Catamount Ridge

by Aubree Lane

  Disappointment filled her father’s face. “I’m going to miss them, but it won’t be for long. We have a mess to work out, but my money is on the Guardianship.” His gaze shifted down to Nathan’s headstone. “You were the one who got us through that day, and for months afterward.” A tear slid down his cheek. “I’ll never be able to repay you or thank you.”

  That was the opening Jessie had been waiting for. “There’s something I need to do and I hope you’ll be okay with it.”

  Cade frowned. “I’m sure it will be fine. What is it?”

  Jessie opened the brown bag. “Out of respect for you and Mom, I’ve held back, but I don’t want to do that anymore.” She popped the top of a small white container and dumped a glob of wiggling night crawlers on her brother’s grave.

  “Hey, Dweeb!” she shouted at the ground. “That’s what worms look like. You would have known that if you had come up on the deck to read with me!”

  Cade barely suppressed a laugh. “Feel better now?”

  Jessie smiled and looked up into her father’s twinkling eyes. “It’s too soon to tell. Come on, let’s get back to the boys.”

  They came up behind Derek, and Jessie wrapped an arm around the ranger’s waist. “You’re doing pretty well considering you’re an anti-social long-term hut monger.”

  Derek’s lips brushed against her cheek, but his golden eyes blinked in confusion. He didn’t understand the reference. A smile quirked up both sides of Jessie’s face. It was the confirmation she needed to solidify her belief that Ice picked her up on the ridge after the failed attack and tried to save her.

  The Guardianship took Ice away after Grace tranquilized him down in her basement. Under the guise of protecting her, the Guardianship kept the outcome of the ensuing interrogation secret. The action simply forced Jessie to conduct an investigation of her own. She was still unclear how or why she ended up in Derek’s cabin, but Ice’s story seemed to be panning out.

  Derek was becoming increasingly suspect. The man never mentioned his cousin’s disappearance. Something had to be up if a species on the verge of collapse wasn’t concerned about one of their few surviving members.

  Ranger Cindy Daniels came up and dispersed the crowd. “Sorry, everyone. Time’s up. The cubs need to get back to the rescue center.” She shooed the stragglers away, and after the cubs were packed inside their dog kennel, she turned to her boss. “My vacation will officially begin after I drop the cubs off. I won’t be back in the office until the nineteenth.”

  It was the first Jessie heard of Cindy’s vacation plans, but she was relieved. The blonde irritated the hell out of her and being Cindy-free for a couple of weeks sounded like heaven.

  The young woman walked away, and Jessie waved a happy goodbye.

  • • •

  CINDY SAT ON the fur blankets Derek left in the mine. She rocked and cooed the feisty cub as she fed him the breast milk she picked up from the donation center down in Sacramento. The other one waited patiently by her side. The sickly little guy was doing much better, and Cindy was certain he would survive.

  Getting the cubs back had been easier than expected. That fool, Jessie Marcus, had done exactly what she and Derek planned from beginning to end. Ice’s disappearance could only mean one thing. The bitch had killed him.

  That rigid stickler had to go. Now they were free to propagate their species anyway they pleased. All of her own offspring had died. It was clear mating with Derek wasn’t going to produce a viable cub. None of them had wanted to admit it, but Ice had been right all along. It was time to search out new blood. Their small little offshoot was floundering, but somewhere out in the world, there had to be other shifters. The old woman who raised them didn’t even know the proper name of their species. The trio had fumbled along in the dark to get as far as they had. Cindy thought they had done pretty well. Life became a lot easier once they figured out how easy it was to influence people. There was something transcendental about their eyes. The simple act of making eye contact made the human race pliant and suggestible. It was a gift they couldn’t afford to go without if their species were to survive.

  According to the old woman, males could mate with any female mountain lion. Her cubs would gain the ability to shift if they formed a connection with a human female and were fed her mother’s milk. It stood to reason, that female shifters could give birth to a shifting cub, but so far, it hadn’t worked.

  Derek needed to get Jessie back up here to finish the job she started. If the cubs got much older without forming that special bond, then everything they worked so hard to achieve would have been for nothing. If presented the opportunity, Cindy would love to raise cubs of her own, but realistically, Ice’s cubs presented the best hope of their bloodline continuing. After the Lizzy disaster, Derek didn’t want another blubbering surrogate and handpicked his tough new boss. She missed her own children and he thought the adorable little cubs would kick her maternal instinct into high gear. All he needed was a few more hours with the woman and their species would be saved.

  The voice of Grace Langston broke the stillness of the cave. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t little Cindy Daniels. Long time no see.”

  Cindy set the cub aside and faced her old schoolteacher. “Ms. Langston, what brings you here?”

  Grace raised her Beretta and aimed it at Cindy’s chest. “You appear to be derelict in your duty. I’ve come to take the cubs back to the rescue center.”

  Saving the cubs was the only thing that mattered. Ms. Langston could not be allowed to leave the cavern alive, let alone with the cubs. Cindy stepped closer to gaze into Ms. Langston’s eyes.

  Grace chuckled. “Sorry dear, I’ve seen that trick pulled too many times. That hypno-babble doesn’t work on me. It never did.” She walked over to the cubs and nudged one with the toe of her boot. The cub playfully pounced on her foot. Grace grinned and gently pushed him aside. “We’ve been watching the cousins for a long time. You covered your tracks well, but once we discovered Ice’s Achilles heel, he gave you up. When your clan drove Lizzy insane, the Guardianship wanted revenge. Cooler heads prevailed for a time, but you crossed the line when you messed with Jessie. That crime will not go unpunished. Funny how things work out. If we had killed the cousins back then, we would have never discovered your existence.”

  Cindy’s eyes narrowed with anger. After she dealt with this wrinkled old witch, and if Ice was still alive, he would feel the heat of her wrath. Since her first menses, it was understood that she was to be protected at all costs. Her womb had been their species only hope. It wasn’t her fault Derek’s sperm was defective and that all attempts at producing a viable offspring failed. If Ice hadn’t refused to mate with her, none of this would have ever happened.

  The Guardianship, whoever that was, would have to be destroyed as well, but right now, Cindy had a score to settle. She stepped forward with new purpose. “Do you know how much I hated you and that shrilly whistle you used to blow out in the schoolyard? You picked on me all the fucking time. Say goodbye old woman. You are about to die.”

  “Give it your best shot,” Grace challenged. “We’ll see if your quick-change is faster than my gun. Personally, I think I have the upper hand.”

  Without giving the shifter any further opportunity, she fired twice, straight into Cindy’s heart.

  “You bitch!” Cindy clutched her chest and melted into animal form. Weak chucking sounds begged for help as her blood pooled around her dying carcass.

  For no other reason than pure spite, Ms. Langston pulled a shrilly whistle out from around her neck and blew it as loud as possible, making it the last sound little Cindy Daniels would ever hear.

  And then there were two.

  Cindy’s phone began to chime. Grace was surprised the phone received a signal this far within the mine. Her own phone barely worked up here in the hills. She made a mental note to check out who Cindy’s provider was. Another good thing to come from this day.

  Grace picked up the phone and saw th
at Derek was calling. She danced a happy jig, ignored his call, and made one of her own.

  • • •

  DEREK WAS NIBBLING on an ear of corn when Cade’s cell phone went off. A slow smile crossed the old guy’s face and a set of knowing eyes locked onto his.

  As soon as he pocketed his phone, Cade announced, “Grace is having car trouble. Looks like I have to go give her a hand.”

  “Just make sure you’re back in time for the fireworks, Dad,” Jessie called out. “You promised the boys.”

  Cade chuckled and stepped lightly towards the road. “This is nothing but a minor inconvenience. The problem will be solved in no time.”

  Derek watched Cade leave. Jessie’s father knew something. Cindy was alone with the cubs at the mine, but she hadn’t checked in. Something had to have gone horribly wrong. Over and over he tried her cell. At first, the phone would ring. Now the only response he received was a robotic voice informing him that the caller he was trying to reach was currently unavailable.

  Cindy’s phone had been turned off.

  “Ladies,” Derek said politely. “I have an errand I need to run. I’ll be back soon.” He stood and quickly followed Cade into the darkness.

  The women watched the men leave.

  A frown crossed Sally’s face. “Do you think it’s my cooking?”

  Jessie wiped a glob of barbeque sauce off her chin and grabbed another rib. “Hell no!”

  • • •

  THE SCENT OF death laced the surrounding air. The golden brown cat approached the entrance to the mine with caution.

  Grace walked out of the darkness and held up the feisty cub. Cade’s razor sharp hunting knife was pressed to its neck. “Take a good look, Derek. We wanted you to see how badly you failed before you died.”

  Swish! An arrow plunged into the side of the beast, then another, and then one more.

  With each beat of his heart, Derek felt his blood pump out of his body. He tried desperately to shift back to his human form, but he didn’t have the strength. Failure was not an option. He couldn’t die now when they were so close to success. He wanted to cry out, but he refused to give his hunters the satisfaction.

  As his world turned black, he saw Cade Marcus standing over him holding a compound bow.

  • • •

  No quarter had been given to either Cindy or Derek. The sentence passed down by the Guardianship had been carried out with the promised swift precision.

  Gracie removed the bow from Cade’s tight grip. “Jessie and the boys are safe now,” she cooed.

  Cade wanted to feel remorse, but the shifters had grown too embolden. Marigold would be the last one to be taken care of. Lizzy’s mother had that covered. As a new employee at the nursing home, Mable was stuck working the Fourth of July night shift. If all went well, she planned on handing in her resignation on the fifth. One night on the job was all she needed. Marigold’s death would be painless. The old battle-ax would not suffer the way her daughter had.

  • • •

  THE MARCUS FAMILY, along with Gracie Langston, stood proudly with hand over heart, singing the Star Spangled Banner. The fireworks display was set to begin the moment the crowd hit the last note of the patriotic song.

  Cade lifted Jessie’s youngest son on top of his shoulders and pointed at the nighttime sky. “That’s where the sparks will fly. Plug your ears, boy. Freedom is about to ring.”

  8

  FACES FLOATED IN the mist. The images shifted and swirled until one came into focus. Nathan’s sappy five-year-old smile beamed from ear-to-ear. “Now you tell me!” he shouted before drifting happily away.

  Jessie shot up in bed, the grin on her face matched that of her brother’s. Her message about the worms had been received loud and clear. Not ready to let him go, she gave herself a hug and brushed a tear from her cheek. “Twerp,” she called out softly.

  Clear as day, Nathan retorted joyfully, “Butthead.”

  Ice rustled beside her. “Is everything okay?”

  It was more than okay. Her baby brother had come for a visit. Jessie hoped it wouldn’t be the last, but if it was, this one was special enough to last a lifetime.

  “I had a dream. Sorry I woke you.” Ice reached for her, but Jessie shook her head. “Slow down, cowboy. The doc said you need to take it easy for a few weeks.”

  Her bedmate chuckled. “Doc? Don’t you mean vet? I’m still wondering how he kept me in human form long enough to perform the vasectomy. No offense, but I don’t trust the Guardianship, and I’m itching to find out if this thing still works.”

  Performing the surgery hadn’t been an easy task. The correct dosage of anesthesia had been difficult to find. Too much and Ice shifted into mountain lion form. Too little and he would become aware. That fine line took longer to discover than the actual procedure. They ended up sterilizing both man and beast. The general consensus was that Ice didn’t need to know all the particulars.

  Without the ability to procreate, Ice was no longer deemed a threat to the community. It wasn’t clear if Ice had an actual home. Since the mine was an inappropriate place to stage a recovery, the cabin where Derek used to live was their next best option. Jessie stayed on to make sure Ice didn’t shift or overdo it. No one knew exactly what would happen, but shifting too soon would more than likely send him back to the veterinary clinic.

  Ice, being Ice, assumed she remained for other more carnal reasons. That belief was reinforced when Jessie decided to sleep in the bed with him, instead of on the couch as she originally planned. It got cold this high up in the mountains and Ice was a furnace. Tomorrow, she would make sure they had firewood available, but she rather liked having Ice beside her. If she had her way, her pillow would never reside on that lumpy couch.

  “Would you like to visit the cubs tomorrow?” she offered. “I understand they are doing well.”

  The hair on his neck bristled and his eyes turned hard at the mention of his offspring.

  “Simmer down, daddy cat,” she scolded. “As soon as they’re weaned, they will be released back into your care. I’ve made arrangements for you to remain here. The cabin is secluded enough for you to teach them how to survive on their own without being disturbed.”

  The big bad shifter ran his hands through his dark hair. “That’s a big responsibility. I never saw myself as a nurturer.”

  Jessie pushed his torso back into the bedding and snuggled down beside him. “All you have to do is love them. I’m sure you’ll figure out the rest.”

  A sexy grin crept onto his lips. “Does this mean my previous methods have been forgiven?”

  That was a hard question to answer. The open part of her mind wasn’t sure there was anything to forgive. If he had been honest, she would have undoubtedly refused to nurse the cubs. No matter how resigned Ice was to being the last of his kind, with their survival on the line, he had little choice in the matter. Instinct forced him to try.

  From the start, Ice’s clan was lost. Inbreeding had degraded their genetic fitness past the tipping point. Survival drove Derek, Cindy and Marigold to do the unimaginable, and the trio paid dearly for their warped decisions.

  Ice understood the need for diversity. He never mated with Cindy. Any offspring they produced would have been less able to cope than themselves, but finding a wild mate was difficult. Other mountain lions sensed his deficiencies and rejected his overtures. The impossible happened when an older female visited one of his scrape sites and began to yowl. Neither was the others’ first choice, but since they couldn’t afford to be picky, Ice mounted her when she moved beneath him.

  After giving birth, Derek killed the protective female to gain control of her cubs. Then he took it a step further and devised a plan to get rid of Ice. In lion form, Derek let Cindy wreak enough havoc upon his body to send him to the hospital. The duo pegged Ice as the deranged cat, then sat back and waited for Jessie to do him in.

  Their plan almost worked. If Ice hadn’t readily agreed to the vasectomy, he would be pushing up
daisies instead of canoodling with his captor. Derek and Cindy weren’t the smartest apples on the tree. Once Ice told his side of the story, the guilty party and their plan had been easily unraveled.

  Ice pulled Jessie in a little closer. “When I’m able, perhaps I should scout around for a female to adopt them.”

  Jessie leveled him a frosty glare. The typical male response was to let the woman do it. Her dad hadn’t shirked his responsibility after her mother left. Jessie barely tolerated her mom, but she would be a daddy’s girl for the rest of her life.

  “Suck it up, Buttercup,” she scolded. “They’ll only tie you down for about eighteen months. I think you’ll survive just fine. They have half your DNA. The cubs might not be able to shift, but somewhere inside, they have a touch of humanity. Let them form a familial connection with you. There are no guarantees, but they might come back around to see you someday.”

  His blue eyes turned soft. “It doesn’t sound like it’s only my cubs you’re talking about. As I was drifting in and out of consciousness, I heard something about your kids moving to town permanently.”

  He was right. Jessie thought she was doing the right thing by leaving her boys with their dad, but she was wrong. She was grateful they weren’t around during the worst of it, but now that life had settled down, she wanted them back. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have a home of her own. Grandpa Cade loved his grandkids. For him, the noise and broken lamps didn’t hold a candle to storytime before going to bed, or the look of excitement when he taught them something new. Gracie even offered to care for them while Jessie was at work. The retired teacher wasn’t used to her world being so quiet. Knowing her boys, they would give the stern taskmaster a run for her money and that thought alone made Jessie extremely happy.

  Loveable cousin Sally volunteered to help fill in the gaps.

  Where her relationship with Ice would go was anyone’s guess. Mountain lions were solitary by nature. It stood to reason that trait would stay strong within the shifter population. Finding a new clan wouldn’t be easy, but at some point, she wouldn’t be enough for the wild cat.