Death’s Sweet Embrace

by Tracey O’Hara

  There was only silence in the ride down to the lobby.

  I’m going home.

  One of the twins nudged her. The elevator doors opened and she stepped forward. She was halfway across the lobby when she was shoved face-first against a marble pillar, smashing open her lip.

  “What the fuck are you playing at—” Her brother’s voice hissed hotly against her cheek.

  Chapter 19 - Family Ties

  Then his weight was gone. When Kitt turned, Oberon was holding Nathan by the throat. The ursian’s eyes flashed with rage, and Nathan’s flashed with fear.

  Kitt put her hand on Oberon’s arm. “Let him go; he’s not worth it.” She looked at Nathan, then back to Oberon. “You’ll have the Jordan pride down on you if you kill him, and I don’t want to lose you too.”

  Oberon pushed her brother backward as the Tiger Twins closed in from either side. Nathan fell onto an armchair that toppled over with the force, and he landed on his back. The tigers held Oberon back by his arms. Nathan climbed to his feet. He dusted off his suit and looked at her with a humorless grin.

  With a jerk of his head, he signaled the men to let the ursian go. “It doesn’t matter what you do, your daughters belong to us.” His grin grew wider. “Belong to me. And they will learn to respect the pride laws, one way or another.”

  “If you lay one hand on either of them,” she hissed and took a step toward him, “I’ll kill you myself.”

  Oberon dropped a hand on her shoulder to stop her from getting too close. “That goes double for me.”

  This was one time Kitt didn’t mind him being overprotective. Nathan shrugged his shoulders, then spun on his heels and walked away.

  “Let’s go,” Oberon said, taking her elbow and guiding her toward the exit. She could’ve just kissed him at that moment.

  “How did you know I was here?”

  He kept walking, not even slowing to look at her. “I had intel your father was in town and my informant here called me as soon as he saw them bring you in.”

  “You knew he was here and didn’t tell me?”

  “Yes,” he said as he dragged her out the door.

  She stopped and yanked her arm out of his hands. “Why?”

  “Your family walks a fine line between legal and illegal activities, same as mine”—he placed one hand on the handlebar of his large black Harley-Davidson—“and I like to know where they are when they’re in my town.”

  He was right. She knew about the money laundering and that her family dealt with shady characters all the time, and there must be other stuff. Of course Oberon was interested.

  The twin brothers stood a short ways off, waiting patiently. With everything that had just happened she’d almost forgot. There was no sign of Nathan.

  “Stop,” she said. “They’re taking me home to see my mother.”

  “Are you sure?” Oberon asked, watching the felians with suspicion.

  “Yes,” she said. “I know these men, and while they might step in to save Nathan, they are my father’s men. And even with all his dubious activities, you know Tyrone is a man of his word.”

  The door attendant started to look a little edgy. A seven-foot dreadlocked ursian in black leather on a Harley-Davidson and two almost-as-large tiger felians in expensive suits and wraparound sunglasses were probably enough to make The Plaza’s clientele more than a little nervous.

  Oberon looked past her. “Maybe I should come with you.”

  “No, I need to do this on my own. I’ll be fine.”

  Oberon looked about to argue, but then shut his mouth and climbed onto the motorcycle. “All right. Call me when you’re coming back and I’ll pick you up.” He turned to the two males. “Look after her.”

  The helicopter swept in over the frozen Jordan Lake with the midday sun bravely trying to break through gray winter sky. The land surrounding the renamed body of water had been the Jordan Pridelands ever since the Adirondack reserve was turned into the biggest Bestiabeo reservation in North America, just over a hundred years ago. The resort occupied one end of the lake while the village sat on the opposite side, isolated from the resort visitors. She’d been living in the city since her banishment, and now the desire to run free among the trees of the mountain wilderness filled her with a yearning she’d thought long dead.

  The weak shadow of the helicopter grew larger on the pure white snow. The throbbing rotors kicked up a swirling snow flurry, obscuring the elegant red cedar buildings of the resort lodge. The cloud quickly dissipated once they landed to reveal a lone male figure, heavily dressed against the weather, standing beside a company jeep. Behind him rose the exquisite Jordan Pride Lodge, an exclusive resort for the rich and dangerous. But this was not home—this was just the family business.

  As the whirling rotors slowed down, her welcome committee of one approached and opened the helicopter door. She began to climb out of the chopper and froze when she looked up at a familiar face, her smile of thanks sliding away.

  Leon.

  The last person she expected or wanted to see. His smile deepened; he knew that his presence was getting to her. She steeled herself and ignored the hand he offered to help her out. He would not ruin this for her. Not today.

  “Hello, bros,” he said to the Tiger Twins.

  They took turns in greeting their brother by clasping right hands between them as they hugged with thumping backslaps.

  Leon led them to the jeep and opened the door for her. “The Primara doesn’t know you’re coming. Your father didn’t want to get her hopes up in case things didn’t go right.”

  “How is she?” Kitt asked, the concern over her mother momentarily overshadowing her hatred for Leon.

  “Honestly?” He looked down at her. “She’s a shell of what she used to be since your brother’s death.”

  Exactly what she’d been afraid of. A chill skittered across her skin and it was more than just the icy wind blowing down from the mountain through the snow-laden trees. She climbed into the backseat and pulled her coat tighter. Leon walked to the front of the van and slapped something into one of the twins’ hands, then leaned in through the door and reached into the back to fish out a thick blanket. “This will keep you warm until we get you to the village.”

  As he smoothed the blanket over her legs, he locked eyes with hers. His smile twisted as his hand lingered a little too long on her thigh; and no matter how much her skin crawled or his nearness made her want to throw up, she would not give him the satisfaction of reacting.

  He let out a chuckle and climbed in next to her. Jericho and Joshua got in the front. Joshua, the one with the tattoo on the left side, as she’d finally remembered on the trip up, turned the key in the ignition and Jericho reached down to crank up the heating.

  The village was only a few miles from the resort, but the ride seemed to last forever. It’d been nearly twenty years since she’d last seen her mother and now every second that passed seemed too long. She endured Leon’s hungry stare, trying hard not to flinch.

  “You are looking well,” Leon said as the jeep hit a bump in the road.

  Joshua’s intelligent amber eyes locked with Kitt’s in the rearview mirror. He seemed troubled under his heavy brow and broke off to exchange a silent communication with his twin. Jericho tensed and turned around in his seat, watching them. The twins could not be more unlike their older half-brother. While Joshua and Jericho had inherited their tiger mother’s genes, Leon had taken to their shared father’s lion side.

  The Jordan Pride took the three brothers in quite young—the only survivors of a tragic forest fire that wiped out the neighboring Pantella Pride. She had spent many nights crying herself to sleep, wishing the fire had consumed the man sitting next to her too. But as the village came into view, she forgot about him and leaned forward, bracing her hands on the back of the seat in front.

  The village was almost invisible among the trees. Perfect for the kind of isolation from the rest of the world the Pride craved. The scent hit strongl
y, reminding her of her roots. There were a few people on the narrow streets. They all lifted their hands in greeting as they passed, and while Kitt recognized most of them, there were a few new faces.

  When they finally reached her mother’s house, she suddenly felt dizzy and sick. The house was just the same. Even before leaving Pridelands, she’d moved out to live with Emmett, yet this would always be her childhood home. With shaky hands, she reached for the handle, but Joshua beat her to it and opened the door from the outside.

  Her legs were numb as she walked down the drive toward the front door.

  “She’ll be in the clinic at this time of the day,” Leon said.

  Of course she would. Her mother was the village Primara, or midwife in the ancient sense of the word. The people of the Pride came to her for everything from advice for treating poison oak to attending childbirth. While the Alpha kept the Pride in line, the Primara was the soul and spiritual center of the community.

  The clinic was attached to the side of the house. There was no sign, no opening hours displayed, no announcement that the clapboard extension was anything other than a garage or just another add-on to the house.

  There didn’t need to be.

  Everyone in town knew where they had to go. Everyone knew it didn’t matter what time of the day or night it was, the clinic would always be open. Everyone came here at one time or another. She missed that.

  The clinic door opened and a heavily pregnant woman stepped out as Kitt’s mother was stroking the back of the female’s hand. “Everything is progressing fine. Your babies will soon be here, in a few weeks.”

  Mem. A lump formed in Kitt’s throat. Though Serena mostly looked the same as she always had, she also looked a little thinner and less vibrant. She turned to greet them as Kitt and the others got closer.

  Her face broke into a smile. “Leon, your children grow strong and healthy. I was just telling your wife—”

  Their eyes met.

  Serena lifted shaky fingers to her lips, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

  “Hello, Mem.” Kitt used the Pride version of Mom and stepped closer.

  Her mother reached out and took Kitt’s face in her hands—“Oh my God. I can’t believe you’re really here”—then pulled her into a fierce embrace.

  Kitt hugged Serena back, breathing deep the scent of her mother, reminding her of pine forest and fresh-baked cookies. What she didn’t enjoy was the feel of Serena’s backbone under her fingers or the stick-thin arms her mother had wrapped around her.

  “Let me look at you,” Serena said, pulling back. “How long are you here for?”

  “Until nightfall tomorrow,” Leon answered for her.

  “Such a short time.” Her mother’s face fell. “We best not waste it, then. Come into the house.”

  The pregnant woman hung back awkwardly. Serena seemed to notice that she was still there. “Kitt, you remember Rainbow.”

  Remember? Hell . . . Besides Dylan and Oberon, Rainbow had been her closest childhood friend. Dark rings circled her pretty hazel eyes. The pregnancy must be taking its toll.

  Leon came up beside Rainbow and draped a protective arm across her shoulders. “My wife.”

  For a moment, Kitt could’ve sworn she saw the woman flinch under his touch. Maybe she’d just imagined it.

  “Hello, Kitt,” Rainbow said. “It’s been a long time.”

  “It’s good to see you again, Rainbow. It looks like you’re due soon.” Kitt turned to Leon. “Congratulations to you both.”

  Tears filled Rainbow’s eyes as she looked down and rubbed her large tummy. Leon hugged her closer. This time Kitt didn’t mistake the flash of fear on her old friend’s face. Not all was happy in the house of Leon and Rainbow.

  “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home and you can tell me about the checkup,” Leon said. It wasn’t a request either.

  “If you need anything, call me.” Serena took her hand and squeezed it. “Night or day. Okay?”

  The female nodded her head. She turned to her husband and kissed him quickly. There was no lingering, no tenderness. A simple duty-peck.

  “Nice to see you again, Kitt,” Rainbow said as she passed.

  On impulse, Kitt reached out and grabbed Rainbow’s hand as she passed. She couldn’t think of anything to say, but words weren’t needed. The woman squeezed her hand and nodded. The silent communication of the abused. This could easily have been her life if she hadn’t rebelled.

  Leon put his arm around his wife again and walked her to the Jeep. Just before she climbed into the passenger seat, Rainbow glanced back at Kitt with one last haunted look. Both of the twins shuffled awkwardly, pretending they didn’t see it.

  “Come in the house,” Serena said. “I’ll make some coffee.”

  Kitt watched Rainbow, framed in the car window; she lifted her hand in a sad little wave and Kitt reciprocated. Then she turned and followed her mother to the porch as the Jeep pulled away.

  “Go on into the sitting room,” Serena said. “I’ll put on the coffee.”

  “Thanks, Primara, but we’re fine out here,” Jericho said, shaking the snow and mud off his shoes.

  “Nonsense. You boys are hardly dressed for the outdoors.” There was no arguing with the woman using that tone of voice. “Go inside where the fire is warm.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the twins chorused.

  “I’ll help you with the coffee,” Kitt said.

  It would give them a few moments together, alone. She followed her mother into the kitchen—the same kitchen it was when she was a child, the same little pink rosebuds painted on the drawers and cupboards, the same old red cedar table with matching chairs, the same old hardwood floors, and the same old woodburning stove.

  Nothing has changed. Especially not Leon.

  “What’s happening with Rainbow?” Kitt asked. “She looked exhausted.”

  Her mother stopped taking cups from the cupboard beside the sink and turned to her. “She’s having a difficult time with the pregnancy.”

  By the look on her mother’s face, Kitt knew there was more to it. “I bet this isn’t her first pregnancy either; there’ve been others but she’s lost them.”

  Her mother didn’t need to answer, the way she turned away. Avoiding the question said enough.

  “Everything’s the same,” Kitt said. “I can see the Pride still allows men to beat their wives.”

  “It’s not the Pride’s way to interfere with a mated couple,” Serena said, the sadness in her voice breaking Kitt’s heart.

  This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, the first time she was spending time with her mother in nearly two decades. “I’m sorry, Mem—I didn’t come here to fight with you.”

  Serena’s face broke into a brilliantly sad smile and she cupped Kitt’s cheek with her warm hand. “I’ve missed you, especially since your brother . . .”

  Kitt pulled her mother close. Her mother’s thin frame shook with great choking sobs. Soon Kitt’s own grief resurfaced and she was crying along with her mother. After a few minutes, Serena pulled back, picked up the apron hanging over the back of a nearby chair, and dried Kitt’s tears.

  “I’ll just go wash up,” Serena said.

  Kitt moved to the sink and washed away more tears, then dried her face on a kitchen towel. She’d cried for her brother’s death and because she was now alone. But this was the first time she was actually crying to say goodbye. For the first time since losing him, her world didn’t feel as empty.

  “I’m sorry,” Serena said when she got back. “That’s the first time I’ve really been able to cry—really cry.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” Kitt admitted.

  Her mother reached out and ran her fingers down Kitt’s cheek. “Your daughters look a lot like you. I thought it would be like having you home again. But it wasn’t.”

  “They seem like pretty good kids.”

  “They’ve never known the Pride’s upbringing, so they don’t behave as expected. It
’s part of the reason your father sent them to the Academy, to get Nathan to teach them away from here. They’re headstrong and independent like their mother.” Serena smiled, lighting up the whole room.

  “I’ve missed that smile,” Kitt said, hugging her mother again.

  “I really think that’s why your father sent you here,” Serena said. “He said the same thing a few weeks ago.”

  “I think you’re right.” If there was one thing Kitt had always been certain of, it was how much her father loved her mother.

  “Well, let’s get this into those tiger boys.” Serena placed some homemade cookies on the tray with the coffee.

  A child of around seven or eight appeared at the back door looking flushed and terrified, her hands covered in blood. “Rainbow fell—she’s bleeding. Please come!”

  Chapter 20 - To Err Is Inhuman

  Serena hugged the shaking girl, Rainbow’s little sister. Kitt was crammed in beside her while Joshua drove her mother’s old jalopy and Jericho sat with his fingers digging into the dash, his usual stony expression now pure granite. According to the girl, she’d stopped by to visit her sister and found her in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs. Rainbow had sent her for the Primara.

  Joshua brought the car to a skidding stop by the front porch. Kitt was out of the door before the engine even died, Jericho hot on her heels. They found Rainbow propped against the bottom stairs sitting in the blood, her face scrunched in agony as she clutched her stomach, and Leon nowhere to be found.

  “Okay. Rainbow, I am going take a look at you,” Kitt said, coming to her side. “Are you having any contractions?”

  The female nodded through gritted teeth and her stomach tightened under Kitt’s palm.

  Serena kneeled on the other side and took Rainbow’s hand. “What happened, sweetheart?”

  The woman’s eyes filled with tears as she looked from Serena to Kitt. “I slipped on the stairs.”

  Amniotic fluid was mixed with the blood around Rainbow. A few feet away there were several smudge marks, too big to be the little girl’s.

  “Rainbow, Rainbow,” the child screamed as she flew past them to hug her sister. “I brought them as soon as I could. I’m sorry it took so long.” Tears streaked her rosy cheeks.