Here Kitty, Kitty!

  Dedication

  To Princess Cammy. Without your guidance through the frightening world of high fashion, this book could not have been made. And, yes! Those shoes DO look fabulous on you!

  Prologue

  He didn’t actually see the wall until he walked into it.

  “Dang, Nik. You okay?” His brothers could at least have the decency to hold off laughing at him until they made sure he hadn’t caused any real damage.

  He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  Better than fine. With a woman like that in his sights. He took control of himself. He had to. He suddenly had the overwhelming desire to shift and run her down like a red deer.

  He walked toward her. She reeked of dog, but it wasn’t her. No, to his huge disappointment, he realized she was human. He thought for sure she had to be cat, with the way she moved and all. Leopard or cheetah. Something other than just another boring human female.

  She leaned back in her chair, a martini in her hand, crossed her legs—and both his brothers groaned.

  “Oh, man. Who the hell is that?”

  His brother Bannik chuckled. “Mine, little brother.”

  Nik ignored them both, instead letting them argue so he could focus his attention on the conversation between the woman and her itty-bitty friend.

  “Fine,” she sighed. “You wanna live life alone and bitter, be my guest.”

  “Trust me. Fucking the Viking isn’t going to change the living alone and bitter thing one bit.”

  “Whatever.” A boarding announcement rolled through the terminal and the woman cocked her head to listen. “Come on, sassy girl. Let’s get your ass on a plane.”

  She finished her drink and carefully placed the glass down on the table. Nik took two long steps toward her. She pushed back her chair and stood up, slamming right into his chest. Her hair slid across his hand and he immediately imagined that hair trailing across his body as she slipped her head between his thighs.

  Nik shook his head, what in hell—he usually had more control of himself than this. But her scent…goddammit. Her scent slid around his throat, caressing his cheek. It was as erotic as a lover’s touch that effectively put him in a chokehold.

  He swallowed and stared down at the top of her head, forcing himself to speak, “Sorry, darlin’.”

  She finally looked up at him. He heard her sharp intake of breath and the increase in her heart rate. He could feel the change in her body temperature. Heat radiated off her in waves.

  Funny thing was, the same thing happened to him. When he’d caught her scent, he didn’t think she’d be this beautiful. What a gorgeous face. Damn, but no one had a right to be that pretty. And the loveliest brown eyes he’d ever seen on a female. Dark, dark brown. Like the richest imported dark chocolate. Long, dark brown hair made those eyes even more devastating. Her light brown skin damn-near glowed and she possessed the cutest little nose.

  She let out a shaky breath.

  “You all right, sugar?”

  “Uh…”

  He waited for her to say more, but she appeared to be a bit slow-witted. Kind of like his Uncle Billy whose baby sister hit him in the head with a brick.

  Her friend, who Nik had barely noticed she was so tiny, slung a bag over her shoulder. “Sorry about that. We need to get to my plane.”

  “No problem.” Nik smiled down into that beautiful face. “Y’all can slam into me any time.” At least she could. He could care less about the midget. Although, as usual, his brothers took an immediate interest in anything with a pussy. They stared at the tiny woman like she was a Happy Meal.

  “Hey, Ang. We need to go.” Her tiny friend grabbed her arm and tugged. Then she yanked.

  The woman blinked, glancing around. “Uh…oh yeah. Yeah. We better get moving.” She gave him a soft smile. “Sorry.”

  “Not at all.” He wanted to say something else but, really, what the hell was he supposed to do with a human?

  Fuck her until the end of time?

  No. He’d sworn off the full-humans. Like the dogs, they got mighty attached to a man. His kind happily lived alone. He didn’t need or want some female spending every night wrapped around him like an anaconda in a bed that could easily accommodate them both sleeping apart.

  So, instead of bending her over the table, ripping her panties off, and fucking the hell out of her—Nik walked away.

  “Well that was entertaining.” His youngest brother Aleksei winked at him and grinned.

  “Shut up.”

  “I thought for sure you’d do her right there, big brother.”

  “I told ya both to shut the hell up.” Nik’s phone rang. He grabbed it off his belt and flicked it open. “This is Nik.”

  “Mr. Vorislav, it’s Annie. Your father has asked that you return home.”

  Nik stopped walking, afraid of losing the faulty connection in the terminal. “What? Why?”

  “He needs you involved in a last minute deal. He didn’t give me any details.”

  “What about the Kingsley Park deal?”

  “He asks that you let your brothers handle that negotiation.”

  Nik stared at his kin. Apart he had no doubt they could broker a deal with the old wolf they’d come to see. But together? Together the two of them could be the biggest idiots on the planet. Leaving them alone to handle this could be a huge disaster.

  “Mr. Vorislav, I need your answer.”

  As usual, his father didn’t leave him much choice. “Tell him I’ll be home in a few hours.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Annie disconnected and Nik turned to his brothers. “I gotta go back.”

  “What’s up?” Bannik asked.

  “Some last minute deal of Daddy’s. He wants you two to handle this.”

  His brothers shrugged nonchalantly. Not the response he wanted.

  “We’ve only got a temporary pass on this territory, so don’t screw it up.”

  Aleksei sneered. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means keep your goddamn dicks in your pants and focus on the deal. Now go.”

  His brothers moved around him and headed off toward the exit. “Y’all.” His brothers looked at him. “Stay outta trouble.”

  They grinned at him. Then at each other.

  Nik watched them walk away with a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  Sighing, he headed back to where they’d left the jet. As he moved through the terminal—hoping to see that hot female one more time—he saw “them” coming down the hallway.

  But even if he hadn’t seen them, he would have smelled them. He’d recognize their scent anywhere. He’d known quite a few over the years.

  There were about fifteen of them, but they gave him a wide berth as they passed. Except the head female. She tried to stare him down. He knew her. Knew that pretty face. Dianne Leucrotta. Matriarch of the Leucrotta Clan.

  She nodded at him and continued on down the hall.

  Nik shook his head. Those hyenas were on a mission. He could see it in their beady little eyes. Thankfully, the hyenas were smart enough not to mess with his kind. Because all he really wanted to do was head home and think about a serious pair of long brown legs, instead of killing someone—even hyenas—on such a gorgeous Texas day.

  Although, he wondered, who the hell was dumb enough to piss them off?

  Chapter One

  Six days later…

  “I see now why they’re on The List.”

  “Uh-oh. Is the rodeo clown still lurking?”

  Angelina Santiago tightened the strap on her Chanel shoes, while trying not to fall on her ass. Not easy. Hopping became involved.

  “I think he still can’t believe I turned down a cowboy.”

  “I think I ha
ve to agree with him on this.”

  “Honestly, Sara. What is your thing for cowboys?”

  “Dude, they’re hot.”

  “And poor you. Stuck with tiny, weak Zach.” Angie stood up, smoothing out her silk skirt, once again elegant and composed—at least that was the illusion she gave. An illusion she worked hard to maintain.

  “I didn’t say Zach was a letdown or anything. If I could just get him into a cowboy hat, I’d be one happy bitch.”

  “You’re already happy. Much more and you’ll be walking around in a state of constant orgasm, which would get on my last goddamn nerve.”

  “Everything gets on your last goddamn nerve.”

  “This is true.” Crouching down, Angie grabbed her bag from behind the counter. She briefly debated whether to grab the solid wood bat lying next to her Louis Vuitton purse. She’d owned the “Bitch’s Hammer” ever since she took it from the guy trying to use it on her. She smiled at the memory.

  Never underestimate a teenage girl wearing Candies.

  Angie decided to forgo her trusty weapon of choice since she had her sweet little Glock .9mm shoved in her bag. A birthday gift three months ago from Sara and Miki.

  She stood up and nodded at her two saleswomen. They would make sure to close up her shop later and handle everything while she was away. Normally, she’d stay until closing, but she had packing to do. A rather dramatic and time-intensive event for her.

  She re-adjusted the headphones attached to her cell phone. “Did you hear again from Mik?”

  “Not since they stopped to get gas. I don’t know what’s going on, but that was a ‘dangerously calm’ Miki I spoke to. Not a good thing.”

  Angie winced. “My God, that can’t be good.”

  “No shit.”

  No. Not a good thing at all. Although Sara was no better. When she got quiet—the universe needed to notice.

  “And Conall? Recovery a-okay?”

  “He’s fine. Although I’m pretty sure he’s the one who pissed her off.”

  “Probably. But not really surprising. This is Miki we’re talking about. Think she told him she loves him yet?” Angie headed toward the exit, her ridiculously expensive bag swinging casually from her hand.

  “Are you kidding? He’s going to have to work for that.”

  Angie stopped and looked at the two men who’d been in her store everyday for the past week. She remembered them from the airport when she dropped off Miki. They were damn gorgeous, but she really liked the other one. Shame he didn’t seem to be with them.

  One of the men stared at the scarves, pretending that they hadn’t been staring at her.

  She smiled while trying to keep a straight face. “That teal scarf would look fabulous on you.”

  The one holding the scarf in his huge hand looked at it and back at her. Frowning.

  She laughed and strolled away. What boneheads.

  Angie pushed the glass doors open and walked out. “My plane arrives tomorrow at four ten. Flight eight-sixty.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got all the info. We’ll meet you at the airport.” Sara sighed. “And look, until you get here, I want you to be careful. They targeted Miki specifically, but I don’t know if they’re coming after you or not.”

  “Please don’t start. Again. Besides, I’m in Pack territory and Marrec will be taking me to the airport. I’ll be fine.” She sauntered toward her Mercedes.

  “Angelina don’t ignore—”

  “Bye, Sara. Call me when Miki gets there.” She ended the connection. Her friend could be quite the mother wolf when her friends were threatened.

  Angie remotely unlocked her door and stopped, the hackles on her neck snapping to full attention. She spun on her expensive heels and came face-to-face with a woman.

  Well…at least she thought it was a woman. A woman she’d seen once or twice the past week at the diner, just outside town. Angie didn’t like the woman staring at her then. And she sure as fuck didn’t like it now.

  Whatever. All Angie needed to know was this woman wasn’t Pack, too small and boringly dressed to be Pride, and definitely not completely human.

  Sometimes Angie wished she could be more like Miki with her fast-moving mind. Mik could analyze anything in seconds and come up with a satisfying solution. Or like Sara. With her calm, controlled demeanor—as long as no tequila was involved. Angie wasn’t like either of her two best friends, and specialists had actually analyzed her fight or flight response. Because she never did what everyone else did. Ever.

  Angie slammed her handbag, heavy with her Glock, against the head of the woman across from her. Squealing in surprise, the female stumbled. Nope, they never saw Angie coming. Always their mistake. And to prove that point, Angie hit her again. The buckle on the side of her bag cut a gash across the woman’s face. Blood splashed across Angie’s arm and ruined her bag.

  The female hit the ground, and Angie slammed her foot against the woman’s windpipe, pushing down.

  Gasping, the female fought to get Angie’s foot off, but Angie gritted her teeth and pushed harder.

  Something, a movement from the corner of her eye or a sound, distracted her from the prey under her feet. She spared a glance to the left of her. The two men, the ones from her shop, were moving toward her.

  At first, she wondered if they were coming to rescue her or the woman whose windpipe she happily crushed under her Chanels.

  She heard another sound and turned to see animals, not lions but not quite dogs either, bursting full-throttle from the woods behind her store’s parking lot.

  Angie reached into her bag for her Glock while turning to warn off the men. But limbs shifted, fur grew, fangs appeared. Then they were launching themselves at her.

  And her last thought before all went black—There are tigers?

  Nikolai Vorislav rolling onto his back, let the morning sun warm his belly as he quietly waited in a soft patch of tall grass. Waited until his breakfast walked up to one of the many lakes he had on his property. And, as always, breakfast did come walking up. Slowly, Nik rolled back over onto his belly, watching to see if it saw him. It hadn’t. Instead it drank from the lake, completely oblivious to his presence.

  He waited a moment more. Then he silently charged. The deer made a run for it, but Nik had his paws on its hindquarters and under him before it got more than ten feet away. Nik gripped its neck and bit down until it stopped thrashing. With a happy sigh, he settled down to a nice hot meal.

  When done, Nik went for a swim in his lake, letting the water go through his coat, washing all the blood away. He looked up at the sun. It was getting late. He needed to get on a conference call although he’d rather stay outside for the rest of the day playing. But his father would have his head.

  As it was, Nik barely tolerated the old bastard these days. He loved his father, but he didn’t understand him. And he really didn’t want to. Still, he needed to leave his father be. The old man had begun to slowly transfer the business over to him and Nik’s momma would have his hide if he started any crap now. So, resigning himself to a Sunday trapped on a trans-Atlantic call, he headed back to his house.

  He padded quietly through his backyard, glancing at his pool. He fought his desire to dive in headfirst and stay there for the next four hours. Instead, he trotted over to the patio, stopping before he moved into his house. He sniffed the air and groaned. His brothers were around somewhere. Why? He’d left them in Texas with explicit instructions not to come back until they had a signed property deal from that old wolf Marrec so they could build some stupid amusement park his father had his heart set on. Nik should have known better. Trying to get a wolf to sell its territory was not easy, if not damn-near impossible. But this deal was Alek’s baby. He’d brought the property to their daddy’s attention. How he knew about wolf property, Nik could only guess.

  Nik didn’t want to walk through the back doors into his kitchen. He knew he’d probably find them there, eating his food and finishing off his sweet tea. No. Not a g
ood idea to deal with those two without his morning coffee. It would be in everyone’s best interest if he made them wait a bit. So Nik went around to the side of the house, took a step back, and leaped up to the second-floor balcony. Clearing the railing with ease, he silently landed on the marble floor. With a couple of nudges from his muzzle, he opened the glass door and stepped into the hallway.

  He needed a shower and coffee before his call. Man, did he need coffee.

  So focused, in fact, on getting his coffee, it took Nik a good thirty seconds to catch the strange scent in his house. He slowed down, but kept walking, trying to locate its owner. Maybe his sisters had brought over one of their friends. Whoever she was, he just had to meet her. Anybody smelling that damn good was a must-meet, if not a must-have-in-your-bed. And the scent was so familiar, it must have been someone he’d met. So intense he started purring. Wow, he hadn’t done that in awhile. It felt good.

  He walked past one of the unused guest rooms and stopped in his tracks, his tail twitching expectantly. He took several steps back and turned his head.

  It was her. The tasty piece of ass from the airport.

  His eyes roamed over her body. She sat up in the bed, the sheet tucked under her arms, and she had definitely been in a recent fight. Though she didn’t look too much the worse for wear. A few bruises. A few scratches. A good size knot on the side of her forehead. Yet nothing life threatening. Still…why the hell was she in his house?

  She stared at him, her breathing coming out in shallow pants, and Nik suddenly realized he was still tiger.

  No wonder she looks scared to death.

  Nik shifted, making sure not to move too quickly and frighten her even more.

  Leaning against the door jam, Nik crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Well. Hello, sugar.”

  “Oh, shit…” she let out softly.

  He grinned. So pretty. No. Pretty didn’t do it for her. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Astounding. Even those words were weak.

  “I…I…” She shook her head, then the panic kicked in.

  She slid off the bed and stumbled to her feet. She still had the sheet around her body, but she tripped over it and started to drop to the floor.