by Jae
Leigh flinched. She hadn't expected the human to call her on her careful wording. Her mouth opened and closed without answering. She didn't know what to say.
With one more step, the human was now fully inside the kitchen and paused right in front of Leigh, despite the wariness that Leigh could smell from her. "Why do you hate me so much that you want me dead?" she asked softly. "What have I ever done to you?"
"Nothing. I don't want you dead," Leigh said. To her surprise, she found that it was true. For the first time, a human had earned her grudging respect. "I lost my head when I thought I had lost Ronnie, and I lashed out at you." The presence of one of the hated humans in that emotional situation had made her lose control. "Again, I can only say I'm sorry."
"It's not that I don't accept your apology, but I'm getting tired of being treated like shit by you and the other Wrasa," the human said, her voice low, but firm. Her dark eyes glowed with determination. "I've been attacked in my sleep, chased from my own house, kidnapped, held prisoner, and then attacked by you — not once, but twice! I'm not your enemy or prey you can play with, so why do you keep treating me like that? Why do you hate humans?"
Decades-old anger boiled up in Leigh, almost extinguishing the peacefulness that being with Ronnie had brought her. "Humans nearly wiped out our whole species. If that's not enough reason for us to —"
"No," the human interrupted, "I'm not asking about your species. I'm asking about you, Leigh Westmore. Why do you hate humans?"
"Eldridge," Leigh corrected with a growl even though she suspected that the differences between being Brian Eldridge's and being Nella Westmore's daughter were lost on the human.
"Fine. Eldridge, then." She looked at Leigh as if she knew that her direct gaze was a challenge from which Leigh wouldn't back down. "Why do you hate us so much?"
"You wouldn't understand," Leigh said. A species that killed without thought, just for the fun of it, wouldn't understand her pain.
"Try me." The human was so calm that it fueled Leigh's anger even more.
"One of you," Leigh stabbed her finger at the human, "killed my mother and got away with it. He even got money for it. Now tell me I don't have good reason to hate you!" Leigh had never been allowed to express her anger openly. Wrasa laws said her mother's death was to be considered an accident. She was allowed to grieve, but not to get angry, and she was expected to control her emotions to avoid shifting or losing control. But the anger had never really died down, and she was surprised how consuming that fire still was.
Dark eyes widened. "A human killed your mother? Someone paid him for it?" The human sounded shocked, and if Leigh interpreted her scent correctly, she wasn't pretending. "Why? Did he know about the Wrasa's existence?"
Leigh shook her head. "No. Not that it would have changed anything," she said bitterly. "He killed her like an animal. My fathers had to go and barter for her body with the hunter who shot her."
"Barter for her body?" The human looked horrified. "But wasn't the hunter shocked to see that he had accidentally shot a human... a humanoid being?"
Leigh's nose wrinkled. "You clearly haven't the slightest idea about us." Maybe Griffin was right. Maybe the human didn't know enough about them to be a threat.
"And how could I if you refuse to tell me anything?" the human shot back.
"You assume that we shift back to our human form when we die — well, we don't." Sometimes, Leigh pitied humans. They were so caught up in the experience of being limited to just one body. Apparently, the woman thought that their human body was their true form and their cat form just a temporary trick of nature. It was far from the truth of what the Wrasa were. "My mother stayed in her leonine form when she was killed. If my fathers hadn't bartered for her body, she would have ended up over someone's fireplace. A taxidermist might have discovered that she was not what she appeared to be, so my fathers had to buy her body from the hunter. The price for my mother's life was five hundred dollars."
The thought was still enough to make her blood boil and her soul scream out in pain.
The human took a quick step forward.
Leigh tensed.
A gentle hand landed on Leigh's forearm. "I'm sorry," the human said, her voice a whisper. "I'm sorry your mother was killed, but you have to realize that it was just one human who killed your mother, not our entire race. I didn't kill your mother, nor did I ever kill a human or an animal. I abhor hunting for fun or for trophies."
Leigh stared down at the hand on her arm. It was the first time a human had touched her. Jorie's touch was cool and soft, not at all repulsive as she had thought it would be. Is this human exceptionally brave or exceptionally stupid?
"How old were you when your mother was killed?" the human asked when she finally took her hand away. "Were you old enough to understand what had happened?"
The question took Leigh by surprise. She had thought that the human would tell her it had been an accident and that the human hunter was not to blame in any way. "I was five," she said. "And, no, I didn't understand. I still don't understand why humans think killing animals is a great sport and how treating it as an unfortunate accident could be right."
"I don't pretend to understand either. Losing your mother or any family member to such a violent act is horrible," the human said. Her dark lashes trembled with emotion. The sadness and the sympathy in her eyes seemed sincere. "But do you think human families don't grieve when they lose someone to a Wrasa attack? Do you think my mother won't be devastated if you kill me? We humans feel grief, sadness, anger, loss, and despair in the same way I think you do. How is that any different from how you felt after your mother was killed?"
"The difference is that my mother was killed while she was out on a stroll. If the Saru kill a human, it's because you're a threat to us. It's self-defense!" Leigh felt her voice rise, enraged that the human was acting as if there were no difference between her mother's death and the Saru eliminating a threat to their hidden existence.
One dark eyebrow lifted. "Self-defense? So you kill humans because you feel threatened by them? Don't you think the hunter who shot your mother would say the same? Imagine how that poor man must have felt when he went out to shoot a deer and suddenly came face-to-face with what he must have thought was a lion — a lion in the middle of Michigan! He probably panicked, and that's why he shot your mother."
It still didn't make her mother's death an act of self-defense. That hunter had no right or need to kill her. He could stop at a grocery store for his dinner and didn't need to shoot animals to survive any longer.
"I'm not saying it was good or right, but if he had known you Wrasa exist, he might have reacted differently, and your mother might still be alive. I guess Wrasa being shot by human hunters is the price you pay for hiding your existence," the human said, not unsympathetic.
"Don't judge our way of living, and don't tell me it's our fault that my mother died!" Leigh snarled. "You don't understand what revealing our existence would mean, human." For many generations, elders had handed down the gruesome stories of how their kind suffered during the Middle Ages. Leigh didn't want to even imagine what kind of cruelties the modern Homo sapiens would come up with in the name of science and progress.
"I understand only too well what hiding a big part of yourself can be like," the human said. "Don't you feel much better now that you told Rhonda how you feel about her?"
The sudden introduction of Ronnie into their grim conversation threw Leigh off balance. She had to stop the automatic smile at the mere mention of Ronnie's name.
Somehow, the human saw it anyway. She chuckled. "You do," she answered her own question. "I'm glad my big mouth didn't ruin things between the two of you."
She hadn't. Leigh had to admit that without the human's conversation with Ronnie, she and Ronnie would have continued to live side by side without ever confessing their feelings to each other. The human had seen the love between them even when they had both been too blind to see more than their own feelings. It suddenly
occurred to Leigh that she owed the best thing in her life to a human. Great. Saying thank you to a human wasn't on her list of favorite pastimes, but Leigh knew she needed to say something. "Ronnie likes you," she said. "And so does Griffin."
"Is that enough for you to promise not to try to have me for dinner again?" the human asked.
"We don't eat humans," Leigh said. Only then did she see the twinkle in the dark eyes. She's teasing me, Leigh realized. Again she couldn't help admiring the strange human who was brave enough to joke about her desperate situation. "But if you keep teasing me, I might make an exception for you, human," Leigh said sternly.
The human nodded with a serious expression. "No running and no teasing around predators. I got it. And it's Jorie, not 'human.'"
A grin tugged at the corner of Leigh's mouth. "You better go to bed now before my sister blisters her feet standing around in the hall."
"What?" The human frowned. "You mean... Griffin is standing outside the door, eavesdropping on us?"
Despite her natural curiosity, Griffin wasn't really standing there to eavesdrop. "She's keeping watch, just in case I suddenly find myself famished for some tender human meat." She made a show of licking her lips as she eyed the human.
"Tender?" The human shook her head. "Writers don't have tender meat. Our backsides are a little tough from sitting around on it all day. I'm quite heavy on the stomach; I assure you."
Underneath the joking words lay a silent message of strength. This human wasn't easy prey. Leigh gave a nod of understanding.
The human walked toward the door. "Goodnight, Leigh," she said with a quick glance back.
"Goodnight," Leigh answered, then added, "Jorie."
CHAPTER 22
RHONDA REACHED OUT a hand.
The bed next to her was empty and cold.
"Leigh?" she whispered into the darkness. Blinking, she sat up and looked around the room but saw no sign of Leigh anywhere. Only the familiar contours of her bedroom furniture surrounded her. A sense of dread skittered along the edges of her mind and pushed back the hazy peace of sleep. Oh, Great Hunter! Please don't tell me I was just dreaming all of it. It wouldn't be the first time she dreamed of making love to Leigh, but this time, Leigh's scent was still clinging to her skin.
Rhonda got up and took a calming breath, inhaling the scent deeply. Her bare foot stepped on something soft — Leigh's T-shirt, stripped off carelessly by eager hands. With a grin, Rhonda slipped it over her head. The familiar scent embraced her as Leigh's arms had embraced her earlier. Low voices came from the kitchen, reassuring her of Leigh's presence in the house. There was no fighting or shouting, so she hoped Leigh and Griffin were finally talking to each other.
She stepped to the window and looked out, enjoying the sight of the moonlight dancing over the rooftops. Everything appeared so much brighter and happier tonight.
Her good mood almost evaporated when she saw the figure lurking halfway between her house and that of the neighbor. The moon shone just brightly enough for her excellent night vision to make out his face.
Tarquin! What in the Great Hunter's name is he doing, hanging out in front of my house at night — especially this night?
It wasn't a social visit between friends. Tarquin had hated Griffin ever since she had beaten him up for insulting Ky. Most likely, Tarquin was keeping an eye on Griffin's every step while she was here. Or maybe he was hoping to get a glance at me through the bedroom window. The thought made her shiver, but not in a pleasant way.
She had been aware of Tarquin's interest for quite some time, but she had always preferred to ignore it. His interest wasn't really in her as a person anyway. As the son of an old, influential Kasari family, he'd had dreams of becoming Brian's protégé and successor. Marrying Rhonda, only daughter of a well-respected family, would have been another rung on his career ladder. When Brian and Gus had instead supported Leigh's plans to become the first female natak, Tarquin had felt he had been humiliated by one of Brian's daughters again. Now he was keeping a close eye on both Griffin and Leigh.
Shit. If he's watching the house, it won't be long until he realizes there's a human hiding in my home. Rhonda shook her head. She wouldn't allow that. Fierce determination gripped her. She needed to keep Tarquin away from her property and from the three women in her house.
Quickly, she slipped into her pants and opened the bedroom door.
Deep in thought, she jumped when glowing cat eyes met hers in the hallway. "Leigh?" she asked. It was the only name, the only person on her mind tonight.
"Wrong sister," came the amused answer.
Rhonda looked more closely. The form leaning against the wall next to the kitchen was indeed too tall and too broad to be Leigh. When Rhonda lifted her nose from the T-shirt she wore, her sense of smell confirmed that it was Griffin. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, puzzled. "And where's Leigh?"
Griffin pointed at the kitchen door with her thumb. "In there, talking to Jorie."
Good, Rhonda thought. Leigh had never really talked to a human, and it was long overdue. Going through life hating all humans wasn't healthy, and Rhonda knew if any human could earn Leigh's respect, it was Jorie. "And you're standing there, eavesdropping?" she asked, secretly amused.
"No!" Griffin growled at her, but it didn't intimidate Rhonda. "I'm just here to make sure that Jorie is safe. Being attacked twice by Leigh is more than enough."
Rhonda couldn't hide her smile. "You like her."
"She's not so bad for an annoying little sister," Griffin said with a shrug.
"I'm talking about Jorie, and you know it," Rhonda said. Griffin could deny it all she wanted, but Rhonda knew exactly what it looked like to be attracted to someone and to try to hide it from herself and the world around her.
Griffin just looked at her with a blank expression and changed the subject. "So you and Leigh finally figured out what everyone around you has known for years, huh?" She shook her head. "Mooning over each other for fifteen years... Fifteen years!"
Heat shot up Rhonda's neck. "Well, I was convinced that Leigh saw me only as a friend, someone to protect like a little sister. I knew she would do anything to take care of me and make me happy, but I didn't want her to start a relationship with me for all the wrong reasons." It seemed Leigh had never confessed her love for similarly stupid, if selfless reasons.
The longer both of them stayed silent, the harder it became to be honest with each other. In the end, both had decided to endure their feelings of unrequited love to save their friendship.
It took the interference of a human to finally make us take a risk.
Embarrassed, Rhonda rubbed her reddened cheeks. "Don't change the subject," she said. "We were talking about you and Jorie, not about me and Leigh. The way you treat Jorie reminds me of the way you used to treat me when you had that crush on me." She gave Griffin a fond smile to let her know she was not making fun of her or her younger self.
It was amusing to see the tall, imposing woman squirm like a kitten. Griffin looked as if she wanted to shift into her cat form and escape as fast as her paws would carry her. "I wasn't much more than a cub back then," she said.
"I remember you standing guard exactly like this," Rhonda indicated Griffin's position next to the kitchen door, "when Tarquin wanted to talk to me one day." Suddenly, she remembered Tarquin's presence outside her house. "I'll let you off the hook for now," she said, giving Griffin a pat on the arm. "There's something I have to do."
"Where are you going?" Griffin called after her.
Rhonda didn't answer. There was no time for long explanations. She didn't want to take the chance that Tarquin would be gone by the time she got outside or that Griffin would follow her. This was her battle to fight, not Griffin's and not Leigh's. She knew she had a better chance at resolving the situation and sending Tarquin on his way peacefully.
He was still there. When he saw her, he tried to slip back into the shadows and escape to his car, but Rhonda was faster.
"Tar
quin!" she called, letting him know that he wouldn't escape unnoticed or unidentified. "What are you doing here?"
His dismay at having been caught wafted toward Rhonda as he turned around. He stared into Rhonda's eyes in a silent battle of wills.
Rhonda knew that she couldn't win this way. She couldn't get him to answer just with the force of her personality as Brian could or by intimidating him physically as Leigh could have done. She didn't need to. There were other ways.
A long step forward, right into his personal space, made Tarquin stiffen. She touched his shoulder in a friendly gesture. "We weren't scheduled for patrol duty tonight, were we?" she asked, even knowing that it wasn't their turn tonight.
Tarquin blinked at the unexpected question, giving up on his attempt to stare her down.
"No," he answered. He pointed in the direction of the house, at the door that was still secured only provisionally. "What happened to your front door?"
"Oh, you were worried about me. How nice of you." Rhonda gave him another pat, secretly grinning at the thought of leaving her own scent — and Leigh's — all over him like a stamp of ownership. "It was just a little accident. Leigh thought I was calling for her from the bedroom, so she was in a hurry to get through the door." A sensual smile danced along her lips.
Tarquin's eyes widened. His nostrils flared as he took in her scent.
Rhonda's hand brushed along the sleeve of the T-shirt — Leigh's T-shirt. Yes, that's right; I'm Leigh's. You've got no right to be here. Rhonda hoped he was getting the silent message. "Now that Leigh is moving in, I'm thinking of installing a giant kitty door," she said. "That way, Leigh — and also Griffin — can get in and out faster. They're both so protective of me... and of each other that they'd run down my front door every time they think one of us is in danger." Did you hear that, Tarquin? We're sticking together. Griffin isn't standing alone against you this time.