The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) (13 page)

They ran quietly through the forest, making their way further up into the mountains. Vivi slowed to a stop well inside the tree line before they reached the bluff overlooking the valley where the cabin was. Sophia scented mountain lions and humans in the distance, once again a clear indicator shifters were nearby. The three cats walked in almost silence to the edge of the trees. Vivi nudged her head forward, indicating for Sophia and Daniel to position themselves in the shelter of one of the boulders on the bluff, while she headed to another boulder with a different angle of sight over the small valley.

The old cabin came into view when Sophia carefully glanced around the corner of the boulder. Daniel, with his greater height, was able to look above the boulder. The sight of him in lion form took her breath away. She tore her eyes away and looked out over the valley. The ground outside the cabin showed evidence of recent traffic with the dusty ground crisscrossed in tracks. As they watched, a man came out of the cabin and walked to lean against a fence in front of the cabin. She sensed Daniel stiffen, but she didn’t dare move, so she held still. Long moments later, two mountain lions appeared on the far side of the valley and began to cross into the open field by the cabin. Suddenly, one of the cats stopped, lifting its nose in the air. Sophia canted her eyes toward Vivi who was in her line of sight, so she could catch her eyes without turning. Vivi shook her head, the barest movement.

After a slow perusal of the valley, the lion who’d stopped began moving again. The cats followed the man into the cabin. After several taut moments, Sophia tossed her head and started backing into the trees. Vivi followed, although Daniel remained for a long moment, his eyes traversing back and forth across the valley. She and Vivi waited quietly. He finally turned and ambled back into the trees. The strength and power emanating from him was immense.

Suddenly the scent of another lion gusted on the breeze. Sophia locked eyes with Vivi. Whoever this lion was, he was getting closer to them and was most definitely male. Daniel’s head lifted and turned slowly. In lion form, just as in human form, he was larger than the average male and heavily muscled. She didn’t doubt he could hold his own in a fight if need be, but she didn’t want him to be forced into a confrontation. The problem was if they could smell the other lion, the lion could smell them and would likely be upon them at any moment if he felt threatened.

Sophia hoped numbers were on their side. In seconds, the lion came into view at the edge of the trees. She was uncertain who it was. Among shifters, they could recognize each other if they knew each other. Painter’s shifter community was close-knit, but she didn’t personally know every shifter. Over the years, the population of shifters had grown as well. The lion held still for a tense moment before dashing straight for Daniel with a roar. Daniel held his position and caught the other lion in his teeth by the neck as the lion attempted to attack. Snarls and growls echoed through the trees. Daniel quickly and clearly dominated the other lion, although the lion wasn’t giving up without a fierce fight.

Just when Sophia thought perhaps it was only one mountain lion, another appeared in the edge of the forest and made straight for her and Vivi. In a flash, the lion was upon them. She and Vivi had grown up tussling together with each other and other cats, so they were accustomed to joining forces in a fight. They easily knocked the other cat off his feet. He was swift and bounded back up with a roar.

She loved the power that rushed through her in a fight. Adrenaline rolled through her in waves as she swiped at the lion and caught the ruff of his neck in her teeth. In minutes, they pinned the cat. She tasted the iron of his blood in her mouth. Vivi’s paw held the lion down. She nudged Sophia’s shoulder. Sophia followed Vivi’s eyes to see Daniel had pinned the other cat.

Steam rose around them in the damp air of the forest from the collective heaves of the lions on the heels of a fight. The lion beneath them shifted. It was a man she didn’t recognize. In the moments following, the other lion shifted as well. Two stranger shifters stood amongst them, battered and bruised. They were silent and sullen on the trek out of the forest.

***

Hours later, after a long hike back in human form, they pulled up at the police station. Sophia knew several of the cops were shifters, so they’d called ahead and arranged for one to meet them.

Roger Shaw met them at the door and quickly escorted them inside. Another officer, Brad Hall, escorted the two shifters through the waiting room into the back. After Sophia introduced Daniel, Roger leaned back in his desk. “Sounds like you and Vivi stumbled across the same place we’ve been keeping an eye on.”

Vivi crossed her arms and glared at Roger. “Well, maybe if you’d been giving us some updates on things we wouldn’t feel like we had to look into things ourselves.”

Roger ran a hand through his dark hair and chuckled. They’d grown up with Roger. He was an old family friend and solid as they came. His brown eyes caught Sophia’s. “Heath know you’ve been scouting around?”

“He’s not too thrilled about it.” She felt defensive and argumentative at once. “Look, Heath’s been through hell, and I’m pissed about what these guys have done to Painter. No one knows who to trust anymore, and it feels like nothing is getting anywhere. We need to find out who’s involved and shut it down!”

Roger sighed. “I’m sorry. I get why you’re doing this, but trust me when I say we’re working on it. Finding these guys will help. I’m guessing they’ve probably scented us before when we’ve been out there, but they have enough sense to steer clear since they know who we are. They probably decided to take you all on, thinking they could hold their own. They obviously don’t know you and Vivi can fight with the best of us.”

He caught Daniel’s eyes. “Nice to meet you by the way. I’m glad you were there.”

Daniel nodded. “I haven’t had a chance to mention this, but I think I know the man we saw.”

Roger’s eyes narrowed, while Sophia and Vivi swung to him.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Vivi asked impatiently.

Daniel was unruffled. “Because we had those two guys with us the whole way back, and I didn’t want to clue them in. Anyway, it makes me sick to say this, but I think it’s my uncle.”

“Nelson Weaver?” Roger asked.

“Yup. We didn’t have a great view, but I’m pretty damn sure. I’ve only met him once since I got to Painter, but it wouldn’t surprise me to find out he was involved. My gut tells me he’s up to no good. There’s also the fact I can’t figure out what he’s doing for work.” He caught Sophia’s eyes. “Sophia’s mother told me my grandparents tied up their inheritance, so he’s not living off that. The house is mostly unused, and he’s damn cagey about what he’s doing to get by.”

“You really think the man was your uncle?” Sophia asked, reaching for Daniel’s hand.

He squeezed her hand and nodded. “Think so.” He took a breath and looked back to Roger.

Roger nodded thoughtfully. “Nelson’s been on our list of possibilities ever since this smuggling ring got started. He’s skirted the edge of the law for years. Usually small stuff, but he’s always looking for quick cash and an easy way out.”

The conversation carried on with Roger asking Daniel questions about anything he might have seen out at his grandparents’ old property. By the time they left, darkness was falling. Between the long afternoon and early evening, Sophia was weary. They dropped Vivi off and returned to her house. Daisy greeted them enthusiastically at the door. She quickly fed Daisy and turned to Daniel. “I’m starving, but I need a shower.”

Without a word, Daniel curled his palm around her hand and led her through the living room, into her bedroom and into the bathroom.

Chapter 12

Steam filled the air, light haloing through the soft mist. Sophia stood in the shower, rinsing the soap out of her hair. She bore several scratches on her back and shoulders, one angry and red. The fight in the forest had brought Daniel’s feelings for her into sharp focus. Seeing her fight so wildly and fiercely had driven deep into his being. He recalled again how his mother had described how he’d feel when he met his mate. She’d kept saying it was hard for a human to understand because it was so primal. Sophia in lion form had called to him so strongly, he only wanted to claim her.

He ran a hand over her shoulder and down her back, carefully tracing the deep scratch. She turned to face him, running her hands over her hair, the water cascading around her. His body tensed, wracked with longing. Lust rolled through him, a hot rumble. Her hands fell to his shoulders and stroked down his arms. He caught her lips in his, moving swiftly. He hooked a hand under her thigh and lifted it. He stroked a finger into her folds, finding her ready and waiting. She whispered against his lips. “I’m on the pill…just so you know.”

He pulled back a fraction and opened his eyes. “Are you…?”

“I’m sure.”
He didn’t wait and positioned his cock at her entrance. He cupped her cheek and held her gaze as he surged into her. Her breath broke on a low moan. He moved swiftly, claiming her fully and completely. Their coupling was fast and fierce. In moments, she was throbbing around him, her body arching and shuddering as she cried out. His orgasm ripped through him, his release so thorough, he had to brace a hand against the shower wall to keep from falling.

A while later, they lounged on the couch with Daisy stretched out on the floor at their feet. Too weary to cook, they’d ordered takeout from Quinn’s. Sophia had a plate on her lap and was nibbling on sweet potato fries when she glanced over. “You don’t seem too upset about your uncle.”

He shrugged. “I’m not happy, but it didn’t surprise me. It’s just hard idea to wrap my brain around. Sure, I hoped I’d come here and find some family and it would be a good thing. Nelson isn’t a happy guy. Even if he wasn’t involved in drug smuggling, it was pretty damn clear he and I weren’t going to have much of a relationship. I can’t say one hundred percent it was him, but I’m as sure as I can be. We’ll see what happens. I’m damn relieved you finally talked to the police about what you and Vivi saw.”

Sophia sighed. “We always said we would if we had something worthwhile.”

“Two shifters picking a fight is your standard for worthwhile?”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” Her expression sobered. “I’m sorry you came all the way here and found an uncle who’s not exactly there for you.”

He looked over at her, her dark hair tumbling loosely around her shoulders, her gorgeous green eyes, the arch of her brow, and the soft curve of her cheekbone. He lifted a hand and brushed a loose lock of hair off her forehead. “I found you,” he said, his chest tightening with emotion.

She curled her hand around his and squeezed it.

The moment was interrupted when Daisy sat up and nudged her nose on the couch between them. Sophia laughed softly and freed her hand to stroke Daisy’s head. He cleared his throat. “Even with everything that happened with my brother, you should know I had a happy childhood. My parents loved me. Maybe things were mixed up because of how afraid they were after how David died, but I didn’t come here looking for something I never had. I had loving parents who did their best under difficult circumstances. I came here mostly to find out about the shifter side of myself. My mother loved Painter and missed it, so I wanted to see the place she loved so much. Don’t worry about me because of Nelson. If he’s involved, I’d prefer he’s held accountable.”

Still stroking Daisy’s head, Sophia smiled softly. “Okay.” She snagged another sweet potato fry and nibbled on it before grabbing the remote and flicking on the television.

***

Sophia sat on Vivi’s porch with Jax twining himself around her ankles, purring so loudly he practically made her vibrate. Vivi was braiding Julianna’s hair. She tied an elastic band around the end of one braid and started on the other side.

“So, it’s obvious you’re head over heels for Daniel and he all but slobbers whenever he looks at you. What now?” Vivi asked.

Sophia watched Vivi’s hands smoothly weave Julianna’s dark hair into a tidy braid. She glanced up into Vivi’s sharp gaze. It was a fair question, but she didn’t know what the answer was. She shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
Don’t be silly. You’re sure. You know exactly what he means to you. Maybe so, and that’s half the problem.
She wasn’t sure she was ready to make Daniel a permanent part of her life.

As usual, Vivi didn’t mince words. “Soph, you’re either playing dumb, or you’re about to let the man who’s clearly meant to be yours drift away because you’re too proud to admit what’s obvious to anyone who sees you two together.”

The sound of an elastic band snapping onto Julianna’s other braid punctuated Vivi’s words. She lifted Julianna’s two braids high in the air and let them fall. “All done!” Julianna whirled around and planted a noisy kiss on her mother’s cheek before running down the steps into the yard to play. Vivi leaned back in her chair and caught Sophia’s eyes.

Sophia sighed. “That obvious, huh?”

Vivi’s gaze softened. “We’re shifters. If we find the right one, it’s usually obvious. Daniel’s the one for you. It doesn’t really matter whether you planned on it, or you’re too busy.” She paused, her eyes considering. “I know you. I know you’ve been hyper-focused on your family and taking care of everyone. Heath is fine now. You can still be there for him and make room in your life for Daniel.”

Sophia’s stomach churned with the familiar worry she’d carried inside ever since Heath’s accident. She was always waiting for the next thing to go wrong and bracing herself to be prepared. She knew Vivi was right. Vivi knew her probably better than she knew herself sometimes. Daniel had come out of nowhere. The intensity and depth of her feelings for him was almost overpowering. The sheer strength of it in such a short time knocked her off kilter.

She smiled ruefully at Vivi. “How do you know me so well?”

Vivi grinned. “Same reason you know me so well. You’re the friend who told me to face up to the fact that Julianna’s father was not the man I was trying to pretend he was. I wanted him to be what Daniel is to you. The fact I haven’t heard from him in three years proved how wrong I was. So when I see the neon sign blinking over you and Daniel, I just want to make sure you don’t ignore it.”