A Game of Cat & Mouse

by Astrid Cielo

  ***

  Brenna watched as Miranda scurried

  around, trying to avoid the pouncing of Essence’s brat. When she became good at that, they had various members of the pride practice pouncing her. It was laughable that Miranda thought she could train to win against her. She was a mouse and at the bottom of the food chain. Soon she would be dead, only to be followed shortly by her mate. No one would stand in her way of taking this pride. She would not be subject to anyone’s rule anymore.

  She’d seen how the pride regarded her.

  None of them liked her, but she did not like them either. It would not matter in the end who liked who because she would rule them all.

  “Hey baby.” Daryl wrapped his arms

  around her waist.

  “Not in public,” she hissed as she evaded his embrace.

  “When will you let me claim you? I’m tired of not having my mate beside me!”

  Brenna looked around making sure no one was watching before placing a brief kiss on his lips. “Don’t worry, baby. As soon as I’m alpha female, then we’ll be together.”

  Chapter 19

  Caleb kissed his Miranda as the sun rose on the third day. They’d opted to spend some time alone. He’d brought her back to the place they had met. The orange and gold rays of the rising sun cascaded over the land, and the quiet babbling of the creek added to the romantic atmosphere Caleb hoped for. Although they were mated, he wanted her to be his in every sense of the word. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box containing a material symbol of his love for her. He looked down into the face of his mate, and he was overcome with love for her. It seemed like he’d known this woman his entire life, and he never wanted to let her go.

  “Miranda, you know that I love you with all of my heart and soul and we’re mated.

  I know that you plan on marrying me in the human way, but I wanted to do the proper thing and ask.”

  Miranda’s eyes widened in surprise as he kneeled, bringing him almost face-to-face with his mate. A tear fell down her cheek, and he longed to lick it away.

  “Miranda, will you marry me?”

  She practically attacked him, taking him to the ground, her mouth fusing with his.

  He could feel her tears fall onto his own cheeks. Caleb fell back onto the soft, moss-covered forest floor and pulled his beloved with him. He clasped his hands on her face, holding her still for his return onslaught. His thumbs wiped her tears as they fell, and he gloried in his possession of her. Miranda pulled away and looked down at him, her face overcome by the biggest smile he’d ever seen.

  “So is that a yes?”

  Miranda laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “Of course, you wonderful man! I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Over the past few days, she’d tirelessly trained to defeat a cougar. Learning their weaknesses and taking advantage of her strengths. Caleb was terrified, but he did not intend to allow this challenge to happen. Just as he’d told her father, she came first and always would. He just hoped the pride understood. After losing his parents, he realized how quickly those one loved could disappear. He was not ready to lose the most important person in the world to him.

  Caleb slipped the ring on her finger, thinking the simple silver band with the emerald inset was perfect for her. Miranda looked at the ring and then kissed him again. He looked at his watch after she moved on to nibble his throat. He groaned when he realized they needed to head back. The challenge would occur in a little over an hour, and he wanted Miranda there early so she did not suspect anything.

  “Miranda, baby, it’s time to go.” He barely kept from groaning when she

  stopped nibbling at his mating bite.

  Miranda laid her head on his chest, and he held her for a few more precious moments. “I’m scared, Caleb.”

  He’d heard her say those words for the past few days, and each time was like a kick to his gut. It was his job to keep her safe and free of fear, but in this, he’d failed. He closed his eyes and sent up a prayer, something he’d not done since his parents’ deaths. He’d lost faith, and the woman in his arms had given it back to him.

  “Fear is a good thing, Miranda; it keeps you vigilant and will help you to win. You would be a fool or crazy not to be scared, sweetheart. I’m scared too.”

  “You’ve told me that before,” she said, her voice muffled by his chest.

  Caleb laughed and popped her on the butt. She yelped and scrambled to her feet and he kissed her on the nose. He

  grabbed her hand, and she followed.

  “I guess you need to listen to me more often.” Caleb said.

  He looked back to see her sticking her tongue out at him. Caleb stopped

  abruptly, eliciting a gasp from her when he dipped her and sampled the little pink tongue she’d teased him with. Miranda was breathless, her cheeks full of color when he released her.

  “We don’t want to be late, sweetheart.

  Quit distracting me.”

  He was relieved to hear her tinkling laughter follow him. He hoped that she forgave him. The thought that this might be an act of betrayal crossed his mind, but he’d make her understand. He had to.

  ***

  Miranda stood patiently, no one privy to the inner turmoil she faced. On the outside, she watched quietly and waved as the various members of the pride made their way to the field that would become the children’s new playground. On the inside, it felt like a thousand butterflies were swarming her stomach. She was sure she would vomit, ending her facade of calm. Her mind screamed for her to run, and her feet itched to do so. Her body screamed for her to change into a tiny, insignificant mouse that no one could find.

  Why the hell am I doing this?

  Caleb embraced her from behind, and she breathed a sigh of relief. This is why.

  “Are you ready?” Caleb said his hand smoothing over her abdomen.

  Miranda thought back to the past few nights and their shared lovemaking. He’d made love to her almost desperately, and Miranda couldn’t get enough. She knew it was due to her heat, but she also believed it was, in some part, due to the uncertainty of today. Now she wondered if their marathon lovemaking sessions had created something more. Miranda placed her hand over Caleb’s and squeezed.

  “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready.”

  Caleb dipped his head to nibble on her neck and ear. Strangely, it helped to soothe instead of arouse.

  “It’s time,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. Miranda nodded and allowed him to leave her to take his place in the center of the circle the pride had made.

  “Welcome. I know you have all

  gathered here to see the outcome of the challenge Brenna made against my mate, Miranda. I’m afraid I can’t let that happen-”

  Miranda gasped at his words and

  attempted to step forward, but Brenna was there, her crystalline-blue eyes spitting blue flames.

  “I have officially challenged her, and you can’t stop it, alpha or not!”

  Miranda was taken aback by her

  vehemence. It was as if she were spoiling for a fight. Miranda wasn’t sure where Caleb was going with this.

  “I am your alpha now, so you’ll listen.”

  Caleb’s eyes glowed and his claws

  extended. Brenna crossed her arms and regarded him like a bug she wished to squash. Something surprising awoke in Miranda, something she’d never felt before – pure white hot rage surged through her veins. It demanded that she crush Brenna for speaking to her mate in such a

  manner. Miranda walked slowly, listening to every word her mate spoke.

  “I will not allow my mate to be

  challenged to a fight that might result in her death. Therefore, I am officially resigning as alpha of this pride, effective immediately, because I can’t bear the thought of losing her.”

  Brenna’s face split into a smile, and Miranda itched to slap it from her face.

  “I can’t allow you to do that, Cal
eb. This pride needs you, and that bitch does not deserve to be alpha female. You will not forfeit this fight because I challenge her.”

  Miranda’s voice was strong, and it

  surprised her. On the inside, she still trembled like a leaf. Miranda noticed Zackary running to Caleb but disregarded him, focusing on her prey. This must be what predators feel like. The thought made Miranda smile.

  Miranda was startled when Caleb’s voice sounded, bringing her focus away from her prey.

  “It has come to my attention that a challenge may be fought in human or animal form, as preferred by the alpha.

  Therefore, it is my decision that Miranda and Brenna fight as humans.”

  Brenna shot a murderous look to

  Miranda and her crystalline blue eyes faded to the pale yellow of her cat.

  It was time for a game of cat and

  mouse.

  Miranda took her place opposite Brenna and thanked the heavens for her choice of dress. She’d dressed in a pair of loose cotton pants and fitted tank top with the thought of easily burrowing out of her clothing when she changed into a mouse.

  Caleb gave the signal and then they danced, each circling the other. Her heart beat heavily in her chest and, with it, came the adrenaline. She watched as Brenna became angrier with each passing second and decided to exploit it.

  Brenna came fast, grabbed Miranda

  landed a punch to her flank before she was able to break her hold. Miranda breathed through the pain and waited. She didn’t have long to wait because Brenna grabbed a handful of her hair and forced Miranda to her knees.

  Miranda groaned in pain as her knees hit the ground, her eyes watering from the impact. She scrambled to her feet quickly and decided to become the aggressor. She ran at Brenna and dodged at the last minute, barely missing the fist that Brenna swung. Miranda crouched down and

  punched Brenna’s knees. She growled as she stumbled but remained upright.

  Miranda didn’t turn in time to dodge the foot that shoved her to the ground, and then Brenna was there. Brenna’s knee held her down between her shoulder

  blades, and she bent, her breath bathing Miranda’s ear.

  Miranda breathed deep, and Brenna’s scent became clear as her mind put all the pieces together.

  “It was you!” Miranda said, trying to get out from under Brenna.

  “What are you babbling about?”

  “You took Gunner.”

  “Oh that? Yeah, I took that brat and hid him. I was supposed to find him and gain Caleb’s favor, but, no, you had to stick your nose where it didn’t belong!”

  “He could’ve been hurt!” Brenna

  laughed, and Miranda struggled harder.

  “Since you’re about to die, I don’t think it will matter that you know this either.”

  Brenna pressed her lips against Miranda’s ear, yanking her head back by her hair.

  Miranda grimaced at the pain. “I killed Caleb’s parents.”

  Miranda looked over to find Caleb being held back by several males of the pride.

  Miranda thought back to the sadness that flitted over her beloved’s face each time the subject of his parents arose.

  Miranda went lax beneath Brenna’s

  weight, and she allowed her rage free rein. Brenna was a murderer and a threat to the pride. Her pride. Miranda let out a yell as she lifted her head fast, slamming into Brenna’s face. Brenna let out a surprised wail and fell backwards.

  Miranda scrambled to her feet quickly and turned to grab her by her hair. She slammed Brenna’s head on the ground, oddly satisfied with the sickening thud it made. Brenna screamed, and Miranda did it again. She left her bleeding as she turned to address Caleb.

  “She stole Gunner and placed him within the mine! She killed—”

  “It’s not over yet, you bitch!”

  At the yell, Miranda turned to face Brenna and saw the change beginning. It was like slow motion watching Brenna’s features change from that of an angry woman to that of a cougar in midair as she jumped. Miranda threw her arms in front of her and willed herself to change. She knew she’d never move in time. I wish I could tell Caleb goodbye.

  Chapter 20

  “She stole Gunner and placed him within the mine! She killed—”

  “It’s not over yet, you bitch!”

  Their words rang through Essence’s ears, and she lost control. The change was upon her, and she watched as Brenna took her cougar form, heading straight for Miranda’s throat. However, Brenna wasn’t fast enough. Essence jumped over the already shifting Miranda and rammed the larger cougar in her side. Brenna’s cougar was larger than her own, but a mother cougar was nothing to mess with. She fell to the ground, only to jump back up, hissing at her. Essence growled low in her throat as her cougar took over, demanding that it ensure the safety of her kitten. Essence agreed wholeheartedly and clawed the larger cougar down her side.

  The cougar yelped in pain and

  attempted to claw at Essence’s smaller cougar frame. She used her distraction to clamp her jaws around the larger cougar’s throat. It could taste the blood as her teeth pierced the larger cat’s throat. Her cougar purred in encouragement, and Essence exerted pressure.

  “Stop!” Caleb’s deep authoritative voice stopped her cougar from taking the life of the female who’d risked her kitten’s safety and life. He approached, and it growled, warning him back from her kill.

  “Shh, Essence. I know your cougar side is demanding retribution, but let her go.

  Don’t stoop to her level, Essence. Gunner is safe, okay?”

  The smaller cougar shook her head to clear the feeling of rage from her mind.

  She packed it away with other things she couldn’t deal with and released the larger cougar, pacing back and forth while Caleb checked on it. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed.

  “Hi, Wesley Chambers? Good. No, I do not have any information, but my pride has a bit of a problem, and we need a cop who won’t freak out about shifters. Yeah, I have some cops here, but this needs to be someone not in the pride. I have a pride member who just confessed to

  kidnapping. Thanks.”

  ***

  Wesley hung up his cellphone and

  cursed. Couldn’t a man get one day off?

  Something must be happening that would preclude the human authorities from getting involved. Caleb had said a kidnapping. What the hell was going on in that pride?

  He couldn’t very well go traipsing onto cougar territory without backup. He had no reason to distrust Caleb, but some things one always remembered. Wesley flipped through his contacts as he absently rubbed the scar on his right flank and finally chose Daphne Montgomery, one of the wolf shifters that worked in his department.

  “Hey, Daphne, I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but we’ve got a situation over in the Cougar Creek community. The alpha called in for someone to pick up a

  kidnapper. I’m not too keen on the details, but I’m heading out to check on it. Can you come with me as backup?”

  “Sure. Let me tell my brother and I’ll meet you there. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great, Daph. Tell Elias I said hi.”

  “Will do, Teddy Bear,” Daphne said, and Wesley growled. Daphne’s tinkling

  laughter floated across the receiver, and Wesley hung up. He shook his head at her crazy sense of humor.

  Wesley sighed as he straightened up the stack of papers he had strewn across his kitchen table. The arson case at Miranda Sullivan’s rental house confused him.

  Caleb was well loved, not only in the community but also in his pride, and Miranda had lived here only briefly before she’d met Caleb. She’d not been in Pinewood Creek long enough to make

  enemies. Unless one counted the suitors that would be pissed that Caleb had found his mate. Wesley climbed into his SUV and drove to Cougar Creek.

  ***

  Caleb turned to Miranda, who looked up at him from her mouse form. Essence forced the cougar side of her to allow her b
ack at the forefront of consciousness and she nudged Miranda with her nose, and Miranda squeaked. Caleb reached down and held the little mouse that was Miranda close to his chest.

  “You weigh the same as when you’re

  human,” Caleb said, and Essence chuffed her amusement. She turned to growl at larger cat as she rose, warning her to stay down.

  Miranda squeaked in distress then began to change. Essence watched as the mouse that would fit into a teacup became the petite brunette who’d found her son. Caleb instantly claimed her lips, and her cougar demanded turned to watch a female she wished to kill. Her cougar demanded the larger female die for placing its kitten in danger. But the alpha had given an order, and Essence was trying to get her cougar to follow it without question.

  ***

  Miranda surfaced from the kiss and

  noticed she was naked in the middle of the pride. She knew her cheeks flamed, but she couldn’t worry about that now.

  Miranda cupped Caleb’s cheeks as she prepared to tell him the news. She loathed doing so, but she knew he needed to know, and Brenna needed to be brought to justice. She wasn’t sure what the

  punishment was for killing a pride member, much less the pride alpha and his alpha female. Death was too lenient a

  punishment for the cold-blooded bitch that had killed her mate’s parents.

  “Caleb, she killed them,” Miranda

  whispered.

  He looked at her in confusion, his whole body tense. He understood her words but would not acknowledge them as true.

  Caleb set her on her feet and looked down into her eyes.

  “Brenna admitted to killing your

  parents.”

  Caleb shot one murderous glance toward Brenna before he looked back at Miranda, his inner turmoil and rage evident within his golden brown eyes.