Jennifer Ashley - Wild Cat

Lindsay came whirling in between Xavier, who looked like he was having a fine time, and Kyle, Eric’s Lupine tracker. “Great party!” Lindsay shouted. She whooped as she let both men lift her and carry her back under the lights.

Cassidy looked back to where Eric stood, and she stopped. Diego was no longer with him. Where was he?

She scanned the crowd but nowhere saw the tall human with midnight hair. His brother was still dancing with Lindsay, his body moving with rhythmic grace, but no Diego.

Shane bumped into her. “What’s up, Cass?”

Cassidy shrugged. “I don’t feel like dancing anymore.”

“Fine by me. My room’s empty. Brody will be out all night, and that’s good, because you know how he snores…”

“Sorry, Shane. I can’t.”

“I get it.” Shane embraced her from behind, the gigantic man giving a gigantic hug. “Donovan was a great guy, Cass. We all miss him.”

Cassidy’s heartache came back. She wiped her eyes as Shane released her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Good night, Shane,” she said.

“See ya, Cass.” Shane sounded downhearted, but let her go.

Cassidy walked away from him, unsteady after all the beer she’d had, and sought the house. She was drunk, she was sad, and she’d do nothing but make a fool of herself if she stayed outside and kept obviously searching for Diego.

She blundered into the lightless house, the music blasting away on the porch. It was pitch-black inside, but Shifters could see in the dark, right?

Cassidy ran smack into the tall, hard body of a man walking through their kitchen. His scent was all over her in an instant.

“Diego,” she said, her breath gone.

Her emotions, her need, and way too much beer rocked through her. Staying pressed against Diego’s chest, Cassidy twined her arms around him, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed him on his hot, smooth lips.

Diego found his arms full of luscious, beautiful Shifter. Cassidy’s mouth opened his, and she swayed against him, arms tight around his neck.

The taste of her… He had to have more. He had to have more, now .

Diego cupped her head in his hands and pressed her up to him. God help him.

Her mouth was on fire. He devoured her, licking, tasting, sliding lips on hers. Her tongue met his in a rapid dance, her mouth strong.

He was hard, and Cass wriggling against his front wasn’t helping. She smelled like beer and musk and Cassidy. And damn, he loved what she was wearing.

The dress under his hands hugged every inch of her. He felt her ass, her back, the curve of her waist, and he wasn’t finding a line of any bra. When she’d walked out of the house in that, he’d forgotten how to breathe.

Cassidy kissed him hard, harder. Diego wrapped one arm around her buttocks, pulling her up against him, his hand finding bare thigh. Her skin was satin soft and hot, so hot.

Cassidy’s fingers furrowed his hair, while Diego moved his hand upward…

“Whoa.” The male voice boomed through the living room-not Eric, not Jace, not Xavier. “What the hell ?”

Diego eased his mouth from Cassidy’s. She made a little sound of protest and sought his kiss again.

Shane the bear stood in the doorway to the kitchen, empty beer bottle in hand. The man was nearly seven feet tall and radiated menace with a capital M. Grizzlies could be placid when content, but get them mad, and it was a different story.

“Listen, human cop,” Shane said, a growl in his voice. “I get that you let Cassidy go when you didn’t have to, but that don’t give you the right to touch her. If you don’t stop touching her, I’ll pull your arms off. Understand?”

“If I let go of her, she’s going to fall,” Diego said. Cassidy was sagging in his arms, her eyes half closed. “She’s drunk off her ass.”

“Am not,” Cassidy said in an indignant slur. “Shifters don’t get drunk.”

“This Shifter is.” Diego scooped her into his arms. Cassidy smiled up at him, still holding on. She was so beautiful when she smiled. “Where’s her bedroom?” Diego asked Shane.

“Aw, Diego,” Cassidy purred. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Shane gestured, still looking unfriendly. “This way.” He led Diego down a short hallway to a door at the end.

Diego carried Cassidy into a room that was painfully bare. A four-poster bed covered with quilts stood against one wall. A nightstand with a lamp and a pile of paperbacks reposed next to the bed, and a rocking chair with a cushion stood in the corner. Nothing more, no pictures, knickknacks, or electronics.

When Shane snapped on the lamp, the room glowed-Cassidy had painted the walls a soft yellow that made the barren room seem warm.

Shane stripped back the quilts, and Diego laid Cassidy on the sheets. Diego had to deliberately unclasp her hands from his neck to make her let go.

Cassidy was already barefoot, the soles of her feet dirty from dancing outside. Well, she might have to wash the sheets tomorrow. Diego turned Cassidy onto her side, in case she decided to lose all that beer in her sleep, and pulled the quilts up over her shoulders.

“Thanks, Diego,” she murmured. “You kiss nice.”

So did she. Damn, did she ever. “Glad you think so.”

“You’re not so bad, for a human. Stay with me, and keep kissing me.”

Shane rumbled. “She’s really drunk if she wants to kiss a human.” He bent down and dropped a peck on her cheek. “Sleep it off, Cass, honey.”

Diego looked down at Cassidy with a hunger he’d not felt in a long, long time. He pictured himself stripping off his clothes, climbing in behind her, pulling her back against him. Holding her all through the night. And in the morning, if she felt better, rolling into her warm nest and making swift love to her.

Diego settled for squeezing her shoulder. “Good night, Cassidy.”

She didn’t answer, already asleep. Diego turned off the lamp and left the room.

And found himself against the hall wall with a half human, half bear face an inch from his.

“I’m not kidding, human.” Shane’s voice was guttural, his teeth sharp, his breath like… that of a bear who’d been drinking a lot of beer. “Don’t mess with Cassidy.”

Diego had faced plenty of hard, conscienceless men in his time. But he’d also faced desperate men, and he’d learned the difference between anger born of arrogance and anger born of worry. Shane had anger born of worry.

“You care about Cassidy,” Diego said. “Are you in love with her?”

Shane’s eyes didn’t soften. “I met Cass twenty years ago, when we were shoved into this Shiftertown together. Brody and me thought my mother would be leader, because she’s naturally alpha. But Nell conceded dominance to Eric. If something happens to Eric, Cassidy takes over, not my mother, not Jace. Do you understand what I’m saying? Cassidy’s next in line. That’s weird for a Feline, because Felines rarely let their females rule. But no Shifter is able to touch Cassidy. The only things that can hurt her are humans and human laws. That means you, human cop. So don’t.”

A hand that ended in sharp grizzly claws landed on Diego’s chest, just below his throat. One swipe, and Diego would be dead. Shane’s Collar wouldn’t be quick enough to stop him.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Diego said calmly.

The bear snout receded and Diego looked again into Shane’s human face, but the claws remained.

“Of course I love Cass. I have for years. But she’s out of my reach, and I know it. When Donovan started chasing her, I faded in her eyes. Donovan, the charmer, charmed himself right into Cassidy’s bed. The two of them didn’t come out for days. Eric and Jace couldn’t sleep inside the house, and me and Brody had to get earplugs.”