By the Tail

Chapter Three

Quince stared through the window of the plane, uncomfortable at being in an enclosed space, one that could fall out of the sky at any given moment. At times like these he understood why raptors thought they had an edge on land dwellers.

“Okay. Lay it on me.” Joy sipped a rum and coke, slouched in her seat as if enjoying herself at a four-star resort. She cocked a brow. “Well? I’m not getting any younger.”

She sat close and—considering that even the first class seats seemed miniature for him—they continued to brush against each other, which made the trip almost bearable. That and he’d left Montana far behind. Thank God.

He glanced around them and noted that with the late hour, few passengers remained awake. Those that were listened to music or watched their electronic tablets. The rumble of the plane gave him added assurance he’d be hard to hear if he lowered his voice.

Speaking in a voice too low to be heard by humans, he explained what he’d been wanting to tell her for far too long. “Michael was like my father. You know that.”

“You loved him,” she said quietly.

“Yes.” He paused, his heart still aching from the loss. It seemed like only yesterday and not five months ago that his mentor and friend had been killed. “I found him bleeding to death in the Glades. I did my best to help him through, you know, to peace. But it was hard. Lex hurt him bad.” He knew she saw his anger, but she didn’t do more than nod. “Before he passed, he made me promise to infiltrate Lex’s command. The only way to take him down, because Lex had become too powerful, luring the others with promises of wealth, women, sex, anything they wanted. And he could and did deliver.”

She frowned. “He was such a prick.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “I gave Michael steady progress reports for that last week he lingered. Then he died.” Quince tried to shrug off the emotional wound. “I made a promise, and I kept it.” He prided himself on always keeping a promise.

“But you didn’t tell Miles.”

“I couldn’t. Your brother is—was—my best friend. I know him as well as you do. He’s a hot head, and he has no patience unless it involves dollar signs. Yeah, he’s brilliant at business—not so great when it comes to dealing with stupidity. And Lex was a dumbass. Strong and mean, but deep-down stupid.”

“You got that right,” she muttered. She looked at him with what he hoped was the beginning of trust. “I still don’t understand why it took so long to break Lex down.”

“Your family was never that tight with the inner workings of the pride. You focused more on business and blending in with Miami society. Lex had his select circle so tight and twisted that they wrestled control of our finances before I could intervene. We need that money to survive.” Especially in Miami, where life didn’t come cheap.

She took another sip. “So what happened then?”

“I spent most of my time finding others like me, loyal to Michael. Guys like Jace and Ellis. Rain, Dana, Willow, Oliver. Between the seven of us, we started gathering others in secret. Trying to take back control. It took a while, because Lex had been planning his takeover for a long time before he actually did it.”

“I didn’t realize.”

“Not many did. He seemed like a good guy at first, remember?”

Charming, handsome, popular with women and men alike. And then he’d shown his true colors when anyone dared question him.

Quince continued in a low rumble, “To make a long story short, I did my best to prevent him and his idiot brother from raping and hunting humans in the swamps. That took time and effort away from corralling him. So much energy spent on damage control until two months had passed with Lex still in power. Then I had to make my move. I got in thick with him, and yeah, I had to do some things I’m not proud of to show my loyalty.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Like beating up Mr. Jeffries and nearly scaring Maya Shields to death?”

“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. Two of his biggest regrets—public spectacles of clear abuse. But it had been either push them around or see them killed. They’d healed from the few bruises he’d landed, and they’d since accepted his apologies.

“So what about you trying to put a move on my sister?”

He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Miles told me you wanted Stacey, and when you couldn’t have her, you decided to push her at Lex to punish her.”

“That makes no sense. For one, I hated Lex. I didn’t wish any poor woman on him. And two, your sister annoys the shit out of me. No way I wanted her.”

“She’s pretty.”

“So?”

Joy just looked at him.

“Fine. Every guy who sees your sister wonders…” He cleared his throat. “But I got over that years ago. Stacey’s so…Stacey.”

A smile curved her mouth, and he breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.

“Anyway, so now you know.”

“Do I? What about you showing up when they shot Miles and kidnapped Gabby? Or when they nearly got Stacey and Dean?”

“I just told you. I was trying to put out fires. Do you have any idea what Lex almost did? He sent me to spy on you guys for him. Hell, I could have taken any of you from Cougar Falls before you knew what had happened. As it was, I fed what information I could to sources in town. How do you think so many Shifters arrived to help you guys out at the ranch? Or how there wasn’t a total massacre before you saved Stacey? Lex wanted to use Hunters and rogue Ac-taw to kill the Chastells and that wolf living with them. I slowed him down.”

She had to remember him and his group arriving at Chastell Tours to prevent an all out war on the Chastells and their gray wolf just a month ago.

“Oh yeah. You did, didn’t you?” She gave him a look he couldn’t read. Did she believe him or not?

Parched, he took the drink from her hand, downed it, then handed the plastic cup back.

“Better?” she drawled.

“Yeah. Thanks. That’s it.”

“Not exactly.”

He groaned. “Ask. I’m an open book.” After that incredible time together in the spa, he’d do whatever she wanted for another shot at her.

“So now, going home. You said Lex’s guys are still making problems? I hadn’t noticed that the last time I was back.”

“For all of two seconds,” he added under his breath. “We routed most of the idiots. A bunch died the last time they tangled with Hunters.” Hunters—humans who knew of Ac-taw and wanted nothing more than to kill them. “Right now, Greg Ayers and Darren Watson are making the most noise about wanting me out of the picture.”

She nodded absently. “You know, technically, we shouldn’t even have a pride. None of us are lions. Panthers are solitary creatures.”

He chuckled, glad she referred to them as panthers. A good sign. Though their species of Ac-taw had a lot of different names—cougar, panther, catamount, puma—the Miami pride often referred to themselves as Florida panthers. Unlike the cougars in Montana. “Don’t be too literal. Pride is just a term that applies to cats. God forbid we call ourselves a pack.”

She scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue. Joy was beautiful and funny. Damn, she made his heart race. Wondering if he’d be pushing it, he nevertheless covered her hand on the seat rest between them. Mine, his cat snarled, and he inwardly agreed.

She blinked down at it, then at him. But she didn’t pull her hand away. “What do you want from me, Quince?”

He thought about the ugly little bracelet she’d given him when she was sixteen, the one he’d kept all these years because it had been from her, snug in his front pocket. How much he loved her, wanted her. And he realized the truth wouldn’t set him free at all. He’d spook her away if he moved too fast. He needed to seduce her into accepting his claim. Slowly. Like easing a wild bird with calm words before he pounced.

“Honestly, Joy?”

She nodded.

I love you. “You’re sexy, smart, and when you aren’t trying to go for my throat, you make me laugh. I thought we could try dating, maybe. And I’d like you to be a strong presence in the pride. We need worthy females to rebuild.” At her dark look, he hastened to add, “Not for breeding. I mean, to show others we have a solid team of cats down South. That we’re not all assholes but good people.”

She stared at him. “Oh.”

Was that a pleased Oh or a disappointed Oh?

He gripped her fingers, conscious of her smaller size and softness as compared to him. “Well?”

“Dating, huh? I guess we could try that. See how it goes,” she said, sounding cautious. “Don’t get your hopes up for a commitment though. I’m too young to mate. Too much to see and do before I settle down.”

He swallowed his disappointment, more determined than ever to show her how ready she could be—with the right cat. “Sure. So why not come back home to stay for good, where it’s nice and warm? To the ocean, to the nightlife, and to the rest of your extended family?”

He’d missed his fellow cats when running all over the place dealing with Lex. Now that he had a chance to rebuild those ties, he wanted to do it with Joy at his side. The females were nutty without Michael’s strong arm to lead them. He’d served as a father figure for many, but a strong woman would be even better to settle nerves. The pride needed her as much as he did, he realized.

“You think I can help the pride?” she asked softly.

“I know you can. Besides, weren’t you doing something new with Bermin Beauty? Some new design project you were heading up, right? You have work to do at home yourself, slacker.” Her brother had started the fashion company and turned it into a million-dollar venture. All the Bermins had a hand in running it.

“You know about that?” Her eyes widened.

“Honey, I know everything about everything.” He smirked, pleased when she scowled at him. He loved that fierce look in her eyes. The one she leveled on him right now that made him hard and aching.

“You wish. You…” she trailed off with a sniff and gazed at his lap. “Are you kidding me?”

He squirmed, uncomfortable with jeans too tight around his crotch. “I wish. Just being around you gets me this way,” he admitted and leaned closer to scent at the light marker he’d left earlier. He still smelled himself there. That she hadn’t tried to mask his scent with another perfume or soap pleased him considerably. Then he caught her desire and nipped her neck, licking the sting away. He whispered into her ear, “You know, we could see how big the bathrooms are in first class. I bet we could fit you over my cock in no time and—”

“Shut up,” she hissed, her eyes bright with arousal. “You’ve shared enough. No more talking until we touch down.”

He grinned but kept hold of her hand.

The trip home didn’t last long enough.

One more connection and four hours later, standing outside the Miami terminal in the humid light of day, Joy couldn’t wait to slide under the covers of her bed again. The plane ride had seemed to last an eternity. She’d been taunted by Quince’s delicious scent the whole way. It didn’t help that Mr. Sexy had picked up the attention of first a flirty flight attendant and then a pretty passenger at the baggage terminal.

Ellis Minor picked them up in a large blue SUV. After stowing their luggage, he slid behind the driver’s seat. A decent enough guy who’d always treated her with respect, he cast Quince a sidelong glance and grinned. Pleading exhaustion, she decided to let them talk up front while she did her best to crash in the backseat. But she wasn’t so tired that she missed the shock on Ellis’s face before she entered the vehicle.

Quince let out a growl.

She shut the door behind her and buckled in. “Something wrong?” she asked as Ellis pulled away from the curb.

“N-nothing.” He coughed and wouldn’t meet her gaze in the rearview mirror. “Just happy to see you both back in one piece. I thought for sure Quince would have come back a broken shell of a man. Everyone knows better than to screw with the Bermins.”

Silence descended, and she caught Ellis’s innocent remark about screwing, realizing the double entendre. Quince would no doubt pick up on it. She didn’t have to see him to know he’d be smiling right about now.

“Shut up, Quince.”

He snorted. Ellis coughed again but couldn’t smother the grin caught by the rearview.

Ignoring the flush on her cheeks, she closed her eyes and feigned sleep. But she couldn’t stop thinking about all she’d heard since leaving Cougar Falls.

What she’d learned on the plane had surprised her, though it shouldn’t have. Lex had been a devious jerk, but she hadn’t realized why he’d been so firmly entrenched in the pride. For a long time, she’d thought Quince’s claim that he’d done his best to stop the egomaniac a half-assed excuse for not trying harder. Kill Lex, save the pride. Miles wanted to take Lex out himself, but he’d had his sisters to protect, and he took his role as head of the household seriously.

But if Lex had seized control of the pride’s finances…

The pride lived as individual families scattered around the Everglades, though most had settled in and around Miami. Like their animal namesakes, the Florida cats liked their space. To a degree. Their social structure kept them tight, spending weekends, holidays, and usually their free time partying together, either at the pride estate or in the swamps at the House. Running on all fours, seeing the world through a panther’s perspective, absorbing the unique scents of the world as a cat—nothing beat it.

She could understand the group in Cougar Falls. They lived among their own kind, protected by that magical totem that kept non-Shifters out. They could shift whenever they wanted and run free without fear of capture. But they were so closed off.

Joy loved the sun and the sand, and living out in the real world. She had to keep sharp, constantly aware of the true humans and possible Hunters around her. The attention to detail and need to play pretend-human appeased her cat, though. It was like playing with prey. She considered anyone not her friend or her kind a potential enemy. It kept her instincts sharp. Sharper than the Chastells’, at any rate.

Smug in her confidence as a feline, she wished she had as much assurance about her feminine traits. Oh, she knew she was cute. But in a family of gorgeous and talented people, cute didn’t cut it. Stacey was a knockout. Amy and Melissa could do anything with poise and perfection and had their share of admirers. Heck, before she’d left, she’d caught a few wolves talking about dying for a date with one of the Bermin twins. And Miles, of course, could do no wrong. Or so everyone else seemed to think. Personally, she thought her rich, handsome, charming brother needed to unwind. His beef with Quince was starting to look a lot less based on fact and more on emotion.

They’d been so close once. Growing up, he and Quince had been inseparable. Bad news for Joy, because she’d been crushing on Quince something fierce, and he’d never noticed her—just one of Miles’s little sisters. She’d done her best to ignore the attraction until it faded to a gentle admiration. Miles had become so busy with business the last few years, he was at home as much as he was gone. And Quince had become integral to the workings in the pride. It made sense they’d drifted apart.

Then Michael had disappeared, his two previously unknown sons had arrived to take over the pride, and everything had gone to hell. Factions of bullies rose up out of nowhere. The money started to disappear into limos for Lex, all-night orgies and expensive properties they didn’t need. Females’ rights disappeared, and “might makes right” became the pride’s new motto.

Fast forward five months, and she was supposed to believe life had changed because Quince, with Michael’s blessing, had assumed command.

She wanted badly to trust what he’d told her. All the rumors, the beatings and the thievery she’d heard that Quince had been a part of—all a ruse? Yet she couldn’t deny that her recent time spent at home, while dodging Quince in between trips back to Cougar Falls, had shown her that life indeed had returned to a normal state. Kind of.

The females still bristled if told to do anything. The males still wandered around on guard, snarling at each other while expecting the women to roll over and do whatever they wanted. No, come to think of it, they’d always been like that. Miami cats tended to be very good looking, and they took grooming to an all new level.

She sighed against the seat, wishing she could understand why her cat had never seen Quince as a threat. Because he wanted her? Because he had a fortitude her feline could respect?

And could she really forget that amazing sex with the big guy? Good Lord, but she’d seen stars with him. So generous, so wonderful. Even now she might be pregnant… Her cat purred with satisfaction, but Joy panicked. She was too young to have babies, not when she hadn’t yet made her mark as a Bermin.

So she didn’t have terrific design ideas. She couldn’t sew that well, and she had no head for business. She did like to have fun, and she’d been toying with some concepts for the junior market. Young women who wanted to be sexy, not slutty. A concept Stacey wouldn’t understand, she thought with a sneer.

Her sister had nothing to complain about. She was beautiful, with a great guy at her side, and had the admiration of everyone around her. No one had ever tried to single her out to get at one of her sisters. Or asked where her coloring came from in a family full of blondes. Or what exactly she contributed to the design business. But Joy had dealt with men using her to get at Stacey and even Miles for years. She was the only black-haired girl among golden siblings. And though she wanted to be a part of the family business, she didn’t think she had it in her to be great, merely good.

Now Quince supposedly wanted to date her. She’d wanted him forever, and he’d never seen her. But maybe, because Stacey had mated and her sisters had moved to Cougar Falls, she was the only one available. Might he be using her to get into Miles’s good graces?

She believed Quince hadn’t liked Lex. Reviewing how many times he’d warned her and tried to help her and her family stay safe from Lex’s men, she didn’t think he’d been in league with Lex. Not really.

But a guy like Quince, now head of the pride, could have any female he wanted. He’d always been handsome, so women had never been his problem. He said he wanted her. Well, he’d had her. Now she’d see if he meant it about dating her, or if he had another agenda. She might not be business savvy, but she was the top predator in her family. Of that she had no doubt. If Quince thought he could use her to further some goal of his, he had another think coming.

Right upside the head.