you. You know what I am now. Do you want me to go so you can forget something like me even exists?”

  “I doubt that’s possible. Forgetting there’s such a thing as shifters, I mean.” Mick hesitated. “Or forgetting you exist,” he added quietly, his gaze locked on Wynn.

  Ignoring his suddenly racing pulse, Wynn replied, “That doesn’t mean you want me hanging around, throwing it in your face every time you see me that at any moment I might literally head for the hills and become a wild animal.”

  “Doesn’t mean I don’t either.” Mick smiled slightly. “As long as I don’t have to watch. That would be a bit too freaky I think. Just the picture of Lionel doing it spooked me, and that was before I knew it was the real thing.”

  “So if I stick around for a few days, we can see if, well, if what we felt before, or what I felt at least, was the real thing?”

  “Oh I felt it too. I thought I made that very clear.”

  Wynn snorted. “Not hardly. I propositioned you, sort of, and you said, let’s see if I remember, something about ‘maybe, but my safety was more important at the moment’. Not exactly an enthusiastic response.”

  “What did you want? For me to throw you down on the floor and have my way with you, and if Lionel showed up, he could wait and watch until we were done before killing you?”

  Wynn doubled over with laughter. “Now there’s an image I’d rather not contemplate,” he sputtered out.

  It took a second then Mick laughed as well. “Yeah, not on the top of my list either. But seriously—” he sat down beside Wynn, “—I would like to find out if our feelings were just the result of the tension we were under or something more.”

  Wynn looked at him, searching his face. For what, he wasn’t quite certain. Confirmation that Mick meant what he’d said, he supposed. He found it in the hopeful look in Mick’s eyes and the small smile as he gazed back. “I’d like to know that too,” he replied finally. “But we’re not falling into bed until we’re both certain. Sex has a way of screwing things up.”

  Mick’s eyebrow cocked up. “Not sure I agree with that, but it’s your call and I’ll honor it.”

  “Thank you.” Wynn continued to study him for a long moment then cupped one hand behind Mick’s head and kissed him.

  Mick swallowed hard, kissed him back then pulled away. “I thought you said no sex.”

  “I said, we’re not falling into bed. Kissing is allowed, at least to my way of thinking. Sort of adds spice to what might happen later.”

  “More like anticipation,” Mick grumbled. “And I was always the kid who wanted to open Christmas presents the second they went under the tree and not wait until the day.”

  “Waiting is good for you,” Wynn replied with a grin. “Teaches you patience.”

  “If you say so.” Mick glanced at the clock radio by the bed. “Where the hell did the time go?”

  “Scientifically or metaphysically?”

  “Both.” Mick stood and pulled Wynn to his feet. “You hungry? Because I know this really nice diner that serves a great lunch.”

  “Sounds good to me. I was too nervous to eat this morning.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  “In a second.” Wynn wrapped his arms around Mick and kissed him again, much more thoroughly this time—a kiss Mick seemed quite willing to return in kind. “Now I’m ready,” Wynn announced with a grin when they broke apart.

  “Keep that up and we’re not going anywhere and damn my promise.”

  Wynn made that a non-issue by putting his hand on the small of Mick’s back, urging him toward the door. With a growl, and a smile, Mick complied.

  * * * *

  “I thought you were on vacation,” Carly said as she came over to take Mick and Wynn’s order.

  “Technically, not until tomorrow,” Mick told her. “But actually I think I started about half an hour ago.”

  Carly glanced at Wynn, then back to Mick. “Twenty to one says he’s the reason.”

  “Yep, he induced me to.”

  “Induced—or seduced?” Carly grinned mischievously.

  Wynn chuckled. “No seducing…yet.”

  “Well hell.” She shook her head in mock disgust then took their orders and left.

  “One thing I really like about this town—”

  “Is that most people don’t give a damn if their friends are straight, gay, anything in between,” Mick broke in with a smile. “I told you that already, way back when.”

  “I know, but it’s nice to have it confirmed again.”

  “It’s a good town, Wynn. Friendly, mostly, once people get to know you.”

  “Mostly?”

  Mick shrugged. “People are people; there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like the cut of your jib, as my dad used to say.”

  “Boy, I haven’t heard that one in years.”

  Frowning slightly, Mick said, “May I ask you something?”

  “Sure. Why stop now?” That earned Wynn a raised middle finger before Mick continued.

  “How old are you exactly. When I did some research online about—” he glanced around and lowered his voice, “—about shifters, it said you age more slowly than humans.”

  “We do, but not by all that much unless we shift often. It’s the regeneration when we shift that slows our aging. So, in answer to your question, I’ve been alive for forty-five years.”

  “And look thirty, which is good since that’s close to my age.”

  “And that is?”

  “Thirty-three and counting.”

  “You don’t look a day over—”

  “Be nice,” Mick growled.

  Wynn grinned. “I was going to say thirty-two.”

  “Uh-huh. Okay, I’ll buy that, for now. Where did you grow up?”

  With a straight face, Wynn said, “In a cave in the Amazon Basin.”

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “Yeah.” Wynn laughed. “Real jaguars may be indigenous to Central and South America, but as shifters, we can be anywhere. Of course, we tend to stick where we won’t stand out as an animal that doesn’t belong in a certain region so I grew up in Arizona.”

  “With your coloring, seems to me you’d stand out anywhere unless it’s winter.”

  “Unfortunately, yes—which is why I moved north. Not that I like winter all that much, but I definitely don’t like hunters shooting at me or trying to trap me.”

  “You’d be safe enough around here.”

  “I know,” Wynn said softly, reaching out to take his hand just as Carly appeared with their meals.

  “Ah ha, I knew it!” she crowed.

  Wynn drew back his hand quickly, much to Carly’s obvious amusement. “I won’t tell if you don’t want me too.”

  “Since there isn’t anything to tell,” Mick replied.

  “Yet…Okay, I got it. My lips are sealed, well except when it comes to John.”

  “And I’m not touching that one,” Mick said.

  With a cheeky grin, she told him he’d better not then hurried off to take care of her other customers.

  Chapter 12

  For the next two days Mick and Wynn spent most o
f their waking hours together. They traded stories of their childhoods, discussed their views on just about everything, and even, at Wynn’s insistence, went fishing.

  They got back from the fishing trip to find trouble in paradise. Trouble had a name. Danny.

  He was, Wynn quickly figured out, a man from Mick’s past.

  They ran into him when Mick dropped Wynn off at the hotel. Danny was just walking down the steps as Wynn got out of the car.

  He saw Mick and grinned, hurrying over. “Just the man I was looking for,” he said, his gaze raking over Mick. “Missed you, babe.”

  “Babe?” Wynn muttered, shooting Mick a dire look.

  “Umm, Wy…Walt, this is Danny. He’s a…a friend from a while back.”

  Danny glanced dismissively at Wynn before turning his attention back to Mick. “More than a friend, babe, wouldn’t you say? So how ‘bout you get that fine ass out of the car and show me around. Or better yet, drive me around and show me the sights.” He walked around the car and slid into the passenger seat, ignoring the fact Wynn had to move so he could.

  Mick looked helplessly at Wynn. Wynn just arched an eyebrow, turned on his heel, and walked up the steps and into the hotel.

  * * * *

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Mick growled angrily.

  “Visiting an old and very dear lover,” Danny replied. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” His bottom lip slid out into a pout when Mick didn’t immediately respond. “Come on, babe. You know you are.”

  “Get out of the car now.”

  “Nope. No way, no how. I came all the way out here to visit you and that’s what I’m going to do. Visit. And if that weird guy thinks he’s got a hold on you, he’s sadly mistaken. I let you go once. It’s not happening again.”

  “He’s not weird.”

  Danny snorted. “Bleached white hair, pale as a ghost, yeah, he’s weird and then some.”

  “He’s not pale.”

  “You ever look past the package he’s sporting behind those tight jeans? Babe, he’s pale. Not sexy tan like you. Now would you please drive before he comes back and says ‘Boo’ to try to scare me away?” Danny threw back his head, laughing at his own joke.

  Mick clenched his teeth. The last thing he wanted was to drive anywhere with Danny. But he knew what he was like. If they continued to sit in front of the hotel, Danny was likely to start causing a scene. So, reluctantly he put the car in gear. “Where do you want to go?”

  “I’d say your place, but I’m hungry and I know for a fact you can’t cook.” Danny looked around, saw the diner, and pointed. “There.”

  “You wouldn’t like it. The food’s lousy and there’s no one there who’d pay you any attention,” Mick replied as he pulled the car out of the parking space onto the street. “There’s a place just outside of town that’s much better.”

  “Whatever you say, babe.” Danny slid over so he could put one hand on Mick’s thigh. “I did miss you.”

  “Yeah, well I didn’t miss you. And move your hand or I swear to God I’ll move it for you and you won’t like that one bit.”

  “Oh, getting all forceful on me. That’s a side I haven’t seen before. I rather like it.” When Mick didn’t reply, Danny said, his voice suddenly low and dangerous, “You’d better start treating me better—or else.”

  Mick shot him a disgusted look. “That used to work, way back when, but not anymore. I let people know as soon as I got back to town after our break-up that I’m gay. The only reason you’re sitting here right now is because I didn’t feel like dealing with your antics in public.”

  Danny’s mood took another swing as he grinned. “Going back to your place so you can deal with me in private? I like that idea.” He stroked Mick’s thigh, a mischievous look in his eye.

  Mick grabbed his wrist, moving his hand away.

  Danny looked at him and snarled, “I bet you don’t do that with the ghost boy.”

  “What I do with him is none of your damned business.” Mick stepped on the gas and the car shot forward.

  Soon they were outside of town. Mick pulled off the road and turned, his expression hard as he looked at Danny. “I’m going to say this once and only once. You’re going to leave town and never come back. What we had, which wasn’t much in hindsight, is over and has been for a long time. Why you thought you could show up here and try to—whatever it is you’re trying to do—is beyond me. Go back to your club and party scene; find someone who gives a damn, because for damned sure I don’t.”

  “You fucking bastard!” Danny lunged at him, his nails raking Mick’s cheek when Mick snapped his head back to avoid being slapped. “I don’t want someone. I want you!”

  When Danny tried again to slap him, Mick grabbed his wrist. “Get out of the car now!” he ordered, reaching across him to open the door.

  Danny looked at him in shock. “You wouldn’t leave me out here and make me walk home.” Then he batted his long, blond eyelashes. “You wouldn’t do that to little ol’ me.”

  “In a heartbeat.”

  Tears welled up in Danny’s eyes. “Micky, please,” he said pleadingly.

  Mick sighed. “Shut the door. I’ll drive you back to the hotel. Then you’ll collect your stuff, get in your car, and get out of town. I’ll follow to make sure you do.”

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Danny slammed the door shut then leaned over the console to kiss Mick’s cheek, backing away quickly when he glared at him. “I’ll be good, I promise.” He grinned. “In fact, if you take me home, I’ll be real good. Remember how good I was?”

  “Danny, shut up!”

  Danny pouted, but did, not saying a word until they were back at the hotel.

  Mick found a space in the parking lot then told Danny he had ten minutes to get his bags and return. Much to his surprise, Danny was back even sooner. He tossed his bags in the back seat of a low-slung black sports car before coming over to where Mick was standing with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against his vehicle.

  “I’m sorry,” Danny said quietly. “I just wanted us to get back together again. You were good to me.”

  Mick winced at the plaintive tone of Danny’s voice. “You’ll find someone. You just have to tone things down and be yourself. There’s a good man somewhere under all your playacting. Try to find him.”

  “And then you’ll take me back?”

  “No, Danny. What’s done is done. Now go. I won’t even follow. I think you can find your own way from here to the highway, and I trust that you will.”

  “You should have said ‘yes’, babe. Then I wouldn’t have had to do this.”

  Chapter 13

  Wynn heard a gunshot and moments later, the sound of a powerful engine as a car took off, screeching around a corner and speeding away. He rushed to his window just in time to see a patrol car take after a sports car as it raced down the main street out of town. Seconds later, another patrol car joined the chase while a third one tore into the parking lot beside the hotel.

  Now what the hell’s going on? Curious, he headed downstairs to the lot. He saw John and another deputy kneeling beside—

  “Hell no!” Wynn raced to join them just as the ambulance from the clinic pulled into view, screaming to a stop in front of Mick’s car.

  “Stay back, Walt,” John ordered as Wynn tried to get closer.

  Mick was sprawled on the ground beside his car. Someone had torn open his shirt, and John was pressing a now blood-soaked handkerchief to Mick’s chest. More blood leaked from the corner of Mick’s mouth.

  The EMTs were beside Mick seconds later, doing what they could to stabilize him while Wynn watched in stunned disbelief. “Did it…did it hit his heart?” he stammered out.

  Without looking up, one of the EMTs shook his head. “Got a lung though. John, call the clinic and have them send for a medical helicopter. We need to get Mick to a hospital ASAP.”

  John was on the phone seconds later, relaying the message. As soon as he
’d hung up, it rang, and he answered. “Damn it! Okay, get back here on the double. Mick’s been shot.” Closing his phone, he turned to Wynn. “Whoever did this got away.”

  “His name’s Danny. I don’t know his last name. He’s…I guess he was someone from Mick’s past from the way it sounded.”

  “Augie got his license plate numbers. He put out an APB to the state troopers. There’s nowhere he can get off the highway until he hits the Interstate—or at least nowhere that’ll take him anywhere.”

  All the time they were talking Wynn kept his gaze focused on Mick and the EMTs. Now they were carefully putting Mick on a stretcher and moving him to the ambulance. Wynn started forward, only to have John grip his arm to stop him.

  “I’ll drive you to the clinic,” John said. “You can wait there until the helicopter arrives. You know they won’t let you go with him to the hospital.”

  Wynn buried his face in his hands for a moment, willing away the need to scream, cry, or hit something. “Take me,” he finally said as the ambulance pulled away.

  * * * *

  Thanks to John, Wynn was able to see Mick after the ambulance got him to the town’s clinic, although only from across the room at first while the doctors worked to keep him stabilized until the helicopter arrived. As Mick had predicted, they wouldn’t let Wynn ride along on the flight down to the city, but they did give him a moment with Mick, even though the sheriff was unconscious.

  Wynn stared down at Mick’s pale face, whispering, “Now you look like me.” A total non sequitur he knew but it just came out. Then he gently touched Mick’s shoulder. “You’re going to make it. You have to. I’m not losing you. Not now. Not this way.” He saw a tear fall onto Mick’s face and realized he was crying. Then one of the helicopter EMTs told him they had to leave.

  “He’s going to be all right,” John said, putting an arm around Wynn’s shoulder as they watched the helicopter lift off. “They all know what they’re doing.”

  Wynn could only nod as he moved away. “I…I’m going down there to be with him.”

  “Of course. I’d offer to come along but someone’s got to be here when they catch that bastard. And they will.”