ToLoveaCougar (7 page)

Needing to expend a little excess energy, Blaise headed for the back of the house where he could easily get to the open stretch of land. He shifted to his cougar form and took off at a run. He’d just hit the grassy area when another cougar came up beside him. It was Taylor. They ran until they reached the opposite end of the field before they stopped and took on their human forms once again.

“It’s a nice day for a run,” Taylor said.

“Yeah, it is.” The sun shone brightly, and even though it was fall, it wasn’t too chilly, not that they’d have felt the cold through their thick pelts.

“You really like Harley, don’t you?”

“Yes. I now know why you prefer human women. No pressure.”

“You mean
a
human woman, as in the singular. Aspen is the only one for me.”

“I know. I meant before you met her.”

“Being banished from the family group did give me a better perspective on life. I’m thankful one of our females didn’t set off my pendant. I don’t think I would have been able to stand it.”

“Which is why you have a human for a mate. Speaking of your banishment, have you spoken to your werewolf buddies yet?”

Taylor had lived and worked for a werewolf. Meadow had been human until she became the mate of one of the werewolf sentinels, who turned her. Meadow and Taylor had become so close Taylor thought of her as a sister. When he’d left Juneau, where Meadow lived, he’d done so without telling her where he was going or why, not sure what to expect when he arrived in Anchorage. Banishment was usually meant for life. Only their father’s illness had made it possible for Taylor to come back to the family group. He’d been the heir apparent to take their father’s place. And since Blaise had outright refused to take his brother’s place after he’d been kicked out, their dad had decided no one else but Taylor could do the job so he overturned the banishment.

His brother nodded. “Yeah, I called Meadow a couple days ago.”

“How did that go?”

Taylor chuckled. “Good. I explained everything to her. Once she got done giving me crap for feeling as if I couldn’t talk to her about it, she said she wants me to bring Aspen to Juneau for a visit or Meadow and her mate Durlach will come here. She made it perfectly clear she was going to remain a part of my life.”

“So you told her about Dad.” Blaise said it as a statement.

“Yes. Meadow also offered a couple options if he starts to go downhill fast. She said she’d get Durlach to bite Dad and see if he would gain immortality like them, or she’d talk to Ryder, the sentinels’ shaman, about seeing Dad and trying to cure him with a magic spell.”

The sentinels were the only werewolves who were able to turn a human, or mortal, as they called them. The six original sentinels were the very first werewolves, who were from the ice age. Their shaman back then had used a spell to create them. They had different aspects about them that modern-day werewolves, their descendants, didn’t have. Like being able to turn humans and werewolves alike, making them hybrids, and being immortal.

Blaise met Taylor’s gaze. “The first one, I know for a fact Dad wouldn’t tolerate. He’d be a mix of werewolf and cougar, and who knows if that would even be possible. Plus, if he became immortal, then Mom would have to be turned as well since she would want the same life span as him. The shaman on the other hand, I wouldn’t turn him away.”

Taylor nodded. “I already told Meadow I’d be giving Ryder a call if it becomes necessary. She was going to pass on that message to him.” His brother paused before he spoke again. “So you’ve been having doubts about Caleb as well?”

“Yes I have. I didn’t really until the other day. Before that, I was starting to question if he was going to be able to help Dad. Now I’m wondering if he’s purposely making him sick.”

“Even though Caleb is our cousin, we aren’t as close nor know him as well as we do Jase and Grady. He was raised in his mother’s family group after our uncle disappeared and his mother died. We’d have to know for sure he’s deliberately causing Dad harm before we accuse him of it. For one thing, Dad wouldn’t believe us. He’s always tried to look out for Caleb when he could.”

“Even paying to send him to medical school. I know we’d have to have proof. Hopefully the blood tests Harley does will show something.”

“We don’t know for sure, but you realize there’s more than a good chance she’ll see the differences in our blood compared to a human’s.”

“I know that. I’ll deal with it if it comes down to that.”

“How?”

“I’ll tell her exactly what I am, what we are.”

“Be prepared for her not to accept it.”

“I will be. She hasn’t set off the magic in my pendant. There’s a chance she never will. I’ll let her go if she can’t handle the truth. And I’m pretty sure she’ll keep the secret of our existence as well. If she told anyone I doubt they’d believe her, and she’ll know that. She’s not stupid.”

“And if she does set off the magic? What will you do then if she still doesn’t want to be with you?”

Blaise shrugged. “I have no damn idea. I’ll have to hope she’ll come around as Aspen did for you.”

Taylor smiled. “That had a lot to do with the fact Mom went to talk to her and explained everything about us.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to ask Mom to do the same thing for me.”

His brother clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll have to wait and see if it comes to that. In the meantime, let’s hope Harley does find something to help Dad, be it giving proof Caleb is doing something fishy or a solid answer as to what Dad’s illness is. I’m going to head back to the house. I told Aspen I would talk to you, then we’re going for a horseback ride.”

Blaise watched Taylor change to his cougar form once more, then take off at a run toward the house. He shifted as well but headed in the opposite direction. He still had some time to kill before Harley arrived.

He thought over all the things he’d discussed with Taylor. Now that his brother voiced his own concerns about Caleb, Blaise was thinking more and more that not everything was on the up and up with his cousin. And if the blood tests did end up showing something was very wrong, he wondered how Caleb would be dealt with. Trying to harm a family group leader was not something that could be overlooked.

Then Blaise’s thoughts strayed to what if Harley did end up setting off the magic in his pendant. He wouldn’t dislike the idea of her being his mate. He was more worried about the fact she was human and wouldn’t be able to accept him being a cougar shifter. Once the cougar’s ruby eyes started to glow, he wouldn’t be able to think about anything but trying to persuade her to take his necklace from him and put it around her neck, thus causing a bond to form between them, claiming him as hers. And by persuading, he meant sex. He’d be in a state of arousal almost constantly, unable to eat or sleep. Harley rejecting him wouldn’t make it go away either. It would make it worse. The idea had Blaise feeling leery about all of it.

He slowed his loping run, figuring he’d gone far enough. Blaise turned around and headed back the way he’d come. As he’d told Taylor, he would deal with all that when the time came, if it happened. There was no guarantee.

Chapter Six

“What’s going on, and why is this person I don’t know standing in my bedroom?” Blaise’s dad asked as his gaze landed on his mate, Taylor, Blaise and Harley in turn.

“This is Harley.” His mom nodded in Harley’s direction. “She’s Blaise’s girlfriend. She also happens to be a medical lab technician. She’s going to draw some of your blood.”

“Why?”

Blaise knew what had to be going on in his dad’s head that he couldn’t voice out loud. He would want to know why Harley, a human, was going to take his blood. And he probably wasn’t too thrilled to hear she was Blaise’s girlfriend either.

“We,” his mother said, “have decided this is one thing Caleb should have done for you. Harley knows the results must be kept from those she works with, and at the risk of losing her job, has offered to run blood tests herself to keep them out of the lab’s system.”

His dad frowned. “If you think it’s so necessary, why don’t you discuss it with Caleb first?”

Taylor stepped into the conversation. “I’m going to be very blunt here. We’re not telling Caleb anything about it right now, and we want you to do the same. We have our suspicions he might be behind you not getting better. We feel he could be doing you harm rather than good.”

His father turned his gaze on Blaise. Even though his dad’s body was weak, his eyes were as sharp as ever. “You agree with what Taylor said.”

Blaise nodded. “Yes. Actually it was I who first brought Caleb’s actions into question. This new medicine he’s giving you causes you to become sicker shortly after the injection. Caleb doesn’t seem to care. Mom called him yesterday and told him about the seizure you had and asked him to switch back to the old medication. He refused, Dad. He basically told Mom she didn’t know anything, and he, as a doctor, was the only one qualified to make that decision.”

His father’s lips thinned as he glanced at his mate, who nodded. He turned his attention back on Blaise. “I had no idea. Your mother never told me. Caleb has no right to talk to her in that manner.” He paused, as if thinking over what he’d been told. “I can’t say these new symptoms haven’t bothered me. If you truly feel Caleb is behind it then I’ll agree to the blood tests so long as Harley is the only one who sees the results. And if we’re going to accuse Caleb of wrongful doing, we need proof before we can confront him.”

“That’s what Taylor and I agreed on,” Blaise said. “Harley is the only one who might be able to do that with the results.”

“You obviously trust her.”

Blaise glanced at Harley and smiled. “I do.”

“All right then,” his dad said with a nod. “Let’s do this before Caleb arrives.”

“One other thing,” Taylor replied. “I’ll be here when my cousin arrives. I’m not going to allow him to give you another injection. To avoid him becoming suspicious, you and I are going to have a pretend argument in front of him about it, Dad. But the outcome will be I’ll win. Harley should have the results at the end of the day.” Taylor looked at her. “Correct?”

Harley stepped closer to the bed. “Yes. And they’ll be for my eyes only. I don’t know why you need the secrecy, but I will abide by it. As soon as I draw the blood, I’ll head for the lab and then get the tests going while I work on other ones. I’ll bring the findings here at the end of my shift.”

His dad gave another short nod and tugged up the sleeve of his pajama shirt. Harley knelt on the floor, then took out the supplies she needed to draw the blood from the small bag she carried. Blaise watched her set to work, her movements efficient and fast. It was all done in less than a minute.

She stood, placed the glass vials of blood, along with the items she used, back into the bag and smiled. “All done. I’d better go.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Blaise said.

His mother stopped them before they could leave. “Harley, plan to stay for dinner.”

“I will,” she replied. “I look forward to it. Thanks.”

Blaise and Harley left the others in the master bedroom and headed down to the main level. At the door, Harley picked up her backpack, which she’d brought down earlier, and slung it over her shoulder. She turned to face him and went on tiptoe to kiss him. He resisted yanking her close and kissing her breathless.

“I’m going to miss you while you’re at work,” he said once he released her mouth.

“And I you.” She smiled. “But I’ll be back. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be living here soon.”

“You’re more than welcome to share my room with me.”

“You’d better watch it. I might take you up on that offer, especially since this place comes with a personal chef.”

He pretended to look hurt. “You wound me. That’s the only thing that would make you want to move in?”

“Okay, not the only thing. I’d have to say getting you comes in at a close second.”

Blaise turned Harley around and smacked her on the ass. “Get out of here before I take you back upstairs to show you why I should be number one.”

She laughed. “See you later. If I have time, I’ll try to text you.”

Blaise closed the door behind Harley after she walked outside. He then headed back upstairs to his room to wait for Caleb to arrive. He didn’t think he wanted to miss out on seeing his dad’s and Taylor’s acting skills. Though pretending to argue wouldn’t be very hard for them since they tended to do that frequently anyway.

It wasn’t very long before Blaise heard the sound of Caleb’s footsteps coming down the hallway toward the master bedroom. Blaise opened his door and poked his head out to see his cousin disappearing through the open double doors at the end of the hall. It was showtime.

Blaise left his bedroom and headed for his parents’. By the time he’d reached it, Taylor and their father were already starting the “argument”. Blaise stood at the doorway and watched them put on a good show for Caleb’s benefit.

His dad appeared to take Caleb’s side when Caleb strongly urged Taylor to change his mind about the injection. His cousin tried to reassure Taylor by stating the new side effects from the medication weren’t going to do any harm, and that he’d expected them to happen. Blaise didn’t let it show on the outside, but on the inside he was seething. Plus, more warning bells were going off inside his head. What kind of doctor would use a medication knowing his patient would go through such extreme side effects? Not a good one, in Blaise’s opinion.

The “argument” was over shortly after it began, with Taylor ending up the winner as he’d planned. Caleb didn’t look at all pleased with the outcome. If anything, he looked angry, even though he appeared to be trying to hide it. After a cursory examination of his patient, he stormed past Blaise and headed downstairs. The front door slammed shut a few seconds after that.

Blaise walked over to the bed. “Was it me or did Caleb seem angry?”

“Oh he was pissed,” Taylor said. “Even though he tried to quickly get it under wraps, I was closer to him and smelled it in his scent for the split second it lasted.”