Cynful
Page 17
She stood and faced him, just like she had her attacker in the parking lot. “My jaw was broken. Didn’t feel like talking. Besides, you should be resting. You did enough yesterday.” Julian took way too much on himself. Someone had to make sure he didn’t get hurt using his powers, and it wasn’t going to be him. He’d already proven that.
Cyn heard his teeth grind together. “I. Would. Have. Come.”
“How? Super Bear would have thrown on his cape and tights and flown?”
Tabby threw up her hand. “I’d pay to see that.”
Julian ignored Tabby, his gaze never leaving Cyn’s face. “I have my ways.”
“I have your car.”
He took a long breath. “Don’t push me right now. You were attacked, your jaw broken.” He turned to Tabby. “Was it a shifter?”
“Yeah, but one I’ve never smelled before. It was fast, way too fast for me to track or I might have gone after it.”
Alex growled. “You think it was the same people Gary worked for?” When Tabby squirmed in his lap he tightened his grip. “You’re not going anywhere, baby.”
Tabby rolled her eyes but stayed put. “I keep telling you I’m not a dog. Sit and stay doesn’t work on me. Besides, it wasn’t me they wanted this time.”
“They?”
Tabby nodded at Julian’s barked question. “There was more than one. I’m certain of it.”
“And you were going to go after them? Alone?” Alex’s hazel eyes turned dark brown. Six-inch claws sprang from his fingertips.
“Down, sugar.” Tabby patted Alex’s chest, but it did little to calm the Grizzly.
“You think that this time they wanted me?” Cyn shared a confused look with Tabby.
Tabby shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Alex pulled out his cell phone. “Dad. We have a situation.”
Cyn bit her lip as she stared at Tabby. She was getting sick and tired of this bullshit. If she were a shifter she could have changed and defended herself better rather than relying on her pregnant friend. Maybe if Tabby bit her she could—
“Don’t even think about it.” Julian grabbed her jaw, pulled her face around to his and kissed her so deep and so hard she was surprised her lip didn’t bleed. His silver eyes sparkled down at her. “You’re mine. No one else gets to change you.”
Cyn swallowed. She shouldn’t feel relieved, damn it. She was an independent woman who could take care of herself.
Of course, she’d be able to do it a lot better once she was fuzzy.
His lips drew up in a sly smile. The kiss he gave her this time was softer, more sensual, a hell of a lot more bone-melting. Cyn clutched his shoulders, his hair brushing against the skin of her hands. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her closer to him, pressing his hands into the small of her back until they were practically inside one another.
“I think I might be too young to see this,” Tabby muttered.
“I think I might be too young,” Alex chuckled. “Get a room, people.”
Cyn flipped them the bird even as she refused to allow Julian to end the kiss, grabbing the back of his head when he tried to pull away.
She had no idea you could smirk while kissing someone else, but damn it, the son of a bitch managed it.
She was breathless when she finally let him go. Julian nuzzled her cheek before releasing her and settling her back on the chair. “Gabe’s here.”
“How—”
The bell jingled, and Halle’s sheriff sauntered into the shop, took one look at the four of them and put his hands on his hips. “Can’t leave you people alone for a second, can I?”
“Cyn was attacked by shifters.” Julian wasn’t pulling any punches. He placed himself slightly in front of Cyn, almost as if he was ready to defend her against Gabe, of all people.
Gabe shook his head. “Any idea why, or who?”
“Or what.” Tabby got up off Alex’s lap and wandered over to the counter, picking up a pen to tap on the glass. “I got a whiff, but I didn’t recognize the type of shifter.”
“So not Wolf, Bear or Puma.” The men exchanged worried glances. “The college?”
Cyn winced. “What other types of shifters are there?”
“Lots and lots.” Julian sighed and sat next to her, still in the seat closer to Gabe, but it was an improvement. Not overprotective my well-padded ass. “There are Lions, Tigers, Bears, Pumas, Wolves, Foxes, Coyotes, you name a predator and odds are good they’ve got shifters.”
“You mean there might really be Alligators in the sewers?”
Every shifter in the room stared at her like she was nuts. Alex actually looked insulted. “Limit that pool to mammals, please.”
“Like werebats? Or wererats? Oh! What about—”
“No.” Julian sounded stern, but he couldn’t completely hide his amusement from her. “There are no werebats, wererats, weremoles, werevoles or werehamsters.”
“And thank God for that.” Alex shuddered in disgust. “Seriously. Werehamsters?”
“What about weredolphins?”
“N— actually, now that you mention it, I’m not certain. I’ve never met one. Have you?”
The others shook their heads. “They’re a legend,” Tabby added.
“Sort of like wereorcas. If they did exist they’re more than likely extinct now. None sit on the council, I know that much.” Alex replied. “None of this has anything to do with you having your face smashed. Did you get a look at your attacker?”
Julian growled under his breath. “Good question.”
“Nope. Shadows, shattered glass, pain. Tabby with a lime green Mohawk in Wolf form. That’s about it.” She shrugged; there wasn’t much more she could add. She didn’t have the nose Tabby did. “There was a blur as one of them ran away. I could barely see it, though.”
Gabe stroked his jaw. “Cheetah, maybe? I hear they can be pretty damn fast.”
“I did get a scent of cat shifter in that alley, and it wasn’t of the local variety.” Tabby exchanged a worried glance with Alex.
“Could be.” Alex was at Tabby’s side again, his arms around her protectively. He cradled her close, his huge hands resting naturally over her belly. “We need to figure out what the hell is going on.”
Cyn heard his teeth grind together. “I. Would. Have. Come.”
“How? Super Bear would have thrown on his cape and tights and flown?”
Tabby threw up her hand. “I’d pay to see that.”
Julian ignored Tabby, his gaze never leaving Cyn’s face. “I have my ways.”
“I have your car.”
He took a long breath. “Don’t push me right now. You were attacked, your jaw broken.” He turned to Tabby. “Was it a shifter?”
“Yeah, but one I’ve never smelled before. It was fast, way too fast for me to track or I might have gone after it.”
Alex growled. “You think it was the same people Gary worked for?” When Tabby squirmed in his lap he tightened his grip. “You’re not going anywhere, baby.”
Tabby rolled her eyes but stayed put. “I keep telling you I’m not a dog. Sit and stay doesn’t work on me. Besides, it wasn’t me they wanted this time.”
“They?”
Tabby nodded at Julian’s barked question. “There was more than one. I’m certain of it.”
“And you were going to go after them? Alone?” Alex’s hazel eyes turned dark brown. Six-inch claws sprang from his fingertips.
“Down, sugar.” Tabby patted Alex’s chest, but it did little to calm the Grizzly.
“You think that this time they wanted me?” Cyn shared a confused look with Tabby.
Tabby shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Alex pulled out his cell phone. “Dad. We have a situation.”
Cyn bit her lip as she stared at Tabby. She was getting sick and tired of this bullshit. If she were a shifter she could have changed and defended herself better rather than relying on her pregnant friend. Maybe if Tabby bit her she could—
“Don’t even think about it.” Julian grabbed her jaw, pulled her face around to his and kissed her so deep and so hard she was surprised her lip didn’t bleed. His silver eyes sparkled down at her. “You’re mine. No one else gets to change you.”
Cyn swallowed. She shouldn’t feel relieved, damn it. She was an independent woman who could take care of herself.
Of course, she’d be able to do it a lot better once she was fuzzy.
His lips drew up in a sly smile. The kiss he gave her this time was softer, more sensual, a hell of a lot more bone-melting. Cyn clutched his shoulders, his hair brushing against the skin of her hands. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her closer to him, pressing his hands into the small of her back until they were practically inside one another.
“I think I might be too young to see this,” Tabby muttered.
“I think I might be too young,” Alex chuckled. “Get a room, people.”
Cyn flipped them the bird even as she refused to allow Julian to end the kiss, grabbing the back of his head when he tried to pull away.
She had no idea you could smirk while kissing someone else, but damn it, the son of a bitch managed it.
She was breathless when she finally let him go. Julian nuzzled her cheek before releasing her and settling her back on the chair. “Gabe’s here.”
“How—”
The bell jingled, and Halle’s sheriff sauntered into the shop, took one look at the four of them and put his hands on his hips. “Can’t leave you people alone for a second, can I?”
“Cyn was attacked by shifters.” Julian wasn’t pulling any punches. He placed himself slightly in front of Cyn, almost as if he was ready to defend her against Gabe, of all people.
Gabe shook his head. “Any idea why, or who?”
“Or what.” Tabby got up off Alex’s lap and wandered over to the counter, picking up a pen to tap on the glass. “I got a whiff, but I didn’t recognize the type of shifter.”
“So not Wolf, Bear or Puma.” The men exchanged worried glances. “The college?”
Cyn winced. “What other types of shifters are there?”
“Lots and lots.” Julian sighed and sat next to her, still in the seat closer to Gabe, but it was an improvement. Not overprotective my well-padded ass. “There are Lions, Tigers, Bears, Pumas, Wolves, Foxes, Coyotes, you name a predator and odds are good they’ve got shifters.”
“You mean there might really be Alligators in the sewers?”
Every shifter in the room stared at her like she was nuts. Alex actually looked insulted. “Limit that pool to mammals, please.”
“Like werebats? Or wererats? Oh! What about—”
“No.” Julian sounded stern, but he couldn’t completely hide his amusement from her. “There are no werebats, wererats, weremoles, werevoles or werehamsters.”
“And thank God for that.” Alex shuddered in disgust. “Seriously. Werehamsters?”
“What about weredolphins?”
“N— actually, now that you mention it, I’m not certain. I’ve never met one. Have you?”
The others shook their heads. “They’re a legend,” Tabby added.
“Sort of like wereorcas. If they did exist they’re more than likely extinct now. None sit on the council, I know that much.” Alex replied. “None of this has anything to do with you having your face smashed. Did you get a look at your attacker?”
Julian growled under his breath. “Good question.”
“Nope. Shadows, shattered glass, pain. Tabby with a lime green Mohawk in Wolf form. That’s about it.” She shrugged; there wasn’t much more she could add. She didn’t have the nose Tabby did. “There was a blur as one of them ran away. I could barely see it, though.”
Gabe stroked his jaw. “Cheetah, maybe? I hear they can be pretty damn fast.”
“I did get a scent of cat shifter in that alley, and it wasn’t of the local variety.” Tabby exchanged a worried glance with Alex.
“Could be.” Alex was at Tabby’s side again, his arms around her protectively. He cradled her close, his huge hands resting naturally over her belly. “We need to figure out what the hell is going on.”
