Falke’s Captive

“What’s with the new earring?” Torsten asked Kelan, earning a scowl which grew darker when Reidar snickered. He couldn’t help it. The story Kelan had shared last night still made him smile, and he wanted so badly to tease his brother about it, but Kelan would suffer enough having to face the rest of the family today. He grinned. It should make for an entertaining day.

“Did it on a dare,” Kelan grumbled, ignoring Torsten’s snort, “but I kind of like it.”

Reidar smirked at Torsten as he shook his head and offloaded a few boxes of tents from the dolly on Catamount Outfitters’ back loading dock. A delivery truck had arrived with new camping supplies to stock the shelves, so Reidar and two of his brothers worked to process the merchandise, while Gunnar and Sindre opened for business. Well, Sindre would open up and man the front counter.

Gunnar was shifted into catamount form.

“Provides a little individuality, don’t you think?” Kelan asked.

“If you say so,” Torsten said with an unconvinced shrug. “But Axel’s not gonna like you ditching the collar.” He hefted a couple of boxes onto his shoulders and headed into the store.

The moment he was gone, Kelan sighed.

“You know they’re just getting started,” Reidar said.

“Yeah.” Kelan set his clipboard down on a nearby workbench.

“You really gonna keep the new jewelry?” Reidar had accompanied Kelan that morning to a store where he’d purchased a pair of diamond earrings. He eyed the small stud in his brother’s left earlobe and had to admit it was effective in hiding the original piercing. But he wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to pull the look off the way Kelan did, even though they were nearly identical. Kelan had always been more rebellious with his style, such as longer hair and ripped denims after hours when not forced to wear the Catamount Outfitters uniform of polo shirt and slacks.

Kelan shrugged. “It’d probably look weird having a diamond in my ear as a cougar.”

“Heidi’s birthday is coming up.”

“Yeah, she might like diamonds.” He fingered the earring.

“What girl doesn’t? Even if the gift is from one of her brothers.”

Kelan chuckled.

“Tor and Sin will expect something, though. It’s their birthday too.”

Kelan rolled his eyes. “They can have ice cream with their cake.”

Reidar laughed, nudged the door open with his hip, and held it for Kelan as they carried the last of the shipment into the store. Depositing his load, he lowered his voice and murmured, “Can’t blame you for wanting to look a little different. Sometimes I feel like we’re still in grade school since we all dress alike here.”

Kelan grinned and repositioned some merchandise to make room for the longer boxes that had arrived. He and Kelan were quadruplets, born via C-section shortly after Axel and Gunnar. Reidar had been the baby of the family until their mother got pregnant again, the second time with Sindre, Torsten, and Heidi. Their sister was the only girl and youngest, so the brothers were protective of her.

Of course, she’d call it annoyingly overbearing, but Reidar and his brothers disagreed.

He headed for the back counter, passing Gunnar en route.

You’re in favor of this? Gunnar asked Reidar.

“I heard that,” Kelan quipped, acknowledging the question as he turned the corner, picked up a cloth and spray bottle and began to wipe off one end of the glass countertop.

Reidar shrugged and started at the other end with another cloth. It didn’t surprise him that his brothers would want his opinion of Kelan’s odd behavior. He and Kelan were inseparable growing up, and Reidar had often gone along with Kelan’s wilder ideas back in high school. And wound up sharing the punishment when things didn’t go exactly as planned.

“It’s his ear,” he said, making Gunnar, known as Falke while in catamount form, huff. The cougar sniffed the air, announced, Axel’s here with the girls, and meandered behind the counter.

Reidar cocked an eyebrow at Kelan who took a deep breath. Their senses were never as strong in human form, but he did catch the sound of a feminine giggle. “The more the merrier,” he teased.

“Shut up,” Kelan snarled.

The front door bell jingled, and Reidar prepared for the first influx of customers, wondering idly whether that was more blessing than curse. He didn’t think Axel would make a scene over an earring with customers around, but he knew his big brother wouldn’t be happy to see Kelan flout tradition by going sans collar.

Beth eyed the tracking device and frowned. The cat had done just what she feared and stuck around town. The beacon she’d injected under the skin of the feline’s nape led her into the heart of the quaint Bavarian-style village rather than away from it.

It was still somewhat early though, and she hoped that worked to her advantage. Since finding the cougar missing she’d prayed nonstop for the chance to tranquilize it before the sidewalks and streets filled with tourists.

“Ahh!” She stomped on the brake a little too hard when a traffic light turned red. Her heart raced, and her fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

Should’ve called Tim. Finding the beast would be easier if one person drove while the other kept an eye on the tracking signal. Plus, when she did find it—and she would find it—she wasn’t sure how she’d get the tranquilized beast into her Jeep and back to the lab by herself.

“One thing at a time,” she muttered to herself.

Another glance at the screen told her she was close. Very close. After the light changed, she drove two blocks and pulled into a parking spot, then grabbed her purse which held the tranquilizer gun. She didn’t want the cops called to the scene because someone mistook her dart gun for a more deadly firearm. Getting out, she stopped on the sidewalk and watched the screen, turning this way and that to get the best reading.

Oh, please, no. Somehow the cat had gotten into a building. Without bothering to read the signage, she jerked the door open and went inside.

“Good morning,” a man to her right said. “May I help you?”

She didn’t look up from the tracking device. So close. Her other hand slipped into her purse, her fingers gripping the pistol. “No thanks. Just browsing…”

The signal was strong. She headed down an aisle toward the back of the store. Gotcha!

She glanced up just in time to see the big cat leap from behind a counter onto the glass display.

“Watch out,” she shouted at a man—a store employee?—his back to her. He startled and spun toward her rather than away from the real danger now behind him.

The gun was in her hand. Pointed at the cat.

She fired.

Reidar saw a flash of auburn and heard a woman’s shout, but he was not as close to Gunnar as Kelan was, and not as quick to react.

Kelan turned and leaped to block Gunnar before the woman finished her warning cry. And then he was stumbling back toward the counter.

“What the hell?” Reidar raced to his brother’s side in time to break his fall, help guide him to the floor and hear Kelan mumble, “Not again.” His lids closed, and his body became dead weight.

Gunnar growled with full, pissed off puma ferocity.

A scuffle ensued behind Reidar as someone tangled with the shooter. Reidar pulled the tranquilizer dart from Kelan’s shoulder and allowed himself a sigh of relief.

Just knocked out, not—No, he didn’t even want to think the words.

“No, please, you don’t understand,” a woman cried.

That voice was familiar. He looked up and turned to see her.

“I understand you just shot my brother, lady,” Axel damn near snarled, refusing to let go of the woman’s wrists. He’d already knocked the pistol to the floor. Dakota picked it up gingerly, as if it would bite her.

Beth…

“Oh, God! Is he?” Heidi knelt beside them. “Let me see.”

“Stop…Let me go. That cat’s dangerous!” The auburn-haired shooter, teeth bared, continued to struggle