A Cat For All

by Crymsyn Hart

  Chapter Five

  Orianna opened her eyes slowly. It took a moment to recognize her surroundings. She remained in the hotel room. She remembered the pain in her hand from it being burned. Ryker, Dallas, and Pierce hadn’t come for her the night before. So, she had settled in for the day. Then they had barged into the room, and brought the sun with them. Pierce had told his mates he was choosing her over them. That thought turned her stomach. A sheet covered her. The room was still dark, but she sensed a heartbeat. It had to be Pierce. She took the sheet from her head. Her arm pained her, but it was manageable. He shouldn’t have given up them for me.

  “You’re awake.” Pierce got off the bed and rushed over to her. He stopped a couple of feet from her.

  She smiled and beckoned him closer. He knelt next to her and took her burnt hand in his, kissing the back of it. His hand was so warm that it made her gasp and awakened her hunger. It took everything in her not to push him away. A struggle started within her for wanting him close to comfort her and yet with the hunger inside of her, she wanted to tear into his veins. This was one reason she didn’t think it was wise for him to be with her. She was a danger to him. His eyes showed his concern and the feelings he possessed for her. Orianna knew he wasn’t going to abandon her, even if she tried to warn him about her nature.

  “I’m awake. You didn’t have to stay here with me. You know that, right?”

  He nodded. His sensuous mouth turned down in a frown. The small scrunches near his eyebrows made her wonder how much he truly regretted letting his other two mates go. “I stayed because I had to. Don’t try and convince me to go back to Ryker and Dallas. If they can’t accept you for who you are, then I don’t want them in my life.”

  “Don’t say that. They love you. I saw it in their eyes. Heard it when they talked to you. Before you profess that you’re my undying mate, you have to understand what I truly am.”

  He leaned closer and sniffed her throat. The subtle brush of the tip of his nose against her flesh caused a shiver to ripple through her. “I already know what you are. The woman I love. My cat recognizes you as a mate. It wants you. I want you. I can sense the cat inside of you, locked away behind walls, scratching to get out.”

  Orianna shook her head. “The cat died when I did. What remains is the remnant of what I used to be. Now I’ve become this.” She pulled away from him as she felt the difference between him and her. It was more than her not being alive anymore. The cold, alien presence of the vampires that dwelled within. It was a constant battle between it and the beautiful lioness she used to be able to become.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You might not be able to sense it, but I can. What happened to you was a horrific event, but you can’t keep running from what you are. Trust me, I know. I’m still trying to figure out how to be this. My life has changed. I never believed in vampires and shape-shifters until I woke up in the hospital. One of my nurses told me exactly what had happened. I didn’t believe her. Then on the first full moon I changed. I drank to drown what I had become, hoping the shift wouldn’t come. It only made it worse. Over time, I’ve learned to listen to the cat inside of me. When I came across Dallas and Ryker, my cat wanted them. Their scent overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t contain myself. I feel that same zeal with you. It doesn’t matter what you are. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll be your daytime guardian. No one will—”

  She placed a finger on his lips. “Hush. You don’t have to convince me how you feel. I understand. I had a mate once. I loved him with all my heart. Now he’s the local pride leader and threatened to kill me if he ever saw me on pride land after my mother’s funeral. You’re offering me another chance, and that’ll take me a while to get used to. Just be patient with me. There are some ground rules we gotta set.”

  He nodded. “Okay. But first, can I kiss you? I want to taste you.”

  Before Orianna could respond, he claimed her lips with his. Pierce’s mouth was soft. He tasted like cherries. A small rumble grew in her throat, the beginnings of a purr. The response surprised her. It had been five years since she had done that. His kiss was so sudden and so tender that it pushed her into a different world. The pleasure of Pierce’s lips on hers roused her hunger, and before she could pull it back, her fangs had pressed through her gums. The pain made her turn her head from him. She didn’t want him to see the monster she truly was.

  “What did I do wrong?”

  “N-Nothing.” His heartbeat thundered in her ears. The heat from his body encompassed her. The dull ache from her hand remained, and her body needed sustenance to finish repairing the damage by regrowing new skin. Pierce’s cherry scent was dampened by the copper of his blood. A groan slipped from her lips. The alien presence she’d come to accept took over, making her body even colder and her senses switch into hypersensitive mode. Pierce was too close to her. He smelled like a big cat with the enticing musk of another predator.

  “You have to feed?”

  She nodded.

  He took her face in his hand and turned it back to face him. Orianna knew what he would see. Red eyes that glowed in the dark set in ivory, smooth skin. Lips pale and drawn back to show dangerously curved fangs. She didn’t want to see that rejection in his eyes the way she had seen it in so many, including his other two mates.

  “I’m a monster. Don’t look.”

  Pierce ran his finger down her cheek. In her sensitive state, she could feel every swirl of his fingerprint on the pad of his thumb. “You are stunning. Feed from me, Orianna.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking me to do. I’ve never taken blood from a human, shape-shifter or other. I could kill you.”

  He offered her his wrist. His resolve didn’t waver. “I believe in you. Have confidence in yourself.”

  She had often dreamed about the taste of human blood. However, she had kept a promise to herself to feed only on wildlife. But he was offering himself. What will he taste like? What if I can’t stop? There were too many factors. Killing someone wasn’t worth the risk even if her hunger drove her insane. “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. You need it. I don’t see any fluffy bunnies running around here. It’s either me or you find a rat scurrying around in the walls.”

  “Gross,” she muttered. The steady beat of his pulse told her he was relaxed about this. He trusted her with his life. Orianna didn’t know if she could trust herself, but she needed the blood to heal her hand. As she took his wrist, she watched Pierce’s face, waiting to see if he would draw away from her. And yet he didn’t. The faith lingered in his eyes. She flicked her tongue over his flesh, tasting the salt on his skin along with the musky flavor of the cat. Her fangs pushed all the way through her jaw, and the pain was a welcome thing. At least that was one sensation that let her know she was still alive.

  Please don’t let me hurt him. He cares for me. If he dies, I’ll have to bring him back to his two mates and I won’t be able to face them. Please don’t let me lose control. She found the vein and ran her tongue along the line of it, sucking on his skin to draw it up. The warmth of the blood was so close. With one bite, she sank her canines into Pierce’s flesh and right into the vein. The hot liquid burst into her throat so quickly she nearly choked on it. The coppery taste was beyond her wildest dreams. It was ten times that of the animals she fed on. At once she lost herself to bliss. The first moment she drank, the blood rushed to her wounded hand. The skin itched where it had been burned. The hollow ache she’d had in her belly faded away.

  Orianna wanted more of his blood. The alien consciousness overpowered her reason. It was all about food. All about drinking the victim dry, immersing herself in the passion of feeding. Pierce moaned, and she felt his heart slowing. The part of her that was human fought to regain what she was. It was the hardest thing she had done so far in her existence.

  When she pulled away, Pierce was breathing hard. His eyes twinkled from the excitement of the experience. A smile adorned his lips and made him appear younger than what he was.
He took his wrist and pressed it against his pants to stanch the bleeding. Some part of her wanted to stop his heart for good. Instead, she forced a smile and then looked at her hand. The black skin had cracked. Underneath showed the pink, healthy flesh that would soon pale. She moved her fingers a few times to make sure everything worked. When she realized everything was okay, she placed her hand on Pierce’s cheek.

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yes. Thank you. So, now that I’m functioning again, we have to get you back to your mates.” She rose from the floor and stretched. The last of the burnt flesh fell to the floor like ash.

  “We can’t go back there. I told them I was going to stay with you. I won’t look like a fool in front of them. Unless you plan on disowning me, too?” His voice cracked with anger at the end. She saw the hurt in his eyes. His neck muscles bulged, and his hands were curled into fists.

  “I’m not going to abandon you. But you also made me realize something. You said that you had to stop running. All I’ve been doing is running since my mate threw me to the wayside and my pride disowned me. My sister, Patty, is the only one who talks to me. It was my mother’s dying wish that got me the ability to return for the funeral. I know you’re frustrated with Ryker and Dallas, but I have no home. These past five years, I’ve been roaming across the country, living in cheap motels and sticking to the fringes of society. Shifters normally can’t stand me. Vampires don’t want me around. One told me they sensed the life in me. How can I be alive when I’m already dead? My point is you’re the first person to give me a second look and to look at me without disgust. And I appreciate that. I can’t have you running all the time when you have two perfectly good mates here who love and care about you.”

  “If we go back there, what will you do? You’ll dump me there. And I can’t be without you.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll figure something out. If your mates can stand my presence, then there’s hope. We have to at least give it a try. I’m willing. Are you?”

  The struggle in his eyes was the way she felt when she had seen her mother for the last time. The memory was still so painful and raw that she couldn’t deal with it right then. Orianna pushed that away and swallowed the ache. The one thing that mattered now was Pierce. He had to be taken care of.

  “I-I can’t see myself without them or you. Maybe we could work something out. Ryker suggested that you could sleep in the guesthouse. He uses it for a studio. Maybe he’d still be willing to do that. You would be close enough and still have your own space.”

  “I think that would work. And then you could come visit me.” She placed her hand on his chest, enjoying his heartbeat vibrating underneath her palm. His smell drew her closer. She licked her lips and then looked at him. His eyes were a pale blue. A little baby fat remained in his cheeks. He was taller than her, but not as tall as Ryker. She traced the scar on his neck, feeling the raised skin. The wound had been made by a claw. His chest muscles bunched underneath her hand. It stirred her passion. She wasn’t sure if it was the blood that pulled her toward him or if maybe he was reaching the long-dead part of her. She stood on tiptoe and rubbed her cheek along his. Pierce went completely still. His skin felt like crushed velvet. Her fingers explored the expanse of his stomach through the fabric.

  “What are you doing?” His breath exploded against her flesh.

  “Not sure,” she breathed, half-lulled into a trance by the rhythm of his heart. She ran her fingers along the top of his waistband, feeling the subtle imperfections in his jeans. Just a little lower and Orianna could feel his firming erection. She hadn’t felt this drawn to a man since her mate. The urge was there, but she had been the one to set the boundaries with Ryker that she didn’t want to jump right into bed with a man without getting to know them.

  “Do you want me?”

  His words echoed in her head. They registered as if they were through a tunnel. Her mind couldn’t be made up so easily. Of course she wanted him! That was a given. With those sexy lips and the baby face, he was drawing her to him. It took all of her control to shake herself from the daze she was in.

  “I’m attracted to you, but I-I can’t take that step. I don’t want you to think that just because I took your blood that you have to sleep with me. Your instinct is to take me to bed, and I appreciate you not pushing that. I’d rather we get to know one another first.”

  Pierce leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, rubbing cheeks at the same time, marking her with his scent. “Okay.” He pulled away from her a couple of steps. “We should get going. Don’t want you being caught in the sunlight again.”

  “Okay. I’m going to get cleaned up. Why don’t you get something to eat while you’re waiting?”

  “Good idea.”

  Pierce left the room, and Orianna hopped in the shower. While the water washed over her, the idea of what she was going to say to Ryker and Dallas flowed through her mind. The one thing she did know was that she had to stop running. It was time for her to face up to what she was and what she had become. The cat might have been dead inside of her, but she couldn’t kill the creature she had become.

  Chapter Six

  Ryker stared at the landscape that surrounded the farm. Pine trees spiraled toward the sky intermixed with crape myrtles and the feathery leaves of the mimosa trees. Most of their wispy blossoms were dying off, but their sweet perfume still permeated the air. The forest around the farmhouse was lush with old trees, and the bygone fields were starting to return to their once-lush growth. The tract of land had been a fully fledged farm two centuries ago. When he bought the house, it was dilapidated and they had to tear it down to its bones and redo the entire structure. They had saved many of the fixtures and reused them. Besides the house, there was a small barn he had converted into a guesthouse, which was now a studio where he would sculpt.

  “You got a second?” Dallas asked, interrupting his train of thought.

  “Yeah, what’s going on?”

  His mate motioned him to follow. Ryker left the bedroom and went downstairs. Outside Pierce and Orianna were sitting on the bench by the waterfall they had installed last year. The tinkling sound of the fountain helped to ease some of the tension that suddenly rose in the air. His hackles bristled, but he didn’t step out of the door. A small growl came from his throat. Her smell seemed more human, and yet there was that otherness to her. Pierce waited patiently next to her. He glanced at Ryker and then smiled. Ryker wasn’t sure how he should greet him. Should it be with open arms or not at all since he had chosen Orianna instead of him?

  “What are you doing here?” Ryker asked.

  Pierce stood and hesitated. “Orianna and I talked about things, and we both agreed I should come back here.”

  “There was a stipulation with her coming with you?” Ryker asked.

  The other man’s jaw hardened. “I wasn’t going to leave her behind. She’s my mate, just the same as you are. Even if you can’t accept her, that doesn’t mean that I have to suffer for it.”

  Ryker glanced at her and then back at him. “You sure you want to stay with us?”

  She stood up. “I told him I’d stay. I figured we could work something out.”

  “Why should I let him back in here when he chose you over us?” The coldness of his voice was not really how he felt, but it came from the hurt of losing Pierce to a woman he hardly knew. The way his mate looked at her was the way those eyes had gazed upon him. That look always cut his heart and made him feel like he was the only being in the universe.

  “Because you’re his world. If he loses you, it will tear him apart. Don’t turn him away because you can’t get over that he found another. Cats can have more than one mate.” Orianna stepped closer to the door and then winced at the threshold. She made a pained face and stepped back. “You and Dallas both know who I am and who my mother was. This wasn’t my choice. When I woke up as this, I wanted to die. I know how to make myself scarce, but don’t take that o
ut on Pierce.”

  Ryker sighed and glanced at Dallas, who had an expectant look on his face. The other man didn’t want to put Pierce aside. “I guess we have to redo the guesthouse after all.”

  Pierce flung himself through the door and into Ryker’s arms. Having him in his embrace once more was a dream come true. Orianna’s scent covered him, but it wasn’t something that Ryker couldn’t get used to. He squeezed his other mate, making sure he was truly there.

  “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. I didn’t stop loving you just because of her. Please know that.” Pierce kissed his cheek and slid his fingers through Ryker’s hair.

  Ryker smiled and clutched his biceps. “I do. She’s just going to take some getting used to.” He turned to head back into the house. He made it a few steps when he realized that Pierce had stayed outside with her. “What’s the matter?”

  “You have to invite me in,” Orianna said softly as she gazed longingly inside.

  “So that myth about vampires is true. That must suck when you’re trying to creep in and sup on innocent children’s necks.” Ryker stood by the door and smiled.

  A flash of darkness ignited her eyes and made her seem alien. “I don’t feed on humans. And I certainly wouldn’t eat a child.”

  He threw up his hands. “Whoa! I was just joking.”

  “I don’t find it funny. You don’t know anything about me except whatever rumors are flying around the shifter community. I’ve been called a demon by those who I used to know. It was hell for me to go back to see my mother lying in her coffin. Then the funeral. The pride tolerated it because it was her last wish. What hurt worse were the looks Mason shot at me. My sister kept me sane. I was dead to them, and yet they still tortured me. My mother left my room the way it was. She—” Orianna’s shoulders heaved and she sniffed, but the pain embedded in her eyes hit something in his heart. He understood about loss because he, too, had been shipped away from his pride.