Cat of a Different Color

Epilogue

“Your heart stopped.”

“I thought my mate was dead. Of course my heart stopped.”

“What happened to those wonderful Marshal powers? You’d think they would have told you I was mostly stunned.”

Adrian cuddled her closer. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t exactly thinking at that point in time.”

He hadn’t been able to let her go in hours. They sat on the front porch, curled up in his swing, enjoying the night air. He barely felt the chill. He had his snow princess safe and in his arms, keeping him warm.

The four blankets he’d wrapped around them didn’t hurt either. She’d mentioned something about buying a chiminea for the front porch. She’d had to explain what that was to him, since he didn’t have a clue.

When she told him it was an outdoor Mexican-style fireplace, his Puma had purred its approval of that idea.

After all, his snow princess only liked to come out at night, and he had to keep her warm. He couldn’t wait until summer, when she said she’d show him the joys of “moon bathing”.

She nuzzled his neck, planting a tiny kiss. “I’m fine. Once I shifted back to human the bleeding stopped.

It was just a flesh wound. Although I admit it stung like hell.”

He pulled her even closer with a low growl.

“Can’t. Breathe.”

He loosened his hold on her with a huffed laugh. “I don’t think I’ll be able to let you out of my sight for a good long while, sweetheart.” Hell, if he could he’d rig a papoose and carry her everywhere.

“What happened to the rest of Rudy’s Pack?”

Adrian snarled. “Dead.” And a good thing, too. Adrian had been damn near feral by the time they got Sheri back home. If any of the rogues had been alive, he’d have eaten them. Literally.

“You shouldn’t be walking,” a deep, cold voice said. They turned to look and realized the window behind them had been left cracked open, probably in an effort to remove the blood scent. They looked at each other, pretty sure they knew who Richard was growling at.

“I’m sorry, do you have a medical degree? No? Shut up.” Belinda’s voice panted, pained and pissed at the same time.

“You’re in pain.”

Belinda gasped mockingly. “I am? Really? I never would have guessed.”

“Then you shouldn’t be walking.”

“My doctors told me to move around as much as possible, as it will speed the healing process.”

“Heart-stopping agony speeds the healing process? In that case I’ll break out the red hot pokers. You’ll be better in no time.”

“Look, Dick , I’d much rather be riding the morphine train right now, but if I ever want to shift again then I need to get the goddamn pins out of my hip. If I ever want the pins out, I need to heal. My doctors told me to walk in order to heal. So sit. Stay. Good dog. Arf.”

Adrian and Sheri shared a wide-eyed glance. Belle was giving the huge Pack Alpha grief?

“She must be in an awful lot of pain,” Sheri whispered.

“Sit down before you fall down!” Richard bellowed.

“You lay one single paw on me and I will bite it off! Got it, Dick? ”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Then stop acting like one! I hate to tell you this, Dick, but you ain’t the boss of me!”

“Oh, really?” There was a brief silence, and then Richard howled. “Ow! You bit me!”

Adrian started to laugh, his shoulders shaking silently. Sheri had one hand over her mouth, her eyes filled with horrified amusement.

“Back off, Fido. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

When the big Alpha growled, Adrian found himself in the house before he could blink. “Back off, Richard.”

The Pack Alpha glared at him. “I’m not threatening her! Not much, anyway,” he muttered as he glared at the blonde trying to walk around Adrian’s living room. She was using the wheeled walker the hospital had recommended. Pain etched fine lines next to her lush mouth and her green eyes glared right back at the big redhead. She was dressed in the rattiest blue robe he’d ever seen, with blue bunny slippers on her feet.

Ben, the Pack Marshal, was standing near his Alpha, one hand over his mouth as he tried to stifle his own laugh.

“Isn’t it time for you to toddle on back to your den, Dick?”

Richard’s smile was coldly sensual. “Not without my mate.”

Belle narrowed her eyes at him. “Someone actually has the misfortune of being mated to you? Poor bitch. Give her my condolences.”

The smile slipped off his face. Sheri made her way into the room and to Adrian’s side, her lips quivering.

“Belle?” she said. It sounded like she was choking on a laugh.

“What?” Belle snarled, her eyes turning gold as her Puma surfaced.

“I think he means you.”

Belle’s eyes widened as the big Pack Alpha nodded once.

“Look on the bright side, Belle,” Adrian choked as he tried not to laugh. Belinda looked like she’d swallowed a live fish. “This should solve your Pride problems.”

“You’ll be telling me all about those. Won’t you .” The Alpha crossed his massive arms over his chest and glared at Belle.

It wasn’t a request, it was a demand, one that had Belle stiffening in outrage. Adrian decided it was time to get out of the line of fire. Shaking his head, he grabbed Sheri’s hand and began tugging her up the stairs to their bedroom.

“Where are we going?” she whispered as the argument erupted downstairs once more.

“Bed. Duh,” he whispered back.

“Are you sure it’s safe to leave them alone together?”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said as he shut the door, “I’m pretty sure Belle can hold her own.” He began undressing her. “Besides, I have more important things to worry about.”

“Like what?” She was trying not to smile, but her eyes had gone red.

“Petting my kitty.”

“Pig,” she sighed.

He cupped her cheek. “I love you,” he whispered, totally serious. He’d nearly lost her today and though he hid it well he was still shaken.

With a small sigh she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled close. She buried her face in his neck, and Adrian closed his eyes, enjoying her scent and softness so close to his own. He began stroking her back, trying to soothe her, knowing that after her ordeal she had to be just as shaken as he was.

Just as his hand reached her ass his eyes flew wide. A startled laugh boomed out of him as, very softly, she began snuffling his neck and oinking.

“Oh baby,” he said as he swung her giggling form into his arms, “You are in trouble now.”

“Oh goody,” she replied as he fell on top of her and began nuzzling her neck, “because I’ve been a very bad kitty.”

As he stilled above her, his cock throbbing between them even through both their jeans, she sighed.

Arching up into him, she purred, “A very bad kitty.”

He stared down at her, eyes wide and gold as she raked her claws down his sides. When they dug into his ass he bit her again, right through her shirt as his own claws came out and ripped her jeans away. His jeans were quickly opened and his cock rammed home, both of them groaning at the sensation of hot steel encased in wet velvet. He held her down with his teeth as he fucked her, pounding into her with enough force to rock the oak headboard. It banged rhythmically against the wall, letting everyone in the house know what they were up to, but she couldn’t muster the energy to care.

He was snarling against her shoulder, his teeth still deeply imbedded into her. The combination of pain and pleasure was too much, and she came screaming around him. He stiffened above her, his own orgasm tearing a groan from him as he poured himself into her.

“Vegas sound good to you? I have a yen to visit the Elvis chapel there,” he panted a few minutes later.

She pried open one sleepy eye and glared at his dark head where it rested against her breast. “I am not going to be married by a fat man in sequins. Dork.”

He sighed and snuggled closer, a happy grin on his lips. “God, I love it when you talk dirty.” He opened his eyes and watched in satisfaction as she collapsed into giggles again. Not even the ongoing argument between Richard and Belle could dampen his mood. With the threat to the Pride eliminated, and his mate happy and in his arms, Adrian finally allowed himself to sleep.