“If we fasten them down tight enough, I think it will hold for the short amount of time it will take for you to pull the cart up to the old cabin. Just don’t run too fast.”
Abram rolled his eyes. “Not the stupid flashlights. I mean Maddie. Are you sure this incredibly humiliating plan you, Scarlett, and Gram cooked up will win her over? She’s still not even returning my calls.”
“Trust me.” Davis pushed down on the button and the drill squealed as it drove a screw into the wood. “Just don’t get lost.”
“I’ve got a good sense of direction.” Abram stood and followed Davis to the opposite side of the cart so they could install the second light. “Trusting you is what got me into this mess to start with. You withheld info that would have been helpful for me to know.”
“I don’t out shifters even to other shifters. It’s against the code.”
“You didn’t tell Scarlett your relatives were shifters?”
“That’s different.” Davis knelt down. “Hold the clamp in place.”
“I’m guessing you told Maddie I was a shifter.”
Davis looked up from what he was doing. “Well, no…no, she knows about me and we’re cousins. She pieced that mystery together all by herself.”
As he and his cousin continued working, Abram stewed. “If I make a damn fool of myself in front of Maddie and all of her family, I swear to God, I’m heading back to Montana but not before I kick your ass.”
Davis rolled his eyes. “Look, I know Mittens. She loves romance novels and romantic comedies. A grand gesture will go a long way with her. Now strip down and shift.”
Abram grimaced. “Dag—damn it.” He removed his boots and socks first. Afterward, he pulled off his clothes and then put them in a backpack before placing it in the wagon with the picnic basket. Abram flexed his muscles slightly as he stretched his arms up over his head. He rolled his neck in a circle, loosening up his body as he closed his eyes. He could feel the process starting, pumping him full of endorphins and adrenaline. His nose itched for a second and the rest of his skin tingled. He inhaled deeply just before the transformation. The rush of euphoria, something akin to an orgasm but less intense, dulled any pain. His body contorted, releasing his other nature before he trotted around Davis and whinnied.
“Get over here so I can connect you to the cart. Once you’re close enough, go ahead and shift so you can get out of the harness. Then start groveling.”
* * *
Maddie had spent most of the afternoon sprawled out in the grass, soaking up some sunlight, but as soon as dusk arrived, pushing the sun away and coaxing out the moonlight and stars, she’d jumped on her feet, running, stalking and hunting. Mountain lions were lone hunters and so was Maddie. She’d left her mother and father canoodling by the cabin with the rest of the domesticated felines. Her mom had lost her taste for the sport a few years ago. The woman might as well be an oversized house cat. Maybe it’s better to never find your one true mate.I don’t want to be declawed.
She stalked through the brush, padding softly until she saw her quarry, a whitetail deer. She crouched down and then watched quietly, waiting for the right moment to pounce. Come on, turn. Turn your back on me. She froze, not daring to move a muscle until she was ready to strike.
Oh, yeah, here we go. She held her breath as her prey finally showed her its backside. She leaped but before she could land, the shrill air horn signal for everyone to meet back at the cabin sent her target bolting in the other direction.
Maddie landed on her feet and snarled as disappointment and resentment gnawed at her gut. She turned in a circle observing the twinkling stars and the sniffing the air around her. It can’t be past midnight. This better be good!
As she raced toward the camp, her annoyance disappeared, turning to worry. No one would shift back and sound the alarm unless there was an emergency. Had something happened to her dad or her sister? Most of the house cats stayed in the cabin or on the porch most of the time, but since those two were always around mama, they tended to get bold. A sickening sensation twirled in her stomach and the bitterness of bile assaulted her tongue.
She ran as fast as she could, leaping over rocks and trampling any flora in her way. As the cabin came into view, Maddie noticed several of her male relatives had shifted back to human form. She didn’t give more than a passing thought to their nudity accept to consider how uncommon it was for them to waste a single second of their once-a-year opportunity to spend a full weekend not only shifted but surrounded by family.
Maddie pushed through the brush and turned her head, getting a look at what had caused all the commotion. A brown horse harnessed to a cart stood just a few feet away. Her Uncle Danny had sounded the alarm while a couple of her male cousins stared at the uninvited guest.
She inhaled, taking in the strong odor—the area was permeated with feline pheromones but the horse had brought a slightly different flare. Her relatives must have smelled it too or they would have scattered instead of shifted and sounded the alarm.
The brown horse neighed, moving his head side-to-side. Maddie padded a bit closer to get a better look. Davis’s stallion was dark black so this wasn’t him, and Melly’s second nature was a lot smaller. Of course, there was a heap of other Banks it could be, but what the hell was an equine shifter doing showing up during their scheduled event? And what was with the wagon?
