FavoriteObsession (8 page)

Zoe screamed.

With a shove, he dived after the spotted jaguar. He wrapped
his arms around the big cat’s chest. They crashed to the floor inches from Zoe’s
scuffed boots.

Mira snarled and twisted in his arms. He rolled with her and
slammed a hand between her shoulder blades. He knew his roughness wouldn’t hurt
her. In her animal form, it took a hell of a lot to injure her. Besides, her
cat would only respond to a more dominant person. He might not be a shifter but
he needed her to submit to him. Otherwise Zoe would suffer.

The three-hundred-pound cat bucked, nearly knocking him off.
He dug his knees into her sides and did the only thing he could think of.

He clamped his teeth over the back of her neck and bit.

Mira stilled. Her sides heaved with rough pants. He flicked
his gaze to Zoe. Wide-eyed, she stared at them, the look of panic clear.
Thankfully, she stood frozen in place. Assured she was safe, he turned his
focus onto the dangerous predator between his thighs. After a moment, he eased
the tight grip on her torso. She took advantage of it and squirmed, knocking
him off.

She swiped a paw at Zoe. A scream tore from her throat. She
crashed to the floor. Heart knocking against his rib cage, he dug his fingers
into Mira’s fur and dragged her to him. She fought him, twisting and squirming,
snapping and snarling. Her flexing body slipped out of his grip.

She scrambled, claws scraping at the floor to get away from
him. Hell, no. That couldn’t happen. He threw himself on her back, flattening
her body to the ground, and bit the flesh under his mouth. Sweet, decadently
rich blood spilled over his tongue. He clamped down harder until she stopped
moving.

Time stretched. Mira panted. Zoe whimpered. And he debated
what he should do. He couldn’t make the same mistake by letting her go. Mira’s
cat was in charge. He had to get through to the jaguar, not the woman.

He cursed inwardly, hating what he had to do, but he couldn’t
come up with a better solution. He ground his teeth into her flesh, the
sensation of fur on his tongue odd but not unpleasant, and waited. The lithe
body under him tensed.

Dammit. Come on, kitten. Submit.

He dug blunt nails into her muscles, tightening his grip in
case she made another attempt to throw him off. He bit harder and repeated his
silent urging. More blood filled his mouth. He swallowed it down. Finally, a
chuffing noise came from her throat. The sound encouraged him, but he held
still until a shudder ran through her cat’s body. He eased back minutely,
testing her. She remained limp. He released her shoulder, not the firm grip on
her flank.

“Rein your cat back. Now.”

The jaguar whined. She didn’t obey him.

“Now, Mira.” He dug his knees harder into her sides. “Shift
back, now.”

Smooth, hot skin replaced the fur. Josh peered down at her
bare back and desire hit. Wrong time, wrong place. He knew it yet couldn’t deny
what this woman did to him. All these crazy urges rose. The desire to repeat
the little dominance battle in her human form being the biggest one. He wanted
her to beg him to fuck her and prove he was hers. Shit like that made him feel
as if he were the animal, not Mira.

He pushed the thoughts away and let his gaze roam over her
smooth skin. With gentle strokes, he swept her hair to the side, exposing her
naked flesh. The slope of her back was beautiful. Unable to resist the
temptation, he traced her spine from where he was straddled over her waist up
until he reached the base of her neck. Blood covered her shoulder where he’d
bitten her.

“I’m sorry, kitten.” He lightly caressed the skin around the
wound. She flinched. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” she panted. “Please, get off me.”

He yanked his shirt off and handed it to her. Eyes closed,
he turned away before he got a full view of her gorgeous body. He reacted too
easily to her. A deep breath cooled his heated body.

He shifted his attention to Zoe and cursed. A claw mark
swept over her upper thighs. Blood ran steadily from the four deep lines.
Perspiration beaded on her ashen forehead. With her lips pressed in a thin line
and tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, she looked about two seconds
away from passing out.

“Oh god.” He dropped to the floor by her side. “Sweetheart,
are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay! I just got attacked by a…a
cat
!”

He leaned closer to examine the wounds and swallowed hard.
They weren’t life threatening, but the deep cuts would scar.

“Mira, go get the first aid box from my office.”

Silence met him. He peered over his shoulder. The shirt he’d
given her fluttered to the floor in shreds. Movement drew his eye. He swung his
head and caught a flash of tawny fur as she ran out the door.

He cursed. Although he wanted to go after her, he didn’t.
Soothing her had to come after taking care of Zoe. “You’re going to be fine,
honey. Don’t worry.”

Zoe waved black-painted nails at him. “I’m not worried about
me.” She pushed up on her elbows, an incredulous look stamped on her face. “I
want to know where you found your freakish girlfriend.”

“Mira’s not my girlfriend.”

Zoe snorted. “You always were a little dense but whatever. I
don’t want to hear about your love life right now. I want to know about the
werecat. Where did you find her?”

The excited twinkle in her dark-blue eyes made him grin. He
shook his head. “Mira isn’t a werecat. She’s a shifter and she sort of found
me.” He hefted Zoe’s slight frame into his arms. She winced. “Sorry about this,
kiddo.”

Zoe glanced at her legs and grimaced. She flicked her
inquisitive eyes up to his face. Her gaze locked onto his scarred cheek. “Your
girlfriend is a little careless with her claws.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he sighed, “and her brother
actually did that.”

Her eyes widened as if she’d just remembered something. He
had a feeling he knew what it was. A triumphant grin spread across her face,
confirming his suspicion.

“So I was right all along, huh? You owe me fifty bucks.”

He laughed as he carried her back to his office. When Jazz had
moved home five years ago, they’d made a bet. Zoe had been convinced Seth and
Levi, Jazz’s sons, weren’t human. She’d sworn she’d seen their eyes glow. He’d
told her she was full of it. He should’ve listened to her. Life might’ve taken
a different path than the damn self-destructive one it was on now.

“Yeah, you were right. A boatload of shifters moved into
town a couple of months back.”

He sat her on the worn leather couch and moved to the desk.
The first aid kit he pulled out held the basics—Band-Aids, ointment and a roll of
tape, no gauze. He dropped it back in and slammed the drawer closed. Zoe’s cuts
needed more than a couple of plastic strips.

A quick look around and his gaze landed on a discarded shirt
that belonged to one of the felines who always seemed to be hanging out in
here. It smelled a little like sweat but it would do.

He handed it to her. “Put some pressure on those cuts.”

She did, pushing hard on them. She flinched. After a moment,
she lifted the bloody cloth and peered at her thighs. “I hate to say this, but
we need to go to the hospital.”

“Sorry, Zoe, that can’t happen.”

He grabbed his cell from the desk and dialed. Kade mumbled
an incoherent greeting.

“I need you to come back to the bar. I have a situation.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Mira shifted and attacked my baby sister.”

Josh paced, his frustration mounting with every step. He
hated how the night had turned out. No matter how he looked at the situation,
it sucked. Not only had Zoe been hurt, his first and only sexual encounter with
Mira would be forever tainted in his memory. She’d given him pleasure beyond
his wildest dreams. What had he given her? Pain, embarrassment and a bloody
bite mark.

He slammed a balled fist into the brick wall. The sting of
his split skin barely registered. That wouldn’t do. Three more solid punches
and numbness radiated up his arm. Zoe’s weary sigh only added to his
irritation. He resisted the urge to turn around and snap at her. Instead, he
planted his palms on the rough surface and hung his head.

“You ready to talk?”

He ground his jaw. If he could growl like the shifters
living around here could, he would’ve. Giving in to the animalistic sound would
feel damn good. “There’s nothing to talk about.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.” He glanced over his shoulder and cursed. Zoe
looked like a china doll with her waxy complexion and black hair. The only
color on her face came from her eyes. “God, sis, I’m so damn sorry. I don’t
know what got into Mira. She’s never done anything like this before.”

Another weary sigh accompanied her eye roll. “Did the sex
with your girlfriend leave you stupid?”

“We didn’t—”

“Stop. No mood. Got it.” She waited until he nodded before
re-balling the shirt so a dry section showed. With it pressed to her thighs,
she peeked at him through the long choppy bangs hanging into her eyes. “You’ve
got yourself involved with the woman somehow, no matter what label you slap on
it. She’s obviously possessive of you. If she doesn’t normally attack people,
it’s the only explanation.”

Possessive. The explanation fit. According to shifter law,
he was technically Devin’s beloved human, except Mira’s scent seeped from his
pores, not her twin’s. That triggered
her
animals’ instincts. Hell, when
he looked at it that way, he couldn’t help but wonder if her attraction was
real or a result of her claim on him.

He scrubbed a hand down his face. No use thinking about the
whys.

“Sure, possessive. Felines are like that.” He dropped his
hand. “You want me to get you some Ibuprofen?”

“No. I need stitches.” She motioned toward her bag with a
tilt of her head. “Get me my purse.”

He raised a brow at her description. The duffel bag doubled
as her suitcase. She lived out of the thing. How his sister could condense her
life’s belongings into the single tote while most women couldn’t even pack for
a weekend trip in one, he didn’t know. Zoe lived by her own standards, though.
Typical would never be a word applied to her.

“Why?”

She waved at her bare legs. Thankfully, she’d worn shorts
tonight. Having to see his sister in her underwear would’ve scarred him for
life.

“Bleeding,” she sassed. “Since you won’t let me go to the
hospital, I figured I’d take care of myself.”

“I explained to you why. It’s too risky with all the
shifters living around here. It’ll draw the attention of the wrong people.”

“Shifter Affairs, I remember, and you don’t want Mira
punished.” She leaned her head against the back of the couch, her gaze locked
onto the ceiling tiles. “You know, it’s hard to believe there are so many
people in the government who know about shifters, yet there haven’t been leaks
to the general public.”

He glanced over at Megan’s picture on his desk. Behind the
photo, he kept a pic of Molly. It bothered him, keeping her image hidden, but he
couldn’t exactly display a photo of a lion cub. For them, he’d followed the
shifter’s rules, including the one that left his sister bleeding on his couch
when she should have been in the hospital.

He picked up the frame and pulled out Molly’s picture. Shifters
always bred multiples, identical twins being the norm. From the couple of
photos Lena had shown him, Molly and Megan fit the standard. Both beautiful, in
human or cub form.

“I thought the same thing.” He held the glossy print out to
her. “This is the reason the government has worked so hard to keep the shifters’
existence secret.”

She frowned. After a moment, her face blanched. Wide eyes
focused on him. “Is that…”

“Megan’s twin, Molly.” He slid it back into place. “They
were kidnapped as infants, sold to a research facility for experimentation and
god only knows what else. Megan either refuses to talk about it or has blocked
it out. And Molly…well, Molly has embraced her cat, a fate she might never
recover from.”

Zoe’s shocked gasp stirred his anger back to life. He
focused on his niece’s face until the familiar determination returned. He’d
protect them and never let any sick fucks get their hands on them again.

He met Zoe’s horrified expression. “My opinion is that greed
has kept those people who know about them from telling the world. Shifters are
citizens who are protected by the government. Once it becomes known they exist,
the…the
humans
who make money off of them will lose their profit margin.”

Zoe blinked back tears. “In our high-tech society, it’s only
a matter of time before the world finds out. Somebody is going to snap a pic on
their smartphone and it’ll be over the web in minutes.”

He carefully replaced the frame and faced his sister. “I
know. All we can do is stick together, protect our own and hope for the best.”

Zoe smirked. “You talk as if you’re a shifter too.”

He shrugged. “Honorary member.”

“Okay, no hospitals but I really need to take care of these
cuts.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Take care of them how?”

“Just give me my damn bag.” He glared at her and she huffed.
“I’m going give myself some home stitches.”

He repeated her words in his head and cursed some more. “No
way. You are not freaking sewing yourself up.”

“Well, these aren’t going to heal themselves, you know. They’re
too deep. Besides it’s not the first time I’ve had to do some first aid on
myself. No insurance and all.” She stood and took several shuffling steps.

He blocked her path with his body and glared at her.

She returned his stare. “Get out of my way.”

He opened his mouth but snapped it closed without lecturing
her. Someone was in the bar. Head tilted to the side, he listened for whatever
clued him in. There. He heard the click of motorcycle boots.

Kade.

“Hey, we’re back here.”

The door banged against the wall. Zoe’s expression went from
annoyed to curious. He peered over his shoulder when Kade didn’t enter. The
shifter stood in the doorway with his intent gaze on Zoe.

“It’s about damn time you got here.” Josh stepped to the
side and swept his hand in Zoe’s direction. “You need to fix this. It won’t
stop bleeding.”

The tension in the room kicked up a notch. Hairs rose on his
arms. He glanced between his sister and pride leader for some clue as to why.
Zoe’s curious expression turned to open amusement. She grinned, the familiar
sparkle shining in her eyes, the one that kept her sane even if it was faked
half the time. Kade, though, looked as if he was about to turn tail and run.
When he took a couple of steps back, Josh wondered if he actually planned on
it.

Zoe snickered and Kade grabbed the doorjamb. His chest
heaved in rough pants.

Josh narrowed his eyes. “You got a problem?”

A shudder visibly shook Kade’s body. He motioned toward Zoe
with a tilt of his head. “Why is she standing?”

Josh swung his head to look at her. Blood ran steadily down
her legs. Damn. Mira had gotten her good.

“Because he,” she stabbed a finger at his chest, “won’t give
me my bag. I’m getting it myself.”

Kade grumbled and grabbed her duffel. A deep frown formed on
his face. He glanced between Zoe’s tiny frame and the heavy sack. With a shake
of his head, he dropped the tote on the couch and pointed to the spot next to
it. “Sit.”

Despite the pain etching the skin by Zoe’s eyes, merriment
twinkled in their depths. “I thought that’s what I was supposed to say to you.”
She covered her mouth as if embarrassed by her comment, except the smile
tugging her lips didn’t match the action.

Kade scowled.

“Oops, sorry. Josh said you’re a kitty, not a doggy.” She
shrugged. “Oh well, cats can be trained too. I had a roommate whose cat would
sit on the toilet, do its business then flush.”

Josh smacked his forehead. “Jesus, Zoe. We had this
conversation privately. I gave you rules.”

She tapped one black-tipped finger to her lip. “Now, let’s
see. I remember this conversation. I do.”

Kade snapped his teeth together, the click loud enough to
make Zoe flinch. “Do not piss me off, human.”

Zoe flashed him an irritated look. “Don’t get your panties
all twisted in a knot,
kitty
. I’m having trouble thinking. You know,
with the blood loss and all.”

As if to prove her point, she swayed. Josh reached for her
but Kade was closer. He caught her elbows and eased her back onto the couch.
Josh pushed him out of the way and pressed the bloody rag to her thighs. She
cringed and his anger flared. At the moment, he hated himself for not reacting
sooner. He should’ve grabbed Mira when she’d growled, rather than worrying
about getting his dick back in his pants.

Kade ripped the shirt from his hand. “My shirt! You used my
shirt—my sweaty shirt—on her cuts!”

The shifter’s outburst added to the frustration boiling his
blood. Josh shoved Kade back and got up in his face. “It was the only thing close
by.”

“But it reeks of me.”

“So? I understand you’re crazy-obsessed with how things
smell but Zoe doesn’t care. And I was more worried about stopping the bleeding
than germs.”

Eyes closed, Kade took several deep breaths. “But you put
something with my scent on her open wounds.”

Josh frowned at the frantic edge to his voice. He’d seen
Kade angry a few times, never agitated. Of course, Mira had never attacked
anyone either. He pushed the concern away. “It’s not the same as rubbing your
scent on someone. That’s a conscious choice you make. It involves scent glands
or something.”

Kade’s scowl deepened. “You’re right.” He pointed toward Zoe
with a flick of his hand. “But I don’t want to smell myself on that woman in
any way, shape or form.”

“That woman is my sister.”

“That
woman
is also trouble. She…”

A sharp, sucked-in breath jerked both of their gazes back to
Zoe. Josh shook his head at his sister’s stubbornness. Kade, though, lurched
forward. He grabbed her wrist before she stuck the bloody sewing needle back
into her thigh.

Josh glanced at her handiwork and sighed. His obstinate sister
had three sloppy stitches already made. The black thread in her white flesh
reminded him of the horror film he’d watched over the weekend. Unlike the movie
where he’d scoffed at the pathetic special effects, seeing Zoe’s handmade
sutures made him nauseous. It didn’t exactly surprise him. When Zoe said she’d
sew herself up, she meant it.

Inches from her face, Kade growled. “What do you think you’re
doing?”

Zoe leaned closer so their noses touched. “I’m taking care
of these cuts because I was informed I wasn’t allowed to go to the hospital.”

Kade jerked back as if she’d slapped him. “Shit.”

“Yeah, shit.” Josh glanced around for something to use to
wipe the excess blood off her legs. His gaze landed on Zach’s sweats lying in
the corner. He grabbed them. “Here, sis, use this.”

Kade ripped the pants out of her hand and tossed them across
the room. “No, you aren’t using those.”

Zoe crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. I’ll just bleed
all over Josh’s couch. You can carry the whole thing out when I’m dead.”

“You’re not going to bleed to death. They’re not life-threatening.”
Josh dug around in his desk until he found one of his spare shirts and
carefully slid it under her legs. He leveled a hard glare on Kade, daring him
to argue. Hoping, maybe. He was in the mood for a good fistfight. “She does
need blood or something. These cuts aren’t going to heal without help.”

Kade paced to the far wall and back. “I can’t give her mine.”

“Why not? Blood’s not a permanent claim. It’s not a big
deal.”

“She can’t have mine. I’ll call Rafe.”

Fists clenched, Josh advanced on him. “What good are you
then? You order me to call you if shit ever hits the fan. I follow your goddamn
rules and now you tell me you can’t spare a little blood for my baby sister?”
All of his frustration rose at once, left every muscle coiled. “Here I thought
I was the only one you held to a second set of rules. Guess I was wrong. None
of us lowly humans matter to your pride.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” Josh let all his derision show. Going by the
frown on Kade’s face, he did a good job getting his point across. “If it was
your sister hurt, you’d take on the world to help her. Mine? You could care
less.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Josh.”

“Fine, prove it.” Josh bent, yanked the knife out of his
boots and handed it to him. “Here you go. Cut a vein and take care of my
sister.”

Kade shook his head.

The denial pushed him over the edge. Josh shoved him and
enjoyed the way the other man stumbled backward. Josh spread his arms wide and
waited. Kade didn’t disappoint. With a roar, he launched himself at him, fists
flying. A right hook jerked Josh’s chin to the side. His vision wavered but he’d
fought Kade too many times in the gym not to know his moves. When the shifters
couldn’t unleash their claws, they fought like every other man, albeit with
more force behind their punches.

Kade shifted his stance and Josh arched to avoid the kick to
his ribs. Instead of righting himself, he dropped a hand to the ground and swung
his foot out. Kade toppled. Another roar rang out and Kade came at him with
fangs barred. Josh waited until he was close before he flung his fist into Kade’s
stomach. He doubled over but the victory was short-lived. He grabbed Josh’s
shoulders and tossed him across the room.