The Runaway Cat (Book 2 Cloverleah Pack Series) (28 page)

Shawn looked at the man in surprise and then thought for a minute.

“You getting antsy cat?  Want to have a go at a few wolves yourself?”

Shrugging, Diablo gave a small smile.  “Well hey, with all this testosterone flying around and me just sitting here like some bloody damsel waiting for someone to save and claim me, my cat is getting pretty pissed about the whole thing.  Can you blame me?”

Shawn threw a dirty look at Kane
and nodded. “Yeah, this whole protective mate’s thing can be a bit of a drag at times.” He pointed his chin at the last contender in line.  “You want him don’t you?”

“I want the last eight,” Diablo said firmly. He faced Shawn as he spoke, the resolve clear in his eyes, “Look I want to be an equal partner with Griff and I want to prove my worth to the pack.  It’s bad enough you guys have had to rescue me once all ready from Georgio’s men, but if I am ever going to be taken seriously I need to show I can be a useful pack member as well.  So is it against pack law or what?”

“Well, no actually,” Shawn thought some more.  “In most cases non-wolf shifters are smaller than wolves so the idea has probably never come up.  You are a pack member so technically you could be allowed to fight.”  He threw Diablo a grin. “You do know that Griff is going to be pissed, right?”

“Yep I guess he might be.  But as Alpha Mate you have some sway on Kane’s decisions on who is next up to fight so you could probably persuade him to let me go.  And Kane is Griff’s Alpha at the end of the day.”

Nodding, Shawn jerked his head at Kane who was standing talking to Lucius and Vincent. As Kane headed over, Shawn said, “What about the shifting thing.  You know Griff is not going to allow you to be seen naked by all these guys who have been fighting for the right to have you all day.  I could magic your clothes but the use of magic might make the fights null and void and you are not going to want that to happen.”

“You guys will just have to shield me then,” Diablo said quietly.  “Griff is going to be unhappy enough with me fighting, without the nudity aspect.  But I can fight in my human form wearing my jeans and if I have to shift you guys could just make like a human wall and shield me from the others, couldn’t you?”

“Couldn’t you, what,” Kane asked as he slipped his arm around Shawn’s waist and buried his face in Shawn’s long black hair. He took a long deep breath and then looked up at Shawn and Diablo.  “What are you two cooking up now?”

Shawn quickly filled Kane in on what Diablo wanted and while Kane looked surprised, when Shawn explained that there weren’t actually any pack laws forbidding Diablo to fight, he nodded.

“Of course, it is your decision, Alpha,” Shawn said quietly, his arms loped around Kane’s neck.

Kane snorted.  “Yes beloved, I know you are pissed because I wouldn’t let you fight much today.  So if I agree to this then are we okay?”

Shawn looked deeply into Kane’s eyes and the two men just stared at each other as they shared their thoughts through their mind link.  After a few minutes Kane blushed, which was an adorable sight in itself, and then laughed.

“Okay Diablo.  Thanks to my mate’s persuasive
mind you can take on the last eight challengers.  Probably a good idea too, as you are fresh and full of energy while the rest of us,” he indicated to the men around him, “not so much.  We are not going to be able to protect your precious body from watching eyes though if you do this because if anyone steps into the pack circle once a contender has proclaimed his intent then the match becomes void and you would lose by default.”  Kane grinned.  “But I am sure you will come up with something.”  Diablo nodded.

“All right, c
ome on then. Let’s announce it and get these challenges finished.”

“Thank you Alpha,” Diablo said quietly.  Kane shot Diablo a surprised look at the use of his title but got the message behind it loud and clear.  Diablo would never be a wolf, but he did accept his position in the Cloverleah pack and now he wanted to fight for it.

Kane strode to the middle of the pack circle as the next contender stepped into the ring.  Holding up his hand, Kane spoke loudly to attract the attention of all of the shifters.

“I have an unusual announcement,” he said clearly.  When all of the men were quiet Kane said in a slightly quieter voice. “After checking with the Shifter Guardian,” Kane indicated Shawn who stood with Diablo on the side of the circle, “I have decided the last eight contenders will face Diablo in the ring.”

The crowd went wild. Never in shifter history had a non-wolf shifter participated in the Mating Ritual challenges and there were a number of questions thrown at Kane as he stood waiting for the ruckus to quiet down.

“Enough,” Kane yelled firmly.  “I have been advised that there is no law against Diablo fighting.  It’s just not something that has ever come up before.  Diablo is a full member of the Cloverleah pack not only because of his mating with Griff but because of his ties of friendship with the rest of us.  He is a valued member of our pack and as such has the right to fight with the rest of us.”  Kane said the last part with his gaze firmly on Griff.

But Griff wasn’t having it.  “No,” he said stepping forward.  “I forbid it.”

Raising his eyebrow, Diablo said quietly, “You
forbid it? You
forbid
it?” All of a sudden the whole situation, his trouble with the FBI, his having to be saved from Georgio and Griff’s constant need to be a top since they had gotten home got the better of Diablo and he stalked over to Griff, his long limbs easily showcasing the man’s devilish sexuality and the power of his hidden form.  Diablo was pissed and he wasn’t afraid to show it.  Griff swallowed as Diablo got nearer. 

I won’t let you put yourself in danger.  You are my mate and it is my job to protect you.

You think I need protecting, my little wolf. 
Diablo quietly mocked the man as he prowled around him, not quite touching but as the heat grew between them Griff was finding it difficult to breathe.  All of a sudden he longed to bend over, grab his ankles and submit to his mate.  The power of Diablo’s cat flowed around Griff, something he had never experienced before.

I just want you to be safe…I love you, you know that.

I love you too, my mate, but your pack is tired and if I am to be accepted as more than your mate then understand I need to do this.

I…I…

And when I have finished your ass had better be ready for me, do you understand me?  You have no right to forbid me to do anything.  Anything!

Yes, my mate.

Griff took a deep breath and shuddered, snapping his eyes open, eyes he didn’t even realize he had closed.  His body was awash with goose bumps and his prick pulsed painfully behind the zipper in his jeans.  While his logical brain tried to point out that he would never allow anyone to speak to him like Diablo did through their mind link, he also had to admit it was one of the biggest turn-ons of his life.  As Diablo’s calm measured tones had washed through his brain Griff realized he should also be extremely grateful that Diablo had used their mind connection rather than exercising his power over Griff in a more verbal fashion. Griff would have never been able to live that down.

Griff felt his
ass muscles clench with pleasurable anticipation as he thought of what was to come later that evening.  It was time for Griff to stop thinking about his mate as a weak man who relied on his protection and instead recognize his lover as the lethally strong equal partner that he was. 

As Diablo strode forward to meet his first contender he eyed up the man carefully.  The contender was shorter than he was but powerfully built like most shifters.  When Diablo got closer the man’s face twisted in a sneer.

“Trouble in paradise, pretty boy?”  He asked.

“A misunderstanding between mates,
nothing more. What form do you choose?”  Diablo’s response was quiet and deadly calm.  It would not do for the contender to realize just how angry Diablo was until they actually engaged.

“Oh definitely human, pretty boy. 
Wolves prefer to fight naked. Are you going to drop those pants for me and show me what you’ve got?”

“My mate prefers me covered.”

“No matter, I’ll get them off you soon enough,” and with that the man moved towards Diablo throwing a punch to his mid-section.  Diablo quickly deflected the blow and swung round on one foot lifting his leg to deliver a well placed kick to the contender’s rear end.  The man, already in motion, fell to the ground in a sprawling lump. 

Recovering quickly the contender sprung to his f
eet and lunged at Diablo again, crouching low with the clear intention to try and get Diablo off his feet.  In an apparent move to help him Diablo waited until the man was real close and then dropped to the ground allowing the stockier man to go over the top of him.  Once clear Diablo bounced back to his feet in one smooth liquid move and clasped the man around the neck from behind.  As the contender tried to remove his arm, growling and kicking all the while Diablo’s quick fingers sought the pressure point he was looking for and seconds later the man slumped in his arm, unconscious.

“
Five minute break,” the Shaman called out as Diablo stepped from the circle.  He had no wish to go to Griff, or even see what the man had thought of his performance.  He just wanted to centre his energy and study the next contender who was watching him from the other side of the ring with a cocky smile on his face. This wolf was bigger, about as tall as Diablo but he had a lot more muscle mass around the chest and shoulder area.  Diablo scanned the man carefully and noting the thinner legs smiled to himself.  He had always believed that every man had a weakness and part of being a good fighter meant identifying the weakness and playing on it.

As the Shaman called time, Diablo moved back into the ring and asked again what the contender’s preference was.  When the contender asked again for “human” to the jeers of the crowd it was clear that a secondary theme to this fight was the desire of the crowd to see Diablo naked.
Well tough shit,
Diablo thought to himself as he broached himself for the man’s attack.  Minutes later the contender was unconscious on the ground and Diablo went to the side of the ring again.

The ritual repeated itself five more times.  The contenders preferring
to fight in human form, Diablo assessing the weakness of each one and exploiting it within minutes.  Each contender left eventually unconscious on the ground.  At one point when a punch actually landed on Diablo’s face he heard Griff growling loud over the noise of the crowd and the shouts of Kane and the others who fought to hold his lover back.  If Griff stepped into the circle the fight was void and Diablo would lose by default.  As the contender tried to grope Diablo’s crotch when Diablo held him in a head lock, only then Diablo lose a bit of control. 

“I should break your neck for trying to touch me,” he snarled as he found the man’s weak point and dropped him to the ground. Shaking himself, Diablo resisted the urge to kick the downed shifter and went to the edge of the ring once more.  Only one shifter left to go and Diablo knew he would need all of his resources to fight this man if he decided to go with human form.

But the menacing man in front of him surprised the whole crowd as well as Diablo when he called out “Animal” as his preferred choice of fighting. 

“What?” The contender smirked as he looked at Diablo.  “This crowd wants to see you naked and I’m not afraid of a little kitty cat. Shift and show us what you’ve got.”

Shrugging, Diablo released the top button of his jeans and partially pulled down the zip.  He could hear Griff growling again and thought to himself that Griff really needed to get a grip and trust him more.  Diablo had no wish to be naked in front of this or any crowd of wolf shifters.  Throwing the contender a smirk, Diablo left his jeans on and leapt into the air.  As he leapt he initiated his shift, the movement of the air and his jump causing his jeans to drop as the shift took place. 

Seconds later Diablo stood in his shifted form, black, powerful and completely lethal.
Four hundred pounds of fluid muscle combined with enhanced senses.  Diablo sniffed, there was a tinge of fear in the crowd.  Smirking to himself as only a big cat shifter can Diablo shook out his fur and then lifted his head, yowling across the top of the wolf shifters.  The roar of a big cat is designed to inspire fear in its prey and it was certainly working on this crowd. Unconcerned Diablo sat down waiting for the contender to shift.  He was amused to see a slight look of consternation on the contender’s face before the man quickly shifted into a large, but no where near as large as Diablo, wolf.  Diablo had enough time to notice the crowd had gone deadly silent before the wolf made his approach.  Hmmm, it seems the wolves hadn’t seen a cat quite as big as his before. 
Well tough shit to that as well. What were they expecting - a house cat?

As the wolf lunged towards Diablo, Diablo went into a crouch waiting until the shifter was over the top of him before rising himself up and flinging the wolf off his shoulders.  The wolf fell to the ground about five feet away and got to his feet shaking his head before lunging at Diablo again, his teeth bared.  Diablo evaded him and then stepped back to swipe at the wolf’s side with his claws blunted.  Diablo had no wish to draw blood on the man although it would have been perfectly acceptable in a challenge like this and given how the wolf hadn’t closed his mouth since Diablo had thrown him the wolf obviously had every intention of drawing blood from Diablo.