“Go ahead. If any of those girls are going with you, don’t let them drive. I think some of them are smashed. I’ll have to talk to Tony about how much alcohol he’s serving to people because no way should a whyr be drinking that much.” Logan opened his arms for her.
She hugged him and moved into the crowd. After she’d passed a few tables, she swung toward the restrooms. She’d hide there until he left. Now, to wait to see if the plan worked.
Logan would have to get close enough to John for him to catch the scent. She couldn’t control that. Damn it! If it didn’t work, she’d think of something else. No way was she going to his house if he played the tomcat up until the day he met her.
* * * *
John turned away from the polished dark wood bar. A small band played and couples danced on the stamp-sized dance floor. The scent of beer and whiskey hung in the air.
Maybe he should pick up a woman. He grimaced and shook his head. Better not. He’d never hear the end of it. His brothers had bitched about the women he’d had in the house since they’d returned home. He exhaled. They didn’t understand and showed zero sympathy for him. His cat clawed at him. He barely slept, and every day he had to resist the urge to drive and begin searching. He had to find her.
On the other hand, it wasn’t only the lack of his mate that caused lack of sleep. Uneasiness churned in his gut. Something big was going to happen in town. The poisoning case wasn’t finished. The person behind it roamed the streets and schemed. The ultimate goal still remained a mystery. They would catch the bastard behind it. He had to protect this city.
The two different drives would eventually rip away the last of his sanity. The city needed every officer. He had to stay until they took care of this problem. His heart pounded, and he clenched his fist. He’d stay for as long as he could, but at some point, he’d have to leave, travel, and keep moving until he found his woman.
In a couple years, he’d be a hundred years old. Every one of those years weighed on him. Was his mate human or was she whyr? Was she safe? He ran his hand over his jaw. Can’t get into that line of thinking right now, or I will go crazy.
“Logan’s finally here. I guess he couldn’t convince Tony or Chloe to come along with him.” Jason’s voice sounded above the thrum of the music.
“Yeah, you three haven’t exactly had much success with telling her what to do lately.” John laughed. Those big bears might be frustrated at times, but still happiness rolled off them. He would create that future for himself and his brothers. All that was missing was their mate.
“Ever since she decided that we could try for a baby immediately, she’s had the support of every female in all our families. We make her happy, or we have all of them on us about why she isn’t.” Jason grinned.
Clearly, that didn’t upset him at all.
“And she hasn’t gotten pregnant yet?” Archer leaned against the bar.
“No, she went to one of our doctors and talked to him even though we haven’t been trying that long. Apparently, it’s not that strange for conception to take a while for a human who’s newly changed.” Jason shrugged. “We told her to relax. We’d continue practicing for as long as it took to make it happen.”
“That true?” John turned to Judge, who stood nursing a beer at the bar. Having a doctor in the family was good for questions like this.
“Yeah, if they conceive before their body is ready, they’ll have a miscarriage.” Judge lowered the beer. “Four months is usually about what it takes most women.”
John winced. A couple human colleagues’ wives had gone through that. The depression and defeat cloaked them for months, if not longer. Fuck, no one should have to go through that.
Logan edged into the space between Jason and John. He didn’t say a word, just waved to the bartender, and waited.
John turned to the man. “So, Tony busy at the bar?”
He inhaled. A faint hint of some fragrance tickled at his nose. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. Every sense sharpened, and the cougar roused. Some scent mixed with that of the big male. He leaned closer to Logan. What is that?
“Yeah, he’s still trying to decide who to hire. There are a couple of candidates who are good, but have much the same qualifications.” Logan lifted his shoulder. His muscles bunched, and he turned to John. “What are you doing?”
“There’s a fragrance on you.” John inhaled deeply. “I think you bumped into my mate.”
He pulled in more of the air around the bear, trying to filter through the smells coming off the big man. One scent burst through him, clear and strong. That was his mate. He straightened. Now, he only needed her name.
“I bumped into a lot of damn cats. There seemed to be more than the usual amount of wobbly female cats at the bar. I swear half of them ran into me, fell on me, or were pulled off me. I think Chloe came close to losing control. One of her friends held her arm as I approached.” Logan shook his head.
“Really?” Archer stalked up next to John. Anticipation and eagerness rang in his voice.
“It’s her, but apparently, we’re not going to have much help finding out who she is.” John nodded.
Judge strolled up and leaned close to Logan. He sniffed and straightened. The bear stiffened abruptly.
“You need to back off now, cats. My bear and I are pretty much in agreement that cats suck.” Logan’s clenched teeth distorted his voice.
“And as he said, Chloe doesn’t share. She didn’t go after the girls, but I’m pretty sure that she wouldn’t mind batting you three around.” Jason laughed.
“Yeah, and she could come up with a lynch mob. I think one of them is down on men right now, because they were drinking toasts to the downfall of all man-whores.” Logan grinned.
John, Archer, and Judge backed away from him. Logan relaxed and leaned against the bar.
Archer laughed. “I can name one man-whore that they can come after if they want to.”
“Who is he?” Jason asked.
“This man.” Archer pointed to John. “Do you know what we came home to? After a year away in two different cities, hoping to find our mate?”
“So what did you discover when you came home?” Logan turned and leaned back against the bar once he received a cold beer from the bartender.
“The house smelled like stale sex and beer.” Archer rolled his eyes. “He’d apparently shagged half the female population in our home.”
“You’re exaggerating.” John rolled his eyes. So he brought a few women home with him. What was the big deal? “And really, shagged? You’ve been watching too much television.”
“Don’t you know that you don’t bring a female who isn’t your mate into your den?” Jason shook his head. “Would you like to move into a place with your woman and wonder how many men she’s had in that house?”
John growled. Everyone had a past. He didn’t begrudge her hers. But staying in a place where she’d had sex with another man? Not happening.
Fuck. He stared at the floor. That put everything in a different light. Archer and Judge had been right. They had a reason to be so upset with him.
“I see a remodeling venture in your future.” Jason lifted his bottle in salute. “Better hurry on that. You never know when you’ll come across your mate. And believe me, the first days after scenting your mate are hard enough, but being on an uncertain timeline to get things done would make it harder.”
“Well, it’s not as if we’re starting from the point where it was when we first got home. We managed to get through to him that having the house in that state wouldn’t offer a good impression if we did chance to find her soon. We started off with the bedroom. Everything except the carpet is gone from there.” Judge crossed his arms over his chest.
“And that’s going next along with the carpet and couch from the living room.” Archer glanced at John as if in challenge.
“The chair there and the kitchen table need to go, too. Plus, we need to put a new floor the kitchen and get another countertop
.” John nodded and heaved a sigh. The projects expanded with each moment. They’d have to do it quickly, because he would find his mate. It might be a big goal, but he wouldn’t shy away from it.
“Going to have to redo the entire house?” Logan lifted an eyebrow. “It might be easier to move.”
“I like my house. I’m not concerned about easier.” John smiled. It was home. Where they’d raise their children.
“Yeah, it has memories, and over the last few years we’ve made it ours.” Archer downed the last of his beer. “I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else either. Unless she absolutely won’t be able to be happy there, then, I’ll happily move wherever she needs to.”
“Did you get your car checked out, bro?” Judge glanced at John and took the beer the bartender handed him.
“What’s wrong with your car?” Logan turned back.
“The brakes went out as I was backing down the driveway. I took out a brick planter that was built along one side. Although, if they had to go out, I’d rather them go out there than on the road.” John sighed. His back bumper had a bit of a dent, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed along with the brakes.
“I heard the crash as I prepared to leave. The car and the planter suffered the only damage. John’s grumpiness assured me the crash hadn’t done too much damage when I tried to assess him for injuries.” Judge grinned.
“I called Eddie’s Garage, and he came to pick up the car. He said he could probably get to it early tomorrow morning.” John finger-combed his hair. Those damn brakes shouldn’t have gone out. He’d used the car the day before, and the brakes had worked fine on the way home. No catching, no whining or grating, and no long distance to stop.
“Good. There’s something a little off there. You had your car serviced recently. I remember you mentioning it right before I came back to Casworth.” Archer nodded.
“So what have you two been up to since you came back?” Logan glanced at Archer.
“I’ve been checking up on my business. Setting up a branch office meant that I didn’t have a lot of time for the day-to-day here. My managers are good, but I want to go over everything myself to make sure.” Archer sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
Archer had spent numerous late nights going over the books of his computer systems and tech security business. He focused primarily on businesses, but did jobs for a few individuals. On a few days, Archer had worked from home to meet with the delivery men. They’d all have to rotate taking that duty in the next few days.
John turned back and signaled for another beer. Maybe he’d call his parents sometime soon. If they’d told him about keeping women who weren’t a mate out of the den, he’d missed it. They had to talk in case some other necessary information slipped by.
“I’ve been busy at the hospital and setting up a practice here. Plus, helping deal with the house, which has become a much larger task.” Judge sighed. “But there were a few things that I’d wanted to redo, as well. Now, I have a chance to do that.”
“Orthopedics, right?” Jason frowned.
“Yes.” Judge smiled.
“Is your office set up yet?” Jason asked.
“Almost. I’m waiting for a couple pieces of equipment to come in. The staff is hired for my office, but I might be forming a group practice with a family practitioner. One of my friends from medical school might move here. I don’t know if it will come together. So at this point, it’s Dark Orthopedics.” Judge lifted a shoulder. “He has brothers who would move here, as well.”
“Three more men are suddenly off the market.” Logan glanced at John. “Do you have any regrets about that?”
“The only thing I regret is not knowing who she is. There might be things I need to do, but I want her with us now.” John growled low in his throat. Logan should have some idea. They’d had trouble finding Chloe.
“Yeah, from what your brothers said, I don’t think she’d be happy to be in your home at this point.” Jason smiled.
“We’ll get it done and make her happy.” John clenched his jaw. Even if they found her tonight, they’d find a way to do it.
Chapter Two
Another day in the job from hell. How much longer will I have to put up with this?
Leslie strolled around the floor. Her nonskid shoes squeaked on the gray marble tiles. She winced and pressed her arms to her thighs. Ughh. Damn new shoes. That noise killed her ears. If they weren’t part of the dress code, she wouldn’t wear them.
She paced through Dover’s housewares section. No obvious problem. No customer service agent overwhelmed with customers. No customer wandering around lost. She ambled toward furniture.
The hum of violins broke through the momentary silence. She clenched her teeth. If she could do her job as one of the floor managers without needing to hear something, she’d pop in some earplugs. They could at least change that looping music with the seasons.
Make sure the customers are happy and don’t give them an excuse. This job had become a nightmare. She couldn’t wait until her shift ended.
The soft murmur of conversation between a couple near a display drifted to her along with the astringent scent of the floor cleaner. A mother and two daughters ambled through the clothing section. They paused to take a few pairs of jeans from the racks. A few couples meandered through in appliances. A store employee stood nearby in each case, so they didn’t need help. She strolled around the edge of furnishings. One of the floor workers there helped a customer who stared at the beds.
She continued on, turning back to the front of the store. Better go check the cashiers. They might need a break or some help. Movement teased at the corner of her vision. What the… She twisted around.
The man from the furnishings section marched toward her. The male’s eyes fixed on her. She blinked. Did she know him? Normally, she’d remember meeting someone with that jaw and those broad shoulders. But maybe he wasn’t looking at her. She turned. No one behind her.
Maybe he needed some help. She faced him again. His eyes narrowed, brows drawn down over the hazel orbs. Not the sign of a happy man. Had the furnishings representative pissed him off? His long stride ate up the space between them, almost as if he was afraid she’d run. She took a deep breath and her muscles tensed. The urge was definitely there. She clenched her hands as her heartbeat kicked into a faster rhythm.
Fuck. His unbending stare bored into her. She locked her legs, fighting the warring urges. Run or swing at him. Either of those would lose her job. Not a good idea at this point.
“Can I help you, sir?” She forced her lips into a smile and resisted the impulse to bare her teeth at him in a hiss. He was just another customer, even if that stare did come off as aggressive. Fool probably didn’t even realize that holding a predator’s gaze for that long practically invited an attack.
“You. It’s you.” He stopped in front of her. His shoulders shifted beneath the shirt. Although his hands hung at his sides, tension kept them stiff.
She drew back a little. He better not mean what she thought he meant. She flexed her hands and purposely breathed through her mouth. Can’t catch his scent. Not here.
His dark blond hair was cut short, but thicker on top. A smile softened the lines of his chiseled face, but those eyes gleamed with burning intensity.
“Excuse me, sir.” She raised her brows. What did he mean? “Is there something you need?”
Please, let him not be a whyr. She would have crossed her fingers or toes if it would help. If he was, there wasn’t any doubt. The way he acted, he thought he knew her or he’d found his mate. And if he reacted to her, he was definitely a cougar. Probably John’s brother.
“Your scent. You’re our mate.” The man stepped forward.
Fuck. Why did he have to come upon her here? She took a deep breath. Was this just chance, or had the plan worked? No one had said anything about John in a while, but he could have become more circumspect. No word about John hunting his mate. She should have heard something.
“I can’t do this here.” She took a deep breath and cut her eyes to the left. Sure enough, a coworker stared at her. “I need this job.”
She couldn’t lose it now. She had classes to pay for. She couldn’t afford to have a break in pay. That would ruin everything. This place was a fucking nightmare, but she couldn’t get fired right now.
“You’re our mate.” The man frowned and stepped closer.
“I heard you, and I’m not denying it. The only thing I’m saying is that I can’t do it here. I’m working.” She held up a hand. He had to understand. This couldn’t turn into some scene. Not now.
A musky, earthy scent drifted to her. It hit her like a sledgehammer. Heat wrapped around her body. The urge to grab him pulsed through her, a fiery demand. Her palms itched to glide over his skin, explore every muscle and plane, and savor the heat.
So similar to John’s. Wild, a male musk with a rich, almost coffee note to it. Her breasts swelled, and her entire body tingled. She straightened and held perfectly still. Can’t push him to the ground and rub all over him. This wasn’t the place.
She clenched her fists. “I have to keep working.”
He looked around and apparently noticed the people watching them. “All right, I’ll let you keep working if you give me your name and agree to meet with us later.”
Her bunched muscles relaxed as the tension leached away. As long as she got back to her job soon, the talk shouldn’t cause a problem. Not that avoiding the issue today would solve anything. They’d probably find a reason to fire her sooner or later regardless of what she did.
“Leslie Morgan. I’ll meet you for dinner. Where do you want to meet?” She shifted from foot to foot and clasped her hands together. Hopefully, he wouldn’t take forever deciding.
“It’s nice to meet you, Leslie. I’m Archer Dark.” He smiled. “We’ll meet you at Mama Lucia’s at eight for dinner. Is that good for you?”
She nodded and held her breath. Come on, move. If he dragged this out, some weasel would run and tell that she was playing up to some customer. Or even worse, slacking off.
Catching Her Mates Page 2
