Ray frowned. “I’m sorry. I never meant to upset anyone. I figured everyone was pretty wrapped up in wedding plans, and that’s definitely not my forte. Actually, since I’m technically on vacation, I decided to get some relaxing time in.” He grinned and shrugged. “And, I kind of met someone I’ve been spending some time with.”
“Hey there, son.” Frank walked up and slapped Ray on the back. “It’s good to see you out socializing.” He nodded toward the man beside him. “You remember Ethan, don’t you?”
Ray nodded and shook the man’s hand. “Sure I do. It’s good to see you, sir.”
“What’s everybody standing around for?” Elyne walked up and wrapped her fingers around Latan’s arm. She glanced at Kati and grimaced.
Before Ray could ask what was wrong, Latan laughed. “We’ve been worrying about your brother for nothing, Kati. He’s just confessed that he’s been seeing someone in these parts since he’s been here.”
Ethan whistled. “Man, that’s some fast work. Where is she tonight? This would have been the perfect place to bring a date for a little relaxation.”
Ray chuckled. “I don’t think she’s gonna be able to have much fun tonight, at least not until the club closes. But, we’ll have some quality time together later.”
Ethan frowned. “It was my understanding this opening tonight was like a dress rehearsal. It wasn’t advertised. You haven’t spent much time around the family. How’d you hear about this place opening tonight?”
“Me and the owner have become pretty tight over the last couple of days.”
Latan frowned. “You and the owner?” He looked at Elyne and narrowed his eyes. “The kids led me to believe you were pretty much steering clear of anyone from the mountain.”
“She’s not from the mountain. She’s got a house not far from here.”
Kati grabbed her father’s arm. “Come on, guys. We’re missing all the fun.”
Elyne pulled on Latan’s arm. “Yeah, Uncle Latan, how about dancing with your favorite niece?”
“Okay, what the hell is going on?” asked Ethan. You guys aren’t making any sense.” He studied Ray for a moment. “You’ve been spending time with the owner of this place.”
Ray saw the guilty expressions on Kati’s and Elyne’s faces and sighed. “Yeah, Rennia and I have been spending time together. Someone wanna tell me what’s wrong with that?”
Latan looked at Kati. “He doesn’t know, does he?”
“I don’t know what?” asked Ray.
Kati closed her eyes for a moment and then looked at Latan. “It’s not what you think. She’s gonna tell him everything tonight.”
“I don’t know what?” Ray growled. “Enough. What is it I don’t know?”
Ethan cursed softly. “I think it’s time for her to tell him now.” He looked at Ray with regret showing on his face. “I think we should go talk to Rennia and let her explain things.”
“You know Rennia, personally?” asked Ray.
Ethan sighed, glanced at Latan, and then returned his attention to Ray. “She’s the baby of the family, our only daughter.”
Ray felt cold, hard anger wash over him. He clenched his fists and looked at his sister. “We can’t be talking about the same person. She wouldn’t have lied to me.”
“I’m going to find out just what she’s been up to,” said Latan.
Ray fell into step behind Latan. If she lied to me I want to hear it from her own lips. It only took them a minute to make their way through the dancing couples where they stopped beside the kitchen door.
Latan laid his hand on the door. “Son, for whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry if my baby girl lied to you. She must have had a good reason, because she’s not a bad person.”
Ray hardened his heart. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Latan had just started pushing on the door when Ray heard a muffled scream from inside the kitchen. Instinct kicked in, and he pushed past Latan, automatically reaching for the gun that he’d locked in his luggage back at the apartment.
When he burst through the door, his gaze zeroed in on Rennia as she wrestled with a man. Across the room, another man was trying to pull a struggling woman through the back door. Latan moved swiftly toward the struggling woman as Ray prepared to take down Rennia’s attacker. Before he could move, the air around Rennia wavered and her body began to change. As he watched, hairs sprouted all over her skin while her face elongated into a snout. She shrank down in size, almost disappearing into the dress she’d worn. It only took a few seconds before she was tearing her way through the fabric and emerging as a small, brown wolf. She bared an impressive set of teeth and then lunged for her attacker. It seemed like less than a minute, and then everything was over. Latan had subdued the other man, leaving the female crying quietly in the corner. Rennia paced nervously back and forth in front of the man she’d captured. Each time he made a move toward the door, she turned on him viciously, snarling and snapping her jaws.
Latan pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and hit a number on speed dial. “Koril, get some men down at my daughter’s club. We’ve got two men subdued in the kitchen.” He paused and glanced at the woman in the corner. “They were after Aurelia.” He listened for a moment and then hung up. He turned and looked at Ray. “Are you all right?”
Ray watched the wolf pacing back and forth. He glanced at Latan and took a deep breath. “No, I’m not all right.” He looked at Rennia one last time and turned toward the door. “You don’t need me for this or anything else. I’m going home.”
* * * *
Rennia’s wolf howled as she watched her mate walked away. She should have told him sooner.
Zack burst through the door and rushed across the room to take a shaken Aurelia into his arms. He glanced at the groaning men on the floor. “What happened?”
Aurelia sobbed. “They tried to take me.”
Zack growled, claws sliding from the tips of his fingers.
Again the door flew open, and in walked Kati, her father, and Synia. “We’ve got problems,” Kati said.
Latan stood in the corner watching one of the men and rolled his eyes. “Do tell.”
Kati looked away from her future father-in-law, her cheeks blushing rosy red. “The cops just pulled up out front.”
Frank walked over to look down at the man Rennia was guarding. “I don’t know about how you do things here, but where I come from, wolves in a restaurant could require a lot of explanation.”
Rennia searched inside for her cat and shifted for a second time.
“Holy shit!” Frank cried.
Kati chuckled. “I never get tired of seeing that.”
Rennia turned when one of the men on the floor gasped. She hissed, extended her claws, and left a bright, red trail across one of his cheeks.
Latan moved toward the back door. “What are we—”
The kitchen door flew open hard enough to crash into the wall. Sheriff Rivers, and a man Rennia had never seen before, slowly walked in with their hands poised to grab their weapons from their holsters. She scented the air carefully. The younger man was fairly tall, with brown hair and eyes. Awfully slender to be a policeman. He almost looked frail. And worse, he was human, so they’d have to be really careful what they said. At least Sheriff Rivers would understand. He was a fox shifter and lived a somewhat solitary life. His people didn’t like living in packs like the wolves.
“What’s going on here?” asked the sheriff. Latan glanced at the younger officer, and the sheriff shrugged. “This is my new deputy, Paul Carver. He’s right out of the academy. Now, I repeat, what’s going on here?”
Latan sighed. “These two tried to abduct one of our women.”
The sheriff frowned. “Why on Earth would they do that with the place crowded like it is?”
Deputy Carter snorted. “Why do ya think? They probably liquored up and thought they’d get themselves a little playmate for the night.” He moved closer to glare down at one of the men. “I knew nothing good w
ould come from having a bar open up here in Takoda. We ought to shut this place down tonight.”
Rennia hissed and felt the hairs on her back stand on end. This asshole was getting on her nerves.
The deputy glared at the small cat. “You know that cat is a health violation in a restaurant. We could shut ’em down for that alone.” He leaned over and studied the guy lying by the door. “Hell, the damn thing scratched this guy’s face up.” He stood and looked at Rennia for a second and then reached for her. “Maybe we should just take it to the vet and have it put down.” Rennia hissed and sank her teeth into his thumb. He cursed and reached for his gun.
“Enough!” Sheriff Rivers yelled, and then sighed when Latan growled and scooped Rennia up into his arms.
“She belongs to me, Deputy. She only scratched him, and you, in self defense.”
The deputy snorted. “You got proof of her shots? They might need it to keep from having to treat this guy, or me, for rabies.”
“That’s enough, Deputy Carver. I can personally vouch for the cat. We’re gonna load these fellows in my unit and take them over to the clinic and let Doc check them over.” He looked at Latan and nodded. “I’ll catch up with you later to get your statement.
Deputy Carter harrumphed. “But, Sheriff—”
Sheriff Rivers narrowed his eyes. “Now, Deputy.” The deputy’s mouth thinned to a straight line as he yanked one of the men to his feet. The sheriff grabbed the other intruder and turned to Latan. “Later,” he mouthed.
Rennia watched as the two men herded the would-be kidnappers out the back door and then jumped from her father’s arms and ran into the bathroom. Calling on her human form, she quickly shifted and pushed the door closed. She’d learned from an early age to keep hidden stashes of clothes in various places around their home. You never knew when you might have to shift, and you wouldn’t have time to take your clothes off.
Opening the small closet, she pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. She tried to blink back her tears as she quickly dressed. She would never forget the look of horror and disappointment on Ray’s face. His final words had left a hole in her heart. She was going to lose her mate because of her lies. She’d heard stories of shifters who grieved themselves to death when their partner died, but she’d never really believed them. She looked at her pale reflection in the mirror. “I believe them now, because I don’t wanna go on living without him.”
Latan knocked on the door. “Rennia, get your butt out here.”
“Damn, he’s never gonna understand.” Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked into the kitchen. Both her fathers stood flanking her mother, all with scowls on their faces. Zack had disappeared with Aurelia, and Kati, her father, and her grooms-to-be were standing guard at the door that led to the club. Rennia barked out a harsh laugh. “What is this? Are you my judge, jury, and executioners all rolled into one little group?”
Kitania placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t you use that tone with us, young lady. What were you thinking, carrying on with that young man without telling him who you are?”
“You were around for most of the family discussions,” said Ethan, “before Frank and Ray arrived. You knew about Ray’s aversion to shifters. Were you playing some kind of sick practical joke on him?”
Kati stepped forward, pushing away Synia and Kinnith’s hands as they tried to hold her back. “No, it wasn’t a practical joke. It was all my idea. I had to talk her into it.”
Latan looked at Ethan and shrugged.
Kitania walked over and placed her hand on Kati’s shoulder. “Why would you do that to you brother?”
Kati turned to Rennia. “It’s time to tell them the truth. This has hurt my brother badly, and we’re gonna need help to make things right.”
Kitania turned to Rennia. “What does she mean?”
Rennia groaned and walked over to jump up on one of the counters. “I wasn’t playing any kind of trick on Ray, Pop. I wanted a chance for him to get to know me without him knowing what I am.”
Kitania walked over and took Rennia’s hand between her own. “Why was that so important to you?”
She looked down at their clasped hands and then back up at her mother’s eyes. “He’s my mate.”
Ethan cursed. “Holy hell! Just what this family needs.”
“Quiet down, Ethan.” Latan growled. “You know as well as I do that there’s nothing we can do when nature decides to introduce our mate.” He looked at his daughter. “Did you know when all of you went to Tennessee to free up Kati and her brother?” The two siblings were being held by a New York gangster’s son because Kati had killed his brother in an undercover operation. Kati had gone back to free her brother and had managed to get herself captured. Rennia’s brothers and their friends had loaded up their siblings and headed to Tennessee to get her back.
“Yeah, I knew, and so did my wolf and cat. He never met me. I first saw him when I let the cat scout out the house for the guys so we’d know where everyone was. When she saw him, she planted herself on his lap and wouldn’t move.”
“What happened then?” asked Ethan.
“The rescue was going smoothly until one of the men got loose and grabbed a gun. My wolf saw red when he pointed the gun at Ray. I couldn’t stop the shift from cat to wolf.”
Ethan nodded. “Okay, so you changed in front of him. What did he say when you explained?”
Rennia sobbed. “I never explained anything to him. He was horrified and told me to get away from him. I ran away as fast as I could and never saw him again until he showed up here.”
“She had confided in me that Ray was her mate,” said Kati. “Plus, the guys were pretty sure it was true before she told me.” She walked over and stared out the open door. “I know my brother. He’s lonely, and has always wanted to have a real relationship like Dad had with our mother.”
Frank nodded. “That’s certainly true. The last couple of years he’s complained that the job was keeping him from being able to look for a suitable wife. All he was able to meet were hookers or drug addicts. He’s been badly depressed for the last year or better.”
“I thought if he could spend some time getting to know Rennia, without having to be afraid of her other half, he’d find himself falling in love, and the truth wouldn’t matter.” Kati looked at Rennia and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. It wasn’t going to be permanent. She planned on telling him everything when the club closed tonight.” She shrugged. “I guess we didn’t stop to consider the entire family would be here.”
“What I did was wrong, Kati. You know that’s true. He deserves someone that won’t lie to him just because it makes things easier. I’d hoped that if we got close enough, he’d begin to feel the mating heat and nothing I told him would keep him away for long. I knew he’d be angry, but nothing like what he was when he walked out of here.”
Latan shook his head. “Having you tell him the truth and being witness to your shifting into the wolf are two separate things. He has no way of knowing you were going to confess everything tonight. For all he knows, he accidentally found out your secret and that you purposely lied to him.”
“What are you gonna do now, Sis?” asked Synia.
Kati moved toward the door. “I don’t know what she’s gonna do, but I’m gonna find Ray and make sure he’s all right. Maybe he’ll let me tell my side of the story, and he’ll know that you planned things much differently tonight.” She looked at Synia. “Let’s go. I’ve got a feeling I know where he is.” She moved toward the door and stopped when Rennia grabbed her arm.
“Please, tell him how sorry I am. I never meant to cause him any pain.”
Kati hugged her close. “Don’t worry, girl. We’re gonna make things right.” She left, with her mates right behind her.
Rennia turned to look at her parents. “You’ve got to deal with the guys the sheriff took away, and I’ve got to deal with the club tonight. Let’s not have the big, overblown lecture until tomorrow, ok
ay? I’m not up to anything else tonight.”
Kitania moved in close and folded her arms around Rennia. “No lecture this time, sweetie. You’re being punished enough if you’re being kept away from your mate. Let’s get back out in the club and get people served so they’ll come back again. They can’t have a very good impression of this place after we’ve ignored them for the past hour. Your dads can deal with Sheriff Rivers.”
She pulled Rennia slowly toward the door. When they reached it, Rennia turned to look at her fathers. “I don’t think he’s going to forgive me for this. God help me, but I think I’ve lost my mate.”
Chapter 10
Nathaniel peered through the small window in the heavy steel door and watched the young woman flip through the pages of a magazine. Her long, blonde hair was dull and lifeless, somewhat like the girl herself had become. She was looking a little better since she’d given up her hunger strike. It was too bad it had taken threats to the children to get her to cooperate. He was reasonably sure that what he had planned next for her was going to take some drastic steps to get her acquiescence. Shaking his head, he turned the heavy lock that kept her confined. As he watched through the window, she scrambled into the corner as the sound of the metal echoed loudly in the small room.
“Good morning, Miss Wind River.” He cocked his head and studied her. “Why is it that everyone in your pack uses the same surname? Doesn’t it make it confusing when you’re having your group get-togethers?”
She tossed the magazine onto the small cot. “We’re not required to use the pack name as our own. The families that take the name do so out of respect for the founders of the pack.” She sneered at Nathaniel. “Something I’m sure you have no experience with.”
Do You Take This Cat [Wind River Pack 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 11