Cherished by the Cougar_A Shifters in Love Fun & Flirty Romance

by Isadora Montrose

  Claudia chuckled. “Moira showed up at the bank in a maternity dress, if that’s what Quinn meant. She invited me to lunch. We had a lovely hour in her back room far away from the chattering tongues.”

  “And afterward?”

  “The stream of snoops was halved. I guess some folks had to check out Moira’s due date. But I still spent the whole afternoon smiling while people asked intrusive questions and made rude remarks.”

  “No congratulations? They’re a tough crowd in Mystic Bay.”

  “There were one or two well-wishers. But not as many as you might think. I never knew so many people disliked me.” Sadness had replaced the fire in her voice.

  “I think it’s hunters they don’t like.”

  She didn’t contradict him. “Hmm.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Tidewater Inn

  Robin~

  “What on earth is wrong with that boy?” she demanded crossly. Her eyes met Sully’s in the one-way mirror.

  Sully peered over her shoulder into the inn’s dining room. “I see what you mean, Robin. Rutherford’s aura is gray and murky in spots. Mind you, it resonates well with Claudia’s – at least those wavelengths that aren’t unstable do.”

  “He’s running a fever,” Robin said flatly.

  Sully put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. His presence grounded her. “He’s got a heck of a limp too. Maybe you should get Virginia to check him over? We don’t want him dying on us.”

  “Dying?” In her surprise, she turned in Sully’s arms. They tightened. He brushed her lips with his and let her go. She tingled from head to toe, but she didn’t think this was the time for dalliance. “What makes you think that?”

  “I’ve seen men get that kind of instability and fog after their wounds become infected.” Sully was a veteran who had seen action in Vietnam.

  “Not drugs?” she asked worriedly. She peered at Ryan. His aura was fine in patches, but in others it was spiking and flattening erratically. Worse yet, his face was as gray as his aura.

  “I don’t know that he was up to eating out tonight,” Sully said. “Now what is that little wizardling doing?”

  Kevin Spicer had just entered the dining room, and Robin’s hostess was escorting him to a table. She was aiming for the far corner, as far away from Ryan and Claudia as possible. Kevin had other ideas. He detoured across to the couple smiling broadly. Claudia looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Ryan looked surprised. But he stood up.

  “I knew Spicer would cause trouble,” Sully said.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Ryan~

  This had to be the boyfriend Grandfather had mentioned. Ryan got to his feet and felt around for his cane, ignoring Spicer’s outstretched hand and happy cries. Even leaning on his cane, he loomed over the younger man.

  “I don’t think I’ve met your husband,” Spicer announced.

  Claudia’s face was cherry red, but she slammed her shield into place before she answered Kevin. Now that was interesting. “Ryan, this is Kevin Spicer. Kevin, Ryan Rutherford.”

  Kevin’s hand hung in the air while Ryan swayed as if he was still finding his balance. Spicer’s face flushed faintly, but he kept trying. Claudia’s shield solidified. Her smile did not get as far as her eyes. Ryan gave the wannabe boyfriend his widest grin.

  Spicier flinched but continued. “I haven’t changed my mind about hiring you.” His eyes slid away from Ryan’s.

  Ryan felt some sort of probe but brushed it aside. “Just what is it that you do?” he asked softly. What was Spicer’s game?

  “I own a public relations firm,” Spicer said as if his job offer was a golden opportunity that would never come Claudia’s way again.

  What the heck was he up to? The rest of Spicer’s relatives were in banking.

  “No, thank you,” Claudia said firmly. “I already have a job. Ah, here are our appetizers.” Her tone was a dismissal.

  Spicier however wrestled with his inclination to continue. Ryan manned up. He extended his hand. “Nice meeting you,” he lied. He felt the faintest of twinges as his hand contacted Spicer’s. He sat back down as the other man accepted his dismissal and drifted over to where the hostess was standing impatiently.

  “What’s up with Blondie?” he asked Claudia after the server had left.

  She shook her head. “He’s some sort of hypo-talent,” she whispered. “He wants me to go to work for him.”

  “No,” Ryan said.

  Her brows rose.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to give you orders. Trust me, that one is no good.”

  “I had figured that out for myself.”

  “Of course you had. He’s a little obvious, isn’t he? Want me to run him off for you?”

  Claudia chuckled, just as if he had been joking. “There’s no need.”

  “If you say so.” He attacked his baked Brie. He might be hurt, he might feel like his blood was on fire, but he could deal with a soft target like Spicer without much trouble.

  “I do.”

  “Then what’s up with your shield?” he asked. “You got that up before he got to hello.”

  “Kevin won’t take no for an answer. And I don’t like being manipulated. But he’s basically harmless now that I’m on to him.”

  Anyone would think that Spicer would have noticed that Claudia had shut him out. But maybe he was too weak. After all, Ryan had brushed the hypnotist’s attempt at mind control aside as if it were cobwebs. Still, anyone targeting his wife was treading where angels did not dare to venture.

  “Look, it’s okay. Really.” She looked nervous.

  Maybe he should try to look less pissed. “If you say so. But seeing as he’s across the room, you could lower your guard. Pun intended.”

  She chuckled weakly. “It’s weird,” she said. But her shield did drop.

  He raised his brows. “What is?”

  “Him being so persistent.” She explained wryly.

  “What do you have that he wants?” he asked. “What could you do for a PR company?”

  “Beats me.”

  Now why did he think that was a lie? Wouldn’t do to press her, especially not in public. They were still feeling their way in this strange coerced relationship. But if Spicer thought Ryan would stand by while some jerkwad con artist stalked his wife, he was ready for a straitjacket.

  Ryan needed to forget Spicer, to focus on tonight’s mission. He was supposed to be charming Claudia, not sitting across from her like Mr. Grumpypants.

  Except that he felt worse than he had since he’d arrived on West Haven. He had had so many interruptions today that he had neither taken cougar nor gone swimming. Right this minute, it would be great to plunge into the frigid waves and lower his temperature to merely molten.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Claudia whispered.

  “Huh?”

  “You’ve been chewing for the last five minutes as if you’re on autopilot.”

  “Huh?” He pulled himself together. “Sorry. I was thinking about something.” He laid his fork down. Finishing his cheese and puff pastry appetizer suddenly seemed like too much effort.

  Claudia reached out and touched his hand. She pulled her fingers back as if she had had a shock, before covering his hand with hers. Or as much as her small hands could cover. “You’re burning up,” she said.

  “Yeah. It’s the snakebite. Sorry. I’m a little woozy this evening.” He tried to think of something to distract her.

  “You should have said. You should be in bed.”

  “Probably.” He tried to focus. To smile.

  “That’s it. We’re leaving.” Claudia raised a hand slightly and summoned the nearest server.

  “Is anything wrong?” The young woman was appalled by Ryan’s half-eaten appetizer.

  “Ryan isn’t feeling well,” Claudia said calmly. “Nothing to do with his food. Could you have our server bring us the check, please?”

  “Sure thing.” She scurried away.

 
; “You know that Mystic Bay will have us abandoning our food because I’m drunk, don’t you?” Ryan spoke through his teeth.

  “Probably. Or because we need a room.”

  Their server appeared. “Ms. Fairchild says the meal is on the house.”

  “Thank you, and thank her,” Claudia said. “Let’s go.”

  Somehow she got him outside and waiting for the valet to bring his SUV around. The cool night air revived him not at all.

  “Give me your keys,” she said. “You’re in no condition to drive.”

  Ryan dug into his pocket obediently. Steadied himself on the cane. The valet gave Claudia a hand to boost him into the passenger seat. He managed to do up his seatbelt himself, but Claudia checked it. Great. Now she was mothering him. Smooth, Rutherford, real smooth.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Claudia~

  Ryan was almost catatonic by the time she drove into her yard. She had called her mother on the way, only to find that Robin had already done so. Not that Mom thought that there was much she could do for him, except airlift him to the hospital in Portland.

  She and Mom helped Ryan into the house and onto the new couch. His face was greasy with sweat and his amber eyes unfocused.

  “What did you say was the matter with him?” Mom cut off his coat and shirt and applied a blood pressure cuff.

  “He was bitten by a cobra shifter. He received antivenin – ordinary antivenin – but he is suffering from intermittent fever and his wound won’t heal.”

  “How long ago?”

  “Six weeks.”

  “Hmm.” Mom poked her digital thermometer into his ear. “107 Fahrenheit. He’s in convulsion range. I can give him antibiotics, but I think he needs a hospital.”

  “He’s been on antibiotics. I think he has some in his bag. Let me look.”

  She brought back the bottle. Mom scrutinized the label. “If he’s under the care of Dr. Salinas, he’s already seeing the doctor I would refer him to. Salinas is a shifter himself. And if these antibiotics haven’t done the job, Ryan needs to be upgraded to intravenous ones.”

  “Can’t you tweak his aura and bring him out of this?” Claudia asked. “I think he’s already had several different treatments.”

  Virginia’s eyebrows fought with her hairline. “His aura is very unstable, honey. Messing with it could be dangerous.”

  Although they had been conversing in low voices, Jimmy appeared, rubbing his eyes. “Is Daddy hot ‘gain?” he mumbled sleepily.

  “Yes. You need to go back to bed now and let Grammy make him better,” Claudia said severely.

  Jimmy darted around the couch and threw himself at Ryan. His little hands gripped Ryan’s cheeks and pressed so hard, the cougar’s mouth gaped like a fish’s. Jimmy squeezed his little eyes shut and his whole body stiffened. “Help me, Grammy,” he sobbed.

  What on earth did Jimmy think he was doing? But Mom was leaning forward and placing both her hands over Jimmy’s.

  “Not like that, Grammy,” pleaded Jimmy.

  Virginia’s eyebrows shot up again but she too concentrated fiercely. After a while she removed her hands from Jimmy’s and took one of Ryan’s between her palms. Claudia was desperate to know what they were doing, but dared not interrupt.

  “No, Grammy,” Jimmy sobbed.

  Virginia replaced her hands over her grandson’s. “Claudia, cut off his pants. I want to see that wound.”

  Claudia found scissors and cut Ryan’s slacks above his knee. Virginia used one hand to remove the gauze bandage revealing two black and oozing pits. There were two more on the other side. Jimmy stared for a moment and then pushed his Grammy out of the way and covered the open wounds on top with both his small hands. Virginia placed her hands on the ones underneath.

  “Claudia, we need you too,” Mom said calmly. “You need to unbind this.”

  She was no healer. But then she had not supposed Jimmy was either. She placed her hands over theirs. Jimmy’s taut body relaxed a trifle. The vicious evil of the snake that had bitten Ryan passed through the backs of their hands into hers in erratic waves. Her stomach lurched.

  “It’s too much for Jimmy,” she protested.

  Mom ignored her comment. “Ryan’s pulse is weak and irregular,” she said wearily. “Look for the low points and work from there.”

  Claudia closed her eyes to concentrate better. Every fiber of her being wanted to haul Jimmy away from the nauseating waves of poison pulsing at them. It was not precisely a spell Ryan was under, but she found that she could tweak the structure of the poison much as she would tweak an enchantment when unbinding it.

  Jimmy fell asleep doubled over Ryan’s thigh. Virginia shook her head when Claudia would have moved him. “I think he’s still adjusting his dad’s aura in his sleep.” Her mother’s voice was awed. “Don’t you stop. We need to clear the toxin from his system, and get his vitals stabilized.”

  “I’m no healer,” Claudia protested. She was muzzy and shaking from the unceasing effort to hold a focus.

  “You’re doing fine,” Virginia assured her. “His aura no longer has flat patches, and the cloudy areas are becoming translucent again.”

  Ryan’s temperature had now dropped and his skin was returning to a healthier color. The flood of poison in Ryan’s bloodstream had dwindled to a trickle, but the malice and vindictiveness of the cobra shifter was still surprisingly strong. Claudia was tiring but she kept probing and dampening the currents.

  “What are you guys doing?” Ryan tried to sit up.

  “Cleaning out the poison in your bloodstream,” snapped Virginia. “Don’t move.”

  He subsided back against the cushions. “Good to know. What’s the cu-kid doing napping on my bad leg?”

  “Adjusting your aura. Now shut up and let us work.” Virginia closed her eyes and focused.

  Now that he was awake and aware, Claudia could feel a renewed surge from Ryan’s immune system. What if she amplified that as if she were binding a spell? Couldn’t hurt to tune up his natural defenses. She zeroed in on the lymph nodes and began minute adjustments. Her exhaustion vanished as the thrill of exercising her talent revitalized her body.

  Gradually she became aware that Ryan’s hand was stroking her hair, giving her some of his physical strength to reinforce her psychic stamina. It was an intimate connection that seemed to include her mom and son. She could not waste energy reveling in it however. Not while she still had work to do.

  It was Mom who called a halt. “Let’s stop and let Ryan take over. It’s time this little guy went back to bed,” Virginia said.

  Claudia’s back and neck announced that they were painfully stiff. She rose to her feet and stretched, immediately missing the comfort of Ryan’s hand.

  “What did you do?” Ryan bent his knee and stretched out his right leg. Looked astonished. Did it again. And yet again.

  Virginia had her arms full of sleeping child. “We neutralized the cobra venom,” she whispered. “Jimmy is going to be one strong healer.” She kissed his sweaty little head.

  Ryan stood, testing out his leg. He put an arm around Claudia. “I felt you,” he said softly. “What were you up to, wife?”

  “I’m not sure. I never did anything like that before. It was as if I unbound the venom’s potency. We’ll have to ask Mom.”

  “Ask me what?” Virginia came back into the room.

  “What the heck I did tonight.”

  “Beats me.” Mom yawned. “I’m going to send you kids to bed. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’m in no condition to drive home.”

  Ryan smiled broadly. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said gravely. “I think you saved my life tonight.” He tugged Claudia toward the bedroom.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Ryan~

  The new bed was still a bit small for his taste. But at least it was larger than the double bed it had replaced. He couldn’t wait to try it out. Unfortunately, Claudia was exhausted and scared to death. She looked ready to fall asleep on her feet.


  What a day she had had. First dealing with the fallout from the gossip in Mystic Bay, and then having to haul his ass home and participate in what felt like an exorcism.

  Despite having had a fever and pretty much passing out earlier, now that the crisis was past, he was feeling invigorated. Nothing like surviving immanent death to rev up a guy’s most primitive instincts. He wanted to fling Claudia to the new mattress and prove he was alive. Fortunately he had self-control.

  “Nothing is going to happen tonight.” They both spoke at once.

  “Oh,” she said.

  “Go brush your teeth. I need a shower. I smell like I just did a fifty-mile hike in full gear.”

  “Okay.” She looked less terrified, but still uncertain. As if their auras had not been playing footsie for hours. Women. Or maybe that was sorceresses. Or maybe he was just a frustrated tomcat.

  He went back into the living room. Virginia was curled up on the fold-out bed, apparently asleep. Looked like the new couch was a success on all fronts. He located his duffel and carried it back into Claudia’s room, and removed his toiletries and a clean pair of shorts. Claudia returned from the bathroom. He gave her a quick kiss on his way to the shower.

  His clothes were ruined and went in the trash. His thigh was still a trifle inflamed. But when he pressed around the wounds, no pus flowed, and it barely hurt. It was healing around the edges. With his fast shifter metabolism, in a couple of days he would have four scars.

  He wanted to try out his healed limb in cougar, both to speed up the healing and to experience the pleasure of easy movement. But disturbing the house after the night they had had would be both inconsiderate and injudicious. Morning would be plenty soon enough. Besides he was sufficiently stoked. He didn’t need his beast in the ascendant when he was going to have to lie beside his luscious, exhausted bride.

  He debated having a shave, decided against it on the grounds that he had shaved before their abortive dinner, but mostly because he was shift out of luck tonight. His mate looked like she had been rode hard and put away wet.