Chapter Eight
Caine
The first thing one noticed, when they approached the plot of land the Black Water Pard called home, was the houses. While the paint on some was a bit worn, each one was in good condition, there were no rotting boards, no damaged roofs, even their small yards were well kept. A decade ago that wasn’t the case. The old Alpha had let the land go. He’d paid more attention to his own comforts, which included booze and women, and let the Pard wallow in squalor. As soon as Caine had felt he was old enough to handle taking control of the Pard, he’d challenged the Alpha for his position. There was a time when Zachary Eitenne could have wiped the floor with the younger leopard, but his gluttonous, lazy lifestyle made him soft, and Caine defeated him easily. Eight years after Caine defeated the old Alpha, the Pard was thriving, their homes were in good condition, and no one went without getting their basic needs met. If a member of the Pard needed help, there was always someone willing to lend a hand.
When Remy and Gage came to him to tell him about the wolf they’d run into at the coffee shop where Lily worked, he’d almost ordered them to bring the wolf to see him without Lily. According to the Delacroix brothers, the wolf was her mate and he was trying to take her back to Montana where he knew she had no desire to return. The only reason Caine didn’t give the order was he knew Lily wouldn’t have appreciated it. The Pard had taken her in, she was family, and they looked after one another, but she was stubborn, independent, and strong-willed. It would have pissed her off if he’d tried to protect her from the wolf.
“Remy’s docking now,” Gage said, approaching his Alpha. He’d been keeping watch for his brother’s boat so he could inform Caine of their arrival. “Interestin’ ting. Dere’s four in da boat, not tree. Dunno who da fourth one is.”
Caine frowned. “I’m sure we’ll see soon enough.” What was going on?
Lily
Lily looked between Emelise and Declan. Eme looked like she was on edge while Declan gave off a deceptively calm vibe. She was sure he wasn’t as calm on the inside as he was pretending to be. Surely he knew his continued presence in New Orleans depended on how this meeting went? “Relax, Eme, everything’s going to be fine.”
“You don’t know that, Lily. They didn’t want me because my father was human; they would have made my mom abort me. Maybe they won’t accept me.”
“Since when do you care whether or not others accept you as you are? Eme, people change, attitudes change. I’m a wolf shifter and they consider me family; do you really think they’ll turn you away?”
Emelise looked at her and then burst out laughing. “Well hell, you’re right, I’m being silly. Thanks, girl, I think I needed that to ease the tension.”
Lily flashed a grin. “Happy to oblige.”
“If you ladies are done chattin’, Caine’s waitin’ and you don’t want to keep da Alpha waitin’ too long,” Remy said and motioned for them to follow him.
Lily looped her arm through Emelise’s as they followed with Declan bringing up the rear.
Declan
As soon as he stepped off the boat, he felt the tension in the air. Was it simply because he was a wolf shifter among leopards or was there another reason? He had to force his wolf down because he perceived the tension as a potential threat. There were too fucking many of them for him to fight so he needed to keep his cool. He knew on the surface he looked calm and relaxed; it was a skill he’d developed quickly in order to put others at ease and make his former job much easier. When your target wasn’t expecting you to turn on them and rip their throat out, it was a lot easier to kill them without raising an alarm.
Declan followed Lily and Emelise, who were in turn following Remy Delacroix. Now that he realized the leopard wasn’t romantically interested in Lily, he could admit he liked the man’s attitude. He was cocky and sure of himself and he was protective of the people he cared about. He’d have to remember to thank Remy and his brother for keeping an eye on Lily all this time.
Remy came to a stop in front of a blond man who, despite the fact he wasn’t big and beefy, exuded confidence, control, and strength. The dominance damn-near rolled off the man as he waited for them to approach. Here was Caine Bordeaux, Alpha of the Black Water Pard. Declan was sure of it.
Caine
Caine watched them approach and his gaze went to the brunette walking beside Lily. She wore a crimson gypsy wrap-skirt made of what appeared to be cotton and gauze that hugged her hips and flared out around her ankles, paired with a black tank top. Black ankle boots peeked out from beneath the skirt and feathered earrings hung from her earlobes. Her black hair was pulled back from her face, and even from a distance, he could see her eyes were green. Whoever she was, she was gorgeous. “Lily, welcome, cher. I see you’ve brought visitors wit’ you,” he said when the quartet reached him.
“Hello, Caine. Yes, I have. Caine Bordeaux, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Emelise Rousseau. Eme, this is Caine, Alpha of the Black Water Pard.” Lily chose to introduce her friend first.
Caine stepped forward and his nostrils flared. His leopard was suddenly very aware of the smaller female in front of them. Her cinnamon and sandalwood scent hit him, and it felt like he’d been struck by a sledge hammer. Immediately he wanted to forget all about the wolf waiting to be introduced and whisk the female off to his house. Instead he reached out, took the hand she offered him, and lifted it to his lips. “Pleasure, cher.” His gaze locked on her, and he just barely contained the rumbling purr that threatened to escape him.
Emelise
Emelise studied the man as they approached him; he was clearly the Alpha. He was considerably taller than her, muscular without looking like he was on steroids, and those pale blue eyes of his made her belly quiver. In a word, he was sexy. Very sexy. She tried to push the thought away as Lily introduced them. When his musky scent hit her, she stifled a purr. He smelled delicious. The moment their eyes locked, she felt like she was getting lost in his gaze. His fingers gripped hers lightly, to raise her hand to his mouth, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her body was warm all over, her leopard was itching to come out, and she was embarrassed to feel dampness pooling between her thighs. What in the hell was wrong with her? The brush of his lips on the back of her hand made her shiver.
“It’s…” She had to clear her throat to speak. “It’s nice to meet you.” When he let her hand go, she actually curled it against her chest as if his touch had hurt her. The exact opposite was true. She wanted to reach out and trail her fingers along his jaw. That was so not happening.
When Caine let go of her hand and tore his gaze from her, Emelise felt a sense of loss. As realization hit her, she was glad it was nighttime and the area was only lit with a soft glow from nearby lights because it hid the fact she’d paled. She knew why her body was reacting to him; she knew why her leopard was suddenly wanting to roll around in his scent. Caine Bordeaux was her mate.
Caine
It took every ounce of willpower Caine had to release her hand and turn his attention to the wolf who’d moved up to stand a little in front of Lily. “You must be da wolf I’ve heard so much about.”
“Declan Monroe.”
“Yes, dat’s da name.” He looked at Emelise again for a moment. “You and I need to talk, cher, but I have to settle dis first.” He turned his attention fully to Declan. “I hear you’re here on behalf of Lily’s father. Dat true?”
Declan nodded. “Yes, it is. I came down here originally to find out if Magnis Quinn’s daughter was living in New Orleans and to take her home to Montana.”
“How’s dat workin’ out for you?” There was a faint smirk on Caine’s face.
“Not very well,” Declan replied with a straight face.
Caine chuckled. “I s’pect not. Lily’s got a stubborn streak big nuff, you’d tink she was Cajun.” His voice was laced with amusement.
Lily huffed at the comment but she didn’t argue with him.
Caine glanced at her. “You know it’s true, cher. No’ting to be ashamed of, neither.” He turned his attention back to Declan. “Declan Monroe.” His tone grew serious and the tension that had faded was back in the air. “Give me one good reason why I should let you stay in Black Water Pard territory.”
Declan
Declan watched the man in front of him. He understood what Lily meant about the Alpha of the Black Water Pard being intense. It wasn’t any one thing about him, not really. It was simply him. His power, his strength, his dominance were there for all to see. It made his wolf want to issue challenge but he kept a tight reign on the urge.
As Caine bantered with Lily about her stubbornness, Declan studied him. The man gave none of his thoughts away so trying to read him was akin to trying to read a book in the dark. Damn near impossible. He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by the question but there was no hesitation in his reply.
“Lily.”
Caine cocked a brow. “What about Lily?”
“You asked me to give you one good reason to let me remain in your territory. Lily is my reason. She’s not just a fellow wolf shifter, she’s my mate. If she’s here then this is where I need to be as well.” He noticed the leopard didn’t seem surprised by his claim which meant the Delacroix brothers had already filled him in.
Caine stepped closer to Declan for a moment, then gave him an arched look. “Your mate, eh? Yet I don’t smell her on you, or you on her. Why is dat?”
Lily spoke up before Declan could. “Just because my wolf recognizes him doesn’t mean I have to give in to animal instincts. I’m in a committed relationship with someone I care about; there will be no mingling of our scents.”
Caine laughed. “Oh, you’ve got your work cut out for you, wolf. Good luck wit’ dat.” He ignored the way Lily glared at him. “You can stay in our territory unless you do someting to hurt Lily or bring trouble to da Pard. Da connection between mates is strong; you wouldn’t be able to stay away, and I’d rather dere not be fights between you and my Pard. We’ve got enough trouble with da Red Moon Clan. Lucas Cormier, da Alpha, has been sending his jaguars into our territory for a while now, causin’ a stir and harassin’ some of my leopards.”
“Oh, believe me, I know I have my work cut out for me with Lily, but I’m up to the challenge’,” Declan said with a smirk. Lily was going to be a handful, that was for sure. “I won’t bring trouble to your Pard. Thank you for extending your hospitality to me and allowing me to remain in your territory. If there’s anything I can do to assist the Black Water Pard with the Red Moon Clan, just say the word.”
“Let’s talk.”
“Lead the way.” Declan followed Caine through his home and into his study, where the leopard took a seat behind his desk before motioning to one of the thick chairs in front of it.
“Have a seat.” Caine waited until Declan was comfortable before he continued. “You’ve offered to help with da jaguars. What can you do dat my leopards can’t?”
Declan leaned forward a little before he answered. “First of all, I can get close to them without them realizing I’m the enemy. If any of your leopards go near them, they’ll catch their scent and it’ll turn ugly. Beyond that, until recently, I was part of a Special Ops team that specialized in everything from tracking men who did very evil things so we could take them out, to extracting prisoners of war and kidnap victims, and stopping insurgents in their tracks. Several of my former teammates have rejoined the private sector as well, and I can get them here within days. We can help because we can infiltrate their ranks and get in and out to sabotage anything they have planned.”
Caine listened intently to what he said and cocked a brow at him. “Infiltrate dem how?”
“What is the one weakness any Alpha male has regardless of his species?”
Caine didn’t hesitate. “Women.”
“Exactly. Two of my team, Sasha and Echo, are jaguars. They can get in and wreak havoc from the inside.”
“Do it. You know, we had some government agents sniffin’ around here some years ago. Dey tried to talk Remy into joinin’ a Special Ops group. I’m bettin’ dat was yours or one like it. He had da skill but he wasn’t interested in der offer. Talk wit’ him; he’ll pick out any of our leopards who might be of use to you.”
“Will do. Don’t worry, whatever the jaguars have planned, we’ll stop them before they even start. Barring that, we’ll make them regret ever even thinking about coming into Black Water Pard territory uninvited.”
“Thank you, Declan. Your help means a great deal to me, and my Pard. Whatever you can do to help me keep my people safe, I greatly appreciate it. I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to your mate. Good luck with dat. You’re going to need it.” Caine chuckled as they headed back outside.
Lily
“Eme? What’s wrong?”
Emelise blinked several times before she turned to Lily. “I don’t… Fuck, Lily, this is not what I had in mind when I came here.”
“I’m not following, Eme. What are you talking about?”
“That damn leopard is my mate. I know it. The way my body reacted to him, it was like I could barely breathe. I was warm all over, my leopard wanted to come out and play, and my fucking panties are wet. I don’t need this; I don’t need a man trying to control my life.”
Lily blinked. “Oh, Eme, I’m sorry. Now you know how I feel about Declan. We can be stubborn together.” She looped arms with her. “Come on. While they talk business, I want you to meet Mia and Gage. Gage is Remy’s brother and Mia is his mate. She’s pregnant—due any day now—and she would wring my neck if I came to the compound and didn’t stop in to see her.”
“All right. Lead the way then. We can’t have her wringing your neck; I need your help with cleaning up the club.”
“I see how it is; you just want me for my free labor.” Lily laughed as she led Emelise down the walkway, past several houses, before she stepped into a well-kept yard and approached the open door.
Mia stood in her doorway, her belly swollen with child, and leaned against her mate, Gage. “I was wonderin’ when you were gonna come see me.” Mia was a tiny redhead who looked almost elfin next to her mate. There was almost a foot difference in height between her and Gage.
“Mia, you know I’d never come out here and not visit with you.” Lily gave her a brief hug and turned to motion to Emelise. “Mia Delacroix, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Emelise Rousseau.”
“Rousseau? Any relation to Eulalie and Buford Rousseau?”
“Um, maybe? I honestly don’t know. My mama never told me my grandparents’ names, but she was from here and they were members of the Pard.”
“Your mother…Adelaide? You’re Adelaide’s daughter?”
“Yes. How do you know my mama?” Her voice quivered and there was a pained look in her eyes.
“She and my mama are cousins. Come on in and sit yourself down, cher. You look like you’re about to fall over.” Mia ushered them both inside. “Gage, go fetch Mamere Eulalie and my mama; dey need to be here for dis,” she said to her mate before she carefully lowered herself into a chair.
Emelise
Emelise sat down on the sofa in a daze. Mia’s mother and her mother were cousins. That made them cousins. She had family. Holy hell. She was nervous as hell about meeting her grandmother though. Her mother had pushed the belief that she wouldn’t be wanted or welcomed, but Mia seemed to think differently. Had her mother been wrong all this time? She barely felt Lily’s comforting hand on her shoulder as she tried to sort through her emotions.
Lily noticed the shock on Emelise’s face as they took a seat on the sofa. Instead of asking what would be a stupid question, such as ‘Are you okay?’, she just sat next to her and offered silent support.
Emelise’s head snapped up as Gage returned with two women in tow. One was much older; she had to be her grandmother. The other was about the same age as her mother. Her throat was suddenly dry and she wasn’t sure she could even speak.
Eulalie stopped in the doorway and stared at the young woman seated on the sofa.
“Mamere Eulalie, dis is Emelise, Adelaide’s daughter,” Mia introduced them to each other. “I knew you’d want to meet her since she was visitin’.”
“I’d know you was Adelaide’s anywhere. You look so much like her, child. Is your mama here in New Orleans too?”
Emelise felt the bite of pain at the mention of her mother. “No. She died a few weeks ago.” Her voice was so soft; if they hadn’t been shifters, none of them would have heard her.
Eulalie moved forward toward one of the empty chairs, but stumbled at the news that her daughter was gone. The color drained from her face and Gage had to catch her and ease her into a chair.’
“I always hoped one day she’d come back, give us a chance to make tings right. Now she’s gone.” Eulalie wiped her eyes before she looked to her granddaughter. “But you’re here; I’ll have to be happy wit’ dat.”
Those words pulled Emelise out of her shock and made her anger rise. “If that’s how you really felt then why the fuck didn’t you try to find us? It wasn’t like Mama was trying to hide who she was. She didn’t change her name or her appearance or anything. In this day and age, it would have been easy for you to track her down but you didn’t. Not only that, but if that’s how you felt, why in the hell did you disown her in the first place? My mama died believing her family—her own parents—not only hated her but me as well. She died believing that you didn’t love her all because she made a fucking mistake when she was sixteen gods-damned years old!”
Eliza, Mia’s mother, gasped at the language Emelise was using in front of Eulalie. “Shame on you, cher, speakin’ dat way to your elder.”
Emelise gave her a dark look. “My mama raised me to stand up for myself. Respect is something that has to be earned; it’s not just given out willy-nilly. I think I deserve to know the truth; I deserve to know why my mama was disowned just because my father isn’t a shifter.” Her hands were balled into fists at her side and a soft, angry growl slipped past her gritted teeth. She forced herself to take several deep breaths to calm down and regain control of both her anger and her leopard.
Eliza started to respond but Eulalie held up a hand. “No, Eliza, she’s right. She does deserve some answers. Why don’t we go talk in my home. If I’m not mistaken, Mia’s gone into labor. Maybe all dis excitement was too much for her babe.”
All eyes went to Mia who was staring at her lap. Her pants were drenched and her face was strained from a sudden contraction. “I’ve been havin’ back pain all day… I thought it was normal,” Mia murmured once the contraction eased.
Gage was at her side immediately. “Let’s get you into da bedroom. Eliza, fetch Sabine. Lily, help me get Mia comfortable.” When no one moved from where they were, he snarled. “Move!”
His snarl broke whatever hold was over the women and Eliza ran out the front door. Emelise looked at Mia then looked to her grandmother. “You’re right, we should move this conversation elsewhere. Mia needs to be able to focus on bringing her baby into the world; she doesn’t need us stressing her out.”
“I’ll come find you when the baby is born.’ I don’t want to leave Mia’s side until then,” Lily said to her friend.
“Sure thing.” Emelise nodded at her and followed her grandmother out of the house. Whatever the woman had to say, it better be good.
Lily
Lily helped Gage to get Mia out of her sodden pants and into a dress that could be pulled down to cover her up later. A plastic tarp was spread out beneath the sheet and Mia was settled onto the bed. When Mia gripped her hand hard enough it would have broken bones if she’d been human, Lily reached up with her free hand and brushed the hair back from her face. “Just breathe, Mia. Slow, deep breaths until the contraction passes.” Mia had chosen to have a home birth, with the aid of the Pard’s doctor, who had recently returned to New Orleans after finishing her residency at a hospital in Shreveport. Lily kept her voice soft and gentle to keep her friend calm.
“Listen to her; she knows what she’s talkin’ about.”
Lily’s attention went to the door and the woman who stood there. She was expecting a much older woman and was startled to see the woman looked just a bit older than her own twenty-six years.
“Dis is Sabine; she’s da Pard’s doctor,” Gage said in introduction. He saw the look on Lily’s face and chuckled. “Sabine just finished up her residency and came back home. She’s been gone five years and we’re damn glad she’s back.”
“Nice to meet you.” Lily turned her attention back to Mia. “That’s it, deep breaths,” she encouraged and was finally able to flex her fingers to get the blood flowing through them again when Mia’s grip eased.
“Have you had much experience wit’ childbirth?” Sabine moved with grace and efficiency as she got Mia re-positioned so she could check the progress of things.
“Nothing formal, not like you, but I helped out a few times with my old pack, before I left. I was the Alpha’s daughter so it was kind of expected of me, but I did it because I wanted to be there, not because everyone expected me to. The worst was Casey. She was raped when she was fourteen and got pregnant. Her parents wanted her to abort; they didn’t think she could handle it emotionally, but she refused. She…had a lot of problems in childbirth and we almost lost both of them.”
“Dat can happen when da mama is so young. Da poor child. Are she and her babe well?”
“They were when I left. Jacob is eight now. He was two when I left Montana.” She’d not thought about them in a long time and now it made her want to reach out to the younger wolf.
“Dat’s good, dat dey’re both doin’ well.” Sabine looked to Mia and gave her an encouraging smile. “You’ve been in labor a lot longer dan you let on, cher. You’re already at nine centimeters—won’t be long now before you’ll want to start pushin’.”
Mia blushed at the hint of reprimand in Sabine’s voice. “I didn’t know I was in labor. My back was hurtin’ but I didn’t tink anyting about it.”
“Back labor can be tricky because you’re already havin’ back pain from the weight of da babe. No’ting to be embarrassed about, Mia. Now you know for da future.”
Mia just nodded and tried to breathe through the contractions. “When will I know it’s time to push?”
“You’ll fee da urge, but I want you to wait until it’s so strong you can’t fight it anymore. Lily, I’ll use your help since you’re already here and know a bit about childbirth.”
“Just tell me what you need me to do.” As Mia’s labor progressed, she assisted Sabine by helping to keep Mia calm, helping her with her breathing, and finally, when the baby was born, she was the one who wrapped it in a blanket while Sabine got Mia cleaned up.
“You’ve got a healthy baby boy.” Sabine handed the baby to Lily to wrap in a blanket once she’d gotten it cleaned up. Then she turned her attention to Mia so she could help her through the rest of the birth process with the expulsion of the afterbirth.
Gage let out a roar of joy that was soon echoed by the Pard. As their voices lifted to celebrate the birth of Gage and Mia’s son, Lily couldn’t help but add her own voice to it and her howl joined their roars. If anyone was in the bayou that night, they were bound to get one hell of a scare.