A Cat For All

by Crymsyn Hart

  Chapter Eleven

  Orianna stood behind the stove stirring the chili she had been cooking. Pierce and Dallas were both at work. Ryker was working in the garage. He’d been in there for the better part of two weeks, and she barely saw him. She presumed he was avoiding her. The other two men in her life were treating her like she was their one and only. They lavished attention on her, took her shopping to furnish the guesthouse, and purchased whatever clothes she wanted. They had bought her flowers and offered to get her whatever she desired. Feeling so loved, she had almost forgotten the threat of her pride coming for her. The peace could be shattered at any moment. The last thing she had wanted to do was bring her problems to Dallas and Pierce. They had carved out a life for themselves, and now they were on Mason’s radar. He was a cold-hearted bastard who she had once loved, and now he was trying to wipe her from the face of the Earth. Her mother wouldn’t have stood for it. She still hadn’t told her sister about the threat, although Patty did want details on her two mates.

  Orianna glanced down and saw the chili was bubbling. When she inhaled, she could smell the chili powder, pepper, jalapenos, and a dash of cinnamon she had added to the pot. Tonight was going to be a surprise for the two men in her life. One thing she got to do with her mother was cook, and she knew all of their recipes by heart. Cooking was an art she missed because she didn’t eat anymore. Dallas had bought everything for her, and when she had gotten up that night, she had started cooking.

  “What smells so good?” Dallas walked into the kitchen dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. It was Friday, the casual day at the real estate office where he worked. He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her against him. His warmth helped to keep her rooted. The way his heart beat made her remember that for a few minutes hers had too. Since that time she had been able to feel the lioness inside of her mind stretching and pacing, waiting for her to release it from her mental cage.

  She turned her head and stood on tiptoes so she could reach his mouth. His bottom lip formed a crooked smile. She sucked in his lips and kissed him quickly and tasted the salt on his skin. “Chili. I hope you like it. I used to love to cook when I was hu . . . at home.” She stopped herself from saying human because that part of her was behind her.

  “How can you tell if it’s seasoned right?”

  Orianna shrugged. “It smells like the way I used to make it. Why don’t we find out?” She dripped the wooden spoon into the bean-and-meat–filled sauce and held it out to him. Dallas forced a smile, but she saw the trepidation in his eyes. She figured he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so he slipped his hand over hers and guided the spoon to his lips. He blew on the chili and then took a tentative taste. After a moment, his eyes lit up and a grin spread on the lips she was still getting used to kissing.

  “Like it?”

  “It’s amazing. Where did you learn to cook?”

  “I don’t think the question is where did she learn to cook, but how much sheer luck did it take for her to get it right this once?”

  Ryker stood in the doorway. Sweat glistened on his chest and beaded on his forehead. Minute specks of stone dust clung to him, giving his tanned skin a pale sheen to it, almost as if he’d been bathed in the moonlight and it stuck with him. Her inner cat purred contentedly when it looked upon him, but she wasn’t about to approach him. The tension in the air grew. Dallas growled and was about to stay something when she grabbed his arm and gave it a small squeeze. He glanced at her. A vein bulged in his forehead, and his face was turning red.

  “My mother taught me. Our pride is the biggest in the state. When we gather, we have to cook for two hundred souls not including the distant relatives who would attend or the guests who were invited. I was always there in the kitchen with my mother. She was determined that I learn all the ins and outs of managing a pride, from the laws to cooking and keeping a household. She was a good woman.”

  “And you still remember how to prepare a meal after all these years you’ve been a vampire?” Ryker crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her.

  “Just because I am what I am doesn’t mean that I have forgotten everything my mother taught me. There’s plenty here for the three of you. I wasn’t just cooking for Pierce and Dallas.”

  “Suit yourself. Dallas, when you’re done playing with the dead thing, why don’t you come upstairs? I have some things I need to go over with you.”

  “Fine,” the other man said through gritted teeth.

  Ryker left the room, but Dallas was still fighting his rage. “Don’t let it get to you,” Orianna encouraged.

  “He shouldn’t treat you the way that he does. It’s one thing to avoid you, but it’s another to say such horrible things. Why do you put up with it?”

  She shrugged. “Because he loves you and still has that fear I’m going to rip apart his family. He wants to hold on to you and Pierce so tightly, so he lashes out. It’s like you said: he’s afraid of change. I just let it roll off. I’ve been called worse things.”

  When she looked into his eyes, she saw the concern and the love that he had for her. The same way that Pierce had. Dallas slid his fingers over her arms. His expression was relaxing, but she still sensed his anger. “I’m getting tired of him treating you this way. You shouldn’t have to deal with that. I love him as much as I love you. He has to understand that.”

  “Have you or Pierce spent some quality time with him lately?”

  Dallas sighed and then looked down. “No. I’ve been working and then spreading my time between you and Pierce.”

  Orianna walked her fingers up his chest. “Well, then, I think you need to show him that he hasn’t been forgotten.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Why would I mind? You are his mates. Why don’t you and Pierce spend some quality time with Ryker? I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

  Dallas wove his fingers through her hair. “I think that’s a good idea. What about dinner?”

  Orianna chuckled. “It’s done. Eat it when you want. I’ll be out hunting.”

  “You don’t need to do that now. We talked about that.”

  “I know. But I can’t rely on you to feed me all the time. I’m still adjusting to this new lifestyle, too. Now go up there and make up with your mate. He misses you.”

  “That’s kind of hard after how he’s been with you these past few weeks.”

  She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her hands around his neck, conforming her body to his. Dallas backed her away from the stove a little. She kissed him before resting her head against his chest and listening to the calming rhythm of his heart. After a moment, she sensed Pierce had come into the kitchen. He stepped behind her and pressed his body against her back. He brushed her hair away from her throat and kissed along the line of her neck. A small moan slipped from her lips. Pierce nipped at her flesh before sliding his hands along her sides and then cupping her breasts. Her nipples hardened at the contact. Her lioness purred contentedly. It would have been so easy for her to stay in between the two of them and let the passion burning inside of her sweep her up in its arms, but they had to heal the rift between them and Ryker.

  “Are we making you the meat in our sandwich?” Pierce whispered in her ear.

  Dallas rested his chin on the top of her head. “No. We need to make Ryker the meat.”

  “What if I want to stay here with you two?” Pierce asked.

  “It would be best if you spent some time with your mate. I think he misses you.” Orianna wiggled out from between the two handsome men and then focused on stirring the chili. It looked excellent, but if she tasted it, her body would reject it. The sauce would taste like bleach and the beans and meat like cardboard.

  “How about we come and find you later?” Pierce asked.

  The puppy-dog look on his face made her all gooey inside. But they needed to be with Ryker. He was hurting inside and trying to reach out to his mates so they would come to him. When she thought back to her pride, hybrids were not treated well. H
er mother accepted everyone. It didn’t matter if they were a mixture of two different cats. She let them into the pride, but some members didn’t appreciate that. Mason had been one of them. He considered them a second tier of their society. He had talked about when she was made leader that he encouraged her to abolish the hybrids from the pride. Her inner lion roared in disgust when Mason ran through her mind. It had completely disowned him for a mate. If only it were that easy for her to cut off her feelings. There was still some small part in her human heart that loved him. But fate had dealt her a different hand. Now she was bonded to two other men, and she loved them.

  “No. You need to spend the night with Ryker. Forget about me, and just immerse yourself in him. That’s what he needs. We’ll have another night together. Just the three of us.” She cupped Pierce’s cock and felt his growing erection.

  “Okay.” He kissed the side of her cheek. “But I’ll be thinking about you all the way.”

  “No. Just be with him. Please.”

  Pierce bit down on her neck but didn’t break the skin. The sudden, sharp sting made her moan. It took all her willpower to back away from him and grasp the doorknob. If she didn’t get out into the night now, then she wasn’t going to and might find herself wandering upstairs to join the three men even if Ryker didn’t want her there.

  “You two have a good night. I’ll be around after the sun sets. Let me know how you like the chili.” She opened the door and flung herself into the darkness.

  The energy filled her, and she felt somewhat alive. Everything in her urged her to turn back around and take advantage of her mates, but she kept on running. The night engulfed her, and she let it. She was on the outskirts of the property Ryker owned, and they were far away from the city. The sky was dotted with stars. The breeze caressed her face. She smelled nothing but the world around her and no scent of humans to entice her hunger. It was joyous to be in the wild. Part of her had longed to roam free again without being constrained by men, but that part of her life was long gone. She was happy to be out and not think of any responsibilities. Orianna sat on a hill and watched the sky. It would be dawn soon. The black of the night was giving way to a dark cerulean of the creeping light. She had an hour at best before she had to get back, when her body would be forced to sleep.

  “Feeling satisfied?”

  She turned and saw Ryker standing a few feet behind her. He was still bare-chested, but she smelled the hint of soap about him. She hoped that the rift had been healed between him and his mates. All she desired was for him to be happy. “I’m out here enjoying the night, or what’s left of it.”

  “It was your idea to send Pierce and Dallas to me tonight, wasn’t it? Did you tempt them with your wiles?”

  “Ryker, I didn’t entice them to do anything. Please, I don’t want any trouble. Not now. If you want to rant at me, do it tomorrow night. I’m not in the mood. I just want to take in what’s left of the evening. Can you put aside your hatred of me for half an hour? Maybe forty-five minutes.”

  He stared at her, took a minute to think over what she said, and then sat a few feet away from her. She glanced at him and then continued to gaze up at the horizon. The azure was giving way to a small band of gold. Soon that would be layered with pinks and oranges. A few clouds passed lazily across the remaining stars. The night was silent around them. Shortly the world would wake up and she would be driven from that life.

  “Do you miss it?” Ryker broke the silence.

  “The sun?”

  “Yes.”

  “Every day. When I wake up, I feel the remnants of the warmth from the day cooling down as the night sets in. I used to love to sunbathe. There were times I’d shift and roll around in the tall grass around our house or just bask on the warm rocks when we went to the beach. This is the closest I can get to it now. It makes me feel that my mother is still looking down on me, guiding me.”

  “Your mother sounds like an amazing woman from what I’ve heard you say about her. I never met her in person, but she was revered among the prides in this area for being a fair person.”

  “She was. She looked at everyone as equals. She taught me the same. Mason, on the other hand, we had a few differences of opinion.”

  “But he was your mate and you loved him.”

  “I loved him. But that doesn’t mean that we always agreed on everything.”

  “Why do you think he wants you now if he rejected you?”

  Orianna sighed and stared at the oncoming dawn. I could head back now, but Ryker’s being civil with me for the first time. I can already feel the warmth of the sun. In a few minutes I’ll start itching. But I can spare the time to mend the rift between us. “I think, now that my mother’s gone, he wants to wipe away any memory of me. Maybe he has some residual feelings for me. Or maybe he just thinks I’m going to try and claim my rightful place and challenge him for leadership of the pride.”

  “But you can’t shift anymore.”

  The emotion of missing her cat overwhelmed her. If only she could feel the lioness flowing through her and embrace the strength that the lioness imparted to her and not what the vampire had. She threaded her fingers through the grass. Her cat paced inside of her head, warning her that she had to get into the shadows and somewhere safe. It was interesting to see how the cat had accepted the change in her when she had become a vampire. She pulled a few of the blades and then threw them until they fluttered down to the ground like injured butterflies. The warmth was making her uncomfortable, and the light was soon going to break over the horizon. She stood up and looked over at Ryker.

  “No. I can’t shift. Since meeting you three I have hope that one day I can at least feel her in my bones again. You really don’t know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get inside before the sun does me any real damage.”

  Ryker got up as well. “I’ll walk you back.”

  The surprise that went through her stopped her in her tracks. She turned and then looked back at him. Holy shit! He’s actually being nice to me. What has changed in him? Hopefully he’s feeling better. “That would be nice.”

  Ryker walked beside her while staying a good distance to her side. She kept glancing over on their way back to make sure that he was still there. Part of her was waiting for him to say some kind of snide remark, but he didn’t. When they reached the house, the sun was going to crest on the horizon. She could hold off her sleep for a little while, but it drained her and she didn’t like that it made her weak. At the guesthouse she discovered the curtains had been drawn tightly over the windows. Ryker lingered when they stopped outside of her door.

  “Is there something else you wanted to say?” The first shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and landed on her arm. She hissed in a breath of pain.

  Ryker pushed her back into the darkness where the sun wouldn’t reach. “You have to be careful and stay out of the sun.”

  “Why are you so worried about me now?

  He stared at her for a long time. Then he eased a small lock of hair from her face. “Because you mean so much to the others. Dallas and Pierce would hate me if I let anything happen to you. Thank you for sending them to me tonight. I appreciate it. I’m sorry about the things I’ve said to you these last few weeks and how I’ve avoided you.”

  “Apology accepted. Thank you for that.” She guided his hand away from her cheek.

  He stopped her hand and brought it to his lips, where he brushed a small kiss over the back of it. He didn’t break her gaze. The shock of the gesture was enough to make her speechless. Orianna studied his eyes and tried to figure out where this had come from, but his expression revealed nothing. Instead, he released her hand and then backed away.

  “You should sleep now. We can talk more tomorrow night.”

  She nodded and then retreated into the house, into the blissful darkness so that she could sleep and contemplate what had just happened between her and Ryker.

  Chapter Twelve

/>   Ryker sat at the table with his two mates. After leaving Orianna, he had gone to bed and gotten a few hours of sleep. He poked at the chili and thought about the night before with his two mates. Their coupling had helped heal the rift between them. Because of their bond together, he had felt their love for Orianna. It had changed his perspective of her, but he wouldn’t call it love on his part. It was definitely respect. He knew that she had to be protected because his other mates cared for her so much. It was going to be a big adjustment for him to include her in his life, but he was willing to make an effort so they all could live happily. His cat was content with that decision. He tried the chili that Orianna prepared and found it quite good.

  “So you went out late this morning. Find anything interesting?” Pierce asked.

  He glanced at his mate and felt the corners of his mouth turn up. “I went for a walk. Does that bother you?”

  “No. I was just wondering if you ran into Orianna. That’s all.”

  “If you want to know if we talked, then, yes, I spoke with her. I think that she’s good for the both of you, and I don’t have a problem with her staying here. But I don’t want to horn in on what you two have going with her.”

  Pierce tried not to smile, but Ryker could see the brightness in his eyes. He glanced at Dallas and also saw the pleased expression on his face. Dallas slid his hand over Ryker’s and squeezed it. “Thank you. You know it means a lot to me, and her, too. She needs a new start, and she needs a family. We can be that for her.”

  “If she can continue to cook like this, then I am willing to give it a try. Dallas, why didn’t you tell me about the vampires who raised you?”

  His mate sighed. “I didn’t think that you’d accept me if I told you about where I’d come from. It was easier to tell you that my parents died. The vampires were the only ones who I could call a family, and I know how others of our kind look at them.”

  “Are they still alive? If you were so close to them, then don’t you want to go back and see them?” Pierce asked.