Hour of the Lion

her face in the warm fur. Yes. Mine.

Again, she felt that weird feeling rising through as a sense of love and protection blanketed her. “What the hell is that feeling anyway?”

Calum shifted to human and rose to his feet. “What?”

Straightening, she waved a hand at herself. “That feeling. It’s not…me.”

Frowning, Calum took Alec’s place and put his arm around her waist. “Ah, that one.”

Vic waited, then prompted him with an elbow into his stomach. He grunted, though she knew she hadn’t even dented his rock-like six-pack.

“You should have let her eat the rabbit,” Alec said. “Women get testy when they’re hungry.”

Calum moved Vic’s elbow from his ribs. “Impatience is not a virtue, Victoria.”

“Neither is stalling.”

“What you’re receiving is your connection to…the being we call the Mother, short for Mother Earth. Gaia?” He waited for her puzzled nod. “As descendents of the Fae, we apparently…hmmm, feel her presence more strongly than the humans, especially when in animal form.”

“I’m not a furball right now.”

“Ah.” Calum stroked her cheek with his knuckles, his gaze warm. “She is also very fond of mothers.”

Mothers? Oh. “Um. Okay, then. So how did you know what I felt?”

One side of his mouth tilted up. “As Cosantir, I am bonded to the earth. To Her, although most of my power comes from Herne.” He caught her blank look. “Herne the Hunter? God of the Animals?”

She rolled her eyes to cover her discomfort. Not only new shapes but a different religion too? Then again, she’d felt that surge of warmth, of…love. Hard to discount that one. “Is that why you could make that wussy bear-guy turn back to human even when he didn’t want to?”

Calum nodded, then glanced at Jamie. “Unfortunately, with a first trawsfur, forcing the shift makes matters worse. The youngling will lose all connection to the door, and if they cannot shift every month-” He looked away.

Something horrible must happen. She reached for Jamie, needing to feel her warmth. Change the subject. “What happened down there when you made that guy shift?”

Alec snorted. “He wanted to win Farrah’s affections-or at least her attentions. Battling another is a time- honored method of scoring, so to speak. But crippling your rival is forbidden.”

Well, hell, they were more aggressive than off-duty soldiers in a bar.

“Speaking of fighting,” Calum said, “I want to teach you two some techniques.”

Hey. She was a damn good fighter. “And what exactly do you think I need to learn?”

“We’ll start with how to use your hind claws to disembowel your opponent,” Calum said in a dry voice and shifted.

Oookay. Vic closed her mouth and followed suit.

* * *

“It’s Swane,” came the voice on the phone.

Vidal had anxiously waited for word that they’d captured the girl. He’d told Swane he wanted to be there when they contacted the girl’s werecat father. But all yesterday-nothing. “Why the hell didn’t you call?”

“It was a total cluster-fuck. The little bitch turned into a cougar. Clawed the shit out of me. I’m calling from the fucking hospital.”

“Have you got her?”

“Hell no.” Swane swore foully for a full minute. “She tore out of the house and ran into the forest. I was bleeding like a stuck pig, so I sent back-up and stayed with the van. Two of my men followed the cat up a trail.”

“Well?”

“The cop showed up, then the kid’s dad. They changed into fucking cougars. Both of them.”

“What happened to your men?”

“Don’t know. No arrests. Jail’s empty. They haven’t called in. I haven’t seen them anywhere. I figure they’re lion fodder.”

Vidal dropped into the chair. He’d known the shapeshifters were dangerous. But to have his hopes flattened so thoroughly. Depression rolled over him, blackening his thoughts. “It’s hopeless.”

“Those fucking creatures have killed my men,” Swane snapped. “They’re not going to get away with it, even if I have to take some explosives in there and flatten the town.”

Chapter Twenty-one

“Vicki?” Her freckled face worried, Jamie looked up at Vic.

“What is it, munchkin?” Vic walked down the sidewalk, eyes alert for any problems. Nothing. A few kids on their way to school. A man burning leaves. A fire salamander joyfully danced in the bonfire. “Is something wrong?”

“Not…exactly.” Jamie chewed on her lower lip. “See, I owe you for saving me, and I’m not sure how to repay you.”

“Owe me?”

“Uh-huh. It’s the Law of Reciprocity. Favor for favor, or favor for damage done. You know-to achieve balance between us?”

Seems like she’d run into that rule of theirs before, and the baby was dead serious. Vic scratched her nose, stalling for time. She sure as hell wasn’t going to put the kid in debt for being rescued. “Okay, here’s the deal. My rules say that grown-ups protect kids.”

Jamie nodded solemnly. “We have that too, but it’s not a Rule.”

“I was only doing my job.” When Jamie opened her mouth to protest, Vic held up a finger. “And it happens that I like to fight. So I think for our exchange, you should do something for me you like to do.”

Jamie’s face scrunched up, and then she nodded.

“Therefore,” Vic tried to remember the words Calum and Thorson had used, “in balance, I figure you should make chocolate chip cookies, and I get as many as I want before Alec or your daddy have any.”

“Or me.” Jamie gave a little skip, then sobered. “The balance is fair. Accepted.”

“Good deal.” Relief that she’d successfully navigated another strange shifter custom vied with sheer greed. Chocolate chip cookies all hers before the greedy bastards got to them. Score! Grinning, Vic stopped at the entrance to the school yard. This would be the kid’s first day back since the mess almost a week ago. Vic took her by the shoulders, studied her face. No fear, only a trace of anxiety. Okay, then. Ignoring the babble of children’s voices, Vic ordered, “You’re going to do fine.”

“I know,” Jamie said. Scowling, she kicked a lump of snow into the fence. “Only I’ve got to make up a stupid biology project.”

“You’ll manage. I’ll see you this afternoon.” Vic watched as the kid trotted into the school yard, and her friends swamped her. Yes, the girl would manage. Smart, sociable, with a big heart, and a hell of a lot of courage. She’d make a great Marine.

I was a great Marine. But that life had disappeared. No Marines, no Wells, and no CIA. Firming her mouth, she turned away from the children’s laughter and headed toward the Wild Hunt. She’d report in to Calum who’d had an unexpected delivery for the tavern. After letting him know his daughter had made it all right, maybe she’d go see Thorson. Have some coffee or something.

It wasn’t like she had anything better to do with her day. Or her life.

Dammit. Imitating Jamie, she kicked a chunk of snow, sending it flying into a nearby tree. A pixie clinging to a branch chattered angrily at her. Oops. She glanced up at the angry, tiny face. “Sorry. I forgot about you guys.”

After clicking its nails at Vic-was that the way a sprite flipped someone off?-it disappeared back into the branches. God, her world had gotten bizarre.