Here Kitty, Kitty! (31 page)

Grabbing Sara’s arm, Angie dragged her toward several Prides.  “You’re going to come over here and be goddamn polite, or I’ll kick the living shit out of you.”

“Happy birthday to me.”

“You got your birthday gift from me.  And you used it all fucking day.”

***

“Dear God in heaven.”

Nik and Ban turned away, but Alek stood.  Transfixed.  “My God, y’all.  She’s the worst goddamn dancer I’ve ever seen.”

“Turn away.  It’ll hurt your eyes.  Turn away!”

Finally, Alek did.  “He must really love her.”

The three men glanced back at Miki, but could no longer watch.  Nik, motioning for the bartender, now understood why Conall hadn’t complained when she started working the bar during the party.  Because doing that she looked graceful and cute as hell.  Out on the dance floor, however, the woman was an absolute mess.

Nik leaned across the bar toward the man who’d replaced Miki, “Y’all got any grain alcohol?  I need to wipe out a horrible memory.”

The bartender shook his head.  “Then we’ll take three shots of vodka.”

“Each,” Alek added.

Nik looked down to the end of the bar.  The thankfully graceful Angie stood there comfortably chatting with two lions and Reena.  He never met a woman who could effortlessly combine classy and trashy so well.  Her jeans were Calvin Klein.  Her cowboy hat and boots were made specifically for her and most likely cost her a pretty penny.  But the tiny black leather halter top she wore barely covered her breasts and only stayed on because of the tiny leather ties around her neck and her waist, which he had quite the time tying up for her earlier that afternoon.  Add in the thong peeking out the top of her jeans was from Frederick’s of Hollywood, and Nik was a very happy man.

He smiled to himself, wondering when this stupid party would be over so that he could bury himself back inside that hot little snatch that seemed made for his dick.

“You’re doin’ it again.”

Nik looked at his brothers.  “Doin’ what?”

“Starin’ at Angie with those big, dumb dog eyes,” Alek popped back his shot of vodka.

“Dammit, man,” Ban continued, “You’re a cat.  Act like one!”

“But cats like pretty shiny things.  Don’t y’all think she’s pretty and shiny?”

The three men looked again at Angie.  At that moment, she suddenly glanced up.  Her eyes widened a bit when she realized they were staring at her.  After a few moments, she turned away and, with a shake of her head, went back to her conversation.

Ban sighed, “She sure is.”

Nik nodded, “Yup.  And if y’all get within five feet of her, I’ll kill ya both where you stand.”  He lifted his shot of vodka.  “
Na zdorovie
!”

“Cheers to you, too,” his brothers responded back, laughing.

***

It suddenly occurred to Angie that she’d lost sight of Miki.  She’d been trying to keep an eye on her all damn evening but once she was no longer behind the bar, the little bitch moved like lightning.

Between the hillbillies pissing off the snobby lions, the Packs growling at each other, and Sara much more interested in Zach then upholding the truce, Angie didn’t know what to do with herself.

“You can’t watch her all the time, Angie.”

Angie spun around at the familiar voice.  “Marrec!”  She threw herself into the man’s arms.  He hugged her so tight, she was sure he would break one of her ribs.  But nothing felt better because it let her know exactly how important she was to him.

“I am so glad to see you,” he barked gruffly.

“I’m fine.  I promise.”  He finally let her go, pulling back to stare at her face.

“You sure?  You sure I don’t need to kill anyone?”  And he would.  They both knew it.

“No, sir.  Everything is fine.”

“Good.  Where’s the birthday girl?  The rest of the Pack are dying to see her.”  Rest of the Pack her ass. 
Marrec
wanted to see her.  She knew exactly how much the old coot missed her.  “She’s over there…fondling Zach.”

And she was too.  She straddled his lap like a stripper giving a lap dance, her arms tight around his neck, her big chest offered up to him under her sleeveless black Harley T-shirt.

Horny dogs
.

Marrec shook his head, “Maybe I’ll wait a bit before saying hi.”

Angie shrugged, “That’s probably a real good idea.  But there’s loads of food and drink, so you guys have yourself a good time.  We’ll talk later.”

Marrec gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek and walked off.  She waved at all her friends from town, but she still wanted to find Miki.

Eventually, after some wandering around, she saw her.  Angie was starting to realize exactly how smart a man Conall was.  In order to keep the crazy bitch occupied, he invited her geek friends from Seattle.  Three guys and some girl as well as a few others.  Angie’d met them before, but they hadn’t been interesting enough for her to retain names.  But they kept her friend busy and happy.  As did Conall, apparently.  Miki stood in front of him talking to her geek friends while Conall talked to some lion she didn’t recognize.  He had his arm around her waist, palm flat against her stomach, and his head resting comfortably on her ass.  Miki’s hand rested against his, their fingers intertwined.

Miki actually found someone who not only got her, but liked her anyway.  Angie wanted to believe Nik was that guy for her, but she refused to hold out any false hopes for a future that didn’t exist.  No matter how many weird, longing looks he gave her across the room.

***

Nik wrapped his arm around his baby sister’s neck and hugged her.  “What are you up to?”

“Very little.”

“Good.  Keep it that way.”  The male lions seemed to have a particular interest in his sister he didn’t much appreciate.  He would tell her to stay near Reena, but his cousin was too busy flirting with a bunch of dogs.  His whole family was going to hell in a hand basket and this time he had no one to blame but himself.

“Where’s Angie?”

“Being a Nazi.  The girl really knows how to run a party.”

“You like her, don’tcha Nik?”

“No.”

“No?”

He sighed, “I love her.”

“Does she know?”

He started to respond yes, then realized that he didn’t know.  He hadn’t actually said it to her.  “I don’t know.”

His sister smiled, “Typical.”  Kisa turned and looked up at her brother’s face.  “So you are like daddy after all?”

He snarled but his sister only rolled her eyes.  “You might as well face it.  I have to.”  She shrugged.  “I like daddy, though.”

“That could explain why you’re his favorite.”

His sister went up on her tiptoes and kissed her brother’s cheek.  “She’s perfect for you, Nik.  Anybody else would have just killed you by now.”

***

Angie put a cold wash cloth against the she-wolf’s forehead.  “Maybe you should lay off the tequila for awhile, hon.”

The female nodded, moaned, then dived back into the bushes.

Angie wasn’t sure, but it seemed like the wolves really weren’t good at handling their liquor.

Stepping away from the bushes, Angie turned and stared in horror.  Natalia, the mother of the man she loved, stood in front of the bar talking quietly to Marrec.  A nice, civilized conversation.  But behind her Miki had climbed up onto one of the bar stools…a ball of yarn in her hand.

“Oh, God!”

Angie made a run for it.  She reached Natalia as a string of red yarn swept across the older woman’s face.  She batted it away with her hand, not quite sure what it was.  Before Angie could reach around Natalia and wring her best friend’s neck, Conall grabbed Miki, sweeping her off the seat.

Giggling, “It was just a little experiment!”

The ball of yarn hit the ground and Natalia picked it up.  She looked at Angie, one eyebrow raised, looking exactly like her son.

Angie snatched it from her as Marrec looked at the ground trying not to laugh, “She’s taking up knitting.”

***

Nik stood about fifty feet away, watching Ban hand over his daughter to Angie.  Nik’s niece, an adorable two-year-old, grabbed a handful of hair and held onto her for dear life.  Angie didn’t seem bothered by it at all as she talked to Ban and his niece’s mother…Connie somebody or other.  A vicious tigress with a killer right hook and the longest fangs he’d ever seen on a female.

The baby looked so comfortable in Angie’s arms.  And she looked perfect holding her.  Then it hit him.  Like a brick to the head…

He didn’t just love her, he wanted Angelina Santiago to have his kids…and only his kids.  He wanted all his kids to grow up in the same family with that crazy woman as their mother.  He wanted to wake up everyday and find her sleeping next to him.  He wanted to buy her more shoes and have her wear them only for him.  He wanted to have sex with her all over his home in every position humanely possible.  He wanted it and knew he wouldn’t be happy until he got it.

Well, hell, now I’m going to have to marry the crazy, psychotic female
!

He closed his eyes.  Could this day possibly get any more scary?

As if in answer, a big arm wrapped around Nik’s shoulder.  “Hey, buddy.”

Surprised, Nik looked over at Conall.  “Uh…hey.”

“Hey.”  A slap on the back from Zach.  “How’s it goin’?”

Eyes narrow, Nik watched the two.  “What are y’all up to?”

“Nothing.  Me and Zach were just wondering when you were going to move in?”

“Move in?  I’m not…”

“Of course you are.  If you’re staying with Angie.  Ya gotta move in.”

“What?”

“Didn’t she tell you?  They’ve always wanted to live together.  And you protected Angie…”

“And me,” Conall added with a sweet smile that may fool some human female but didn’t fool Nik for one goddamn second.

“So you’re part of the Pack now.”

“Yeah.  You’re one of us.”

“And don’t worry,” Zach finished, “we’ll teach you how to howl.”

Suddenly, Nik felt violently ill.

***

Angie decided to get some food and finally eat.  Grabbing a plate of barbeque chicken and coleslaw she sat down on a long bench to relax and people watch.  Of course, that moment alone lasted all of two seconds before she looked up to find Sara and Miki next to her.

“Okay.  Fucking in our laundry room, is unacceptable.”

Angie frowned, the chicken leg poised at her mouth.  Nik hadn’t fucked her in the laundry room…he’d fucked her in the kitchen.

“What are you talking about?”

“Two old tigers, going at it like…well… tigers.”

Miki pointed, “Those two.”

Angie looked over and immediately put her chicken down.  Boris tried to take Natalia’s hand, but she snatched it away.  She stalked through the crowd toward the bar.  Of course Boris didn’t look hurt and definitely not discouraged.  More like…turned on.  And Natalia may look pissed, but the flush to her cheeks also made her appear well satisfied.

Angie sighed, “Sorry ‘bout that.  I’ll ask Nik to…uh…control his people.”

“Thank you.  I mean, dude…,” Sara shuddered.  “We clean clothes in there.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“So,” Miki scratched her leg, “You marrying that tiger or what?”

Angie choked on her Long Island Iced Tea.

Miki glanced at Sara, “Told ya.”

Sara shook her head, “I don’t know why you guys insist on marriage.”

“A societal construct forced on us from birth.”  Miki suddenly pointed at Angie.  “And you put me in any bridesmaid dress with ruffles and it’s gonna be war between you and me, sister!”

She stomped off.

Sara shrugged, “That parasite is making her so cranky.”

“
Stop calling her that
,” Miki yelled back.

Sara winked at Angie and wandered off.

Angie stared after her two best friends.  They both moved with such confidence now.  Sara didn’t just run her Pack.  She
was
her Pack.  They watched her with fear, awe, and warmth.  She would never be her mother and definitely never her grandmother.  Sara would always just be Sara.  She came up behind Zach who was busy trying his best to hold a civil conversation with two lions.  With a wicked grin, she slide her hand between his legs.  The wolf stiffened, the lions instantly forgotten, as he turned to face her.  He grabbed her around the waist and roughly pulled her into his body.  Zach looked at Sara as if she were the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.  And, Angie knew, that to Zach, Sara was.

Miki stood next to her freakishly sized giant.  He spoke to Boris, making the old tiger laugh.  Without turning away from Boris, Conall’s hand reached down and grasped Miki’s.  She leaned into his side, her eyes checking out the entire crowd, most likely looking for some shit to start.  She spotted it, her eyes locking on Victoria.  She moved to pull away, but Conall yanked her back.  She tried to get him to release his hold, but the man wouldn’t budge.  His conversation with Boris never wavered and he never lost his smile.  After a few moments, Boris walked away, most likely on the hunt for Natalia.  Conall leaned his—
what?
  ten-foot—frame down, whispering in Miki’s ear.  She laughed, again trying to pull away, but he pulled her back, kissing her gently on the mouth.  Miki returned that kiss, raising herself up on her toes.