Vynn (War Cats Book 4)

by Grace Brennan

  “And what about you? If they’re going after me, they’ll be going after you, too. I think you should come stay here.”

  Zane snorted, shaking his head. “You think I can’t take care of myself?”

  Kian rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Of course, you can. But you have your mate to think of, too. Your very pregnant mate. Are you really willing to risk her or your cub? There’s more protection, more people to help if something happens, here at the palace.”

  “Or putting you all together just makes it that much easier to kill you both at the same time.” Everyone looked at Vynn as he spoke, and he shrugged as they glared. “What? Just pointing out a possible outcome.”

  “We’ll step up the guard and patrols around the palace. No one else will be able to get in.”

  Zane exhaled forcefully at Kian’s words, shoving a hand roughly through his long hair. “Fine. We’ll come stay for now. But I don’t like this shit.”

  “I’m pretty sure none of us fucking do, but we knew shit like this was coming.”

  Vynn looked over at Kian, shaking his head over the change in his alpha. Before staying in Eagle Creek so long, Kian was very formal in his speech, and rarely cursed. He strictly adhered to the traditions of the tribe, even though everyone knew he didn’t agree with most of them.

  Then he came home after his father died, speaking like a normal man and throwing out curses left and right. He obliterated most of the traditions, immediately making changes to the rules. It was like he was a new person, and Vynn admired that.

  Most people wouldn’t think he did. They’d probably lay down money on that. But Vynn admired anyone who stood up for what they believed in, especially so forcefully, whether he agreed with their beliefs or not.

  Karis spoke, pulling Vynn from his thoughts. “I’ll call a meeting with the warriors tonight. We’ll get this figured out, and until we do, we’ll all be on our guard. We’ll catch whoever’s doing this.”

  And now it was time to go. He’d helped by trying to use his gift. Other than that, he was done, and didn’t need to be involved in the plan making.

  “I’m going to get Ashley and go home.”

  He turned without a reply, heading toward the door. He heard Karis call out a time for the warrior meeting, but he didn’t slow, just threw his hand up in acknowledgement. Reaching the foyer, he paused, realizing he didn’t know where Ashley was. He was just about to turn around and ask the guys if they knew when he spotted her by a window, looking out at the falling snow that was starting to pick up.

  “Hey. I thought you were with the girls.”

  She turned at his words, a forced smile on her face. “I came out here a bit ago. Are you ready to leave?”

  Frowning, he studied her face as he moved closer, taking in the tightness of her lips and the strain around her gray-green eyes. A growl escaped his throat, but he didn’t try to swallow it down. If someone said something to her, or hurt her in anyway, he’d kill them with zero remorse.

  “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “Nothing happened. I’m just ready to leave, is all.”

  His frown deepened. Her voice rang with truth, but something was clearly bothering her. She’d been nervous about coming inside the palace, but still, when he left her, she’d had a smile on her face.

  “Yeah, we’re done here. Let’s go.”

  He opened the door, gesturing her through before following her. He cast her one last considering look before moving to take the lead, walking through the snow first so she could follow behind easier in his wake.

  “Did you guys find whoever tried to hurt Kian?”

  He shook his head, trying to find a pace that got them to his house quickly, but that wasn’t too fast for her. He didn’t want her to slip and hurt herself.

  Jesus, who was he now? He’d never worried about shit like that before.

  “No, there was no trail to find. Which means whoever it was is a member of the tribe.”

  They reached the tree line where there was less snow and she moved to walk beside him. “Maybe they were just too slick for you to find. It took you weeks to track my scent, remember?”

  His brow twitched at the mention of his unsuccessful attempts to find her. “I have a theory about that. I think maybe you and your fox were fighting so hard to take your forms and keep them, that you completely canceled each other’s scents out. That’s why the trail always disappeared so quickly. Or hell, maybe that’s your gift and you just don’t want to give that info away.”

  She shook her head, the red strands of her hair dusted with snow. She needed a hat. He’d have to see if he could find one. Fuck, more of those weird urges. He’d never get used to that.

  “No, I don’t think that’s it. I don’t think I have a gift at all. Hell, I didn’t even know shifters had gifts until you mentioned it.”

  They broke through the other side of the tree line, and he walked swiftly to his house, anxious to get her inside. Once he’d closed the door behind them, he watched her as she unwound his scarf and took off his jacket. Shit, she was beautiful.

  “Ash, every shifter has a gift. Maybe you just don’t know what it is because you haven’t used it often, or didn’t know that whatever it is was a gift.”

  She shrugged. “I’m okay with not having one. I’m happy with things the way they are. The way they were before coming here. I feel no need to change any of that.”

  Eyes narrowing on her as she slipped her boots off, he finally followed suit as his tiger stirred uneasily in his chest. He got it. He didn’t like what she just said, either.

  “What does that mean, Ashley?”

  Shaking her hair out, she exhaled as she glanced over at him, shrugging. “Just what I said. I liked things the way they were before I got here. I have no desire to change anything about my life. I just want to get to Eagle Creek, get my answers and revenge, and then go back to the life I had before.”

  Fuck. That. He’d be damned before he let that happen. “I really think you need to stop and think about going after your brothers—”

  Shaking her head, she stepped up to him, placing her fingers gently over his mouth. Stunned, he stopped talking as her hand slowly left his lips, trailing down to his chest. His blood heated as she caressed him, and his tiger purred, vibrating his chest. She smiled, but his eyes narrowed when he saw that her fox was nowhere to be found in her eyes.

  The sounds of other animals always woke up their own animals. Her fox should be showing, but she wasn’t. Which meant Ashley was back to suppressing her. What the hell had happened while he was trying to track the fucker messing with his alpha?

  “No, I really don’t. I appreciate you letting me stay here and taking me to Denver when the snow eases and the roads are passable. I really do. But I don’t need you to try to change my mind about my mission or try to get me to rethink what being a shifter means. I’m happy with how I am now. There’s only one thing I need from you, Vynn.”

  And then she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

  Chapter Nine

  Ashley pressed her lips to Vynn’s, fire racing through her blood as fireworks exploded behind her closed lids. Holy. Shit. She’d never imagined just the simple press of her mouth to his would evoke this sort of reaction, but she was beyond happy it did.

  If she could just get him to shut up about her life choices and kiss her, maybe take her to his bed now, tonight, whenever and however the hell he wanted, life would be perfect.

  He groaned, wrapping his arms around her tightly and pulling her into him as he kissed her back. Their mouths opened, and he gave her open mouth kisses, licking and nipping at her bottom lip, before he plunged his tongue inside.

  Winding her arms around his neck, she tightened her hold and pressed her body closer into his, the fire in her veins turning boiling hot. His erection was digging into her stomach, and her middle clenched deliciously at the feel of it. He growled, his chest vibrating from the force of it. She thought maybe it should
turn her off, the reminder that he was a shifter, but it didn’t. It just made the need in her amp up to a painful degree.

  Her fox tried to surface, answering the call of his animal, but she shut her down, forcing her deeper inside as Vynn sucked her tongue into his mouth. Lord, it felt like he was trying to devour her, and she fucking loved it.

  One of his hands trailed down, squeezing her ass, and the other tangled in her hair as he pulled her head back, trailing his mouth to her ear. Easing his lips down her neck, he licked and nibbled, and a full body shiver moved through her. Her neck was incredibly sensitive to the attention he was giving it, and she felt like she was melting inside as desire crashed over her in never ending waves.

  She was panting, drowning in the sensations he was inspiring inside her. Opening her mouth, she started to say they should move this to the bedroom but paused as his phone started going off.

  His mouth was at the juncture of her neck and shoulder and he bit down harder before releasing her skin, burying his face into her shoulder. They were both breathing heavily, chests heaving as they fought to catch their breath.

  “Fuck. I have to go. We have a meeting at the warrior’s lodge,” he muttered after looking at his phone.

  Nodding as he pulled away, she cleared her throat, cheeks suddenly heating even as she fought to cool the fire in her blood. Looking up, her eyes got caught in his whiskey brown gaze. The unexpected shyness that had suddenly reared up faded just as quickly as it came on when she saw the heat in his eyes.

  “Okay. But I think we need to follow this through when you get home. Because based on that kiss, it can be amazing between us.”

  The scar on his cheek rippled, like he was clenching his jaw, as he stared at her. His phone went off again and he exhaled heavily. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  Without another word, he turned, shoving his feet back into his boots and snatching his coat, walking out before he even had it on. Frowning, she wrapped her arms around herself and moved to the window, watching as he stalked away.

  She wasn’t sure what just happened there. He wanted her, too. That was clear. But he wasn’t jumping on her offer, not like she expected a man to do. All men wanted sex, right? And based on his impressive erection, she knew he desired her. So what in the hell could be holding him back from taking her up on her offer?

  Brow furrowing, she walked to the dryer, opening it and pulling out her clothes so she could fold them. She was halfway done folding, still puzzling over everything, when a thought occurred to her. Hands stilling, she frowned, considering it.

  This couldn’t be because of the mate thing, could it? From what Kelly and Jessica said, it was a big deal to shifters. Could he be hesitating because he knew they were mates and wanted to keep her as one, and she’d mentioned leaving? That was nuts to her, but it was a logical conclusion to draw. And she felt, down in her gut, that it played some part in his hesitation.

  Maybe shifters weren’t as mean and disgusting as her dad always preached, but their culture was definitely complicated.

  Your culture, her fox whispered, struggling to fight her way to the surface.

  No. Not my culture. I don’t accept that. I’m sorry, fox. But I don’t want things to change.

  I can hear the lie in your thoughts, you know. Yeah, I can tell. When Vynn taught you, I learned, as well. And you’re lying. I just don’t know why.

  I told you. I don’t want change. Now go away.

  Concentrating, Ashley shoved her fox back down deep. Fuck, she hated that thread of guilt winding through her. But this was necessary. No matter what her animal said, she didn’t want everything to change. And if she accepted her animal, if she let people in, nothing would be the same.

  And she was content with her life. She was.

  Damn it, this was why she needed to get out of here the second the weather allowed. The only thing she wanted was a night in Vynn’s bed. Or maybe every night in Vynn’s bed until she was out of here, because honestly, being with him didn’t feel like a want. It felt like a need.

  But if he was hesitating because of some ridiculous notion of them being mates, she didn’t know how to fight that. She could keep trying to seduce him, but she didn’t relish the idea of getting shot down. And Vynn seemed like the type who couldn’t be swayed once he was set on a course.

  She had a couple of hours to figure out her next move, though. Hopefully, by the time he got home, she’d know what to do. She wasn’t willing to let this go. She didn’t know what it said about her, that she was so fixated on sleeping with a man she had no intention of seeing again, but she didn’t care.

  If only all this shifter shit wasn’t getting in the way. It was crazy to her. She’d never want to live her life ruled by her animal and those instincts. To have all these ridiculous shifter customs dictating to her how she should live her life.

  She was better off keeping her animal suppressed, and on her own, without those rules weighing her down.

  That’s what you think. And if you won’t open up, won’t see reason or willingly let me live, then I’m taking back what’s mine.

  Ashley gasped as her fox gave a mighty push inside her, hunching over, pain blasting over her body as her bones broke and reformed. And a moment later, everything was dark.

  “Do you have the numbers for Sam or Garret Adams? Either one would work.”

  Vynn hated asking for anything, but he thought it was time to give Ashley’s brothers a call. Try to somehow fix what was between them. All she knew was her dad left to find them and never came home. She didn’t know for sure they had anything to do with his disappearance, and yet she was still hellbent on revenge.

  Hell, even if they did have something to do with it, Vynn only applauded them. She didn’t realize the extent of her father’s abuse—and that’s just what it was, abuse—but he understood it. He’d grown up with a version of that himself. And there was a special place in hell reserved for parents who did shit like that to their kids.

  “Why do you want their numbers?” Kian asked, a wealth of shock and a bit of suspicion in his voice. “I know you hate the shifters in Eagle Creek.”

  Vynn debated for a moment. He really didn’t like giving Ashley’s secrets away—those were hers to tell or not to tell, and that included who her family was. But he didn’t think Kian would give him the information he wanted if he didn’t. Vynn had made his disdain for the Eagle Creek shifters too known in the past.

  “I’m going to tell you this in the strictest confidence. I’m not sure she wants anyone to know. And I want you to promise that you won’t contact them and tell them what’s going on. I want to talk to them, and to her, and get shit straightened out. It’s my right as her mate, and no one else’s.”

  “Ashley? What’s going on, Vynn?” Kian exhaled when Vynn said nothing, just crossed his arms and stared him down. “You have my word that I won’t say anything. Now talk.”

  “Ashley is Sam and Garret’s little sister.”

  Kian stared at him in disbelief. “Are you shitting me right now?”

  “Nope. And she’s never met them. She was raised by her dad, and said he left five years ago to find her brothers and tell them about her. He never came back, and she’s convinced they got rid of him. She wants answers, then revenge. But from the little she’s told me, he was a nasty bastard. She’s better off without him in her life. I want to try to stop it, maybe get them connected on a different level, before she does something she regrets.”

  “Jesus. She’s not wrong about why he disappeared, but she definitely is when it comes to the kind of man her dad was. What are the odds you’d end up mated to someone related to shifters there?”

  Vynn cut him a glare. “I appreciate the irony of that, but now’s not the time to belabor the point. What did you mean, she’s not wrong about why he disappeared?”

  Kian hesitated. “I don’t think that’s my story to tell. I will say, though, that it’s best you try to get things resolved between them before the
weather clears. I think she will definitely regret it.”

  Vynn shoved his hand through his hair. “Well, fucking give me the numbers already.”

  Kian snorted. “Always so polite. Hold on, let me find a pen and paper.”

  Vynn crossed his arms as he watched Kian walk to the head warrior’s office in the lodge. As soon as the meeting ended, Vynn had pulled him aside so he could ask him for the numbers. He still hated showing his hand, hated anyone knowing anything about what was going on in his life.

  And who his mate’s family was wasn’t a small thing. It was huge. But despite his dislike of letting anyone in, this had to happen. He had to change her mind about her course, or at least get her to slow down.

  Like you’ve changed your course about revenge? his tiger asked.

  That’s completely different.

  Is it really, though?

  Vynn frowned, feeling disgruntled. Of course, it was different. These were people who’d actually done something to him, who’d physically marked him.

  Sure, according to Kian, Ashley’s brothers really did have something to do with her dad’s disappearance. So maybe her base reason of going after them was as sound as his. But she didn’t realize that her dad wasn’t the good guy. He was the bad guy.

  And in the scenario where you were clawed, you were the bad guy, his tiger pointed out. You purposefully provoked the Eagle Creek shifters, and basically threatened Ian’s mate.

  Fuck, just drop it, okay? It’s not the same thing, and I’m never going to change my mind about getting my revenge.

  Kian walked back out of Karis’ office, holding a slip of paper. Just in time to distract Vynn from wanting to kill his tiger. His animal would never get it.

  No, I’m beginning to believe it’s who you will never get it.

  Shut the fuck up.

  “Here you go. Remember, call sooner rather than later. I think there’s a lot more to the story than Ashley probably knows.”

  “I will.” He hesitated for a moment before blowing out a breath. “And, uh… thanks.”