by Reina Torres
By the scent and sound of his footsteps, he could tell that Cage Gamble was the one invading his space.
“You sure you want to fight tonight?”
His bear snarled in the recesses of his mind.
“You know better than to ask that question.”
“Do I?” There wasn’t a hint of humor in Cage’s tone, but there was a bit of concern. “I don’t want you out there distracted.”
Conor had his old commander pinned to the wall, nearly lifting him off of his feet. “You better watch what you say to me right about now.”
“Okay, okay…”
Conor eased up, relaxing his hands at the sound of Maggie Gamble’s voice.
“Are you two going to behave or am I going to have to grab you both by your ears and put you in time out.”
Conor’s bear gave an appreciative growl at the woman’s words. Maggie may be Cage’s mate, but her straight forward, no nonsense, ‘I’ll kick your butt if you misbehave’ manner pleased them both.
“He doesn’t think I should fight tonight.”
Conor was well aware that his words had more than a little tone of petulance in them, but he was spoiling for a confrontation. He had extra energy to burn.
“I didn’t say he shouldn’t,” Cage pushed Conor’s hands down between them, freeing his shirt from Conor’s grasp. “I wanted to know if he should. He’s got his mind on other things tonight.”
Conor watched as Cage wrapped a possessive arm around his mate. It might have seemed like a casual display of affection to most people. Well, humans.
But they both understood the gesture. Even though Cage knew his friend would never try to take his mate, putting his arm around Maggie gave him an anchor to hold on to.
“You know I do.” Conor nodded at the couple. “I need to keep my mind off of the wait, or I’m likely to do some real damage to someone, or something. At least in the cage I know the rules. We know the rules.”
Even Maggie understood that the ‘we’ in his words referred to his bear. Maggie, more than any regular human mate, understood the danger that a shifter represented. After all, it was their wild nature that led them to be protective and yet demanding.
He watched as Maggie’s soothing touch eased the edge of Cage’s concern. Just the touch of her cheek to Cage’s shoulder cooled the barely contained fire inside the jaguar.
“When are we expecting her to arrive?”
“I,” Conor ground out the word through his clenched teeth, “am expecting her tonight. Likely after the fight.”
He saw Maggie’s smile and Cage’s seemingly blank expression. He knew his former leader well enough to know that he’d almost crossed a line with his tone in speaking to Cage’s mate. The bear inside didn’t care. He wanted it known that the only person meeting with Hollis tonight, was Conor. Leader or no leader, this was going to be the night.
He just… they just knew it.
Maggie stepped back first, sliding her hand over the corded muscles in Cage’s forearm. “Let’s give him some room, huh?”
He saw the man and the deadly cat change in a moment. Where Cage might have normally pushed his will onto Conor as a subordinate, the gentle touch of his mate had made all the difference.
That was what Conor wanted. Not just a woman to satisfy desires, but a soul so matched to his that they could be so integral to each other’s happiness that a touch could make the difference.
“Conor?”
Conor looked up and saw Cage watching him from the doorway.
“Just to remind you that you have a challenger out for blood tonight.”
Conor tried not to huff at the thought. “Really?”
“I told you about him the other day, but you were a little distracted. The Kodiak bear from Fairbanks.”
Conor shrugged. “Whatever.”
“Shifted, he has at least six or seven hundred pounds on you.”
The feral grin on Conor’s face was as much a release as the first rush of power through his veins.
“He better have more than that if he wants to play.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “It’s like a bunch of teenage boys posturing for a fight.”
“Teens,” Cage corrected his mate, “who could rip a man in half with a single yank.”
Maggie’s exaggerated sigh was filled with love. “Yes, baby. So strong…”
Cage followed her outside into the hallway and it wasn’t more than a moment before Conor heard her sigh and the sound of hands against her skin.
Any human would have been deaf to the sounds of elicit passion, but to a shifter they could have been standing beside him.
He knew they weren’t doing it on purpose. If he had a mate, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of her for long.
If… no, when.
He was meeting Hollis tonight.
He had to believe that it was possible that she was the one.
The bear inside of him bristled with anticipation.
He couldn’t wait to meet her, and heaven help anyone that tried to stand between them.
#
Hollis felt like she was going to climb out of her skin.
Since they’d driven over the bridge that took them onto the island that was Sylvan City, Hollis could barely sit still in her seat.
As Gerri steered her classic Model T onto a road that led into a forested area of the island, Hollis worried at the hem of her long blouse, her fingers alternately crumpling and then smoothing the fabric.
“What if he doesn’t like me?”
Reaching over from the driver’s seat, Gerri took her hand. “Trust me, sweetheart. I know what I’m doing.”
Nodding at the other woman’s words, Hollis leaned toward the window and looked outside at the passing rush of tall trees. “Are we getting close to the fight venue?”
“We’re making a little stop first.” Gerri’s voice was tinged with humor.
Hollis couldn’t help the little hitch in her breath. “Where?”
“Goodness.” Gerri gave her hand another squeeze and then returned her own to the steering wheel. “You’re really worried about this. And that’s why I decided to take a little side trip and introduce you to your new neighbors.”
That got her attention. “My new neighbors? You make it sound like this is a done deal.”
Gerri’s eyes met hers with a brow artfully arched in response. “I know it’s tough to ask you to have this kind of faith in me.”
“Well, I did get in your car without an argument.”
Gerri nodded, her lips curling in a smile. “True. But still, I wanted to ease your mind a bit. So, we’re going to visit a couple who I matched together.”
Clicking on her right-turn blinker, Gerri pulled onto a long dirt road that turned out to be a driveway.
“I sent a message to Boone when we made our stop for gas. He said one of the boys would be on the lookout for us.”
“Boys?” Hollis couldn’t help the slight tremble in her voice. “They have children?”
Before Gerri could answer, they made a slight turn to the side and Hollis saw a large wooden gate between two trees. When they grew closer, she could see that the gate and trees were actually part of a fence that was well hidden by the brush and shadows of the tall trees around them.
“Let’s see who came out to greet us!”
The gate swung inward and a young man peered around the edge before he stepped clear and waved.
Gerri slowed down and lowered her window. “Hey there. Cobb, is it?”
The young man’s smile broadened. “Yeah! That’s me! Hey Miss Wilder, good to see you again. Mom and Dad are waiting for you up at the house.”
Beside Hollis, Gerri paused and did a slight double take at his words. “Mom and Dad?”
Cobb scuffed his tennis shoe in the mossy undergrowth. “Looks like I spoiled half the surprise.”
Gerri motioned for him to come closer and when the young man was leaning on her open window frame, she raised herself up on the
seat and brushed a kiss on his cheek. “Congratulations, Cobb! I knew that Boone and Willa were working on the adoption.”
He shrugged and stepped back, his cheeks a warm red. “The courts didn’t even ask for a hearing and put through the adoptions, all six at one time.”
“Six!” Hollis’ shock was plain in her expression and voice. “All from the same family?”
Cobb shook his head and his hair fell forward into his face. “Dad… Boone found us on the streets and gave us a home. You really should head up to the house. I know you’re on a schedule.” He lifted his chin, indicating that they should follow the road. “I’ll get the gate. Mom will fill you in on the rest.”
With a wink and a wave, Gerri drove on and explaind the situation to Hollis. “Boone had a house full of boys and a business to run. No time for him to run around looking for a mate.
“I met Willa when she worked in a restaurant and in a few minutes, I knew she was perfect for him. When she met the boys and saw the family that Boone had built around himself, Willa knew she belonged with them.”
“Oh,” Hollis saw the house at the end of the road and sighed, “it’s lovely.”
“Boone owns a hardware store and he’s quite the builder too. He and the boys have built cabins for each of them on the property.”
“They let their children live alone?”
Gerri’s chuckle was warm and indulgent. “The boys are all in their teens. Most of them lived on the streets for quite some time. They all converge on the main house for meals and meetings and if they just want to enjoy time with the others. It’s quite the sight. I had supper with them one night and I was surprised they didn’t swallow me whole with the way they inhaled Willa’s cooking.”
They slowed down as they reached the round-about that came right up to the front steps.
As Gerri put the car in park, the front door swung open and someone called back into the house.
Hollis got out of the car and had to stare when a whole passel of young men seemed to pour from the opening, like wine from an upside-down bottle when the stopper pulled free.
Before she knew what she was about, Hollis opened the passenger door and watched the tumble of action on the front porch. The ‘boys’ looked mostly like full grown men and she could see the bear in them, almost as if they were shifted and wearing their other skins. The energy that rushed along with them was like a wave that rolled over her, rocking her back on her feet.
The group opened up, parting nearly down the middle as a smaller figure stepped up between them and into the foreground.
This must be Willa. Boone’s mate.
For a family of such size and energy the woman who stood before her was almost too petite to seem real. Curvy and filled with gentle energy, she reminded Hollis of a woodland sprite or fairy who held sway over the mass of barely controlled energy behind her.
“Gerri! Welcome!”
Willa was about to take a step down toward them, but she’d barely moved an inch when she was encompassed by a larger form.
Boone. It had to be.
The shifter’s protective energy felt like a nurturing warmth that reached Hollis where she stood.
As Willa descended the handful of steps to the grass, Boone was at her side, holding her and touching her with a reverence that she’d never witnessed before.
Hollis approached them slowly, keeping careful watch on the large bear beside his mate. It didn’t take her long to see that Willa’s free hand was gently cupped at the base of her rounded belly.
Gerri’s voice broke the domestic moment with a clap of joyous sound. “You’re pregnant!”
Willa’s smile lit the woods around them and Boone, in answer to his mate’s joy, leaned his cheek on the top of her head and cuddled her closer. “We were going to call and let you know, but when you said you were coming for a visit we decided to wait until you were here to see it for yourself.”
Hollis caught a slight twinge in Boone’s expression, but she wasn’t sure what to make of it. And she certainly didn’t know the couple well enough to ask.
Gerri didn’t have any compunction at all.
“What’s got your tail in a twist, Boone?”
Willa’s hand lifted from her belly to cover his hand on her arm. “He’s worried.”
Gerri’s laughter rang through the trees. “Of course, he is. Boone’s the most paternal bear I’ve ever come across and he’s crazy in love with you, sweetie. He’s going to twist himself into knots until you’re delivered.”
“That’s what he’s worried about.”
Boone looked down at his mate and Hollis couldn’t help the stab of jealousy at the gentle longing she saw in Boone’s unguarded expression. “You should sit down. We can talk inside.”
Willa rolled her eyes and turned in his embrace until she had both hands on his chest. She was so much smaller than him, but it was obvious that she held his heart in her petite hands. “I’ve been sitting down more than half of the day. I would really love to stand and enjoy the fresh air for a few minutes.”
Boone opened his mouth to speak and Willa rolled right over him.
“If you suggest that you can carry me… so help me, Boone, I will make you sleep outside tonight.”
“Ooh…” The boys gave each other side looks and thrown elbows.
Willa turned and reached out to Hollis. “Forgive our collective manners. You must be Hollis. Welcome to Sylvan City.”
Hollis moved forward with a few tentative steps, but Willa more than matched her pace and took her hands.
“If we’re lucky we haven’t made you decide to run for the hills.”
Shaking her head, Hollis swallowed the lump in her throat. “Congratulations! I know people say it all the time but you really are glowing.”
Willa’s hold on her hands tightened as she pulled Hollis closer to put a little peck of a kiss on her cheek. “And you are just the lift I needed today. You too, Gerri.” Willa turned to the other woman for a moment. “It can be a little exhausting being the only female in this neck of the woods.”
Hollis nodded. “I can see that. Do you know what you’re having?”
The flush of color on Willa’s cheeks looked like roses or a rich red wine. “Boys,” she leaned in again and whispered, “that’s why Boone is so unbearable.”
And Hollis did get it. Twins.
She didn’t need to see Boone’s concerned expression where he stood behind his mate. Willa had amazing curves, but Boone was a mountain of a man. He was likely equally big as a bear. Having his petite mate carrying more than one cub was bound to be a concern.
“Whatever you need,” Hollis cradled Willa’s hands in her own, “anything I can help you with. You’ll let me know?”
With tears shining in her eyes, Willa turned to look at Gerri. “I think you’ve done it again. She’ll be perfect for Conor. And if he gets grumpy like mine gets from time to time, you can always come over here and we’ll torture the boys together.”
The teens all groaned and over-reacted to the simple comment, but it was Boone who groused the loudest. “The last thing I’m doing is putting myself between a newly matched mating pair. Conor would tear through me to get to her.”
Hollis shrugged, having trouble thinking of herself as the mate of a man she had yet to meet. “I doubt I’d inspire that kind of ferocity. I’m just hoping when we meet, he doesn’t turn me down right then and there.”
Gerri’s gasp was almost covered by Willa’s declaration. “Oh, Gerri knows what she’s doing. And if she brought you to Sylvan City, she’s sure.” Stepping back, Willa held her hand out to Boone and the brawny man reached out instantly to take his mate’s hand in his own as if she were made of glass. “The first time we met I felt like my heart was trying to break through my chest to get to him. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever felt before. And every minute since,” Willa’s smile was so full of love that Hollis felt her own heart ache in response, “he’s given me the world because he shared his heart with me.”<
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Wiping at her eyes, Willa whisked away her tears.
“Now, you two should go. Conor’s on the card to fight tonight. I’m sure he’d love a chance to show off for his mate.”
There was a moment when the boys got wind of an opportunity to possibly head into town, but one patented papa bear look from Boone sent them inside.
Gerri pulled her car door open and gave Hollis a big grin. “I love those two and their crazy family.”
Smiling, Hollis looked over the top of the Model T and sighed. “They really are perfect for each other.”
“I told you… you came to me because I know what I’m doing.” Gerri let her words sink in for a moment. “Now let’s go. I think I’m going to knock your socks off.”
Chapter Three
GPS was a modern marvel, but to a woman equally nervous and eager to get to their destination, it could really get on her nerves. Instead of trying to sit patiently in the passenger seat of the car, Hollis struggled to keep her mind focused on the next hour or so of her crazy life.
“So, this event is like one of those wrestling shows or more of a boxing thing?”
Gerri turned to look at her for a quick moment before setting her eyes back on the road. “Not sure exactly what that is, but it’s like boxing but bloodier. Cage’s venue hosts human fights, but what really sells the tickets are the fights between shapeshifters.”
“That’s what I thought.” Hollis swallowed at the knot that formed in her throat. “Still, there has be a weight class or something like that. Right?”
“Weight class?” Gerri shrugged. “Something like that. Would you believe Conor tried to explain it to me when we met, but I was focused on other topics.” Reaching over, Gerri gave Hollis’ knee a pat. “If you’re really interested, I’m sure Conor will fill you in. All I remember is that it’s a complicated system of math comparing size and species and their various strengths and weaknesses.”
“I can’t believe that I haven’t seen clips on the internet or pictures in the newspaper.”
Gerri bobbed her head as she slowly made a turn onto the main road around the island heading toward the industrial area. “They release photos of the human fights and they have advertised with pictures of the shifters, but only in their human skins.
