by K. N. Banet
It was easy to think of the cat as something other in moments like that, but I knew it wasn’t the case. I used to believe the cat was something different from me. I would feel the needs and feelings of the cat and think I had to fight against it, but it was really just a different way of thinking inside my own mind, a different set of skills to draw on, and a different way of seeing the world. It was still me. I had to let go of human thought to truly embrace what I was.
It made life easier.
The kill was fast, and the meal was hearty. It felt good, and once those instincts felt as though they had their fill, my more human mind took control once again.
I have hours to waste now. I think that’s the worst part about this. Once a month, I have to stay up all night and can’t even get anything productive done.
It was close to midnight when a howl caught my attention. Heath and Landon often ran out of my territory on full moons to hunt on their own, but I felt them reenter my territory earlier than usual tonight. It wasn’t a real cause for concern. They came back when they took their own kill together and would spend the rest of the night running along the trails near their home.
Heath did exactly what I thought he would, but Landon took a different route, making me curious. I got up and started trotting, not in any particular hurry. I had the clear advantage. When they were inside my territory, I knew where they were at all times. The territory magic was the one thing werecats had over werewolves, while they had pack magic, the ability to communicate in their wolf forms. I had both, but I was the exception—a very strange exception. The ability to use pack magic had been granted to me by a strange fae who ran a motel and gas station with his human wife and the sons he had with her. I never saw him again after that and hadn’t gone looking.
I didn’t get too close to Landon, but it was the direction he was headed that made me too curious for my own good.
He shouldn’t be headed this way. He knows better.
I stopped nearly a hundred yards away, staying downwind of him. I watched as Dirk left the home he shared with Oliver and went outside. It was obvious Dirk could see Landon and knew who it was. It was also clear Landon’s visit wasn’t a surprise. I couldn’t hear what was said, but Landon lowered himself to the ground.
Then his tail wagged.
Ah. No problems here, then. Just him bothering a friend.
I took a step back as Dirk’s laughter rang out. He went inside, and I chuffed in feline laughter at the clear yellow tennis ball in his hand when he came back out.
“I told you if you came and bothered me on a full moon, I was going to treat you like a stray dog,” Dirk said loudly before he threw the ball. Landon ran after it as Dirk laughed.
I stepped back again, turning my head in Heath’s direction. He had to hear about this. I took off in a full run, racing through the trees, carefully crossing roads until I made it to the edge of Heath’s property. He was hanging out in the large field that was his backyard, probably near the stable where a little pony lived for Carey. The horse was comfortable with the werewolves now, but it was still skittish around me.
“Heath!” I called out. “You won’t believe what I saw!”
“Yeah, I can only imagine,” he replied, a clear chuckle in his words. “Landon said he was going to go mess with Dirk for a laugh tonight.”
“Dirk is making him play fetch.”
Heath’s clear laughter made me want to smile as he appeared in front of me. He was a big wolf, nearly shoulder to shoulder with me, although I still had him on weight, probably a hundred pounds.
“I wish I could see it, but I can’t sneak as well as you,” he said, coming to sit beside me. “Did they know you were there?”
“No, I stayed downwind and gave them some distance. I just wanted to see what Landon was doing going near them on a full moon.”
“We hunted. He’s in control,” Heath said, bumping me.
“I figured.”
We sat together in the dark, looking over his property as if we were waiting for something. We weren’t. We didn’t often spend time during a full moon because when we met, we weren’t sure if our instinctual sides could get along, especially at the beginning of a full moon. The need to hunt, to kill something and eat it was a pressing one, and we were never sure if we would turn on each other.
“Zuri is still on vacation. Jabari is getting annoyed,” I said, offering up a small piece of my family’s dramas since I knew his so well.
“When were you going to tell me about the people who wandered around your property?” he asked suddenly, ignoring what I said.
“Let me guess…Dirk told Landon, and Landon told you.”
“No, I could smell them on the trail when I visited yesterday, but you didn’t acknowledge it, so I held off. If Dirk tells Landon anything, it certainly doesn’t make it back to me,” he retorted. “The scents were faint, but they weren’t there the week before.”
I huffed. “Last Monday, I found their car when I got back from dropping Carey off at school. I followed their scents, but they made it back to their car before I could get eyes on them. I played it safe since I didn’t know if they were armed. The plates on their car were a dead end. Nothing’s happened since.”
“You aren’t worried?”
“Of course I’m worried, but I didn’t want to make a big deal of it. If something else had come up in the last week, I would have mentioned it, but nothing did. I’m going to wait to see if anything else comes up. Some of my family are convinced it’s just some idiots looking over the property, thinking they might want to make me an offer. Dirk, Oliver, and I also talked. I mentioned that last night.”
“You didn’t tell me why it came up, though,” he reminded me.
“And now, you know.” I bumped him with my shoulder. “You don’t really have a leg to stand on here, Heath. You’re the werewolf who never really explained to me how werewolves grow stronger as they grow more dominant, but who didn’t want to admit he was more of an Alpha than the Russian. You could have taken that pack last year.”
He growled softly. “Fine. You got me. It’s not something I’m comfortable with, you know. I never expected it to happen.” He laid down in the grass. “I’ve never wanted to be anything more than what was needed. I became an Alpha, fought for it because I needed the position to protect my sons. If I was in charge, no one would try to hurt Landon, who was becoming a vicious fighter to protect himself. The only reason I’ve defied them and stayed here is for Carey…and you. It didn’t start with you, but it became you.”
“You knew you would lose all your support and friends from Dallas the moment you decided to retire.” I still hated that. I disagreed with the idea Heath had to keep his distance from a pack that used to be his family. “You needed something to help you protect your daughter, Heath, and I was the clear choice. They can’t blame you for that.”
“They don’t, not in so many words. Besides, I’m glad I don’t have any connection to the Dallas pack right now. I’m still…trying to figure out what to do with the information I have on them.” He sighed. “I’ve decided to keep it in my safe until I need it. I don’t like blackmail, but I’m not better than it. I’ve lived too long to ignore the option, but I won’t use it until it’s the only thing I have.”
“You’re a good man, Heath. And I promise, if anything comes up that might pose a danger to you, Carey, or Landon, I’ll be the first to tell you. I just don’t want to create trouble where there might be none. I’m tired of the trouble we’ve had over the past couple of years. I’m certainly not trying to look for or create it where there might not be any.”
His mental laugh echoed in my head.
“I’m going to head home,” I declared, stretching.
“Can I come?”
“Don’t you have to get Carey to school after sunrise?”
“Nope. She’s taking the day off,” he replied. “Ah…”
I looked toward his house, then back at him, understanding, thanks to our p
revious conversations. “Well, you should stick close by then. She might need something. Have you two talked about it yet?”
“Not yet,” he admitted. “It’s a conversation I’ve never had, so I’m…waiting for her. If she needs me, I’ll be there for her.”
I chuckled mentally. “You’re a good father, Heath Everson. Don’t forget that.”
He nodded as he stood. We went our separate ways, Heath heading toward his house and me heading toward mine. I passed Landon on the way home, seeing him cross a road to get back home as well.
When I made it home, I jumped onto my porch and looked over my woods.
That feeling I couldn’t shake came back, as though someone was watching me, which made no sense. There was no one in the trees.
I’m just paranoid. Heath got me thinking about it, and that’s it.
6
Chapter Six
Tuesday came, as it liked to do every week. Normally. I wasn’t anxious to go in during the slowest days, but I was antsy to keep my eyes on everything going on. I couldn’t shake that feeling.
I left my home and looked at the trees, wondering if someone was there now. It was unlikely, especially since Kick Shot was open. If anyone was trying to go around the building to the woods in the back, someone would let me know the moment it happened.
As I looked at my woods, I remembered the people who had come onto my property. They had been human and therefore out of the sight of my territory magic. If I hadn’t caught their car in my parking lot, I wouldn’t have known they were even there until I caught their scents, and by then, I would have had nothing on them. The license plate hadn’t been helpful, but it had been something. I knew something to look out for, a type of car at least.
I started walking, taking extra care to catch any possible scent. The full moon was two nights ago, which made it even more unlikely someone was around.
When I reached Kick Shot, I walked in through the back and plastered a smile on my face. I waved silently at my employees as I made my way into the front. Tuesday was a small crowd, mostly my old regulars. They didn’t come by on the busy nights as much anymore, but Kick Shot was still a quiet place for them to drink and hang out on the weekdays. Joey and his friend John were laughing over a game of pool. A server blew past me and placed two beers down on a table near them. John checked her out and I had to hold back a growl. He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t touch her, so I let it go and focused on Dirk behind the bar.
“How was the full moon?” I asked nonchalantly.
“The same as always,” he answered, clearly not finding anything odd with my question. I always asked how the full moon went for him and Oliver.
I nodded silently, then sat down, looking over the bar again. I heard a glass placed on the bar top and turned to see a glass of water next to me.
“Thanks,” I said, sipping it.
“No problem. Tuesdays are boring.”
“Aren’t they?” I sighed. “I should get upstairs and talk to Oliver. We didn’t have our weekly meeting yesterday.”
“He understands,” Dirk said, chuckling. We didn’t need to say why the meeting was skipped. I needed sleep and relaxation after a full moon. Now that I wasn’t the lone bartender and owner, I skipped work the night after a full moon. Monday evening’s weekly meeting was no exception.
“Still,” I said, sighing. “I’ll be back down here once I know everything is good for him.”
“Do you want to help behind the bar tonight?” He actually gave me a smile. “You can. You just can’t take the tips. You don’t need ‘em.”
“Ha ha. I’ll think about it.” I hit the countertop and got up, taking the water with me. As I walked up the stairs, my phone vibrated. I checked it before walking into Oliver’s office.
Heath: Care to come over for dinner with the family tonight?
Jacky: I’ll think about it. I was considering sticking around Kick Shot. Let me check on a few things and get back to you.
I put my phone away and gave Oliver’s door two knocks.
“Come in,” he called. I walked in but didn’t say anything as I walked around his desk and looked at his screen. Oliver was too professional and awkward to be doing anything at work he shouldn’t be.
“Working on the schedule? Do you need any help?”
“No, no,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I finished it yesterday, but a couple people have asked for certain days off and some switches, so I’m updating it to account for those.”
I nodded and went to my seat. “So, how was yesterday without me? Anything I need to look at?”
“Kick Shot won’t fall apart because you missed one weekly meeting. I swear on it,” he said, smiling at me around his computer monitor.
“How was your weekend, otherwise?”
“Uneventful. You know me. I’m not Dirk. I don’t…know anyone here and don’t really think I want to.” He wrinkled his nose, then shook his head. “I’m finally getting a car, I think. Tired of Dirk needing to drive me around. He’s really nice about it, and I help with petrol, of course, but everyone in America needs a car. I’m still not used to it. I used to bike or use public transit in London to get anywhere I needed to be.”
“Yeah, living in the country does make it hard to get around without a car,” I agreed. “If you want help looking, I’m more than willing to take you. Hell, I’ll cosign a loan with you if you need it. You’re responsible enough.”
“Ah, I was just going to buy something used for cash,” he replied, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. “I don’t need something brand new and big like my roommate. Something like your little hatchback is perfect for me, really.”
“Are you sure?” I didn’t want him in something that was just going to break down in a year or give him problems.
“I might take you up on the offer to go car shopping with me, but that’s it,” he said, smiling. “Okay? Does that make you happy?”
“Perfectly,” I said, smiling back. “I mean, you’re not getting a used car just so you can dump it easily when you leave, right?”
“Leave?” Frowning, Oliver’s youthful face got wrinkles he shouldn’t have for at least two more decades. “I don’t plan on leaving. It’s my first car. If I wreck it, it won’t be expensive to deal with.”
I laughed and remembered there was a conversation I had avoided for over a week. I never did ask Dirk about when he wanted to go home to Niko.
“What’s wrong?” Oliver was still watching me.
“You don’t plan on leaving?” I asked softly. “At all?”
“Why would I?” He shook his head. “Why go back to living in London, where I would have to either work with my family or find a job outside your family? I like working here. I’m confident in what I can do for Kick Shot, and you trust me with it. It’s more than London could ever give me.”
“You’ve definitely become a lot more mellow in the last year,” I said, trying for a smile again.
“Have I?” He smiled, a blush creeping up. “I was frantic when I came to Texas, wasn’t I?”
I put two fingers close together and laughed as his blush deepened.
“You’re a great manager, Oliver. I asked about you leaving because I need to talk to Dirk about something. Maybe you can give me some insight because you live with him.” I put my hands together and sighed. “Do you think he wants to go back to Germany?”
“He hasn’t said anything to me about that,” Oliver replied, shrugging.
“Not at all? Don’t worry about it,” I said quickly, trying to stop the conversation before it went too far.
Oliver gave me a confused look as I stood.
“Are you sure?” he asked, watching me back away.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “It’s not anything you can help with, I promise. Text me when you want to go car shopping.”
He nodded, then went back to work. I left the office, frowning.
Do I have to send Dirk back? Does he want to go? Is Niko going to push this?<
br />
I didn’t have any answers, so I headed back downstairs. I couldn’t pull Dirk away from the bar at that moment, so I took a seat where I could see the entire space. He hovered close, tsking after a moment.
“What?” I asked him, huffing.
“You didn’t bring the glass back down. I’m going to have to send someone up to get it later.” He put another water next to me, shaking his head. “Lazy.”
“Wow, you’re going to call me lazy? You do remember I ran this place by myself for several years, right?”
He shrugged at my retort.
“You are so mean to me,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“And you hover,” he replied. “But you know, we make the best with what we have.”
I glared at him but couldn’t bring myself to get truly angry, probably because the comment was actually kind of funny.
“We’re never going to get along, are we?” I asked. The question seemed to startle him and forced him to put down the glass in his hand.
“I thought we were?” he said with obvious confusion.
I opened and closed my mouth, now startled myself. “This is how you talk to people you like?”
“This is how I talk to everyone,” he corrected. “You hover, and I don’t like it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like you. I love working here. Texas is nice. It’s giving me the chance to practice all the things Niko taught me, like talking like an American. That’s fun. I’ll be able to use it one day, unlike French. I don’t care for French.”
“How many languages do you speak fluently?” I asked curiously. More than curious—intrigued. Dirk was an enigma with a complicated upbringing, wrapped in the attitude of a cranky mid-twenty-year-old man.
“Four,” he answered quickly. “I’m also passable in two others. German, my first language, English and French, tying for second. I also speak Welsh fluently, and I’m passable in Arabic and Zulu.”