by Lisa Oliver
/~/~/~/~/
Fuck, this is a security nightmare, was Cam’s initial thoughts at seeing the overgrown yard. All plot sizes were big in Arrowtown, and Fergus’s yard stretched at least fifty yards from the back door – that he could see. The boundary itself was obscured with big over grown trees and bushes, totally obliterating any sign of the neighbors. Closer toward the house were raised gardens, also overflowing with a mixture of flowers, herbs and vegetables.
“A lot of this is self-seeding,” Fergus said excitedly as they stepped outside. “The plants have learned to co-exist with each other. There was a heap of dead plants I had to pull out when I first arrived but look at it now.”
“It’s lovely.” Cam managed the compliment automatically, but his brain was already mentally measuring the grass distance between the house and bushes. This is good, this is all right, he thought, taking in the thin branches on the tall trees that would be useless at supporting a sniper. The wide swathe of grass area would make creeping up on the house highly difficult, and the thickness of the bushes and undergrowth would mean anyone coming through that way would be heard before they were seen.
“This is one of my favorite spots,” Fergus said, catching his hand and dragging him along. He flung himself down on some moss that was growing at the base of a huge tree. Slower, and with a lot more caution, Cam did the same. “Lie back,” Fergus urged. “Tell me what you see. Isn’t it beautiful?”
Repressing a sigh, because Cam was not one of those men who liked to imagine shapes in the clouds or anything like that, he did note that the moss was thick and cool under his back, thanks to the shade. Looking up, Cam found himself staring at an intricate canopy – thin branches covered in a mass of leaves, all spreading out from each other creating a lacework of black and green against the bright blue sky.
“We had a tree like this at home,” Fergus whispered. “Back before, well, before things changed, me and my momma used to lie under it every chance we got, dreaming of all the places we wanted to visit. It was like, if you concentrated on the leaves and sky, you could be anywhere in the world in that moment. I still feel the same way.”
“You were close to your momma?”
“I still am,” Fergus let out a long breath. “Or at least I am as close to her as I can be right now. I spoke to her on the phone today. That is always a great way to start the day.”
Cam’s spidey senses immediately activated. But the air was warm, the moss was cool, and the gentle movements of the leaves were soothing. “I never take the time to do this,” he said softly, preserving the confessional mood. “It’s amazing how much you miss, when you’re busy all the time.”
“You know what’s even better?” There was a rustle of clothing as Fergus moved. Seconds later, Fergus was draped across Cam’s chest, his arms splayed around his torso in a hug. “Cuddling is always good for what ails you,” Fergus said, his head resting on the middle of Cam’s chest. “Especially, when you’ve had a rough night.”
You smell amazing, Cam thought as he slowly closed his eyes.
Chapter Eight
Fergus woke up alone. He wasn’t surprised. A teeny tiny bit hurt, but not enough to make a fuss about it. From the position of the sky overhead, it had to be about lunchtime, and Fergus’s stomach grumbled, letting him know oatmeal could only stem his hunger for so long. His thoughts immediately went to Cam, who had probably gone to open his business. I could go and see him, Fergus mused, watching the play of shadows from the leaves above dance on his chest. I could take him a meal seeing as his cook left yesterday. Or I could do laundry. Hmm. Decisions. Decisions.
He chuckled. As if there was really any choice in the matter. Fergus had a mountain of clothes and only one Cam, and it’s not as though he’d ever been to the bar before. “But what to make him,” he muttered to himself, as he sauntered back to the house. He frowned as he noticed a shadow passing across his window. Too small to be Cam, but whoever it was shouldn’t have been in his house.
Sprinting, because damn it, his home was his castle, Fergus powered through the wet room door, through the kitchen and into the living room, his arm raised, and his fist clenched. There was a high-pitched scream, and someone cowered on the floor. “The door was open; it was open I swear.”
“Sarah? My darling wee Sarah, I’m so sorry I scared you.” Fergus dropped to his knees and cuddled the frightened girl. “What were you doing creeping around my house, sweet one? Why didn’t you call out to me?”
“The door was open,” Sarah sobbed. “I brought the till money round, and the door was open, and I thought maybe a burglar was in here and…”
“And you dashed in to save me.” Fergus gave Sarah a huge hug. “That was so brave of you and very silly too, you realize that, don’t you?”
“I was scared I’d find the best boss in the world dead on the floor.”
Fergus held the frightened rabbit close as she sobbed. Young adult drama aside, the open front door was a real concern. There was no way Cam would have left it that way and he distinctly remembered closing it when Mal and Rocky left. Which meant someone else, not Sarah, had been in his house and might even still be around.
“Sweetness, sweetness,” he repeated as Sarah hiccupped. “Listen to me. Listen. Are you listening?” Tilting Sarah’s head back carefully, he waited until she nodded. “I need you to go to the bar for me, okay? I need you to run as fast as you can and go and tell Cam what you found here.”
Sarah blinked twice. “Can’t you phone him?”
I need you to be in a place of safety, you clueless bundle of sweetness. “I don’t have his number, sweet thing, but look, Cam’s my mate, and I need to stay here and make sure nothing’s been stolen, so if you can…”
“Oh, my god, oh, my god, I knew it, I just knew it, I could feel it in my fur.” Fergus almost choked as thin arms strangled his neck. “You will be just perfect for him and he couldn’t have gotten a more fabulous mate. I’m so happy for you both!”
“Yes, yes, well, we still have a number of things to work out, but look can you...?”
“I’ll go. I’ll go.” Sarah jumped to her feet. “I won’t stop and talk to anyone. I’ll run straight to the bar and I’ll make sure Cam’s the only one I tell about this. Oh, my god, Fergus, your own mate, that’s so exciting.”
Fergus flashed his teeth, because honestly Sarah’s excitement was contagious, but his smile slipped the moment she sprinted out of the still open door. He just knew someone as paranoid and cynical as Cam would not have left his front door wide open. And I definitely closed it. The only question was if the intruder was still on the premises.
Pushing himself to his feet, Fergus called on his animal side. He didn’t have the best of noses, but any shifter could sniff out strange scents especially in their home. His bull was cautious, but curious for now, which was probably a good thing. Shifting in his house was not an option. Front door step first, he decided, but as he stepped towards it, a plank of wood on the flooring upstairs creaked. Sugar plum cookies and fairy dust. I’m going to need a weapon.
/~/~/~/~/
I wonder if he’s woken up yet. Cam was resting his elbow on the bar, staring out at nothing, thinking about his mate. He hadn’t wanted to leave Fergus. The young man made such a fetching picture, his innocence shining through even as he slept and the way he relaxed so trustingly in Cam’s arms, set his hormones and protective instincts into overdrive.
But the bar needed to be opened. Regulars like Dave Hooper and his cronies kicked up a hell of a fuss if the doors to his place were open just one second late. Darwin took the weekends off, and Nicky and Sue wouldn’t be arriving until four pm. Which meant Cam not only had to open, but he had to run the bar himself for five hours before he could even think about leaving to see Fergus again.
“What are we going to do for grub now Mary’s got herself knocked up?” Dave Hooper slammed his empty jug on the counter which was his polite way of saying he wanted a refill. “You’re supposed to serve food wit
h booze you know, otherwise some of these young buggers will get silly.”
“Has your niece put you on a diet as well as a budget?” Cam grinned as he reached for a fresh jug and filled it.
“She keeps thinking she knows what’s best for me.” Dave patted his ample middle. “There’s nothing wrong with the way I’m built.”
Cam wisely left that statement alone, pushing the now-filled jug in Dave’s direction. “Mary never used to do lunches over the weekend, so I don’t know why you’re griping today.”
“I’m thinking about Monday, aren’t I?” Dave tapped his skull. “Forward planning. I need to know if I have to ask that niece of mine for a packed lunch.”
“I’ll arrange something,” Cam promised. “I was thinking about asking Fergus from the bakery to supply some of his goods until I can get another cook seeing as Hazel is so busy at the diner.”
“You mean supply sandwiches and shit?” Dave almost spit out the mouthful of beer he’d taken. “What are you trying to do to me? Oh wait. Wait a minute. Is that Fergus the young one who baked all those goods we had yesterday?”
“I saw more than sandwiches on those platters,” Cam nodded.
“Hmm. That could be all right.” Dave stuck his nose in the air. “So long as he doesn’t bring in any healthy shit, he’ll do fine.”
Cam chuckled as Dave ambled over to three of his cronies who seemed to spend all their waking hours in his bar. He had no idea what they had to talk about, spending so much time together as they did, but heaven help any of them if they missed a day. Mind you, all four men were sharp minded and had keen ears. There wasn’t anything that went on in town they didn’t know about.
The bar wasn’t busy, but for a Saturday afternoon that wasn’t unusual. Family units spent time working on their houses and doing gardening chores, or they took the drive over to Jackson to shop. Kids played sports, and that always kept parents busy. Cam knew his business wouldn’t pick up until later when the dedicated drinkers had had enough of family time for one day. For now, he noticed Roger, the slick rabbit who thought Cam didn’t know about his pool hustling was playing at the table with a couple of friends. For once Roger had dressed down for the day, not playing to his obvious attributes like he normally did. I wonder if he’s scented his mate, Cam thought as he checked that the fridges were stocked.
The other three drinkers weren’t local, but Cam had met them before, so he wasn’t worried about them. The wolf shifters ran a trucking company, and often popped in on their way through to the larger towns. It’d been on the tip of his tongue to say to any of them, that if they were mate hunting then they’d do better in an afternoon wandering Arrowtown’s streets. But Cam didn’t get involved in his patrons’ affairs unless they asked him to.
I wonder if Fergus would bring me lunch. The muffins and breakfast were a distant memory. Part of Cam’s animal attributes was that he ate, a lot. When his bar door opened, Cam’s head shot up, along with his hopes, but it wasn’t Fergus, it was Sarah. The young rabbit was flushed as though she’d been running, and he immediately checked to see if anyone was following her, but there was no one else.
Sliding to a stop halfway to the bar, Sarah bent over, her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. “Cam. Thank the gods,” She puffed. She straightened up, resting her hand on her heaving chest. “I’ve seriously got to stop eating Fergus’s cooking. Honestly.”
“Is something wrong with Fergus?” Cam leaped over the bar counter and hurried to her side. But one of the wolf shifters got there first.
“Who’s Fergus?” The wolf shifter growled, as he leaned over, sniffing deliberately at Sarah’s neck. He had to be a foot taller than the much smaller rabbit.
“Seriously?” Sarah tilted her delicate nose in the wolf’s direction. “Huh. Unexpected. Okay. But you have to wait a minute. Fergus is this man’s mate and I think he’s in trouble.”
“What happened to Fergus? He was sleeping when I left.” Cam grabbed Sarah’s shoulders, and twisted her around, causing the wolf to growl more. “For fuck’s sake, shut up, wolfy. She’s yours, you’re hers, whoopie, but I want to hear about Fergus.”
“The door.” Sarah’s gaze went back and forth between the wolf and Cam, finally resting on Cam. “Did you leave Fergus’s front door wide open, only I went there, to take his money you see, and the door was open, but Fergus was out the back. And then he came running in because he must have seen me, but he’d only just woken up, and he told me to run here…”
“Fucking hell.” Cam’s eyes darted around his customers. Dave would drink his taps dry; Roger would hand out free drinks to all his friends. Fergus! His eyes landed on the huffing wolf. “You, what’s your name?”
“Pierce, but what’s it to you? I just met my mate…”
“Yes, yes, yes, and you want to whisk her away and claim her in the trees or some shit, but Sarah deserves to be treated better than that. She at least deserves a meal first. So, here’s what you’re going to do. You are going to take this precious rabbit, you are going to stash her behind the bar and keep her safe, and she is going to serve drinks for me until I get back, okay? You should know how to use the till Sarah, it’s probably the same type as Fergus uses and all the prices are marked on it.”
“You can’t make me…” The wolf was starting to posture, puffing out his chest and widening his shoulders.
“Please!” Sarah turned her big eyes on her new mate, and Cam would’ve laughed if his situation wasn’t so dire. The wolf just melted, right there in front of his eyes. “Fergus is my boss, and he’s the best boss in the world. He calls me Sensational Sarah and no one has ever done that before and he’s Cam’s mate but they haven’t done the deed yet, and he could be in trouble, and I just couldn’t give you all my attention if I’m worried about him because that’s just how I am. Please, you can keep me safe here, can’t you?”
Yep, that wolf is a goner, Cam thought as Pierce stood up straighter, and offered Sarah his arm. “Go,” Pierce said, “I’ll take care of Sensational Sarah and the bar. Run.”
Cam ran. Yes, he could have taken his jeep, but there was no point when Arrowtown was such a small place. His house was only two blocks away from the bar, and Fergus’s house was only two blocks further out from that. The streets were quiet, only a few families out in their gardens who waved as he ran past. Cam barely noticed; his attention fixed on Fergus’s house. He was almost at the garden path, when he heard the sound of breaking glass, and Fergus came flying out of an upstairs window.
“Oh, my gods, Fergus!” His heart in his mouth, Cam ran to his mate’s body that was sprawled across the lawn. Fergus’s chest was still moving, although there were bruises on his face and a trickle of blood leaking across one closed eye. As Cam leaned down, Fergus’s eyes fluttered and then opened and Fergus reached up, palming his own head.
“Well, flutter-butts,” he said wincing as more blood appeared on his hands. “That didn’t go the way I had hoped and anticipated.” He looked around, before his eyes landed on Cam. “They got my rolling pin.”
Chapter Nine
Fergus was the first to admit his Fabulousness came with limitations. He could keep his jeep serviced and running smoothly with no problems at all. Clean out a blocked drain – child’s play. Slap a three-tiered wedding cake in front of him and tell him to ice roses on it in under ten minutes and he could do it. Dancing, music, anything artistic and Fergus would give it a go and not make a fool of himself.
Fighting, however, was one of his limitations. Honestly, as he’d silently crept up his stairs to confront an intruder, when all his senses were telling him he should have run with Sarah, Fergus was blaming his animal spirit. His Highland bull was just too big for him to shift inside. I wouldn’t even get my shoulders up this staircase in my furry self, let alone my horns he’d thought at the time, clutching a rolling pin in one hand. It was all he had. Maybe I’ve been invaded by mice shifters, or squirrels, or something equally small and cute.
But
the mean faces of the two intruders who were going through his dresser draws annihilated that hope. And the scent. Fergus wanted to sneeze. There was nothing skankier than a couple of jackals who didn’t know how to use a shower.
“What are you doing in my house? Get out of my things!” Fergus had done his best to look as intimidating as possible, not easy to do when his hair kept flopping in a lovely wave across half his face. He tightened the grip on his rolling pin. “You’ve got no right to be in here. I demand you leave immediately.”
The two men straightened. At least they hadn’t gotten to my bottom drawer yet, Fergus thought with relief. He did not want his fancy lace corsets, delicate silky underwear, and his small but perfectly adequate toy collection being pawed over by smelly brutes.
“You’re the bull shifter?” One jackal sneered elbowing his friend. “I thought you was going to be a huge muscled dude or something.”
“I can assure you, I’m perfectly big enough to defend my home,” Fergus said staunchly. He waved his rolling pin in what he hoped was a threatening manner. “Get out. Don’t ever come back.”
“Make us.” The second jackal had the same sneer. Fergus wondered idly if the two men were brothers, but he didn’t have time for thinking after that because the two men charged him. At the same time, that’s so unfair. Swinging his rolling pin around as hard as he could, Fergus was determined to leave the men bruised if nothing else, but it seemed the jackals had rocks for brains because nothing stopped them.
Punches to the head, a kick to his stomach; Fergus didn’t even have time to groan. He was making hits of his own, he knew he was, because one of the guys howled and clutched at his arm, before kicking Fergus in the chest. Maybe Cam can teach me some self-defense moves, he thought as he doubled over, but it was thoughts of Cam that kept him fighting.