Wild Cat

“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 dokk alfar in the area. He’d use any weapon, he said, to conquer his rival, even dokk alfar. From the way Cillian talks, though, any clan he doesn’t rule is his rival.” Jace shrugged. “He’s an arrogant bastard, but then, aren’t they all?”

“Well, thank you.” Cassidy grabbed the scruff of Jace’s neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You made your auntie happy. And probably saved her life.”

Jace looked surprised, then concerned. “Yeah? What exactly happened?”

Cassidy spent the rest of the cookout filling Jace in on events. He looked sorry he missed them and muttered that it was the last time he ran boring errands for his father. Cassidy tried to mollify him by telling him he’d been key in getting Reid’s people in position in time to save Diego and Cassidy.

Before Cassidy packed her overnight bag and got ready to ride back to Diego’s mother’s house for the night, Reid arrived.

“I owe you a debt,” he said to Cassidy as she went out to the backyard to greet him. “I can never repay it. I will never make up for what I’ve done to you.”

Reid looked more confident now, less beaten down, but shame still rested in his eyes.

“You rescued Diego and me from the Fae,” Cassidy said. “And did that neat trick with the crowbar. What was that?”

Reid shrugged, as though he’d not done anything spectacular. “I’m an iron master.”

“And that means…?”

“I can manipulate iron, make it do anything I want. Only in Faerie. I can’t seem to do the same here. Maybe that’s why I can teleport in the human world—perhaps my skill is manifesting in a different direction.”

“You can make iron do anything you want?” Cassidy asked. “What a great skill to have against people who hate iron. I have the feeling that’s one reason the hoch alfar wanted you out in the first place.”

Reid nodded. “That and they wanted my territory. I was the biggest obstacle in their way, so they destroyed my family and exiled me. And made certain I’d never make it back.”