Petting Them: An Anthology of Claw-ver Tails

by Tate James

  “What about rangers?” I pressed, leaning around Preston. His hands clamped down on my shoulders and he moved back in front of my field of vision, blocking my view of Wren.

  “Before we talk any more about this, I need you to promise us something, Jen.”

  “What?”

  “Promise us you’ll stay out of it.”

  I gaped at him. “Are you kidding me?” I stepped back, slapping his hand away. “You just told me that there’s a possibility that these men might kill someone to get ahold of an animal—not just an animal, one of your animals. One of your patients. And you want me to just butt out?”

  “He’s right, Jen.” I whirled on Jay, but he kept talking. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “I can’t believe—”

  “Sweetheart,” Wren butted in, “be smart about this, it’s not like we can do anything right now as it is.”

  “We know you’re worried,” Jay said, “and with good reason, but please, you’re not trained.”

  “And you are?” I snapped, backing up so that I had the three of them in my sights.

  Jay and Wren exchanged looks. Preston didn’t take his gaze off of me. “Yes,” he said. Jay and Wren remained silent. “We’re trained. We had to be to come out here. You’re not, Jen. We don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “What about Leo?”

  “We’ll figure something out,” Preston said. “Why don’t you go back to the house for now?”

  I didn’t know what else I was supposed to do. I was irritated, but at the same time, they were right. I didn’t have any training. What was I going to do? Drive out into the middle of the nowhere looking for trouble?

  “I want you guys to be keep me up to date on everything that happens,” I demanded.

  Wren nodded. “We will.”

  He looked sincere. Hell, they all looked sincere. I bit my lip and turned away, leaving the clinic, and headed out across the parking lot. I reached the door to the house and let myself inside, going immediately to my room. South Africa was six hours ahead of Florida. I knew it would be late when I called, but I had to talk to Noelle.

  I sat on my twin bed and held my cellphone to my ear. The reception wasn’t the greatest, but I had been able to check my emails, so hopefully, it would let me call out. I huffed impatiently as I waited for my sister to pick up.

  “Jen! Oh, my God! I haven’t heard from you. How is it? How’s South Africa?”

  A tear slipped out and trailed down my cheek. I hadn’t heard her voice in so long. I didn’t realize how much I missed it. I took a moment to collect myself, but that only sent her into a worried tangent.

  “Jen? Are you there? Oh, my God. Is this one of those taken things? Are there people after you? Shit! I don’t know karate. Jen? Can you hear me? Cough once for yes.”

  I laughed, sniffing back more tears. “I can hear you. I’m fine. You’re not Liam Neeson.”

  “Thank God,” she breathed through the phone. “So, is everything okay then?”

  “Well, actually...no,” I admitted with a sigh. “It’s not okay. There’s just...so much. I did something and then there are people—it’s a long story.”

  There was some quiet shuffling around on the other end. I heard Noelle say something to who I assumed was John, and then the soft sound of a door shutting. “Okay, sorry about that. Just had to get away—John’s going to a friend’s house. I’m gonna put some tea on and then tell me all about it. I feel like I haven’t talked to you in forever.”

  “I know,” I agreed. “I miss you.”

  “Oh, babe, I miss you too.”

  I listened quietly as Noelle chattered while she started making tea. She talked about her salon and some friends of John’s whose names I barely recognized. I laid back against the mattress, only half-listening, just basking in the sound of her voice.

  “Okay,” she finally said, “I’m ready.” I heard the clink of porcelain in the background. “Tell me everything.”

  And I did. I told her about Preston. About Wren and Jay. About the sex. About the poachers and Leo. I talked for so long, by the time I was finished, my throat was dry.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah,” I said, “I know.”

  “That’s a lot,” she replied. “I can’t believe Preston is there. I had no clue he had gone to South Africa.”

  “That’s what you focus on?” I huffed, sitting up and scooting back so that my spine hit the wall.

  “Well, it’s the most shocking, I guess?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “I mean,” she continued, “poachers—wow, that’s freaking crazy too—but it’s South Africa. Isn’t that common?”

  “Noelle!” I snapped.

  “What?” she asked. “I don’t know anything about South Africa except that it’s in Africa...and south. Okay, so I only know what the name tells me.”

  I thunked my head back against the wall. “And Wren? Jay?” I asked.

  “Oh, I can’t believe you actually had sex. I am so fucking proud of you, babe.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I said dryly.

  “Seriously, to bag you they must be hot. Are you thinking about keeping their contact information for when you come back?”

  “Come back?” Shit. I sat up straighter.

  “Yeah, I mean, you’re not planning on staying there, are you? What about your new job? Are they going to send you somewhere else?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered, my thoughts traveling elsewhere.

  Would I still talk to Wren? Jay? Would I talk to Preston? I shook my head. That’s not what Wren and I had discussed. It was just casual. Easy. No strings attached.

  I sighed. “I’m worried,” I said.

  “About the guys?” she asked.

  “I mean, yeah, that too...but the poachers. Noelle, I’m scared. They seemed really worried. I met this lion the other day. He’s beautiful, but he has the most ridiculous name—”

  “You met a what?” she shrieked in my ear.

  I jerked the phone away from my ear and held it that way until I was sure she wasn’t going to bust my eardrums. I slowly put the phone back against my ear. “A lion,” I repeated slowly.

  “Oh, my God,” was her response.

  “He was gorgeous, Noelle,” I said. “Golden eyes. Beautiful fur. He practically purred in Preston’s lap. But the poor thing had these scars on one of his paws, from a poacher’s trap. Jay said he saw them today—I’m not sure, exactly, if they were the same poachers, but they were recognizable. Preston even suggested that they might...kill someone to get what they wanted.”

  “Kill someone? You mean like an animal?” she asked.

  She and I both knew the answer to that, but I said it anyway. “Like a human. Someone who gets in their way.”

  “Do not get in their way, Jen,” Noelle begged. “I’m serious. Don’t you do it. It’s not worth your life.”

  “But it’s worth Leo’s?” I snapped. “I’m not going to do anything stupid, Noelle, but I feel like I have to do something.”

  Noelle sighed. “Well, why do poachers poach?” she prompted.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. Money?”

  “Because they think they can get away with it,” she supplied. “I mean—I’m sure they do it for money. But they know it’s illegal and that makes them criminals and criminals commit crimes they think they can get away with. You just have to prove to them that they can’t get away with it—I mean, not you per se, but like...someone...else. Someone who is not you.”

  “You’re right!” I glanced across the small room to where my laptop rested against the wall. I had everything I needed at my disposal.

  “I usually am,” Noelle said. “But I mean it—not you—you do not need to jump in front of a bullet to prove anything.”

  “I’m not going to get shot,” I assured her, “but I do have an idea.”

  “A safe idea?” she pressed.

  I chuckled. “As safe as I can get,” I promised.

  “Good.”<
br />
  “Thanks, Noelle. I love you.”

  “I love you too.” I could hear the smile in her tone. God, how I wished I could hug her. But I had to go. I had to tell the guys my plan.

  “I’ll call you later,” I said. “I have to go see the guys.”

  “You should get laid some more while—”

  “Okay, bye!” I pressed the end call button, a blush rising to my cheeks and leaped off the bed, snatching my bag up and yanking out my laptop. I didn’t know how Mrs. Young would feel about my idea, but I hoped she would see an opportunity where I did. If I couldn’t stop the poachers from poaching, then I could at the very least show people across the world what they were doing. If I could get some pictures of the anti-poaching security teams or rangers taking real poachers down, maybe they’d drop off. Maybe they’d think it was too dangerous.

  I had been sent here with the goal to follow Preston McConnell and I would do that, but there was more to the story now. Surely, Mrs. Young would see that. I typed out a quick email and shot it to her. She was probably at home asleep, and I didn’t know if she checked her emails when she first woke up; but when she got to the office, it would be there, waiting for her. In the meantime, there were three men I had to convince.

  11

  I stood before Jay, Wren, and Preston awaiting their decision. I bit my lip, hoping they wouldn’t turn my plan away outright. It was a good plan. I knew it was.

  “What if your boss doesn’t go for it?” A furrow dug deep into the skin between Wren's eyebrows.

  “Then we’ll publish it on a blog,” I said. “I have contacts in the American media—I can contact some of my old professors from undergrad, they have contacts too.”

  “She has a good point.” That, from Jay. I looked to him, hopeful.

  Preston nodded. “It’s one thing to take down a couple of poachers, but this, spreading the word—with pictures, no less—it’ll be better. The more outrage over poaching, the less safe they’ll feel doing it.”

  I sighed in relief. They were going to do it. “What about the anti-poaching teams? The rangers? Have they replied?”

  Wren shook his head. “It’s only been a few hours, Jen. All they could tell us is that they’ll try to get some people here as soon as possible.”

  “But we don’t know when that’ll be,” Jay finished.

  “We have to do something sooner rather than later,” I demanded.

  Wren shook his head and stepped forward, moving between me and the others. “We have to wait until the rangers get here. We don’t have the authority to do anything.”

  “But you said you’re trained,” I argued.

  “We are.” Jay stepped up to Wren’s side. I felt blocked in by both of them, trapped by their gazes. “Jen, let's just take the night and then if they haven’t sent anyone by the morning we’ll go and check on Leo and the other animals.”

  I leaned around them and stared at Preston. He looked away, avoiding my gaze. “You’re okay with this?” I asked.

  He sighed. “Go with Wren and Jay,” he said. “Do what they tell you to.” I blinked at the bitterness in his tone. His shoulders moved back as he inhaled and stepped away from all three of us. His head turned towards the long hallway leading to the back of the clinic. He turned around completely, hiding his expression from me. I moved to reach for him but stopped myself short. What was this feeling inside me? I wanted to comfort him. I knew he was upset and it hurt to see him like that. Wasn’t it just a week before when I had professed to hate him? What had changed?

  “Tomorrow morning,” he said. “Wait until then.” And then he strode away, leaving me between Jay and Wren. A mixed bag of emotions dropped at my feet. I frowned as I followed his retreat with my gaze. Jay’s hand slid over my shoulder. Wren’s around my waist.

  “Come on,” Jay urged. “Let’s go back to the house.”

  I let him and Wren nudge me away and lead me back to the house. As soon as we stepped inside, I deflated. I sighed and leaned against Wren. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I’m tired,” I admitted.

  “Want me to put some tea on? Coffee?”

  I shrugged. “Sure, tea for me, please.”

  Wren clapped Jay on the shoulder as he headed towards the barely-used house kitchen. Jay moved forward and took my hand. “I’m sorry I ruined our date,” he whispered.

  I looked up, startled. “You didn’t ruin our date,” I said.

  “I did. You didn’t even get to try the braai.”

  I reached for his arm, trailing down until our hands twined together and his dark-brown eyes met my gaze. “It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t care about that. I’m more worried about the animals...and you guys.”

  “Jen…” Jay moved closer until my back brushed against the hallway wall and he blocked everything else out. In the near distance, I could hear Wren moving around in the kitchen. I could hear, but my brain didn’t acknowledge it. I was so focused on Jay as he leaned down and pressed his mouth to mine that I couldn’t think or see anything else.

  I closed my eyes and opened my lips, letting him inside. His hand rose, still holding mine, and he pressed it back against the wall. I felt trapped—no, I felt secured. I sighed into the soft kiss. He worshipped my mouth, treating me as if I was delicate. Shivers chased down the ridges of my spine, echoing in my veins. My mind clouded over with a haze of desire.

  With my free hand, I reached up, cupping the back of his skull as he ravished my lips. He sucked on my tongue and licked the inside seam of my mouth. My chest shuddered as I tried to suck in a breath every time we separated. I didn’t want to let go. My skin felt electric—alive. My heartbeat sped up, thudding rapidly in my chest as though it were preparing to take flight.

  I sank myself into Jay, clutching the back of his head, pulling him to me. I arched against him—without thought, without consideration—and rubbed my breasts against his chest. He moaned in his throat and the sound spurred me on. I released his head and clutched his shoulders, holding them as I arched up again, this time using the wall at my back as an anchor so that I was able to lock one leg around his hip. I pressed my groin to his. He pulled his head back, blinking in shock, lust clouding his gaze.

  Jay’s hands gripped my waist and yanked me up. I went willingly, letting my other leg lock around his side as well until I was astride him and he ground me into the wall. When he pulled back, his eyes bore into me as my chest rose and fell with my ragged breaths. I licked my lips.

  “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

  The question made my heart stutter in my chest. I didn’t know how to reply. My words caught in my throat. “I think I can guess,” a familiar voice answered.

  My eyes widened. Shit. Had I really forgotten how close Wren was? In the same movement, Jay and I turned our gazes to the side, taking in Wren’s small smile as he leaned against the doorframe.

  “She makes you lose your head. She drives you crazy with her smile. Her eyes entice you, warn you, call you. The small movements she makes, the way she holds a cup, the way she opens a door, the way she fucking walks draws your attention.” Wren’s words didn’t just echo passion and lust, but something deeper as well. Something more poignant. As he spoke to Jay, his words reverberated through me. He wasn’t just speaking to Jay’s desires, Jay’s thoughts. Wren was talking about himself. About how he saw me. I could tell by the way each time he said “you” where he paused for a moment as though his lips wanted him to say something else.

  Wren approached, lifted a hand between Jay and me until his palm cupped my chin. He leaned in—mindful of Jay...or maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he just didn’t care—and he kissed me. His mouth touched mine and slowly, my eyelids descended until I was trapped in a shadow of darkness and all I could do was feel. I felt it when Jay released me to Wren’s grip and my legs dropped from his waist. I felt it when Wren turned me until my back was pressed to Jay’s front and my front to his. I felt it when his lips came down on mine and every thought I had fled
into the night.

  “Jen…” The whisper of my name on Wren’s lips catapulted me into action. I gripped his hair in my hands and licked at his lips while Jay’s mouth descended on the crevice between my neck and shoulder.

  Heat shot through to my core, echoing deep within me, spiraling out of control. Jay’s hands cupped my ass, his fingers digging in. His teeth skimmed up the side of my neck, making me jerk into Wren’s grasp and moan into his mouth. I ran my hands down the front of Wren’s shirt, finding the hem with my fingertips and quickly jerked it up and over his head. We broke apart as he flung the clothing away and I spun, grabbing Jay’s shirt to do the same.

  I knew I couldn’t stop it. I was all in, and if I was going to be all in, I wanted to see them. I stepped back, away from them and towards the doorway to one of the bedrooms. They followed, their eyes locked on me. I felt hunted, like I was running wild and these two men were the hungriest of animals, ready to eat me alive. A wave of warmth washed through me, over me, consuming me. I licked my lips as I backed further into the bedroom. It wasn’t mine—I had no clue whose it was. But I was grateful when I glanced behind me and saw that it didn’t have a small bed like the twin in my room. Instead, there was a bed big enough for all three of us. It was like the universe was finally falling into place for me, for us.

  “Get on the bed, Jen.” Wren’s voice was raspy, deeper than before, rough. My breath shuddered in my chest. I froze just in front of the bed as Jay reached back and shut the door. Wren’s hands went to his pants; he unbuckled them and slid them to the floor in one smooth movement—not caring that Jay stood right there.

  “You heard him,” Jay said.

  I swallowed and reached back, letting my hand find the edge of the mattress and then I backed onto it, moving up as Jay came forward. He bent at my feet, removing my shoes and socks, and then stepped back to remove the rest of his clothing. Then Wren was there, moving into place in front of me. He reached for my shirt, pulling it over my head, grabbing onto the waistband of my jeans; he unbuckled them and peeled them down my legs.