CougarHeat (5 page)

Taylor rubbed his face with his
hand. “Remember the saying curiosity killed the cat? You are a cat so it doubly
applies to you. And you ask too many questions. But since you won’t shut up
until I at least answer one, she isn’t part of one of those family groups you
mentioned.”

“She’s not? Then which one is she
part of? From the conversation I overheard you had with her, it sounded as if
she was from around here.”

He lost some of his patience. “Damn
it, Blaise. She isn’t part of any family group.” As soon as Taylor said that
last part he knew he’d given away too much.

Blaise’s eyes widened. “You have a
date with a human.” He said it as a statement rather than a question.

“For the third time, it’s none of
your damn business.” Maybe if he said it enough his brother would actually
listen to him, but he doubted it.

“We don’t date humans.”

Taylor scowled. “Do you have any
idea how pretentious that sounds? There’s nothing wrong with humans. Being
banished, I’ve slept with my fair share of human women. There aren’t any cougar
shifter family groups in Juneau. And besides, I wouldn’t have wanted one of
their females if there was one. I lived as a human as much as I possibly
could.”

“You do realize you’ll be expected
to find your mate now that you’ve returned and retaken your place in the
family. Dad will have a fit if he finds out you’re seeing a human female.”

“Too bad for him. I’ll continue to
see Aspen for as long as I want. The days where he could dictate to me like
that are over. As for finding a mate, I won’t be going out of my way to search
for one.”

Blaise met his gaze. “You’ve really
changed. And I can’t say it’s for the worse. Don’t worry, I won’t be telling
anyone about Aspen. I wouldn’t mind meeting her sometime, though.” His brother
smiled. “Maybe she has a cute friend she can introduce me to.”

“You’d actually take a human female
out on a date?”

“It’s something I’ve thought of for
a while now. They aren’t like our females who have the high expectation of
being able to claim a male’s necklace, having him as her mate.”

It was true. The one thing most
females of their kind dreamed about was the male who would one day be theirs.
And most were raised to believe they wouldn’t be complete until they were mated,
which Taylor always thought was ridiculous. It was too reminiscent of the
humans during the 1950s when their women had to be housewives and mothers, and
did everything for their men.

“Then go ask a human female out,”
Taylor said. “If I had my way, I wouldn’t have it as such a bad thing.”

Blaise cleared his throat. “Once
you’re head of our family group, you can do just that.”

That was true. Taking his father’s
place, Taylor could make as many changes as he wished. There were old laws that
pertained to all cougar shifters in general, but each family group made their
own that were followed only by them. He could change those as much as he
wanted.

“Don’t give me any ideas,” he said.

His brother laughed. “You know me.
I’m good for that.”

Taylor couldn’t agree more. “Was
there anything you wanted in particular or did you just come in here to bug the
crap out of me?”

“Grady and Jase are coming over in
an hour. We’re going to take you out for some drinks. Kind of our own ‘welcome
back to the family’ kind of thing. And don’t say no. Mom knows and she said
she’ll allow us to manhandle you out of the house if it comes to that. One
night to let loose before you have to take on all the serious responsible
stuff.”

Taylor smiled and shook his head.
“I guess I’ve been ganged up on. It’ll be good to go out with you guys again.”
He, Blaise, Grady and Jase had always been close. Grady and Jase’s mother was
Taylor’s mom’s younger sister. Blaise and Taylor had grown up with Jase and
Grady like brothers, rather than cousins.

Blaise gave a short nod. “Good.
I’ll leave you to get ready.” He backed toward the bedroom doorway. “Remember,
one hour.”

“I won’t forget.”

His brother walked out of Taylor’s
bedroom and shut the door behind him. Taylor shook his head. He’d slipped into
old times with Blaise and his cousins as if the years hadn’t gone by at all.

“Here’s to having Taylor back in
the family fold,” Jase said as he raised his glass of beer, then took a big
swig from it.

Taylor took a sip of his as Blaise
and Grady did the same with theirs. “Thanks,” he said.

They sat at a back table in the bar
they’d frequented together before his banishment. It was actually owned by a
cougar shifter who was part of another family group in Anchorage. Being tucked
out of the way, it was a hangout spot for their kind where they didn’t have to
keep what they were hidden. It was only the odd human who found the place, and
they were usually made to feel uncomfortable enough to leave after a drink or
two.

Grady smiled. “And to celebrate we
should get shitfaced drunk.”

Taylor shook his head. “You can,
but count me out. I don’t enjoy waking up hungover the next morning.” Cougar
shifters could get drunk on the same amount of alcohol as any human. Only
werewolves needed to drink huge amounts of it to get in that condition.

“Whatever,” his cousin said. “I
plan to have a good time.”

“You always do,” Jase said with a
laugh as he clapped his brother on the back.

“Don’t look now,” Blaise said, “but
we’re about to have company.”

Taylor turned his gaze in the
direction his brother looked, then cursed under his breath. The woman headed
toward their table was the daughter of the owner of the bar. Nikki had made it
no secret she wanted Taylor as her mate, but he hadn’t been interested in her, and
still wasn’t. He’d seen her manipulate too many males to get what she thought
she deserved. She was also spoiled, thanks to her parents.

“Well, look who’s back,” Nikki said
once she reached their table. She came to stand next to Taylor’s chair and
leaned close enough for her thigh to come in contact with him as she put her
hand on the top of his shoulder.

He shrugged out from under her
palm. “Hey, Nikki.”

“I guess the rumors about your
banishment weren’t true,” she continued. “If you had been you wouldn’t be with
these guys.”

What happened in one family group
was usually kept from any others, though sometimes whispers leaked out from
time to time. Most of those usually didn’t amount to more than rumors.

Not getting any response, Nikki
asked, “When did you get back to Anchorage?”

Taylor glanced up to find her
giving a sultry look that did nothing for him. Aspen was the only woman he
wanted right now. He turned his attention back on his brother and cousins, then
answered, “Today.”

“It’s nice to see you’ve returned.”
She hooked the chain of his necklace with a finger and pulled the cougar head
pendant out from under his shirt. “And it’s nice to see this around your neck.”
Nikki leaned down and said in his ear, “I look forward to taking it from you
very soon.” With another sultry look, she straightened, then walked toward the
bar.

Once she was gone, Jase let out a
low whistle. “Damn, she’s going to be trouble.”

“More like a pain in the ass,”
Taylor said. “It doesn’t matter how many times I rebuff her, she keeps
insinuating we’re going to end up as mates.”

“You’re the big prize as far as
Nikki is concerned,” Blaise added. “While you were gone, she tried out a few
other males who are pretty high up in their family groups. None of them turned
out to be her mate so she kicked them to the curb once it became apparent it
wasn’t going to happen.”

Grady shook his head. “And the
timing is bad for you, Taylor. She got rid of the last one a few weeks ago.
She’s on the prowl now and you’re her new prey.”

“Well, she can keep her claws to
herself. I’m taken.”

“Yeah, we know. Blaise already told
us about Aspen.”

Taylor scowled at his brother. “I
thought you said you wouldn’t tell anyone about her?”

Blaise shrugged. “Jase and Grady
aren’t just anyone. And don’t worry, they won’t say anything. They feel the
same way I do.”

“I had no idea all of you would be
willing to break free from the traditional way of thinking.”

Jase snorted. “Do you know me? I do
whatever I want, as long as I don’t call attention to myself.”

Taylor chuckled. “That’s true, but
if you ever did take up with a human woman, and it was found out, would you be
prepared for the fallout that would follow?”

“If you are, then so will we.”

He looked at Blaise and Grady to
see them nodding in agreement. “Well, I’m not going to go around stating the
fact my girlfriend is human, and not because I’d be ashamed about it. I
wouldn’t want Aspen looked down upon by the others.”

The rest of their time at the bar
passed in friendly conversation as Taylor’s brother and cousins caught him up
on the happenings within their family group while he’d been banished. And all
the while Nikki seemed to watch everything he did. She was going to be a thorn
in his side every time he came there to have a drink. It made him think he’d
have to find a new watering hole.

* * * * *

Taylor woke up the morning after
the family gathering his father had arranged to make it official that Taylor
was no longer banished and had been accepted once more as the “heir”. There had
been some grumblings, but his father had soon put a stop to them. Even though
his dad was weak, he remained very much the head of their family group. His
authority wasn’t questioned, nor did he tolerate it to be so. His word was law,
after all.

The whole event had proved to
Taylor he’d been away from his kind for far too long. With the older members of
their family group, it was all about tradition and how one was supposed to
portray himself. At one time, it had been the norm for him, but not now. Taylor
realized how snooty and stuck-up they actually were. He lost count of how many
snide remarks he heard about humans.

He pushed thoughts of the night
before from his mind and got out of bed. This was his last day off before he
jumped into the corporate world again. He planned to spend a great deal of it
with Aspen. He’d missed her more than he thought he would. He craved to make
love to her once more.

After a shower in his en suite,
Taylor dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. He needed
to phone Aspen, but decided it would be better if he made the call outside. He
didn’t need Blaise interrupting like last time, nor did he need one of the help
overhearing and telling his father that Taylor had been talking to a woman.

He’d just stepped out of his room
and into the hallway when his mother called his name. Taylor looked in the
direction of his parents’ bedroom to see her leaving it.

“Good morning, Mom.”

She walked down the hall until she
stood in front of him and gave him a hug. “Good morning. I was just coming to
see if you were awake. Your father wants to see you.”

“I was going to go to the stables.
I haven’t been out there since I returned.”

“It’ll have to wait. He wants to
talk to you before Caleb arrives. It tires him out when your cousin comes to
examine him. Your dad usually sleeps for a few hours afterward. Unless you want
to wait around until he wakes up again.”

No, he didn’t. He wanted to see if
Aspen would spend the afternoon and night with him. “All right, I’ll talk to
him now only because I’m planning to go out this afternoon. Plus, don’t expect
me back for dinner. I’ll be late getting back.”

His mom smiled. “Do your plans
happen to be with a female?”

“That, mother dear, I’m keeping to
myself.”

“Fine, I won’t press. Once you’re
done with your father, come and eat something for breakfast before you go out
to the stables. Knowing you, you’ll be there for a while, especially since
you’ve been working with horses the last few years.”

Taylor had told his mom where he’d
been living and working during his banishment. The only thing he’d kept from
her was the fact the people he’d been close to were werewolves. And the fact
that he’d told his friends about his being a cougar shifter.

“I promise,” he said. After giving
her a kiss on the cheek, he headed down the hallway to the master bedroom.

He knocked on the door that stood
open, then stepped just inside the room. His dad sat propped up in bed with
pillows behind his back. He waved Taylor closer.

“Come in and shut the door.”

Once Taylor did as his father
requested he went and sat in the chair that was near the side of the king-size
bed where his dad lay. “Mom said you wanted to talk to me.”

“Yes. I want to discuss your
future.”

Taylor sat up straighter, not sure
he really wanted to have this conversation. “What about it? I’ve taken my
rightful place again. There isn’t anything more than that.”

“I beg to differ. There’s the
matter of you finding a mate and producing an heir.”

He ground his teeth to stop himself
from telling his father to keep his nose out of his personal life. Instead, he
said, “It’ll happen when it happens. I’m only twenty-nine.”

As if he hadn’t heard what Taylor
said, his father continued. “I’ve made some phone calls and arranged for you to
meet a couple of females of high standing in their family groups who are from
around this area. The first one you’ll take to that Mediterranean restaurant
downtown. I’ve had my assistant make a reservation for seven. It’s fine-dining
so you’ll have to wear a suit. The female’s name is—”

“No,” Taylor said with a slight
growl lacing the word.

His father scowled. “What do you
mean ‘no’?”

“I will not go out with any of
these females.”

“You will do as I say.”

“Not when it comes to this I won’t.
I’ll find my own mate, without the help of you.”

“These are females of good
breeding.”

“I don’t give a shit. My mate could
be from the lowest ranking in her family group and I would still accept her if
she turned out to be the one meant for me. And I will not take one as a wife
just to make you happy either.”

It wasn’t done very often, but it
did happen. Since there weren’t that many cougar shifters around, sometimes
couples “married” and produced children. Each one of those unions was loveless,
and the males generally cheated on the females, always in the search of their
true mate. And when they found her, the other female was abandoned along with
any children.

“You will not disobey me,” his
father said, his breath laboring in his lungs as his face grew red with anger.

Taylor’s anger rose to the surface
as well. “I’m not a child who can’t think for himself. The days of you being
allowed to run roughshod over me are done. I’m going to set some ground rules
here and now and you’re going to follow them or I walk. It will be no hardship
for me. I can go back to where I came from and be welcomed with open arms. I
don’t need you. Remember it’s you who needs me. So first rule, you will stay
the hell out of my personal life. I’ll work in the family business and take on
the duties of head of the family group if it comes to that, but everything else
is my life to live.”

This was the first time Taylor had
ever stood up to his father. Even when he’d been about to be banished he’d
stood there and taken it, not doing anything to change his dad’s mind. And it
was true what he’d said. Meadow, the werewolf sentinels and their mates would
be more than happy to have him return to Juneau. He’d always have a home there
if he needed it. So his father really couldn’t do anything to hurt him if he
sent him away again.

“How dare you.” His father was
taken over by a coughing fit, his face turning even redder as he fought to
catch his breath.

“What’s going on here?” asked the
male who walked into the room and came to stand next to the chair Taylor sat
in.

Taylor looked up at his cousin
Caleb. The doctor was the son of Taylor’s father’s younger brother. He was also
five years older than Taylor, since Caleb’s parents had been mated before his.
Caleb’s father had disappeared when Caleb was only a boy, leaving mate and son
behind. No one spoke of his uncle or why he would have abandoned his family.

“We were having a discussion,”
Taylor said as he rose to his feet.

“Well, don’t have any more like
that. It isn’t good for your father. He has to stay calm and relaxed. Being
agitated won’t help his condition.”

Taylor watched Caleb take out a
filled syringe from his bag and then inject his father with it. His dad’s
coughing eased, then he appeared to fall asleep, though his breathing remained
labored.

“What is that you gave him?” Taylor
asked.

“It’s something I’ve been working
on. It helps with the symptoms and takes away your father’s pain.”

“You still don’t know what’s
causing this?”

“No, and nothing I’ve tried will
cure it. This is something completely new for our kind.” Caleb turned to face
Taylor. “I have to examine your father. So if you don’t mind leaving, I’ll get
started. I have other patients to see.”

Taylor didn’t mind at all. His
temper was still on a boil. He nodded, then left the room. Even though he’d
promised his mom he’d eat something for breakfast, after the conversation with
his father he no longer had an appetite. He had to get the hell out of the
house. The walls felt as if they were closing in on him. His need to be with
Aspen increased. At least with her, she wouldn’t expect him to act according to
old-fashioned traditions. He could be himself with her and not worry about her
judging him.

He avoided the dining room where
his mother would be having her breakfast. Taylor quietly slipped out the front
door and hurried to his pickup truck, which was still parked outside the
four-car garage. There had been no room for it inside.

After he unlocked the driver’s
door, he got inside and started the truck. He backed up onto the circular drive
that looped to the front of the house, then headed down the quarter-mile lane
that would take him to the main road.