Cynful

Was she still going on about that? Ryan would never allow anyone, not even Emma, to change his mate, no matter how many times the Puma Curana offered. “Aw, you’re so cute. Sort of like a rabid weevil. With anthrax.”

She tried to stomp on his foot but missed horribly, nearly sending them both to the pavement. “I hate Bears.”

“Is that any way to speak to your future pseudo-brother-in-law?” She growled again and Julian laughed. By the time they reached Ryan she was beating him with tiny, ineffectual fists. He deposited her on Ryan’s lap. “Yours, I believe.”

“Whether she likes it or not.” Ryan’s eyes had begun to take on chocolaty tones again, sort of like a half- melted blue M&M.

“Not!” Glory struggled to get out of Ryan’s arms, but he wasn’t letting go of his prize any time soon.

Julian watched her wriggle, and nearly burst into laughter. Now he remembered who she reminded him of. “By the ancestors, I get it now.”

Cyn wrapped an arm around his waist and Julian pulled her close, cuddling her up against his side. “Get what?”

“The blue hair.”

“What about it?”

They both watched as Glory slumped over Ryan’s arms and panted for a few seconds before renewing her struggles.

“She’s Super Grover.”

Glory snarled at them both as he and Cyn collapsed together in a cackling heap of oh-shit-you’re-right.

How in the hell had she wound up here?

Marie Howard held out the wicker basket. “Breadstick?”

She stared from the basket to the woman and back again. “Why the hell not?” She picked up one of the garlicky, buttery pieces of heaven and bit in. Noah’s had the best food, but it wasn’t exactly what she’d expected to eat for lunch today. Cyn’s salami and provolone sandwich was currently sitting in the fridge back at Living Art Tattoos, “stinking up the place” as Tabby put it. When the invitation for lunch had arrived from Marie she’d been startled, but intrigued.

If Marie had told Cyn she was taking her to Noah’s she would at least have grabbed her fedora. As it was, she felt woefully underdressed. A black tank top and jeans weren’t exactly the classiest thing to wear to a place like this.

“Are you all right? I heard about what happened at your shop. Jamie was worried about you.”

Cyn smiled. Jamie and Julian were becoming good friends. Making nice with Marie made sense, even if they had nothing in common. They were going to wind up spending at least some time together, thanks to their men. This was a good place to start learning about one another. “I’m good. Super Bear fixed me up just fine.”

“That’s good to know.” Marie twisted the breadstick, jumping as it fell apart. She dusted off her fingers, her gaze glued to her plate. Cyn had never seen anyone so nervous in her life. “So.”

She stared at Marie, waiting. It was obvious she was up to something, but Cyn had no clue what it could be. Marie was toying with half her breadstick, ripping it to tiny crumbs. “So?”

Marie loomed up with a grimace. She took a deep breath. “So. You and Emma are friends, right?”

Oh. Huh. This was not quite what Cyn had expected. She’d thought that it was a get to know my mate’s friend’s mate lunch, not…whatever the hell this was. “Maybe? I’m not sure.” The Puma Curana was a hard one to figure out, at least for Cyn. She had a way of bowling everyone in her path over, and for some reason the people she ordered around actually felt grateful for it. Cyn just didn’t get it, or her, but she had to admit it was fun whenever Emma came by LA. The bikers especially adored the Little General. “I like her, except when I don’t, if that makes any sense.”

Marie laughed. “I think it does. She’s a force of nature.” She blushed. “Look, can I trust you?”

Cyn nodded. She didn’t know if what Marie wanted to talk about was good or bad, but if it affected Marie, then it affected Jamie. If it affected Jamie, then it had the potential to affect Julian, and Cyn wouldn’t have that.

“Oh. Good.” Marie blew out her breath, but Cyn could tell she still wasn’t entirely comfortable. “This is Pride business, okay? You can’t let anyone know I talked to you about it.”

Cyn mimed zipping her lips shut.

Marie grinned. “Thanks. Emma and I, we…” She gulped again. “We had a falling out early on in her reign. Now we’re cordial, but not nearly as close as we used to be.”

“It has something to do with Belinda Campbell, right?” Marie winced at the name of the Poconos Pack Luna, and Cyn nodded. “I thought that might be it. Even I’ve heard of how Belle left Halle in a cloud of suspicion. What the hell happened?”

Marie sighed and took a sip of her soda. “Belinda was so close to Livia, I thought for sure she was in on the plot. I mean, she was Livia’s best friend. How could she not know?”

Cyn tilted her head, confused. “Plot?”

Before Marie could answer the waiter came by to take their order. Cyn ordered her favorite, the lasagna, while Marie went for the pasta e fagioli and a salad. Once the waiter was gone Marie answered her question. “When Max claimed Emma as his Curana, Livia was furious. She thought she should be the Curana, always did. She was just waiting for Max to return home from college before she mated him.”

“I thought mates were destined by fate.” Cyn ate another breadstick, fascinated by this insight into the local shifters. After all, she’d be joining them soon.

“Usually, yes. But if you don’t meet your mate by the time you’re thirty, it’s safe to assume you never will. Most people will choose to mate with someone they fall in love with rather than wait any longer. It’s not a true mating, but I’ve known people who lived very happy lives with their chosen spouse.”

“What happens if the mate actually shows up?”

Marie shivered. “I have no idea, but it can’t be good.” She smiled at the nice young man who brought her salad. “Anyway, Livia wanted Max, Max wanted Emma, and Max took Emma.”

Cyn laughed. “Max took Emma?”

“Alphas can be pretty strong-willed.”

“That explains why she calls him Captain Caveman.” Cyn waggled her eyebrows, happy when Marie laughed.

“Anyway, Max wasn’t going to give Emma the chance to say no. He marked her before he told her what he was, and from all accounts she took it pretty well.” Marie finished her salad and pushed the empty plate aside. “When Livia found out who the new Curana was, she went nuts and attacked Emma’s best friend Becky, hoping to get the Curana’s ring off Emma’s finger.”

“What ring? And why Becky?” This Pride shit was confusing as hell. Thank God Julian was a Bear. Since Bears lived in family groups rather than Packs or Prides, Cyn wouldn’t have to deal with this kind of crap very often.

Then again, I haven’t met his parents yet. Maybe I should reserve judgment until I do. For all she knew the DuCharmes were just as insane as the Bunsuns.

“Puma Alphas wear rings signifying their status. Since there are only two cat species who form Prides, the ancient Pumas decided to follow the example of their Lion brothers and sisters, who also wear rings, rather than the Wolves and Coyotes, who don’t.”

“Why is that, anyway? That’s been bugging the shit out of me.” Cougars were solitary cats in the wild, so why did the shifter Pumas form a Pride?

Marie grinned. “I love telling this story. Let’s see. It’s said that, long ago, the spirits chose humans to meld with, creating the first shifters. The Lions were first, making the Leo the ruler of us all. He formed the first Pride, his Lion instincts driving him.”

“In other words, his cat wanted its harem.”

Marie coughed. “So not going there.” Cyn chuckled, and Marie continued. “Anyway, the Wolves and Coyotes also formed Packs, the Bears and Foxes had their family groups, but most of the cats, they were solitary creatures who preferred to live alone. The Wolf Alpha received the ability to talk to anyone in his Pack. The Leo, he could command anyone, and I mean anyone, because he was the shifter