by Celia Kyle
Rising, she popped into Daniel and Patrick's laundry room and snagged a dress shirt and pair of boxers from the dryer. It wasn't like she could let the dog out in the nude. When she returned, Andy sat exactly as she'd left him, leaning up against the back door. “Okay, pup, let's do this thing."
She reached over him and tugged on the door. It didn't budge. “Okay, fatty, move your ass so I can open the door.” She glowered at the dog. Staring at him and realizing that his head came above her waist, she figured he had to be a mutant of some sort. “Move your ass."
A deep male chuckle drifted through the kitchen followed by a quick, high-pitched whistle. “Come on Andy, move it and go out."
The dog scrambled to obey and the moment she opened the door, the dog bound into the small backyard. She shut the door and turned to face Patrick. “I don't think your dog likes me."
"Yeah, calling him fat will do that to a man.” Patrick grinned. “What are you all dressed up for?"
"Going to snag the paper. Didn't think your neighbors would want to see me in all my jiggly glory."
He strode forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. “But you'll strip when you come back in, right?"
"Um…"
"I'll cook for you, anything you want, if you'll have breakfast naked. I want to stare at these breasts and that gorgeous pussy while we eat.” He nuzzled her neck and she leaned into his hold with a deep sigh. “Come on…"
"Okay. I'll grab the paper and you do the cooking. Then, I'll do the stripping."
He nibbled her neck. “Perfect."
She ducked out of the circle of his arms, wrapped her tail around her waist and strode toward the front door. As she approached, the busy sounds of traffic and male shouts met her ears. “What the hell?"
Gina pulled open the door and what seemed like a thousand flash bulbs went off in her face. Men and women shouted and charged her where she stood on the front step, clicking cameras in her face and shoving tape recorders toward her mouth as they shouted questions.
"Is it true you're part of a rare breed of mutant?"
"Do you only grow a tail?"
"Can we see you shift?"
"How long have you been a mutant? Were you born this way?"
"Can we see your tail?"
She stood there, frozen, as the reporters clamored and shouted for the answers to their question until Patrick saved her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her back through the doorway, slamming the steel reinforced door in the reporter's faces. In the distance, she heard Andy's deep, bellowing bark as it coincided with Daniel's curses and orders to ‘calm the fuck down'. Shock rendered her speechless and Patrick guided her to the living room couch. He left her for a moment and the clattering of blinds being lowered mixed with Andy's barks. Soon, all was quiet in the house and she was surrounded by her lovers.
"Gina, baby, you okay?” Patrick stroked her back in small, light circles.
"Gi?” Daniel sat close, but didn't touch her, just stared at her with concern in his eyes.
She swallowed. “How? Who? Why?” She couldn't even form complete sentences.
Then, the phone rang. And rang. And rang. With a curse, Daniel answered it. His booming voice told the person on the line that there was no comment and then he returned. “Gina, do you know who could have done this? Who outed you? Hell, I didn't even think anyone knew you were here."
She shook her head. “No, no one does. I spoke to Meg before I left for my walk and Blaze was at the house visiting, but no one knows I'm here since technically, I haven't been gone for twenty-four hours just yet, Tash hasn't sent out a search party. Right now, I'm more concerned with how they know about, you know.” She waved at them with her fluffy grey and black tail.
Patrick ran a hand through his hair. “So, what do we do?"
Gina closed her eyes and folded over, placing her head between her knees. She took a few deep calming breaths. Of course, Daniel had to ruin it.
"Uh, Gina, I don't think now's the time for some self-love, baby."
She didn't have to look to react. Just as quick as she had whacked Andy in the head, she thumped Daniel on his temple with her tail. The idiot.
"First of all, I can't do that. I get the tail, but not the flexibility. Sucks, doesn't it? Second, give me a little freaking credit. Sex toy I may be, but Nymphomaniac I am not.” And just for good measure and because it made her feel good she added, “Jackass."
She rose from the couch, no longer wanting to be surrounded by so much testosterone, and paced. Back and forth she padded from one side of the room to the other as ideas, options and general thoughts of hysteria zinged through her mind. Finally, she knew what she had to do. She needed reinforcements.
"Give me the phone.” She held her hand out to Daniel and before she could blink, it was resting on her outstretched palm.
From memory, she dialed the digits that could save her life. A groggy, half-aroused voice filtered over the phone lines. “Hello?"
"Get yer ass out of bed bitch, I need the fucking cavalry and call Meg-sie, I may need her brother-in-law's help with the whole ‘legal’ thing."
"Shit, Gi, what the hell did you do now? You never told me what happened to Danny-boy. Is he pressing charges?” Blaze lowered her voice to a whisper. “Are we getting rid of your problem permanently?"
"Bitch, please,” she scoffed. “Danny and Patrick blew my mind six ways to Sunday. They stay breathing as long as I'm still coming.” She took a deep breath. “No, this is another little problem I'm having and I'm sure it won't evade Sekhmet's notice for long, so I'd like to get it fixed ASAP. I've got, um, reporters camped out on Patrick's lawn asking to see me go furry."
"Ho-ly…"
"No shit."
"Dayum. Give me the address and we'll be there. I'm bringing dog-boy along just in case this has something to do with the fleabags and I'm sure Meg will be there with the cavalry soon. We got your back, chica, no worries."
Gina rattled off the address, hung up with Blaze and turned to her men. “Look, I'm really sorry about this, but I can't leave until we've come up with a plan to deal with the reporters outside. Just as soon as I can, I'll get out of here."
Patrick stood and wrapped her in his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head that almost brought tears to her eyes. “We didn't say you had to leave, baby. We're here for you and we'll do what needs to be done to straighten this out. Promise."
She chuckled. “Well, you're about to be overrun with shifters, including one former Marauder and no less than three cats. And that's assuming our all-powerful ruler doesn't catch wind of this before the others get here. I guess I'm about to test that promise to its limit, huh?"
Daniel enfolded them both in his arms and she leaned back into his embrace, enjoying the comfort that the two men provided. “Don't worry about a thing. I'm sure we can figure something out."
Seconds ticked by while they stood there, wrapped and cuddled in each other's arms. If she strained she could still hear the soft murmur of voices on the other side of the door. The distant conversation consisted of is she or isn't she. Tears pricked her eyes and she fought them back. She'd spent most of her life being told she was a worthless, half-were fuck up and now she'd just proven to the entire were population that she was as they'd accused. She sniffled.
Patrick tilted her head up with his finger and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. “None of that. We'll take care of this. Money can pretty much buy a person out of any problem and we've got a lot. We'll get through this, Gi; don't worry. We just need to wait for your friends to get here so that we know who we need to buy off.” He kissed her again, this time a sensual promise to seal the vow he'd just given.
When Patrick released her lips, Daniel turned her around and treated her to the same. His lips brushed hers, teeth nibbled and his tongue stroked the seam of her lips, begging for entrance. She opened for him and he slid his tongue into her mouth, stroking and skimming her tongue until he sucked it into his own mouth. Their tongu
es danced and parried, imitating what their bodies had done only hours ago.
The front doorknob rattled and then the door burst open with a bang, slamming against the wall and a voice she knew only too well echoed through the halls in a fake Hispanic accent. “Gina, I'm home!"
Chapter Nine
"So bitch, let's do this."
Gina cringed. Each and every time Blaze called her “bitch” Patrick and Daniel seemed to grow in size. It didn't seem to matter to them that she treated Blaze the same way. No, all they saw was an insult thrown at her. Their anger was cute in a psycho boyfriend kind of way. Not that they were anywhere near being her boyfriends. No, that wasn't the arrangement.
"I seriously don't think this is going to work, B."
"Bitch, even Meg and her pig-smelling brother-in-law—"
"Hey."
Blaze held up her hand to stifle Meg's brother-in-law, Ryan's objection. “Zip it, shield-boy, big girls talking. As I was saying before Bacon Bits interrupted,” she thrust her thumb in Ryan's direction. “Even he thinks redoing the photos is a good idea and it's really the only shot at fooling the idiots at the paper. So, go hunt up that poor excuse for a dress, get nice and dirty and get yer ass back down here."
Gina narrowed her eyes at her best friend and growled.
"Don't growl at me, ho. I will take your tail wearing ass out."
Meg stepped between them. “Gina, let's go upstairs and get you changed."
Tiny little Meg looked over her shoulder at her mate, Ben, and smiled before she pushed Gina toward the stairs. Damn, she wanted that. She wanted the sweet smiles, love and support of a mate. Okay, if she was honest, she wanted two mates; the two men downstairs, specifically. Of course, that'd never happen now that they'd been exposed to their fur-filled lives.
Upstairs, Gina stripped bare and flopped onto the bed, sprawling across the king sized mattress while Meg rubbed dirt and grime into her dress. The little perfectionist had the picture that'd been shot on her way into Patrick and Daniel's townhouse at her side.
"But why? And who? And are you sure this will work? Maybe one of those reporters stuck around…"
"Nope,” Blaze cut in. “Dog boy and you know, the real dog, chased them all away. Jack's having fun hanging out in his puppy fur on the front steps.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I don't care for dog hair in the house, so he doesn't get to do it too often."
"Fine,” Gina grumbled. “But that doesn't explain the why or who."
A strangled cough followed by a sputter came from Meg and drew Gina's attention. She narrowed her eyes at her other best friend.
"Meg-sie?” Gina propped herself up on her elbows. “Got something to say to the class?"
"Uh, no?"
"Wrong answer, spill it, girlie."
Blaze hissed from across the room and Gina chucked a pillow at her. “Stuff it, cum-shifter. I want to hear what you and Meg have decided isn't for my tender ears. Now."
Meg's eyes darted from her to Blaze and back again and Gina felt the need to add a little threat.
"Don't make me call Ben up here and have him make it an order, subby chick. I'll lie to him if I have to. It's not like I'd get the spanking for lying to the man."
"Gina,” Meg huffed. “You're a bitch, you know that?"
Gina flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Amazingly enough, I do. So, get to the goods."
"Fine. Ryan called a few not-so-savory characters and found out that Daniel is friendly with a couple Marauders. Ryan thinks… He thinks that he may be behind the whole thing.” Meg grew quiet at the end, but Gina got the gist of her message.
"No.” Gina blinked back the tears that filled her eyes. “No way. I don't… I don't know him that well, but after last—No. Just, no."
Blaze crawled into bed with her and pulled Gina close. Meg sandwiched her on the other side. The three of them cuddled and hugged as Gina's world collapsed around her.
"Is he sure, Meg-sie? Surely sure?"
Meg stroked her hair. “Of course we need to check with him, Gi. But Jack confirmed he smelled dog in the house and it wasn't just Andy. It was the scent of another pup-shifter in the living room."
Gina nodded. Okay, this sucked and she didn't really dream of happily ever after with the two twits, right? Right. It had been a night of sexin’ and fun. That's all. No emotions involved, no hopes or dreams of the future with a white picket fence and two point five fur-kids. None of that. She'd spent the night with them to get her rocks off and now, she'd do a stupid fake photo shoot and return to Half-were house and live with people like her.
"So, we really think Daniel set me up? To be captured by mad scientists and picked apart?"
"Yes,” they replied in unison, without hesitation and she recognized the truth in their faces and didn't doubt that they spoke the truth, which could only mean…
"It's cause he was jealous, right? ‘Cause my body was too bootylicious?” Humor, she could fight anything in the world with humor. Even conniving fuckbuddies.
Blaze snorted.
Meg chuckled.
And Gina let out a laugh. ‘Cause if she didn't laugh, she'd cry.
"Alright. Let's get this over with and then y’all can take me home to Tash. Lord knows she's already heard about everything and is probably sharpening knives for my beheading or some shit. I swear, that woman has been after my ass for years."
Blaze pulled her closer. “It's only ‘cause she loves us and wants what's best for us, Gi, that's all."
Meg slipped from the bed and Gina followed her friend. “Yeah, yeah. Let me tell you that making us eat her nasty meatloaf was ‘good for us’ alright.” She snickered.
Gina donned the dirty-again dress and Meg and Blaze followed her back downstairs. Daniel, Patrick, Ryan and Meg's mate, Ben, were sitting in the living room awkwardly not talking. The knowledge of Daniel's guilt was written on all their faces and she couldn't bring herself to look at Daniel. The tears she'd pushed away upstairs were threatening to come back with a vengeance and that wouldn't make for very good photographs, would it? Plastering on a fake smile, she leaned against the wall and arched her back, shooting for a sexy pose. “I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeVille.” Funny, no one laughed. “Spoilsports."
She pushed away from the wall and strode toward the front door. “Let's do this shit.” She wanted to get the photos taken and then she was going to go home to Half-were house, take a shower and burn this damned dress. It held too many memories best forgotten and a wicked stench of betrayal that she didn't think any Maytag could get rid of.
Using the newspaper photographs as a guide, it didn't take the group long to recreate the photos in the tabloids. Patrick scooped Gina into his arms and carried her up and down the steps more times than she could count in an effort to portray their initial homecoming. Only this time, she made sure the tail was hidden and was not whacking the idiot dog in the head. They made sure they took quite a few, just to be safe. After all, Andy was a dog and couldn't be trusted to actually listen when he was given an order, though Jack's presence, as a fellow pup, did help.
When all was said and done with the photos, Gina didn't hang around. She trusted Ryan with the film and knew, as a cop, pride enforcer, and best friend to one of his relatives, he'd do all he could to help her. She strode to Meg's little Ford Escort and crawled into the cramped back seat. Soon, the others joined her. Meg took the wheel while Ben slid into the passenger seat and Ryan crowded her in the back. Before she knew it, she'd plastered herself to Ryan's chest, bawling her eyes out like some newly abandoned kitten that missed her momma.
Wave after wave of sobs shook her body. Nobody spoke. No one said a word. Big, dangerous Ryan cradled her in his arms and tucked her close while Meg put the car into gear and eased into traffic. She felt Daniel and Patrick's gaze on her within the car, but she never turned around. It just hurt too much. Before long, Meg pulled the car alongside the curb in front of Half-were House.
"Gi?"
She s
niffled and wiped her eyes. “Yeah, I'm going."
Ryan spoke, whispering against the top of her head. “We can come in with you, talk to Tash if you want. This isn't—"
She cut him off. “It is though. I got so pissed at that mutt that I lost control in public, on a city street and managed to get my picture taken by some Marauder who sold it to the papers. I'll deal with the punishment. Whatever it is."
Not wanting to hear anyone else's offer of help, she bolted from the car and jogged up the steps to the front door of the townhouse. Tasheka met her there, eyes burning bright with anger and… Something else.
"Inside."
Gina nodded. Didn't look like she'd get much of a reprieve. Not like she deserved one anyway.
* * *
Two days. Two days and fifteen hours to be exact. Daniel paced. Back and forth across the waiting room, he strode. Nervous energy burned through him while he and Patrick waited for their audience. The security they'd had to go through to get to this opulent sitting room had taken half a day.
Strings. Lots and lots and lots of strings had been pulled so that they could get this appointment. Between the ache in his gut due to the time lost to the hole in his heart that still hadn't healed, he hurt.
"Sit down, Daniel."
"How can you be so calm?” He glared at the other man. “Our…"
"Mate. The word you're looking for is mate."
"Fine.” Daniel bit out. “Our mate disappeared two days ago. No one is telling us where she went. I don't even think Meg or Blaze know. And our only chance lies on the other side of that door and by all accounts, Sekhmet isn't the nicest or most reasonable woman in the world."
Patrick stood and opened his arms to Daniel. “Come here. We'll get through this, because we have each other. We'll find her, because we won't ever stop searching.” Patrick wrapped his arms around his waist and Daniel dropped his head to his lover's shoulder. “And we'll love her forever, just as soon as we can get our hands on her. It'll be okay, Daniel."