Cat's Howl: A Macconwood Pack Novel (The Macconwood Pack Series Book 2) (10 page)

It seemed safe enough to leave the fire lit for now. The
ones hunting Cat were not as skilled at tracking as he was. Even if he wasn’t a
Werewolf, he would be able to tell by the simple fact that they didn’t follow
the SUV back to where he had left it. If they had found it, an alarm would have
sounded and he would have been notified via email or text.

Still, he had to take this threat to Cat’s safety seriously.
He couldn’t let anything happen to her. Not ever. She was Rafe’s sister. She
was Pack. It was his duty.

But that’s not why he felt as nervous as a high school kid.
Or why he was having trouble sitting still.
Was it too hot in there?

Beads of perspiration formed on his brow. This was
ridiculous. He was acting like a damned pup! He shook his head in disgust and
ran his hand over his face.

Forget this.
Tate stripped off his t-shirt, yanking
it over his head and sighing with relief when it was off. He looked at the
crumbled up pile of cotton in his hand dumbly. With another disgusted grunt he tossed
the damp garment across the floor.

Alright, dude, chill out.
He rubbed his hands through
his short black hair making it stand on end. There was a time when it reached
all the way down his back. But he cut it off years ago. He still missed the
length of it though. Especially now.

His heart was thumping steadily inside of his chest. His
ears perked up. His sense of smell seemed heightened. He was ready. On edge.
His Wolf closer to him than ever before on a night before the full moon.
But
why?

He stood up and stretched his arms first, then his neck. He
felt like a caged animal. Pacing the room was making it worse, but he simply
could not sit still.
What was talking her so long?

His question was answered when she emerged from the bathroom
a few minutes later in a cloud of steam. The combination of soap, shampoo, and
Cat’s own fragrance made its way to his nostrils. And he breathed it in deep.
Heat shot straight through his body. Tate stifled a growl. She smelled good.

She walked down the hall toweling her hair dry as she went.
Her gait was slow and questioning. Uncharacteristic for Cat. She usually knew
exactly where she wanted to go. Never mind who or what was there first.

When she entered a room, she took it over. She had this
amazing power to make everyone go exactly where she wanted them. She wasn’t
forceful or nasty, just determined and maybe a little arrogant. But in a good
way.
Just like a cat
. When she entered a place, she owned it.  

Tate recalled times back at the Manor when the guys were all
in the game room playing Xbox and hootin’ and hollerin’ over something or other
and Cat would get home. She’d strut right in and regardless of who was sitting
on her favorite side of the couch, she’d give them a look and
bam
. It
was hers. Her whole attitude was like “thanks for keeping this warm for me.” It
drove Rafe nuts, but not Tate. He thought she was awesome.

So why was she taking her time in his tiny hallway?
Duh
me
. Tate realized then that the way the way he was standing there was threatening.
Not to a human maybe, but Cat was a Werewolf. And he was acting territorial.

Crap!
He sat down immediately. He was the more
dominant out of the two of them, but still, he didn’t want her to be uneasy.
His Wolf seemed to growl at his thoughtlessness. Chiding him for his bad
manners.

Cat nodded her thanks. And if that didn’t make Tate feel
even more like a heel! It wasn’t her fault he was acting like a pup looking for
a brawl.

He knew he couldn’t find the right words to put her at ease,
so he bit his tongue and waited for her to relax. Still and silent. Until she felt
safe enough to sit down.

He tried not to stare at her, but it was difficult. He watched
from lowered eyelids as she moved with the quiet grace that was all Cat.

Her golden hair was damp. Water droplets clung to the ends like
diamonds in the firelight. Her eyes captivated him. They were a sharp pale blue
that reminded him of the ice covered mountains he had seen once when Rafe sent
him to Alaska on Pack business. They reflected the dancing flames coming from
the fireplace and Tate felt his heartrate speed up.

She smelled fresh and clean. Ivory soap and
his
shampoo. Some organic rosemary and lavender concoction he had gotten from
Seff’s Witch. He liked the redheaded Sherry. When she gave him the soap she told
him in what he was sure was only a half-joking voice that it kept the fleas
off.

At any rate, it smelled much, much better on Cat then it did
on him. He took another whiff.
Grrr.
That time he couldn’t quiet the
growl. She seemed to smell better with every breath he took.

His gaze wandered lower. He stopped suddenly and his jeans
felt a little too tight. She was wearing one of his white t-shirts from the
pile of clean clothing he kept in the bathroom cabinet. And from what he could
gather,
nothing else
. Tate’s mouth went dry.

“I hope you don’t mind,” her voice was husky and deep. The
sound of it interrupted the internal war he was having with self-control, but
he gave her his attention. Allowing himself to look his fill as she spoke.

“I, uh, borrowed your shirt,” Cat touched the collar and
smiled. It was a shy smile. Maybe a little unsure. He’s have to fix that.

“S’okay. It looks good on you, Cat,” he nodded to her glass questioning.
She smiled her assent. Her teeth straight and white. Her ice blue eyes shining
in the otherwise dimly lit room.

Dazzling
. She was dazzling, just like that. No make
up, no fancy clothes, just her in his old cotton t-shirt. Real and clean and
fresh and beautiful
.
Tate had never wanted anything so damn much in his
entire life.

“Thanks, Tate, you know, for
everything
, not just the
wine,” she moved to stand.

“Forget it, really. Sit,” Tate wanted to smack himself on
the forehead. She wasn’t a dog!
Smooth, real smooth, dude.

Still, she sat back down. He sincerely hoped it was not out
of submission, but because she felt safe. He wondered if he should ask her if
she’d be more comfortable in the other room, but just then she sat on the side
of the rug opposite him and curled her long legs under her body.

The hem of his t-shirt fell high on her thighs. When she sat
like that it barely covered her at all. Any thoughts that she should go inside
left his head. He grabbed the bottle and filled her wine.

Her scent drifted into his nostrils with each movement she
made. It was like breathing in a hearth. Warm and comforting, fresh like spring
grass, tempting like the summer sun, and mysterious like the moon. He wanted to
roll around in it until it touched every single inch of him.

His Wolf seemed to stand at attention. Tate didn’t question
the new closeness he was experiencing with his Wolf half, if anything it made
him feel quicker, stronger, and more at peace. He knew it had something to do
with the battle the Pack had fought in just before Christmas. Rafe had made an
alliance with the young Wolf who was destined to free them all. Tate was glad
to be on her side.

He knew the fight wasn’t over yet to break the ancient curse
that kept Werewolves torn apart until each full moon, but he could feel the
effects of their winning even now. Clearly he heard his Wolf growl to him,
I
want her
.

The voice inside his mind was strong and absolutely certain
.
Tate was finding it more and more difficult to come up with excuses why he
shouldn’t do what his Wolf wanted him to.

“Is the Manor still on lock down?,” Cat managed to squeak
out the question through tight lips. She seemed to have caught him off guard.
His black eyes stared at her blankly. As if he needed a moment to remember the meaning
of the words she had spoken aloud.

“Um, yes. The Manor will be completely shut down from all
outside access for at least forty-eight hours.”

“Oh,
soooo
, what do we do? Just wait it out here?”

“Yeah. About that, I am sorry, Cat, I know it’s not
something more, you know-”

“More what? You really don’t know me at all, do you, Tate? I
guess Rafe’s annoying kid sister didn’t garner much attention from a brooding
bad boy like you, huh?”

“Bad boy? Brooding? Me?”

“Yeah you! You were always so quiet and mysterious. I was
loud and obnoxious. And always tagging along after you guys.”

“It was no big deal. I mean you’re Rafe’s sister.”

“Yeah, well, I’m
me
, you know. Not just Rafe’s
sister. Anyway, I
love
this. The cabin, the woods-”
You.

“Really? You like log cabins?,” she didn’t know whether to
sigh or punch him in that annoying, yet devastatingly sexy grin that he wore.

One perfect eyebrow arched over eyes black as wet asphalt.
His teeth were white and sharp as he grinned and ducked just out of reach of
her fist.

“Yes, you dope! Why is that so hard to believe? This place is
great. In college I spent every spring break out camping, well, as long as it
wasn’t a full moon,” Cat shifted on the rug. It was difficult keeping her bare
bottom covered, but she had washed and rinsed out her panties during her bath
and they were too wet to put on. She ran a hand through her hair.

She knew she rambled when she felt anxious. She just couldn’t
believe her ears. Did he really think she was such a priss? She was a Werewolf!
Of course she loved the outdoors! And his cabin was absolutely beautiful!

Besides, she had grown up in pretty stark conditions. Maybe
Tate wasn’t as familiar with her home life as she had once thought. Her father’s
position as Pack Alpha led many to believe that she grew up a spoiled princess.

If only they knew the truth! Tate was around so much when
she was a kid, that she took for granted that he knew all about Zev and his
attitude towards his kids.
Less is more. Never buy new what you can fix.
Excess is evil. Idle hands, Catriona, are the Devil’s playthings!

“Yeah, what did you do about that anyway? You never came
home for a full moon run with the rest of us,” Tate’s voice replaced the sound
of her father’s in her head. The last part wasn’t a question exactly. Cat
wondered for a moment if that meant he had noticed her absence a bit more than
he let on.

It was true, Tate often wondered why Cat had shunned her
home. Could it have been for a school girl crush? That seemed excessive and a
bit conceited even to his ears.

“Don’t you know why?” her voice held a bittersweet sadness
that was almost painful to hear. He had to stop himself from interrupting her.
He needed to hear what she had to say. 

He guessed that he was the initial cause for her hasty
departure. She must have felt embarrassed. But after a month or two she had
surely moved on. So why not come home?

God
, how he waited for a chance to explain himself!
He wanted her to understand why he had stopped that night on the beach. But
before he could, she was gone. Off to that all-girl college in North Jersey.

He would have felt awkward visiting a place like that. Back
then he was just a half-Lenape kid with no education, no money, no nothing. Her
father would never have approved of him as a mate for his only daughter.

Zev Maccon had been very strict with her. Heck, Tate would
be too if he was her father. Cat was stunning, even as a child. And back then
he was a nobody. By the time she left for college she was a damn knockout.

Of course her father would want to protect her. Keep her
innocent and coddled. He could see how that could get annoying. But why would
she stay away from her home?

“I was never really invited to come back home after I left
for school,” she continued in that same melancholy tone of voice.

“But why would you need an invitation?”

“Zev made it pretty clear to me that I would not be welcome.
You know how he was with women, Tate.”

“How do you mean?,” confusion warred with anger as he
listened to her. She sounded as if it was so obvious that her own father had
not welcomed her into her own home. How could he have not seen that?

“Do you remember seeing any women around the old place? How
about on a run? Please, my father
hated
women. Especially females within
the Pack. He never allowed them to run with the males. He never allowed them to
do much besides get married and have pups,” her voice grew angry.

Tate vaguely recalled the way it had been. He supposed Zev
had been a throwback, but a lot of the older Wolves were. Rafe was working to
change all that, make the Pack more progressive. But Tate knew that a lot of
the Pack was still decades behind in women’s lib. Having the Alpha’s own sister
work as a cop in town hadn’t gone over very well at first, but Rafe along with
Tate and the other guard made sure that it was accepted and even applauded in
some circles.

Tate had to bite down on the surge of protective anger that
welled up inside of him. He wanted to hurt Zev and anyone else who had caused
her to feel that way, but before he could respond she continued.

“Anyway, then Seff started dating Sherry in the middle of my
first semester and she helped me find a small group of Wolves to run with. One was
a sophomore and lived on campus with me. We set up sort of a college aged
mini-Pack. We ran together, supported each other, I still keep in touch with
some of them.”

“Wow, I had no idea,” he really didn’t. Especially not about
Zev. Heck, Tate had admired the old Wolf. He had after all taken him in and
given him a home.

“Yeah, well, I sorta missed home, but you knew my father. He
was never one for messy emotions or public
or
private
displays of
affection,” in truth Cat had only missed Rafe and his friends.
Tate
especially
.

“I mean, my father was never really that doting wonderful TV
sitcom kind of father, you know, and I mean to either of his children. But I
missed being near my family and the ocean and the pine barrens around the
Manor. That’s why I’m home now.”

“I’ll admit, Cat, I was shocked that you disappeared like
that and then you stayed away so long. I hoped for awhile that I would get a
chance to explain.”

“Really? I mean, come on, Tate, you of all people know why I
left the way I did.”

“I didn’t mean to run you out of your home, Catriona. I am
so sorry if that’s how it seemed. I was only trying to protect you.”

Cat’s blue eyes narrowed. Protect her? From what? She felt
the sting of his rejection as sharply in her mind as if it had happened only
moments ago.

She had always pictured him making fun of that night. Of the
silly little girl she used to be and how she threw herself at him. And yet
right then he sounded almost remorseful.

His expression was sincere, her wolf recognized the truth
behind it. He seemed almost earnest. Cat found herself softening, but just at
the last second she turned her eyes and stared at the firelight. She didn’t
want to believe the tiny glimmer of hope that planted itself in her heart.

“Look, you don’t have to do this, okay? We
don’t have
to talk about this. It’s ancient history. I’m over it,” she brushed a whisper
of blonde hair off of her shoulders and continued her study of the fire. She
watched as wood burned to cinder and ash.

Was love like that? Like fire. It burned hot and bright for
a while. Then it destroyed. It left nothing, but dust. Pitiful evidence that
something had once raged so strongly in that place that nothing else could
survive there.

Was that what she was now? Had her young heart wasted itself
on someone who didn’t love her back? Would she ever love again?

Tate sat up a little straighter. His Wolf recognized the
command in her voice and he wanted to challenge it. The man couldn’t help
himself, he leaned in closer.

She was too busy talking to recognize the change in his
posture. He wasn’t really concerned with the subject matter, as long as she
kept ignoring him. It was something about being over
it
? What she really
meant was
over him
.

He knew how to read between the lines, and yet, he got the
impression she wasn’t telling the entire truth. She wasn’t lying exactly, but
her scent and the rapid beating of her heart were not indicative of someone
over
anything
.

He felt his chest swell and his ears perk up. Whatever she
may have said, Cat reacted to him. He inched closer.
A matter of pride
,
he told himself.

He wasn’t going to act on it. No, he had enough self-control
to be able to stop himself. The black Wolf inside him growled and snapped his
teeth. The hunt was on.

“So, you’re over it, huh? You have no residual feelings or
anything from that night?”

“I mean, sure, I’m embarrassed, but you were right about
everything, I was just a kid with a crush,” she didn’t sound as sure as she
wanted to.

Cat cleared her throat and took a sip from her glass, where
the dark red liquid had soothed before now it seemed to choke her. That wasn’t
her fault though. Tate had somehow managed to move closer to her without her
realizing it.

“Nothing but a little crush, right? And now I have
absolutely no affect on you. Correct?”

Sinewy ropes of muscle corded around his tall frame. His bare
chest moved with each breath and Cat was hard pressed not to stare. Acres of bronzed
skin glowed in the light from the fire. She licked her lips, how she wanted to
reach out and run her fingers across his smooth torso!

She quickly looked up and found herself caught in his line
of vision. Flames danced in the black depths of his eyes and she saw his midnight
black Wolf peering out at her. Cat wanted to move across the room. She got the
distinct impression she was being hunted.

Her Wolf purred in her mind’s eye and Cat knew then that she
had already recognized him. She had chosen him long ago and now she was ready
to submit. Scared that his closeness would give her away, Cat turned her head
and toyed with the hem of her shirt.
Great choice, Cat, maybe next time walk
around naked?

He brushed a strand of hair that had somehow gotten stuck to
her cheek back behind her ear. The small movement had Cat wanting to lean into
his feather light touch.
God
, he smelled good.

She cleared her throat and looked around the room for something
else to talk about.
You can do this, you can sit here and talk to Tate. You
are an adult for God’s sake!

“So, uh, when, uh, how, oh-” it was no good, she was simply tongue-tied.

He lowered his hand and stretched it out besides hers. Not touching,
but close enough that she felt his energy. It vibrated off of him in rolling
waves.
Strength, power, loyalty, bravery, light,
her Wolf seemed to name
everything she was getting from him. And she approved.

Focus on something else,
Cat
. She swallowed still
tasting the wine on her tongue. Only now it was a bit sour.

She knew better than to back away. The Wolf inside of him
would truly see her as prey if she made even the smallest of movements. She had
her own Wolf though. And Cat knew how to remain under the radar. Hadn’t she
been doing that for years?

“So, uh, what kind of wood is this?”

“What?”

“What kind of wood did you use to build? Is it local?”

“Yes, actually, it is local. I used eastern white pine for
the walls and roof. I brought in some cedar and mahogany logs for the interior.
Closets and doors, stuff like that. I like the different colors and striations
in the different typed of wood. It took me four years to build this place and
I’m still considering additions…,” Tate’s voice was deep and rough as he talked
about trees and his cabin.

The timbre of his voice seemed to initiate a response that Cat
had never anticipated. She managed not to hear a single word that came out of
his mouth, all of her focus was on keeping still.

Even the tiniest movement could trigger a response that Cat
wasn’t sure she wanted. The way he loomed over her, the way his eyes glowed as
he looked her over, all these things told her his Wolf was very much present.
And like hers, he had made a decision.

She inhaled slowly. Tate’s scent filled her nostrils. He
smelled like, like
coming
home
. The home she always wanted and
never had.

Her eyes darted up and met his. Maybe she didn’t mind being
the prey. Just this once. Maybe she wanted to get caught. By him. Only him.

Every inch of his six foot three frame seemed to fill the room.
He was lean, but not skinny. Far from it. Thick muscles corded his entire body.
Not from any gym either. Sure Tate worked out. Like the rest of the Pack, he
had a tremendous amount of energy and the need to physically expel it was
natural for Werewolves. But he preferred the outdoors.

Cat knew he kept a large garden at the Manor. And now she
knew he did woodwork, carpentry, weaving, and plenty of hiking. His time
outdoors made him all the more real. Not like the wannabes she knew at the
sheriff’s department who strutted around the female officers with their spin
cycle bodies and store bought abs. She preferred his natural physique to
anything they had to offer.  

Tate’s shoulders were wide and his skin was smooth with only
a smattering of hair. Quite unusual for Werewolves. Despite his size he managed
to look as graceful as a dancer when he moved.

He told her once upon a time, back when she was a kid who
asked too many questions, that yes, he was Native American. He was proud of his
Lenni Lenape blood. He was also pretty sure that he had some Cherokee too from
his mother’s side.

Cat was so hung up on him back then that she went to the Maccon
City Public Library and read whatever she could find on the “true people” of
the New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware region.

The Lenni Lenape were peaceful people and hardworking. She spent
many nights picturing him back then. In the days of the European settlers when
the Lenape would have been among the first to greet the strange pale men. His black
hair would have hung down his back, the way it used to.

He would have been a warrior.
Like he is now, Wolf Guard,
strong, loyal, and proud.
Yes, she could envision him clearly. Bare-chested
and fierce. A protector. A just man and a mighty Wolf. The perfect reason for
the settlers to fear the natives.

Tate was proud of his heritage, but close-mouthed about it for
the most part. She had so many questions for him, but she didn’t want to seem pushy
or nosy. She had no rights to him. Something she knew all too well.

Her own ancestors had come from England and Scotland. She
didn’t know much about them. Her father hadn’t been prone to family narratives.
Someday she would ask Rafe more about where they came from.

It would be good to know. In case she had children one day. It
was difficult for female Werewolves to conceive, but if she did her manage to
carry to term her children would want to know who they were. Where they came
from.

She looked at Tate’s hand. The sides of his thumb brushed
lightly against hers. Shivers ran down her spine and she wondered how their
children would look. His coloring mixed with hers. Blue eyes and tan skin. Black
eyes and blonde hair. Either way their children would be beautiful.

She raised her eyes and found herself caught in his gaze. Hunger
radiated from him. Desire pouring out into her. She gasped aloud. Their scents
mingled together and Cat found she couldn’t hold still any longer. Heck, she
didn’t want to.

One sign, that’s all she needed. One sign that he wanted
this too and she would ask him to do what she wanted him to all those years ago.

“Tate?,” the question hung in the air. Thick and tangible.
She waited for him to respond.

His eyes grew darker and his lids were half closed. He
licked his lips and leaned towards her, his hand wrapped around her neck as he
pulled her gently forward.

“Cat?,” there was a question in his voice. One that she had
waited years to hear from him.