Claws (16 page)

“He’s mine,” he confirmed quietly,
sniffing against his fur, his eyes meeting hers with regret. “Don’t
turn him into a sissy with all those girls in your
house.”

“Never, Devon and Eli are all over it,”
she assured him, tears brightening her gaze. “I’m sorry we couldn’t
keep it light, Jericho.”

“Nothing is ever light with you,
Vivvie,” Jericho said and smiled as he petted his son. “You and Eli
will be happy. You got your own house. You’re going to be away from
the tribe and things will be better. Back to being dull and boring
soon enough.”

“Will you ever come back?” she asked
and bit her lip from the twinge of longing inside her.

“Maybe in a hundred years when the
sight of you doesn’t make my heart turn over.”

“That long?” she asked as a tear fell,
and then another. “I don’t know what I would have done without you,
Jericho.”

“It’s time for you to embrace your
nature, Vivvie. Quit hiding from what you are,” he advised and
handed Justice back to her. “Take care of my boy.”

Vivvie watched him get into the
Chevelle and waved as he pulled onto the elevator of the parking
garage and left. She cuddled Justice and walked back to the suite.
She hesitated before going back inside. She wanted a moment where
she could miss Jericho and feel the pain of his leaving without
hiding it from everyone.

She held her son and smiled as he
nuzzled at her hand. She scratched behind his ears and held him
close. He was affectionate and liked being loved on, unlike Devon,
who acted like he was already the Chief of the tribe.

Her heart was cracked but not broken
over Jericho’s leaving. They couldn’t be around each other and not
want more. Even as happy as she was to be back with Eli, there
persisted a pull to Jericho that intruded.

She reentered the suite and put Justice
in a playpen in the living room. She entered their bedroom and
heard the shower running in the bathroom. She smiled playfully as
she tugged off her sweats and tee-shirt and joined her husband,
opening the glass door and surprising him.

Eli kissed her hungrily and lifted his
head, a wicked light in his eyes. “I’ll wash your back first,
wife.”

~ ~ ~

Vivvie found the box of condoms when
she was cleaning the next day. She frowned as she put them back in
the drawer of the nightstand. Eli must have listened to her about
slowing down on having children. Now, when she needed to get
pregnant he would buy protection. She muttered under her breath as
she sat back and thought of Tania’s demands.

The female elder hadn’t contacted her.
She bought herself time to figure out how to get out of the mess
she was in. She retreated to Jericho’s old office and found his
journals on the legends of the tribe.

She spent her time reading while her
children napped, looking for anything that would help her get out
of giving into Tania. From what she read, the demon was promised
the souls of all the tribe’s people from the shaman in exchange for
the power of the panther.

The shaman tricked the demon. The
warriors were then cursed to the half-life of man and beast and
possessed the nine souls. Her eyes widened to return to the passage
about what the demon was initially promised. It wanted all of the
souls of the tribe; not just the nine warriors it gave the gift
to.

She put the book down and considered
what the demon asked of Tania. It wanted only one with both Eli’s
power and hers. Why? What was so special about those two
together?

Her lips trembled when she recalled Ty
telling her Eli controlled all of them, still stunned after her
husband showed her his power. Tania’s gift allowed her to get to
any one of them through their dreams.

If the demon got one like Eli and Tania
combined, it controlled all the other powers and could get to any
one of them through their dreams. A sick feeling filled her to know
what the demon really wanted.

It wanted what the shaman promised it
so long ago. Knowing the demon found a way to take them all made
her realize there was no way she could go through with what Tania
demanded of her.

The demon lied. It had no intention of
letting Tania or anyone else go. It wouldn’t be satisfied until it
had all the souls of every member of the tribe. She didn’t want to
think of the consequences should the demon get its claws into one
like Devon or Elaina.

They would all be at risk then. One by
one the demon would take back what it gave. She closed her eyes,
tormented to know she had a demon and a three hundred year-old
Indian to outwit, or everything she loved was lost.

The thought of Eli’s reaction to know
Justice was Jericho’s son was enough to make her realize she was in
over her head, regretting not telling Jericho all of this before he
left. She knew why she remained silent.

He would have stayed for that reason.
Had he stayed, she would have strayed from her mate in the flesh.
Her passion for Jericho became physical the moment she came back,
even if it began with a dream.

It was up to her. She had to find a way
to beat the demon at its own game. Tania thought she held enough
over her head to get her to cooperate. The elder would find she
wasn’t very good at being anyone’s bitch.

~ ~ ~

“You promised me you would help me
paint today,” Vivvie reminded Eli as she unpacked boxes in the
kitchen of their new home. She was delighted with her new home and
eager to get moved in completely.

Eli grinned as he took his eyes off the
basketball game, his eyes sliding over his mate with obvious
interest. “Only if we do it in the nude. That might be fun,
wife.”

Vivvie giggled at his words, knowing he
was serious. The days after they moved into their new house were
priceless and happy. The house was huge, boasting six bedrooms,
five bathrooms, a living and family room, a formal dining room, two
dens for him and her, and a three car garage.

She wanted to paint their room today so
they could move in their furniture. It was obvious the only way she
would get his help was to allow him the fantasy he expressed.
“Fine, but watch where you’re painting. Keep your brush on the
wall.”

Eli raised a dark eyebrow; his blue
eyes glowing hot. “I’ll keep my brush on the wall, wife. Just keep
yours where I can see it.”

Vivvie shivered from his heated look.
They returned to their easy relationship soon within Jericho’s
departure. Eli was a bit put out his friend left as he did. The
tribe was disappointed too, wanting to throw him a bash at the
compound bar, Cat’s Corner.

Eli heard Jericho was living on the
beach now, not far from the compound in Florida and rolled his
eyes. Vivvie didn’t do a drive by in her dreamscape to look in on
her former lover. That door would remain shut. Her husband held her
attention now, his talk of brushes making her hot all
over.

“You get the paint,” he whispered
eagerly as he got up from his Lazy-Boy. “I’ll put the kids
out.”

Vivvie laughed and rushed to do as he
asked. She was stretching out paint runners when he returned. He
locked the door to the huge master bedroom. A smile tugged at his
lips, his ruggedly handsome features flushed as he removed his
clothes. Vivvie sighed to see her husband’s beautiful nudity, so
inherently male. She felt the hair bristle at her nape.

A low growl escaped him as she slid out
of her yoga pants and tee-shirt. She pried open a paint container
and poured it into the plastic pan. She handed him a paint brush,
her eyes glowing a hot emerald fire.

He took the brush and stuck it into the
paint, his eyes never leaving hers. A carnal charge filled the air
as he reached out and painted her chest with a flick of the brush,
the violet-hued color smearing her breasts.

“Keep it on the wall,” she whispered
breathlessly. “I don’t want to look like Grape Ape.”

“I know what I want on that wall,
wife,” he whispered as he tossed the brush onto the runner, his
gaze melting.

Vivvie backed away from the heat in his
gaze. He came to her, holding her up against the plain white wall,
staring into her eyes. She sighed as he lavished his attention at
her breasts, staining his lips purple as he adored her
flesh.

Eli worked her up to such a degree, she
forgot about the plan to paint as he took her hungrily against the
wall, the thumping noise echoing within the empty room. She moaned
as he increased his rhythm, holding her legs up.

Her cries were cut off under his lips
as he rocked hungrily inside her. He held her hands above her head
as his hips pounded against hers, his eyes closed in ecstasy. They
came together, gripping each other frantically.

She sat up on the runner later and
frowned, seeing they had more paint on them than the walls. Her
husband smiled in satisfaction.

“I do like to paint,” he admitted
fondly, a smile playing about his handsome lips, his face dotted
with violet color.

“Yes, well we have four walls to go,”
she reminded him with a smile. “Come on, before the kids come
scratching at the door.”

Eli got up off the floor reluctantly
and took the paintbrush back from her, smiling as his tiny wife
grabbed up the roller once more. Within an hour, they had the first
coat on.

He frowned as he looked at it. “What is
this thing you have about purple, Vivvie?”

She shrugged as she looked around. The
rich dark color had always been her favorite. “We can paint your
den whatever color you like.”

Eli looked excited at that. “When can
we paint the den too?”

She laughed at his lustful look.
“Tomorrow probably. You’ll have to take another day away from the
tribe.”

Eli smiled as he came and hugged his
naked wife, kissing her lips softly. “It’s good to be the
Chief.”

Vivvie smiled at his words. “We need to
finish up here. It’s too quiet in the back yard.”

They dressed quickly and cleaned up the
left-over paint. Eli went out back to chase down their five growing
offspring while she got into the shower. She loved her new home and
the idyllic days since they moved in. Everything seemed so normal.
Eli was doting and attentive. She couldn’t be happier.

Still, the threat of the demon dogged
her every step. She reread all the legends until she was sure the
demon used Tania to get to all of them. The female elder had no
idea what she played with. She was arrogant enough to think the
demon would be satisfied with some offering. She had no idea how
wrong she was.

Vivvie was toweling off when the phone
rang. Icy fear gathered in her middle when she saw the caller ID
and knew it was Tania. She answered the phone with a trembling
hand.

“Time for a little girl talk, Vivvie,”
the elder said into the phone. “Meet me on the south ridge behind
the compound within an hour.”

“I can’t get away right now,” Vivvie
argued.

“Oh, you can and you will,” Tania said
harshly. “We have a little matter to discuss, like you giving me
what I want.”

“I’ll be there in an hour,” Vivvie said
and hung up, hearing Eli and the kids come into the
house.

He poked his head in the bedroom,
looking adorable with violet paint still all over him.

“We’ve got problems,” he warned.
“Elaina and Devon knocked a hornet’s nest out of a tree. Justice
got bit up.”

Vivvie rushed out of the room at that,
going down on her knees in the kitchen to see her youngest son’s
fur covered in upraised bites, his lips and eyes swelled shut. He
was having an allergic reaction to the bee stings.

She glared at Elaina and Devon and
snatched Justice up and carried him to her bathroom to give him
Benadryl. He mewled and whined and she cuddled him close, knowing
he was suffering.

She knew why the others tormented him
constantly. Izzie and Margie joined in now. It was as if her other
offspring knew instinctively Justice was not of the same bloodline
as them. They picked on him every waking moment now.

“He’ll be alright, Vivvie,” her husband
said as he came in the bathroom and gathered up his youngest son
and cuddled him. “The boy’s too sensitive. He needs to toughen
up.”

Vivvie bit back an argument. She knew
she favored Justice and it was obvious to the others. He formed a
special place in her heart. She knew why and she fought the
realization. It was because he was so much like Jericho. Every day
she showered love and attention on Justice, making him a target for
the others who were jealous.

“I need some alone time, Eli. I’m going
out to hunt. Do you mind keeping an eye on the kids?”

He nodded and kissed her. “Take your
time. Another basketball game is coming on.”

Vivvie was relieved as she stepped out
in the backyard and disrobed, shifting and jumping the back fence
into the woods. She ran up the hill to the mountain beyond,
wondering what Tania wanted.

~ ~ ~

She found Tania sunning herself,
licking her coat as she sprawled on a rocky ledge. The long sleek
panther raised her head at her approach. Those golden eyes flared
slightly. She shifted into her human form and grabbed her robe from
the ground. She tied it around her waist and glared at
Vivvie.