Coaxing His Skittish Lynx

by Charlie Richards

  Into the paranormal world: Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.

  For the last twenty-five years, Roland’s Iberian lynx had been used as an attraction in curiosity shows. One night, strangers take him away. Upon waking, he’s disoriented and scared…until he recognizes the scent of his old friend, Vane. Separated when Roland was sold and Vane wasn’t, Vane had since been rescued, and now offers the same freedom to Roland. With the force of Vane’s entire gargoyle clutch behind him, Roland finally feels like he can make a new start. Except, one of the gargoyles claims that they are mates, but Roland can’t sense it, revealing a secret he never wanted exposed.

  Tobias is thrilled to discover that Roland is his mate until the lynx shifter denies their bond. When the pretty shifter declares he can’t bond with anyone—and Tobias learns the life-changing reason why—Tobias vows that it doesn’t matter to him. He’ll stand by and care for his mate through any difficulty. His devotion is quickly called into question when dangers from Roland’s past force Tobias to spend time guaranteeing his mate’s safety instead of spending time with Roland. Can Tobias prove to his mate that he truly wants him and doesn’t consider Roland just another duty?

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Coaxing His Skittish Lynx

  Copyright © 2014 Charlie Richards

  ISBN: 978-1-77111-926-9

  Cover art by Scott Carpenter

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books

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  Coaxing His Skittish Lynx

  A Paranormal’s Love: Book Seven

  By

  Charlie Richards

  Dedication

  To those who take responsibility for their own actions—life has bumps, but it’s how we handle them that proves a person’s true character.

  Chapter One

  Roland slowly roused, consciousness seeping into his mind, pulling him from the dark abyss he’d been floating in blissfully. He felt warm and relaxed and that scared him. Had he done something wrong, something to anger his captors? Had they drugged him again?

  Cracking open an eyelid, Roland peeked at his surroundings. Instead of the cold, damp cage he expected to see, he saw…a fireplace, the glow of flames illuminating the darkened room.

  What the—

  He turned his head a bit and realized he lay on a massive padded cushion and someone had spread a blanket over him. That explained the source of the warm and comfortable feeling.

  But where am I? What’s going on?

  Roland wondered if he’d been sold again. That must be it. Then, memories—fuzzy from malnourishment and whatever drugs were still clearing from his system—surfaced in his mind.

  Noises pulled Roland from an uneasy doze. He spotted a massive shadow, then a creature of some kind appearing out of the darkness. With a slicing movement of one clawed hand, the loincloth-clad beast opened his cage. The huge creature opened the door and moved cautiously inside with him.

  Roland crouched in a corner and hissed, more from fear than in warning.

  What the hell is going on?

  Then, the creature crouched before him and said, “I’ve been sent by Vane, Roland. My name is Geoffrey. I’m a gargoyle, just like Vane. I’m here to help you.”

  Vane? Who is—wait, that name’s familiar. Gargoyle? What is that?

  The creature must have taken his confusion as acceptance, for he waved another person into his cage. A human…who held a syringe. Fear slid through Roland and he hissed again, curling his lips back in a low snarl. He pressed his back against the bars of the cage behind him and struck out with one paw. The guards clipped his claws regularly, but the power behind his blow could still hurt.

  “Shit,” the human squeaked, stumbling back a few steps.

  “Hey, easy, Roland,” the creature—gargoyle—Geoffrey murmured. “None of that, now. We’ll get you out of here, but for everyone’s safety, we need you sedated. We can’t have you panicking while we’re flying you to safety.” He lifted a clawed hand and pointed. “This is Leroy. He’s a nurse. He won’t hurt you.”

  Roland hissed again. He didn’t know these people. He didn’t trust them.

  Geoffrey sighed and shook his head. “Guess we’ll have to do this the hard way. Sorry, buddy.”

  That was the only warning Roland received before Geoffrey lunged at him. Roland struck out, but his blow barely seemed to register to the massive male. The gargoyle tackled him. Draped over Roland’s back, Geoffrey wrapped his arms around him and grabbed Roland’s front legs. The heavy weight and tight hold offered Roland little chance to move.

  Roland opened his mouth, intending to yowl, but just that fast, the human stabbed the needle into his neck. Instead, he hissed and attempted to snap at the male. Geoffrey released his right leg and grabbed his jaws in a tight grip. Whining, he scraped his blunted claws down Geoffrey’s forearm.

  The gargoyle grunted, but didn’t release his hold.

  Then, whatever the human had injected into him took effect. His vision swam and lethargy swamped his limbs. Vaguely, he felt Geoffrey’s grip ease on him, but he still couldn’t move.

  The last thing Roland remembered was that the gargoyle actually scratched his head and leaned close to whisper, “Sorry, buddy.”

  So…where am I now?

  While the scents of the gargoyle and the human that had brought him there wafted in the air, Roland noted several other people’s scents permeated the area, too. He peered around the room, taking in the large, four-poster bed, the dresser, and nightstands.

  The place screamed money.

  Money meant the people thought themselves privileged. Roland didn’t like people who felt privileged. Bud Wallice, the carnival show’s owner, where Roland lived as an Iberian lynx, accepted payment from rich people to parade Roland around like a pet cat.

  Roland found it degrading, worse even than having to lie in a cage all day so patrons could walk around, and stare at him. He wasn’t just an Iberian lynx. He was a shifter, a man who could turn into a cat, who shared his instincts and abilities. He clung to those ideas, helping him keep sane.

  Unfortunately, the fear of giving away that shifters existed to humans kept him trapped in his lynx form. He couldn’t allow the cat out of the bag, per se, and he’d been sold and resold many times. Occasionally, he wondered if his old pride had moved after he’d been kidnapped…about as often as he wondered where he was being held.

  Not wanting to think about his pride, his parents, or his brothers and sisters, Roland pushed those thoughts from his mind. He’d wondered for years why no one had come to rescue him, waffling between fearing the worst and feeling betrayed.

  Roland struggled to his feet. He still felt weak, but he cou
ld move, the sedative easing its hold. Padding slowly toward the balcony doors, he toyed with the idea of shifting. It’d been so long. Would he remember how? He paused and stared out the glass-paned doors.

  The sun shone brightly, illuminating a sprawling green lawn. To the right, it ended at garden hedges while straight ahead, a pine forest beckoned. Roland’s jaw sagged, even in cat form. Could he make it?

  Just as he made up his mind to try—hell, when would he get another opportunity—the squeak of a door opening reached him from through the wall. Then, footsteps sounded, telling Roland he’d missed his opportunity. Fearing what was coming, Roland crawled under the bed and curled up against the wall.

  Another door opened and a crack of light illuminated a triangle on the floor. The unmistakable silhouette of a person crossed the light, then melted into the dark shadows of the room.

  A gruff voice growled, “Roland? Where are ya, buddy?”

  Roland tensed. These people knew his name. How was that possible? He hadn’t told his name to anyone. Humans had captured him while he’d been out running with his family. That was years ago, and he’d been in lynx form ever since.

  Wait, there’d been one time…

  Red legs ending in black, deadly looking claws appeared at the side of the bed. Slowly the male lowered himself to the floor and a face that looked vaguely familiar appeared. Sunken eye-sockets, black horns, and a skeletal-like face should have been scary, but the red eyes peering at him sparked a long-buried memory.

  Vane!

  When the humans had first captured Roland, they’d sold him to a man named…Larson Goldman. He’d been tossed into the cage of what Larson called a demon. Upon seeing the lean, red creature, Roland had thought he’d be dead for sure. Instead, once Larson had left, the demon had spoken to him.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, cat, but if you attack, I’ll defend myself.”

  Roland had shifted, revealing shifter’s existence to the creature. They’d become friends.

  “Come on out of there, Roland,” Vane urged. “You’re safe here. No one will hurt you.” He settled on the floor next to the bed and beckoned with one clawed hand. “You have my word.”

  Feeling the first dredges of something he hadn’t felt in years, hope, Roland’s tension slowly eased. He crept forward a few steps, then a few more. He kept his gaze fixed on Vane, afraid if he looked away, his friend would disappear. Finally, he managed to clear the bed frame.

  Roland wasted no time crawling onto his friend’s lap. Heaving a sigh, he settled his head on Vane’s thigh. The demon had grown since they’d been forced apart decades ago. His broader thighs made the position far more comfortable, and he nuzzled and kneaded, expressing his pleasure.

  When Vane wrapped his arm around Roland with one hand and petted his head with the other, Roland let out a contented sigh.

  Finally, he felt safe.

  “You gonna shift?” Vane asked.

  Roland had never heard the guy rumble softly as he did now. He figured he must look horrible and be acting completely pathetic to get this kind of treatment, but he just couldn’t help himself. After so long being alone and scared, Roland needed the comfort.

  Not wanting to move, Roland shook his head and purred.

  Vane chuckled quietly for a few seconds, then they lapsed into silence. After a few minutes where Vane just petted and held him, he stated, “I guess I’ll start at the beginning. First, I want to apologize for taking so long in finding you. I—” He paused, his voice hitching. “Losing you how I did, then getting beaten, I—” He sounded as if the memories pained him. “I lost my memory.”

  Roland tensed. It was a good thing his claws were clipped and Vane’s hide was thick, otherwise he felt certain he’d have inadvertently speared the male.

  Vane sighed. “Gods, I’m so sorry.”

  Mewling, Roland tried to reassure his friend. He rubbed his head on Vane’s thigh. He’d been the recipient of many beatings at the hands of Larson. Not to mention—he shut that thought down, too embarrassed even to think it.

  “I was rescued almost twenty years ago by Maelgwn and a couple of others,” Vane whispered. “He’s the leader here. They sat me down and explained that I’m a gargoyle, that’s why I turn into stone during the day and look like I do. I learned about our culture. They paid for my education and forged identification for me. It wasn’t until I found my mate that I remembered you,” he admitted. “I, um, my mate and I had a misunderstanding and…well, in the end I had a panic attack and a flashback and—”

  Vane’s grip tightened in Roland’s fur for a few seconds. “As soon as I remembered you, I hunted you down, and my clutch-mates helped me free you and the other shifters at that place.” Again, he sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  Roland scented Vane’s self-disgust—huh, a gargoyle, go figure—and didn’t like smelling it from his friend. The gargoyle had remembered him. That was the important thing. He had to tell him.

  He called to his human form and felt relief that, after so long, he had no trouble changing. It took longer than in the past, but he got it done. It felt strange to have fingers, toes, and skin instead of fur after living as a cat for decades.

  Slowly sitting up, Roland appreciated that Vane allowed him to stay on his lap. He hadn’t missed the part where Vane said he’d found his mate. He’d learned about mates from his parents when he’d started shifting at the age of twelve, knowing they were possessive. His father had been so proud, saying because he was an early bloomer, he’d end up a strong lynx.

  Now, that’d never be so.

  “It’s not your fault,” Roland said, his voice rusty from disuse. “If it makes you feel any better, the places I was held after Larson weren’t nearly as bad.” That was true, too. Sure, living conditions always sucked because everyone treated him as an animal, and while the food wasn’t as much as a shifter needed to live and grow properly, at least they hadn’t beaten him.

  Vane sighed. “It doesn’t.”

  Roland shrugged. “My momma used to say that everything happens in its own time for its own reason. We shouldn’t question Fate.”

  Nodding, Vane hugged him. “You are welcome here as long as you need. Our doctor is the best and our leader is patient. I know you probably want to contact your family, but—” Vane stopped speaking.

  Maybe he was uncertain what he wanted to say or how to ask for what he needed. Roland remembered his friend hadn’t ever been the most eloquent. He rested his head on Vane’s hard pec and admitted, “I don’t know if I want to find my family. What if they never even looked for me?”

  “I’m sure they did.” Vane sounded so confident.

  Needing to think on something else, Roland murmured, “So, I’m really free? Is Mister Wallice going to come looking for me?”

  “You’re really free,” Vane assured. “And if he knows what’s good for him, he won’t come looking for you all,” he added, his voice dropping to an angry snarl. “You are under our clutch’s protection. You are safe.”

  Sighing, Roland closed his eyes and let his body relax for the first time in what felt like forever. “Thank you.” After a few seconds, he smiled and murmured, “Congrats on finding your mate. Is he around?”

  “He is,” stated another voice.

  Roland widened his eyes in surprise. He hadn’t heard anyone enter. Was he really that out of it? Possibly…between the lingering effects of whatever sedative was in his system, along with the shock and relief of actually being rescued, Roland figured his body couldn’t handle much more stress.

  Snapping his head around, he spotted not one, but several…males. Roland thought he scented irritation or maybe anger from someone and he figured finding a stranger in the arms of your mate would certainly do it.

  Sweeping his gaze over the three males, Roland noticed the tense set of the human’s shoulders. While his wide lips were set in a tight smile, he held out his hand toward Roland. “I’m Matthew Beakman,” the human stated
. “I’m Vane’s mate. I’m glad to see you awake and…” At that, his words seemed to stall and he grimaced.

  Roland really didn’t want to, but he couldn’t in good conscience stay on his friend’s lap…especially nude. While that wasn’t a big thing for shifters, he knew it was for humans. Sliding sideways, Roland’s ass hit the floor. He brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, shielding himself from the strangers.

  “Nice to meet you,” Roland whispered. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks,” Matthew replied.

  Watching Matthew’s hand slowly lower to his side, Roland felt a bit bad. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to touch the other man. He turned his attention to the two gargoyles standing behind Matthew. Both had green mottled skin, one much lighter than the other gargoyle. The darker of the two actually had his arms crossed and he scowled.

  Uncertainty filled Roland, and his grip on his legs tightened. “Um, th-thanks for rescuing, um, us.” He remembered Vane saying that more than one shifter had been freed.

  “You’re welcome, Roland,” the lighter of the pair replied. His smile appeared genuine. He stepped forward and crouched in front of him. “I’m Doctor Perseus. Me and Nurse Leroy, the human who came with Geoffrey to get you, will be working with you throughout your rehabilitation.”

  Roland nodded slowly.

  “As will I,” stated the second male. “I’m the clutch second, Tobias. We will move you to my suite as soon as possible.”

  Roland’s jaw sagged open. He swept his gaze over the massive male, taking in his wide shoulders and heavily muscled torso. He had thick limbs ending in black claws. Behind him, Tobias sported a pair of large black wings.

  “Wh-wh-why?” Roland stammered.

  Tobias actually appeared insulted. He straightened as he snapped, “You’re my mate. How could you think I’d do anything else?”