A Game of Cat & Mouse (23 page)

Their tombstones sat side by side, their names chiseled within the marble. Caleb hadn't visited since their funeral. He could never bring himself to do so. Someone in the pride appeared to have ensured fresh flowers were placed regularly because hyacinth, his mother’s favorite, decorated each grave.

“Hi, Dad, Mom. I’ve really missed you. I met my mate, and I am sure you guys would love her. She’s a mouse. I love her so much, Mom. It was just like you said. If I waited, then my true mate would find me,” Caleb said, feeling somewhat foolish for talking to headstones.

He took a deep breath and allowed

himself to admit aloud what he’d said only to himself. “I messed up, Dad. I’ve allowed this pride to fall apart just because I couldn’t man up and take responsibility. I just let things happen. Why weren’t you here? Huh? Why didn’t you stay around to make sure I was ready for this? Now, I’ve gone and fucked everything up. My own pride had to carry me for a little over a year. I am not fit to be alpha! But I can’t just give up, Dad. I have to make you proud, and I will do that. I promise.”

The sound of a stick breaking garnered his attention, and he turned to find Winston standing behind him.

“I’m sorry, Caleb. I’ve just come to clean up their gravesites.” He held a fresh batch of hyacinth in his hands, and when he caught Caleb staring at the flowers, he shrugged. “We were friends for a long time. I would bring your father’s favorite, but he never cared much for flowers. He did, however, like to see your mother happy.”

Caleb had almost forgotten how close his father and mother were to Winston and Evelyn Dawson. He’d forgotten many things recently. Caleb stepped back, and Winston picked up the old hyacinth and replaced it with the fresh. Caleb turned to leave. He’d thought this would help, in the end, it hadn’t.

“He was proud of you, you know,”

Winston said, and Caleb stopped. The older man pulling at the weeds

encroaching on the graves before his wise brown eyes looked up at Caleb. “We never expected you to be God, Caleb.”

“I’m sorry. What?”

Winston sighed. “That’s the problem with youth. They make a mistake and wallow in it, never learning from it or moving on. I said we never expected an infallible leader. If we expected that, then everyone who has known you your entire life would’ve dismissed you in the

beginning. We always separate ourselves from humans by saying that we’re shifters, but what is a shifter if not half human and half animal? Humans aren’t that different from us and vice versa. We each make mistakes because we are human.”

Caleb nodded but did not say anything.

What was there to say?

“Oh, and Caleb,” Winston said, catching him before he walked away, “we didn’t carry you this past year because we had to, but because that is what a pride does.

Our animal sides don’t need

companionship, but our human sides do.

We are a pride because we’re cougars. We are family because we love each other.

You are doing a fine job as alpha. If you do not like the way you’ve done things, then change your tactics. We’re with you, Caleb.”

Caleb accepted the hug that Winston bestowed, and finally realized that the only person keeping him from changing was himself. If he wanted this pride to be better, he had the power to do so.

“Thanks, Winston,” Caleb said as he stripped down.

He felt the need to see his mate, and he would get there quicker in his feline form.

He gloried in the change, his bones and skin transforming into that of a cat. It always amazed him how the change could occur without pain, but he attributed it to the fact he’d been born in this way. Caleb let himself run, and his cougar gloried at the freedom. Anticipation zinged through his body at the thought of his mate. He needed to reassure himself of her safety, to feel her body skin-to-skin against his own. Taste her arousal on his tongue. He needed to feel her sheath clutching his cock as he pounded within her willing flesh. He allowed the change to take him over again, transforming in mid jump and landing as a naked man on his porch. He rushed into the house, anxious to see his mate.

Caleb became increasingly agitated

when he couldn’t find her in the house. He opened the front door to search for her and nearly ran over Zackary.

“Whoa, where’s the fire, Caleb?”

Caleb growled, and the younger male paled slightly. “I can’t find Miranda.”

Understanding entered Zackary’s eyes.

“Well, have you called her phone?”

Caleb moved back into the house, only then remembering he was naked. Zackary went straight into the kitchen, and Caleb left him to put on clothes. He stepped back into the living room to see Zackary waving a piece of paper.

“She left you a note. Seriously, you’d better get used to looking on the fridge for notes. I swear Essence leaves more notes on the fridge. You’d think she would just text me, but she doesn’t.” Caleb snatched the note from Zackary, his anger growing with every word.

Caleb,

I went to see Brenna at the

Pinewood Creek Jail. I’ll be back

soon!

Love,

Miranda

What would possess her to go and see that bitch? He grabbed his keys and headed out the door. He didn’t look back at Zackary’s questions, didn’t care about anything but Miranda at this point. His mate was going to see the same woman who’d killed his parents and nearly killed her. When he got a hold of her, he was going to spank her ass.

Miranda sat across the table from one beautiful blue-eyed killer. Most of the female cougars were beautiful, with graceful features that Miranda could only dream to possess. She could understand how people would not suspect someone who appeared so trustworthy based on her looks. Hell, she’d met her only about a week ago, and she even she found it hard to believe the female sitting across from her was capable of murder.

“Why did you do it?”

Miranda’s father had always told her she was more like a cat with her incurable curiosity. Now she could understand what he meant. Just like her impulsive need to buy things, Miranda wanted to know things as well. And Brenna James knew

something that she wanted to know.

Brenna looked at her, and Miranda was sure she would not answer when she

sighed. “Why do you care?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, but something is bothering me about this. Somehow you don’t seem the type to kill someone.”

“And what type of person would kill someone?”

Miranda could hear the mocking in

Brenna’s voice, but she did have a point.

“You’re right. Anyone could be capable of murder given the right circumstances. The thing that bothers me is the why. Why did you kill Caleb’s parents? I understand they accepted you into the pride, and from others’ reports, they were kind and decent people. You say that you wanted power, but why not just challenge them like you did me?”

“You don’t understand a damn thing.

Sure, they were nice people, but it was only a matter of time before they started letting the power get to their head.

Started demanding things that weren’t right. I promised myself that I would never be ruled again. I was going to be alpha.

Not some insignificant alpha female,”

Brenna snarled, her teeth lengthening into fangs and her eyes glowing with her vehemence. There it was! Despite her show of anger, the smell of fear permeated the small room.

“Where did you come from?” Brenna sat back down, seeming to calm, but the smell of fear stayed. She crossed her arms over her chest, and they sat in silence.

“Come on, Brenna. What do you have to lose for me to know more about you? How could I possibly cause you harm with that information?”

Brenna stared at her and must have

been satisfied with what she saw.

“I was raised in the Fair Oaks Pride in California.” Miranda knew she was onto something when the smell of sadness and fear mixed. Something had happened within that pride to make her flee. Why else would she be so secretive of her past?

“What happ-”

Miranda gasped as the door burst open.

Caleb stood in the doorway, his eyes glowing as he regarded Brenna. Brenna hissed, and Miranda moved to stand

between them. “Caleb, you need to calm down.” He peered down at her and

growled before looking back at Brenna.

“Stay away from my mate.”

. Brenna hissed but did not make a move toward them. Caleb grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.

“I need a private room,” Caleb said.

Miranda looked up and realized he spoke to Wesley. Wesley pointed him down the hall, and Miranda wondered at the smirk on his face.

“Caleb, what are you doing?”

He didn’t answer, just opened the door and pulled her inside. Any question she was going to answer was lost when he pinned her against the wall and took her mouth in an almost brutish fashion.

Miranda gasped and relaxed into his onslaught. She didn’t fully understand his motives at that moment, but he was

starting to remove her clothes. It didn’t matter they were in the middle of a police station because her body was already prepared to take him.

***

Caleb nearly shouted in victory when she relaxed in his hold, opening her mouth to him. Caleb plunged his tongue within her mouth, his cougar pacing within his mind at the thought of taking its mate. His hands found the hem of her shirt, and he broke from her mouth long enough to strip it from her body. He took her mouth again, delving deep within its depths. Her bra came off with a mere flick of his hand, and he started working on the button to her pants. She wound her hands around his neck, and he pushed her pants and panties down. Using his foot, he stood on them while picking Miranda up and pinning her against the wall.

Caleb moved down to her throat, nipping and licking at every square inch he could reach. She moaned when he tongued her mating bite, her hands pulling at his shirt.

Caleb pulled back and pulled his shirt over his head. He unbuttoned his pants and groaned at how good it felt not to have the zipper pressing against his erection.

“Caleb?”

Her voice brought him back from the edge of reason. He cupped her cheek and looked at her. She nibbled on her lip that was red and swollen from his kisses.

“I need you, Miranda,” he said. Miranda shifted, bringing her wet core into contact with his dick, and he hissed at the heat coming off her.

“I need you too,” Miranda said. He moved against her, coating his cock with her juices, and then he could not wait any longer. He pulled back and aligned himself.

“It’s gonna be rough, Miranda. You scared the hell out of me.”

Miranda nodded, and Caleb slammed

deep inside her in one swift stroke. She cried out, and he began to piston in and out. His head swam in the pleasure of being in his mate. He knew he wouldn’t last long. He couldn’t resist the feeling of claiming her yet again. Caleb trailed his hand down her abdomen and into her curls to find the center of her pleasure. He clamped down hard on her mating bite and increased the force of his strokes, all the while manipulating her clit with his fingers. Her sheath began to ripple, ensuring him that she was close.

Miranda’s teeth clamped down on his own mating bite, and just like that, he was coming, his seed shooting deep into her core. Caleb pinched her clit hard between his fingers and groaned as she came around his cock. She released his mating bite and collapsed against him, her panting breath bathing his neck.

“Don’t scare me like that again,

Miranda. I lost my parents, but I knew that one day I’d have to say goodbye to them. I wouldn’t be able to survive if anything happened to you. I can’t live without my other half.”

Caleb turned, pulled a chair out, and sat, keeping himself buried within Miranda. He wiped the tears that fell from her eyes, “Don’t cry, baby.”

Miranda planted a soft kiss on his lips.

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you too, Caleb.” A knock at the door sent her scrambling from his lap and to her clothes.

“You two need to hurry up,” Wesley said through the door, the laughter apparent in his voice.

He zipped his pants and turned to

Miranda. She stared at him, her face a mask of worry. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“Caleb, I can’t guarantee that I won’t do something in the future that you don’t agree with.”

Caleb sighed. He didn’t want to lose the woman he’d fallen in love with. He didn’t expect her to be a mindless woman,

existing only as his mate. She was also his best friend, and he wanted to keep it that way. He hugged her to him and pulled her head back so that she looked at him.

“I know that, but I just need you to be safe.”

“I know, but, Caleb, something just isn’t right. Something made Brenna do the things she did. I found out where she is from. Can’t we at least look into it?”

Caleb wanted to say no. He didn’t want to have anything to do with Brenna.

However, looking down into Miranda’s beautiful face, he realized there was nothing he could deny her.

“I’ll get someone to look into it.”

Miranda beamed at him and pulled his head down for a kiss. “We have a meeting tonight. There’s the little problem with Essence being the alpha female now, and-“

“I didn’t ask before because I was

worried about being eaten by a cougar, but how does that work exactly? I mean, I’m your mate so how can anyone be your alpha female but me?”

“Well, when Brenna challenged you, it opened the position of alpha female. You would have still been my mate – nothing can change that – but you wouldn’t have been alpha female. I want you by my side in all things.”

“That’s so sweet!”

“Anyways, I have to announce the status of Brenna’s charges tonight too. But we have a little time between then and now if you want to take a nap or whatever.”

“Do I have to be bad to get the

whatever?”

Caleb laughed at the mischievous look Miranda gave him. Wesley gave them a knowing smile and Caleb flipped him off on his way out.

“No thanks, Caleb, you’re just not my type.”

Caleb waved bye to the big bear shifter and took his mate home where he made love to her in the bed, the kitchen, and the shower.