Read The Mane Attraction Online
Authors: Shelly Laurenston
The Mane Attraction (11 page)
“Yes?”
“Hey, Sissy Mae.” When she only stared, “It’s me. Frankie. Big Joe’s boy.”
“Frankie?” Sissy pulled the door open to reveal some ... wolf. “I can’t believe it.”
To Mitch’s surprise, Sissy threw herself into that wolf’s arms, and the wolf looked real happy about it, too. Of course, it didn’t hurt much that she was wearing nothing more than that damn T-shirt and those unreasonably tiny shorts.
“How are you?” Sissy asked, finally pulling back.
“Doing good.” The wolf actually whistled.
A wolf whistle?
“And look at you. You are looking mighty fine.”
A wolf whistle?
“And look at you. You are looking mighty fine.”
“Thank you.”
He rested against the door frame, staring down at Sissy. “So ... uh ... got plans tonight?”
Sissy looked unusually befuddled. “Um ...”
“Thought maybe we could catch a movie, get some dinner.”
That was rude. He was sitting right here, and that
dog
was acting like Mitch was invisible.
dog
was acting like Mitch was invisible.
“That’s real sweet, darlin’. But I’ve got a guest, and we already have plans.”
“Who?”
Sissy pointed at Mitch, although they all knew the bastard had seen him.
“You’re gonna stay home for ... him?” He snorted, clearly feeling pretty cocky since he probably knew Mitch was still too weak to put up much of a fight. Too bad for him that lions had very long memories. “Hasn’t he healed up yet?”
“He’s doing much better—and you can tell Travis that.”
The wolf frowned. “What does your brother have to do with this? I came here to see you. I didn’t know you’d be all wrapped up with
him
.”
him
.”
“That’s real sweet to hear, but I am all wrapped up with him so—”
“I knew Ronnie swung that way, Sissy, but you too?”
Sissy raised her hands and dropped them in a helpless gesture. “What can I say, Frankie?” She placed her hand on the wolf’s chest and gently pushed him back so he no longer blocked the door. “But what’s a girl without her pussy?”
And if it wouldn’t have hurt beyond anything, Mitch would have rolled right off the couch he was laughing so hard.
“Sissy.”
He’d murmured that against her ear, his hand rubbing up and down her spine.
“Sissy. Wake up.”
She did somehow. Not even sure when she’d fallen asleep. Or how long she’d been draped over Mitch Shaw while she slept.
Her cheek rested against his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat. Her hands rested against his shoulders, and she’d splayed the rest of her body between his thighs.
When she realized, she jerked in surprise, but his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. “It’s okay. It’s me.” He kept his voice low, almost a whisper. And she knew it was him. That was the problem.
“What ... what time is it?”
“Late.” He held her tighter, and she realized all the lights were out and it was pitch black outside. Lord, how long had she been asleep? “Do you hear it?”
“Hear what?”
But she did hear it now. Sissy heard that persistent, demanding howl through the darkness.
“Sissy ...”
“It’s okay, Mitch.”
Resting her hands against his chest, she pushed until she sat up. The central air conditioning had kicked on, and the loss of Mitch’s body heat made her feel like she was freezing.
“What is it?”
“Family stuff.”
“Your brothers?”
She wished. They were easy. Easy and stupid and she had no problem handling them, even when they made her angry.
“No. Not my brothers. I’ve gotta go.” She stood, but Mitch grabbed her hand. “I can go with you.”
How could she not have realized it before? He was so sweet. Really. Just ... sweet. She’d never known anyone sweet before. Although in her family, sweet translated to wuss.
“I’ll be fine.” And if he came along, he wouldn’t be. There were some parts of this town that cats could never go to. Not if they liked breathing.
“I won’t be long.”
“Okay.” He smiled. “I’ll be here when you get back ... hungry.”
Her arms dropped. “Again?” She’d fed him earlier ... food that should have lasted days was quickly disappearing in a night.
“Yes. Again. So don’t be long, okay?”
The concern he showed made her feel kind of warm inside—or she was getting a rash. She got those when she came home to visit.
“Okay. I’ll even try and bring home something bloody.” She handed him the .45 she’d taken from him earlier.
“If it’s still moving and bloody, that would be great.”
Sissy left the house and headed into the woods surrounding her parents’ territory. She shifted as she walked, shaking off her clothes before breaking into a run.
She never thought she’d think this, but she missed her parents. She didn’t realize how much family crap they protected her from merely by their presence.
Sissy ran on. She felt safe in her parents’ territory, even though if she went too far west, she’d cross from Smithtown into Barronville. Cat territory run by the vicious backwoods Barron Pride that even Sissy avoided unless she had her She-wolves with her. If she went too far south, she’d cross into bear territory. They were much more welcoming than the cats, but Sissy had a reputation there that didn’t exactly make her a welcome canine in their town.
But go too far north, and she crossed into territory that few ever ventured into. Not the Pride, not the bears, not the wolves. And a good deal of the Smiths didn’t go there either. No one. And with very good reason.
Sissy knew the moment she crossed into that territory, too. She
felt
it in her bones. In her soul. The power of it infused the ground beneath her feet. A place of power. A power that was neither good nor evil. Instead, it was how that power was wielded that was the problem.
felt
it in her bones. In her soul. The power of it infused the ground beneath her feet. A place of power. A power that was neither good nor evil. Instead, it was how that power was wielded that was the problem.
They waited for her about a mile in. Sissy stopped ten feet from them. She didn’t shift until the first one did.
“Gertie,” she said after she’d shifted.
“Sissy Mae.”
The three other females shifted, but none of them came near her.
“So, what do you want?”
Gertie shrugged. “Just wanted to see you. Thought you’d like to come up for some sweet tea.” She gestured behind her. “She’d love to see you.”
“Forget it. I ain’t goin’ up there.”
“Sissy, you know she wouldn’t harm you.” Harming her wasn’t what had Sissy worried.
Everyone called her Grandma Smith, but the most she was to Sissy was a great-great aunt. No one knew for sure, but they said she was a teen during the Civil War. She didn’t choose sides since she considered all of that “full-human business,” but Lord forbid some soldier from either side strayed on Smith territory.
Even Sissy’s daddy feared her, and the man didn’t fear many. As old as the hills and as mean as a snake, Grandma Smith was a powerful witch and shifter who led by fear. She didn’t like males much, and she took Smith females with power from their mommas and raised them herself. And to hear Sissy’s aunts tell it, Grandma Smith had wanted Sissy and had come down from her precious hill to get her. It was Janie Mae who backed her off. And in that one move, ensured her place as Alpha Female and the eternal enemy of one cranky old bitch who lived up on the hill.
“Look, I’m just here for a few days. Then I’m gone again.”
“We know what your momma’s told you about us, but she doesn’t know anything. You’re a Smith female of the bloodline. One of us. We’ll always have a place for you here ... among us.”
Sissy forced her body not to move. Not to run. Even as they moved closer, she didn’t back down. She kept her voice calm. “I’ll never belong here. You know it.
She
knows it.”
She
knows it.”
“That’s your momma talkin’, Sissy Mae. You know better. You know where you belong.”
“I know I’m done with this conversation.”
“That whore has turned you—”
Sissy didn’t even know she’d do it until her claw slashed across Gertie’s cheek. Blood sprayed across a tree trunk, and the others snarled, fangs extended.
“Call my momma that again, Gertie, and that’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
Then Gertie was there, her forehead resting against Sissy’s, her fangs bared. “Remember who you are, little girl. Remember who you come from.”
Keeping her fangs in and sheathing her claws, Sissy said flatly, “Get off me.”
She could see Gertie deciding what she wanted to do, but a low howl from higher up on the hill had the four females looking nervously over their shoulders.
Gertie stepped back. She stared at Sissy. “We’ll talk again.”
They walked away from her, but they never turned their backs on her. At least not until they were out of her sight.
Mitch had worked his way through most of the cereal Miss Janie had in her cupboards before he realized that Sissy had made it home.
He found her sitting on the porch swing, her legs tucked up under her, her eyes focused out into the dark.
Sitting down next to her, he got the swing to rocking gently. He’d never been on a porch swing before. He liked it.
“You all right?”
“Yeah.”
“Sissy ...” Mitch blew out a breath. “I’m much stronger now, and I’m going to leave tomorrow.”
“It’s not about you, Mitch.” She looked at him. “Me sitting here, thinking. This isn’t about you. But you do need to promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t go up that hill.” She pointed to the freaky hill with the scary woods surrounding it that she had run into earlier. “Don’t ever go up there. And if anything calls to you, like a dead uncle, or if you think you see a pet dog you once loved when you were ten, ya know ... ignore it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sissy had nothing to worry about. Some places a man instinctively knew not to go. That hill was one of those places.
Mitch scratched his chin. “So can we get back to me now?”
Sissy smiled, looking relieved he hadn’t asked more questions. “Yes, we can get back to you now.”
“Me being here is not helping you with your family, is it?”
“Other than your frightening appetite ... you’re the least of my problems when I come home.”
“Then what is it?”
When she only shrugged, Mitch patted her thigh. “I’m a very good listener.” When Sissy only stared at him, he added, “I have very soulful eyes. Women love that shit.”
“It’s nothing really,” she finally told him. “It’s just disappointing when you realize that nothing has or will ever change. Just like my grandpa used to say ... same shit, different day.”
“You can’t let your family get to you.”
“Easy to say. Your family adores you.” And she rolled her eyes at that.
Mitch scratched his head. “Who are you talking about?”
“You. Your mother adores you. Brendon brags about you all the time. And your sisters haven’t tried to kill you once.”
“Hold it.” Mitch held both forefingers up and rolled them back. “Let’s rewind.
Who
brags about me all the time?”
Who
brags about me all the time?”
“Brendon.” Sissy turned on the swing to face him. “You do know he brags about you all the time, don’t you?”
All Mitch could do was shake his head. His brother? Bragging? About him?
“How could you not know?”
“What does he say?”
Now fully annoyed at Mitch, she began checking things off on her fingers. “That you were a football star at your high school. That you graduated high school and college with honors. That you’ve been awarded citations or whatever in your little police department.” Only Sissy would dismiss the entire Philadelphia Police Department as that “little police department.” Christ, he liked her.
“How proud he is of you. And how you’re his brother. Blah-blah-blah. His chest puffs out when he’s talking about you, and he’s already a large man.”
“Wow.”
“You really didn’t know?”
“Nope.” Resting his chin against his fist, his elbow on the back of the swing, he asked, “And Marissa?”
“Let’s not ask for the unobtainable, hoss.”
“Good point.”
“So while your siblings are running around bragging about you and sobbing over your lifeless body, I’m stuck with my crew.”
“Is it that bad?”
“One time I told Travis I was thinking of applying for a receptionist position at a law office, and he said, ‘Don’t they usually hire pretty girls for that?’”
Mitch gritted his teeth. He hadn’t even met Travis yet, but he already hated the man.
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