by C. D. Gorri
Without his boss to tell him what to do Cat knew that he wouldn’t be able to resist his baser instincts to rape and maim. He was an animal. Not Pack. He had no structure, limits, support, or laws. An anarchist. Rogue. Her Wolf snarled in her mind. And she called out to her mate with all her might.
Cat hoped to God that Tate was okay. She knew he would come for her. In time. It was in his nature. A Wolf Guard was loyal, brave, and determined, He would not leave her to her fate. She knew that as sure as she was still breathing. But right now, she needed a plan.
She ground her teeth and nearly gasped at the pain in her cheek. The bastard might have fractured her jaw with that last smack. No matter. She was Wolf, she would heal. Right now she needed to focus.
Tate picked up the torn piece of white cotton and nearly whooped aloud. Cat had left him a trail to follow! Damn he loved that woman! And then he stopped stone still.
He loved that woman. Yes. He did. And he would get her back and rip the throat out of the son of a bitch that dared take her from him.
Suddenly Tate’s chest seemed to implode with a burst of feeling and a rush of energy unlike any he had every felt. In his mind’s eye he saw a cord. Thin like thread, but pulsating with golden silvery light. Like magic. It felt like love. It was warm and kind. It came from the center of his soul and in his heart he knew where it would lead. Home. To Cat. Mine.
He loosed a short howl and took off on his bare feet through the snow laden ground in the direction his heart was telling him to go. Rocks and tree roots cut at his feet and seemed to try and stop him. Tate trampled them and forged ahead. Strength coursed through him. The kind of which he felt once a month at most. During the full moon.
After nearly fifteen minutes of strenuous running uphill Tate found the trail had ended. An ATV was parked behind a tree and Cat’s scent was all over it. So was a splatter of something red.
He reached down and touched it. Blood. One sniff and he knew it was hers. He snarled and turned in every direction trying to find her. But it was as if she had disappeared.
He wanted to run to her. To find her and crush her close to him. But she was nowhere. He closed his eyes, the magic rope that bound them together insisted this was the spot. Then why couldn’t he see her? He paced. Full of rage at his impotence.
Cat squirmed in her seat the shackles that bound her seemed to be draining her strength. She pulled against them, but that only made her weaker. Odd. She was a Werewolf and was stronger than she looked. A simple metal chain would have broken under her strength, but this. This was no simple chain. The mad Wolf that was her captor came back into the dirty room where she was being held. Only this time he wasn’t alone.
The woman was rank with rot. She smelled like decay and ash to Cat’s sensitive nose. Immediately she knew what this was. She understood why the chains were making her weak. Magic. A Dark Witch.
“Here she is. Now Skoll promised me a boon and I want first dibs at this bitch so don’t mess her up too much.”
“Quiet, fool! This bitch is not your toy. Not yet. Do you hear that she-Wolf? I am happy to keep you safe from this one, but only if you tell me the security codes to the Manor.”
“No. I don’t care what you do. I won’t tell you a damn thing.”
“Really? Well, how about I tell you in excruciating detail just how it will feel when he pulls down those leggings and rapes you raw, dog! Now tell me what I need to know. I promise, we won’t harm your brother. Just his mate. That normal isn’t one of you anyway. Rafe will be spared, but she must die. Now the codes,” the Witch wore layer upon layer of black tattered skirts and matching gauzy top. She looked like something out of a nightmare with her missing left ear and large scars that ran down her cheeks.
Cat knew that kind of self-mutilation was done by Dark Witches who communed with Demons. Shit. This was not good. She wished she had a chance to tell Tate she loved him before dying. But she would die before she would tell this Witch anything!
“Hm, a stubborn one. I do not admire martyrs. It is easy to sacrifice yourself. Tell me are you willing to sacrifice another? Maybe one other in particular?”
“What are you talking about?,” Cat felt as if her stomach dropped into her feet. What did she mean? God no. Please no.
“Show her!”
“My pleasure, lookee here, bitch, this the guy you think will save you? Ha, he don’t even know you’re hear! Ha ha ha,” his evil chuckled made Cat shiver with fury.
She wanted out of that chair so she could scratch his damn eyes out. Not Tate. No not him.
“Go ahead scream, he can’t hear ya!”
Cat narrowed her gaze. Her heart thundered inside of her and she felt a pull she had never felt before. Her Wolf was strong inside of her. A feeling she couldn’t mistake for anything else. Only this couldn’t happen. Not yet. Could it?
“Oh shit! Her eyes! What the hell?”
Cat blocked out the noise around her. A hurricane of emotion welled up inside her. A storm like no other. Cat saw inside of herself and coming from her chest was a silvery gold thread. A rope, if you will, and it bound her to the bearer of the other end. Her mate. Her heart’s desire. Tate Nighthawk. Mine.
Cat smiled, her white teeth sharp and glistening. She tossed her head back as the full force of her emotions ran through her and she howled. Cat howled and howled. She barely heard the roar of her mate as he burst through the magical barrier that kept him from being able to see or scent her.
His Wolf was visible through his eyes and she doubted much of the man was in control at that moment. He went right for the Dark Witch.
When Tate heard Cat’s howl he nearly screamed for joy. She was alive. But instinct took over and he found himself running full speed at a magic barrier. His Wolf was at the forefront of his mind and he wanted blood. So, Tate let him out.
He broke through the front door and took in everything in a split second. Cat was in chains and bleeding from her lip. Her beautiful face bruised and battered. A Werewolf huddled in the corner. Scared and mad, that one. And a Witch stood shocked and still. Her scars making her more horrific a site than anything he had seen in a while.
He went straight for her throat. In two seconds he ripped out her carotid artery and snapped both of her arms in two. When he turned for the other pride made him halt his steps.
Cat was out of her chains and she had the man’s head in her hands. She snarled and twisted with all her might. Snapping his neck before he could raise another hand or say another vile word to her.
Seconds later she found herself enveloped in Tate’s arms. She was panting. Out of breath and high on adrenaline. Hot tears poured down her bruised face as she sobbed in his arms.
“Oh Tate! God, I’m sorry, I’m crying, this isn’t like me, I don’t want you to think I’m weak or spoiled or,-”
“Cat! Shhhh! It’s okay, you are okay. My God, I could never think that of you! You are so brave! So unspoiled! Cat you are the best person I know. I love you, Cat.”
“What?”
“I love you! Don’t you know that?”
Cat threw her arms and legs around Tate. He caught her easily and squeezed her murmuring words of love. She had never heard anything so beautiful in her entire life. She hardly noticed when he sat down on the ATV with her still wrapped around him and sped towards the cabin.
Once they were there Tate brought her inside. He took her straight to the bathroom and ministered to her wounds.
Tate took his time, intent on looking over every inch of her. He turned the faucet on the large claw foot bath tub. Steaming water began to pour. Cat sat on the cushioned stool and watched as he added two scoops of bath salts.
“Sherry sent me these too. They should speed up healing.”
“Mmmm. It smells like vanilla and orange and lemon zest. Ow, it hurts when I talk.”
“Then don’t talk, baby.”
Tate undressed Cat carefully. He scooped her up and placed her inside of the tub before removing his own clothing. Once in
side the warm water Cat felt her aches and pains immediately leave. She was shocked as more tears fell silently down her face. Tate reached a hand out towards her chin and lifted.
“Don’t be ashamed, Catriona. Look, I am crying too. I am crying because my heart is so relieved to have you back. I went damn near out of my mind when you were gone. But do you know how I found you? Do you know why?”
Cat shook her head and stared at him in wonder as she traced the tears that fell form his softly glowing eyes.
“Because you are my mate, Cat, my true mate. And I am yours. We have a matebond. I saw it! It’s gold and silver and beautiful and it led me to you. But you weren’t there. I wanted to run, to keep looking, but my Wolf demanded I stay there. Then do you know what happened?”
Cat still couldn’t talk. She curled up on his lap in the water and shook her head.
“You howled. Cat you howled! And it was like a wall came down and my Wolf jumped right through the rubble to get to you. My Cat, my mate, my love.”
“Oh Tate, I love you too.”
He hugged her fiercely then. It was the first time she had said it out loud. And damn it sounded good to his ears. It felt good too.
She sat up straight and Tate’s entire body took notice. Her lips found his in a kiss unlike any other they had shared.
“Will it hurt you if we make love?,” Cat loved him so much especially after he asked her that question.
“Oh no, Tate, that’s one thing that will never ever hurt me.”
She turned her body so that she straddled him, sloshing water over the side as she did so.
“I need you, Tate, right now,” she guided the head of his swollen shaft and she thrust down with all her might.
Tate groaned and suckled her breasts as she rode him. Hard and hot and fast. She was so tight, so torturously sweet as she pumped him for all he was worth. They groaned together in a chorus of ecstasy as his hot seed filled her.
They had just finished drying each other off when Tate’s cell rang. He picked it up without hesitation.
“Yes,” Tate’s answers were clipped, his tone respectful. But Cat didn’t need to listen to Tate’s responses to know who was on the other end of the call. She heard her brother’s voice quite clearly.
What puzzled her was the sound of Lt. Matt Larentia’s voice. What on earth was he doing there? And why was he furiously demanding to know where Cat was?
“We will be home in a few hours. Rafe? There is something you should know,” Tate didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Cat was glad. She wasn’t exactly sure it was a good idea to advertise their new relationship status just yet.
Tate must have felt her hesitation. He turned the full force of his midnight stare on her and lifted her chin till she was forced to meet his eyes.
“Cat? Just so you know, the first thing I intend to do when we get back to the Manor is tell your brother that you and I are mated. That is, if you’re okay with that.”
“I am so okay with that,” Cat smiled and grabbed the nape of Tate’s neck. Pulling him down in a lip searing kiss.
Closing up the cabin and making sure it was secured took half the time with both of them working together. The hike back was also short and direct once Tate no longer suspected they were being followed.
The threat was, for now, over. Relief and exhaustion warred inside of Cat for top position. She would have like dot give into both except she didn’t want to be lackadaisical when she returned home.
During the few hours it took to drive back to Macconwood Manor Tate chatted with Catriona about little things. Movies he liked, books he’s read. Small talk. She shared details about her life that she had never told another living soul.
Like how she only used cinnamon toothpaste and never ever dyed her hair. She watched the Hallmark Channel like a fiend and old MacGyver reruns were her favorite. Surprisingly enough, he was a fan too.
“I understand more about your job than you think, Tate, I mean normals are these precious mortal creatures and they hurt each other and commit crimes all the time for no good reason. I understand the despair you feel when you have to talk to the family of a new Wolf who just couldn’t take the pain and didn’t know how to ask for help,” Cat’s voice was soft, but her words meant a lot to him.
“I know you do Cat. It’s why I asked you to sit with me in the kitchen a few nights ago. I was feeling raw and I needed peace. You gave it to me,” Tate squeezed her hand and Cat pulled it up to her lips and kissed it.
“If only there was some place they could go to; you know? Kids, normals, supernaturals, doesn’t matter which, could be both. They all need help and there should be somewhere they could go to get it. Without judgement, you know?”
“Hmm. That’s a great idea, Cat. A really great idea.”
The rest of the talk on their trip home was not nearly as serious. They laughed and joked and Cat even nodded out for the length of a song or two. Then Tate pulled onto one of the private roads leading to the Manor. The snow had finally stopped, but a fresh blanket of white covered the long road and the surrounding grounds. It glistened in the moonlight like a million scattered diamonds. He looked at Cat through the corner of his eye as she slowly blinked her eyes and woke up. And for a moment Tate felt peaceful.
“Did I fall asleep?”
“Just a Cat-nap.”
“Ha ha. You been saving that one for me?”
“You know it, baby. Hey look, we’re home.”
Randall met them at the first security gate and high-fived Tate before handing him a new cell and grabbing his old one.
“Number’s the same, but this one has all the new codes and upgrades. I’ll transfer your personal data tonight. Wassup Cat? All good?”
“Yeah, Randall, all good,” she smiled and then blushed furiously when he stuck his head in the car and breathed. His head turned first to look at Tate then back at her and vice versa.
“Oh man! It’s about time, bro! Um, you should know that there is a sort of surprise waiting for you inside though. Not sure if it’s good or not,” Randall’s words were muffled as his voice dropped and Cat had a hard time understanding him over his beard. It was about twelve inches long now and dark as the rest of his shaggy head.
He was quieter than most of the Wolves. He didn’t go in for parties and such. Cat had always thought of him as kind of a sad geeky type.
All that software development and gaming had left some serious gaps in his social life. From what she knew he was a sick kid, before his Change. Stayed indoors a lot and was glued to the computer.
“Thanks for the heads up, man. Want a ride back to the big house?,” Tate unlocked the doors to the SUV, but Randall was already shaking his head no.
“Nah, I’m going for a run. See you two later,” with that he turned and started jogging towards the woods. Tate waved him off and they continued to drive down the private road.
Two more unmanned security booths and they were in the private garage used by Rafe, the Wolf Guard, and Cat.
“You ready?”
Cat sighed and looked at the door that would lead them inside. She was a little nervous, there was no use denying it. But overall she was glad to be home.
Tate held out his hand and she took it. Together they entered one of the main living room areas. Their hearing told them which one to head to. The boys were sitting around playing cards while Rafe and Charley and another man sat around a small table in complete silence. They looked as if they hadn’t heard them enter the room. But Cat knew better.
Rafe’s eyes zeroed in on her immediately. The familiar icy blue gaze went over her from head to foot before he blinked. She recognized it as his way of checking her for injury. And when he lingered on her face, she knew she hadn’t healed as much as she would have liked.
“Rafe? Would you like a full report now?,” Tate’s formal question almost knocked the confidence right out of Cat. But then she realized he had one eyebrow raised and no matter how she pulled he would not let go of her hand
.
Rafe stood up from the table. He was easily the largest man in the room. His face showed no emotion at all. And for a moment Cat thought they were in big trouble. Then she caught sight of Charley. Rafe’s wife poked her head out from behind her husband and her cheerful smile was contagious.
“Oh stop it you big oaf!,” Charley nudged her husband in the ribs with her elbow and he “oomphed” before flashing an appreciative smile at her backside as she passed him by and grabbed Cat in a welcome back hug. She moved on to Tate and hugged him the same way. Like a mama welcoming back her children.
“Uh, Charley? Are you okay?”
“Oh Cat! I am so happy for you both!”
“What, uh, oh, okay so everyone knows?”
“Cat, before you and Tate tell us about what went down out there. Lt. Larentia here has something he’d like to tell you. In the other room maybe? Lieutenant?”
“That won’t be necessary. We are all Werewolves, well except for Mrs. Maccon of course, no offense,” Cat stared at the older man with a million questions in her eyes.
“None taken, Lieutenant,” Charley’s answer barely registered with her.
The entire room seemed to fade away. The only things she was sure of was that Tate was holding string to her hand. And Lieutenant Matt Larentia was standing in front of her with worry, grief, sadness, and bit of anxiety exuding form his pores. He ducked his head down. Cat thought he seemed ashamed, but just as quickly he looked back up at her.
“You know, your eyes are exactly like Claire’s.”
Cat nodded. She knew she took after her mother’s side of the family. There was none of Zev Maccon in her at all. Rafe had inherited their father’s black hair and large build. Cat had always assumed her height was from her father’s side. Her mother was much shorter at five and a half feet tall, but their eyes were the same.
Rafe tensed and Cat had the feeling he knew something she didn’t. But she remained silent and waited for Lt. Larentia to continue.