Claws (10 page)

Why didn’t he rage and threaten her? He
had to have gotten the bills by now. She waited for his anger to
come, disappointed when it didn’t. No, Eli ignored her. There was
some satisfaction when he closed all her credit card accounts. She
delighted in opening new accounts.

Not a word came from Denver. Her heart
was shattered each night she went to see her children. She sought
out the friend-turned-lover who waited for her there. Jericho
taught her a side of herself she refused to acknowledge; the animal
within. While it satisfied her body; her heart was aching to know
it wasn’t enough.

She wanted Eli still. That much was
evident when she looked forward to his rage each day, something to
remind her he still cared. Nothing ever came from her efforts. The
months passed and she realized her marriage was over.

~ ~ ~

“Why are you doing this, Ty?” Eli took
the video conference call he’d avoided for months since learning
where Vivvie was. “Still her knight in shining armor, I
see?”

Ty glared at him on the monitor. “You
threw her out with nowhere to go. What did you expect me to do? I
couldn’t leave her on the streets, Eli!”

Eli felt guilty then to know he’d been
too angry and hurt to think straight when he put Vivvie out of his
life. He was enraged now to know Ty gave her the means to get to
Florida. Punishing his mate brought him little satisfaction these
days, only more sorrow. He missed her. Even with an eager and
enthusiastic Tania in his bed; it didn’t erase his mate from his
mind and heart.

“Why are you interfering in this, Ty?”
Eli demanded, angry to be jealous to think of Vivvie and Ty
together. He had nothing to say of it anymore. It burned to think
she lived with her former lover. “This doesn’t involve
you.”

“I brought her there. I left her behind
with you, thinking she had a future,” Ty replied coldly. “You
allowed yourself to be taken in by my sister again, with little
thought to Vivvie or her children. You can believe what you want,
but Vivvie didn’t lie to you Eli. I think you should consider
someone pushed her off the ledge that night. We both know who had
the most incentive. She wouldn’t hesitate to get what she wants
when she’s denied something.”

“It sickens me to see how you cover for
Vivvie and turn on your own sister, Ty,” Eli raged. “She meant to
abort our children! Do you have an excuse for that too?”

“That doesn’t mean she followed through
on it,” Ty pointed out, glaring at him through the monitor. “You
chose to believe what you saw, rather than what you know in your
heart, Eli. Vivian would never have done that. When you calm down;
you will see that. I only hope it isn’t too late by
then.”

“It’s too late,” he fumed and wanted to
break something to see Ty’s knowing smirk.

“Is it? Well, that’s too bad. A great
many males here appreciate you moving out of the way, self
included. Was there anything else you wanted? I have a compound to
run too.”

“You can keep her on lockdown if you
don’t mind,” Eli snapped. “The woman is shopping day in and day
out! You say nothing of it at all?”

“I’m not her mate; you are,” Ty scoffed
and enjoyed seeing Eli scowl at his words. “My guess is that’s all
she has to do these days. You took everything else from her. What
do you expect?”

Eli growled with frustration and
snapped off the computer monitor but not before he heard Ty
laughing at him. He could see Ty would do nothing to keep his mate
in line. Knowing Ty, he probably encouraged her little acts of
defiance just to taunt him.

She spent nearly eighty grand since she
arrived in Florida, plus a new car. There was little he could do
about it. He cancelled her credit cards; she opened new ones. All
was done in an attempt to make him angry. It worked.

He was furious. Everyone stayed out of
his way these days, seeing the smoke coming out of his nostrils. He
might have cut his mate out of his life but he was missing her
there. Tania was as beautiful as she was passionate and left him
cold and wanting Vivvie.

He realized too late he made a mistake
throwing her out. Deep down, he clung to the idea his wife told him
the truth. Before, he refused to listen. Now she was back with Ty.
The thought of her resuming their relationship made his gnash his
teeth. The fury of imagining her with Ty ate at him daily. Even at
night he could hardly concentrate on his beautiful bedmate, seeing
images of Vivvie and Ty together, knowing he put them there with
his pride and anger.

No, it was time his mate realized she
couldn’t escape the law that made her his. He toyed with the
prospect of going to Florida. He needed to remind his mate who she
answered to ultimately. The thought of running her to ground and
forcing the issue excited him.

Without thinking or hesitating, he
called to have his jet readied. He left Jericho in charge without
telling him where he went. His friend was loyal but he was Vivvie’s
friend too. Besides, he didn’t need Tania’s rage on his return. His
live-in she-cat thought she ran his life now that she was back in
his bed.

A day didn’t go by that Tania wasn’t
asserting her position in his life, making demands, and even
assuming a job at his company. He was heartsick over Vivvie and
allowed it. It wasn’t Tania’s fault.

Tania was doting and attentive but she
wasn’t his Vivvie. At night, she reminded him what he waited for
centuries to possess. She was hungry and demanding in bed, biting
and rolling with him in abandon. She didn’t come close to giving
him the satisfaction his wife did.

Eli was growing sick of females these
days, growling at them in the compound and sending them running
from the anger in his eyes. Even his daughter Elaina tried him
daily for sending her Mother away. Both his children were wearing
on him now. One of them even dumped their litter box in his bed in
an act of defiance. Tania’s amorous morning advances were curtailed
when they realized they were covered in dirty litter.

Both of them wanted their Mother back
and acted out daily. They enjoyed tormenting Tania anyway they
could. Both his children chewed every heel off her expensive shoes,
enraging the elder. They destroyed every bit of clothing in their
closet. He didn’t have to guess which one of them squatted on her
purse either. His children were letting him know every day what
they thought of being without their Mother.

Some things he had power over; some he
didn’t wish to manipulate out of his sense of rightness. The laws
were clear and he had to set an example. Vivvie was out of the
compound for her actions. He had no proof she didn’t do what she
was accused of besides her word. Before it wasn’t enough for him to
believe her; now it was all he had.

The Vivvie he knew would have never
done what she was accused of. He knew that now. She might not have
wanted more children but she would have never done something like
that without asking him first.

He packed and ignored his wounded
pride. He rode to the airport with one thought in mind; to make his
mate see who was boss. He’d make her regret abusing the credit
cards too. She knew how he hated excess. All his thoughts
surrounded his reunion with his mate, leaving Jericho in charge of
the twins.

He chuckled at the elder’s disgruntled
expression before he left to know he was babysitting. The fact he
was excited to see her was obvious. He got on the plane to Orlando
with a gleam in his eyes.

~ ~ ~

Vivvie was hunting when the limousine
arrived. Ty greeted Eli with a gloating expression as his bags were
carried inside. When the guards left; he regarded him with a
grin.

“I told her it would be a month before
you showed up. I was wrong. It took three months. Stubborn
ass.”

Eli glared at him, sniffing the air.
“Where is she?”

“I don’t keep tabs on your mate,” Ty
replied defensively and chuckled to hear his soft growl. “I assume
she’s off hunting.”

Eli stomped past him to go inside and
Ty followed. “How’s my sister?”

“She’s redecorating my office right
now,” Eli replied coolly as he paced within the large living room.
“She at least knows her place. Save your advice, Ty. I’m just here
to remind my mate she answers to me still, even if she lives here
with you.”

“You could have done that by sending an
email, Eli.”

Eli glared at him. “I thought I’d see
how you’re doing down here; kill two birds with one
stone.”

Ty smirked once more. “Come on, Eli.
You didn’t come here to see if I was doing a good job. You came to
see if I was doing her, am I right?”

“Are you?” Eli barked.

Ty laughed and rolled his eyes. “You
have room to even question her behavior? You moved my sister in a
day after she left. She has every right to do as she
pleases.”

“I don’t have to apologize for my
actions. I’m within my rights to have as many females as I wish,”
Eli snarled and his eyes flared.

“Tell that to your wife and I see
neutering in your future.”

Eli glared at Ty, seeing no ally in
dealing with Vivvie. “You should have stayed out of this,
Ty!”

“And you should have used your damn
head, Eli!”

“What did you think letting her come
here?” Eli shouted furiously as he bore down on him. “Don’t think I
don’t know how you feel about her? Your thoughts have always been
too easy to read! Are you going to my mate’s bed? Are
you?”

“We haven’t picked up where we left
off, if that’s what’s eating at you,” Ty told him without
hesitating. “You should know after how you’ve treated her; I
wouldn’t hesitate to go there should she ask.”

“You have no right to tell me how to
treat my mate!”

“I do when you drag my sister into
it!”

“Tania has no illusions about what I
want from her, Ty,” Eli replied scornfully.

“Oh really, I don’t believe that,” Ty
scoffed and shook his head, “You don’t even know her. After three
hundred years; you still don’t see how clever she is.”

“She had no reason to push Vivvie off
that ledge,” Eli snapped. “It’s not like the fall would have killed
her!”

“Don’t think my sister had nothing to
do with it or you’re a fool just like the others. Jericho has at
least seen her for what she is.”

Eli stared at Ty, unable to conceive
he’d accuse his own sister of such vile acts against his mate.
“There is no proof she did anything!”

“No, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t.
You have a very dangerous woman in your bed, Eli. While you try to
figure out how you will get her out and win back your mate should
be interesting. My guess is my sister will work this to her
advantage.”

Eli refused to believe Tania was
responsible for Vivvie’s fall. It was obvious in his expression.
“My mate has issues with what she is. We both know that. Her very
human way of dealing with her problems makes me wonder if it was
wise you bringing her to the compound in the first
place.”

Ty glared at him. “It’s a little late
for that, Eli. You married her; if I recall. Did you forget about
all that when my sister lifted her tail for you again? You get what
you deserve now, Eli! You don’t deserve Vivian.”

They were aware the door opened. Vivvie
entered in running shorts and a sports top, eyeing her husband with
an angry scowl.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” she
observed as she drank from a water bottle, her green eyes glowing
and spoiling for a good fight. “What do you want, Eli?”

Ty grinned and left them alone, sending
Vivvie an encouraging look before he returned to his
work.

Eli stared at her, seeing the changes
to her hair without comment. She knew the chunky blonde highlights
irritated him. Everything she did now was meant to irritate her
mate.

The sight of him in the dark navy suit
made her bite her lip and look away. His effect on her was obvious.
The mating made her unable to deny the pull to him, even in her
anger.

“I came to confiscate the damned credit
cards, for one,” he snapped and his eyes shot blue sparks at her
even if his eyes devoured her. “If you think spending my money
bothers me, think again.”

“You didn’t come here to rip up my
credit cards, Eli,” she told him with a knowing look. “What do you
want?”

A low warning growl escaped Eli. His
nostrils flared with the scent of her. “You’re still my mate,
Vivvie. I don’t need your permission to come here.”

Vivvie could see he was furious;
sensing the danger in him. “You renounced me, Eli. What’s the point
in you coming here now? Did you get tired of Miss Kitty Flea Pants
already, or what?”

Eli couldn’t help the smile that tugged
at her colorful reference to his current bedmate. Her expressions
always delighted him. “I have rights, Vivvie. While you have
asserted yours; you might not like me utilizing mine.”

“What do you want, Eli?” she asked as
she took a step back, eyes wide at his words. “You’ve taken
everything from me. What do you want now?”