by Zoe Chant
“It’s fine, Shane,” Catalina assured him. “I think they were just trying to look out for you.”
Destiny burst out laughing. “He knows that, Catalina. He did the exact same thing to Ellie and to Journey, Lucas’s mate. Shane is just as overprotective as the rest of this macho crew.” With a toss of her many braids, she added, “Of course, truly confident people have faith in their teammates’ judgment and don’t haze their mates.”
“You’re going to eat those words some day, Destiny,” said Rafa.
Destiny gave a disbelieving snort. “Pffft! Not likely!”
Shane gave Nick a warning stare. “And you. Don’t even think of it.”
Nick shrugged. “I saw her fight. I got nothing to say.” Then he rounded on Shane, a spark of anger in his green eyes. “To her. I’ve got lots to say to you. What do you think a pack— I mean a team— is for, if it’s not to protect each other?”
As Nick began to stalk toward Shane’s bed, Hal grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back. “I said later, and I meant later. Have it out with him once he’s back on his feet.”
“You still look fucked up,” Nick muttered to Shane, but said no more.
Catalina, who had also moved to protect her mate, relaxed. Hal was looking out for him too. So was everyone. Even Nick, in his own way.
Ellie came up to pat Catalina’s shoulder. “Sorry you missed my signal. I was trying to warn you about the hazing. Oh, well. You survived. So did I. At least I got the one man here who doesn’t do that.”
Hal caught Catalina’s gaze from across the room. He might as well have had one of Catalina’s own neon signs over his head, reading, DON’T TELL ELLIE I HAZED YOU TOO.
Catalina said nothing, but did her best to project, I WON’T BUT I MIGHT BLACKMAIL YOU WITH IT SOME DAY.
Hal hastily averted his eyes. “All right, everyone. Shane needs to rest. Let’s give him some space.”
Hal ushered everyone out, leaving Catalina and Shane alone. Once the door closed, Shane leaned back, no longer trying to hide his exhaustion.
“You want to lie down?” Catalina asked.
Shane nodded.
Catalina hit the button, lowering the bed till he was once again flat on his back. “Are you in pain?”
“Not really. I’m tired, mostly. And...” His face tightened, as if he was battling with himself. “They did some pretty bad things to me in the lab at Apex.” He made a small gesture with one hand, indicating the tangle of wires and tubes. “I know I need this. But it scares my panther. When I first woke up, I was really out of it. I remember feeling trapped, but I’m not sure... ”
Catalina hastily reassured him. “You didn’t lash out at me, Shane. You tried to pull your oxygen tube out, that’s all. No matter how panicked your panther gets, he won’t try to hurt me. Ask him.”
Shane’s gaze drifted out of focus for a moment, and then he nodded. “Yeah. He says you’re right. He says he might hurt me by accident, but never you.” Looking mildly embarrassed, he added, “And he says he feels bad and he wants you to pet him.”
Catalina stifled a giggle, more at Shane’s expression than at the request, and stroked his hair. “What about you? How do you feel?”
“I feel bad, too,” he admitted. “But it’s better when you’re touching me. Come a little closer...” He glanced at the wires. “If you can.”
“This is where super-agility comes in handy.” All the same, it took quite a lot of wriggling before she could get close enough to hold him.
She nestled in beside him, feeling cold wires and smooth bandages and warm skin. Her mate was alive and safe in her arms. He’d nearly died for her. Not only that, but he’d done something that she suspected was far more difficult for him: he’d trusted her enough to let her see his vulnerability. He laid his head down on her shoulder, turned to breathe in the scent of her hair, and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
***
Shane had told Catalina about shifter healing, but it still amazed her to see how much better he was by the very next day. She stayed with him all day, but by evening he pointed out that he wasn’t dying, his panther wasn’t going to go berserk, he had plenty of company, and there was no need for her to stick to him like glue.
“Go have a girls’ night out with Ellie,” he suggested. “I know you can’t wait to catch up.”
That turned into an all the girls night out— including Journey, Lucas’s mate, a curvy woman with bright red hair and a golden dragon pendent nestled into the hollow of her throat. Journey had rushed in just as Catalina was about to leave, apologizing for her late arrival and saying that she’d just flown in from the Sea of Stars.
Shane had no visible reaction to that bizarre statement, but then again, that was Shane. He was hard to faze.
“Don’t slack off your practice just because I’m not around,” he warned her.
“I’m not,” she assured him. “I get up every morning and do an hour of kata on the beach.”
Shane seemed pleased with that. “That’s good. Very traditional. They still train on the beach in Okinawa, where karate was invented. You should go there some day.”
“It’s on my list,” said Journey.
When the women arrived at the nearest bar, which was at the next town and a two-hour drive away, they found a quiet room at the back where they could talk without being overheard.
Catalina asked Journey, “Where did you say you’d come from?”
“The Sea of Stars,” Journey repeated. “It’s a beach on Vadhoo Island.”
“Where’s Vadhoo Island?” asked Destiny.
“In the Maldives.”
“Where are the Maldives?” asked Ellie.
“Off the coast of south India. The water is full of glowing plankton, like blue fireflies. It’s like swimming through a starry night.”
“What were you doing there?” Catalina asked.
Journey shrugged. “I saw a picture. It looked pretty, so I decided to visit. Once Shane’s better, I’m going back and taking Lucas with me. Dragons love sparkly things. And the night sky.”
That hadn’t exactly answered Catalina’s question. “I meant—”
Destiny laughed. “Lucas used to be a prince, Catalina. He’s independently wealthy. Journey can go anywhere she likes, any time she likes. First class.”
“Or on dragonback,” Fiona added.
“You should all travel with me some time. Lucas would treat you.” Hastily, Journey added, “But not the Sea of Stars. That one is just for the two of us. But later... Maybe a chateau in France?”
“What about a trek in Nepal?” Destiny suggested. “We could rent some yaks to carry our luggage.”
“Just what I want to do on my vacation, chivvy around a bunch of hairy, slobbering cow-things.” Fiona gave a delicate shudder. “I vote for the chateau.”
“You’re a snow leopard,” said Destiny. “You should love Nepal.”
“If I’m going on vacation, I want it to be relaxing,” Fiona said firmly. “If you don’t want a chateau, what about a villa in Tuscany?”
While Destiny, Fiona, and Journey discussed vacation destinations, Ellie and Catalina clinked their glasses together. Catalina had a shot of tequila with salt and lime. Ellie had a glass of hard cider.
“To us,” Catalina said. “Partners forever.”
“To us,” Ellie echoed. “Together again.”
They drank. The tequila burned its way down Catalina’s throat. “My first drink as a shifter. I wonder if it’ll affect me differently now.”
“Got me,” Ellie said. “Ask Fiona or Destiny— No, Destiny was born a shifter. She wouldn’t know the difference. I’m not sure about Fiona. She doesn’t talk much about her past.”
“She still might not know. I’m not just a shifter, I’m a superhero. Shane’s the only one who knows what that’s like.”
“Somehow I doubt that Shane thinks he’s a superhero,” Ellie remarked.
Catalina grinned. “He is, though. And so am I.”
“What are you going to do with your powers?” Ellie asked. “I mean, there are definitely times when being super-strong would come in handy. No more calling for six orderlies to restrain the three hundred pound meth addict...”
“I’d still have to call for the orderlies,” Catalina pointed out. “This has to stay secret. Apex may be gone, but I bet it’s not the only place like it.”
“That’s true. The team’s awfully careful about hiding what they are.”
“But you’re right,” Catalina went on. “I’ve been thinking about it. I love being a paramedic, and I don’t want to stop working with you. But I loved fighting with Shane, too. I know there’s a lot I’d have to learn, but maybe I could join Protection, Inc. part-time. I could work with Shane in the day, and with you at night.”
“When would you sleep?” Ellie asked.
“Sleep!” Catalina said with scorn. “Who needs it?”
She finished her shot and went to the bar to get another. When she returned, Ellie was still sipping her cider.
“So, you and Shane,” Ellie said thoughtfully. “You know, I wouldn’t have predicted it, but now that I’ve seen you together, it does seem right.”
“I never could resist a cat,” Catalina said with a laugh. Then, more seriously, she said, “You and Hal seem right together, too. You needed a man who respects you— who sees you as an equal. That’s not easy to find.”
“It’s not,” Ellie agreed. “Hal’s a very special guy. And I don’t just mean because he can turn into a bear.”
Ellie glanced at the other three women, who were now arguing over which country had the best food, and spoke for Catalina’s ears only. “We’re talking about having a baby.”
“Really?” Catalina was surprised for a moment. But when she thought about it, it felt as right as Ellie and Hal. Ellie’s family had been torn apart by a bitter divorce. She’d always told Catalina that she’d never marry, let alone have a baby, unless she was certain that she wouldn’t repeat her parents’ mistakes. “No, I get it. You’re mates. You know you’ll never stop loving each other.”
“It’s not just that,” Ellie said. “I want to keep working. I’ll take a break, of course, but I love my job. I’ve never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but I don’t want to leave my child with strangers, either. But if I had babysitters I trusted absolutely, who were like family, who’d protect my child with their lives...”
Catalina began to laugh. “You mean, like a team of shapeshifting, super-powered bodyguards?”
Ellie grinned. “Exactly. And if you count Hal and me and you— I can count you, right?”
“Of course you can,” Catalina promised her. “Just so long as your baby isn’t allergic to cats.”
“Then that makes nine of us. Ten, when Ethan’s around.” With a slight wince, Ellie added, “Plus, there’s Hal’s family. His mother actually offered to move close enough to babysit if I gave her a grand-cub. I’m not sure how Hal would feel about that... Actually, I know how Hal would feel about that. But once she got her grand-cub, she’d have nothing to nag us about.”
“Don’t count on that,” Catalina advised. “I don’t know Hal’s mom, but I can tell you that my grandma would just start nagging you to have another one.”
Ellie finished her cider. “Oh, well. Guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides, if I’m going to have one, I may as well have two. Everyone should have a brother or sister.”
Catalina smiled to herself, trying to imagine Shane as a babysitter. Ellie’s children might grow up playing horsie with a panther.
***
Catalina had already seen how quickly Shane could heal, but she was still amazed at how fast he recovered from his wound. By the next morning, he was restlessly pacing around the room until Dr. Bedford ordered him to lie down. Soon he was taking leisurely walks in the woods, and then less leisurely walks, and then Catalina caught him in the trees as a panther. But the team stayed with him until he had completely recuperated.
“See you back at the office,” Destiny called as she, Rafa, Nick, and Fiona piled into a car. They drove off with a squeal of tires; Nick was at the wheel.
A cloud of glittering sparks gathered around Lucas. They whirled like a tornado, thickening until he vanished from sight. Then they winked out, and a golden dragon crouched where the man had been.
Journey climbed on to his back and waved. “We’re off to the Sea of Stars!”
As Catalina stood gaping in amazement, the dragon leaped into the air. He flew higher and higher until he and his rider vanished into the clouds.
Ellie, Ethan, Hal, Shane, and Catalina were left alone together. Ellie, Ethan, and Hal had loaded their luggage into Hal’s car, but Shane and Catalina had already decided to stay a while longer.
“Any idea when I should expect you back?” Hal asked.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I do,” Shane replied. “But I have to wait for Justin. I have a feeling he won’t come looking for me until the last minute. If I have to transport him all the way from Santa Martina, he might not make it.”
“Here.” Hal tossed Shane a set of keys. “Stay at my cabin. It’s not far. And it’s a lot cozier than the hospital.”
“Think of it as your honeymoon,” Ellie suggested with a grin. “Hal and I have had a lot of fun there. By the way, the bed’s an antique, but it’s stronger than it looks. If Hal couldn’t break it, you two don’t need to worry. Go wild.”
The faintest pink tinge spread across Hal’s cheekbones. “Ellie...”
Shane didn’t bat an eye. “Good to know.”
Chapter Fifteen
Shane
Shane had never been to Hal’s cabin before. It was cozy, isolated in the middle of the forest but equipped with nearly everything anyone could want in a vacation cabin, from extra clothes in all sizes to a well-stocked freezer to a spare car parked beneath a tree. Since it belonged to Hal’s technophobic bear clan, it had no computer or even television, but did come with several cases of books. Shane supposed they were lucky to have the car. Hal told him that after he and Ellie had gotten stranded in the woods when they’d first met, he’d bought it for the cabin.
“I told my family it was in case of emergencies,” Hal told Shane in his rumbling voice. “But you and Catalina help yourselves if you want anything from town.”
Shane and Catalina enjoyed their stay. They played wild games in the forest, chasing each other through the tree-tops, sometimes as a panther and a leopard, sometimes as a big cat and a woman who climbed like one. Then they returned to the cabin to read and eat. Neither of them knew how to cook, unless you counted lobsters and MREs, so after a few days of charred disasters, they resorted to meals that Hal’s mom, grandma, and uncle had cooked and then frozen. Shane didn’t pay much attention to what he ate, but Catalina always happily remarked how much better it was than the packaged frozen meals she usually lived on.
The rest of the time they spent making love in the bed, which was just as sturdy as Ellie had promised. Also in the shower, on the sofa, on the floor, and in the forest. Shane hadn’t forgotten his promise to keep it exciting for Catalina, but whether they were having passionate sex up against a tree or sleepy lovemaking first thing in the morning, it was thrilling whether he made a special effort or not. Every moment, every kiss, every touch was as sexy and heart-stopping as their very first time. They couldn’t get enough of each other.
They’d been at the cabin for a week when Shane awoke from a deep sleep to the sound of stumbling footsteps, unmistakable as those of someone forcing themselves forward on willpower alone. He was out of bed and yanking the front door open before it even occurred to him that it could be an ambush.
Justin stood swaying in the doorway, one hand bracing himself against the frame, the other still upraised to knock. The sight of that familiar face with those strange near-black eyes and dark hair once again gave Shane a shock of unsettled recognition. Justin’s skin was white as bone in the moonlight.
�
��Comeback?” Justin’s voice was alarmingly weak. “I’m sick. I need help.”
“Any time, Red.” Shane put a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. “You don’t even need to ask.”
“I know.”
Shane caught him as he collapsed. Justin was burning up, his shirt and skin damp with sweat, but he was shaking as if he was chilled. The air rasped in and out of his lungs, each breath sounding like it required a tremendous effort.
Shane carried Justin into the living room, where he laid him down on the couch. Catalina was already there, waiting in pajamas with the medical kit in her hand, as bright and alert as if it was the middle of her workday. In fact, Shane recalled, under normal circumstances it would be.
Catalina knelt beside the couch to check Justin’s vital signs. Shane did too. Justin’s breathing was labored and shallow, and his pulse was weak and rapid. He didn’t respond to his name, or to a hard pinch on the back of his hand.
“He looks bad,” Catalina said. “Load and go?”
Shane’s chest tightened at her words. Justin did look bad. Non-responsive, signs of shock, high fever, respiratory distress... Every sign was critical, and no one knew better than Shane how easily even one of those could lead to cardiac arrest.
Justin’s a survivor, Shane told himself. He made it through the Pipeline. He’s a ten-year combat veteran. He survived ultimate predator. He survived two years with Apex. And he made it here, on foot, from God knows where. He’s not going to die on me now.
“Yeah,” Shane said. “You drive. If he wakes up disoriented, I’ve got a better chance at calming him down before his snow leopard takes over. We’ve had ten years’ worth of trusting each other with our lives. He might remember even if he’s delirious.”
And if Justin’s snow leopard did take over, Shane wanted himself between its claws and Catalina.
“I’ll get the keys,” she said. “And call Dr. Bedford to meet us in her office. We’ll be on the road in five.”
Shane was reassured by how calm and competent she was, not to mention willing to take off in the middle of the night and in her pajamas. She was not only his lover but his partner, someone he could trust absolutely and rely on to carry her own weight. She’d even carried his weight once. He was so lucky to have found her.