The Runaway Cat (Book 2 Cloverleah Pack Series) (20 page)

“My apologies, Uncle,” Griff’s voice was quiet, “but given the situation with my father I felt it better to stay away than cause further trouble.”  The Alpha nodded as if he understood and then he cast his gaze over Diablo.

“You got yourself a cat shifter, Griff?  Is that really a good idea?”  Arthur didn’t sound angry, just inquiring, but Diablo could feel his hackles rise all the same.  His cat flared up at the implied insult and he did his best to bring it under control - not before his eyes flashed a brilliant yellow, something he was sure the Alpha noticed.  Diablo could feel Griff stiffen beside him
but before either one of them could speak Arthur was pushed out of the way by Cheryl.

“Honestly you men.  All about posturing and macho crap.  That is no way to greet Griff’s mate, who I have to say is a truly beautiful young man.”  The short little woman appraised Diablo with a gleam in her eye.  “Hello, welcome to the Denver Colorado Pack.  I’m Cheryl Matthews, Alpha Mate and this rude man here is Arthur Matthews, Alpha and Griff’s uncle.”  She held out her hand to Diablo. He took the small hand in his and shook it carefully.

“Derrick Franklin, ma’am, but you can call me Diablo,” he said in his quiet silky voice.

“Diablo, the little devil.  Well there is nothing littl
e about you, is there young man and I am guessing from the blush on Griff’s face you are probably a bit of a devil in all ways.”  As Cheryl chattered on she gave Griff a big hug and then turned away leading them all to the dining room table. “Come on you big lugs, lunch is ready and I am sure you boys are hungry.”

Kane’s dad doesn’t like other shifters?
Diablo’s question seeped through Griff’s own nervousness and gave Griff the opportunity to tease his mate.

Well, you know how small cats are and all that. Uncle Arthur just wants to be sure I have a mate that has got
my back.

Do you worry about that, lover?
Knowing how little my cat is and all that.
Griff could hear the teasing note in Diablo’s enquiry.

Hmm, well put it this way.  If anything could get through you
and me then we had better hope we can both run fast, cos it is going to be a hell of a size. 

Griff laughed, his nervousness at being on his old pack lands receding.  Because of course Diablo did have his back and there wasn’t anyone who could take on his mate’s cat in a one-on-one situation.  He hugged his man close to him as they made their way to the table, pulling Diablo down beside him.  Diablo had a small smile on his face as well and that made Griff laugh even more.

“What’s so funny Griff,” Kane asked.

Griff looked at Diablo and then faced the others at the table.  Kane’s three brothers and their female mates had joined them.  All three of the women were wolves, although a lot smaller than their mates, obviously.

Shaking his head Griff said to Arthur.  “You asked if it was a good idea to have a cat shifter as a mate.  Yet three of your son’s mate’s are women, wolves definitely, but smaller and weaker, and probably smarter,” he added as he saw the glint in his Aunt’s eye, “than their mates.  That is the way it has always been.”

“But for us blokes that prefer a mate of our own gender, it seems the first thing anyone asks about is the size of their animal when size could either be deceiving or not important at all.”  Griff grinned.
  He looked across at Kane who seemed to understand what he was saying as he threw Shawn a look and they both laughed. 

“What are you talking about Griff?  Of course size matters.  Your mate has to be able to protect you, more so when you are gay as you have to face that many problems than the rest of us.  Your pack is small.  I want to know that my nephew will be safe. There is nothing wrong with that.”  Arthur let a bit of anger show in his voice but seeing that Griff didn’t take offence, Diablo let it go and waited to see what his lover would say.  He put his hand on Griff’s thigh, just wanting to touch him and Griff covered his hand with his own.

“What I am trying to say, Uncle, is that your son has mated a man who while slightly smaller in human and wolf form, is still a lot more powerful than you or I.  Why do you think the Fates would give me anything less?”

“Do you have magic too?”  It was the first time that Arthur had spoken to Diablo directly
and Diablo didn’t like his tone.  He kept his face bland but his hand tensed under Griff’s.

“No Sir.  I am just a cat,” he answered shortly as he met Arthur’s gaze.

Griff pulled Diablo’s hand up and kissed it gently. “Diablo is a lot more than just a cat, Uncle.  Firstly he is a soon-to-be retired FBI agent who has spent more than seven years undercover and ten years in the agency.  He is trained in both armed and unarmed combat.  His cat is bigger than any of our wolves and on top of that he has strength, integrity, intelligence and honor and he doesn’t use his animal size to intimidate others or get his own way.”  He looked at Diablo, catching his warm gaze in his own.  “The Fate’s choice is perfect for me in every way and,” he said looking back at his Uncle, “there is no-one I would rather have at my back than Diablo in human or animal form.” 

Diablo could feel Arthur looking at him closely and he met the man’s gaze without flinching.
Arthur looked at him steadily for a moment and then nodded and held his hand out to Diablo.

“Understood.  You are welcome, Diablo and as Griff’s mate you are extended the same protection and respect owed those in the Cloverleah pack even if you aren’t a pack member.”

“He is,” Shawn piped up, with his mouth full. 

“Yes,” said Kane who was also enjoying his food.  Diablo picked up his fork and started to eat.  The meat was delicious. “Diablo was admitted to our pack
yesterday on a unanimous vote, so he is a full pack member.”

“Well,” said Arthur with a laugh, “between Diablo and Shawn you are certainly becoming a pack to be reckoned with.  I am glad we are allies.”

“And now, if you men are finished,” Cheryl looked at the said men pointedly, “tell me Griff, when will you and Diablo have your Mating Ritual? With Diablo being such a good looking cat it should be an exciting day and I for one will want to be there.  In fact, I could arrange the whole thing.”  She looked up with an excited smile on her face. Arthur groaned and kept his head down.

“Is a week enough time, Aunty, or do you need more?”  Griff was smirking at Diablo as he answered.

“Oh pshaw, these other two,” Cheryl said as she indicated Kane and Shawn, “only gave me a day’s notice and I think it all went beautifully.  Don’t you boys?” 

“Yes, ma’am.”  Kane and Shawn answered together, not keen to say anything else.
Kane had wanted to go through the Alpha Mating ritual before Shawn faced his Uncle in an Alpha challenge so they only had the one day to arrange it all and get everything in place.

“Of course we will have to notify the other packs…hmm, will you let me take a photo of you Diablo?” Cheryl’s voice was deceptively sweet.

“Uhm,” Diablo looked at Griff whose grin just got bigger if that was possible. “Why would you need that, ma’am?”

Narrowing her eyes at the handsome man, Cheryl asked, “Griff did tell you what was involved in the Mating Ritual
when a different type of shifter is involved, didn’t he?  You did explain, didn’t you Griff because if you didn’t then that is just plain wrong.”

“Oh no Aunty, I explained it all to him.  He knows what to expect.  In fact it put him off for a bit but I talked him round,
” Griff’s face might have been innocent for his aunt, but the memory of how Griff got him to say yes had Diablo shifting in his chair a little bit.  Diablo glared at his mate as his jeans got tighter. Fortunately Cheryl honed in on him again which helped his jean situation a bit.

“Well, then Diablo you will know that I have to announce your Mating Ritual to the other packs that are invited and I will need to send a picture of you through to the other packs so that any interested parties can challenge Griff on the day.  I mean most of them won’t be able to get to see you much before the day and we don’t want a rush on for challenges on the day itself.  It makes planning so difficult.”  Cheryl was totally sincere in her remarks.

“Can’t be too many of them, sweetie, after all the boys are gay.  I am sure Diablo isn’t interested in any female challengers.”  Arthur’s teasing voice showed how much more comfortable he had gotten with his own son’s and Griff’s sexual orientation.

Diablo shuddered and one of the females at the table laughed.  “No sir, I have never been interested in a female mate.  No disrespect intended,” he said to the other women at the table.

“Well then, you shouldn’t have too much trouble then with challengers.  I mean how many gay shifter’s are there that are likely to be invited.”  Arthur asked.

Diablo wasn’t the only one who stared as Griff, Kane and Shawn all burst out laughing.  Even Cheryl looked a bit puzzled.  Finally Kane got himself together enough to
explain.  “Er Mom, we will only be inviting members from three packs.  Yours of course, although we don’t expect too many challenges from here…”

“There might be a couple,” Arthur said with a gleam in his eye.  Kane looked at his Dad in shock for a moment and then shrugged and went back to talking to his Mom.

“But the other two packs will be Claude Murphy’s pack from Tulsa Oklahoma and Damien’s pack in San Antonio, Texas…”  he paused and looked at Diablo.  “Do you know anyone from either of those packs?”  Diablo shook his head.  “Weeeeell…Claude’s pack is 90% gay and Damien’s is like, 75%.  Claude’s pack has about 50 members at last count and Damien’s…”  Kane looked at Shawn.

“About 150
- 200 last I heard,” Shawn supplied helpfully.

Groaning, Diablo put his head in his hands.  He felt Griff’s hands on his shoulders soothing him with his touch even as Griff pointed out to Arthur that there were a lot more gay shifters around than perhaps he had first imagined.  To say that Arthur was s
urprised was an understatement if the ensuing conversation was anything to go by. All he could think was
how the hell do I get out of this?
But he kept his thoughts shielded from Griff.  Despite the fact that Griff had told Diablo that there would be three packs invited, he didn’t let on just how many of those people would be male orientated.

Diablo felt a soft hand on his head and he looked up to see Cheryl had come around the table and was looking at him. Surprisingly her eyes were kind and she had a small smile on her face.

“Don’t worry too much about it Diablo.  Griff has been waiting for this his whole life. You won’t deny your man the right to fight for you, do you?”

Rubbing his head with his hands Diablo answered softly. “No ma’am, Griff knows I would do anything for him.  But…”

“You are a gorgeous looking man, Diablo and Griff is so proud of you.  Why wouldn’t he want to fight for you?  It will be so positive for him if you have a lot of people interested in fighting for the right to have you.”

Thinking about it for a moment, Diablo nodded.  “I s’pose you are right ma’am. I’ve gotta let the man have his fun.”  He smiled up at Cheryl, “but you don’t really need a picture of me do you?” He asked hopefully.

“Of course I do, silly man.  Now come on with me and we will go into the office and get it sorted, so I can send out the invite and the picture via email today.  Got to give those guys in Texas time to get down here.”  Cheryl nudged Diablo from his seat and waited for him to kiss Griff on the top of his head, before taking him by the arm and leading him down the hallway he had seen when he first entered the house. He felt Griff nudge his brain as he followed the determined woman.

Are you okay, lover.

Yes, sweetie,
Diablo put unnecessary malice in his term of endearment.
Just going for my photo shot as per YOUR Aunt’s instructions.

Oh yummy, are you going to take your shirt off.

Not if I can help it, but who knows with this woman.  She could want me naked for all I know.
Diablo could feel Griff growling and he grinned to himself.

I am coming as well.

No, you are not!  You stay right there and keep everyone else out of this office.  This is humiliating enough as it is.  I haven’t had my photo taken since the one I had done for the academy.

Mmm, I have seen that picture…you are very photogenic my lover.

You are not helping.  Now stay there but if I am not out in ten minutes then I need rescuing. Quickly.

Cheryl pushed into a large double doorway and took Diablo into what must be the office.  Like the
living room and kitchen areas the room was large and filled with leather furniture, huge windows looking out onto a lot of land and trees and a mass of books all collected in floor to ceiling bookcases.  It was a well-lived in, comfortable room that also housed the business end of things if the technology centered around a large desk was anything to go by. Cheryl pottered over to a cupboard by the desk and rummaged around obviously looking for her camera.  She pulled out an impressive looking piece of equipment complete with a large lens.

“Now,” she said, “
Where would be the best place to take this,” she wondered as she looked at Diablo taking in white blond hair, tanned skin and black t-shirt and black jeans.