by Ruby Madden
“I don’t hide behind a female,” Sahr said, short. “I took his female. I will face him.”
Norelle’s hands crept to her hips. “You took me? So I’m not a person with autonomy who listened to your reasonable explanation of why you wanted me to visit, and then made the choice to come? How is that taking me? Why do males always talk like females are booty to be passed around?”
“I apologize,” the Lion said, drawing himself up to his full height, the picture of injured dignity. “I did not mean to imply you are weak, or a thing to be toyed with. But it is the nature of a male to protect the female he values. And it is the nature of males that we must answer to one another when we overstep our boundaries.”
Norelle shook her head, but knew it was pointless to get into a discussion on relative feminism. She wasn’t going to change his nature, or Cass’, anytime soon.
***
She met Cassius outside when he pulled up in a sedate, but shiny, black sedan. She knew it was him because of the mafia tint on the windows. Boden roared up the street a bare minute later.
“What, so you need a posse?” she asked when Cass exited.
He still wore his office attire, slacks and a business shirt sans jacket and tie, cuffs rolled up. He strolled towards her, expression pleasant, hands in his pockets.
“Boden wanted to watch the show,” he said.
Norelle stiffened. “There will be no show. There is a child here who is grieving the loss of her mother.” The details of which Norelle was unsure of, but she could read between the lines. Anger, silent sadness. The mother was gone, whether through death or some other cause.
Cassius studied her. “I understand. However, I have to point out that in our world, Sahr appropriating you for his own purposes presents a problem.”
She scowled. “We are shifters. Not mobsters. Don’t use me as an excuse to engage in your pointless dominance games.”
He approached, kissing her forehead. “Of course not. I would never engage in a dominance game with anyone but you.” Cassius looked over her shoulders, pleasantness thinning. “Sahr. We need to have a discussion, you and I. I thought we had an understanding, but I must have miscommunicated.”
Near silent footsteps. “Your female came at my insistence. You should not be angry with her.” Sahr's accent depended in relation to the waves of testosterone wafting from the males.
“Oh, I know exactly who’s to blame.”
Norelle’s fingers pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Is this the male who took my sister?” Boden said, striding up, a growl in his voice. She stared at him in disbelief. Her playboy brother who took nothing serious, angry?
“You know what- the best punishment I can think of is to let you Neanderthals fight it out, right here in the front yard, like the behemoths you are. I’m going inside to eat my steak.”
Cassius’ eyes flickered. “Steak?”
“Medium rare and perfectly seasoned with a side of double crisped pommes frites.”
“That’s a fancy way of saying French fries,” Boden said. “Hey, can we hurry up and fight so we can eat? You made one for me, right, sis?”
Cass' hands withdrew from their pockets. She shook her head. He was actually going to do this. Turning on her heels, she met Sahr's half amused, half sympathetic gaze.
“It must be done,” the Lion said, voice kind. “Otherwise he would be seen as weak. And no territory can be managed if its Alpha is seen as weak.”
Which reminded her. She whirled back to Cass, stabbing a finger into his chest. “And we are going to have a talk about this Alpha shit. You could get in serious trouble. Big cities are supposed to be neutral territories!”
“Run inside and fix your brother a steak, Norelle. We Neanderthals have business.”
She stared at him a long moment, lip curling over a fang. Turning to go back inside, she yelped as a strong hand connected with her ass. Cass slid an arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.
“And don’t think,” he growled in her ear, “that I’m not looking forward to that talk when we get home.”
Except the scent coming off him wasn’t anger... her clit pulsed in anticipation.
“Eeew,” Boden said. “I can’t pretend you two are just platonic friends if you shove your mating scents under my nose.”
“Shut up, Boden,” Norelle snapped, squirming. Deliberately rubbing her ass against Cass' cock. His breath sucked in, flesh hardening.
Good. Let him suffer.
***
Norelle entered the house, Asha standing just inside the door, eyes wide.
“Is there going to be a fight?” she asked.
Norelle's heart skipped a beat. The forlorn quality in the child’s voice... she sank to her knees, opening her arms to the little girl. Marveling again, as the child cuddled on her shoulder, at the sudden turn her life had taken.
“Males fight each other sometimes, sweetheart. They think they have to protect us and they have issues communicating like civilized people.”
“Well, can’t we tell them to stop?”
Norelle sighed. What could she say? It was a facet of their nature that would always be present. Shifters were primal in a way humans just weren't. And if it had been Norelle defending a cub, for instance, she'd be fighting, too. So she understood the urge of the Bear- or Lion- to guard a claim on a loved one.
“I want to see.”
Norelle pulled back a little. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. A Bear and a Lion fighting won’t be fun to watch.”
Asha’s lip curled, brown eyes lightening to amber. “I want to see. I’m not a baby.”
Okaaay. Norelle hesitated, but... the girl was a predator. And Norelle had seen her share of fights between Bears growing up.
“Alright, but if you want to come inside, you let me know right away, okay?”
“Okay. They have to hurry up so dinner doesn’t get cold.”
***
His shoulders swelled, Bear’s anger fueling the beginning shift.
“This isn't personal,” Cass said, voice deepening. He tried to hold his temper- he'd always prided himself on cool control. Logical thinking. A lack of emotion in the face of hysterical enemies.
But he found himself wanting nothing more than to roar and rend flesh with claws and teeth. Sahr had taken his female- no matter if the stubborn wench had facilitated the taking- against his very clear instructions. He couldn’t let the affront stand. Especially when it had taken all his strength to remain laid back, low key. Not pressure Norelle into a mating she wasn't ready for. Not stalk the members of the Council and threaten to wring their necks and plunder their finances if they didn't give his female some assurances.
“I understand,” Sahr replied, cool though courteous. Cass appreciated courtesy- they were not beasts, after all. But the Lion’s lip pulled back over an elongated incisor, responding to Cass' aggression. “Please believe, at any other time I would not have trespassed. But my niece means more to me than the traditional courtesy between males.”
Fine. So no matter how unnecessary, how irrational it may be- the fight would be on. His Bear demanded no less.
The shift rippled through his muscles. He hadn’t yet revealed to Norelle that he was a natural born Alpha- there were ways he could mask his nature. But the nature drove him, drove him to claim Seattle as an informal Territory- not Den, because it didn't feel like family. He expected that at some point in the future Sahr would want a piece of the pie. Right now the Lion was focused on mating, so Cass had time to make arrangements. Arrangements he was looking forward to. Truth be told, he was tired of handling the miscellaneous issues of a city of misfit shifters. Another Alpha in town would lessen the burden. Especially since he now had an almost mate, and soon a family, to nurture.
“What are the stakes?” Sahr asked.
Cass watched as long lean muscles emerged from human flesh, the male bending, face elongating.
/> “No stakes- just fight,” Cass growled, then his ability to speak vanished.
But he'd seen the gleeful light in Lion eyes- knew the male understood. This fight would be a chance for them to allow their beasts to play- and may the best male walk away with minimal limping.
Cass rose high on hind legs, rumbling, ten feet and six hundred pounds of enraged male. Not caring if the entire block of humans heard him. The fiery roar of a Lion king echoed his wordless challenge a split second later.
He charged.
***
Norelle's breath caught. She wanted to snatch Asha away, as fascinating as it was to watch the two massive, powerful beasts ram into each other. A little of her tension drained. She knew by watching the subtle shift of movements that this was not a serious fight. Oh, not that it couldn't end in injury, or even death if blood lust overtook one or the other. But their intentions were more along the lines of human males at fisticuffs. The real weapons were cautiously sheathed by mutual agreement.
“He's big,” Asha said.
Norelle glanced down at the wide eyed girl. “They're both big.” She winced when the force of Sahr's tackle took Cass to the ground, the shockwave traveling through concrete and vibrating under her feet on the stone steps.
Teeth snapped, claws slashed. The males made loud noises that in the wild would have sent atavistic terror down her spine. Bark shattering as Cass threw the Lion against a tree. A dent on a car- God, she hoped it belonged to a Lion and not a human- as the males crashed into it, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders.
Blood was spilled. Inevitable. Bright crimson drops on the pavement. The blood changed Asha's mood from cautious fascination to instant fear. It pissed Norelle off.
“Go inside,” she said quietly, voice firm. “I’m going to make them stop this stupidity right now.”
The girl wasn’t stupid. “Are you going to shift?” she asked Norelle, clutching the older female's hand. “You'll get hurt.”
“I'm a really big, nasty Bear, honey. And neither of the males wants to hurt me.”
“Because you can make cubs,” Asha replied, matter-of-fact. “Okay. I'll go set the table. And get some bandages out.”
Norelle waited until the girl's steps faded into the kitchen before making short work of shucking her clothing. She resolutely ignored the humans standing a comical distance away. Winced when she saw the flash of a cell. Damn. But she wasn’t about to posture and rip through her clothing in a melodramatic shift.
Her shifts were always smooth- she was the same blood as her brother, after all. And though she wasn't considered an Alpha because of her gender, his strengths were also hers. So when she stood on her hind legs, glossy fur gleaming in the sunlight, her roar also shook the neighborhood.
A car alarm went off, a dog yapping frantically in the background. The males broke apart, startled enough to leave each other be. She nearly shattered the sidewalk when she dropped her full weight to her paws, and charged.
Sahr was smart. He slinked out of her way, all liquid cat grace. Cass growled at her, displeased, and met her head on.
Alright. He wanted a fight? She would give him a fight.
Their arms locked around each other, Cass' fangs snapping in her face a hairs breath from her neck. She twisted, attempting to throw his larger size off, using the strength of her knee and meaty paws to pummel him.
Stubborn male. Arrogant male. Treating her like she was a doll, or a prize to be won, or a delicate piece of glass. Let him experience the sharp edge of her claws then maybe he'd learn some respect.
Just because she was a lady, didn’t mean she was weak.
He pinned her to the ground, a sneaky move that took advantage of a split second of distraction when a shaggy haired teenager braved the fight to come close enough to snap several pics on his phone.
The damn video would probably go viral.
The paws on her shoulders began to morph back to human. She followed suit, her body aching with the refreshing tired of a good workout. Adrenaline spent, ready to eat and have a nice, long nap. As he rose, standing naked over her, she changed her mind about the nap.
“Goddamn, Norelle,” he swore, snapping his head away as another person approached, relaxing when he realized it was Boden. Her brother tossed her neatly folded pile of clothing at Cass. “I could have hurt you.”
Norelle stretched, back arching as she reveled, briefly, in her nudity. Air and sunlight on her bare skin, birds beginning to sing again now that the predators were- apparently- gone.
“Man, Relle, put some clothes on,” Boden complained from several feet away.
She grabbed her outfit and dressed, quickly. Unabashed. She wasn't human- being naked in public didn't bother her. There was nothing sexual or taboo about nudity. Boden spent too much time around non-shifters. She’d have to talk to their mother about that.
“You couldn’t have hurt me,” she said to Cass, strolling past him as she finished the waist tie of her blouse.
“Can I have my steak now?” he asked behind her, voice mournful.
CHAPTER
11
“So what exactly did that display solve?” Norelle inquired when they were all at the table. Well, not all because the table wasn’t big enough. Boden was happy to sprawl on the wood floors with his plate, the females taking the table with Sahr, Cass and Laban.Looking around, she admitted shifters weren't quite sane.
Cassius' eyes widened. “Oh, I don’t know that it was meant to solve anything, exactly.”
“Hey, bright side,” Boden said. “That could qualify as his official mating fight- won’t have to Challenge Liam for you, now.”
She paused, fork halfway to her mouth, giving Boden a baleful look. “I hope you're both prepared for all the publicity tomorrow.”
“Hmm. Free publicity is good publicity,” Cass replied. “The marketing department could use a bit of fun.”
Always the pragmatist.
When they were alone in the car, Cass asked, “Are you going to see the princess again?”
Norelle bit her lip. If she said yes, that would tell him a lot about her intentions. Towards them, towards being in Seattle.
“I think I will. It will be good practice for adopting our own.”
His hand squeezed her knee. “Excellent practice. Let’s plan the trip back to the Den, get strings tied up there. Then we can think about… future stuff. Okay?”
She nodded, heart in her throat. “Okay.”
***
The trees looked shriveled, streets empty of life. He almost expected to see a dust bush roll through main street. Yup, almost noon.
“Where is everyone?” Cass asked Norelle.
She glanced at him, turning another familiar corner. She’d insisted on driving, and since he was used to Emil anyway- he hadn’t objected. And it gave him the freedom to… sightsee. Was this place really where he’d come from?
“It’s lunchtime,” she said. “Everyone is inside. In a few minutes, people will start hurrying back to work, traffic will pick up again. Then you get the second lunch rush- the stay at home moms.”
“Please tell me you have meat on your menu.”
The first place she’d wanted to go upon hitting town was her restaurant. He understood; if it were his business he’d been forced to take an extended stay from, he’d be impatient to return as well.
They pulled up outside a tall brick building on the heart of the trendier side of downtown- just a block from the least trendy part. Expansion didn’t seem to be on the minds of the city planners. He studied the restaurant, occupying the corner slot, either side of the wall one sheet of glass, the sign made of reclaimed wood and burned out lettering.
Norelle slammed the door in her haste to get out of the car, nearly running to the front door. He followed more slowly, scowling at her back when the front door almost swung into him.
“Norelle.”
She paused, wide dark eyes bright with
impatience.
“The restaurant isn’t going anywhere.” And then something occurred to him, as he glanced at the seated patrons. The place bustled with a mid-afternoon hum. And several eyes were on him. The steady, luminescent eyes of… shifters.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. Hmm. Stared at the Bears staring at him. The kitchen door opened, a tall male in a white chef coat striding out. Tall, broad shoulders, personality swirling around him like a cloud of viscous goo ready to suck in the unwary. Cass’ Bear stiffened, then relaxed. The male grinned, and he had Norelle’s smile.
“She told me you were coming,” Liam Conroy said, holding out a hand. “It’s been a long time. Sit down, have some lunch.”
“I don’t really eat vegetables,” Cass said.
The Alpha laughed. “Oh, we have plenty of protein on the menu. Norelle will be back out in a minute. She’s-” Liam winced. A female voice rose in the kitchen, degrading the quality of sauce. “Well. Obviously herself.”
“She didn’t like being away. It hurt her.”
Liam studied him for a moment. “No? She didn’t seem that homesick to me. Here, April will seat you. I have to go rein her in before the staff revolts.”
***
She didn’t say much to Liam besides a muttered, “Hey,” when she brushed past him into the kitchen. She’d meant to say more- meant to apologize. But the godawful smell of burning sauce assaulted her nose. Obviously Liam needed her here if this was the quality of food the staff would put out without her keeping them in check. Her brother was too soft.
Shoulders straightened as she took charge, snapping orders, tasting food. Sliding back onto the line with a familiarity that… well. She was happy to be back. But the huge, crushing relief she’d expected to feel was absent. She felt at home, but the drive through downtown lacked the vibrancy of the Seattle streets. Before her home had seemed quiet and cozy. Now it just seemed empty.
“Norelle.”
The feminine voice, wary, pricked her temper. Norelle turned. Met gold flecked green eyes. Meredith’s red curls were pulled back in a messy bun. Norelle couldn’t see any noticeable baby bump, but then the human wore a baby doll styled sweater with cute little cap sleeves, and leggings underneath.
