Second Nature
Page 43
"All right," Griffin said, already changing directions. "Let's stop and see how they are. But we better make it quick."
"Thank you," Jorie whispered.
The house felt strangely unfamiliar as if she hadn't seen it in years instead of just days. So much had changed since she'd been here last. When she entered the living room, a squeaking sound made Jorie jump. Her gaze darted to the source of the sound.
Her foot had landed on a cat toy on the floor. Calm down. It's just some dumb toy, not an attacking Wrasa. The constant fear and tension of the last few days had left her a bundle of nerves.
Then she looked more closely. She had never seen the mouselike toy before. "That's new," she said, pointing at the toy.
Griffin chuckled. "One of Leigh's cousins is a saru. She took care of the cats. Like most Kasari, she's a mushball when it comes to cats."
The bowls in the kitchen were filled with kibble, and there was fresh water next to them. The Wrasa really took good care of my cats. Jorie's heartbeat calmed. Still, she knew she wouldn't relax until she saw her cats and made sure they were all right.
She looked under the couch and in the usual hiding places.
No cats.
Worry clawed at her stomach. Where were they? Had the Wrasa taken them away? Or were they hiding, terrified of the intruders in their territory?
"Jorie," Griffin called through the open bedroom door.
Three quick steps carried Jorie to the bedroom.
Will's purring greeted her. He was curled up on the bed as if everything was right with the world.
"Oh, thank God!" Jorie fell to her knees next to the bed and pressed her face into the soft fur. She touched his head, his back, and trailed a finger along his three paws. He seemed all right. His rough tongue immediately started bathing her fingers, washing off the strange scents.
"He probably enjoyed his vacation with the Wrasa," Griffin said. She was watching from a respectful distance, not interrupting Jorie's reunion with Will. "I think he likes my kind because he can smell that we don't belong to the humans who hurt him."
That explanation made sense. Never before had Will bonded as quickly with any human as he had with Griffin. He saw right through her human appearance. And so did Emmy and Agatha. "The cats can sense that you're not what you appear to be," she said. Part of Jorie had sensed it too, but she hadn't listened to her instincts. Dismissing them as overactive imagination had become second nature to her long ago. "That's why Emmy kept her distance and Agatha wouldn't stop hissing at you. Guess I should have trusted my cats' judgment, huh?" She looked up at Griffin with a self-mocking grin.
Griffin rubbed her ear. It looked so much like a cat washing behind its ears that Jorie had to smile. "I think I was starting to win Agatha over, but Emmy... I'm afraid she has a little Wrasa trauma, and I don't think we'll find her here today."
Wrasa trauma? That sounded exactly like what Jorie had been through. "What happened?" she asked.
"I once met her when I was out on a stroll in my cat form. I chuffed a friendly greeting at her," Griffin said. Her broad shoulders shrugged with a hint of guilt and embarrassment. "But it seems you failed to teach your cats the importance of learning foreign languages."
"Very funny." Jorie reached out and pinched Griffin.
Griffin's startled yelp sounded like the snarl of a predator.
Jorie froze, remembering that pain and anger could cause Griffin to shift. Pinching a Wrasa was a dangerous pastime. Shit. I'm starting to get a little too relaxed in her company. Sometimes she forgot that Griffin wasn't human. She had seen her shift, had shared a room with Griffin's liger form, of course, but being around Griffin was so much easier than being around most humans and they had so much in common that Jorie sometimes forgot that they didn't even belong to the same species.
Her gaze darted up to take in Griffin's expression.
Instead of facing the glowering stare of a predator, she looked right into smiling amber eyes. There wasn't the slightest sign of aggression, and nothing hinted at an impending shift into her liger form.
Seems she's feeling relaxed around me too.
Jorie searched the rest of the house and found Agatha in the basement, sleeping on top of a stack of old newspapers. She was visibly happy to see Jorie but didn't appear any worse for wear. She followed Jorie upstairs. When she caught Griffin's scent, she hissed in her direction but didn't run away. She hurried into the kitchen.
They probably got used to being fed by someone who smells like a predator.
A glance into the kitchen cupboard revealed that the Wrasa had even bought enough cat food to last a few weeks — and not the brand that Jorie normally bought. Jesus, short of flying in a celebrity chef to cook for them, that's the most expensive way to feed a cat.
"Don't get used to it," Jorie warned Agatha, who waited impatiently for a bowl of the gourmet cat food. She hummed while she filled Agatha's bowl, enjoying the feeling of the cat weaving between her legs. It felt so normal and peaceful that she almost forgot her dangerous, confusing situation for a few moments. She shoved away the thought that this might be the last time she ever fed her cats.
"Jorie!" Griffin's urgent voice shattered the peaceful mood.
Jorie put the bowl on the floor and hurried into the living room.
"Look." Griffin pointed at the high bookcase. "I've just been hissed at," she said with a big grin.
On top of the bookcase, almost touching the ceiling, hidden between a big stuffed seal and an even bigger walrus, two glowing cat eyes peeked out at her.
"Emmy!" Relief washed through her. Jorie wanted to dance for joy but knew it would only scare Emmy further. She climbed on a chair and talked to Emmy in her most soothing tone.
"She won't come down while I'm here," Griffin said. "Want me to wait outside until you make sure she's okay?"
Jorie gratefully looked down at her. She knew Griffin hadn't wanted to stop at the house and hadn't wanted to stay for more than a minute, but now she was offering Jorie more time to make sure Emmy was all right. It meant Jorie would be alone in the living room, with easy access to her phone. She trusts me.
Fleeing or calling for help was the last thing on Jorie's mind. Not anymore. Her instincts and everything she had learned about the Wrasa told her that putting her trust in Griffin was her only chance to survive.
"Yes, please," Jorie said. "It'll only be a minute, and then we can go."
"Be careful on that chair," Griffin said, then turned and walked away.
As soon as she heard the front door close behind Griffin, Jorie turned back around and started to talk to Emmy.
Finally, after a minute, Emmy's tri-colored face appeared between the stuffed seal and the walrus. Her eyes were big, her ears pricked forward in alarm, and her whiskers quivered.
"Poor thing," Jorie said in her most soothing voice. "Did the big, bad lions scare you?" Slowly, carefully, she extended a hand and gently stroked Emmy's neck until the cat relaxed. Jorie reached out, preparing to lift Emmy into her arms and down from the bookcase, when Emmy suddenly let out a hiss and moved back between her two stuffed friends.
Soft steps on the carpet alerted her to another person's presence, but before Jorie could turn around to see if Griffin had returned, the chair was pulled out from under her.
With a surprised scream, Jorie fell.
Her head scraped along the side of the coffee table. Pain exploded.
She landed on her stomach, barely managing to break her fall with one of her hands. The air was pressed out of her lungs. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. Darkness threatened at the edges of her vision, but her fear pushed it back. Groaning, she tried to roll around to face her attacker.
Someone gripped her leg, closing cruel fingers around her ankle. Pain singed through her chin as she was dragged over the carpet face down.
"No!" Jorie yelled out in panic. "Griffin! Help!" She kicked out with her other foot, but the grip around her ankle didn't waver.
Then the front door
crashed open, and angry roars echoed through the house.
"Let go of her!" That was Griffin's enraged voice.
"Let go, Tarquin," another, deeper voice boomed.
Brian? Jorie wondered but was too dazed to be sure.
Someone grabbed Tarquin from behind and yanked him back, forcing him to release Jorie's ankle. "They said let go, dammit!" Leigh shouted at him.
Griffin shoved away the coffee table and knelt down next to Jorie. Strong arms wrapped around Jorie like a cocoon of protection. With a gentleness that belied the power of those arms, Griffin pulled her up and settled Jorie across her lap.
The whiskey-colored eyes glowed with fury as Griffin glanced at Tarquin, but when she saw that Leigh and Brian had him under control, her gaze focused on Jorie. Unlike fifteen years ago, she now trusted her family to take care of Tarquin. "You okay?" Fingers that trembled with suppressed anger softly traced Jorie's face and trailed through her hair.
For a moment, Jorie closed her eyes and let her aching head rest against a strong shoulder. She didn't understand what was going on and why she had been attacked again, but surrounded by Griffin and her family, she felt relatively safe for a few moments. "I'm fine," Jorie said even though her head was still pounding. Exhaustion overcame her. She just wanted to stay right here and rest. "I didn't run this time."
"Maybe you should have." Tarquin snarled, struggling to get free of Leigh's grip. "Along with your antapi —"
He couldn't finish whatever insult he had wanted to hurl at Griffin.
Brian rushed him.
The two men crashed against one of Jorie's bookcases, making it sway dangerously. Only Brian shoving Tarquin against the bookcase stopped it from toppling over. "Keep your muzzle shut, or I will close it for you!" Brian emphasized his threat by pressing his forearm against Tarquin's throat with every word, forcing the younger man to lift up on his toes if he wanted to keep breathing.
Tarquin gurgled his protest.
"I said shut up! It's time for you to listen. Gus already told you to stay away from our daughter, but it seems you have a little hearing problem." Brian used his free hand to tug on Tarquin's ear as if Tarquin were an unruly child.
Humiliating him was the worst thing you could do to a cat like Tarquin.
"I wasn't attacking your daughter," Tarquin gasped. He clutched his ear after Brian let go of it.
"Don't pretend that Griffin wasn't next on your list." Brian didn't let himself be fooled. "You knew Griffin was here. You knew she would come running if you attacked the human. She's under Griffin's protection. And just so you know — as long as she's in my territory, the human is under my protection too. Paws off!" He finally let go of Tarquin and shoved the wheezing man back at Leigh.
Jorie, still leaning weakly against Griffin's shoulder, blinked up at Brian. His fierce protectiveness of Griffin had been a surprise, and she certainly hadn't expected him to extend his protection to her too.
"I know you didn't run this time," Griffin said, pointedly ignoring Tarquin and the interruption he had caused.
She's trying to keep herself under control, Jorie realized. She could still feel Griffin tremble with barely leashed anger.
Her voice rumbled through Jorie. One of her long fingers trailed over Jorie's temple, soothing the pounding pain. "It wasn't your fault. He surprised us. I think he somehow got in through the window in the basement. The one with the cat door. I'm sorry I didn't do a better job as your protector."
Jorie forced open her heavy lids and looked into the worried whiskey-colored eyes only inches from hers. "It wasn't your fault either." She covered the hand that was cradling her face with her own fingers and gave a gentle squeeze.
"Let me examine her," Brian said. He stepped over to them, obviously expecting Griffin to relinquish her place next to Jorie.
Griffin didn't. Instead of moving back, she lifted Jorie up from the floor and cradled her effortlessly.
Part of Jorie wanted to protest. She was a grown woman and normally resented being carried around like a child. But the pounding behind her temples and the heaviness of her limbs made her swallow her pride. She felt smooth muscles flex as Griffin carried her over to the couch. Once again Jorie realized how strong the Wrasa were. It was terrifying and soothing at the same time.
Griffin settled Jorie onto the couch and hovered next to her while Brian examined Jorie.
A sense of vulnerability made Jorie's breath catch, and she sought out Griffin's reassuring gaze as Brian bent over her and parted her hair. His warm fingers probed along her skull.
"Ouch." Jorie flinched when he pressed on a tender area. Still, she marveled that the man who had shoved Tarquin against the bookcase and almost strangled him was now treating her so gently. While the Wrasa were capable of great violence, they could also be gentle and caring.
"You've got quite a goose egg," Brian said, "but I think you escaped a concussion again. You humans must have thick heads. Griffin, go and get her some ice for the head. Leigh, take Tarquin to the car. I'll deal with him later."
Leigh shoved the blond man forward, herding him out the door.
With one last reassuring squeeze to Jorie's shoulder, Griffin headed for the kitchen.
"You should avoid getting hit in the head in the future," Brian said. His green eyes twinkled with humor, but Jorie sensed true concern for her. "I don't want to make a habit of treating human patients."
"Tell that to your people," Jorie grumbled.
Brian glanced away. For once, the powerful man looked almost abashed. "Yeah. About that... I'm sorry Tarquin attacked you. I should have kept him on a shorter leash, but I didn't think he would go so far as to follow you and Griffin and attack you. I guess I underestimated how much he hates Griffin and how much he hates humans." Brian sighed. As the leader of the pride, he clearly felt responsible for what had happened.
"Why does he hate Griffin so much?" Jorie asked.
"They had a confrontation when they were both just teenagers. It ended with Griffin beating him up and humiliating him in front of all his friends. I should have stepped in before it went that far, but I didn't want anyone to think I was taking their side just because Griffin and Ky are my daughters." He stared in the direction of the kitchen, where Griffin had disappeared, and sighed again. "I guess Tarquin never forgave Griffin. Add to that the fact that he obviously thinks Griffin has returned to form a coalition with Leigh and take over the pride... And maybe he also thought Griffin is still interested in Rhonda."
The members of Brian's pride apparently didn't know Griffin very well. Even Jorie knew that Griffin had no plans of taking over the pride, and her crush on Rhonda was a thing of the past. Jorie chuckled, then grimaced when her head started to pound. "Little did he know that it isn't Griffin but her sister who's in love with Rhonda."
"Yeah," Brian said. His grim expression relaxed into a smile. "I heard we have you to thank for those two finally realizing what has been apparent to the rest of us for years."
"You knew?" Then why had he never said anything to either Rhonda or Leigh? Was it because he disapproved of their relationship? Jorie didn't think so. "Why didn't you try to get them to talk to each other about their feelings? Didn't you want them to get together?"
Brian stood from the edge of the couch, distancing himself from Jorie. The sensitive chat clearly made him uncomfortable, or maybe he just didn't like discussing a family matter with a human. "No, it's not that," he answered. "I just thought it better to stay out of it and let it grow at its own pace. I never had any luck with rushing into relationships, and I thought maybe Leigh's approach would work out better."
"Approach?" Griffin repeated sarcastically when she got back with an ice pack for Jorie. "Leigh had no approach. She was simply too blind to see that Rhonda didn't just think of her as a friend." She took Brian's place on the edge of the couch and gently held the ice pack against the side of Jorie's head.
The coldness immediately numbed the hammering pain, and Jorie groaned in relief.
Nataks? Is that the title of the pride leaders? He wants Leigh and Rhonda to lead the pride? Jorie glanced at Griffin to see how she would take that.
Griffin stayed calm. Her gaze was fixed on Jorie's head, focusing on the proper placement of the ice pack.
She's not interested in taking Brian's place. She doesn't want to lead the pride. The realization was no surprise. And apparently, neither does their other sister, so if Leigh wants to rule the pride, she needs another partner by her side. She could see Rhonda in that role. Rhonda and Leigh balanced each other well.
"If those are your plans for Leigh's future, you shouldn't let her get involved in this mess," Griffin said with a gesture that included the house, Jorie, and herself. "Helping me could hurt her career."
"Let me?" Leigh repeated as she came back into the house. "Dad is my natak, yes, but I'm no longer a little cub. I can make my own decisions. If I want to help you, that's for me to decide, not for you or the dads." Her direct stare challenged Griffin to object.
"Get back outside and make sure Tarquin doesn't run away," Brian ordered.
Leigh didn't move. "I left Tarquin in the car. He'll be fine there for a minute. He knows trying to run would be stupid. If he so much as looks at one of us the wrong way, he'll be banished from the pride, and he knows it." She looked at Griffin. "What can I do to help you?"
Wow. Jorie glanced up at Leigh in amazement. Two days ago, they were fighting and snarling at each other. Griffin even maced her with catnip. And now this selfless offer to help. They've really come a long way.
"Nothing," Griffin said. "You already took a risk by coming here and stopping Tarquin from attacking Jorie."
"When I realized Tarquin's car was gone, I knew he had followed you. I didn't want you to have to deal with Tarquin on your own again," Leigh said. It sounded like an apology.