Chapter Twenty

Rob and I had arranged a meeting with Flynn, the young rogue lion shifter who was having a really hard time believing he wasn’t human. Rob had worked with him for a few weeks now, but he wasn’t making much progress and had refused to change again after the first time. This presented a dangerous situation, because for Flynn to walk away from Rob’s training without gaining control of his shift, meant someone could be seriously injured. If that happened he’d have to be put down. These were the laws and we couldn’t help him if he closed us out.

Rob waved at me when I got off the elevator on Flynn’s floor. When I closed the distance between us, I was greeted with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Rob was the shifter who’d helped me through my first transition into a cheetah and with so many other milestones as well. Because his first shift had been a violent one he’d dedicated much of his time to helping other troubled shifters learn to accept themselves and their new abilities. He’d helped Ethan, Kyle and Sinc as well and had become a very close friend to Garrett over the years, working on the Rogue project together. Lately, I'd grown to think of him as an older brother or uncle who I could go to for sound advice. He was tall and handsome with dark hair, olive skin and shining dark eyes, and when he shifted into his magnificent black leopard, I often found myself staring at him in awe. “How are you feeling? I'm glad to see you’re looking so well.”

I hugged him back affectionately, then broke away. “Must be the glow of pregnancy.” I cringed, realizing that blurting it out probably wasn’t the best way to tell my good friend. I ended up giving him a shortened version of the story. “We’re naming him Charlie, well, Charles, after Garrett’s dad.”

After only a few seconds of shocked silence, he took me into his arms and hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. “Garrett has always wanted to be a father. You’ll be terrific parents.” He pulled away to take a closer look at my face. “This must have been a shock for you. No one has pressured you, have they?”

“We both want this.”

“You’re an extraordinary female and Garrett’s a fortunate male. I’m happier for you than I can ever put into words.”

“Thanks, Rob. We'll give parenting our best shot. Now tell me about Flynn.”

We headed down the hallway to Flynn’s room. Rob had already let him know he’d be having another visitor, someone who’d been though the same thing he had, but when I entered, smiled at him and introduced myself, he turned away to look out the window. He refused to speak even to Rob.

I glanced in Rob’s direction and he surprised me with his next words. “I’m leaving for a while, but Jackie’s going to stay. Talk to her, you have a lot in common.” Rob had grasped his shoulder, obviously fond of the young shifter, but Flynn didn’t acknowledge him. Rob looked at me sadly and left.

I moved a chair closer to the bed, on the same side as the window so I’d be on the side he was facing. Flopping into the utilitarian chair, I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible, figuring this could definitely take a while. While we sat in silence, I looked at him carefully for the first time.

He was strapped down so he wouldn’t hurt himself, hardly able to move his arms or legs. If that had been me I would have been screaming bloody murder. Instead, he just lay there, depressed and miserable. His shaggy light brown hair hadn’t been combed in a while and his large brown eyes were clouded by sadness. I felt a sudden urge to muss his hair, but there was nothing cuddly about this seventeen-year-old. He looked to be about Heinrich’s size, and as broad as a bridge, his chest and shoulders straining under the hospital robe. I tapped into the lines and slowly reached out to touch his arm, hoping to do a little subtle healing.

He glared and tried to move his arm away from my touch, the strap straining against the bolts. “Why don’t you go home. I’m never gonna fall for this crap.”

Okay, so he was angry as well as sad. I decided to ignore it. “My name is Jackie.”

“So what fairy tale creature are you?”

“I’m a cheetah shape-shifter and a magic user.” Mentioning demons at this point would not help our case.

He laughed. “What you are is full of shit. Shapeshifters don’t exist and there is no magic.” He turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

“How do you explain your shift into a lion?”

“Rob gave me some freaky experimental drug. Maybe he did the same thing to you. It must have messed up your mind.”

“The drug only brought on what was going to happen naturally anyway.”

“I’ve heard that crap already. Don’t even bother. I know the truth.” He was getting angrier, practically growling at me.

I tried for a change in subject. “You were adopted?”

“I’m not talking about my family. You guys are all crazy and I’m not putting them in danger.” He looked worried.

“Rob and Garrett already know who your family is. No one will hurt them. You’re lucky to have a family who cares for you.”

I’d been briefed by Rob. Flynn had been adopted as an infant and raised by a human family in San Francisco. He grew up normally, although his school records showed he had a temper and had gotten into a few fights in middle and high school. Nothing too serious. Our San Francisco source had flagged his report, so Rob had kept an eye on him from a distance, stepping in when he saw the first symptoms of a shift about to happen. Garrett had spoken to his family and glamoured them into thinking Flynn had enlisted into a special ops unit in the government after lying about his age. They had two younger kids to raise and were relieved that Flynn had found something he was passionate about.

They could never know the truth.

“The cops will find me here. All of you are going to jail for kidnapping.”

“I told Rob the same things when he took me.” I smiled, remembering.

“So you were just some runaway they figured they could experiment on?”

I told him about my life, being passed from family to family in the state foster care system until the last family, the Crawfords, had adopted me. I explained about my unusual speed and my acute senses and how that had made it difficult for a human family to accept me, especially since I had a habit of taking off into the woods to run without telling anyone where I was going.

“So you’re fast?”

I nodded. “Even faster than a real cheetah.”

He snorted in disbelief. “Oh yeah, you’re not crazy at all.”

Maybe he just needed to be around more shifters. Rob was a great guy, but weeks of only his company could get a little monotonous. Hey, I could remedy that. “How would you like to be a guest at my house for a few days? You could meet the rest of my team, and also my mate, Garrett. He’s a vampire and he’s the one who started the rogue recovery program.”

“Gee thanks, Jackie, but I’m already in the loony bin here at the hospital, I don’t need to visit another one where people dress up like Dracula and the wolf man.” He strained at the straps again and I wasn't surprised to see they were weakening. “I need to get home. Untie me and let me go.” I shook my head. “This isn’t fair. I never did anything to you.”

“What do you think would happen if I did loosen your straps and let you go home?”

“I’d go back to my house and to school and live a normal life.”

“Maybe at first, then one day really soon you’d get angry or frustrated and you’d change into your lion, and you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself. You might freak out and hurt someone. Or someone would shoot at you and you’d get hurt. Do you want to take that chance? You might hurt one of your parents or a good friend.”

“You two don’t give up do you? I'm not changing into a lion. I'm getting the hell out of this bed with or without your help!” He was yanking and straining against the straps. They wouldn’t last much longer.

Maybe a little confrontation was exactly what he needed. Honestly, I was getting angry myself. I mean it isn’t like this was the first time he’d heard all of this. He’d been working with Rob for a few weeks now.

“Did Rob change into his black leopard?”

“He put a hallucinogen in my food.”

I was done. “I’m getting tired of hearing you complain, and I’ve only known you for fifteen minutes. You’re a powerful shifter who'll be an awesome fighter. You should be happy.”

“I want to be a doctor.”

“Then you’ll be an awesome doctor. There are doctors here in this hospital who are lion shifters.”

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear this again.”

“Sounds to me like all you’ve been doing is feeling sorry for yourself and disrespecting Rob. Except for the part where you pull this diva stunt and try and kill yourself.” I was doing my best to channel Kyle's annoying tone, trying to get through to bricks-for-brains. I was counting on a strong reaction so he’d let down his guard and I’d be able to help him. Unfortunately, his reaction turned out to be a little stronger than I’d expected.

“I’m going to strangle you for that.” He grunted and his right hand broke the binding restraining it, then his left repeated the process. He sat up, unbuckling his leg restraints as I slowly stood and moved away from the chair, putting my back to the door.

He jumped off the bed and moved toward me in a threatening manner, but I held my ground. “Why aren’t you running now, cheetah?” He was absolutely furious, but he wasn't stupid. He didn't want to end up in jail for assault. He just wanted to get away from us and back home again. I’d wanted that too when I’d first found out.

“I'm not running because I don’t think you’re the kind of guy who’d hurt me. Plus I can protect myself.” I’d already locked the door so he wasn’t getting out that way. The windows had bars. He looked me over more closely now, still angrily clenching his fists, probably tempted to punch me but not really knowing if he should. I was happy to see that punching a female didn’t come naturally to him.

He narrowed his eyes in thought as he looked at my defensive stance. “You know martial arts?”

“Some, but I’m not great, not like Kyle or Sasha who are both on our team.”

“Do you box?”

I laughed. “Nope, never tried that.”

“So how do you think you’re going to stop me from punching you or pushing you aside and leaving? You don’t have any weapons, do you?”

“Only magic.” He made a derisive noise. “And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't hit me or even push me. I think you're a decent guy, Flynn. But if you tried, I’d do this.” I formed a wave of energy into a brick and threw it at his chest, not too hard. I didn’t want to break a rib.

He stumbled backward but didn’t fall, looking around for the object that hit him. “What did you throw at me?”

“Magic.”

He glared. “I told you I don’t believe in that crap. Move away from the door.” I shook my head. He took a threatening step toward me, his eyes full of anger and his arms and hands stretching out to move me away from the door.

I grabbed his arm as he reached for me, then spun him around and threw him into the wall. The force of his shoulder and forehead making contact left a dent in the plaster and shook him up a little. He slid down to the floor, too shocked to move, so I took advantage of his confusion and crouched beside him to take his hand, sending him a huge jolt of healing energy. His aura was a muddy mess and I watched it clear to a bright sky blue as his eyes widened in wonder.

“What’s happening?” He looked shocked but didn’t pull away.

“I’m clearing your aura. You’ll feel a lot better.” His scent was strong but pleasant, with a touch of sage. A typical lion. His wrists were marked from the straps he'd strained against, so I angled a little energy to heal the redness.

Flynn smiled for the first time. I smiled back at him and he wrinkled his brow and tilted his head in curiosity. “What are you? Are you some kind of wiccan?”

I sighed and shook my head. “I’m exactly what I said I was. I can use magic to heal or to fight. I’m not lying to you, Flynn, and neither was Rob.” I stood up. “I live in a community of shapeshifters where there are other lions, just like you. I’ve worked with a surgeon here at the hospital who’s a lion. I’ll introduce you if you’re serious about studying medicine.”

“Can all shifters do that—that thing that you just did to me?”

He's starting to believe me. “Only cheetah shifters, and it’s rare for us too. As far as we know, I’m the only one in the western states. But I have a fae friend who’s a healer too.”

He raised himself off the floor and sat down weakly on the chair I’d recently vacated. I pulled another one closer and joined him. “No one has ever thrown me around like that. How is it you’re so strong?”

“All shifters more powerful than humans. You must have noticed that while you were growing up. We also have senses that are more acute. I’m more powerful than most, because I can add magical energy to my natural strength.”

Flynn started to shake his head and stand. “I still think that you’re full of—” Using magic, I slammed him back into the chair and held him there so he couldn’t move. He was totally paralyzed from the waist down.

He struggled but got nowhere. “You’re doing this?” I nodded. “You’re not even breaking a sweat.” I shrugged in response. “Could you let me go? I can’t feel my legs and it’s kind of freakin’ me out.” I released him and he leaned way back into the chair, probably trying to put more space between us.

He watched me warily, so I said something that I hoped would be reassuring. “Your aura looks healthier now.”

He ran both hands through his hair then asked, “This is real? I’m a lion?”

“Not a real lion. A lion shapeshifter. When you change to your animal form, you're still you. You never forget who you are. You can reason and communicate in simple ways. The main difference is how much more acute your senses are. You begin to love the excitement of the hunt and also the taste of raw meat. It's satisfying in a completely different way.”

“It hurt to change.”

“It gets better as your body adjusts, but it's still painful. You have a lot of potential, Flynn. Maybe my trainer will take you on as a student. He’ll work you to death but you’ll learn a lot about how to use your strength effectively.”

He was feeling more relaxed, and he scanned me in an entirely different way than the last time. “Can I train at the same time as you?”

“Sure, but just to be clear, I have a mate.”

He scowled. “Is that like a husband?” I nodded. “He must be as badass as you, right?”

I laughed. “You have no idea. So what do you say about spending a couple of days at my house? I have to warn you, there are four vampires, a fae and a team of shifters running in and out all the time. I’ll introduce you around, then we’ll see about taking you hunting.”

“With you?” He was checking me out again. When he saw I'd noticed, his gaze moved back to my eyes.

I hid my smile by pretending to scratch my nose. “Maybe, we’ll see.”

He thought about it for a minute or so. “Okay. I’ll come.”

“Can I look into your head for a second?” He shrugged, not really sure what I meant, so I touched his arm and searched his mind. I didn’t see any thoughts of violence toward himself or anyone else, something that would have been a deal-breaker.

Still, as I released him, I decided he should know the seriousness of his situation. “All this time you’ve been working with Rob, he’s been trying to save your life.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re considered a rogue by the general shifter population. A rogue is usually a shifter who doesn’t grow up in a family of shifters and doesn’t know what he is, which can be dangerous for everyone concerned. You need to be educated and trained. The Crescent City Shifter Council will have to be convinced you can be a useful member of the community. If they don’t agree to admit you, they have the right to execute you.”

He looked at me like I was an idiot. “Ever hear of the Constitution?”

“From now on, you'll be judged by the laws of the supernatural world. If you can’t control your temper or your strength, and the council feels you’re dangerous to humans or shifters, you’ll be taken out. I know this sounds harsh, but life as a shifter isn't a game. We live by laws which protect everyone.”

“What if I just leave town and never come back?”

“They’d send someone after you. You’d probably make it about a mile or so. Supernaturals are everywhere in the world. You’ll have to learn to live within our laws.”

His hopeful mood had taken a nose dive. “I’ve always been kind of a screw-up. Guess that won’t change now that I’m a shifter.”

“We’ve all been screw-ups and we’ve managed to make a home here. When you meet everyone, you’ll see what I mean.” I smiled warmly thinking about my diverse group of teammates and friends. Flynn was in for a shock. “Get dressed.” I sent a text to Rob, who showed up at the door a minute later. When Flynn reappeared he looked happy. “Are you ready?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

“Rob looked at Flynn warily, then at the bed with its broken straps and the wall with its dented sheetrock. “Looks like the meeting has been instructive.”

“You could say that.” I grinned. “Flynn’s coming home with me for a couple of days.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea with Garrett’s nest still living in your basement and Sinc moving in tomorrow and you...?” He indicated my belly.

“Liam’s moving in too, until we can get him a house. He wants to live outside of Faerie for a while. Anyway, I think a dose of Sasha is exactly what Flynn needs right now: that and some socializing with other supernaturals.” I looked at my phone. “It’s almost four o’clock, so Sasha and Garrett are already up and fed and the others will be up by six. I patted my belly. “Little Charlie is doing great, in fact he’s kicking up a storm.”

Rob took another look at Flynn, who was rubbing his bicep, trying to loosen up his stiff muscles. “You could be right about a dose of Sasha.”

“Fed?” Flynn asked, warily.

“Sasha, Heinrich and William are vampires. They drink blood from donors. They especially like shifter blood,” I teased. A crease formed between Flynn’s eyebrows.

I let Rob feel my belly when Charlie began his tap dance routine. Flynn was shocked. “You’re pregnant and throwing people around? Your husband's okay with this?”

I spread my arms. “All in a day’s work.” Rob laughed as he left to take care of the paperwork. Flynn packed up his possessions and we followed him down the hall.

Flynn started in complaining as soon as we were on the road. “I’m feeling kind of hungry. You have anything to throw on the grill?”

“You know how to cook?”

“Not really. I mean, I can barbeque…I guess. You must know how to cook.”

Rob barely managed to smother his laugh with his palm. “Well, no, but if Liam’s still around we’re in good shape. He’ll make us something. If not, we’ll figure something out.”

“Maybe we could stop at Bette’s Diner on the way?” I turned around in the seat to peer at him. He had a look of desperation and I suddenly remembered how crappy hospital food could be.

“Bette's Diner it is.”

“I’m warning you now, he’s going to eat four double cheeseburgers and still be hungry.” Rob was grinning.

“I’ll order eight, but one of them is for me and two are for Rob, Okay, Flynn?”

“Thanks. I’ll try to pay you back when I find a job.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re my guest for three days. Then we’ll see.” I called the diner to place the order since we wouldn’t be there for at least twenty-five minutes, then I called Garrett. “Hey, Daddy,” I joked. “I’m coming home with Flynn and eight double cheeseburgers. Do you think Sasha will work with him after he digests a little?”

Garrett’s slow hiss could be heard by Rob and Flynn. Rob winced. “Jacqueline, do you really think this is a smart idea? Isn’t he violent?”

“After he works out with Sasha he’ll be sore for a week. Anyway don’t you know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? He’ll be like putty in my hands after he finishes the burgers.” I was watching Flynn’s face as I spoke. I mouthed my vampire in his direction and Flynn’s eyebrows rose.

“I’m sure Sasha won’t mind. He likes a challenge,” Garrett said. Sasha was laughing in the background. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, my love.”

“Je t’aime.”

“Moi aussi,” he answered. I hung up and smiled.

“Putty, huh?” Rob said, chuckling.

“Hey, I know male shifters!” Shifters ate as much as most weres. We picked up the burgers at Bette's and headed for home.

After we’d parked, Flynn looked curiously at the lovely Victorian style home with its large porch and wildflower garden that grew in beds along the each side. “You live here? The whole team? In this fancy house? “

“No, the shifters usually don’t live here: only Garrett and I, and the three vampires. Sometimes we have guests, especially if we’re in the middle of a mission.”

“It doesn’t look like the home of a team of serious bad-asses.”

“Appearances are deceiving, especially in the supernatural world. Come inside and I’ll show you around.”

When we entered the house, Garrett was there to give me a gentle kiss and Rob a friendly handclasp. He took a look at Flynn as I introduced him and laughed to see how the lion towered above us all. He was definitely Heinrich’s size. “Welcome, Flynn.”

As Flynn, Rob and I ate our burgers, Garrett tried to engage Flynn in conversation. “How are you feeling?”

“They starved me in the hospital. I mean really, how filling is jello and applesauce?” He took another bite, then looked carefully at Garrett. “Are you her husband?” He nodded his head in my direction.

“I’m Jackie's lifemate. There’s no divorce in the shifter world.” He squeezed my hand.

“You must be pretty brave. She threw me into a wall like I was nothin’. But that healing mojo is awesome.”

Garrett tried very hard to hold onto a serious expression. “She can be terrifying at times. I’ve had nightmares.” I punched him in the shoulder and he pulled me even closer, pinning my arm against my body. “And as you see, she’s quite violent.” I growled playfully and he responded with a quick kiss.

Rob laughed. “She has certainly terrified a few of our enemies.” The young lion was looking at me now like I had two heads. Great. I wanted him to feel comfortable around us, not frightened.

Flynn was already finishing his third burger when Sasha walked in. “So this is the young lion? He’s as big as Rick.”

“Is that a problem, Sash?” Garrett asked.

“No, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

“He's got some natural ability. I think you'll be surprised.” Rob added.

Sash walked over to squeeze Flynn’s bicep and poke at his upper back. “He needs toning up. We’ll be working you hard, Simba.”

“Who are you?”

Sasha smiled his ‘mess with me at your own peril’ smile. “Your worst nightmare.”

“Ha, ha.” Flynn took the last gulp of his burger and pushed his plate away. “You sound like some kind of secret agent. Are you a shifter?”

“Vampire.”

“Yeah? Is it true you guys live a really long time?”

I sent Sash a quick mental message not to spill the beans about how long we all lived. “Yes. I am one hundred and twenty-eight: turned over one hundred years ago.” The century mark for a vampire brought a large gain in power, especially for a vampire as strong as Sasha. Garrett said he’d noticed the change in Sasha’s strength the other night.

“Yeah, so…um...how do I keep you from biting me?” He looked from Garrett to Sasha. “Garlic? Wooden stakes?”

“Sure, if you want to roast garlic over a campfire.” Sasha was enjoying this.

“So that’s all urban legend?” Flynn looked slightly embarrassed.

“You could say that.” Sash sniffed the air dramatically and I groaned quietly, knowing what was coming. “I wonder what lion blood tastes like, Garrett. I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure.”

“It’s a little tart, but rich in flavor and nutrients.” Flynn didn't catch on to the joke. He’d stopped eating his french fries and was looking back and forth between them with a concerned expression.

Sasha picked up on Flynn's nerves. “Which vein is best?”

Garrett wasn't helping. “The neck is always best, down near where it connects to the shoulder.” He was pointing at Flynn’s neck with my fork. They’d even lowered their fangs.

I felt like I should step in before it got out of hand and he went racing out the door in terror. “Don’t pay any attention to them. They've already fed and Garrett doesn’t take blood.”

Garrett sent to me, “With one delicious exception.”

My face heated. “Finish up so you have a chance to digest everything. I’ll show you around the house.”

“I’m not really so hungry now.”

“We’ll put everything in the fridge for later. I’ll show you your room.” I glared at the two bullies, guiding him upstairs to the room Kyle had used when he’d stayed last.

“I don’t have a lot of clothes.” He looked at the small backpack he carried his possessions. “Rob gave me this stuff on the island. Can’t I go home just to get my things?”

“Sorry. Not for a while. We’ll get you some better clothes tomorrow. And Heinrich can lend you a few things. You’re the same size and he has closets full of pants and shirts. And it’s all really cool.” He wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of borrowing a vampire’s clothing, but after I showed him the den with the huge TV and the game console, Flynn was starting to look pretty happy again. Burgers and video games worked their own magic.

“When do the other vampires get up?”

“Around five or six.”

Sasha had followed us upstairs and was leaning in his usual relaxed way near the door to the balcony. “Why is he following us?”

“Sasha is Garrett’s second in command and one of his jobs is to protect me. You’re kind of a loose cannon, so he’s not taking any chances.”

“So is he good?” Flynn whispered, glancing at Sasha curiously.

“Good?” I grinned at Sash. “Hardly.” He laughed.

“I mean, can he hurt me?”

“Yes, but you two will be sparring, not fighting. You’ll be a little bruised and battered, but he won’t be breaking bones or doing serious damage. Maybe one day you can join the team and kick some supernatural butt too.”

“I told you. I want to be a trauma surgeon.” He held up his hands. “I need these.” He took another quick look at Sasha who blessed him with a lazy half-smile, pulling his fangs back inside his mouth with a kind of popping noise. Flynn whispered, “He’s too pretty to be tough.”

“I should warn you. Whispering doesn’t work around here. Everyone can hear just about everything.”

I rolled my eyes and Sasha chuckled, stepping forward. “Appearances are deceiving.”

Flynn hadn't seen the incredible power behind Sasha’s graceful moves, or the deadly gleam in his blue eyes when he fought to kill. “Being underestimated gives Sash an advantage. You’re large, so your enemies will expect you to be powerful. You’ll need to be that and much more. Sasha can get you there if you’re willing to work at it.”

“I guess.”

“Training is required. No backing out now. Are you ready, Simba?” Sasha was moving toward the staircase.

“Don’t call me that, Goldilocks.”

Sasha laughed. “I’ll be waiting in the back yard when you’re ready. We’ll start with staffs. I'll teach you some respect tonight.” He disappeared in a blur. Flynn took a step backwards in shock.

“You’ll get used to the vamp speed thing. He won’t use it when he trains you.”

“You won’t let him really hurt me, right? I just got out of the hospital.” He was frightened. Everything was so new and he didn’t know who to trust.

“You’ll be in pain, but you’ll also feel stronger and more confident. Remember, your own healing abilities are already better than humans. I can heal you in a flash if necessary.” He glared at me, then stalked down the stairs, heading outside to meet Sasha. At least he wasn’t a coward. I could just imagine the fun Rick and Sash would have nicknaming him the cowardly lion.

I was sitting on the second floor balcony watching them train when Garrett appeared next to me on the small outdoor wicker couch, having magically flashed up. “You’re pretty good at that, Monsieur Cuvier. Should I be worried that you’ll appear suddenly in my shower or my bath?”

“And would that worry you, Madame Cuvier?”

“Only if you still had your clothes on.”

“I’ll have to remember to strip before flashing in.” He nuzzled my ear and I melted against him. “Is our son behaving?”

“Charlie is kicking a lot. Other than that I’m good.”

Garrett ran his hand over my slightly rounded belly. “I won’t feed from you while you’re carrying Charles.”

“What? That’s silly.”

“I’ll talk to Caelen about it, but I think it’s advisable.”

“What are you going to do? Spend even more time with your donors? I mean I know I’ll be getting fat and ugly, but…” I slumped back on the couch, pouting. I was acting like a brat, but I couldn’t help it.

“Jacqueline,” he whispered against my neck, making me shiver everywhere. “Every ounce you gain, every inch your body stretches will be more for me to kiss and to love. Our son is growing inside your perfect womb and I intend to worship at the altar of my lady’s body at every opportunity.”

I was feeling very warm and tingly in a really good way, especially when I thought about how I wanted to be worshipped. “I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to say exactly the right thing.”

He ran a hand back and forth across my stomach. “Actions always speak louder, they say.”

“Well, Sinc and Liam are going to be showing up soon and you haven't fed, so go ahead and call a donor. I’m fine.” He kissed me and rose from the couch in the fluid way that only vampires could manage.

“Liam’s here. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” Two minutes later Liam was on the balcony sitting next to me.

“I put my things in the large room. Are you sure you don’t need it for Sinc?”

“She’ll stay in my room on the first floor so she doesn’t have the stairs to deal with.”

“Thank you. The hotel was fine, but it was also boring and sterile.”

“You keep us pretty sterile, but boring is not a word anyone would use to describe this crazy household.”

“I’m happy here with all of you, but I want to experience something closer to human.”

“I understand. Look down there at Sasha training Flynn. He’s having so much fun torturing the poor kid. I remember what he put me through the first time.”

“So that’s the young lion? Why is he here?”

“I invited him for a few days.”

Liam laughed at me. “You pick up strays like you’re already a mother. I haven’t eaten. Are you hungry?”

“I had a burger and Flynn had three, but I bet he'll be your best friend if you cook. I’m always hungry these days and Sinc and Kyle might be hungry when they get here. But you should relax. You're off duty.”

“Let me make myself useful. Do you need anything?”

“I’ll come down and keep you company.”

I sat on a chair at the kitchen table sipping a caffeine free soda chatting about our hunt for a house tomorrow as Liam started dinner. Flynn came in half an hour later looking exhausted, but not unhappy.

“Man that guy is in amazing shape. He doesn’t get tired. I learned a lot, but jeez, I’m sore everywhere.”

“You’ll feel it even more tomorrow.”

Sasha had slipped downstairs to put away the wooden staffs and was back before Flynn had stopped talking. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that vamp speed magic.”

Heinrich and Will had followed Sasha upstairs. Heinrich, always interested in a little fun, walked right up to Flynn. They looked each other over, eye to eye. It was disconcerting having two giants in the kitchen. They seemed to take up twice as much room as the rest of us.

“So you’re a vamp too?” Flynn asked.

“Heinrich,” He extended his hand. Flynn extended his own and they shook.

“Flynn.” Our lion glanced back at Sasha then asked Heinrich, “Why aren’t you the second? You’re much bigger and tougher looking than Goldi—Sasha.”

Heinrich grinned at his nestmate, who answered with a smile that sometimes made the hairs on my arms stand up. “Sash is over a hundred, but even if he was sixty like me, in a real fight, he’d take off my head in a minute, tops.” He glanced at Sash, who shrugged and nodded. “And that’s after he’d pulled out my heart and shoved it down my throat. It would only take him about ten seconds to do the same thing to you. That’s why he’s Garrett’s second.” Sasha and Garrett were laughing now.

“And Garrett’s even stronger than that?” Flynn's eyes had grown wider. “I mean, he’s your…your master, right?

Sash laughed. “He won’t let us call him that, but yeah, he is. He’s stronger because he can pull up magic like Jackie.”

Flynn smiled broadly. “Well, shit. I definitely want to join this team.”

I looked at Sasha, wondering what he thought about Flynn's chances. “He’s not afraid of pain and he learns quickly so there’s a slight chance he might be good enough if he works his ass off.”

Flynn looked annoyed. “Yeah, well what about him?” He pointed at Will. “He doesn’t look like a fighter.”

Sash glared at him. “The team isn’t all about fighting. Can you hack a top security system? Can you interpret or write code? Do you know how to analyze forensic data?”

“No. Sorry, man. I'm definitely no Einstein.” He looked apologetically toward William who walked over and held out his hand. “I’m William, also a vampire, but not a fighter, except in an emergency.”

“And who’s he?” He pointed at Liam who was wearing an apron and dishing out food. “The cook?”

The laughter was louder this time. I answered, “Liam is a fae warrior, the son of a fae Elder, and a very good friend who helps our team out when he can.”

“He’s a fairy?”

“A Fae. You’re thinking along the lines of Tinkerbell and Liam is more of an Elrond. During that minute that Sasha was stuffing Rick's heart down his throat, Liam would have killed at least three Heinrich’s.”

Liam looked Heinrich over. “Six.” Rick snorted derisively while Flynn studied Liam with a lot more respect.

“I guess the fae are the shit, huh?”

Sasha scowled. “The males like to think so…” He grinned again, “…but the females definitely are.”

The doorbell rang and Will left the kitchen to open the door with me following close behind. I gave Sinc and Kyle a huge hug when I met them in the foyer. “Will, take Sinc’s bags into my room. She’s staying there. Liam cooked something so why don’t you guys come in and eat with us.”

“Sure.” Sinc smiled but stopped Kyle from picking her up. “I can lean on Jackie and hop. I need to build up the strength in my supporting leg.”

“No prob. You need to stop eating those desserts, anyway.” She grinned and shoved him good-naturedly while he pretended to be hurt. I hoped the camaraderie between them lasted.

When we got into the kitchen the room grew quiet. Sinc twisted up her mouth in a scowl. “This is the one time you’re getting away with the awkward silence bit. I’ll have to be hopping around for a while and I expect you to treat me the same as before. If you don’t, I’ll use my one remaining foot to kick your asses.” She saw Flynn for the first time. “Are you the new lion?” she smiled.

Flynn was pretty much speechless since Sinc was lovely, even in her weakened, just-got-out-of-the-hospital state. He managed to croak out his name. “But I’ll be anyone you want me to be.”

Sinc beamed at the compliment while the vampires continued to chuckle. Will and Rick left to feed and the rest of us sat down to eat with Sasha enjoying a cabernet from the cellar. It was probably an expensive vintage, but Garrett had plenty more to choose from.

“Are you on the team too?” Flynn scanned Kyle.

“Yeah, I’m a leopard. Kyle.” He held out his hand.

“I guess you’re not a fighter either.”

Sasha turned to Kyle, “Maybe you’d like to take over tomorrow’s training session? I’m sure Flynn would enjoy learning how to survive multiple roundhouse kicks to the head. Of course, he’ll be eating dirt most of the hour, but then he says he’s always hungry.”

“Oh, so you’re the martial artist guy?” Kyle nodded and grinned, enjoying the joke at Flynn’s expense. “I keep saying the wrong thing, sorry.”

Kyle laughed and Sinc spoke up, “Kyle is a master at saying the wrong thing. You two should hit it off just great.”

Garrett suddenly appeared in the kitchen and Flynn nearly choked on his piece of garlic bread. Sasha patted his back. “We take some getting used to, kid.”

“No joke.”

When dinner was finished Sinc and I hung out on the front porch and watched the vamps, Liam, Kyle and Flynn shoot hoops. Heinrich and Flynn had the reach and the height, but Kyle could jump like a gazelle and Garrett and Sasha were unbelievably fast, even without the vamp speed. Liam was the biggest surprise because he kept making the three pointers. His accuracy was unbeatable, although a little fae magic could have been involved. Will decided to sit out the game and spent his time on the phone with Bridgett. It’s good to know your limits.

Sinc sighed contentedly. “Thanks for taking me in, Jackie. This is great.”

“As you see, I’ve become a collector. Liam thinks it’s my mothering instincts coming into play.”

“They do flock to you. You reach people in a way others can’t.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Well, let's see. Liam never connected to anyone but Garrett, even though we’d known him for ten years. Kyle opened up to you about his sister, Ethan says you practically saved him with your friendship, and now look at Flynn. Even Garrett’s nest has taken to you. They’d give their lives to protect you, especially Sasha.”

“It’s a nice theory. But, except for Flynn, it’s Garrett they’re loyal to. I’m just his mate.”

“Totally not true. And what about Garrett? He never mated in over two hundred years, even though plenty of women tried to get him interested. Explain that away.”

I noticed the ball had stopped bouncing and the raucous chatter had quieted over on the court. The boys were all smiling at me. “Stupid supernatural hearing,” I grumbled, smiling back at my friends and my mate. On cue they bowed like medieval courtiers, then returned to their game. Flynn looked confused while Sinc and I giggled.

Later when I was in bed and Garrett was kissing my neck and moving down toward my shoulder, he said, “Sinc is right about them loving you. You’ve won their hearts. Sasha only called Eleanor Mistress when she tortured him. It took her three days to finally make him say it.

I looked him over and flattened my mouth, tapping my finger along my jaw. “Hmmm. Plenty of women tried to get you interested, huh?”

He shook his head. “And I thought the whole point of that sentence was that I’d never truly mated until you came along to enchant and entice me.”

He moved his kisses lower as his hand brushed over my body in a way that had me turning to jelly and completely losing my train of thought. “I seem to recall several occasions where you were doing the enticing.”

“Like now?”

“Umm humm.” I sighed, closed my eyes and smiled. “I believe I’m ready to be worshipped.”

Garrett laughed, leaned over, lifted my tee shirt and kissed my naval, one of his favorite spots, now that Charlie had joined us. “As my Lady commands.” The next hours were spent in a wash of shared sensory delights, whispered affectionate words and huddled plans for the future, When I eventually slept in his arms I was very much at peace with my ever changing life.