by Meg Ripley
“Yes! And I can see the looks on your faces, but it’s not such a crazy idea after all. Just imagine what a glorious world we’d live in. Shifters could be out in the world without any fears. We’d no longer have to worry about being hunted down or shipped off to government labs. We’d be open and free, and we’d rule this country with a type of power the humans can only imagine.” He strode forward, pointing a long finger at Vance. “You, especially, should see the advantage here. What’s a military run by puny people who concentrate so much on making weapons out of metal and gunpowder instead of having their own weapons built into their bodies? Think about a shifter as the Secretary of State or a Secretary of Defense, most likely a member of the SOS Force. It would be incredible.”
“It would certainly be a different world for us,” Vance conceded. His mind began filling in the blanks in this fantasy Vance was creating. Yes, there would be some benefits, but the risks still didn’t outweigh them.
“That might happen someday,” Delilah said smoothly, “but I think we’ve still got some work to do before we get close to that.” Her brow creased as the baby stirred.
“We do,” Kelso agreed. “And the first step is to create a force powerful enough within the shifter community to make it happen. Think about the people who currently run for president. They’re either billionaires or they’ve already held a significant political office. Nobody’s going to vote for a nobody, and as much as I hate to admit it, that’s what I am right now to the general population.” He was gaining momentum and talking faster, taking advantage of his captive audience. “The works starts right here, in joining the conclaves together. We make a shifter community that spans the whole state and expand outward from there.”
“So, you become the president of all the shifters in the country, and from there, you can become the leader of every single citizen in the country.” Delilah tapped her chin and tipped her head slightly to the side. “It’s an interesting idea.”
“I’m glad you think so, because it’s happening.” Kelso wasn’t placated yet. “We’re going to start with an official writ. You sign the Dallas conclave and all its territory over to me. If you’re cooperative, I’m sure I can find a place for you on my cabinet.”
“And from there?” she urged.
“From there, it’s San Antonio and Houston, then Amarillo. The state will be easy to sweep if we all join forces. You can see now how it will all come together, can’t you? Within a few years, we’ll be the reigning demographic in the House and the Senate. But it has to start here, and it has to start now. What do you say?”
Delilah’s mouth opened and then closed again.
Vance had yet to take his eyes off Rose. She was squirming in earnest now, awake and uncertain of her surroundings. The child had her routines, and she was always ready for a good meal and a diaper change when she woke up. Her fists thrashed through the air, and the blanket moved as she kicked her legs. It was only a matter of time before the ticking time bomb went off.
“Well?” Kelso pressed.
“I think it has a lot of possibilities,” she finally acknowledged.
“Keep in mind that I have ways of making you agree.” Kelso jiggled the baby, and his minions stepped closer. The man with the tattoos pulled a knife from his waistband and tossed it casually end-over-end in his hand.
Delilah shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. But before we head into any further discussion about this, would you at least give me a chance to feed the baby? She’s hungry.” She nodded toward the infant.
Rose rolled her head from side to side, her mouth searching for some source of food.
President Kelso ignored both Delilah’s plea and the baby’s obvious need. “I don’t think so. Why would I go to the trouble of bringing her here if I’m just going to hand her back to you? No, no. Vice President Henderson, I think you understand I’m not that foolish of a man.”
Delilah swallowed. “What, exactly, do you propose?”
Kelso gave a toothy grin. “It’s quite simple. Little Rose will live with me for a time to ensure your undying loyalty to your future president. Don’t worry. I’ll hire the best nanny to take care of her, and I’ll be sure to dote on her myself. In due time, when I’m completely sure you won’t try to go against me again, I’ll consider giving her back.”
Vance knew he’d told her to agree to anything Kelso wanted, but this was going too far. “You can’t seriously expect anyone to support you as Alpha over all shifters once they know you’re holding a child hostage. Give her back now, and we’ll do everything we can to help you on your political pathway.” He felt sweat threaten to break out on his forehead at even the thought of not getting his daughter back. Vance listened for footsteps in the rest of the house, wondering if any other shifters were present. Had Max and Jack made it yet?
“Please,” Kelso chuckled. “I could get away with murder once they realize one of their own is about to become such a VIP. Bears, tigers, cougars, lions, wolves, they’ll all come together under one flag and under me. I’ll raise their ire and determination, and sweet little Rose here will melt their hearts.”
Rose was fussing now. Her little pudgy cheeks had turned bright red, and a brilliant blue vein stood out in the center of her wrinkled forehead. She let out a cough of agitation followed by a howling wail, tongue vibrating and everything.
“She really is hungry,” Delilah insisted over the noise. “You can’t just let her cry like that.”
The tall man folded his arms yet more protectively around the babe. “What sort of mental bond do the three of you have?” he challenged. “Are you provoking her into doing this?”
Vance smiled. There was a bond, but it wasn’t anything like the telepathic link that Kelso was implying. Neither was it likely that such a tiny kitten could do anything to a grown man. “I don’t think you can handle a child like this,” he shouted over Rose’s healthy howls. “She’s quite a lot of work.”
Kelso’s confidence was breaking down. Vance could see the panic on his face even as he snarled. “I think I can handle a goddamn baby!” he screamed.
Any other baby, perhaps, but Rose seemed to have ideas of her own. She turned her head from side to side, looking desperately for the food that wasn’t coming. Instinctively, she twisted toward the nearest warm body.
A second scream joined Rose’s, but this one came from Kelso. He thrust the baby away from his body, revealing a ring of brilliant red against the starch white of his shirt. “She bit me! The little shit bit me!” In one last gesture of disgust and horror, he let go.
Vance could see it coming even as it happened. He shot off the couch and across the room, his boots sliding on the warped floor as he darted toward his adversary. His body fought to remain human. He would’ve had better traction and speed as a cougar, but Vance knew he needed his human hands more than anything as the bundle of blankets went tumbling toward the floor. More screams ripped through the air, and it was possible that one of them might have even been his. He slid to his knees in the dust just as Rose plopped gracefully into his arms. Vance looked down at her just in time to see a set of razor-sharp fangs retreat into her innocent gums.
That split-second had taken an eternity of slow motion, but the room suddenly burst into action around him. Delilah soared over his head in her full cougar form, using her natural jumping talent to send Kelso flying back through the kitchen door. The man with the tattoos shot forward. His knife flashed in the air, but his head snapped back with a perfect round hole between his eyes.
Vance didn’t have time to look for the shooter. The scarred man was coming after him. He was big and bulky, not the kind who looked quick on his feet, but he’d mastered his shifting techniques. In the time it took him to leave his post by the door and get to Vance, he’d melted down into a jaguar. His spots were brilliant against the dilapidated interior of the old house. His triangular nose wrinkled as he dove for Vance with his mouth open, his eyes flashing.
Pulling his legs underneath
him, Vance shoved upward with all the force he could muster while still holding onto Rose. The big cat tumbled backward and into the banister, knocking its head violently against the old hardwood. It let out a pitiful yowl as it stumbled back toward the door.
In perfect timing, Jack burst through that very door. Vance stood, holding out his precious parcel. “Take her! Delilah’s got Kelso in the next room.” He shoved Rose at his comrade, hating to let her go but also knowing he couldn’t leave it to anyone else to help his mate.
Someone or something was upstairs, and the old floors rumbled and dropped dust with the efforts of the fray. Vance hoped the right person was winning as he shot into the kitchen, his heart in a panic. Delilah was angry and emotional, and he worried a man such as Kelso would get the better of her. She’d been too confident when she’d torn apart Edira, and she’d also been lucky in that the woman hadn’t been carrying any weapons.
He charged into the kitchen, finding a typical cat-and-dog fight before him where a kitchen table had once been. Kelso had morphed into his wolf form, a massive canine with fur so dark it was nearly black. Sharp white teeth were revealed as he curled his lips back, and the hair all along his spine and tail stood on end. He spun in slow circles around Delilah, who was still full-on cat. Her ears were pinned to her skull as she hissed at her opponent, followed by a pitchy growl of irritation. Blood soaked the pale gold fur of her face and chest, but Vance quickly realized that it wasn’t hers. The damage was just difficult to see on the dark coat of the wolf.
Her back legs hunched and she leaped. Delilah and the wolf became a tangle of fur and blood and noise as they fought. Kelso had the advantage for a moment, his mouth closing around her shoulder as he shook his head vigorously in an effort to break her neck. But the she-cat used the momentum to leap up onto his back. She sank her claws into his body to brace herself as her jaws snapped on the back of his neck. The giant wolf let out a sharp yip of pain that made even the noise on the second floor stop for a moment. He reeled, the weight of the cougar still heavy on his back as his paws sought purchase and slipped on the old floor, and then he collapsed.
Delilah sat back, panting. Blood dripped from the tip of her tongue onto the floor and soaked into the wood. A thundering sound rumbled down the stairs, and Jack and Max joined them in the kitchen. “There was a guy waiting on the second floor, but I finished him,” Max explained. “Looks like you’ve got everything taken care of?”
Vance took Rose out of Jack’s arms and held her to his chest, and Delilah joined them. Every parent said they would kill for their children, but the two of them actually had. Vance was ready for all of this to be over with, but he knew he’d do it again and again if need be. “Yeah,” he said as fatigue took over him. “I reckon we do.”
10
Delilah’s legs pumped, slamming down into the ground. Her lungs burned with the effort as she made her way down the trail, the trees flying by. She felt the wind in her hair and smiled as the back of the ranch came into view. It was a beautiful place, one of peace and solitude when she needed it to be and yet full of love and family when that was what she desired instead.
She slowed, walking now instead of running to give her muscles time to recover. She’s started her run on all fours, exercising that most primal part of herself that she’d so rarely given a chance to come out and play in her past. Her time had been too devoted to her work for shifters and blending in with society, but out there, she could truly be herself. The cattle still sometimes spooked when they saw her dart past, and Mr. O’Rourke might’ve caught a glimpse of her sleek form from the back of his tractor, but she made sure she never shifted back to two legs until she hit the property line and turned back for home.
A figure strode slowly along the fence line near the barn, dust kicking up from his boots. He held a little girl on his hip, one who was just beginning to get light brown curls the same color as her father’s hair that could be pulled up into the tiniest topknot. She kicked her pink cowgirl boots in the air as she watched her father scoop sweet feed out of a barrel and dump it into feed bowls for the horses.
“Aren’t you two adorable,” Delilah said as she walked up. Seeing Vance was exciting on its own these days. Going through everything they had made it easier for her human and cougar sides to reconcile. Even living at the ranch together had become bearable by simple virtue of a deep mutual respect for each other. It was more than that, though. No matter how cranky her inner big cat got, she loved him. “I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?”
He smiled and made no move to pass off the little girl. “Rose and I were just getting the evening chores done. She insisted that we come feed the horses.”
“Uh huh. And I see she’s dressed for it, too.” Delilah took in the baby Levi’s and pink shirt with a horse on it. “I don’t remember seeing that outfit anywhere.”
“Caroline dropped it off for her the other day. It thought she could wear it for a little while after her bath. I’ll have to make sure I send Caroline a picture of her in it. She’s already asked me twice.” He leaned forward, bringing Rose closer to the fence where Cedar poked a curious nose over the top rail. He was a gentle giant, and he nuzzled her leg with his velvety lips while Rose squealed with delight.
As had become their nightly ritual as long as one of them wasn’t called out of town for work, Delilah and Vance worked side by side to finish the chores. “You know, this reminds me a bit of that night we met,” she said with a smile.
“Don’t talk to me like that when I’m holding a baby,” he warned her with a half-smile. “I can call Caroline and have her over here in half an hour if you want me to rumble you through that hay again.” He planted a kiss on her lips, which made Rose squeal all over again.
“Oh, is that funny?” Delilah asked her daughter, amazed all over again at just how adorable this tiny creature was. She planted another kiss on Vance’s lips just to hear that baby laughter. “I’ll have to remember that.”
“Yes, you will.” Vance grabbed her by the hip with his free hand and pulled her close, kissing her more passionately than the peck on the lips that had delighted the little girl. His eyes were full and soft when they parted, and she understood his meaning without asking.
They turned to go in the house, Delilah smiling as she opened the back door to the kitchen. She continued to smile as she began preparing dinner and Vance took Rose into the living room. Their laughter and playtime was the most beautiful music she could ever imagine, and she hoped it would always be this way.
After everything that’d happened with the Austin conclave, Delilah knew she could no longer deny the part of her that wanted to be with Vance. He must’ve been feeling the same way, because on that first evening that the three of them were reunited, he asked her once again to move in with him. Delilah wasn’t sure she could ever come to think of the ranch as home. It wasn’t her own place where she made all the rules and decisions. It was further from the office, and they didn’t always share the same taste in décor.
Vance, however, had come through like the sensitive gentleman he always was when he wasn’t in fighting mode. He’d sat down and gone through long discussions of how the two of them could make their lives work together, and his focus was always on making sure everyone was happy. The part that surprised her the most was that they each wanted the same things. She and Vance both wanted time together as a family as well as time alone. She’d let herself be convinced right at first that he wanted to take up every second of her day for himself, but that wasn’t the case at all. With his cousin Caroline as a nanny, they were able to create a balance between romantic dates, family time together, and evenings where they could attend to their own agendas. Delilah sometimes wondered if other couples were so lucky.
The chicken was ready, and she headed for the living room. Delilah paused in the doorway, leaning against it to watch. Vance had placed Rose on the little cushioned mat they used for tummy time. He was laying on the floor right in front of her, propped up
on his elbows and flipping the pages of a board book. “Look at the little piggy. You see it right there? It’s a pink piggy. You’ve got piggies, too!” He reached down and tweaked one of Rose’s toes.
The result was yet another resounding round of laughter and squeals as he rolled around on the floor with his daughter, all sweetness and sunshine.
“I hate to interrupt, but dinner’s ready.”
“You hear that, cowgirl? The chuckwagon just pulled up.” Vance scooped Rose up from the floor and headed into the kitchen, setting her down in her highchair as he went to the sink to wash his hands. “Is there anything going on tomorrow night?”
“I don’t think so.” She’d spent a lot of time down there in the last couple of months, and it was far more time than she’d like to be out of town. She always felt like she was missing out on something if she went for a day without seeing Rose.
“Good. My buddy Gabe that I was telling you about is coming back through town. I thought I’d take him out for a few rounds and catch up.”
Delilah nodded as she pureed small amounts of the chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes she’d just made so Rose could join them in their dinner and put them all on a little plastic plate with a unicorn design. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You sure?” Vance looked up at her as he sat down with his own plate. “I know that’s not the kind of thing all women approve of.”
Warmth and happiness flowed through Delilah’s body. She never had any reason to tell him no, but he always gave her ample chance. “I’m sure you’re right, but I’m not every woman, and you are most definitely not every man. It’s good timing, anyway. You can get your night out before I leave.” The thought sobered her good mood.