Must Love Fangs

Chapter Seventeen

It was three long, horrible weeks before the Alliance tribunal met at City Hall.

While we waited, I was kept under lock and key at the Russell house. Though only Sara and I were there, I could smell another shifter in the air the few times I was allowed out onto the grounds. We were being watched, even if it wasn’t overt.

I wasn’t allowed to go back to my apartment, so my father was allowed to occasionally visit me. Beau and the other Russells were carefully watching him, but I knew he would keep the secret. He didn’t have to be told.

Sara told me that if anyone asked, I was to say that Lily and I had been alone that night, and that we’d dragged Josh to the Russells’ without assistance. Lily was being kept at a secure location separate from me, and I knew she had to be frightened.

Sara was my shadow the entire time I stayed at the Russell house, always there with a helpful word. I shifted a few more times in the three weeks, each one messy and painful, but she assured me that was normal until my body adjusted. Shifting rarely pained her any longer, and she shared tips on easing into the process. When we made it to the woods she ran alongside me, her dog nipping at my cat’s heels. It was good to not feel alone, and I was grateful to have her at my side.

I’d have rather had Josh, of course; I missed him terribly. He was the last thing I thought of when I went to sleep, and the first when I woke up. Was he safe? Was he under the same lockdown I was?

Would someone really kill him just for turning me? It seemed ridiculous, yet Sara was quite grave.

I refused to accept the possibility. There had to be a way to reason with them.

• • •

As I entered the small courtroom in Little Paradise, I stared at the seated council. Every face there was stony and stern, and every member glared at me. I clung to Sara’s arm as she led me forward, soothing me with low murmurs. There would be no reasoning with them, I realized with dread.

I recognized some of the council members from the agency. The two werewolves at the end of the row were Alice and Jackson. There was an angry-looking man named Declan, who, I seemed to recall, was a were-lynx (and not a popular one). The leader of the were-tiger clan, Vic, as stern and fierce as ever. An older man I didn’t recognize, who likely didn’t use the dating service. The biggest clans in the area would be represented, and I mentally paired up the unknowns. Were-badger. Were-lion. Another man who smelled like a wolf, two others who smelled like cats that I couldn’t identify, and one who I was pretty sure was a were-otter. All of the local alphas.

At the end of the long row of leaders was Beau, shuffling paperwork. He was dressed in a gray suit and tie, and his mouth was pinched and unhappy. Bath sat in the audience, her long blond ponytail wrapped around her hand as she anxiously watched her husband.

Sara nudged me toward a chair at the center of the room and I swallowed hard, my muscles leaping and tightening in alarm. I fought back the sensation, hoping I wouldn’t go into a surprise-shift. That would be really bad.

I sat down in the chair and looked around at the sea of faces, but Josh was nowhere. My heart hammered in my breast.

Beau cleared his throat, then his piercing gaze scanned me impassively. “Thank you for joining us, Marie. I see that you are well. Have you had any problems with shifting after the first attempt?”

I shook my head, my throat dry. “I’m okay, thank you.”

His gaze shifted to Sara, hovering over my shoulder. “How many times has she shifted since turning?”

“Four,” Sara said, her voice small in the room. “Each time was successful, with no problems. She should be fine with practice.”

He nodded and glanced down the row. “Let the tribunal record that the turning has taken successfully.” He looked back to me and gave another crisp nod. “You may take a seat in the audience, Marie.”

Confused, I stood up. “Do you want to ask me anything else?”

“You’re not on trial,” he said, his voice neutral. “Please have a seat.”

I gave Sara a questioning look, but she only pressed a hand to my back and nudged me toward Bathsheba, and I sat between the two sisters. Bath smiled nervously at me, tugging at her long ponytail. Her scent was a mixture of human and cougar, and I noticed her neck was covered in mate marks.

Strange how these things were so obvious now.

“Let’s bring in Joshua Russell,” Beau said, his voice flat and emotionless.

My heart fluttered. I craned my head, desperate to see him. To catch a whiff of his scent. He appeared in the doorway a minute later, dressed in a plain black T-shirt and jeans. His hands were braced in front of him, handcuffed. My pulse spiked at that, and at the unshaven stubble on his jaw. A scowling Ramsey lurked a few steps behind.

Josh scanned the room as soon as he entered, and I held my breath until he found me. His dark eyes widened a fraction, that intense, possessive look came over his face, and his mouth curled in a hint of a smile.

Tears pricked my eyes. “I love you,” I mouthed at him.

His smile curved a little more.

Ramsey gave him a bit of a shove, directing him toward the chair in the center of the room.

Someone in the row of alphas got to his feet, and I looked to see it was Vic, the were-tiger leader. He crossed his big arms over his chest and scowled at Josh, who lounged in the wooden chair as if this had all been no big deal.

Vic glared down at him. “The council has met to determine what to do in regards to your situation. Given that your brother is the leader of the Alliance, he has asked that you not be given special consideration because of his position. To do so would undermine his status as an impartial leader.”

Josh gave a jerky nod, as if he’d expected this.

Beau’s face was tight, the edges of his mouth strained and pale. He was upset, and trying very hard not to show it.

“The council has met and discussed this for several days. We have weighed the evidence, and before we pass sentencing, we want to know one thing.” His hard gaze leveled on Josh. “After all that has happened recently, we want to know why.”

I held my breath.

Josh said . . . nothing. I couldn’t see his expression, only part of his back, and I became intensely frustrated. What was he waiting for? Deciding whether to speak? Thinking his answer through?

“Because I love her,” Josh said after a long moment, and my heart clenched.

“That’s not enough,” said Declan furiously. “Just because you think with your dick doesn’t mean you let it make the decisions for you.”

“Quiet,” Beau said in a lethal voice. “Vic has the floor.”

The were-lynx leader’s mouth thinned, and he went silent.

The were-tiger alpha glared at the row, and then turned back to Josh. “No other reason?”

After a long moment, Josh added, “She was dying. I wanted to save her.”

“Humans die every day,” the lone female alpha—Alice—said. “Supernaturals, too. It is a part of life. We can’t go around saving everyone.”

“I didn’t want to save everyone,” Josh ground out. “Just the woman I love.”

“Did she ask you to turn her?”

“No,” Josh said flatly. “She refused me. I insisted. When she wouldn’t listen, I overpowered her.”

I frowned at that. He was making himself sound like he was the one to blame for this. It was my fault—all of it was.

“So you coerced a human female into your bed, and when you found out she was dying, you decided to turn her? You let her into a secret, private Alliance without consulting anyone else?”

“I did,” Josh said in a clipped tone.

What? “Wait,” I blurted, getting to my feet.

Seven alphas scowled at me, the force of their displeasure so great that I staggered backward. I felt this odd compulsion to shrink back, as if desperate to please them. For some reason, their approval was important to me.

“We did not call on you,” Vic began.

I forced the quiver in my stomach aside. This was no time to let my shifter hormones rule things. I shoved my hand into my purse, fishing out my wallet. Then I flipped it open and grabbed my Alliance ID card, walking to the center of the floor with the card raised. “I’m already Alliance. This ID says so.”

“She’s right,” Beau said quietly. “She’s been working at the agency for over a year now. That should be a consideration in this case.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Declan declared. “Just ignore the precedent that’s been set? Run around turning human women just because we feel like it? Dilute the gene pool?”

A low snarl rumbled in Beau’s throat. “My mate is human. Watch your tongue.”

Alice raised her hands. “I want to know why it’s so bad that she’s been turned.”

All eyes turned to her, and several withering scowls were now directed at her. I wanted to kiss the woman in gratitude. I edged closer to Josh, waiting for Ramsey to push us apart, but he didn’t—so I laid my hand on Josh’s shoulder.

He tilted his head and nuzzled my hand, letting me know he loved me. I felt a surge of love in response.

“We can’t just go changing humans when we please,” Declan snarled in her face.

The wolf alpha at her side—Jackson—got to his feet and frowned at the man snarling at his mate. Alice put a hand up, calming him. “The problem with shifters is that we don’t have enough women to go around, right? Why can’t we be sensible about this? My pack was recently under attack for the simple reason that we have females and the other one did not. Power struggles over women in packs is not something new. Wasn’t there a recent problem with another wolf pack and a female?”

All eyes in the room suddenly moved to Sara.

“There was,” Beau admitted, his tone guarded.

“So why are we following their bad example?” Alice asked. “What’s so terrible about turning someone if it’s in a controlled, measured environment? Why can’t someone be turned if they are vetted and double-checked? Does it matter if there’s one more were-cougar? It’s not as if we’re fighting for game. We have supermarkets for that sort of thing.”

Declan snarled, the sound feral and ugly. “What about that tiger boy? What happened there—”

“Wasn’t controlled,” Vic pointed out. “He didn’t have my permission or the girl’s. With both of those in place, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

“Nor I,” said Jackson.

“Nor I,” said another.

The lynx alpha shook his head viciously. “And what happens if our secret gets out? What happens if someone is turned and they go straight to the papers? Straight to the internet?”

“We’re not saying that things have to be changed overnight,” Alice said, her tone calm and unruffled. “We’re saying that we take control of things in a sensible manner. Do you think your clan members would go sneaking off turning someone if they knew all they had to do is talk to their alpha and have a few background checks run?”

Declan said nothing, his glare still clearly unhappy.

“I’m thinking it’s going to become more and more difficult to keep things a secret in the future,” Jackson said slowly. “The world’s changing too fast. Maybe it’s time we look at easing supes into mainstream society. Why should we hide what we are?”

Beau shook his head. “We’re not ready to go mainstream yet. But I’m thinking a firm nondisclosure agreement and alpha participation in regard to vetting female members is not a bad thing. My wife is human. Her sister was assumed human. The other two who work at the agency are human. So how is it that Giselle—who wasn’t the most reliable creature—was able to staff her agency with nothing but humans and no one had a problem with it?

“It’s because they were discreet and signed a nondisclosure agreement,” he continued. “She picked people she could trust and then gradually let them in on the secret, but she made sure she was protected first. That’s how turning a human should be handled. It should be handled delicately and among those we trust. And if someday we’re ready to embrace being out in the open with what we are, then we’ll approach that.”

Silence.

My palms grew sweaty, and I stared at the council, waiting. Under my hand, I could feel Josh was equally tense.

“Decision?” Beau asked. “Shall we put this to a vote? All those in favor of loosening the standards for turning humans?”

Six hands raised.

“All opposed?”

Declan’s hand raised. “I don’t like this,” he bit out. “It’s going to be abused. You wait and see.”

“Anyone who wants to turn someone has to go through their alpha,” Alice said in a smooth voice. “I have enough control over my pack to ensure that happens. You should, too.”

Declan’s scowl turned to her, but he said nothing else.

“It’s settled, then,” Beau said forcefully. “Share the news with your men. I’ll leave it to each clan to govern their own people. We’ll meet again in a month and reassess.”

Vic turned to Beau. “And what about my clan members who are in exile?”

Beau clapped him on the shoulder. “Bring them home. We made a mistake. We should be teaching and educating, not trying to instill fear into men who are desperate for companionship. If they want mates, we need to give them mates. And I doubt every woman in the Alliance wants to take two husbands to make up for the slack.”

“Not every supernatural acts like a were-fox, thank you,” Alice said in a lofty tone. “One mate is enough for most.”

“Is that it, then? Is Joshua free to go?”

The alphas remained quiet. “No objections,” one said at last, and my heart fluttered with joy.

I threw my arms around Josh, kissing his face wildly. He kissed me back, his mouth delicious on mine.

“I love you,” I told him, cupping his face in my hands. “I love you so much.”

“Marie, baby,” he said softly, his gaze moving over me. “You look beautiful. And healthy.”

“I’m sleeping,” I told him happily. Tears pricked my eyes, and I couldn’t resist kissing him again. “I’m sleeping every night.”

“I’m so glad,” he murmured, his voice husky with emotion. “So fucking glad.”

Someone cleared his throat, and I glanced up, remembering that Ramsey still stood there. He held up a key for the handcuffs.

Once Josh’s hands were free he took me in his arms, kissing me hard again.

“You shouldn’t have taken the risk,” I told him between kisses. “My life isn’t worth yours.”

“Your life is absolutely worth mine.” He grinned down at me. “Though I have to admit that I’m glad Greenland is off the menu. I don’t look nearly as dashing in a parka.”

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck happily.

Another throat cleared and we looked over at Beau.

“Now that things are cleared with the Alliance, it’s time to talk to your alpha. Because he’s still furious at you.”

Josh just grinned and tugged me close. “Yes, sir.”

• • •

The lecture wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was mostly Beau reaming Josh out for being reckless and Josh accepting it without any protest, his arms wrapped around my waist as I sat in his lap. There was nothing Beau could say that we didn’t already know, and by the time he finished venting, the two brothers were laughing and easy once more.

“Can I go home with my woman now?” Josh said. “You’re wearing her out, and she’s still fragile from turning.”

Beau sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. He looked as if he’d aged five years in the last few weeks. “Go home. Are you two going to be staying with us at the ranch?”

The arm around my waist tightened. “Actually, I thought I’d move in with Marie, if she’d have me.”

“Marie would,” I said in a pert voice, “except that Marie is probably going to lose her apartment now that she’s unemployed. I understand that Bath had to make a point that the client information is safe, but it puts me in the unemployment line.”

Beau nodded and looked at Josh. “This one, too, unfortunately. He’s not going to be in much demand as a vampire bodyguard now that word’s getting out about Andre. On the other hand, we will need an Alliance liaison to work with the vampire liaison. It needs to be someone charming but familiar with vampire bullshit. And having someone they’re a little intimidated by would be helpful.”

“That sounds like me,” Josh said lazily. “Tall. Sexy. Intimidating. Good with vampires. I’ll do it.”

I snorted.

“I haven’t given you the job yet,” Beau threatened.

“Nah, but you will,” Josh said with a grin. “You don’t want me and Marie living on your couch.”

“Great,” I muttered.

“Actually,” Beau began, then he crossed his arms and studied me. “I need an assistant, and I want someone in our clan because it requires confidentiality and trust. I thought about approaching Savannah, but Bathsheba’s hired her on full-time at the agency, and she seems to enjoy it. Things are getting a little hectic back at the security office, and I’d rather spend my evenings with my mate, instead of handling all the Alliance paperwork myself.”

I smiled, feeling hopeful. “I’m pretty good with paperwork.”

“She’s also pretty good at flaying people with her tongue,” Josh said mildly.

I pinched him.

“I imagine that’ll come in handy, given some of the people that call me on a regular basis,” Beau said in a dry voice. “When can you start?”

“When do you need me?”

“Hold on,” Josh said, moving protectively in front of me and raising his hands. “She’s my mate, and she’s still recovering from her illness. She needs a few weeks of rest before she thinks about going back to work.”

“A few weeks is fine for her,” Beau said. “You start on Monday. We have a little issue with the vampires that needs smoothing over.”

Josh grinned. “I’m your man.”

• • •

While Beau and Josh talked, I listened with only half an ear. I was sleepy, but it was a good kind of sleepy—not the terrible, dreadful kind of sleepy that meant I was going to have another bad night of insomnia. I yawned, enjoying the sensation.

Josh abruptly stood, taking my hand in his. “We’ll finish this conversation later, Beau. My mate’s tired.”

“Oh, but I’m not—”

Josh gave me a direct, meaningful look. A rather scorching one.

I shut my mouth.

Beau chuckled. “Just call me when the weekend’s over. We’ll see about moving your stuff. Both of you go get some sleep. I’m going to go home to my mate. It’s been a long day for all of us.”

As we left the courthouse, I had the tiniest bit of fear that we’d be ambushed in the parking lot by the angry lynx alpha, that this wasn’t just going to blow over.

Josh paused, staring into the parking lot.

My heart stuttered. “What is it?”

He gave me a wry grin. “My car’s not here. I forgot that I rode with Ramsey.”

“Oh. And I rode with Sara. Looks like we’re stranded.”

“Nah, wait here.” Josh returned a few minutes later with a pair of keys and jangled them at me. “We’re taking Beau’s Viper. Bath’s swinging by to pick him up.”

My eyes widened as we approached the sleek sports car. “He’s letting us take his Viper?”

He grinned. “I think he’s worried that if we linger, Bath is going to want to chat about the new plans for the agency, and he’d rather just take her home and kiss the hell out of her. Like I plan on doing to you.”

That sounded awfully good. “Let’s get going, then.”

As we drove, Josh told me about what he’d learned while being under house arrest with Ramsey.

It seemed that poor Lily was not so poor anymore. The Alliance vampires were horrified at Andre’s actions, and the bodyguard we’d tied up had corroborated our story enough that Lily’s crime of staking Andre was quickly swept under the rug. As hush money, the vampires had given her half of Andre’s fortune in a trust account. The other half had been given to the local reigning vampire lord.

My father’s name had never been mentioned in connection with the incident, which relieved me.

“That doesn’t fix Lily’s problems, though,” Josh told me. “She’s basically under house arrest until we figure out what to do with her. No one trusts her not to tell her side of the story, and she already ran once. When she’s free, she’ll be a rich woman. So we need to decide what to do with her until then.”

Poor dirty, frightened Lily. “I want to help her. Any way we can. I feel responsible for her.”

“The twins are watching her,” Josh assured me. “But we’ll go visit tomorrow, if you like, and make sure everything is okay.”

• • •

We drove back to my place in record time and parked the car, then Josh swung me into his arms and carried me up the stairs. I clung to his shoulders as he unlocked the door, pushed inside, kicked it shut behind us, then moved straight for the bedroom.

I chuckled and leaned in to kiss his neck, inhaling his scent. He smelled different now that I was were-cougar. Delicious and rich and full of woodsy notes that tickled my nostrils like perfume. No one smelled as good as Josh. I ran my tongue along the cords of his neck. “You taste as good as you smell.”

“You’re going to find that a lot of your senses are more sensitive now that you’re a were-cougar.”

“Mmm, sounds good to me. Is there a downside to this?”

“An intense attraction to fuzzy mice, tuna, and an inability to tell the alpha no.”

That didn’t sound so bad to me, since Beau was the alpha of our small group. “It’s a trade-off, I suppose,” I said lightly, running my fingers along the inside of his collar, then nipping at his neck. “I saw my mate mark.”

“You like it?” he asked in a husky voice, depositing me on the bed.

I curled my hands into his shirt and dragged him down next to me so I could keep kissing him. “I do. Do female shifters give them to their mates?”

“Sometimes,” he said, sliding a hand over my hips and resting it on the curve of my ass. “Did you see Ramsey’s neck? It’s covered.”

I shook my head. The big were-bear wore his blond hair long and shaggy. I’d check for it next time. “I guess Sara likes him a lot.”

“You could say that.”

I ran my fingers along his neck. “So can I mark you? Lay claim so all those other nasty were-cougars in the area keep their paws off?”

“Well, seeing as how the only were-cougars in this area are either male or related, I don’t think that’s an issue. But I’m more than happy for you to mark me and declare me all yours.”

I crawled over him, fascinated by touching him, the feel of his pulse underneath his skin. The scent of him was intoxicating. I moved in and licked his neck again, testing for just the right spot to mark him, and was rewarded with his groan of pleasure. “Am I going to like being a were-cougar?”

“Once you get the hang of shifting, yes. I’ll be at your side every step of the way, guiding you. And then, when you don’t need my help, I’ll be at your side chasing away any potential admirers.”

“I don’t want anyone but you,” I told him.

“Sweet Marie-Pierre,” he said, and grinned at the face I made. “I’m glad you’re all mine.” He knotted his hand in my hair and tugged my face down for another long, sweet, licking kiss. “And I’m so damn relieved that you’re better.”

“Me, too.” Then I sat upright, glancing around the room. “Oh, shit. My dad. I should call him and tell him everything is okay. He’s worried for you.”

Josh dragged me back down to his chest. “Call him tomorrow. Tonight, you’re all mine.”

“Only tonight?” I teased and leaned in to nip at a promising spot on his neck, enjoying his masculine shudder of response.

“We’ll start with tonight,” he said. “But I’m greedy, Marie-Pierre. I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to settle for less than every minute of the rest of our lives.”

“I’m okay with that,” I told him and sank my teeth into his neck.

• • •

That evening, as we lay in bed, Josh played with a curl of my hair, my chest propped on his. “I love you, Marie-Pierre.”

I pinched his side. “You’re cruel.”

“For telling you that I love you?”

“No, for using that name. Telling me that you love me is just . . . confusing.”

He sat up, jostling me from where I was nestled against him. “Confusing? What are you talking about?”

I rolled in the bed, moving away from him and wrapping up in the tangled sheets. “I don’t know. I just don’t see how you can be in love with me. Unless you fall in love with everyone you sleep with.”

“Well, this is flattering,” he said dryly. “You’re so good with compliments, it’s astounding that you’re single, Marie. Absolutely astounding.”

“I’m serious,” I said. “You’ve dated dozens of women. Gorgeous women. I’ve seen some of your dates. They’re bangin’. And you declare love for a skinny woman with enormous bags under her eyes and sleeping problems? You’ll have to excuse me if I have a hard time believing I’m not some kind of charity case.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re skinny because you were sick. Emphasis on were. And it didn’t take away anything from your appearance. I see a strong, determined woman when I look at you. That’s beautiful.”

“More beautiful than double-D cups?” I asked doubtfully.

Josh laughed. “I can’t believe I’m reassuring you about your looks. Your figure is gorgeous. You’re gorgeous.”

I waved a hand. “It wasn’t mainly my looks I was worried about. I want to know why you love me, and not all those other women you’ve dated.”

“It’s just you—everything about you. The way you flay me with your tongue in one sentence and then devour me with your eyes the next. It’s your grit. Your refusal to give up when things look their bleakest. The way you won’t back down from a challenge. I love all of that about you. It makes me want to challenge you even more, just to see how you react.” He grinned. “It’s why I loved teasing you in the first place.”

I leaned in and gently kissed him. “I love you.”

He pulled me in close, grinning. “Now say something dirty in French, just for me.”

I laughed and did just that.

• • •

After a fierce round of lovemaking and a night of blissful sleep, I called my dad the next morning. We made plans to meet him and Posey for breakfast. I’d promised Josh that I’d tell my dad everything, though we were resolved to be careful about anything related to vampires or shifters, since Posey hadn’t signed a nondisclosure like Dad had.

The diner was crowded this morning, but as soon as we walked in the door, Carol gave a cry of delight, throwing her arms out to hug Josh. He enveloped her in a bear hug and gave her a smacking kiss. “How’s the most beautiful girl in the world doing?”

She batted at him with her notepad. “She’s still immune to your bullshit, young man.”

Oh, please. If there was anyone who loved his bullshit, it was Carol.

I was surprised when she moved to hug me. “You look well, honey. Those dark circles under your eyes are gone.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ve been catching up on my sleep.”

“Josh, honey,” Carol said. “The manager ran out to the bank and I need a box of menus from the top shelf in the back. Could you be a dear and go help the cook get it for me?”

“Of course.” He winked at her and sauntered back to the kitchen. “I’ll be right back, ladies. Marie, baby, I see your dad over there.” He gestured at the far end of the restaurant just before disappearing through the swinging door.

I glanced in that direction. My dad sat in the back booth with Posey, who was wearing enough makeup to make Mary Kay pause, and even though it was seven in the morning, her hair was in a huge, perfect blond bouffant. For some reason, though, she didn’t fill me with the annoyed dread that she normally did.

Dad raised a hand, waving me over.

I began to step toward the table when Carol batted me lightly with the notepad in her hand, getting my attention. “I’m glad to see you back, missy.”

I smiled. “You are?”

“You had him all tangled up,” she said. “Every night he came in, he was stressed out about you. Said he couldn’t charm you like he charmed everyone else. I never saw him so flustered over a girl.”

Well, wasn’t that adorable? I laughed. “Oh, he’s just saying that. I’m sure he tells you that about all the girls he brings here.”

She shook her head and gave me a sharp-eyed look. “You’re the only one he’s ever introduced me to, honey. When I saw him come in with you, I thought, he’s going to marry this one. He’s asked you, hasn’t he?”

Jeez, she was sharp. I felt myself blush and resisted the urge to touch the mate mark on my neck. “More or less.”

“That’s good,” she said, patting my hand. “That’s very good. You make him happy.”

“And he makes me happy,” I said softly.

It was true. When he emerged with that box of menus and shot me a cocky, confident grin, my heart melted all over again. I adored the hell out of that overconfident, arrogant, loving, caring guy.

And I planned on spending the rest of my life proving it.