by Sierra Brave
Maddie poked out her lips. “Laugh it up, hooker.”
“Whoa, nice insult. How long did it take you to think that one up?”
“We can’t all be librarians.” Maddie shoved Harley to the edge of the bed. “Go see who’s there but don’t let anyone in my house for any reason.”
“Okay.”
The same smug looking cat who had greeted Abram the first time he’d visited Maddie’s home was staring at him as he waited at the front door. He inhaled deeply and then sniffed a few times. No pheromones—I guess it’s just a regular cat.
The top portion of Maddie’s Dutch door opened and a woman Abram had never seen before asked, “Can I help you?”
Abram stood staring, picturing the scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy Gale makes it to the Emerald City only for some guy to open part of the door and end up slamming it in her face. He gathered his resolve, pushing his shoulders back. “I’m looking for Maddie Mittens.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other while gripping the plastic container he was holding.
The lady smirked at him in a manner that made him feel completely naked. “She’s not available right now. Is there something I can do for you?”
Abram examined her face and what little he could see of her body. She resembled Maddie to a point. They had the same color hair and eyes, but this woman was taller and didn’t have Maddie’s voluptuous curves. She also had a longer, thinner face. “I really need to talk to her. When will she be home?”
“She’s here, but she’s not receiving guests right now. Did you try calling her?”
He sighed as he nodded. “Only about a million times—she won’t return my calls or answer my texts.” He looked over her head, trying to get a glimpse of the girl he really wanted to see.
“I guess she doesn’t want to talk to you then. Why don’t you take the hint and leave my little sister alone?”
Abram pushed down on his chest, attempting to alleviate the hollow, painful, burning sensation. His stomach turned, and fatigue plagued his muscles. Sleep had eluded him for days, and the few times he’d dozed off, he’d been tormented by crazy dreams. Davis had called it raging horse sleep. Abram wasn’t certain about all that ‘your-horse-wants-her’ stuff, but he sure as hell missed Maddie. “I can’t stop thinking about her.”
Her eyes widened and she pulled her head back, lifting her chin. “Is that right?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Abram felt even sicker than he had before. “I made her some cookies.” He lifted the square, plastic container.
She reached out and took the box. “I’ll be glad to give them to her for you, but Maddie’s feeling poorly and isn’t seeing anyone right now. She’ll call you once she recovers, and if she doesn’t, you will know to piss right off.” She stepped back and shut the top portion of the door. Abram heard her push the latch close. He lingered for a moment, hoping Maddie would change her mind and greet him. After a while, the feline to his right meowed, and even that sounded scornful. Thoroughly defeated, he hung his head as he walked to his truck.
“Well, look here what we got.” Harley gently shook a takeaway container, rattling whatever was inside.
Maddie leaned back into the pillows she’d fluffed up behind her. “What is it?”
“There was a strapping hunk at your door bearing gifts.”
“Give me a break.” She huffed as she reached her hand out.
“I’m serious. He kinda favored your buddy, Davis, so I’m guessing he’s the one who put you in this sorry state.”
“Give me the damn box, Harley.”
“Such language!” She laughed as she gave Maddie the container. “It’s cookies. He said he baked them.”
“Seriously?” Maddie popped the top open before fishing out a cookie and sniffing it. She closed her eyes enjoying the fresh scent of peanut butter.
Harley snagged one and took a bite.”Mmm, not bad and someone told him what your favorite was.”
Maddie nodded, fresh tears running down her face as she took a bite. She chewed and then swallowed. “Damn him. These are delicious.”
“Aww, what did he do to you, baby?” Harley wrapped her arms around Maddie and hugged her close.
Maddie buried her face in sister’s shoulder and balled. “He doesn’t like cats and he’s grossed out by shifting.”
Harley stroked her hair. “Then forget about him.”
Maddie whimpered. “If only I could. My lion won’t let me. He’s my fated mate so I’m going to be alone for the rest of my life.”
Haley gripped both of Maddie’s forearms and pushed her back, staring her in the face. “Do you honestly believe that stuff? Not everyone goes in for that one-true-mate business.”
After wiping her face with her bedsheet Maddie nodded. “It’s real. I felt it the first time he and I kissed. No, even before that—when we met, he pissed me off, but I could already feel the pull.”
Harley looked at her alertly, her pupils half covered and one eyebrow lifted. “Are you sure you didn’t just imagine it?”
Maddie grabbed her sister's hand and placed the palm on her chest above her sprinting heart. “You feel that? And that’s just from him standing outside the door to my house. Yes, I’m sure. Do you think I want to be fated to a guy who’s ashamed of me? That’s what you call a deal breaker.”
Harley looked away, clearly avoiding Maddie’s gaze as she continued her denial. “You might be working a bunch of nonsense up in your mind.”
Maddie folded her arms over her chest. “So now I’m a nutcase? If there’s nothing to the fated mate, explain my mom and our dad—a cougar and a house cat.”
Harley shifted her weight. “You got me there. Before he met your mom, I always thought he should have married mine, but he said the Tomcat in him wouldn’t let him settle down. A few years later, he follows home a cougar and falls head over heels in love.”
“Right? They shouldn’t work but they're perfect.” Maddie bit into a cookie and chewed.
“At one time, didn’t you think Davis might be the one?”
Maddie finished chewing and swallowed. “I’ve been pondering about that. Sometimes when I looked at Davis, I’d get bits and pieces of feelings here and there, but they always disintegrated fast. He and Abram are cousins. Perhaps our soul mates are imprinted in our DNA. Maybe my internal love thermometer was picking up the genetic similarities but never got past warm and fuzzy.”
“But you feel red, hot passion with Abram?”
She sighed. “More than I can say.”
Haley kissed her on the side of her forehead. “What are you going to do?”
Maddie leaned over and cuddled with her sister. “I don’t know, but I can tell you that these damn cookies are the first food I’ve felt like I could hold down since I walked away from him. I sleep for two hours at a time. I can’t get him off my brain. I close my eyes and I see his face and can smell his scent. That son-of-a-bitch has ruined my life.”
“You want me to shift into my calico and scratch his eyes out?” Harley squeezed Maddie’s hand.
She shook her head. “No, but I wouldn’t mind if you turned his shoe into a litterbox.”
Harley scrunched up her nose as she picked up a throw pillow and then bonked Maddie with it. “Gross.”
The two girls caught each other’s gazes and cracked up laughing. Maddie smiled for the first time in days. “Oh, my God. I can picture his face when he stepped in it—priceless.”
“Ew! That’s too foul even for your dark sense of humor.” Harley jumped down off the bed and then grabbed each of Maddie’s ankles. She yanked her until her butt was nearly hanging off the edge. “No more sulking. Get up and take a shower now. And for God’s sake, brush your teeth.”
Chapter Seven
Abram removed his shirt and threw it down on a hay bale in the barn behind the main family house. The structure wasn’t nearly as big as any of the barns at the ranch, but it was big enough for four shifters to embarrass the hell out each other by getti
ng naked and transforming where they could all see. “I can’t believe I let you guys talk me into this. It’s fucking awkward.”
“Awkward? What planet are you from?” Craig, Abram’s nineteen-year-old cousin, rolled his eyes as he shook his head. “You’re the one who still has your pants on.”
Jason, a married cousin in his mid-thirties who was already naked, smirked. “You scared your pony is going to suffer by comparison?”
Craig glanced at Jason’s flaccid cock. “Yours lacks gallop.”
Davis motioned for them to cut it out by moving his hand back and forth in front of his neck. “Could you guys shut it? That’s not what this is about. Abram’s been doing really well re-acclimating. Don’t spoil it. He already shifted and gone for a run with just me a couple of times. It’s time for him to get accustomed to a more communal experience and your childish teasing isn’t helping.”
Jason’s cheeks brightened and he smiled. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything. This is completely normal to me; I don’t think about it.”
“Getting naked in a barn with a bunch of guys is an ordinary occurrence for you?” Abram asked, cocking his head.
Craig shrugged. “Actually, it’s more of a holiday thing when it’s all the cousins, but ever since I could shift my mom and dad and I would all let out our horses in the barn and go out for runs. It didn’t seem weird. After my sister was born, she was part of it too.”
“Nudity isn’t a big deal for most shifters. But we won’t be bringing any chicks into Abram’s immersion therapy until he masters male bonding,” Davis explained.
Abram rubbed the side of his face and grimaced. “Do we have to talk about it? It makes it sound like we’re circle jerking.”
Craig stripped off his boxer shorts. “Come on, cousin. Be a proud equine shifter. Let’s do this.” He bowed up his arms, flexing to show off his toned, teen form.
“Ugh! Dude, stop.” Abram held his hand up between his line of vision and Craig’s flopping dick.”
“You’re making things more difficult, Craig.” Davis threw the younger guy a harsh look, and Craig immediately straightened up.
Gram wasn’t kidding when she said Davis kept everyone in line.
“Could be worse—imagine if Davis invited Brady’s immature ass out here,” Jason said. He stretched his arms above his head before getting right to it. The clicking sounds already heralding his imminent transformation. Davis rolled his shoulders as did Craig.
Abram removed the rest of his clothes as he breathed in the pungent scent accompanying the metamorphosis of several men shifting in close proximity. Davis finished changing the fastest while Craig and Jason completed the process at the same time. Three horses, one black, one pinto and one stark white, stared at him expectantly. He turned his back to them as he concentrated. Until he’d started these exercises with Davis, he only shifted when he felt like he’d go crazy if he didn’t.
During those times, the change happened quickly, without him putting forth any effort. As soon as he was sure he was alone and safe, he’d just relax and let it happen. Now he had to exert control. The process was slower but also more euphoric. He had time to enjoy the pain relieving endorphins released during transformation. The hardest part was his head. He sucked in as much air as he could before his tongue grew, filling his mouth quicker than he would have liked. His throat struggled to keep up but soon enough, he was stomping his hooves against the ground and whinnying.
Davis nickered at him before bolting out of the open barn door and into the paddock. Craig and Jason followed and Abram brought up the rear. They ran in circles trampling over the grass in the fenced-in area. As he galloped, the wind whipped around him, blowing through his mane. The experience was invigorating and he had to admit, shifting with family made him feel as if he were part of something special and sacred.
***
Abram opened the passenger-side door of the truck and stepped down as his cousin disembarked from the driver’s side. “Hey, we’ve both put in a full day’s work. Maybe we should skip the shifter-training this afternoon. I’m in no mood for a run.” As Davis approached, Abram noticed the smirk on his cousin’s face, and his heart plummeted into his stomach. Oh, man. What does he have in store for me now?
“We’re progressing to the next level of your training today.”
“I really don’t like the look in your eyes. What are you going to have me do now—strip down and shift for the entertainment of all the female kin?”
Davis grinned, showing most of his teeth. “I figure we’ll save that for tomorrow.”
“Fuck my life,” Abram growled as he wandered in the direction of the porch with Davis right behind him. As soon as he opened the front door, he was greeted by an evil, fuzzy minion with whiskers and a bright pink collar with a bell. She sat on the bench in the foyer, licking her paws and then rubbing her ears with them. “Davis, what is that cat doing here?”
His cousin slapped him on the back affectionately. “Welcome to level two, buddy.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Be merciful—don’t make me endure cat therapy.”
“If you want to win over Mittens, you have to change your attitude in regards to felines.” Davis paused to throw a meaningful look his way. “Now as you know, my sweet fiancé moved into the cabin next store because she refuses to live in sin with me before the wedding.” He pointed at the animal on the bench. “Nacho is her cat but Scarlett has graciously agreed to allow you to take care of her for a few days.”
Abram’s chin scrunched up as his bottom lip curled. “I’m responsible for it?”
“Her and yes; you have to brush her, pet her, feed her and if you do a good job, she will curl up next to you while you sleep tonight.”
Abram grimaced. “I don’t want to bunk with that nasty animal.
“Do you want Mittens in your bed?” Davis smirked.
“Smugness does not become you, cuz.”
Davis picked up Nacho and showed Abram the proper way to hold her. “You try.”
Abram took the cat but stretched out his arms, holding her as far away from his body as he could. Nacho mewed in a shrill manner. “How long do I have to hold it?”
Davis scowled. “Nacho is one of the most laid-back cats on earth and you’ve managed to make her squeal. Hold that cat next to your body and pet her. If you do it right, you should be able to hear and feel her purring.” Abram sighed and opened his mouth to complain, but his cousin cut him off with one word. “Mittens.”
“Dag—damn it.” He carried Nacho into the living room and sat down on the sofa. As he cuddled her, he was surprised by how readily she accepted him, even curling up on his lap. He stroked her fur gently, and sure enough, he felt the vibrations as she began to purr. He smiled. “I did it. She’s happy.”
Davis walked over carrying a small basket and then set it down on the rustic oak coffee table in front of the couch. He pulled out a brush and handed it to Abram. “So these are Nacho’s toys and accessories. She likes chasing the light from the laser pointer a lot. Also, she loves being groomed, especially around the sides of her face.
Hesitantly, Abram brushed the cat’s black and white fur. “Alright, Nacho. Let’s be friends.”
Chapter Eight
Abram squatted down and held the steel duct clamp in place while Davis used the electric drill to fasten it around the flashlights they were bolting on a cart. “Are you sure redneck-rigging some headlights to a cart is the thing to do? How do you even know this will work?”
“If we fasten them down tight enough, I think it will hold for the short amount of time it will take for you to pull the cart up to the old cabin. Just don’t run too fast.”
Abram rolled his eyes. “Not the stupid flashlights. I mean Maddie. Are you sure this incredibly humiliating plan you, Scarlett and Gram cooked up will win her over? She’s still not even returning my calls.”
“Trust me.” Davis pushed down on the button and the drill squealed as it drove a screw into the wood. “Just do
n’t get lost.”
“I’ve got a good sense of direction.” Abram stood and followed Davis to the opposite side of the cart so they could install the second light. “Trusting you is what got me into this mess to start with. You withheld info that would have been helpful for me to know.”
“I don’t out shifters even to other shifters. It’s against the code.”
“You didn’t tell Scarlett your relatives were shifters?”
“That’s different.” Davis knelt down. “Hold the clamp in place.”
“I’m guessing you told Maddie I was a shifter.”
Davis looked up from what he was doing. “Well, no…no, she knows about me and we’re cousins. She pieced that mystery together all by herself.”
As he and his cousin continued working, Abram stewed. “If I make a damn fool of myself in front of Maddie and all of her family, I swear to God, I’m heading back to Montana but not before I kick your ass.”
Davis rolled his eyes. “Look, I know Mittens. She loves romance novels and romantic comedies. A grand gesture will go a long way with her. Now strip down and shift.”
Abram grimaced. “Dag—damn it.” He removed his boots and socks first. Afterward, he pulled off his clothes and then put them in a backpack before placing it in the wagon with the picnic basket. Abram flexed his muscles slightly as he stretched his arms up over his head. He rolled his neck in a circle, loosening up his body as he closed his eyes. He could feel the process starting, pumping him full of endorphins and adrenaline. His nose itched for a second and the rest of his skin tingled. He inhaled deeply just before the transformation. The rush of euphoria, something akin to an orgasm but less intense, dulled any pain. His body contorted, releasing his other nature before he trotted around Davis and whinnied.
“Get over here so I can connect you to the cart. Once you’re close enough, go ahead and shift so you can get out of the harness. Then start groveling.”