Chasing His Lynx’s Sass (Sass And Growl Book 4)

by Dawn Sullivan

  He jumped over the lifeless body that lay just outside the door, and swiftly made his way around the side of the house, a loud roar leaving him at the sight of his lynx in the tight grip of a boa. She looked at him, her eyes meeting his before her head fell to the side. The boa shook her hard, and Cannon could swear the bastard was laughing. He was going to die.

  Cannon rose on his hind legs, letting out another loud roar of rage, watching in satisfaction as the snake’s grip seemed to loosen slightly. If the son of a bitch broke one bone in his lynx’s body… With that thought, Cannon ran toward him, wrapping one large paw around the snake’s neck, the other ripping a huge gash over its scales. The snake hissed, his hold on Shayna loosening enough to drop her to the ground. Cannon was aware of Cora racing toward them, grabbing Shayna and pulling her away, but his concentration was on the snake. He was pissed, and that fucker was going to pay. No one touched his mate. No one.

  He began slicing through the boa, hacking away the snake with his huge claws, bit by bit. A hiss and then a wheezing sound filled the air. Then there was nothing as the life slowly drained from the boa’s body. Cannon continued slicing until there was nothing left, then he backed up from the mess he’d made, threw his head back, and roared so loudly he was surprised he didn’t break the windows of the house. Finally, after several more minutes, he calmed down enough to turn to where Cora held Shayna close, stroking a hand gently over her soft fur. He lumbered slowly toward them, leaning his large head down to sniff at his mate.

  “She’ll be okay, Cannon.” When he chuffed, nudging Shayna with his nose, Cora reached over to push him away. “Shift, little brother. You stink of snake. Take a quick shower and we’ll get out of here.” When he stood there, not wanting to leave his mate, she whispered, “Trust me, Cannon, I will guard her with my life until you can.”

  He chuffed again, rubbing his head over Shayna’s soft fur before stepping back and shifting to his human form. It took longer this time, but soon he was kneeling down and gathering the beautiful lynx in his arms, lifting her, and holding her close.

  “She was so fierce,” Camila said from where she stood by the corner of the house.

  “You saw her fight?” Cora asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion. “I thought you were getting your bag from your room?”

  “I couldn’t help myself,” Camila admitted, following Cannon as he walked around to the back door and entered the house. “She took out the guy at the back quickly and efficiently, I saw it through the bathroom window, then she went to the side. I wanted to see what she would do next, so I ran into my bedroom and could see everything from there. She fought the first snake, killing him fast, and I thought she was going to take out the second one, too, but he grabbed her somehow. She was so fast, but that time, he was faster. She didn’t stop fighting, though. She just kept going, clawing at him. She amazes me.”

  Cannon gently laid Shayna down on the couch, running a hand over her thick fur, stroking it lightly for a long time before he said gruffly, “She is pretty amazing, isn’t she?”

  “Yes,” Cora agreed, sitting on the floor in front of the couch, the rifle resting across her knees. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she whispered, “She put her life on the line for us. That’s something I will never forget.”

  “She’s family now,” Camila said, sitting on the couch next to Shayna and resting a hand gently on her side. “Cannon’s mate. Our sister. She fought for us, and we will fight for her if she ever needs us to.”

  Cora nodded, reaching a hand over to lay it on Camila’s. “Yes, we will.”

  “Thanks,” Cannon muttered, not able to take his eyes from his woman. A beautiful lynx who had just taken on a human and two boa constrictors, to protect him and his sisters. “What the hell was I thinking letting her go out there alone?” he rasped, tears of anger and frustration filling his own eyes. “Fuck! I should have been there the whole time.”

  “You were respecting her wishes, little brother,” Cora said quietly. “Just like you should have.”

  “But she was hurt.”

  “She’s a powerful woman, Cannon, and I get the feeling she’s been alone a long time. If you want to make this work, the only way to do it is to talk things through with her, and show her the respect she deserves.”

  Cannon knew she was right, but the thought of his mate being put in another situation like the one she’d just been through drove him crazy. How was he supposed to just let her put her life in jeopardy like that? Both of their lives? Because if something were to happen to her, the other half of his soul, it would kill him as well.

  “Go take your shower, Cannon. We need to get on the road as soon as possible.”

  “But…”

  “Seriously, Cannon, if I have to watch your dick swinging in my face much longer, I think I’m going to puke,” Cora snapped, resting her head back against the couch and closing her eyes. “Get the hell out of here.”

  That was Cora, blunt as could be. Although, there were rare times she let her true feelings show through. Which, he was beginning to see was a lot like how his mate was. Sighing, he leaned over and ran his hand over Shayna’s fur one more time, scratching gently behind an ear. “You’ll watch her for me?”

  “We won’t leave her side,” Cora vowed, her eyes still closed.

  “Promise,” Camila said, meeting his gaze. “I would give my life for her, Cannon.”

  He nodded, taking one last look at the mate who was quickly becoming his whole life before leaving them to shower. Damn, if this was how his brother had felt about Nadine, no wonder he’d been gone so much those last few months. Cannon frowned, running a hand through his short hair. How was Nadine handling not having her mate? Casen had been gone for so long. How was she surviving?

  Chapter Seven

  Shayna slowly awoke, a low mewling sound leaving her at the agony that racked her body. It hurt to move, hurt to breath. Even the hand gently stroking over her fur caused her pain, but she didn’t move away. She recognized Camila’s scent, and even though she was suffering, the sweet woman’s soft touch helped calm the fear that threatened to overtake her.

  “It’s okay, Shayna,” Camila murmured. “I know it hurts, but just try to breathe through it.”

  Shayna closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on something, anything except the pain. They were in a car, all four of them. It was her car. She was in the back seat with Camila, which meant Cannon and Cora were up front. Cannon must be driving, otherwise there was no doubt in her mind that he would be in the back with her.

  He’d saved her. When she’d felt as if she wasn’t going to make it, felt the last breath leaving her body, he’d come to her. She wasn’t sure what happened after that, but if she had to guess by the way he’d roared his fury to all, there wasn’t anything left of the boa shifter.

  “We’re on our way to Blue Creek,” Camila said softly. “I hope you don’t mind, but we looked through your notes in your files and found the address to Knox Channing’s ranch. We decided to head that way for now.” When Shayna opened her eyes and struggled to sit up, Camila paused in stroking her fur. “We won’t stay long, Shayna. We know we are putting them in danger just by going there, but we want to meet the woman who is Casen’s mate. We want to see his child.” Camila’s breath hitched as she whispered, “We just miss our brother so much. We need to see a small part of him.”

  Shayna couldn’t stand the sadness in Camila’s voice, the sorrow that flowed from her. Gathering her energy, she ignored the pain and shifted, unable to stop the small cry escaping her when agony swamped her body.

  “Dammit!” Cannon snarled, pulling the car off to the side of the road and putting it in park so he could turn to look at her. “Why would you shift, kitten? You need to heal. You can’t do that as quickly in human form.”

  “Feels like the asshole broke my ribs,” Shayna wheezed out, her arm going around her waist as she moaned in pain.

  “I think he might have,” Camila said, her eyes on the dark bruising on S
hayna’s ribcage. Taking the blanket that was sitting on her lap, she wrapped it gently around Shayna. “We need to get you to a doctor.”

  Shayna shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut at the pain the action caused. “No, I’m fine.”

  “What if you punctured a lung or something?”

  “I’d probably be dead by now,” Shayna gasped, laying her head back against the seat, her eyes still closed.

  “You need to shift back,” Cora said. “We’re going to be in Blue Creek in a few hours, and I don’t feel comfortable meeting a bunch of bears without all of my family well and by my side.”

  Family. Cora, the hardass of the siblings, had just claimed her as family. Shayna didn’t know what to say. Opening her eyes to mere slits, she looked at Cora. “Don’t worry, I’ve been through something similar to this before. I’ll be good to go by the time we get there. You won’t face them alone.”

  “I know you don’t want us to go Blue Creek, Shayna,” Camila murmured, “but we all have this strong feeling that we have to. Please, try to understand.”

  Shayna reached over and took Camila’s hand in hers. “It’s not that I didn’t want to take you there, Cami. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any leads in your neck of the woods before we went. I can’t afford to overlook anything at all while I’m trying to track down your brother, if I hope to find him.”

  “Oh.” Camila’s eyes clouded over in worry, and she laced her fingers with Shayna’s. “Do you think we should go back?”

  “No. At least, not right now. I can see how important it is for all of you to meet Nadine and Athena. That’s where you need to be.”

  “You aren’t going back alone, Shayna,” Cannon growled, his eyes narrowing on her.

  She stared at him, seeing the deep concern in his eyes. A small smile turned up the corners of her lips, and she reached out to trail her fingers from his temple, down to his chin. “No,” she whispered softly, “I’m not planning on it.”

  He watched her closely for a moment, before saying gruffly, “Shift back for now, kitten. We can discuss everything once we get to Blue Creek.”

  She nodded tiredly, gripping Camila’s hand tightly before letting go. “Do me a favor? Stop a mile or so out before getting to the ranch so I can change back and put on some clothes? I don’t want to do it there.”

  “Why do I feel like there is a story behind this?” Cannon asked, raising his eyebrows.

  Shayna looked at all of their expectant faces before she sighed, lowering her head. “Look, I used to date one of the Channing brothers. His mate didn’t take it very well when she saw me a few days ago.”

  “What did she do?” The question came from Cora, and Shayna was surprised to hear the protectiveness in it.

  Raising her eyes to meet the other woman’s, she smiled wryly. “Let’s just say I had to change my shirt.”

  “She drew blood?”

  “What the fuck?” Cannon snarled, those gorgeous eyes darkening as they always did when he was pissed.

  Shayna laughed softly, “Well, in her defense, Nolan was kind of a man whore before he met her.” She cocked her head to the side, reaching out to touch his face again. “You aren’t mad that I was with your cousin at one time?”

  He seemed to weigh the question over before he said, “I can’t say I’m happy about the idea of it, but we both have our pasts. I’m not going to beat the shit out of every man you’ve been with, and I hope you aren’t going to claw up every woman I’ve taken to bed.”

  Shayna froze, her eyes going cat and her fangs dropping at the thought of Cannon being with anyone but her. “Shit, now I know why she tore open my arm.”

  “I’m going to kick her fucking ass,” Cora growled, clenching her jaw tightly.

  All of the anger left Shayna and she laughed, grabbing at her ribs and dislodging the blanket when she did so. “No, you aren’t, Cora. She’s Nadine’s sister. Besides, I told her I was giving her that one free shot.” Cora growled, her eyes flashing to her bear and back. “But,” Shayna conceded, “if she tries it again, she’s all yours.”

  Cora nodded slowly, before turning around to settle back in her seat. “Fine. I’ll behave unless she is stupid enough to attack you again. Now, shift so we can get moving. I want to meet little Athena.”

  Shayna met Cannon’s eyes and smiled as she handed the blanket back to Camila. His gaze dropped from her eyes, to her lips, then went lower, causing desire to pool in her belly. His cheeks flushed a deep red, his amber eyes beginning to darken and glow as he slowly raised them back to meet hers. “Shift,” he said gruffly, before turning around in his seat to start the car.

  Shayna’s laughter turned into a quiet whimper as she shifted back into her cat, but soon she was resting with her head on her paws, lost in dreams of the man only a few feet away from her.

  ***

  The next time Shayna woke, it was dark, and the car was once again stopped on the side of the road. She was alone, but she could hear voices not too far away. She was guessing they’d made it to Blue Creek, and Cannon had stopped to let her shift like she’d requested. She was glad, because she also had to use the restroom. It had been hours since she’d last gone.

  Her door opened, and Shayna raised her weary head to look at her mate. He knelt down beside her, resting a hand on her neck. “You ready, kitten?”

  In truth, she was still exhausted and in a lot of pain, but she had promised Cora she would be there for her, and she wasn’t going back on that promise. She nodded, staying where she was for a few more minutes before she decided she could move without falling on her face. Slowly, she rose to her feet, waiting for him to rise and move out of the way before jumping to the ground. She swore it jarred every bone in her aching body, but she pushed past the agony and walked stiffly away from Cannon and his sister to take care of her private business. When she was done, she made her way back to them, feeling as if she were in a fog. What the hell was wrong with her?

  “Shayna? Do you need to stay in your cat form for a while longer?” Cannon’s concerned voice broke through her confused state, and she raised her head to look at him. He was so tall, broad shouldered, and handsome. And he was hers. Poor bastard. Stuck with someone like her.

  “Shayna, we can camp out here for the rest of the night if you want?” Cora said. “It’s around nine. They may be in bed already.”

  They wouldn’t be, but it was nice of Cora to offer. Although, it was strange that she was. Maybe she was nervous? That wasn’t good. Cora was a fighter. Nothing made her nervous. Did it? Shayna shook her head to try and clear it. She was so confused. What the hell was wrong with her?

  “Shayna?”

  It was Camila this time, and she sounded scared. Why was she scared? Had something happened? Was Camila safe? Where were they? What was going on? Shayna took a step toward the woman, stumbling and falling to her knees.

  “Oh my God, Shayna!” Camila was beside her on the ground, stroking a hand over her fur.

  “Shayna, sweetheart, what is it?” Cannon, her mate. He was there, too.

  “We need to get her to a hospital!” It was Cora. The oldest, and most protective of the siblings. Of her, too, it would seem.

  Frustrated that she couldn’t communicate to them in the form she was in, Shayna initiated her shift, shuddering at how painful it was when she began changing back to her human form.

  “Dammit, Shayna, stop,” Cannon growled, and she heard the worry in his voice. Worry for her. When was the last time anyone had worried about her?

  “Shayna, please, stop,” Camila cried. “We’re near the ranch. We can take you there and I’m sure they will be able to help.”

  No way in hell was that going to happen. Pushing through the pain, Shayna let out a whimper when she was finally fully shifted, tears streaming down her face at the agony it induced. “No, I don’t want them to see me like this.”

  “But why not?” Camila asked in confusion. “Aren’t they your friends?”

  “Only know No
lan,” Shayna gasped, raising tear filled eyes to look at them. “Don’t want to appear weak.”

  “Fuck that,” Cannon snarled, kneeling beside her with her bag in his hands. “My mate doesn’t have a weak bone in her body.”

  “And, you aren’t alone anymore, Shayna,” Cora said quietly. “You are ours now to protect. Our family.”

  “They are your family, too,” Shayna whispered, voicing her one fear out loud.

  They were claiming her as their family, but she wasn’t blood. Not like the bears who were so close right now.

  “You are my mate,” Cannon snarled as he gently began to help her dress. “Mine. If you think I would choose some people I’ve never met over the woman I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with, you couldn’t be more wrong. And, to be honest, I’m offended you would even think something like that.”

  Shayna hung her head in shame, fighting back the nausea that was rising in her throat. “I’m sorry, Cannon. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  He frowned as he slid a shirt over her head, then her shoulders and down. “Talk to me, kitten. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”

  Shayna waited until she was fully dressed, including her boots, before she admitted, “I feel so sick. Nauseous. My stomach is churning, my ribs and chest ache. My mind is in a fog. I can’t think. I can’t protect myself like this.”

  Cannon slowly gathered her into his arms and rose, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “You don’t have to, my mate. I will protect you, from anyone and anything. You just need to trust me.”

  Shayna had never fully trusted anyone in her life except her mother, and in the end, even she betrayed her. Allowing her stepfather to kick her out of the house when she was just sixteen, leaving her to fend for herself.

  “You can trust us, too, Shayna,” Camila said, walking beside them to the car. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  Her eyes once again filling with tears, Shayna reached for Camila’s hand, bringing it up to rest on her cheek. “I’m supposed to be protecting you, little one.”