Sniffer Update: @newshound – Duncan and Kate in love! Hot on the trail of juicy details! #paparazzi

Cold fury settled in Kate’s stomach. She should probably have sense enough to be afraid, especially because Neil had a weapon. Instead she wanted to launch herself at him and scratch his eyes out. But before she took any action, foolish or brave, she had to find out what Penny was doing here.

Neil pushed himself away from the arched opening and backed into the living room, keeping the gun trained on Kate and Duncan. “Kate, you can join your sister on the sofa. MacDowell, you stand behind the sofa. That way I have a clear shot at all three of you.” He positioned himself with his back to the fire he’d obviously made while he waited.

Penny looked very pale and un-Penny-like with her hands clenched in her lap. “I’m sorry, Kate. I’ll bet when you kept my ID on the elevator code for old time’s sake you didn’t expect something like this.”

“Not exactly.” Kate had meant the elevator to be an escape route if Penny had ever needed to hide. Her grandmother had agreed they should leave the code in place. They both worried about Penny’s vulnerability living in the human world. Instead, the threat to Penny had come from the Were world in the form of Neil.

Kate eased down onto the sofa next to her sister as Duncan positioned himself behind them both. Kate felt his solid presence there and took comfort from it. They would figure this out…together.

She covered Penny’s cold hands with her own. “What’s going on?”

Penny took a shaky breath. “Neil’s been blackmailing me for years. It wasn’t much because I couldn’t afford much.”

“You bastard.” Kate regarded him with loathing. Yet she couldn’t say she was surprised. Furious, yes, but not surprised. She’d always known that Neil was capable of treachery. The switched blog was child’s play compared to this, however.

“It was gas money,” Neil said with a shrug. “Elizabeth always was stingy with me, so I needed a supplement. But now…thanks to your main squeeze there, Kate, I need more because it looks as if I won’t be the pack alpha, after all. I’ll need to keep on the move, and I’ll need funds. I figure you and Woofer-boy can ante up, now, too.”

“Dream on, you creep.” Kate glared at him. “We won’t do it.”

Neil rocked back on his heels. “That’s not a very good attitude, cousin. You see, what with the cell phone craze, all the members of Penny’s human family have ’em. They’re on one of those family plans. And I have Tom and both of their kids on speed dial.”

“You really are a first-class heap of dung, aren’t you?” Duncan said in a conversational tone. But his anger blazed hot enough for Kate to imagine she could feel it.

“You have the first-class part right, Woofer, and that’s how I plan to travel from now on, with your help, of course.”

“You won’t get away with it,” Kate said. “First chance I get, I’ll turn you in. We’ll hunt you down.”

“You wouldn’t want to do that. Any hint that you’ve become a tattletale, and those three people will receive my text messages.”

“They won’t believe you,” Duncan said. “They’ll think you’re a lunatic.”

“Maybe, maybe not. They’ll have questions. Penny might crack under the pressure of all those questions because the fact is, she’s never been a particularly good liar. The texts won’t be identical. Taking all three together, there’s enough detail for them to search out the truth.”

Penny’s blue gaze was filled with agony as she looked at Kate. “I worry so much about losing my kids. I’ve tried to tell myself that nobody would believe something like that, but I’m not sure. Tom’s had questions over the years. I know he has. I think a word from Neil, and Tom would begin to put it all together.”

“And that’s not only bad for Penny,” Neil said. “It’s bad for the entire Stillman pack. Much as MacDowell yearns to usher in a new age between werewolves and humans, it ain’t here, yet. The pack might take me out, but in the process all of you could find yourselves facing a mob with pitchforks, so to speak.”

Kate glared at him. “That’s nothing compared to what’s going to happen to you if the pack ever catches on to what you’ve been doing.”

“They won’t unless one of you tells them, and if that happens—I’ll be able to send those texts before they bring me down. My life won’t be worth much at that point, but neither will any of yours. So let’s all play nice, shall we? We can negotiate this. I’ll throw out some figures, and then you throw out some figures. I’m reasonable. I’m willing to haggle.”

As Kate tried to think her way out of the situation, she discovered that looking at Neil just made her see red instead of helping her concentrate. She searched for something else to focus on. She studied the books on her bookshelf, as if they might have some words of wisdom for her.

Wait. Did the bookcase just move? It couldn’t have. Probably wishful thinking on her part. No one else had the code except her grandma, and she’d have no reason to come up here.

Neil trained the gun specifically on her. “So here’s what I was thinking, Kate. You should chip in a little more, because Penny’s your sister, but the Woofer can probably afford a fair bit, too, because he’s like royalty or something over in Scotland. You said he lives in a castle, so that has to make him worth something, right?”

“I don’t have a lot of money,” Duncan said, “but you might be interested to know that I can use a broadsword.”

“Oh, I’m so scared. A broadsword. Whew.”

Kate glanced at the barrel of the gun, but couldn’t keep looking at it, so she settled her gaze on the bookshelf again. Then she blinked. She hadn’t imagined movement there! The bookshelf was opening ever so slowly and carefully, as if whoever was behind it didn’t want to make a sound and give themselves away.

Her heart beat faster. Someone was there, but who? She hoped to God it wasn’t her seventy-five-year-old grandmother hoping to get the jump on Neil. Surely not. But whoever had come up in the glass elevator understood how it operated and had kept the light off. Did they realize Neil had a gun?

“Okay, Neil,” she said. “I don’t appreciate being held at gunpoint. Could you put that thing away so we can talk like civilized beings?”

“I rather like this gun, Kate. I’ve never seen you quite so nervous before, and it does my heart good. You and Penny always thought that you were better than me, but I’m the one in control now, not you.”

Beside Kate, Penny tensed. She must have seen the bookcase moving, too. Duncan’s breathing had changed slightly. He must also be aware that someone was back there.

“What’s the bottom line, Stillwell?” Duncan asked. “How much do you want for this blackmail scheme, and how are we supposed to get it to you?”

“Well, well. It appears that your sweetheart is a sensible Were, Kate. He’s figured out there’s no way around the problem, and besides, it’s only money, right? The safety of family is way more important than a little cash.”

Kate prayed her grandmother wasn’t about to leap out from behind that bookcase with a baseball bat. Neil would turn and shoot her. Grandma Elizabeth had many wonderful skills, but dodging bullets wasn’t something she’d ever had to learn.

“Come to think of it,” Duncan said. “Kate has her purse right here. She might be able to give you something immediately, to tide you over until we can arrange for more.”

Kate had nothing in her purse but her room key and a tube of lipstick, but she guessed Duncan might be looking for a way to distract Neil. “Actually, I do have a fair bit in here,” she said. “I was planning to give the staff a bonus in cash tonight, rather than make them wait until payday. They’ve done a fabulous job this weekend.”

Neil’s eyes glittered. “Then I’ll just take that little purse as a down payment.”

“Here.” She threw it straight at his head, grabbed Penny and jerked her to the floor. She got a quick glimpse of two large bodies hurtling through the open bookcase wall. Neil’s yell was followed by the thud of fists against flesh. The gun went off. Her stomach pitched at the thought of someone being shot. Please not Duncan. She lifted her head to look.

“Stay down!” Duncan’s shout was music to her ears.

More thudding sounds followed, punctuated by crashes, grunts, groans, and curses, some in what sounded like Gaelic. Finally, it was quiet except for the sound of heavy breathing.

A hand touched her shoulder. “It’s okay, lass.” Duncan gulped air. “You can get up, now.”

Kate scrambled to her feet and Penny got up more slowly. The room was in chaos, with lamps smashed, books scattered, and a curtain ripped. Neil lay facedown and very still on the hearth. Duncan stood on one side of the fireplace guarding Neil’s prone body while Aidan and Roarke Wallace stood on the other side. All three struggled for breath. Their fists were raw and bleeding.

“Is it over?” Grandma Elizabeth peeked out through the open bookcase wall.

“Grandma!” Kate started to rush over, but a sharp warning from Duncan made her pause.

“There’s glass everywhere,” Duncan said. “Best stay right there for now.”

At least Kate knew how Aidan and Roarke had accessed the elevator. “Is Neil…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word. Much as she hated him, she hoped they hadn’t killed him, especially in front of Elizabeth.

“He’s alive,” Duncan said. “Just out cold.”

The knot of tension in Kate’s chest eased, and when she glanced at her grandmother, Elizabeth briefly closed her eyes in obvious relief. Then Kate studied Duncan, Aidan, and Roarke. They were battered but didn’t appear to be shot. “The gun went off,” she said. “I heard it hit something soft.”

“I’m afraid he put a bullet in your lovely sofa, milady.”

“Who cares?” She let out a breath. The bullet hadn’t gone into living flesh.

“Well, somebody needs to organize things, so I guess it will be me.” Elizabeth picked her way around the debris as she walked into the room. After one glance at Neil, she averted her gaze. “Shameful. Just shameful.” Then she raised her voice. “Howard! You all can come in, now.”

Kate turned toward the entryway and her eyes widened as Howard walked through the door followed by Emma, Abby, and…Angela Sapworthy? She turned to Duncan, who only shrugged. He seemed as bewildered as she was.

Although both her table lamps had been destroyed in the battle, Kate’s overhead kitchen lights were on, and Angela’s rhinestones created a strobing effect when she moved. She walked around the suite inspecting everything and everyone. “Amazing,” she said. “This will make such a great story.”

“Excuse me.” Kate faced her grandmother. “But why is Angela here? I realize that eventually we’d have to make a statement of some kind, but it seems as if you actually invited her in.”

Elizabeth expression was sheepish. “We really have no choice. She’s the one who tipped us off about Neil.”

“That’s right.” Angela continued to take careful inventory of her surroundings. “I saved the day.”

“How?”

Angela walked over to her. “I was so fascinated by this romance between you and that hunk of a Scotsman, that I followed you up here. This lodge is old, you know, and the doors don’t fit very tightly. I thought maybe if I listened at your door, I’d hear some interesting sweet talk.”

Kate gasped. “That’s a terrible invasion of privacy!”

“It may be,” Elizabeth said, “and I don’t condone her methods, but in this case they came in very handy. She heard Neil’s voice, heard him mention Penny, and knew you had big trouble.”

“So I hot-footed it down to the ballroom, alerted Howard and Elizabeth, and voila.” Her rhinestones flashed as she twirled around, causing everyone to squint.

“We had some help from Duncan and Kate,” Roarke said. “I knew Kate had seen the bookcase move when she started talking about the gun. Factoring in the gun meant we needed a distraction so we could rush him, and Duncan suggested that Kate hand her purse to Neil. But she threw it, which was even better.”

“And you had sense enough to duck.” Duncan bestowed a warm smile in her direction.

“She was much more resourceful than I was,” Penny said. “She’s become quite a leader. All I could do was sit there and shake.”

Those words of praise about her leadership ability meant more to Kate than Penny would ever know. She put an arm around her sister and gave her a squeeze. “Of course you were terrified. You had the most to lose.”

Emma stepped forward. “Penny, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Emma Wallace, Aidan’s mate.” Stepping carefully, she rounded the sofa and held out her hand.

Penny shook it warmly. “I know all about you. I’ve read your books, although I’m careful not to let my family know. I don’t want to introduce the subject of werewolves, even in a work of fiction.”

“I understand. And please don’t think I’m trying to interfere in your business, but…I have an idea for you to consider.”

Penny looked wary. “What’s that?”

“I haven’t checked it out with Aidan, either.” Emma’s gaze sought her mate’s. “But I think he’ll agree with me. I can imagine how much you long to share your secret with your mate, and the distress it’s causing you not to, even without Neil making your life miserable.”

Penny sighed. “I admit the pressure becomes greater every day. And then I think about my kids. I feel as if they should know, too, but I can’t imagine just throwing it out there.”

“I can’t, either.” Emma glanced over at Aidan again. “So here’s my idea. Plan a family vacation to New York. Stay with us at the Wallace family compound. You can say we’re old friends of your folks, whatever excuse you want. But let Tom and your kids see how normally we live. Then, when we’re all around, including Abby and me, who are human like Tom and your kids, break the news.”

Aidan smiled. “Brilliant, Emma.”

“I agree,” Howard said. “Well done, Emma. It could work.”

“Or it could backfire,” Kate said. “It’s still very risky.”

“It is, but not as risky as me telling them when I’m surrounded by humans.” Penny studied Emma carefully. “And living the way I do now is torture and not fair to them, either. They don’t really know me.”

Emma gave her a quick hug. “Think about it. And let me know. I hate to see you suffering.”

“Yes, but I put myself in this position, didn’t I?”

Not long ago, Kate would have said the same about her sister. But she saw the situation differently now. “You put yourself in this position because you found your one true love.” She looked over at Duncan and took a long, slow breath. “I finally understand that.” She absorbed the warmth of Duncan’s answering smile before turning back to her sister.

The tension in Penny’s expression eased. “You do?”

Kate nodded. “Uh-huh. Found him.”

“Oh, Kate! Congratulations!” Penny hugged her tight. “That’s so wonderful.” Then she stepped back and turned her attention to Duncan. “You’d better treat my baby sister like the treasure that she is.”

“Aye. I plan to.”

“And on that note,” Elizabeth said, “it’s time to put things to rights around here. Aidan and Roarke, if you wouldn’t mind loading Neil onto the elevator, I’ll ride down with you. I’d rather not haul him out through the lobby.” She pulled a cell phone out of a small evening bag. “I’ll arrange for members of our pack to meet us at ground level.”

Roarke nodded. “We can do that. Come on, Aidan. Let’s dispose of this unwanted garbage.” He walked over to Neil, who had begun to stir. “He won’t be happy when he comes to, so we need him out of here before then.” He leaned down and grabbed Neil’s feet.

Aidan moved into position and took hold of his wrists. “Should we put a blanket over him? It’s cold out there.”

Roarke looked at his brother. “No.”

“Right.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Taking him out the back way may be silly. I realize it’ll be all over Sniffer soon, but I’d rather not supply a visual to go along with it. You notice I didn’t allow Angela to bring her camera crew up here.”

Upon hearing her name, Angela paused in her cataloging of the details of the scene. “And what will happen to him, pray tell?”

“I have an idea about that,” Howard said. “Now that WOW exists, I propose that we use the council to determine the fate of our rogues. But he’s from the Stillman pack, and we’ll be setting a precedent. Elizabeth, you should weigh in. What do you think?”

“I think that makes perfect sense. Chances are he’d get a much harsher sentence from his pack once they discover he was blackmailing one of us and threatening to expose all of us.”

“I guarantee the council won’t go easy on him, either,” Howard said. “Can you detain him for us temporarily, until we set up our procedures?”

“I most certainly can.”

“If you’d like to transport him to Scotland, I can provide a dungeon.” Duncan seemed quite taken with that idea.

“It’s tempting to turn him over to you, Duncan,” Elizabeth said, “but I can create something very dungeon-like right here.”

“Good.” Howard nodded in satisfaction. “Then we’ll be in touch, and I’ll work something out as soon as possible.”

“I’ll await your instructions.” Elizabeth’s glance fell on Penny. “I’ll arrange for a car to take you home, sweetie.”

“That would be great.”

“Abby and I will walk with you downstairs,” Emma said. “On the way we’ll help you come up with a good cover story to tell Tom. I’m an expert at that kind of thing after keeping my mother in the dark for all this time.”

Penny smiled. “I have a feeling I’m going to be very glad I met you, Emma Wallace.”

Elizabeth surveyed the room with obvious satisfaction. “Then we’re all set.” She started toward the elevator and paused to glance at Kate. “I’ll send a cleaning crew up here right away. They’ll bring replacement lamps for you, as well.”

Kate exchanged a quick glance with Duncan and was fairly sure she knew what he was thinking. “Could you hold off on that until morning?”

Elizabeth frowned. “I can’t imagine why you’d want to put up with this mess until morning.”

Angela looked over at her. “Oh, I can, Elizabeth. There’s nothing wrong with the bedroom.” She batted her glitter-covered eyelashes. “If you get my drift.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I suppose you’re right. Then I’ll be off. I’ll meet the rest of you at the party when this matter is handled.”

“Wait.” Kate stepped around scattered books and broken lamp parts to give her grandmother a tight hug. “Thank you, Grandma.”

Elizabeth hugged her back just as fiercely. “You were very brave,” she said in a low voice. “You’re going to make a fine alpha.”

“Thank you.” Her throat tightened in a rush of unexpected emotion. She hadn’t realized how much she’d longed to hear those words.

“And we’re outta here,” Emma said. “Penny, I’ve already thought of several excellent excuses to give your mate.”

“Wonderful.” Penny made her way over to Kate and hugged her. “Be happy.”

“I already am.”

Howard cupped his hand under Angela’s elbow. “Time to go, Ms. Sapworthy.” He propelled her toward the front door. “And I want it understood that there will be no more listening at the door tonight.”

Angela looked offended. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Then she giggled. “I have so many juicy tidbits, I won’t have to listen outside doors for at least another week.”

Kate followed them to the entryway and called out a few more goodbyes before closing the door and twisting the deadbolt. Then she turned, walked back into the living room and straight into Duncan’s arms. “Now, where were we?”

“On our way to your bed, milady.” Guiding her gently through the bedroom door, he nudged it closed with his foot, shutting out all the ugliness and closing in all the beauty.

Duncan learned that a dress that fit like a glove and sparkled like a galaxy of stars was extremely complex and difficult to remove from the female wearing it. But he also suspected that this particular dress cost the moon and stars, too, so he finally stopped his search for a way into it. Reluctantly ending a most satisfactory kiss, he drew back.

“You’ll have to get yourself out of that contraption, lass. I canna do it. Or I could, and I’d ruin it for sure. It’s too lovely to ruin.”

Flushed with the effects of his kisses, she smiled, reached under her arm, and pulled down a side zipper.

“Ah, so that’s the trick.”

“That’s the trick. Once the zipper’s undone, it slides off like a peel from a banana.” She demonstrated by pushing it down to the floor and stepping out of it.

His breath caught. She wore nothing but her ruby jewelry, skimpy lace panties, and red high heels. “I’m glad I let you do it. I have to stand back a bit to appreciate the view.” He’d thought his need for her couldn’t get any more desperate. He was wrong.

“Do you want me to leave any of this on?”

He shook his head. “It’s a fantasy, I suppose, but…to tell the truth, all I want is you.” He took a deep breath to rein in the wolf in him, a wild creature yearning to take her in a surge of passion that left no room for tenderness. “Just you, Kate.”

Her eyes grew misty. “And I feel the same about you.” She took off the earrings and laid them on the dresser beside her. Then she removed the necklace and put it there, too. Last she kicked off her shoes. “Do you…do you have to leave in the morning?”

“I do.” He would hate leaving. He would hate it so much that he didn’t know how to put it into words.

“Oh.”

“Just to settle some things. It might take a week. Is that too long? Perhaps I can do everything in less, but I’m not sure that I can.”

Her expression was endearingly hopeful. “You mean, after this week of settling things, you’ll come back…to stay?”

“Aye. If you’ll have me.”

“Of course I’ll have you!” She rushed into his arms, nearly knocking him over. “I thought you’d have to stay in Scotland. You’d really be willing to live here, with me?”

“You’re to be the pack alpha one day, so that seems like the right choice for us. I can do my work anywhere. We can visit Glenbarra whenever you’re ready, but for the most part, I think—” He was prevented from further explanation when she began kissing him as if she would never stop.

But finally she did pull back a little, her voice breathless. “But you’re still dressed.”

“So I am.” He regarded her with amusement. “Perceptive of you to notice.”

“I’m no better at taking off a kilt than you are with a side-zipper dress. And I almost forgot. I still don’t know what you have on under it.”

“The usual.”

“That sounds like what you’d say to Angela Sapworthy. It tells me nothing.” Slipping out of his arms, she stood with her arms crossed. “Proceed, Woofer.”

He undressed for her, and mindful of what Elizabeth had said, he left the kilt on until the very end.

She moistened her lips. “I’ll say this for you. You know how to build the suspense.”

“No point in wearing a kilt if I don’t plan to make the most of it.” And then he took it off.

Her eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth as she gasped. Then she met his gaze and smiled. “So tell me, how does it feel to waltz like that?”

“Waltzing is no problem.” He moved toward her. “There’s enough room between us in case this starts to happen.” He gestured toward his erect penis. “The tango could be a different story. But I’ve lost all interest in dancing.”

“Good. So have I.”

“We have something we need to do.” He quivered as he thought of what was to happen between them. It was perhaps the most important event of his life. Yet he had no doubt that she was his destiny, his one true love.

“I know.”

He searched her expression. “Are you willing, then, to be bound to me?”

Her gaze didn’t waver as she placed her hand in his. “Yes. You are my soul mate, Duncan MacDowell.”

“And you are mine, Kate Stillwell.” His heart pounded. “We’ll plan a proper mating ceremony when I return, but…”

“It’s the binding that counts.” She took a shaky breath. “I know, Duncan.”

He held her hand firmly in his, wanting to make sure there were no doubts. “For life.”

She didn’t hesitate. “For life.”

“Come then.”

They walked hand-in-hand to the bed. And there on that firm mattress, as she braced herself on hands and knees, he took her in the traditional way, the position in which Weres had mated since the beginning of time. He took her with murmured promises, with great tenderness, and with love filling his heart. Her body shuddered against his and his climax answered.

It was done. His body hummed with quiet jubilation. Against all odds they’d found each other. Despite their differences, they’d defied logic to create this perfectly imperfect union. And he knew without a doubt they would love as a mated pair was meant to love…forever.