Cougar's Gift: Pacific Northwest Cougars: (Shifter Romance) (23 page)

T
he ride
back to Stryker’s house was tense. Not in a total silence kind of way. But in an Effie never stopped talking way, but she was the only one. Libby was sitting in the back with Effie while the guys rode up in front of the Rover.

As they pulled up to the house Libby gasped at what was sitting in the front yard. Not that Stryker had a front yard so much as a wide dirt patch.

There was the biggest, shiniest motor home Libby had ever seen. It was enormous and it took up so much room Stryker had to slow to maneuver the car around it.

“What the hell is that?” Stryker growled.

“Oh now, don’t be a grump. What did you think, we were gonna throw sleeping bags on the floor and have late night pillow fights?” Effie snarked from the back seat.

“Dax?” Stryker asked.

“Man, start paying attention and learn. My mate wants to be close to your mate. You only have one bedroom. My mate won’t be happy miles away at a hotel. I fixed that problem.

Big ass motor home. My mate is happy, I’m happy, and ultimately your mate will be happy having her here. Simple.” Dax gave this speech in a very long-suffering tone.

“Yeah, Stryker, simple,” Effie mimicked.

“Woman,” Stryker growled.

“Eighty-eight. Don’t you woman me, mister. You don’t scare me, wanna know why?”

There was a grunt from the front seat.

Effie looked at Libby, “Doesn’t count,” she said quietly.

Libby gave her the bug eyes because she really wanted to laugh, but the mood wasn’t right for it.

“Because you give me more shit than I think is reasonable and I’ll sic Cassie on you.” She said this with such glee Libby started looking back and forth between the occupants of the car.

Dax was laughing, Stryker’s muscle in his jaw was twitching, and Effie looked like she’d just proven her point.

As Styker put the SUV into park Libby made to open the door and Effie stilled her with a hand. “Give him a second,” she said softly.

Libby looked up and saw the men criss-crossing in front of the car to reach their mates’ doors and open them. Effie gave her a wink before getting out.

“Ohh, it’s like camping!” Effie squealed as she got out.

“Babe, it’s got four slide outs and three flat screens. It’s not like camping at all,” Dax said indulgently.

Effie blew him a raspberry. “Fine, it’s glamping!”

Libby watched their interaction. The way Dax’s eyes never left his mate as she flitted about. If she smiled, he smiled. He was also touching her almost all the time. Even if she just ran by him he’d reach a finger out to trace over her skin.

She turned to see Stryker watching her watching his brother. Did he watch her like that?

Libby thought back on their time together. She always had his eyes. Always. And although it was sometimes annoying, he had a hold of her whenever they were moving, or more to the point, he was moving her somewhere.

The look of need and longing in his eyes now had a funny tug starting in her stomach. She turned and walked towards the house. Stryker beat her to the door swinging it open.

When the guys had gotten back with the extra fries, Effie announced that Libby was going over to Stryker’s for convenience sake and no other. Which wasn’t really true, but it kept Stryker from having to convince her.

When Libby’s parents arrived they all introduced themselves and shook hands. All the while, Libby was watching them and Stryker was watching her. Her mom and dad didn’t seem concerned that she was going home with him. They actually seemed relieved.

Libby stepped in and looked around, nothing different, yet everything had changed.

“I’m tired,” she said to Stryker, her eyes averted.

“Let me get you settled,” he offered.

She didn’t have the energy to fight him. Effie and Dax were out touring their new temporary digs. She was sure she’d see them later.

Walking into the room, Effie could see the sheets were fresh, there was a vase of flowers on the nightstand and her flannel PJs laying across the end of the bed.

Stryker cleared his throat. “If you need anything. Anything at all, I’ll be out in the living room. I’m going to do everything I can, mouse, to get you to love me again. I’m so sorry to have kept things from you. It was shitty and unfair.

It doesn’t change how I feel about you. It doesn’t change that you are my One. You can be mad or pissed, throw things, kick me, whatever makes you feel better. Just don’t shut me out. I beg you, baby, I’ll never lie to you again,” Stryker vowed.

Libby liked what he said, she even believed him. But the wall she’d built to shield herself was still there. It wasn’t made of concrete, but it was still pretty sturdy. She needed time.

“I need time, Stryker,” she whispered to him.

“I’ll give you that.” Before he left he came over to her, bent low and kissed her softly on the lips. She didn’t kiss him back, but she didn’t slap him either. He figured he was making progress.

Libby woke from her nap and had no idea what time it was. At some point someone had put a soft fleece throw over her. Obviously this was Stryker. She didn’t want the sweet tug to pull at her heart knowing he didn’t want her to catch a chill.

Glancing at the clock to see it was just after six. She’d been napping for over two hours. She was still tired and thought about going back to sleep. Her stomach had other ideas as it started rumbling loudly.

Getting up, Libby used the restroom, ran a brush through her tangled hair then walked out to the living room.

She saw Effie sitting on the couch with what looked like a cup of coffee. She was smiling out the back slider door.

Libby spied the counter in the kitchen that had pizza boxes, buckets of chicken and various bags of what she could only guess was food judging by the mingling aromas.

“Hey girlfriend
tres
, grab that bucket of chicken and come watch the show with me,” Effie said in greeting.

Libby grabbed the bucket of chicken then spied some biscuits, grabbing those too and walked to the couch.

“Here, sit beside me.” Effie pointed to the cushion next to her.

“What are you doing? Where are the guys?” Libby asked, setting down her food and flicking off the lid to the chicken. She grabbed the first piece on top and took a huge bite.

“Wrestling,” Effie responded.

“I’m sorry?” Libby said around a muffled mouthful.

“Well, tussling,” she laughed.

Libby looked at her like she was nuts. Then Effie used one finger to push her head in the direction of the back slider door.

As her eyes adjusted Libby almost choked on her food. Out back, in the fading light of the sun, were two huge cougars locked in what looked like an epic battle.

T
here was
dirt kicking up and teeth and claws flashing. She could hear the roars now, hisses, and growling. They weren’t drawing blood, and although it looked scary, you could see both of them holding back.

Her brain quickly put together Effie’s enjoyment at the scene and her total lack of concern. That was Dax and Stryker, or their cats. Long tawny colored felines, their faces paler, their whiskers long. Their long tails were twisting and curling as they tumbled in the dirt.

They were beautiful and terrifying. So big and powerful. One of those cats out there was hers. She could even tell which one.

One was a tiny bit smaller than the other mostly in length. His fur was a shade darker, his face a little more animated. The other one had a sense of tolerance about him that seemed to be what Dax always projected.

Libby watched as her boyfriend, no check that, her mate, was apparently a giant cougar that liked to wrestle with his brother. Seeing his animal started to shift a few of Libby’s preconceived notions.

Sure he said he could become a big cat, but the mental visual of that wasn’t anything to the reality. He really was an animal. A fierce predator. She couldn’t pretend like she wasn’t totally freaked out.

Her human instincts were to run away from the scene in front of her. But that is exactly what he feared she’d do. It’s why he tried to keep it from her. She did want to run.

But there was another part of her that was fascinated. How freaking magical was it that someone could have another soul living inside them?

That gave her pause. She had another soul inside her right now too. Albeit temporary, but still, two souls in one body.

How must he feel all the time. He was never alone there was always another force inside him. She could imagine wanting someone that could deal with both of his halves. And the fear that someone, namely her, would reject part of him.

“Amazing, aren’t they?” Effie said quietly.

“Yeah,” Libby whispered.

“Imagine all of that packed into Stryker. You wonder why he doesn’t talk much to other people? His cat usually disapproves of them,” she said with a laugh.

“I can imagine,” Libby replied.

The women watched the two big felines finally stop grappling. The bigger one boffed the smaller one with a paw then turned and walked off to the side of the house.

“That’s my cue,” Effie said, getting up. “Cougars don’t usually shift in front of humans that aren’t their mates. They get kinda protective about showing their junk.”

“Good to know,” Libby said, with a small smile.

“And hey Libby, if the RV is a rockin’ don’t come a knockin’” Effie said, throwing up a hand with devil horns.

Libby laughed, she couldn’t resist.

Effie gave her a little wave and quietly went out the front door. Libby turned her attention back to the door. The big cat was sitting now, its tail swishing in the dirt and it was looking at her.

Chewing on her lip, Libby checked her courage level. It was pretty darn low, but that tug at her belly had her standing up and walking to the door. The cat didn’t move, just the swishing tail.

She slowly opened the door watching for the animal to lunge. When it didn’t, she stepped out to the top step of the three stairs then went down to the ground.

She stared at the animal and it stared back. Feeling her confidence waver, she sat down on the top step wrapping her arms around her knees.

They watched each other for a few moments. Libby searching the cat’s eyes for Stryker. She saw a big cat, but there was something else that was familiar.

Her breath caught when the big cat stood and slowly walked to the last step. He sat back down again, waiting patiently.

Libby let her one hand stretch out, it trembled but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. When her arm was fully extended the cat lifted its head and bumped under her hand, like any housecat would. Libby reflexively scratched his head and heard a deep purr.

She let out a nervous giggle. She continued to scratch behind his ears and the cat bumped up against her hand demanding more.

“Just like a greedy housecat,” she said.

The cat jerked its head back and sniffed loudly. He actually looked offended which made her giggle again.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “Just like a big scary dangerous predator,” she tried.

The cat seemed appeased and dipped his head back for more scratching. As Libby relaxed she stopped being afraid. She felt it when her wall cracked, a big chunk falling away.

Then in a flash of dazzling light and shimmering color, instead of a big cat, her hand was now resting on the kneeling form of a very naked Stryker.

“Wow,” she gasped.

He looked up, her hand sliding down to his cheek. Libby saw his eyes were bright, his cougar shining through a golden yellow around his irises.

“Thank you, mouse. He loved that. He loves you,” Stryker said.

“You’re naked,” she remarked.

“Ever seen a cougar in pants?”

Libby hadn’t, but the visual made her laugh again.

“I missed your laugh, baby,” he said gruffly.

“I missed
you,
” she said.

“I know, I’m sorry. God, I’m so fucking sorry, mouse. I told you I’d never lie to you again and I meant it. Your parents’ house? Smells like a hippie convention. Your mom’s teas are disgusting. My sister Kenzi, she’s married to a bear. A real life bear shifter. My brother Everett has my name tattooed on his ass. My life is an open book to you now, I swear.”

Libby was looking at him like that was a bit too much information. But she liked that he was spilling. She also liked that with every word, her wall was falling down. She knew when she gave her heart away there were going to be ups and downs. But she always said that if the good was what your life was truly lived on then the bad were just hurdles to get past.

“I believe you, Stryker. I’m still hurt, I’m not gonna lie. It’s going to take some time for me to get over it. But I don’t want to be away from you. I don’t want to raise this baby on my own. I want us to be a family,” she whispered.

“Oh, baby, I want that too. We are going to have the best fucking life. And if I ever screw up again, Dax has offered to kick my butt for me.”

“It’s not Dax you have to worry about,” Libby reminded him.

“I know babe, but he will only wound me. You could kill me by breaking my heart. You have all the power.”

Libby sighed. Stryker Hayes was a quiet, gruff, exasperating man, but he was hers. Feeling the last chunk of wall disappear she leaned over and placed her lips on his. Stryker froze, barely touching her.

“If you don’t kiss me proper we are going to have a problem already,” she said against his lips.

She heard him growl deep in his chest as he took over the kiss. It was a welcome home, I love you, I need you, let’s hump like monkeys, kind of kiss. It was spectacular.

“I think a mosquito just bit my ass,” Stryker said against her lips. Libby broke out in laughter.

“Let’s go inside,” she said. Standing up Libby turned to the door and opened it. Dax was standing there with a pair of shorts that he tossed to Libby. She then handed them back to Stryker. Once he was covered he came in to find Dax and Effie cuddled on the couch with a pizza box open on the coffee table.

“Well?” Effie said.

“We’re good,” Libby answered.

“That’s nice sweetie, but I wasn’t talking to you,” she said, her eyes on Stryker.

“Thank you, Effie,” he said, his tone sullen, but with humor. He bent over the back of the couch and placed a kiss on her cheek. Which made Dax growl loudly.

“Ninety-one,” she said with a grin.

Then they all, minus Stryker, started laughing.