Slade (13 page)

“Hey!” he called and the escapees turned to look at him. He was an Alpha and even those stubborn house cats recognized his authority. “Stay with us,” he commanded in a quiet, non-threatening tone. He tried to convey the idea that he would protect them and one by one, they came back, sitting attentively at his feet, looking up at him for guidance.

Kate chuckled as she lifted the last of the smaller creatures down from the SUV. “I’ve never seen a house cat come to heel before. Neat trick.”

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure it would work. Most felines, even the small ones, have minds of their own, and don’t usually follow orders. But there are wolves in this community and these little guys have been traumatized enough. I don’t think any of the shifters would hunt house cats with any kind of serious intent, but dogs do like to chase things.”

“Good point.” She secured the vehicle and came over to put her shoulder under his, supporting him.

She was gentle, but the movement still jarred. He became concerned that maybe he had more than just a couple of broken ribs, but he sucked it up and grit his teeth as they hobbled inside, a parade of little critters following obediently behind.

Her house was welcoming and neat. The living room, which he could see through a large archway as they passed, had a big, comfy-looking couch, but he knew if he got down into those big cushions, he wouldn’t be able to get out
under his own steam anytime soon. The thing would swallow him whole and he’d need help levering out of the cushy trap.

Kate must have realized it
too, because she steered him away from the living room and down the hall.

“I have a guest room down here with it
s own attached bathroom,” she explained as she ushered him toward the back of the house. I think it was originally designed to be used as an office, but I have some elderly friends who I hope will visit. I don’t want to make them go up and down those stairs, so I decided to repurpose the place a bit. There’s a bed in there already, though not much else, I’m sorry to say.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Slade said as they came to the end of the hall and she reached out to open the door. “Anyplace with a flat surface I can stretch out on will be great. Even the floor.”

He wasn’t kidding. The way his body hurt, he’d settle for the clean hardwood floor if he didn’t get to a better spot real soon. There was definitely something more than broken ribs going on inside his torso, judging by the piercing pain flaming through his midsection. Damn.

Kate pushed the door open and Slade saw the room had a little more in it than she’d claimed. There was a nightstand next to the bed with a big-numbered, illuminated alarm clock a
nd a lamp with a flowery shade. An ornate armoire sat along one wall, though it had been only partially built. The frame was up, but the shelving and internal poles and drawers had yet to be put together and inserted. There was also a velvety looking wing chair. It had very feminine lines and looked like an antique reproduction, though Slade didn’t know much about furniture.

The bed was queen-sized and had been made with frilly white linens
that had little roses and pansies on it that sort of matched the lamp. There were big, fluffy pillows covered with the same fabric and on the walls there were two framed watercolors of pansies and roses. He sensed a theme. A very grandmotherly theme.

“Who exactly where you expecting to stay here?” Slade couldn’t keep the amusement from his voice.

Kate looked shy for a moment. Almost embarrassed. She helped him sit on the edge of the bed, then busied herself turning down the comforter and removing some of the mountain of pillows.

“I had a number of teachers along my path. A few of them are older ladies. Priestesses who helped me find my way. They don’t travel much, but I wanted to have a comfortable place ready if any of them came to visit.”

Slade saw how much it meant to her. “I think any woman would love what you’re doing here.”

“But not a man?”
Kate finally looked up at him as he pet the kitten in his hand who was nuzzling his jacket.

“You have to admit. It is a little… uh… flowery.” He looked around and smiled. “But it’s pretty. My mom would love this. Pansies are her favorite flower.”

They’d lost some of the familiars to other parts of the house, but a few had followed them into the flowery room. One in particular jumped up on the bed and walked right up to Slade, sniffing at him and the kitten in his hand.

“I think we found the
kitten’s mother,” he observed as the female cat began to lick the kitten affectionately. The female cat was black, but the baby was white with little black speckles. Still, they acted like momma and baby to Slade’s eyes.

“Looks like that mystery is solved,” Kate observed. She stood and got one of the boxes that had held the last few
unfinished pieces of the armoire. She then went into the bathroom and came back with a few towels. She spread two out on the bed behind Slade and put one in the box, making a little nest for the cats.

Slade put the kitten into the box when Kate brought it to him. She put the box on the floor and the momma cat hopped down off the bed and joined her baby in the warm nest Kate had created for them.

The doorbell rang and Kate looked toward the hall. “It’s Valerie. I recognize her energy.” She looked back at Slade and seemed torn about leaving him. That felt both good and bad. Good that she’d want to stay by his side. Bad that she wanted to do it because he was in such bad shape, and she knew it.

Valerie
, though, could help with the menagerie that was about to tear up Kate’s new house and probably crap all over it too. Slade didn’t know much about familiars, but he suspected they’d want food and a place to relieve themselves sooner rather than later.

“Go. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to lie down for a few minutes
. If you need help, let me know.”

He hated admitting his weakness and he really would have preferred playing the protector role and helping with the rescued critter
s, but she should be safe enough with Valerie. Even though the housing development had been breached to disastrous ends recently, everyone was on high alert now. Slade doubted anyone with malicious intent would be able to sneak up on the shifters now.

Kate still looked worried, biting her lip in a way that made him want to kiss her. Valerie didn’t ring the bell again, but they were both well aware that she was waiting.

“Call if you need me,” Kate said finally, looking back at him several times as she made her way down the hall.

Slade listened to the door open and relaxed when he heard
the women talking. Valerie had brought supplies with her and he could hear them both set to work as soon as the front door closed. All would be well. For now.

Slade made an effort to get out of his clothing, but even the slightest movement hurt like hell. He was winded and in even more pain when he finally decided to just lay down and try not to hurt for a little while. He lowered himself inch by painful inch
to the towel-covered bed behind him and left his booted feet hanging off the side. He didn’t want to ruin the flowery, feminine sheets Kate and put so much thought into if he could help it.

He’d just rest
here for a few minutes first, then he’d figure out what to do next.

Valerie was a godsend. She had litter boxes and the stuff that went inside them, plus a few plush, cushioned beds for the animals that were too traumatized to be moved. To her credit, she did manage to coax the majority of the animals to leave with her, but a few were stubbornly affixed to Kate and would not leave their savior. At least not yet.

Valerie confirmed that all of the animals ha
d been familiars. There was a special quality about such creatures. They were attracted by magic and able to act as companions to mages, grounding them to the earth even as their magic allowed them to touch on realms beyond most human comprehension.

They put those animals that were in the worst shape into small carriers Valerie had brought with her. Her husband, Keith, showed up a few minutes later to help carry them out to his vehicle. For the rest, which were all feline, Valerie helped Kate gather them into one place in the house. They would have freedom to roam around the living room and the long hallway. The rest of the doors were closed and litter boxes were placed
in a discrete corner. The cats would have enough places to explore as well as rest while Kate helped Slade.

She knew he had to be in worse shape than he was letting on. His skin was pale and every time he moved, he grimaced involuntarily. He was putting a brave face on it for her benefit, but she knew he was in terrible pain. That vampire had hit him hard. Harder than Kate had ever seen anyone get hit—even in movies. He’d be lucky if ribs were all she had broken.

And his pride was probably even more injured. She got the idea that Slade wasn’t the kind of man who liked to show any kind of weakness at all. She would have to examine him for herself to discover the extent of his injuries. He certainly wouldn’t be telling her anything he didn’t want her to know.

Luckily, Kate had always had a strong affinity for healing. It was one of the things she was particularly good at, and she planned to work her magic on Slade whether he was cooperating or not. She had ways to make him compliant if he dared to argue. He was in her house now. She would treat his wounds and nobody besides the two of them would ever have to know.

When Valerie and Keith left and Kate finally had a chance to check on Slade, she found him asleep on the bed, fully clothed, his legs still hanging over the side. Poor guy.

She approached him cautiously, wary of shifter reflexes. Sure, he didn’t look dangerous at the moment, but she’d be smart not to underestimate him.

He didn’t even stir as she sat on the bed at his side. He was down for the count.

Kate tried to be gentle as she moved. She’d brought scissor
s with her to cut off the scraps that remained of his shirt. That would be the easiest way to get him out of it without hurting him more. She set to work, pulling the fabric away from his body and cutting through it, piece by piece.

What was revealed as she worked made her gasp. The vampire’s shifted claws had gouged deeply into his skin. In fact, he was still bleeding sluggishly from some of the cuts. Rows of angry red lines covered his torso and she could see where bruises were beginning to form on his side. The same side he’d been clutching as she drove him home.

She didn’t bother trying to get his shirt out from under him. She just cut it off around him until his upper body was bare. His pants were bloody, but his legs had fared a lot better. The vampire had been going for his throat and she hadn’t damaged him much below the waist.

Still, Kate wanted him as comfortable as possible before she started healing him in earnest, so she paused to take off his boots before going into the bathroom to gather a few things
she would need. Her first order of business was to sponge off the blood and clean the cuts as best she could. Magic would go a long way toward fixing him up, but it was always better to start with a clean slate, as it were, before attempting something of this magnitude.

She’d clean him up first, then use more extravagant means to do what she could to make him feel better. That plan in mind, she set to work, using a small basin of warm water and a sponge to get the worst of the blood and even some threads from his clothes, out of his wounds. He shifted a few times, but didn’t wake as she worked. She wondered at that. In her limited experience, shifters were very sensitive about people being nearby. The
y seemed to revel in touch—but usually only from family or friends.

She didn’t really fall into the friend category with Slade, did she? They’d
only met that day. She would’ve thought it would take more for him to be so comfortable around her, but then again, maybe not. There certainly had been a strong attraction between them from the moment they’d met. She found herself thinking of him in romantic terms when she knew darn well he was only here to do a job. He wasn’t staying. She had to resign herself to that.

Still, as she bathed his muscular torso, she found herself daydreaming just the tiniest bit.

What would it be like to make love with Slade? Would he be rough and masterful? Or would he be gentle and tender? Would he make her scream, and could she make him purr?

She’d never been with a shifter before. In fact, it had been a long time since her last short-lived affair. She had decided to make her life among these big, strong, attractive people, but hadn’t been wowed by their physical attributes. They were still people—albeit more spiritual in many cases, than the regular humans she’d been around before. Slade though, he drew her like no other man ever had. She had only known him a few hours and she already wanted to know what he would feel like inside her.

All she had to do was glance in his direction and her thoughts strayed to naughty places. The attraction was instant and intense. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, his body rocking her to completion. And she’d bet her life’s savings that the climax Slade could give her would be unlike anything she’d ever experienced. The way their magic met and twined whenever she touched him hinted at it. Theirs would be a joining not soon to be repeated and she wanted it. She wanted
him
. Bad.