Vynn (War Cats Book 4)

by Grace Brennan

  “That bothers you?” she asked, trying to understand.

  “Yeah. It’s my gift, so I should have been able to.”

  What was he talking about now? Strange, strange man. She decided to ignore that part, nodding at the jacket over his arm. “Is that for me? It’s a nice thought, but I’m heading out of here today, so I won’t be able to give it back. You should keep it.”

  He glanced down at the jacket like he’d forgotten he had it. “Yeah, it’s for you. You’re leaving today?”

  There was something in his voice she wasn’t sure she understood. It was like a mixture of uneasiness, relief, and unhappiness, she thought.

  “I was planning on it anyway, but if it’s going to snow, I really need to get a move on.”

  “Then you’ll definitely need the jacket.” He hesitated, his face torn, before determination settled over his features. “I don’t think you should go at all. It’s only going to get colder.”

  She frowned. “Whether I’m here or somewhere else, I’ll still be outside. At least until I get to where I’m heading next.”

  “You wouldn’t be outside here. You can stay at my house. And they’re calling for a lot of snow. Too much to be staying outside in.”

  “Oh, no. I can’t stay at your house. Besides, I stayed here too long. I’d like to get my task over with.”

  “I won’t bother you, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s a large house. And at least stay for tonight. I can’t take you anywhere today, because I have meetings, but I could take you tomorrow. Where are you going?”

  Pursing her lips, she studied him, wondering at the intensity in his brown eyes. “I’m going to Denver.”

  He immediately frowned. “All the more reason for you to stay at my house tonight, Ashley. Denver’s about an hour and a half away by car. It would take days to walk that far, especially with the snow. You’d be too exposed for too long.”

  “Why do you care?”

  He looked surprised by her question, and then he shrugged, looking mystified. “I don’t know. I just do.”

  Exhaling, she studied him for a moment, weighing everything he said. But in the end, she decided he was right. She hadn’t realized she was still so far from Denver, and if it was going to snow, she probably shouldn’t risk it. And she didn’t know why, because there was a hint of something dark to him, but she trusted him. Maybe it was her crazy showing through, but she did.

  “Okay, but don’t try anything funny. I keep myself armed. And you have to take me to Denver tomorrow. Just let me get my stuff together and I’ll be ready.”

  Vynn watched Ashley shake her blankets out and roll them up before shoving them into her backpack, feeling bemused. He still wasn’t sure why he’d even sought her out, and now he was taking her home with him.

  Because she’s our mate and we need her to be safe. That’s why, his tiger said with exasperation.

  Vynn could practically see his animal rolling his eyes, but he ignored it. Besides, maybe he was right. He did have this need inside him to make sure she was safe, and hell, maybe trying to resist her at all was pointless.

  From everything he’d heard, it was virtually impossible for shifters to deny their mates. The instinct to claim them, to make them happy, to take care of them, was too strong. Those were foreign urges to him. He thought of no one’s happiness and well-being but his own. That was how he was raised, and he was taught that everyone else did the same.

  He’d seen glimpses of that kind of thing, though, since Kian came home and set the tribe on its ear. Tribe members who thought of others and not just themselves. But he just thought Kian’s pansy-ass ways were rubbing off on everyone. Well, everyone except Jameson. He was even worse than Kian, always had been. But hell, even Zane changed, and that crazy bastard had been as bad as Vynn at one point in time.

  Vynn just put it down to Zane taking a human mate. He thought it weakened Zane, made him less than the noble tiger he used to be. Hell, maybe that was the truth, maybe it wasn’t. But he was starting to see why it had been so easy for Zane to change for his mate. Because Vynn already felt different, after only spending little more than ten minutes with Ashley.

  And she wasn’t a human, but she wasn’t a tiger, either. And she definitely wasn’t descendent from the immigrants of India. His father would roll over in his grave if he knew those truths about Vynn’s mate.

  His lips quirked up. That alone might make finding out Ashley was his mate worth it.

  Now, he needed to use today to decide what he was going to do about it. If he wanted to try to make it work with her, or drive her to Denver tomorrow and let her go. Although already, he wasn’t sure it was something he could do.

  He’d have to wait until tonight to try and get to know her better, though. There were meetings with the top-ranking warriors today—he hadn’t lied about that. Not that he could. She’d hear it if he tried.

  He wondered how she would feel about them being mates. He didn’t think her animal told her yet, because she wasn’t acting any differently, or like she had the slightest clue. Then again, he didn’t know how much she knew about shifter culture, or if she knew what being mates truly meant, since she apparently never had anyone to teach her.

  Stepping forward as nonthreateningly as he could—although he didn’t think she was scared of him at all, so maybe there was no need—he bent down and picked up the backpack he’d used to give her supplies with the other day. She had her own that she slung onto her back. It was battered to hell, with a few rips decorating it, but it was clean.

  Actually, now that he thought of it, her clothes and what he could see of her body were surprisingly clean, considering she’d been living outside. He cast her a look as he led her to the woods, then at glanced at the lake they were walking past.

  “Have you been bathing in the lake?”

  Her eyebrows rose, but she nodded. “Yeah, and washing my clothes out in it, until it started getting too cold. I’m looking forward to getting a hot shower at your house. That is, if it’s okay with you.”

  If it was okay with him? He’d think the offer was implied with letting her stay there. “Yeah, of course. Feel free to use my washer and dryer, too.”

  “Are you trying to subtly tell me I’m dirty by asking where I bathe and offering to let me wash my clothes?”

  He thought she was seriously asking until he caught the twinkle in her gray-green eyes. Shit, he’d almost felt bad for a second. He thought maybe he should be upset, because he wasn’t a fan of people making him feel things he didn’t want to feel, but he found his lips curling up instead.

  “Yeah, that’s exactly it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as covered in grime as you, apart from chimney sweeps.”

  She laughed, looking startled at his teasing. He was, too, if he was being honest. He never teased, but he’d make more of an effort if it made her laugh. It was a beautiful sound.

  Beautiful sound? Where the hell were these thoughts coming from?

  She’s our mate. That’s what happens with mates, his tiger said.

  If that’s so, I might be even more against it than I was before. I don’t want anything changing me. I’ll be glad to see her go.

  That was a straight lie, and his tiger knew it. His cat snorted inside him, but was smart enough not to push the subject. He knew Vynn would dig his heels in if he tried.

  Trying to distract himself from dangerous thoughts—and conversations with his tiger—he cleared his throat. “So what’s waiting for you in Denver?”

  “A bus ticket, hopefully.”

  He glanced at her in surprise. “You’re not staying there? Where are you going?”

  “Aren’t you nosy,” she said with a laugh. “I’m going to Wyoming. Eagle Creek, specifically. It’s not too far away from Denver, from what I understand.”

  Stopping in his tracks, he stared at her, his blood running cold then hot in his veins. She glanced back at him, frowning when she saw that he wasn’t walking, and stopped as she tu
rned to face him.

  “Is that where you’re from? Eagle Creek?”

  If she was, her being here might not be a coincidence. The shifters there acted like they were innocent—like they were genuinely good people who’d never hurt a fly. Vynn called bullshit on that. No one was that good. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if they sent someone here on the downlow to mess with the War Cats.

  And mate or not, he couldn’t allow her to hurt his people. He was no hero, and he’d probably have to leave Durga eventually if—when—he followed through on his plans, but this tribe was still his. And he allowed no one to hurt what was his.

  If your suspicions are true, and she’s really from Eagle Creek and here to hurt the War Cats somehow, why would she tell you where she’s from? She wouldn’t. She’d keep that information to herself, his tiger pointed out.

  His frown eased, turning more thoughtful. His cat had an excellent point with that. Okay, maybe he’d jumped to conclusions, but he was still reserving judgment until she answered and he could hear for himself if she lied or told the truth.

  “No, I’ve never been there before. Why did we stop?”

  Truth. She was telling the truth. He still didn’t believe in coincidences, so he’d try to pry into it a little further, but maybe not now. He waited for her to ask him why he wanted to know, but she didn’t, so he just shrugged. He’d already determined that her mind worked differently than others, so maybe she just didn’t care, or didn’t wonder.

  “Just resting my legs, is all,” he quipped.

  But she didn’t call him out on the obvious lie in his voice, just nodded seriously. “Have you walked a lot today, or something? You look strong, so it must have been far. I thought you were from the town I spotted nearby, but maybe not, and you live far from my den.”

  Stopping again, he stared incredulously at her. Not only hadn’t she heard the lie in his voice, but hers had no hint of playfulness or falsehoods. “Ashley, did you not hear the lie in my voice when I said that?”

  It seemed impossible, but it was the only explanation. She turned to him again, looking at him like he was the one who was crazy.

  “What are you talking about? People can’t hear lies in voices.”

  “Not normal humans, no, but shifters can. You’re a shifter. You should be able to hear the difference.”

  An uncertain expression crossed her face as she bit her lip. “We can? I didn’t know that. How do I tell?”

  The fleeting thought that if he didn’t teach her how, she wouldn’t know if he lied to her and wouldn’t that be great, passed through his mind. Vynn of a couple of days ago would have grabbed hold of it and refused to teach her.

  But now… he wanted to tell her how. He wanted her armed with every defense she could have going forward, whether she stayed in Durga or not. If she left, he wouldn’t be with her to protect her. And even if she stayed, she needed it. Everyone thought a threat to the village and their new way of life was going to come from him, and they were wrong. But there were others who wanted to take Kian and Zane down. So if she stayed, she’d need that defense.

  If she stayed? Did he really want her to?

  He wasn’t sure he was ready for the answer to that question.

  Taking a step closer to her, he said, “Listen carefully to the notes in my voice. You have red hair.”

  She stared at him like he was crazy. “Well, duh.”

  His lips quirked. “I’m showing you the difference. You have black hair. Can you hear it?”

  Her eyes widened. “Your voice sounded different each time. You know, I’ve noticed that before, but I never knew it meant I was telling truth from lies.”

  “Now you know. And no, the town’s not far, and we should get going. My first meeting starts soon.”

  She nodded and turned back around without a word, walking next to him. She looked thoughtful, and he found himself wondering about what her life had been like. How growing up had been, when she didn’t even know the basics about her nature and shifter heritage. That seemed like the worst kind of hell to him.

  They’d just cleared the tree line, revealing the village, already bustling with people, when she skidded to a stop, an unending growl bursting from her throat. She made a familiar hunching motion, one he knew well, as the sound of breaking bones split the air, and a moment later, a red furred fox was standing where Ashley had just been.

  Chapter Four

  Vynn stared, his tiger going nuts inside him, as the vixen thrashed viciously in the clothes Ashley shed when she shifted. The fox was trapped, a snarl on her face, and when she finally got free, she started to bolt back to the trees.

  Springing into action, he dropped the backpack and lunged for her, snatching her up before she got far. She was much bigger than a natural fox, and surprisingly heavy. As he straightened with her in his arms, she turned her head, opened her black muzzle, and bit down hard on his hand.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  He tried to pull his hand away, but she wasn’t letting go, just continued to clamp her teeth into his skin. Fuck. Juggling her so she was tucked under one arm, wincing as it jostled her teeth, he used his other hand to pry open her jaw and release his hand. Blood was already running down his fingers, but he ignored it.

  “Ashley, what the hell? It’s me. It’s Vynn. What happened?”

  She stared at him with shiny green eyes with perfectly symmetrical stripes of gray fanning from her pupils, the snarl slowly fading from her lips as she gradually relaxed in his arms. He’d just exhaled in relief when the sound of running footsteps hit his ears, and he turned to see Kian and Jameson coming toward them. Ashley must have heard it too, because she swung her head their direction, and the moment she saw them, her struggles to be free kicked back in as she snarled again.

  Damn it. He brought a hand up to support his hold and then jerked it back with a curse as she tried to bite him again. Dodging her teeth, he finally got a grip on her and held her tightly to his chest. Something about the town, about the men coming near her, was setting her off, but he wasn’t sure what.

  “What the hell’s going on, Vynn?”

  Kian’s voice was loud and harsh, eliciting another snarl as Ashley tried to lunge out of his arms. He thought she was trying to bite Kian this time, and as much as he’d love to see that, he couldn’t let it happen.

  “Easy,” he hissed, glaring at his alpha. “Not so loud. You’re freaking her out even more than she already is.”

  Jameson looked at clothes and backpacks littering the ground. “She’s a shifter?”

  “Why is she struggling so much? You’re not kidnapping her, are you?” Kian asked suspiciously.

  “What the fuck, Kian? You really think I’d try to kidnap someone?”

  Zane appeared beside them, frowning. “Sure as fuck wouldn’t surprise me.”

  Alpha glared at him before looking back at Vynn. “It’s a legit question, considering your past, Vynn. And she’s a shifter who’s in animal form, snarling, fighting to be free, and your hand’s bleeding from clear teeth marks. She bit you. Of course I’d ask.”

  He’s right, it looks bad. And he knows you well, his tiger said, still pacing in Vynn’s chest, not liking that his mate was so upset.

  Mate. Jesus. He’d never get used to that.

  “No, I didn’t kidnap her, damn it. She was coming to stay at my house until I could drive her to Denver tomorrow. But when we cleared the woods, something freaked her out, and she shifted. She was just calming down when you guys showed up and Kian got all loud.”

  Jameson frowned, concern in his eyes as he looked at Ashley. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Fuck if I know. If I did, I wouldn’t be struggling to hold onto her right now. Now are we finished here? I want to get her to my house, away from people, and try to get her calmed down again.”

  He started to walk past them, but Zane held up a hand, the look in his eye saying he wasn’t going to let Vynn go without a fight. “Hold up. Why are you bringing a fox in
to War Cat territory?”

  “Are you fucking serious right now? Aren’t you completely behind Kian’s rule changes? The gates are open. Anyone can come and go as they please, including humans and different shifters.”

  Kian nodded. “That’s right. But he’s not saying she can’t be here. He’s asking why you’re bringing her here. You’ve never made your disdain for anyone who wasn’t a War Cat a secret. This is way out of character for you.”

  He cursed in his head, shifting his grip on the still squirming fox. “She needs help. It’s getting cold, supposed to snow later, and she was sleeping outside. I’m just keeping her alive long enough to get her to Denver.”

  Zane snorted. “When the fuck have you ever given a shit about anyone but yourself? There’s no reason you’d have for helping her out if it doesn’t benefit you somehow. Especially since she’s not a tiger.”

  Kian looked at him sharply. “Cool it. You know he was telling the truth. You heard it just like I did.”

  “And you know he’s probably telling parts of the truth and not the whole. He’s hiding something. Everything points to it, and you’re either being willfully blind, or you’re trying to play it cool so we can fucking watch him some more. The time for watching is over, cousin. This is seriously out of character for him, so the time to act and get the fucking answers and clarity we need is now.”

  Vynn would normally take exception to the shit they were saying, but he was barely paying attention. He was too busy watching Jameson, who was looking between him and Ashley with a thoughtful frown. Finally glancing up, Jameson locked eyes with him, and he could see it in his eyes. He knew.

  “She’s your mate, isn’t she.” He didn’t ask, he spoke, his words soft and knowing.

  Shit. He hadn’t wanted to tell them. Partly because he didn’t like showing his hand to anyone. Didn’t like anyone knowing anything he didn’t want them to know.

  And partly because he hadn’t yet said the words out loud. Had barely acknowledged them to himself. Because doing so made them real. Realer than he thought he was ready for. But now he would have no choice.