Текст книги "Cynful"

Автор книги: Dana Bell

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If Marie had told Cyn she was taking her to Noah’s she would at least have grabbed her fedora. As it was, she felt woefully underdressed. A black tank top and jeans weren’t exactly the classiest thing to wear to a place like this.

“Are you all right? I heard about what happened at your shop. Jamie was worried about you.”

Cyn smiled. Jamie and Julian were becoming good friends. Making nice with Marie made sense, even if they had nothing in common. They were going to wind up spending at least some time together, thanks to their men. This was a good place to start learning about one another. “I’m good. Super Bear fixed me up just fine.”

“That’s good to know.” Marie twisted the breadstick, jumping as it fell apart. She dusted off her fingers, her gaze glued to her plate. Cyn had never seen anyone so nervous in her life. “So.”

She stared at Marie, waiting. It was obvious she was up to something, but Cyn had no clue what it could be. Marie was toying with half her breadstick, ripping it to tiny crumbs. “So?”

Marie loomed up with a grimace. She took a deep breath. “So. You and Emma are friends, right?”

Oh. Huh. This was not quite what Cyn had expected. She’d thought that it was a get to know my mate’s friend’s mate lunch, not…whatever the hell this was. “Maybe? I’m not sure.” The Puma Curana was a hard one to figure out, at least for Cyn. She had a way of bowling everyone in her path over, and for some reason the people she ordered around actually felt gratefulfor it. Cyn just didn’t get it, or her, but she had to admit it was fun whenever Emma came by LA. The bikers especially adored the Little General. “I like her, except when I don’t, if that makes any sense.”

Marie laughed. “I think it does. She’s a force of nature.” She blushed. “Look, can I trust you?”

Cyn nodded. She didn’t know if what Marie wanted to talk about was good or bad, but if it affected Marie, then it affected Jamie. If it affected Jamie, then it had the potential to affect Julian, and Cyn wouldn’t have that.

“Oh. Good.” Marie blew out her breath, but Cyn could tell she still wasn’t entirely comfortable. “This is Pride business, okay? You can’t let anyone know I talked to you about it.”

Cyn mimed zipping her lips shut.

Marie grinned. “Thanks. Emma and I, we…” She gulped again. “We had a falling out early on in her reign. Now we’re cordial, but not nearly as close as we used to be.”

“It has something to do with Belinda Campbell, right?” Marie winced at the name of the Poconos Pack Luna, and Cyn nodded. “I thought that might be it. Even I’ve heard of how Belle left Halle in a cloud of suspicion. What the hell happened?”

Marie sighed and took a sip of her soda. “Belinda was so close to Livia, I thought for sure she was in on the plot. I mean, she was Livia’s best friend. How could she not know?”

Cyn tilted her head, confused. “Plot?”

Before Marie could answer the waiter came by to take their order. Cyn ordered her favorite, the lasagna, while Marie went for the pasta e fagioli and a salad. Once the waiter was gone Marie answered her question. “When Max claimed Emma as his Curana, Livia was furious. She thought she should be the Curana, always did. She was just waiting for Max to return home from college before she mated him.”

“I thought mates were destined by fate.” Cyn ate another breadstick, fascinated by this insight into the local shifters. After all, she’d be joining them soon.

“Usually, yes. But if you don’t meet your mate by the time you’re thirty, it’s safe to assume you never will. Most people will choose to mate with someone they fall in love with rather than wait any longer. It’s not a true mating, but I’ve known people who lived very happy lives with their chosen spouse.”

“What happens if the mate actually shows up?”

Marie shivered. “I have no idea, but it can’t be good.” She smiled at the nice young man who brought her salad. “Anyway, Livia wanted Max, Max wanted Emma, and Max took Emma.”

Cyn laughed. “Max tookEmma?”

“Alphas can be pretty strong-willed.”

“That explains why she calls him Captain Caveman.” Cyn waggled her eyebrows, happy when Marie laughed.

“Anyway, Max wasn’t going to give Emma the chance to say no. He marked her before he told her what he was, and from all accounts she took it pretty well.” Marie finished her salad and pushed the empty plate aside. “When Livia found out who the new Curana was, she went nuts and attacked Emma’s best friend Becky, hoping to get the Curana’s ring off Emma’s finger.”

“What ring? And why Becky?” This Pride shit was confusing as hell. Thank God Julian was a Bear. Since Bears lived in family groups rather than Packs or Prides, Cyn wouldn’t have to deal with this kind of crap very often.

Then again, I haven’t met his parents yet. Maybe I should reserve judgment until I do.For all she knew the DuCharmes were just as insane as the Bunsuns.

“Puma Alphas wear rings signifying their status. Since there are only two cat species who form Prides, the ancient Pumas decided to follow the example of their Lion brothers and sisters, who also wear rings, rather than the Wolves and Coyotes, who don’t.”

“Why is that, anyway? That’s been bugging the shit out of me.” Cougars were solitary cats in the wild, so why did the shifter Pumas form a Pride?

Marie grinned. “I love telling this story. Let’s see. It’s said that, long ago, the spirits chose humans to meld with, creating the first shifters. The Lions were first, making the Leo the ruler of us all. He formed the first Pride, his Lion instincts driving him.”

“In other words, his cat wanted its harem.”

Marie coughed. “ Sonot going there.” Cyn chuckled, and Marie continued. “Anyway, the Wolves and Coyotes also formed Packs, the Bears and Foxes had their family groups, but most of the cats, they were solitary creatures who preferred to live alone. The Wolf Alpha received the ability to talk to anyone in his Pack. The Leo, he could command anyone, and I mean anyone, because he was the shifter King. All Lion Alphas have that ability to some extent, but none stronger than the Leo. Foxes could hide better than anyone, Bears could heal, Coyotes got the gift of sensing lies, et cetera. Anyway, when it came time for the first Pumas to ask for their gift, they took a look around, pointed at the Lions, and said basically ‘We want that.’”

“What they meant was the ability to command others, right?”

Marie shook her head. “Nope. They wanted the safety of numbers that a Pride gave the Lions. So, even though it’s not in the puma’s nature to bond in that way, all Puma Prides have the same structure as a Lion one. When the more solitary shifters were hunted for rights to their land by other shifters, only the Pumas and the Lions were able to hold on to their territory. The Tigers were hunted to near extinction; only the intervention of the Leo prevented it.”

Cyn whistled. “That’s…damn.”

“Yeah. I don’t think any Puma has truly regretted the bargain the first made with the spirits. We likeour Prides, thank you very much.” Marie shrugged. “So Emma is the Curana, ring or no, but not everyone understands that the ring is just a symbol. If it fell down the drain tomorrow Emma would stillbe Curana. Nothing would change that.”

“Let me guess. Livia didn’t believe that.”

“Not one little bit. She also knew Emma would do almost anything to protect Becky except give up Max.” Marie shook her head. “Livia never understood what being the Curana truly meant. You can’t be the Curana without being the mate of the Alpha. A female Puma who leads a Pride is called an Alpha, notCurana. So when Livia attacked Becky and pretty much ordered Emma to surrender the ring and her position as Curana, it wasn’t Emma’s title Livia was threatening, it was her bond with Max.”

“And you don’t threaten a mate bond.” Cyn understood. Just watching the way Alex was with Tabby, the way Ryan watched Glory, had taught her that much.

“Nope. Not without severe repercussions. Livia believed that if Emma handed over the ring the Pride would view her as being weak. She thought the Pride would force Max to name her Curana in Emma’s stead, making her Max’s mate and Emma Max’s piece on the side. Add in the fact that Livia had hurt Becky, and Emma was pissed. We were in the ballroom and they were in the garden, and we could still feel just how ticked off Emma was. She used her powers to force Livia to obey her, proving once and for all that she was the Curana, ring or no ring.”

“I bet that went over really well.”

“Rumor has it that Livia was fit to be tied, but it no longer mattered what she felt. Max Outcast her, and each of us could feel that bond sever, no matter how far away we were.” Marie grimaced. “Here’s where it gets a little tricky. See, everyone believed Belinda knew what was going on, since she’d been in the house trying to pick up Simon.” Marie shook her head, her expression grim.

Cyn frowned, still somewhat confused. Belinda “Belle” Lowell, once Campbell, was the Luna of the Poconos Pack. What the hell did she have to do with all of this? “Wait. You think because they were friends Belle was in on Livia’s plans to attack Becky?”

“They weren’t just friends, they were bestfriends.”

“But didn’t I hear that youwere friends with Livia? Wouldn’t that make you suspect too?”

“We were friends, but not best friends. I mean, what don’tTabby and Glory know about you?”

Cyn thought about that for a moment. “Not much, but if I were about to go postal on the Mayor I might not tell them about it first. They’d probably guess if I was upset or angry, but not that I was about to do something so monumentally stupid.”

“Why not?”

Cyn shrugged. “Because I wouldn’t want them in trouble with me.”

Marie gaped. “You’re joking. Right?”

“Nope.” She was serious. If she ever went off the rails like that she wouldn’t want to drag Glory and Tabby down with her. They’d suffered enough in their lives.

Besides, they were her family.

“Huh.” Marie shrugged. “I don’t think Livia was ever that altruistic.”

“Perhaps.” Cyn tapped her fork against her plate. “It’s also possible she thought Belle would rat her out. Let’s face it, from what I’ve heard Belle has more than proven her loyalty to the Pride. It could be that Livia pointed her toward Simon without once mentioning why she was supposed to be distracting him.” Cyn tore into another breadstick. Damn, they were good. Almost as good as the lasagna. “Wasn’t Belle in love with Simon? I’m pretty sure she could have been persuaded to keep him occupied.” Even Cyn had heard of Belinda and Simon; she’d been in the same high school, just a year or two behind Belle.

“She wasin love with him. Desperately.” Marie stroked her forehead. “Maybe you’re right. But I wasn’t the only one who thought Belle had betrayed our alphas. Most of the Pride agreed with me.”

“What did they do?” God, the lasagna here was incredible. She’d have to drag Super Bear’s butt here sometime soon. The best part was there were no Bears or Foxes in sight.

“Everyone practically shunned Belinda.” Cyn noticed that Marie never once called the Luna Belle the way everyone else did. It was as if she refused to admit that Belle wasn’t the woman she’d always thought her to be. “But she helped Becky when she got sick, then sacrificed herself to save Sheri, and attitudes started to change. Emma and Becky both agreed that Belinda hadn’t done anything wrong. Even Max and Simon believed her.”

“But you don’t.”

Marie shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t. She had to see something was going on that night. It’s like those women who marry serial killers. How can they not know that their husbands are crazy?”

“Sometimes you see what you want to see, instead of what’s right in front of you.” Cyn had lived with someone just like that. Her mother had adored everything about her father, even the things that weren’t good for her. Oh, her father had never been abusive, but he’d controlled every aspect of their lives. Her mother had fallen apart after his death, and was still picking up the pieces.

Marie shrugged. “True.”

“So what does this have to do with my friendship with Emma?”

“I’m hoping you could put in a good word for me.” Marie winced. “It’s a lot to ask, but this isn’t just about me anymore. There are a number of Pumas who feel the same way I do about Belinda, but none of us want the Curana’s anger directed at us. We just want to heal the breech in the Pride.” She stared at Cyn, her gaze determined, and sad. “It’s gone on too long.”

Cyn had no clue what she could do to ease Marie’s pain. The woman had obviously brought this on herself. “Have you apologized?”

“Should I apologize for something I believe to be true?”

“If Belle proved to her Alphas beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was innocent, shouldn’t you grant her the courtesy of belief?”

Marie took a deep breath, then let it out in a rush. “I’ll give it some thought.”

“I hate to say it, but I think the healing needs to come from you, and all the ones who feel the way you do. I think you’re the only ones who can end it.”

Marie nodded slowly, but it was obvious she was unhappy about it. “I’ll talk to them. Thanks, Cyn.” She smiled softly. “I think we’re going to be good friends.” Marie suddenly grinned. “Now, on to more important things.” She leaned forward, her gaze darting to Cyn’s neck. “When is that hunka hunka going to mark you?” She waggled her brows with a lecherous grin.

Cyn snorted, amused. “Please. He hasn’t been properly trained yet.”

Marie laughed. “Call me if you need any pointers. Those men of ours need to be reminded who really rules the roost. Oh!” She started digging through her purse. “I have the cutest little safari hat you can borrow.

Cyn giggled as Marie shoved a cell phone in her hand. On it was a picture of Marie, safari hat perched on her head, her mate at her side. “Are those bear ears?”

“Yup. I totally made him dance too.”

“You’re nuts.” But she was Cyn’s kind of nuts. Marie was right; they were going to be good friends.

Satisfied that her Dr. Phil moment was over for the week, she polished off her lasagna and wondered what Julian would have to say about all of this.

She pushed thoughts of Julian aside for later. Right now, she had tiramisu to conquer.

Chapter Ten

“I’m glad you didn’t have any trouble while you were out last night.” Gabe Anderson snatched the tapping pencil out of Tabby’s fingers. “I still think it was reckless, though.”

“That’s not what Glory told me you said.” Cyn rolled her eyes and thought about how insane her friend was being. “I hate to say this, I mean I reallyhate to say this, but I think somebody should just bite her ass.” Maybe then she’d get over the massive cranky fit she was having.

“You’re just saying that because I’ve been singing Weird Al Yankovic all morning.” Glory smirked at them as she worked on the belly button ring display.

Cyn turned and glared at her. “This is revenge for the Super Grover comment.”

Glory’s baby blues went wide with fake innocence. “Can I help it if I love ‘Perform This Way’?”

Gabe cleared his throat, gaining their attention once more. “I’ll be checking in regularly with you ladies, but just in case here’s my cell number. Call me if anything seems to be even remotely off. Until we find out what these guys are after I’m not going to risk your safety.” Gabe tossed the pencil back to Tabby and sauntered out of the shop.

Glory set the display back in the case and dusted off her hands. “Be right back. Feel free to talk about me while I’m gone.”

“What the hell is up with her?” Tabby’s accent had thickened into a deep Georgia drawl, an indication of exactly how upset she was. “She’s acting like a total brat.”

“It’s that whole don’t tie-me-down thing that’s tripping her up.”

“Maybe I should change her.” Rat-a-tat-tat went Tabby’s pencil. “Maybe then she’ll understand why Ryan’s close to losing it.”

“Might not be a bad idea. If she feels that mate pull you guys talk about she’ll stop fighting it so hard.”

“At least you’ve stopped fighting it.”

Cyn shrugged. She couldn’t say she’d completely stopped fighting it, but it was more girl slap now than Gears of War. Julian was proving he was nothing like her father, and she was proving to herself she was nothing like her mother. Now if only she could get over the fear that he’d do a complete one-eighty once he bit her they’d be golden.

“Did I tell you, Micah called me again?” Tabby’s tapping pencil picked up speed.

The new Alpha of Tabby’s old Pack had been relentless in his attempts to try and speak with her. “Did you pick up the phone this time?”

“Hell, no. Alex still wants to go down there and find Dennis Boyd and rip him a new one. You think I’m really going to open up that can of whoop-ass on the Marietta Pack?”

Cyn shrugged. “What about your parents, have they called too?”

Tabby snorted. “Please. They tossed me away like last week’s garbage. Even if they wanted to speak to me, I don’t want to speak to them.” She wrinkled her nose as if smelling the garbage she spoke of. “Besides, my pack and my family are here.”

As long as Tabby was happy, Cyn didn’t give a rat’s ass if her friend never spoke to her biological family again. “In that case the next time he calls, tell him to fuck off.”

“Genteelly, of course.” She picked up the pencil and stared at it cross eyed.

“Uh-huh.” What the hell was Tabby doing?

“Because I’m a lady.” She sniffed along the pencil, starting when she poked her nose with the tip.

“More like a puppy. Don’t eat that, you don’t know where it’s been.”

Cyn ducked as Tabby threw the pencil at her head. She sniffed the air in short staccato bursts, then snorted much like a dog would. “What is that funky smell?”

The sound of a toilet flushing made Cyn giggle.

“Not that!” Tabby’s nose scrunched up. “Although that’s pretty ripe too.”

Glory stepped out from behind the employees’ only curtain and eyed Cyn, who was still giggling like a loon. “What the hell is wrong with her?”

“Do you smell something funky?”

Glory blushed and dug her toe into the worn linoleum. “Um, yeah, I’m sorry about that. See, I had cheese with lunch, and—”

“No! It doesn’t smell…biological.”

Cyn took a deep breath, but all she could smell was the shop itself. It was a combination of ink and paper and dust and glass cleaner, just like always. “I don’t smell anything.”

Tabby’s nose wrinkled. “You can’t smell that? It’s like, kind of, ick.” She was practically gagging. She pulled the edge of her shirt away from her neck and pulled it up to her nose, sniffing cautiously.

“Are you smelling coffee again?” Recently the smell of coffee made Tabby nauseous. Thank God she wasn’t living in the apartment anymore. Glory would’ve had to kill her. Glory without her morning coffee was like the Terminator without John Connor—bat-shit insane and absolutely lethal.

Tabby wrinkled her nose in disgust. “No, it’s not coffee. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything quite like it before.”

Cyn looked over at Glory who shook her head. “I can’t smell a thing.”

Cyn bit her lip, but it really wasn’t that hard a decision to make. “I think this qualifies as anything weird. Call Gabe.”

“On it.” Glory pulled out her cell phone. She must have put the sheriff on speed dial, because within two seconds she was talking to him.

“I’m going to find where the hell that’s coming from.” Tabby stalked out from behind the counter and headed toward the back, into the employee–only area. “What is it?” She was muttering to herself as she followed the scent to the back door.

Cyn stuck to her like glue. No way was she letting Tabby go out there by herself. She grabbed hold of Tabby’s arm. “Let’s wait for Gabe.”

Tabby’s eyes had turned golden brown, her Wolf’s eyes. “I have a reallybad feeling about this.”

She trusted Tabby’s instincts. They’d sharpened since her friend had gotten pregnant. Cyn pulled Tabby back and away from the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

Glory was already out front, waiting for them. “I was just about to go in to pull you guys out. Gabe wants us to wait out here for him. He also wants to know what it smelled like.”

“It was plastic and metal and…motor oil? Maybe? And something I can’t even describe.”

Gabe pulled up to the curb, lights flashing but sirens silent. He got out of his cruiser and sprinted toward the girls. “All right, Tabby, come with me.” He pulled Tabby off to the side and whispered in her ear. Tabby in turn whispered back.

Gabe paled and pushed Tabby toward the street. “You three, get across the street now.” He then sprinted for the back of the shop at breakneck speed.

Cyn didn’t need to be told twice. She ran across the street and into the dry cleaners. “What the fuck is going on?”

Gabe came running back from around the corner of the building, his expression grim. He leaned into the cruiser, but Cyn couldn’t see what he was doing.

Before too long he was jogging across the street. “Follow me.”

Cyn, Tabby and Glory followed him to the corner. “Listen carefully.” He was talking so softly Cyn could barely hear him. “I think there’s a pipe bomb at your back door.”

“A what?” Cold fury rushed through her. Whoever was after them had gone too far. A pipe bomb wouldn’t just do property damage. The damn things were meant to kill people.

“I’ve already sent for the bomb squad. I want you girls to wait here until I tell you otherwise.”

Cyn clenched her fists. “Tabby, did you scent Cheetah again?”

“No. It was…strange. Not human, I know that.” She rubbed her nose. “It’s really weird. I’d swear I smelled deer.”

Cyn’s brows rose in surprise. “There are deer shifters?”

“No. That’s what’s so strange about it. I could scent deer and charcoal and wool, but nothing else.”

“Was that the scent that you couldn’t describe?” Glory was playing with her hair, twisting the curls around her fingers over and over again. She was scared, and desperately trying not to show it.

“No. Maybe it was the explosive I smelled.” Tabby groaned as a familiar motorcycle pulled up in front of them. “I didn’t do anything.”

The smile in Alex’s face was easy-going, but his dark brown bear’s eyes betrayed his uneasiness. “Tell me my mate wasn’t threatened again.”

Gabe sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s going to be a long day, isn’t it?”

Alex spun on his heel and marched toward the tattoo shop. Tabby raced after him and latched onto his arm. “No, Alex!”

“Come back here so I can explain everything to you.” Gabe grabbed hold of Alex’s other arm. “Look over there. My deputies are starting to clear out the businesses around the tattoo shop. You can’tgo over there right now.”

Alex growled but allowed himself to be led away. By the time they were done telling him everything that had happened Alex was sitting on the seat of his motorcycle, Tabby firmly on his lap. Dark five-inch claws had sprouted from his fingertips and drummed restlessly over her stomach. Tabby had her hands over his, trying to hide them as the sidewalk filled with humans. “This is getting ridiculous.”

“I agree. But hopefully this time they royally screwed up.” Gabe nodded toward the street. “Here comes the bomb squad. Maybe now we’ll have some answers.”

Cyn was shaking by the time the heavily padded men came back from around the shop. Between them was a black box, one she assumed held the pipe bomb.

“With any luck those idiots left fingerprints behind.” Gabe’s grin was feral; the Hunter in him had come to the fore. “I’ll call you as soon as I have some news.”

“Since when does Halle have a bomb squad?” Glory tugged hard enough on her curls to wince. “Now what?”

Cyn started across the street. “Now we go back to work.” She ignored Glory’s grumbling. How long would it be before whoever was after them decided to go to their homes? So far they only targeted the shop, but Cyn knew that couldn’t last. At some point or another the bad guys would figure out that the three of them were too well guarded there.

It was time to try and lure them into the open. But how? She couldn’t endanger Tabby or Glory, and if Julian found out she’d turned herself into bait he’d have a cow. Against a human attacker she had every confidence in herself, but she was facing shifters.

She paused, her hand on the knob, the door halfway open. The sound of the bell was still ringing in her ears.

Perhaps it was time she reallywent out for a bite.

“Bite me.”

Julian stared at his mate and tried to hold back his frustrated groan. He should have guessed the moment she pulled him into the back room that she’d be demanding he change her. He’d seen how pale she was the moment he’d stepped through the door. When he’d gotten news of the pipe bomb he’d raced out of work like his ass was on fire. But instead of trembling and allowing Ryan to calm her like Glory or cuddling with her mate like Tabby, she’d demanded he mate her.

This was notthe way he’d wanted to mark her. He’d planned on candlelight, decadent food and a full-on seduction. Instead he was in a dusty back room full of tattoo ink and needles, with nary a soft surface in sight so he could sink into her properly.

She snapped her fingers in his face. “Now, Julian. Let’s get this over with. I have work to do.”

She had to be shitting him. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Make with the fang.” She pointed at her neck. “Do I need to mark the spot or something?”

He crossed his arms over his chest and prepared himself for a battle. “No.”

She echoed his movement and almost distracted him. He couldn’t help it if his eyes were drawn to the bounty her arms now hid. “What happened to wanting a taste?”

He hoped his expression told her exactly how he felt about her request, because if he opened his mouth right then he’d say something he’d regret. He had a pretty good idea why she was doing this, which was not a mark in her favor.

Cyn sighed wearily. “I’m not saying we’re going to stop dating. I’m asking for safety.” She waved her arms toward the curtains that hid them from the rest of the shop. “Tabby’s pregnant and Glory is…Glory.” Her eyes pled with him. “Please, Julian. Give me what I need to take care of them.”

Fuck. She was pulling out the big guns. That stubborn determination to protect what was hers was part of her appeal, but it could get her seriously hurt if he didn’t rein her in. “I can’t.” He held up his hand to stifle her immediate protest. “Look, there are things I haven’t told you yet. Becoming like me is different from becoming a Wolf or a Puma, or even another Bear. It isn’t just a bite.”

“Let me guess. It’s a Kermode thing and I wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh, you’ll understand. Trust me. But if I’m going to bite you, it has to be done correctly.” Not in a dusty back room. Not when she was this angry and afraid. If she thought she was hiding her fear from him, she was sadly mistaken. He could smell it pouring from her skin.

“Fine. What do we need to do?”

“I’ll come to your place tonight. I give you my word I’ll explain everything then.” He stroked her cheek, unable to stop himself from touching her. He was tired of seeing her hurt; it had been bad enough when one of Gary’s goons had clocked her, but seeing her broken jaw had driven home how much worse it could have been if Tabby hadn’t been there. “Trust me.”

“You say that a lot.” But she pressed her cheek into his palm, reassuring him he was doing the right thing. Throwing her to Bear without some preparation would earn him a lot more grief than asking her to wait a few hours. “Fine. But I expect to be fuzzy by morning, got it?”

“It doesn’t work quite that way. It will be a few days before your first shift.”

She eyed him dubiously. “Will I sprout fur in the middle of the Save-A-Lot?”

“You could.” He shrugged. “I was born this way, so I’m not sure. My parents knew it was coming and kept me isolated until after the change struck. I do remember it was sudden. Nothing like watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island and popping fur in the middle of one of Ginger’s scenes.”

From the look on her face she wasn’t touching that statement with a ten-foot pole. Darn it. “Then maybe I’ll pay Emma a visit. Max changed her, so she might have a better idea of what to expect.”

“Not a bad idea. While you’re at it you can tell the Pride that there’s going to be a new Bear in town.”

Her brows rose. “Me?”

“Me. I’m applying for citizenship as soon as I’m allowed to.” It would be two long years before he could apply for a green card, but it would be worth it.

The quickly hidden pleasure made the wait worthwhile. “You’re staying?”

“Aren’t you?”

That earned him a smile, and a proud lift of that stubborn chin. “Good.” She took hold of his shoulders and turned him around. “If I’m not getting what I want then you need to get going.”

He sighed dramatically, though inside he was ecstatic. She’d accepted his terms, and they’d both get what they wanted. “You only want me for my fangs.”

“Yup. I harbor a secret vampire fetish. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Vampires aren’t real,” he scoffed.

“Neither are shifters.” With that she pushed him the rest of the way out of the back room. “Go rest!”

Rest. Right. Not happening, not if he was introducing his mate to Bear that night. Julian nodded to Alex and waited for the Grizzly to say his good-byes to Tabby. On the way out the door he whispered, “White or dark?”

“Hmm?”

“Chocolate.”

Tabby grinned. “Dark. As dark as they make and still call it sweet.”

“Cool.”

“But Cyn prefers milk.”

Was it just him or did all the women at Living Art Tattoos have the same evil grin?

He followed Alex out of the tattoo parlor and headed for the Harley Alex babied almost as much as he babied Tabby. “I’m marking her tonight.”

Alex stumbled. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Is she ready for that?”

Julian put the helmet on and shrugged. “Nope.”

“In that case I have two words for you. Protective gear.”

Julian had to concede the man had a point.

The bell jingled, announcing Cyn to the occupants of Wallflowers. She took a look around and tried to evaluate the place from a shopkeeper’s perspective.

The ladies had certainly gotten the atmosphere right. Wallflowers specialized in anything that could hang on a wall. Hand crafted mirrors, masks, paintings, clocks; all sorts of things covered the walls, all with discreet price tags. An antique rug covered the distressed hardwood floors. A small Victorian sofa covered in soft cream brocade was placed in the center of the room, inviting people to sit and chat with the owners. A Queen Anne coffee table in rich cherry wood sat before it with a silver tea set. Two Victorian chairs in that same cream fabric faced the sofa, creating a cozy little conversation group that Emma and Becky used to hold court. Against one wall was a gas fireplace with an ornately carved mantelpiece.