Ow! Fuck. What'd you do that for?
Anita ignored him and went on with her lecture. Onyx smothered a laugh.
We rarely use our teeth. We will hiss, spit, yowl, or make some other scary vocalization to ward off our opponent. At least until we latch on to our victim's throat.
Kipp backed away, obviously not willing to help her demonstrate this part of the lecture. Deacon trotted up. Brave soul.
Anita opened her mouth and placed her teeth at Deacon's throat. He flailed and thrashed around then dropped to the ground with a dramatic flair. The rest of the group cracked up. Even Anita snickered.
Bite down as hard as you can, trying to choke your opponent. Crush his windpipe, or if your opponent is larger than you, grab a hold of him or her and use those back feet to kick and claw. We have a lot of power in our hind legs, and a rabbit-kicking/clawing fighting style is a very effective means of defense.
Onyx nodded. Anita was actually a good teacher. What she said made sense. Onyx could remember witnessing a stray cat or two exactly doing what Anita described while they were in Rome.
Why don't we break into groups, and try it out?
Onyx glanced at Molly. Molly made some sort of motion with her shoulders that Onyx interpreted as a shrug. They turned to face each other. With a soft paw, Molly took a swipe at Onyx then danced away. Onyx ducked to avoid the blow and struck back. They turned in circles eyeing each other, engaging by grabbing each other around the neck then parting.
Let's switch partners.
Anita came up to Onyx, and Molly moved over to work with Oscar. Onyx snickered internally. Those two were bound to end up together sooner or later.
Anita was quick on her feet. She swiped Onyx more than once within the first few seconds of their sparring. Her claws were retracted, so it didn't hurt, but it still ticked Onyx off.
Onyx dodged the next blow and tackled Anita to the ground. Anita threw her off then grabbed her and demonstrated her “rabbit kick.” The move had little to do with sweet, fluffy rabbits. It felt more like a chainsaw of death along her soft underbelly. Onyx howled with pain and rage. She turned her head and bit down on Anita's right front leg. It was enough to surprise Anita into letting her go. Onyx dragged herself away.
What the fuck, Anita? Kipp ran over, checking Onyx's injuries. Shit, you're bleeding.
Kipp shifted into human form, but Onyx was in too much pain to enjoy the sight of his naked body. He picked her up, holding her close.
“Cole!”
The others scurried around Kipp's feet. Except for Molly. Out of the corner of her eye, Onyx saw Molly jump on Anita's back and wrestle her to the ground. The sounds of their growling and spitting could be heard through the yard.
“What the hell happened?” Cole took Onyx from Kipp's arms and brought her inside. With great tenderness, Cole laid her on the couch. “Onyx, can you shift back?” Bless Cole's heart, he knew she wouldn't want to be naked in front of everyone, and draped a blanket from the back of the couch over her. With some effort, she shifted back.
“Good girl. Let me see.”
She nodded. He lifted the blanket and took a look. Kipp came up behind Cole, looking grim and remorseful. He handed Cole a bottle of peroxide and some cotton balls.
“Shit, Onyx, I am so sorry,” Kipp said softly.
Cole cleaned the wounds, which were thankfully not as deep and long now that she was in her human form. They still burned and stung like a bitch. Cole placed his hands over her stomach. His touch was warm and comforting. The pain in her gut eased. The pain kept receding until she felt well enough to sit up, clutching the blanket to her breasts. Cole tucked the blanket around her better.
“Better?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit, Cole. You healed her cuts completely?”
Cole looked down at the floor. “Something I can do from time to time if I'm pressed.” He didn't elaborate.
“Damn. Good man to have around!” Kipp gave him a hearty slap on the back. Cole straightened up from his crouched position.
“Can you walk?”
“Yeah.” Now that she was okay, she felt a little foolish. For a moment there, she feared her guts were going to fall out. Now exhaustion swept through her body.
“Onyx! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scratch you up that bad.” Anita knelt in front of her and grabbed her hands. She was almost in tears. Onyx wasn't sure what to make of the outburst.
“I'm okay.” She patted Anita's hand and edged around her to stand up. She wrapped the blanket around her tightly. Cole took her hand and led her upstairs.
Chapter Ten
Breakfast, the next morning, was tense at best. Onyx didn't want the group to divide up or to fawn over her. She was fine. Anita's remorse seemed genuine, so there was no reason to keep beating a dead horse. Holding a grudge against anyone in their small group wouldn't help them out. Even though Onyx was in a forgiving mood, sparring with Anita again wasn’t happening any time soon. Conversation was stilted, however. Even after a night of rest, Onyx was too tired to jump in and liven things up.
A knock at the door broke the tension by startling everyone. They all looked at each other. The guys put down their utensils, ready to spring into action. Since Cole was closest to the door, he answered it. Onyx almost fell out of her chair when she recognized the voice.
“Is Onyx here?” Ivan. Even though she'd only heard the voice in her head yesterday, there was no mistaking the sound of the werelynx.
Hurriedly, she pushed her chair from the table and headed to the door. Cole turned to her with a questioning look on his face.
“Ivan? What are you doing here?”
He struck a casual pose in the doorway. One tanned, muscular arm braced against the frame. He wore his whiskey colored hair military short and sported a neatly trimmed beard. The vibe surrounding him screamed gruff, dangerous, and no bullshit. Cole and Ivan standing so close to one another unsettled Onyx. They were both mighty sexy, but in completely opposite ways.
Dammit! I should not be thinking Ivan is sexy.
As soon as she reached the door, Ivan straightened up. “Yowza.” His feral gaze roamed over her body. Long enough that it became uncomfortable. Cole cleared his throat.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Ivan finally said, settling his gaze on her face.
“How did you find me?”
“All the kitty cat tracks led right to the back door. I thought it would be weird, so I knocked on the front door.” He grinned at her, showing off perfect, white teeth.
Onyx looked helplessly to the others who were all glued to the scene at the front door.
“Ah, Ivan, this is my boyfriend, Cole.”
Cole stuck out his hand. Ivan looked from Cole to Onyx before accepting the handshake. Molly came up behind Cole.
“Hi, Ivan. Nyx told us all about how you helped her in the woods. Do you want to join us for breakfast?”
Onyx wanted to kiss Molly for intervening and breaking up the tension. Cole graciously backed away, opening the door wider for their guest.
“Sure. Thanks, catling.”
Molly glanced at Onyx and winked. Clearly rescuing Onyx from an uncomfortable situation was not the only reason Molly had come to the door. One thing about being on the run, there was never a dull moment.
“So, how long you guys been hangin' out here?” Ivan talked with his mouth full and gestured with his fork. On anyone else, Onyx would have found it disgusting. On Ivan, she found it oddly charming. She didn't want to examine why she had that reaction. Cole had healed her for God's sake. How could she be lusting after a different guy hours later?
Kipp decided to speak up, and Onyx figured that was for the best. “Deacon's been here a couple months. His family owned the house. We all joined him within the last few weeks.”
“I don't remember any other shifters being in this neighborhood for a long time now” Ivan remarked.
“My aunt and uncle moved to Florida years ago but kept this place for ho
liday gatherings.”
This was news to Onyx. She had never thought to ask who owned the house.
“Do you live in the neighborhood, Ivan?” Molly batted her eyelashes at the werelynx. Apparently Onyx wasn't the only one charmed by Ivan.
Oscar's brows knitted in irritation
Finally full, Ivan pushed his plate away and sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his massive chest.
“You got a clowder, Ivan?” Oscar had also pushed his plate away and was mirroring Ivan's pose.
Ivan snorted. “Nah, man, Lynx are a lot more solitary. Well, at least I am. I used to run with a few gibs, but they paired up and civilized themselves.”
No one seemed to know what to make of that.
Ivan snorted. “Ya'll still use that outdated clowder nonsense?”
Anita bristled, making it clear she found the question insulting. “What the hell else would we call it?”
Ivan rolled his massive shoulders. “I dunno, maybe like the rest of the weres and call it a pack? A clan? You domestics. That's why none of the other shifters take you fluffies and Garfields serious. You're all stuck in the old ways. Need to modernize.”
Onyx thought he had a point, and wasn't that exactly what they were all doing just by being here? Defying the long-standing traditions of their people?
“Packs are wolves. We're not wolves,” although Anita said it softly, the menace in her voice was clear. The big vein in her forehead looked ready to burst, but Ivan seemed oblivious. Kipp had a big ol' grin on his face. Clearly Ivan's views meshed with his own.
“How'd y'all hook up with a magic-user?” Ivan jerked his chin in Cole's direction.
“He's my boyfriend. He's with me.” Onyx put her hand over Cole's.
“Yeah, I got that. How'd that happen? Shifters and magic-makers don't mix for as long as I can remember.”
Onyx shrugged. “I'm a rebel,” she said with a nervous grin.
Ivan seemed to like that. He grinned back at her.
“So, everyone else a couple here too?” Ivan eyed Molly.
“Uh, not really,” Deacon answered. Onyx was surprised he had spoken up. Oscar gave him a dirty look. Molly blushed.
“You guys runnin' from something? Your clowders maybe?”
Uh-oh.
Kipp stood up so fast his chair scraped against the hardwood floor. “We don't want trouble.”
Ivan held out his hands. “Dude, I ain't lookin' to cause trouble for any of you.”
Anita finally stepped in. She placed a hand on Kipp, and urged him to sit back down.
“We've had falling outs with our clowders. Kipp and I ran from ours. I was supposed to be mated with someone who threatened me every chance he got.” She looked at Molly. “Molly was in a similar situation.” She smiled and nodded at Martha. “Martha came from a clowder a few states over. Deacon and Oscar came from a clowder out west.”
Martha chimed in, “Same thing for me, forced mating.” She nodded vigorously.
Ivan settled his gaze on Deacon and Oscar. “Oh, you dudes gay? Didn't want to mate with a female?” He didn't say it in a judgmental way, but the guys definitely took it that way.
“No!” Oscar sputtered. “I had a fling with the Alpha's daughter. He kinda put a bounty on my head.” Deacon chuckled, and Martha poked him in the ribs with her elbow. Ivan looked at all of them, his gaze finally settling on Onyx.
“You, sweetheart?”
“The Alphas had my parents killed because they were against my arranged mating. Cole and I were, uh, friends before that, and he took me in. We've been together ever since. He took me to Rome for vacation, and we ran into Kipp there.”
“Cool.”
As usual, Cole had been quiet during this exchange, standing apart from the group and absorbing all the information.
“Well, if you guys need anything, I got a cabin way back in the woods, and a den in the rocky ledge that's back there. Where ya found Onyx wandering yesterday.” He winked at Onyx. “Feel free to stop by.”
“Sure. Hey, you stop in too,” Molly offered.
He looked over at Anita, “Thanks for the meal. It was great.”
Anita blushed. Who knew she couldn't take a compliment? Her earlier irritation all but vanished. “Any time, Ivan. Thanks for the lively conversation.”
“How long you think you'll be staying?”
The group looked from one to another. They hadn't really talked about their future. Onyx felt sure that none of them had a clue what they were going to do. Right now, they were just trying to get through each day. Eventually, they'd have to work out some sort of plan. If nothing else, they'd run out of money. School would start soon and Onyx had no intention of missing her sophomore year. Cole would have to get back to start drafting lesson plans, lectures, and reading lists. She didn't know what plans the others had.
“We're not sure yet,” Kipp answered for everyone.
Chapter Eleven
Sick of being confined, Onyx went in search of Molly. The little red head had mentioned she also liked to jog. Anita suggested they go streaking through the neighborhood on four paws. Onyx shook her head. She wanted to slip on her sneakers, slick her hair into a tight ponytail, and pound the pavement in the usual way. Thankfully, Molly understood and agreed.
The steady thud, thud, thud of their feet was the only sound they made for the first mile. Onyx liked how they could run without talking. They moved in sync through the neighborhood. Onyx deferred to Molly's sense of direction since she knew the area better.
Molly broke the silence first. “So what did you think of Ivan's visit?”
Onyx slowed down. Damn, she was out of shape. “It was...enlightening.”
“I'll say. He is one fine piece of man.”
Onyx grunted.
“Since your hands are full with the sexy sorcerer, I'll be happy to keep Ivan occupied.”
Onyx rolled her eyes even though the expression was lost on Molly. “I thought you and Oscar had something going?”
Molly let out a peal of breathless giggles. “Yeah, I like him a lot.” They jogged in silence for a few minutes before Molly spoke again. “But that's the whole point of this, right? We're too young to just settle down with one mate?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”
“So there's tons of cats in the barn. I want to live a little before settling down. Ivan looks like fun.”
Onyx snorted at Molly's version of the “fish in the sea” analogy.
“As long as I'm not stepping on your paws?”
Onyx shook her head. “I've got my hands full with Cole. Ivan's all yours.” She was relieved to realize she meant it.
Molly set a quick pace for a few blocks then slowed down again. “I'm glad we're out of the house, away from everyone.”
Onyx grunted in response.
“Are you fully healed after what Anita did to you?”
“I'm running, aren't I?” Onyx huffed out a laugh.
“I should have warned you. Anita's...very spoiled. Jealous. I've known her my whole life. We were never close. She's not close to anyone except Posey, and I guess Kipp.”
Onyx made an encouraging sound hoping Molly would continue. Molly bumped her with her elbow and nodded to a bench along the sidewalk. They both sat, breathing heavily for a few moments before Molly continued.
“Anyway. My point is, I think Anita sees you as a threat. She hates that Kipp likes and respects you. She's jealous of Cole. She sees you as a rival.”
“Rival for what? Kipp's attention? We're just friends. I'm with Cole. I'm not interested in Kipp.”
“I don't think it matters to her. She'd never admit it, but I think she likes Cole, and she's jealous you have him.”
Onyx shook her head. That was absurd. Anita had made it clear time and again how she felt about magic-makers.
“Look, she's used to being the center of attention. Everyone else just usually fades into the background. Except you. You're beautiful, brave, you have an exciting boyfriend, and sexy
lynx shifters come looking for you. I know you don't mean to, but you steal her thunder.”
“Oh come on, Molly. Now you're just being silly.”
“You're modest too. Something Anita has never been. I know why she ran away from home. I know the guy she was promised to, and he was definitely not a prize, but she's not concerned with making things better for everyone the way you are. If her parents told her she could marry Kipp, she'd go home right now and not give a damn about the rest of us.”
“Molly, if you think that way, how can you feel safe here?”
“I trust Kipp. He's a good guy. I know he has a blind spot for Anita, but he wouldn't hand us over to the elders. I'm not saying she would actively betray us. I'm just saying we're convenient right now because our goals happen to align with hers.”
“But you don't think that's the case for me?”
Molly stood up and stretched. “I don't know what I am trying to say. I just want you to watch your back.”
“I need to get out of the house. Anything you need?” Molly was staring at herself in the hallway mirror. She turned and looked at Onyx. “Can I borrow this? It's a little chillier out now.” Molly waved the floral, cashmere scarf Cole had bought Onyx in Rome.
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Molly looped the scarf around her neck and slicked on some lip gloss.
“Got a hot date?” Onyx asked with a chuckle.
Oscar put down his game controller and looked up. “You need me to go with you?”
“Nah, I won't be gone long.” She turned back to the mirror. Oscar's gaze lingered on Molly.
“Be careful. It's a jungle out there,” Onyx warned with a smile.
Molly's laughter floated back into the house as she headed down the driveway. Onyx looked down and got lost in her book again.
A few hours later, the couch dipped next to her as Cole settled into the cushion. “You okay?”
She hadn't realized how late it was. “Yeah, I feel pretty peaceful here.”
Cole eyed the room. “Even with Anita?”