Wild Cat

The general, at the tail end of his men, shot behind him as he ran, while iron shards rained down on him like tiny heat-seeking missiles.

The dokk alfar charged after the Fae. The darkness Diego had first seen coated them like a curtain, and then he could see nothing but the black cloud.

Reid remained behind, his hands bloody, a defiant look in his eyes. Peigi landed on all fours beside him, growling a possessive bear growl.

Reid was watching the retreating hoch alfar, his usual arrogance in place. “Weak Fae, my ass,” he said.

Cassidy loped back to Diego, with Shane and Eric right behind her. Eric rose into his human form. “Time to go. No place for us in a Fae war. Those days are gone forever, thank the Goddess.”

Eric looked lighthearted for the first time in a long time. He scratched Cassidy’s head and strode off-a tall, naked man with a silver and black Collar, a tatt swirling down his arm, walking unashamedly past Xavier and through the mists that led home.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Diego thought that fighting for his life on a tiny ledge five hundred feet above the ground and then being pulled across empty air in a net of ropes would have cured him of his fear of heights. But, no.

His head spun with dizziness as he limped across the extremely narrow makeshift bridge from the gate to Faerie to the familiar red brown cliffs of home.

Don’t look down.

It was so hard not to look down. Diego had to look to see where he was putting his feet. Below the slender iron span, the empty air dropped away to reveal the river like a vein of silver at the bottom. The sun had risen by now, so he could see everything in panoramic glory.

The view was beautiful. Upriver the giant span of the dam thrust from the bottom of the gorge, the edifice built nearly a hundred years ago by men braver than Diego. The slab of concrete poured like a sheer cliff from the serene blue lake behind it to the river below. Above it a new bridge spanned from cliff top to cliff top, the sun catching on its arches. Breathtaking.

The beauty of the sights didn’t help. Diego was too damned high off the ground.

He clung with one aching hand to Xavier’s shoulder and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Cassidy came right behind him.

They won’t let me fall, he told himself. My brother and the love of my life will see me safely across.

Diego was supposed to have an epiphany. A moment of truth that made him conquer his fear and realize that his love for Cassidy was so much stronger than a ridiculous worry about heights.

No such luck.

Screw this. I’m going back to the counselor.

Diego stepped onto the narrow rock ledge, let the rescue team strap a harness around him, and felt his feet leave the ground as they hauled him straight up the cliff. He thought he was going to puke.

Cassidy smiled at him from below, dressed now in the coverall the rescue guys had brought. She even seated herself on the makeshift bridge and dangled her legs over the side as she waved him on.

Maybe Cass can teach me not to be afraid. That scenario was much more appealing than the one of him sitting in a room droning to a counselor. The rewards would be much better too. Cassidy would smile at Diego, kiss him, show him how much she admired his bravery…

By the time he made it to the top, to firm ground, Diego was both sick and dizzy, but picturing Cassidy teaching him not to be afraid of heights helped a lot. Paramedics took over, shoving an oxygen mask on him, unwrapping his hand, taking his blood pressure, generally burying him in modern health care.

Cassidy came into view before they loaded Diego into the ambulance. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. Her face was dirty and scratched, but she looked good for a woman who’d just been in a hell of a fight. Damn good.

“You’re beautiful, amada mia,” he said, words muffled by the oxygen mask. Then the paramedics lifted him, slid him into the waiting maw of the ambulance, and slammed the doors.

* * *

Humans wouldn’t let Cassidy into the hospital with Diego. She had to fume and rely on Xavier and Diego’s mother to tell her what was going on.

Diego’s mom was the best resource. She even came to Shiftertown to visit Cassidy that afternoon as the Shifters lay about the Wardens’ living room and back patio, recovering from the fight.

“They’re keeping him overnight for observation,” Juanita said. “Xavier is staying with him. But the doctors are not that worried. My boy is strong.”

“And a damn good warrior,” Eric said to her.

Eric had fired up the grill again. Nothing for it but to celebrate saving Diego and Reid with a big cookout. Juanita took the invitation to stay for the party to mean she could invade the Wardens’ kitchen and put together a meal to die for.

Cassidy enjoyed the carne adobada-meat spiced with chiles-that Juanita turned out, which she served with tortillas and homemade pico de gallo. Cassidy ate it but chafed at having to sit here without Diego. The mate bond pulled at her, making her want to charge to the hospital and demand to see him.

It was hell following human rules.

Juanita leaned down and put her arms around Cassidy as Cassidy sat dejectedly on the edge of the patio. “I know it’s hard,” Juanita said. “But if you come home with me tonight, you’ll be there when he gets back.”

“You don’t mind?” Cassidy asked.

“Mind what?”

“That I love Diego, and that I’m Shifter.”

Juanita sat down next to Cassidy. “Let me tell you a little about Diego, mi ja. He thinks he has to take care of everyone but himself. Never himself. He joined the Marines to make some money and give Xavier and me a chance to move and start a better life. He joined the police for the same reason. Then when Jobe died, he lived to hunt down the men who killed him. Diego’s never done one single thing for himself. Not ever. He looked after me and after Xavier, and he looked after Jobe and now Jobe’s family. That’s it. And then he brings you home. Chiquita, I have been praying for the day he looked at someone the way he looks at you. He’s finally going to let himself be happy.”

“But…”

“No buts. Don’t even think but. I want grandchildren before I die. If they can turn into cute little animals, so what? I’ve always liked cats.”

Cassidy stared at Juanita for a stunned instant, then she threw her arms around the smaller woman. The two swayed together for a moment, then Juanita pushed her away and jumped up to go make another batch of meat.

Jace arrived home just as the second helpings were being served. Nell sang out a hello to him and shoved plates of adobada and tortillas at him.

Cassidy cornered her nephew as he was gulping down the meal with great enjoyment. “Spill it, Jace. How did you work it so the dokk alfar rushed to our rescue in Faerie?”

Jace looked more interested in the food than the adventure. “I didn’t. I talked a little to the Fionn Cillian guy, but he didn’t promise anything. Then he comes back right before Marlo and I left, looking proud of himself. He said he found out that the territory Reid is from belongs to a rival of his, so he was happy to alert the