Cat Scratch Fever; Blue-Collar Werewolves V (34 page)

The werelion struggled against the hold, his
eyes meeting Matthew’s. His opponent’s will was strong. His intent
was less self-serving than Matthew had originally thought. He’d
tried and failed to keep the younger lions in his care. Matthew
understood and sent the feeling to the other male. Sent him the
feeling that all would be okay, whether the werelion set aside his
personal pride or not, the younger ones would be tended to. Matthew
would take care of them. They’d be safe.

The werelion sagged, the disbelief in his
eyes turned to confusion, then teared with emotion as he finally
understood. “Leo,” he whispered. He broke eye contact. Sensing the
change in attitude and the choice, Matthew stood and offered his
hand-claw. “The name’s Matthew,” the lion hesitated then accepted
help.

“Laton,” there was a distinct pause. “My
Leo.” Laton met Matthew’s eyes, this time there was no
challenge.

“Okay, Laton. Why don’t you and your friends
get something to eat?” Matthew didn’t relish the time this had
taken away from his meeting. He had to find clothes and get on the
road, sensing Nathan’s urgency building. “I’d like to talk to you,
but really have to be somewhere.” Laton nodded, moving out of the
way in a chagrined motion. Matthew waved. He hoped the fairy lord
wasn’t a stickler for punctuality.

* * * *

Pulling a fresh shirt over his head, Matthew
replayed his asinine behavior with Naomi for the hundredth time.
Part of him was still aggravated that it had taken so long for her
to concede that he had his mental faculties together, but he didn’t
have to get pissy about it then sulk like a child.

His hormones bemoaned the very real
possibility that he wouldn’t be getting laid again anytime soon.
Thinking about how perfect she fit in his arms, and other parts
made him want to claw his way out of the truck and run back to the
house to beg for the forgiveness he would no doubt have to work
for. Did werelionesses like flowers? Or would a steak be a better
gift? Jewelry? He frowned, feeling pretty stupid at how right
hunting down an antelope or deer. No woman he’d ever dated would
like a kill laid at her feet.

“Here.” Matthew’s reflexes reacted as fast
as the object headed his way registered. He turned over the cell
phone in his hand. The inexpensive model appeared sturdy rather
than on the cutting edge of communication technology. “You need one
of those,” Brandon said and leaned against the door frame. “Plus,
that one is one of those prepaid accounts. BioPet will have a
harder time tracking you down.”

“I was going to order a replacement from my
service provider.” Matthew didn’t like the idea of his people
taking on his bills or providing him with his basic needs. He’d
been relying on himself alone for too long to become a mooch this
late in the game. He tried to hand the thing back but Brandon
ignored the effort. “I’ll take care of my own account.”

“Later.” Nathan poked his head in the door.
Matthew was beginning to become used to the lack of privacy,
especially from his two self-appointed bodyguards. “Right now,
we’re regrouping. If I were those assholes at BioPuke, I’d be
monitoring your accounts and phone to get an idea where you were.”
The notion was plausible. Disturbing, yet entirely within the realm
of possibility. “Take the phone Leo, so we can all rest a little
easier. You’ll be pulling more than your own weight soon
enough.”

Matthew shoved the device in his jeans
pocket with a sidelong look at the panther. He still didn’t like
the idea of someone else taking care of his business. Awareness,
brought his head up. He met Naomi’s hesitant, but still angry
green-gold gaze. “Get out,” he told the men. They complied without
a word, slipping away silently.

Naomi stood her ground. Her chin tilted up
defiantly. He could feel Jillian hovering nearby with one of the
lionesses. The females’ protective aura was as distinctive as
Brandon and Nathan’s.

“I’m not sorry about wanting you safe,” he
said. Inside he wanted to haul his mate into the room, tie her to
the bed, and never leave. Her raised eyebrow didn’t let him off the
hook, but he wasn’t backing down either. “I did warn you that I can
be an ass. I’m probably going to be one again if your safety is in
question.” He held out a hand, inviting her in. Matthew hoped she’d
at least meet him halfway. “I’m hard-headed and my family doesn’t
have a great track record in the relationship department. But
you’re not going be able to get rid of me.” He watched her eyes
widen and felt…
shock
? He frowned, remembering the cats’
penchant for wandering. Did she expect him to leave or
want
him to? That kind of pissed him off. He took his hand back,
crossing his arms over his chest. “I mean it, Naomi. Marriage is
important. Our
people
are important. They need both of us.
Leaving is not an option.”

Emotion swamped Matthew. He shifted
uneasily, uncomfortable as he tried to sift through her emotions.
Finally, tears spilled over her cheeks, pulling him forward. He
wrapped his arms around her sweet, soft body, pulling her tight. He
also felt Nathan’s impatience to get going, to gain some kind of
security for their people.

Inwardly, he sighed. Who was he kidding?
Screw the meeting. His woman’s was the most important thing in his
life. Matthew laid his cheek over Naomi’s short, cute hair. “Shhh,
baby. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

She gave a watery laugh. Her emotions were
just as jumbled. “I just needed to know that you really meant to
stay.” She shrugged, but tightened her arms around his chest,
speaking into his shirt. “I’m hard-headed too, and our whole
species has a bad track record in relationships. So what now?”

“Well, in a little bit I’m going to have to
go do my job as Leo and kiss a lot of political ass.” He struggled,
trying to find the right words. “I
need
you, Naomi. More
than I need air to breathe. The idea of losing you kills me.”
Matthew confessed, leaning back to gauge how well she took
that.

“I love you,” Naomi tossed the words down
like a dare. “My king; my Leo.”

“I love you too.” He brushed a finger
against the purple love bite from last night, already looking
forward to his welcome home from the meeting. “Naomi, my heart. My
queen, my Lia.”

The feeling of déjà-vu made him look at her
harder than he intended. Reality shifted, and for a moment he was
the Mathais from his dreams. Love and loss made a man do drastic
things.

He hoped not to make a mess of it this time
around. Resolve steadied Matthew, renewing him with purpose. For
the first time in a very long time, he belonged. From the inside
out, Matthew felt whole as he accepted all the aspects of himself,
tools that were at his disposal. Giving a mental nod to his fate,
Matthew relished the feel of his mate in his arms and the growing
feeling of the clans in his consciousness.

This time around, he had no intention of
failing Naomi, Bastet, or their people.

The End