by Ravenna Tate
“Isn’t he still living in Cash’s house?”
Arizona shook his head. “I’ve been going over there every day before I come home from work.”
“But I thought he bought it?”
“He did, but it’s empty. I still have a key. I’ve been leaving him notes. I don’t think he’s been there in at least two weeks.”
“Where is he?”
A knowing look passed between Arizona and Canyon “I’d say if we find her,” said Canyon, “we’ll find our friend.”
Chapter Sixteen
When Gillian woke the following Friday morning, she smiled and stretched, knowing she didn’t have to work that day. She’d been working ten hours shifts in Port Angeles so she could have three day weekends.
Today, she was going with Arizona, Canyon, and Fiera to the village where the leopards lived, in the hopes of finding Stone. Arizona had wanted to leave her behind, stating it might be dangerous since she was human, but Gillian had insisted on coming along. Canyon and Fiera had agreed she had a right to do so, so of course Arizona had given in. He rarely denied her anything she really wanted.
As she crawled out of bed, she broke out in a cold sweat and her stomach heaved. “Shit,” she whispered, sprinting for the bathroom. That new recipe for venison she’d tried a few nights ago had not set well with her. She hadn’t felt right since eating it, but this was ridiculous. It should be out of her system by now.
After she threw up, she immediately felt better. Once she stood and rinsed out her mouth, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and a thought occurred to her. It wouldn’t have except for Fiera’s comment the other day about how nice it was that her morning sickness had finally passed.
“Not possible…” Gillian mentally counted the weeks since she’d gone off the pill. “Fuck. No way.” How long had it been since her period? “It can’t be. Not this fast.”
But she knew without walking back into the bedroom, picking up her phone, and opening her calendar app that her last cycle had been over four weeks ago. She was pregnant. Her pulse raced and she broke out in a cold sweat again, but not because she was sick a second time. She was terrified.
Calm down. Women have babies all the time. You’ll be okay.
Fiera would know what to do. Thank goodness she was coming with them today. She’d get Fiera alone and ask her to talk her off the ledge. It would be all right. Gillian glanced toward Arizona’s sleeping form. He’d be thrilled to pieces. And she was, too, but she was also frightened out of her wits. Not of giving birth or raising a child. She was afraid she’d be a lousy mother. She was too impulsive, too independent, and she spoke her mind at times without first choosing her words. She’d had no wonderful role models.
And on the heels of those thoughts, she also realized she’d never checked out the legal implications of her marriage. She needed to do that, now as much for herself as for their child.
Our child.
Oh God, she was going to have a baby!
Was this truly possible? Gillian placed her hands over her abdomen. Was there really a tiny human being growing in there? Would it be a shifter, like Arizona? What if it wasn’t? How would they know?
She had so many questions, but right now she should take a quick shower and fix breakfast before Arizona woke and caught her in this state. She’d wait to tell him until she was certain. No sense in getting his hopes up, or letting him see how terrified she was. He had enough to worry about with Stone.
****
All morning, Arizona sensed something wasn’t quite right with Gillian, but she kept telling him she was fine. He finally attributed it to their mission today, but she looked too pale and that nagged at him. Was she apprehensive about this and simply hadn’t told him so? That would be like her. She had an overwhelming urge to play the tough girl all the time, and he wished she’d let him take some of that burden off her shoulders more often.
To make matters worse, Fiera kept giving Gillian odd sideways glances, as if she was trying to figure something out. Did Fiera sense what was really going on? She did have that gift. But how could Arizona ask without alarming Canyon and Gillian in the process? He also didn’t want Gillian to think he didn’t trust her, but the truth was that she was not herself this morning.
They knew no one who could take them to the leopard village and offer introductions, but he and Canyon had decided to do this anyway. Stone was their best friend, and if he was mated, they wanted to know about it. They also wanted to know why he’d been avoiding them.
Clearly he didn’t feel he could introduce this woman to them, and that concerned them both. Why did he believe that? He and Canyon had to find out. If Stone needed their help, they would gladly give it to him, but they first had to know what the hell was going on.
“How will we find him?” asked Gillian.
“We’ll go straight to the town hall and start asking questions,” said Canyon. “If Stone was living here with one of their residents, they will know about it.”
“Do you think they’ll just tell us?”
“I hope so.”
Arizona saw Gillian roll her eyes. He bit back a smile and said nothing. It was nice to see her usual spunk back, and she was right. It was unlikely they’d receive a warm welcome from anyone here.
The first thing that struck Arizona as the four wandered toward the town square, easily recognizable because it contained the tallest buildings in the village, was how many leopards were here. He had expected them to be in the majority, certainly, but he’d also expected other cat shifters like their own village had. Not true here. And Gillian’s silent assessment of the place had indeed been spot on.
Curious stares, all the way to outright rude or sullen looks accompanied their walk. No one spoke to them. Arizona caught the way many of the males sniffed the air as they passed, narrowing their eyes when they realized one of them was human. He should have insisted Gillian stay behind. He’d been a fool to think this might not prove dangerous for her.
This was where the female Medinas had fled, after all, and it was likely where whoever had been painting their doors in blood lived. The fact that Stone might also be here had been the only reason he’d agreed to come, but he still should have left his mate behind with Canyon’s family.
As if reading his mind, Gillian gave his hand a squeeze as they climbed the steps of the town hall. “Kind of cold here, no?”
He knew she wasn’t talking about the weather. “Yes. Quite.”
“Let’s hope it’s a bit more welcoming inside.”
“Don’t count on it.”
They were told to wait on a bench that reminded Arizona of the ones in every old building in downtown Seattle he’d ever visited. Uncomfortable, hard, and wooden. While leaning over to retie his shoelaces, he caught sight of dried food on the floor under the bench. He stared at it for a few seconds, trying to figure out what it had once been.
Gillian must have noticed him doing so, because she bent her head down and smiled at him before following his gaze. “What is that?”
“I’m not entirely sure.”
She bolted upright so fast he grew alarmed. “Be right back…”
By the time she jumped up from the bench and was sprinting down the hall toward the bathrooms, Fiera had risen and followed her.
“What’s wrong with her?” asked Canyon. “She doesn’t look well.”
“I wish I knew.”
****
“I’m pregnant. I just know it.” Gillian splashed cold water on the back of her neck while avoiding Fiera’s intense gaze.
“That’s wonderful.”
“Is it? I’m scared shitless.”
Fiera gave her a tight hug, and Gillian allowed it because she needed reassurance right now. “It’s going to be fine. Don’t you worry about a thing. Between me and Leah, you’ll have everything you need.”
“If you say so.”
“Does Arizona know yet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. You know my upbringing. What if I’m a lousy mother?”
“Not a chance.”
“Just the same, please don’t say anything to him. Not until I can work up the courage to tell him.”
“He may guess it before that. I knew the second I looked into your face this morning.”
“You did?” Holy shit. “Your gifts are strong.”
“They’re not always consistent right now, but the pregnancy shows on you. At least to our kind it does. The males have psychic abilities, too, you know. They aren’t always aware of them, but they have them, just the same.”
“Great. I guess I’d better tell him. But after we find Stone. I know he’s worried about him.”
“They both are. Come on. Let’s get back out there before they come looking for us.”
When Gillian and Fiera joined their mates again, two men stood with them, talking quietly. They stopped as the women approached, and Gillian couldn’t help noticing the men sniffed the air as she drew close. Males and females had been doing that since they’d entered the damn village. They could smell her humanness on her. She realized that, but did they all have to be so fucking rude about it? She was in no mood to deal with this. She should have stayed behind with Leah.
“You didn’t tell us one of your mates was a human.”
“Does that matter?” Arizona placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Gillian, Fiera, please say hello to Seth Vale and Tommy Floyd. They are the head of the Council here.”
“Nice to meet you both.” Gillian extended her hand the same time Fiera extended hers, but both men only shook Fiera’s. Instead they regarded Gillian’s outstretched hand as though it might infect them with a deadly disease if they touched it. She decided to ignore their rudeness. They weren’t here to start a thing with leopards. They were here to find Stone and his mate.
“Have you asked them about Stone yet?”
“Are you both seriously not going to shake my mate’s hand?” Arizona was beyond pissed off. She swore she could feel him trembling. Gillian took one look at his profile and stuck out her hand again.
This time, they each shook it, but their handshakes were those wimpy ones insecure women usually gave her. She forced a smile to her face.
“We did ask them about Stone,” said Arizona. “They were about to give us information when you and Fiera joined us.”
Tommy eyed him as though wishing he hadn’t said that. No wonder they all hated leopards. They were so damned secretive and contrary. Every one she’d ever met looked as though they needed to have a nice bowel movement or two.
“As we were about to say,” said Seth, “Stone Rockwell and his mate, a female leopard by the name of Makenna Dallas, left our village one week ago. We don’t know where they are now.”
All four asked questions at once. Gillian bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from talking over the others. She was supposed to be acting like a proper shifter’s mate, not the attorney she was inside. Would she ever be able to completely cross over? Did she want to? What would happen when she had this child? Would it change her, or would she set a poor example for it?
Arizona and Canyon exchanged a quick glance before Canyon gave his friend a tiny nod.
“When did he arrive?” asked Arizona.
“We’re not entirely sure. About three weeks ago.”
That didn’t fit with the timeline of when they’d seen him in the woods, but it did fit with when the blood had been painted on their shed door. Were the incidents connected somehow?
“Why did he come here?” asked Canyon.
“We don’t know that either,” said Tommy, whose voice betrayed the fact he was far less patient with these questions than Seth.
“Why did they leave?”
“They didn’t say.”
Gillian heard Fiera’s slow intake of breath, so risked a glanced toward her. Her eyes were narrowed, the way Gillian had seen them when Fiera was getting a psychic vibe about someone. But what was she feeling or thinking, and about whom?
Was it about Makenna? Was she the witness their Council had told them about, or the one who had done the painting? Had Stone discovered her doing it and followed her here? Was that why these two men were being so vague?
“Is Makenna from this village?” asked Arizona.
“Yes. Her entire family is. They came here from another village nearly fifty years ago.”
A nasty shiver ran down Gillian’s spine. Nearly fifty years ago. Nanette’s mother, Talia Grantham, along with most of her family, had disappeared around that time. Canyon and Arizona exchanged a glance. They had caught that, too.
“Are there any Granthams still living in this village?” asked Canyon.
If Seth or Tommy knew the name, they gave no sign of it. “Never heard of them,” said Seth.
“Is there anything else you can tell us about Stone or Makenna?” asked Arizona.
“That’s all we know.”
“Where did they go?”
“We don’t know that.”
“Where were they living while they were here?” asked Canyon.
“We believe he was living in her house.”
“She lived alone,” said Tommy, giving Gillian a murderous glare. “Her parents were killed by human hunters while they were in shifted form when Makenna was fifteen.”
Well that sucks. Gillian held his gaze. While that was a horrible way to die, her family had certainly had nothing to do with it.
“Thank you for your time,” said Arizona, giving Gillian’s hand a tug. That was the signal. Time to leave this place.
They didn’t speak as they made their way back to the woods. Once they reached them, Canyon started to ask a question but stopped and turned suddenly, eyeing a pair of men who approached the group. He stood in front of Fiera, and Arizona moved in front of Gillian. It paid to have heightened senses. Gillian hadn’t even heard them.
“What do you want?” asked Arizona.
“Nothing of any importance.” His oily voice reminded her of Hawke’s.
“We’re leaving. Let us be.”
The men flanked them. Gillian studied the woods leading back toward the village, but no one else was coming. That was good.
“We’ve never seen a human up close,” said the other one. His voice was simply cruel, and it reminded Gillian of Tommy’s voice. As he moved closer, she realized he looked too much like Tommy Floyd not to be related to him.
“And you won’t see one now,” said Arizona, advancing toward the Tommy lookalike. Fiera moved closer to Gillian as Canyon took Arizona’s lead and stepped toward the other leopard.
Almost imperceptibly, Fiera guided Gillian back a few steps with no more than a gentle touch on her arm, until they stood at least ten feet from the group of men. Gillian didn’t look at Fiera right now. She was afraid her stomach would heave again if she did, because she was quite certain that Fiera had at least partially shifted.
Chapter Seventeen
Arizona didn’t need to glance behind to know that Fiera had moved Gillian out of immediate danger. He sensed it, the same way he sensed these two leopards were here for nothing but trouble. “We aren’t here for a fight.”
“Then you should have stayed in your own village,” said the first one.
Behind him, he sensed more movement. He never should have let Gillian come here today. He’d be kicking himself about it for a long time. If only Fiera could read thoughts, he’d tell her to shift and take Gillian away from here. The leopards would never chase them because he and Canyon would be all over them if they tried to do it.
“It’s best if you let us be on our way,” said Canyon.
They didn’t answer. Arizona stepped closer to the one who resembled Tommy Floyd, while at the same time Canyon closed the gap between himself and the other leopard. At least there were only two of them. Arizona was more than ready for a fight. He could already feel his body wanting to shift, and had to hold it back. Not yet. Let them make the
first move.
The seconds ticked by. He couldn’t hear anything except the heavy breathing of the leopard he watched. Arizona concentrated all his senses on that man, and he knew Canyon did the same for the other one. Their mates were behind them, and both men would fight to the death to protect them. Although Arizona knew Fiera would fight as well if she had to, in order to protect Gillian.
A noise from the direction of the village distracted both leopards, but Arizona and Canyon kept their concentration on the men. It might be more leopards approaching, or it might be nothing. The leopards glanced toward each other as a lone figure emerged from the tree line. It was Tommy Floyd.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He addressed his lookalike. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing to me, son.” He cut his gaze toward the other leopard briefly before addressing his son again. “Go home, Ricky. You too, Josh.” Despite Tommy’s authoritative voice, neither leopard moved. “Now!”
Josh moved first, but glared at Canyon before completely turning around. Ricky moved closer to Arizona, who stepped toward him, fists clenched at his side. “This isn’t over, lynx.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Ricky.”
Ricky cut his gaze behind Arizona for a second. “You’d better watch that human mate of yours closely.”
Tommy grabbed Ricky by the hair and pushed him toward the village. “Get out of here.” His voice was filled with disgust. Ricky finally stomped off, and Tommy faced Arizona and Canyon. “Don’t come back to this village.”
“We won’t. And we’d better not see your son or his friends in ours.”
Tommy didn’t answer, but it hardly mattered whether he did. Arizona knew in his heart they may very well have started something by coming here, but at least they had more information on Stone and his mate than they’d had this morning.
When Arizona put an arm around Gillian, she was trembling. “It’s okay. Let’s get you home.”
“I should have stayed with Leah.”
There was no point in agreeing with her. He should have insisted she do that, but to tell her so would only upset her further. He loved her independence and her determination. It was part of who she was. He wasn’t the kind of man who would ever go all alpha on her and insist she do something, simply because he said so.