Foxy Lady: A Cougar Falls Story

by Marie Harte

  Grady finally looked at him. “No shit? Well, you know you’re welcome to live with us. Most of the councils in the other clans seem to be filled with pricks, sorry to say. Hell, except for us cats, and that’s because there are so few of us, every clan in town seems to have issues. The raptors are undergoing a major change after half their leadership fucked their way around rules. You silver foxes are stuck on yourselves, with all that heritage crap. The bears are growing so distant from the rest of us I wouldn’t be surprised if they started their own town, and don’t get me started on the wolves. Aside from Monty, the gray wolves annoy the shit out of me.”

  “Yeah, well, they’re good at that.”

  “You should come stay with us. You know Burke sure as hell won’t care, especially now that you have Julia. He’s pretty possessive about Rachel, not that I blame him. She’s so good for him, you know? It’s nice to have a female cat around the house. She doesn’t tolerate his attitude.” Grady grinned. “We could use more women at the ranch. I like Julia. You I could tolerate if I had to.”

  “Keep it up, kitty.” Ty laughed at the finger Grady shot him. “Seriously, though, Grady. Thanks.”

  Gabby took that moment to join them. Her limp was more than noticeable. The nurse had seen Gabby’s leg and proclaimed it already on the mend. The bullet had passed clean through and Gabby had shifted from cat to human and back again a few times to speed her healing. What would normally take weeks would likely take days to get better.

  “Should you be walking on that so soon?” Grady frowned.

  She ignored him. “Ty, I’m so glad you found Meghan and Jason. They’re bruised, but they’ll heal, thank God. Meghan’s sleeping soundly now, but when she wakes up, she’s going to want to be with Jason again.”

  They’d called Jason’s mother, anonymously, and given her his whereabouts after dropping Jason at an after-hours clinic. They left him after being assured he’d make a full recovery. At worst, he had some bruising and a few cuts that needed healing. Much like Meghan, who currently was sleeping off her ordeal in Ty’s spare bedroom thanks to a prescribed sedative.

  “I’m so glad Meghan’s okay. What they could have done to her…” Gabby trailed off, and her eyes filled again.

  Grady stood and gently led her away, offering her comfort in his arms. When he turned, Ty noticed the bloodstains on his shirt.

  “Grady, make sure you get that looked at.”

  Grady nodded and tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid Gabby’s interest in his wound. When the woman started chastising him for not caring for his own injuries and called for the nurse, she reminded Ty of Julia. Always trying to take charge.

  He winced when he stretched out his left leg. Talk about taking care of injuries…

  Sean loomed over him, shaking his head.

  “What now?” Ty grumbled. “You know, as much as I appreciate all your help tonight, honesty compels me to tell the truth. You birds are a real pain in the ass. The hawk inside caring for Julia nearly snapped my head off when I asked her to stay a while.”

  “You mean when you told her to stay. And yeah, Nurse McKane snapped, because she’s been trying to see to your leg but you won’t let her.” Sean stared down at him, too quiet.

  “Hell. I’ll deal with my leg once the rest of you are—”

  Sean and Monty hauled him to his feet and dragged him down the hallway toward the bedroom.

  “Moron.” Sean stood a head taller than Ty and had a broader back and bigger arms. The bird probably watched himself lift weights and flexed at all hours of the day. The thought made Ty grin.

  “The rest of us are fine,” Sean said. “Well, Monty and I are. We have a few cuts that have already started to heal. I think Grady’s knife wound is deeper than he’s let on.”

  “I heard that,” Gabby snarled from the other room. “Grady Chastell, what the hell is wrong with you?”

  “With me?” Ty heard Grady answer. “Darlin’, I’m just fine. I—”

  Then Monty kicked Ty’s calf and streaks of pain shot through his leg to his brain, shorting out all thought.

  “Yep. Bullet’s still in there.”

  “Asshole,” Ty wheezed. “You could have just asked.”

  Monty smiled, showing sharp white teeth. “Now, Sheriff. As a concerned citizen of Cougar Falls, I feel it’s my duty to see to it that our most senior lawman is taken care of.”

  Sean had to add, “And as a member of the Raptor Clan, I feel it’s my duty to make sure you don’t abuse Nurse McKane. The woman just wants to do her job, so let her look at that leg or I’m filing an official complaint.”

  “With who?” Ty felt like he was being dragged to the guillotine.

  The look on Nurse McKane’s face was positively evil when he entered between Sean and Monty. The old bird smirked at him. “Oh good. Now let’s get a look at that leg.” She held up a needle. “This will dull the pain while I dig out the bullet.”

  Feeling woozy, Ty let them carry him to the bed, where he lay down next to Julia.

  “It’ll be okay, Ty,” she whispered, drowsy but aware as she looked at him.

  Ty confessed the truth in a whisper, wishing the others weren’t standing so close. Shifter hearing made secrets virtually impossible in town. “It’s not the pain I’m worried about.” He cleared his throat. “It’s the needle.”

  Sean and Monty burst out laughing.

  Nurse McKane rolled her eyes. “Typical.”

  “Do it for me, Ty. I need to know you’re okay.” Julia threaded her hand through his. “I’ll be right here with you.”

  He squeezed her hand tight and stared up at the ceiling as Nurse Ratched stepped closer. “Right here with me. Don’t leave.”

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  “I love you, baby.” He swore when the needle pierced his leg and made the mistake of looking down.

  He passed out cold.

  Chapter Ten

  Cougar Falls, one month later

  “I feel like an overgrown mannequin. You sure about this?” Ty asked, uneasy. He pulled at his collar, relieved Julia hadn’t made him wear a tux as she’d threatened.

  “Yes. Now stop fidgeting.”

  They stood in the front pew watching the pending nuptials. Meghan looked like a vision in white. Jason stood by her side, his hand at the crook of her elbow. Ty had walked Meghan down the aisle, and Burke stood as Jason’s best man. Grady’s brother had taken a liking to the young man marrying Meghan.

  The ceremony here would precede the one Jason and Meghan intended to have in Seattle, where Jason’s relatives could attend. Jason’s family had taken a hard hit. Tilda mourned her husband’s death and son’s disappearance—gotta love those wolves—but Jason’s upcoming wedding, and the promise of grandchildren, helped her look to the future.

  Jason glowed with happiness, despite the bruising that lingered due to a cracked jaw. He and Meghan had earned the approval of the town council, especially after Ty had put in a good word.

  To Julia’s shock, Meghan confided she’d shared the truth about her animal spirit with Jason months ago. The shifty vixen had known he would always be hers.

  At that moment, Meghan looked over her shoulder at Julia. “I love you,” she mouthed. Next to the bride, Gabby looked radiant in a dark blue gown. She winked and turned back to face the front. Meghan had been determined to put Julia in her wedding, but Julia hadn’t wanted to miss any of it so was watching from the crowd. After all Julia had been through to help Meghan, the younger woman hadn’t argued with her.

  The chapel in Cougar Falls was filled to capacity. Though Jason’s family couldn’t be present to witness this joining, the Catamount Pride had officially adopted him, just after they’d graciously welcomed Julia, Gabby, Meghan and Ty. Rachel Chastell had officiated Jason’s induction into the pride with a small ceremony by the town Totem. Jason could now see the town, and he almost glowed with the hum of his own animal spirit.

  “He’s got the slightest hint of Ac-taw, but it’s there,” R
achel had confided days ago. “Probably why he and your sister are such a sound match.”

  “Dammit, this thing itches.” Ty fiddled with the collar of his sport coat and sat with the congregation as the preacher began the vows. He plucked a toy syringe from under the back of his collar and swore under his breath. He tossed it behind him.

  Monty whispered, “Oooh, a needle. I feel faint.”

  “Assholes.”

  “Shh.” Grady chuckled and poked him in the back. “I can’t hear Reverend Rhodes, tough guy.”

  “You mean you can’t focus on Gabby’s ass when I move just so,” Ty whispered back and scooted closer to Julia.

  Gabby glowered at him over her shoulder before turning to face front, and even Meghan shot him a glare. Several muffled coughs behind them couldn’t hide the laughter.

  Julia tried to contain her own mirth. Ever since Grady had seen Gabby turn, he hadn’t left her alone. He stalked her day and night. The one time Dean had even hinted he might want to visit with Gabby alone, Grady had nearly torn his head off. And to Gabby’s astonishment, the silver foxes suddenly wouldn’t leave her alone either. Apparently being a shifter with two animal spirits was a huge deal, contrary to what her aunt and uncle had always told them.

  Which made it a good thing Julia and her family now lived on the Catamount Ranch away from town.

  Life with the pride would take some getting used to, but Julia loved it there. The silver foxes hadn’t blinked when she had announced she and her sisters were leaving. Ty’s departure had been another matter. The entire clan had put up a fight, but even they realized how wrong it would be to separate mates.

  It hadn’t surprised her to see their reaction to the announcement that Julia and her sisters were half cat, either. While Ty and Gerald had the right of it and many in the Silver Fox Clan didn’t care, too many still did. Her aunt and uncle had been ostracized—the best part about coming clean. They’d also made it quite clear they no longer considered Julia and her sisters family.

  Still, nearly half the fox clan had gathered in the chapel and waited outside, showing their support for Meghan.

  “That’ll be us, soon,” Ty murmured and kissed her ear. “When do you want to make our own announcement?” He rubbed her belly before she quickly brought his hand to her lap.

  “Not yet. This is Meghan’s day. Stop it,” she hissed, torn between laughter and satisfaction. Her shifty fox had done his damnedest to knock her up. By her calculations, he’d gotten her pregnant that first night in the cave, when she’d felt her soul join his.

  “I hope it’s a girl. And I hope she looks just like you.” He kissed her cheek and promptly behaved himself.

  The ceremony continued. At one point, the bride and groom knelt before the reverend to receive his official blessing. Enamored with the purity of the ceremony, it took Julia a few moments to realize the crowd was making noise.

  A glance at Ty showed him fighting laughter.

  “What’s going on?”

  Ty nodded at Jason. “Look at his feet.”

  On the soles of his shoes, someone had written in black marker, Help Me.

  “No, it wasn’t me,” he said quickly. “Must have been Dean. That cat loves a joke.”

  “That’s your handwriting, Tyler Jonathan Roderick. Living with Dean and Grady has dropped your maturity level to zero,” she hissed in a furious whisper. She glanced over her shoulder at Dean and then Grady, who tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. “And you. I’m telling Meghan and Gabby this is all your fault.”

  He bit his lip but didn’t stop grinning. “Spoilsport.”

  Near them, Monty, Gerald and the rest of the Chastell pride made faces as they choked down their amusement.

  Ty poked her arm. “Come on, Julia. Admit it. It’s funny.”

  It was. But God forbid her sister catch wind of it. If anything, her tendency toward theatrics had only grown since leaving the Silver Fox Clan. As if knowing she had the freedom to now be herself pushed her into an almost obnoxious exhibitionist phase.

  Meghan must have picked up on the murmurs in the crowd, for she craned her neck to see the soles of Jason’s shoes and swore.

  “Meghan Easton!” Reverend Rhodes rolled his eyes. “Great Mother above, forgive this child.”

  “Help me? Who did this?” she wailed, the silver fox not content to make it through to “I Do.”

  Jason leaned close and whispered in her ear. Lo and behold, Julia’s sister quieted down and apologized for her outburst.

  “I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it,” Ty said quietly, laughter in his voice.

  “Believe it. It takes a special man to tame an Easton.”

  “Don’t I know it.” He hugged her tight with his right arm over her shoulder and pushed his left hand past hers to rub her belly again.

  Julia smiled and covered his hand with her own. “Yeah, you do.”

  “That’s right. I do. You just remember to say those words next month and we’ll be fine.” He fingered the diamond on her finger. “My foxy lady. You’re all mine.”

  About the Author

  Marie Harte is an avid reader who loves all things paranormal and futuristic. Reading romances since she was twelve, she fell in love with the warmth of first passion and knew writing was her calling. Twenty-plus years later, the Marine Corps, a foray through Information Technology, a husband and four kids, and her dream has finally come true. Marie lives in Georgia with her family and loves hearing from readers. To read more about Marie, visit www.marieharte.com.

  Look for these titles by Marie Harte

  Now Available:

  Cougar Falls

  Rachel’s Totem

  In Plain Sight

  Feral Attraction

  Foxy Lady

  Ethereal Foes

  The Dragons’ Demon

  Duncan’s Descent

  I Dream of Dragons Vol. 1

  Westlake Enterprises

  To Hunt a Sainte

  A Scorching Seduction

  Enjoying the Show

  Sins of Summer

  He’s enough to tempt a Sainte to sin.

  To Hunt a Sainte

  © 2010 Marie Harte

  Westlake Enterprises, Book 1

  Telekinetic Alexandra Sainte is through serving time behind a desk at Buchanan Investigations. She’s more than ready to prove she’s capable of fieldwork, if only her uncle will give her the chance. Tired of waiting, she turns a sudden opportunity into something more.

  Her unauthorized raid of a suspected kidnapper’s office goes off without a hitch—mostly—but as she makes her escape, she sees a pair of golden eyes watching her every move. Eyes that spark erotic dreams of a dark stranger taking her in ways that make her blush.

  There’s a reason Hunter Greye can’t take his gaze off the sticky-fingered woman he catches ruining his investigation. She fights like a warrior. She bears a striking resemblance to a string of kidnapping victims. And she stirs a wildness within him he thought he’d learned to control a long time ago. She’s a dangerous distraction he can’t afford.

  Thrown together in an undercover operation to find the mastermind behind the kidnappings, Alex and Hunter fall in lust, in love, and in danger. Only by trusting each other can they save the girl…and each other.

  Warning: Beware psychics with attitude, a killer red dress, a ruthless villain with an angel obsession, and rivals who can’t figure out who’s better on top.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for To Hunt a Sainte:

  Two days later, Hunter stood grimfaced in front of a slate blue door and pounded again. He smelled lavender and clenched his jaw at the effort it took to focus on his present course of action. He knew the damned woman was home.

  When no one answered after a few more minutes, he set to work. The lock proved no problem, her security alarm even less of one. He’d have a talk with her about that…afterward.

  Hunter had tried, but he could no longer avoid the inevitable. This had to stop. He moved
silently and swiftly through her open rooms, noting the tidiness of her apartment. Alexandra Sainte decorated sparsely but with a warmth that was inviting.

  An eclectic mix of styles accented the cozy feel of a living room well used. A plush leather sofa and matching chair congregated around a teak coffee table covered with home design magazines and the occasional fitness rag. A few plants, all healthy and thriving, sat in her picture window, overlooking a common courtyard. The few bookcases along a far wall boasted an assortment of titles, none of which indicated her preference of reading material.

  He entered her spotless kitchen. The counters appeared clean, as did her pristine white cabinets. The ceramic sink remained free of dirty dishes. Not even a speck of dirt in the drain. Dear God, did anyone actually live here? Then the scent of lavender hit him hard. Again. His pulse raced, his body tightened, and pure, sensual need spiked his blood.

  Swearing under his breath, he continued his search for the feminine bane of his existence. He turned into a hallway off the living room and stilled. He could smell her there, could almost feel her delicate energy in the air.

  Time to tie up a few loose ends.

  Williams’ crew had given up their efforts at discreet surveillance and tailed Alex outright. Tonight, Hunter decided to take care of watching over Ms. Sainte personally. Professionally. Finally.

  The sound of water splashing drew him down the hallway and through an untidy bedroom—a surprise inconsistent with the rest of the house. He walked through the doorway into her bathroom and froze.

  Even though he’d been expecting it, the vision of Alex covered in bubbles struck him with the force of a physical blow. Surrounded by lavender and warmed by the humidity in the intimate bathroom, Hunter was overwhelmed with a sudden need to touch her golden skin, wet and shining before him. Calling on every ounce of discipline he possessed, Hunter forced himself to remain still and studied the sleepy beauty he couldn’t get out of his mind.