Merrily Mated (Ouachita Mountain Shifters 3) (4 page)

Brushing his palms vigorously over his cheeks, he attempted to get some life into his face. His eyes landed on the old phone he’d tossed to the dash when Beth called. Reaching for it, he quickly thumbed open the screen and his heart caught in his throat.

There she was. His beautiful cat. With her sarcastic smile that curved one side of her full lips more than the other. Lips he craved because now he knew what they felt like.

He should delete the picture. He couldn’t get over her like this, holding on to pieces of her to come back for a nibble when things got hard. But just seeing her face on that electronic screen gave his warring heart peace for a moment. Made all the hurting things hurt a fraction less. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, imagining a life where he was free to do that whenever he pleased.

Ryan pressed his lips into a thin line. He’d delete it later. He couldn’t go cold turkey just yet.

With a sigh, he shoved both phones back in his pocket and started his truck. The cab had gotten cold and he cranked the heater to high, blowing into his hands to warm them.

It took him only minutes to find an open coffee shop. He ordered several cups and a dozen donuts, and then drove out to the construction site where he was scheduled to meet Trent.

His friend had made a name for himself around Memphis. He’d started small scale, residential, but now worked mostly commercial, and had grown his company until it was a healthy beast.

Ryan thought about his and Renner’s venture. They’d done well too. Now, he dreaded finding a way to divide the company. He loved his work, the building, the hammering, sawing and constructing. He did not like the business. The paperwork, the taxes, the contracts.

Layna was good with that shit. She’d straightened out their paper trail for them more than a time or two.

Pulling into the lot, he spotted Trent at the east corner, clipboard in hand, talking to a big muscled up guy with a goatee and one hell of a mean look on his face. Ryan parked and grabbed the coffee and donuts before walking over.

The talking dried up as he approached, the stranger taking him in as if he was a slab of steak he planned to grill up. All the bells and whistles Ryan had tuned over the years of living with the cats went off in warning. He straightened to his full height—which was about three inches taller than the other men—and stayed alert, the way Mason had taught him.

“Ryan,” Trent ducked his head in greeting, and Ryan juggled the donuts and coffee so he could shake his friend’s hand.

“Trent.”

“You’re a little early, but it’s not a problem. This here’s Felix Kennedy. He owns AC Waste Management. We’re contracting him to clean up our mess when we’re done.”

Ryan nodded at the man and offered his hand.

Felix stared, leaving it hanging in the air.

There was something about him. The way he held himself, like he was used to giving commands instead of taking them. And the way he moved, smooth, every motion deliberate. He tilted his head, eyeing Ryan to the point where he wanted to switch his outstretched hand into a fist and sock the guy a good one.

But what really had his hackles up wasn’t the rude glower Felix wore. It was his eyes. They seemed to flicker from blue to gray, and narrow at the pupils.

Like a werecat.

Could be the sun reflecting. It was bright this morning, the sky cloudless. Could be Ryan’s lack of sleep playing tricks with his imagination.

There was only one way to find out if his suspicions were true.

“Felix,” Ryan murmured, pulling his hand back. “Funny name. Like the cat. Reeeear. Pfft pfffft. You a pussy?”

Felix stiffened. His shoulders bunched up like his skin was crawling. And yes, there it was. Eyes flashing to those of his cat, the way shifters did when their animal was too close. Only an instant but unmistakable.

Trent frowned, staring between the two of them, not sure what to make of the exchange.

Suddenly, Felix’s mouth curved up in an unfriendly smile and he lifted his nose to scent the air. “Better than smelling like one. You been hanging around some pussy, boy?”

Boy? Felix didn’t look a day older than Ryan. Another hint that he was something other. And yeah, he was letting Ryan know that he smelled the cats on him. Of course he’d carry a hint of it. He’d lived with them four years.

Ryan narrowed his eyes, holding out the tray full of drinks. “Coffee?”

Felix showed his teeth in a low snarl. “Meow.”

He stalked off, throwing over his shoulder, “We’ll talk later, Trent. Don’t call me. I’ll call you.”

Ryan stared after him, watching until he got into a shiny red Ford dually with a snarling cat logo on the side. Alley Cat Industries.

A smirk grew on Ryan’s face. He’d found the local clan. But a chill whipped up his spine. These cats didn’t seem anything like his family in the Ouachitas.

Chapter Four

In retrospect, a midnight run with her cat wasn’t the best idea Layna had ever come up with. It was up there with that time she’d decided to try kale chips. Nah, fuck it. This was way worse than that. But she hadn’t been able to sleep.

Five days had passed since Ryan left the lodge. Five miserable days where her cougar shuffled between wanting to chase after him and wanting to claw some sense into him for running.

Her days were busy, but she’d had a lot of time to think about it at night. Too much time, and her cat wouldn’t settle. She was slowly becoming a walking zombie from lack of sleep.

She’d run over those last few seconds under the mistletoe a million times. There were so many things she’d do differently if she could rewind time.

Kiss him back, for one. Show him what she could do with her mouth. Correct him when he said, she didn’t want him. Grab his arm as he went to push out the door. Or run outside with him and jump in that truck so he couldn’t leave. Or, if he still insisted on going, leave with him.

She
belonged
with him.

Her cat slowed its run, coming up to a clearing ahead. The air was chilled and burned her lungs as she breathed deep, scenting for any danger. She knew to be careful. Even though there was a strict no hunting policy on Magic’s land, they encountered poachers from time to time.

There was no sign of any now. No scent of guns. No sounds besides those of the small forest creatures that came out at night.

She pawed into the clearing, lifting her face to the starry sky that broke through the tree branches above. Narrowing her gaze, she chose one star and brought it into focus, making it the only one that mattered.

Maybe Ryan was somewhere unable to sleep. Maybe he was staring up at the sky picking out a star of his own. Maybe it was the same one as hers.

She liked that idea. The possibility that the distance between them could be defeated because they’d both decided to stare at the sky at the same time. That they could be connected by something so big.

It reminded her of the star that guided the wise men to baby Jesus. People, miles apart, brought together by a single celestial being. A Christmas miracle. She needed one right now.

Her chest ached without her mate around. And her future didn’t even look dim. It was solid black. She couldn’t see having one like this. Or at least not one bright and happy. She’d be a sad song on repeat, living day to day, going through the motions like she’d done for the past week.

Damn him.

No. Not him. Damn her.

She could blame him if she wanted, be angry with him, but this was her fault. He’d shown her time and time again what he wanted from her. And in return, she’d denied him. She chose Magic’s happiness over her own mate’s. What kind of cat does that? She and Magic were close, but that didn’t matter. She should have given herself to Ryan when she had the chance. She should have opened her fucking heart and revealed just how much she’d fallen for him over the years.

My human is gone. My caring, laughing, human with his strong hands and sweet adoring eyes.

He’d always looked at her like she was everything. Made her
feel
like she was everything. How could he leave?

Layna breathed a heavy sigh, letting her head hang low with grief. Her cat was mourning and all she wanted to do was curl up and cry until Christmas was over. She’d even swiped a bottle of wine from the kitchen hoping it would help ease the pain in her chest. But it didn’t touch it.

What was she going to do?

She stared at the frozen leaves under her paws, more defeated than ever. If she could just make it through Christmas…

Then what? Was she going to set goals like that for the rest of her damn life?

If she could just make it to President’s Day. Or St. Patrick’s Day. When would this feeling end?

The answer was never. Not until she had him back. Not until she’d laid her heart bare and he explained why he’d walked away from her when the way was finally open for them. The cat had to have an answer. She needed to be sure in her mate’s strength.

Hunt him
.

Layna stiffened at her animal’s growl.

Hunt mate
.

Could she? Leaving in the middle of busy season wasn’t going to win her any points with her clan, but… she needed her mate. And if she was ever going to show him he was important, she had to choose him over the others.

But what if she did that, and she was still too late. What if she showed up in Memphis and he told her to go home. What if she let her family down only to be rejected?

Layna stared up at the star and tried to feel their bond. It was thin. A fragile wisp of spun glass that couldn’t be felt across the distance that separated them. No one even knew it was there except her, but it had been enough until now. She’d gotten by on his nearness before, living off his smiles, when she could’ve had it all.

So what if he rejected her. So what if everyone got mad at her. She’d always been dedicated to the clan. Worked her ass off for them. They could either understand or fuck off.

She was going to find Ryan.  She’d leave first thing in the morning. It was only three hours to Memphis, maybe a little more if she got stuck in traffic. She could be there by noon.

Cougar purred. Yes, this was going to work. Had to.

Excitement and trepidation filled her, but there was also a measure of peace. Tomorrow she would be close to her mate once again, and somehow they were going to work things out.

Somehow.

Layna rolled onto her back, stretching and using the ground to scratch through her thick fur. She kept her eyes on her star, just in case Ryan was watching too, and started planning what she’d say to him.

Her tail twitched with nervous excitement. She hadn’t felt this good since Magic’s announcement that the pact was changed.

Her heavy tail slapped the ground next to her with a loud thump, and she liked the freedom of it so much she waved it to the other side as well.

And then froze.

A soft click was the only warning that things were about to get very bad for Layna. Except it wasn’t enough of a warning because the click belonged to the plate of a spring trap being engaged, and even though time seemed to slow, she couldn’t move fast enough to keep the jaws from springing closed on her tail.

With a thunderous snap, the trap slammed closed and
fuck it all
, this one had teeth.

Layna’s agony-filled roar pierced the silent night as she jumped to her paws to run. But the pain had her thinking all wrong. She knew not to move with a trap attached. Fighting would only entangle her farther, dig the teeth deeper into her flesh. The anchor chain jerked her to a stop before she could think clear enough to be still.

She roared at the fresh pain of the steel points in her tail and yanked at the restraints uselessly. The tangy scent of blood filled the air and she whipped her head around to see it spraying from her wound with her thrashing.

Shit. She had to push her animal back and think like a rational being or she’d never get out of this.

Easier said than done with the kind of agony a trap like this conjured. Her cougar’s job was to keep her safe. It was why they automatically shifted when they were in extreme pain. It was why their instincts were more attuned to danger.

Breathing deep, she tried to compartmentalize the pain. This was just pain. It wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. Being stuck here until a hunter came back for her was much, much worse.

Deep breathing. Think. Work it out, Layna, or you’ll never get to tell Ryan how you feel. Never get to see your new niece or nephew. Never have any young of your own.

And fuck, being caught as a shifter would blow the world wide open. Most humans didn’t know about them. This would ruin everything for her clan.

Her cougar seemed to understand this was something she could only fix if she let her humanity back in. Even still, there’d be no shifting with that deathtrap latched to her tail. It was impossible to go that far.

Snarling, her cat retreated a fraction.

Good kitty. But the pain blasted her harder without the help of the cat to contain it. Tears leaked from her cat eyes, and her mouth drooled with the excess saliva her body was producing from the stress.

Focus. Think.

Layna forced herself to examine the trap again. It had snapped halfway up her tail, closer to the base than the tip, curving around so the metal bits clamped her in two different places. There’d be no pulling it free. No chewing it off. Not if she wanted to be whole when she changed back to human.

The trap was anchored to the base of a tree with a thick chain, about fifteen feet long. More length than was necessary to hold an animal, but she couldn’t dwell on that detail. She was forming a plan. One that was going to hurt like fuck. There was no other choice, she’d have to bite through her tail and pray to heaven her human body could withstand the injury.

No. Not like that.

Her cougar growled so loud her injured tail throbbed with the sound.

Take the tree down instead
.

How the hell was she supposed to do that? It wasn’t full grown but it was big enough to stand up to her weight. And she was growing weaker with the loss of blood. She’d never be able to pull it down.

Teeth. Use teeth. Bite the chain and pull. Either the tree or the chain will give
.

No. It wouldn’t. No way.

Layna whipped her head back and forth, measuring her options. If she didn’t do something quick, she’d be too weak to move. But which way would get her ass out of this mess?

Biiiiite
.

The tail or the chain? Tail or chain.

Gritting her teeth, Layna eased her body closer to the tree, letting her tail drag along the ground with the trap. Enduring fresh pain, she managed to plant her paws in the dirt and lowered her head to clasp the chain between her sharp teeth. The taste of metal on her tongue was bitter and reminded her of the warm blood spilling from her wound. She took the anchor between her jaws and counted to three in her head.

One… two…

With a quick jerk, she swung her head from side to side and pulled with all her might. Her powerful jaws strained and popped with her effort. The tension of the chain held, but she pulled harder, ripping into it like it was fresh meat instead of steel. Ignoring the pain of her wound, she bunched her hind legs, giving more of her weight to the struggle, and twisted her head, growling with determination.

It was close. She could feel it about to give, the way her skin felt when her claws pushed through. The tree groaned at her assault. One of them would go, if she could just…

Another tug of her jaw to the left was enough pressure to snap the lock that held the chain in place. Layna stumbled backward, rolling with the chain still stuck in her teeth, but she was free. Struggling to her feet, she darted through the clearing to the trees, the trap dangling from her tail. The world was spinning and the ground seemed like the sky, but she ran as fast as she could toward the lodge.

Halfway back she realized she wasn’t going to make it. Her running had turned to loping, and she could no longer see the path before her. Her vision blurred and the agony pounded in time with her heartbeat.

The cabins are close. Renner. Get to Renner
.

She slowed to a walk, hoping like hell she was moving in the right direction. The trap caught on twigs and rocks as she went, adding new horrid sensations to her pain-wracked body. But she could smell the smoke from the wood burning stove in her brother’s cabin. Just a little farther.

Black flickered at her vision, but she was determined to keep conscious. She let off a feeble roar in hopes that one of her clanmates would hear. Pushing through the next set of trees, she collapsed onto the beaten down trail in front of her brother’s home.

Crying out, she sounded puny to her own ears.
Please hear me, Ren
.

Time passed while she lay on the stony path, fighting with darkness that threatened to pull her under. More frail sounds tumbled from her mouth before she finally heard footsteps crunching along the frozen ground.

“Ohhhh
shit
.” Renner’s voice echoed in her ears as he knelt beside her. “Shit, Layna.” He tried to remove the chain from her mouth but it was too tight, and a snarl ripped from her throat. Renner jerked his hands back. “Okay. Okay, just…
Bethy! We need Doc!
And… and… shit, I don’t even know. Sis, I need to carry you to the house, hear me? Let me carry you in.”

She must have blacked out for a minute because the next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor next to Renner’s woodstove. The heat felt good, but she was bleeding all over the rug. Bethany was going to kill her.

“Anyone else feeling that déjà-vu shit right now?” Owyn’s voice rumbled in her ear and that’s when Layna noticed all the people around her.

Magic and Owyn held her down, one man over her legs and the other across her shoulders. Bethany held her head, using her fingers to gently massage behind Layna’s ears. And Doc did what Doc does.