Wild Cat

“Easier than fighting every day of your life. Most of us live a long time, and we learned the hard way that keeping the peace is so much better than bloodshed.” Cassidy looked down the strip of land to other cubs playing in the distance. “Humans shoving us into Shiftertowns sucks, but at the same time, it’s helped us survive. Shifters were dying out. That’s why most of us didn’t fight coming out of the Shifter closet, or even taking the Collar.”

Cassidy’s Collar hugged her throat and looked damn good on her. Diego reminded himself that if it shocked her, it would hurt her badly. But still, the way the Celtic knot rested in the hollow of her throat, the way the silver links glistened under her hair, made Diego want to lean down and press his lips to it.

He closed his hands around the edge of the cool stone bench and changed the subject. “You said Jace went through the Transition. What’s that?”

“It’s like human puberty on steroids. I went through it, and I thought I’d die, but it’s worse for males. It’s your body deciding you’re ready to fight, mate, and find your place in the hierarchy. Your metabolism goes insane, telling you to mate, mate, mate, fight, fight, fight. Right now.”

Diego thought about his own rushed transition from boy to man and gave her a look of sympathy. “Looks like you made it. So did Jace.”

“I made it because I had Eric. Our parents were dead by then, but Eric was good at knocking me down or even chaining me up when I needed to be. Trust me, it was self-defense on his part. I thought my body was going to spontaneously combust a couple of times. For Jace, both Eric and me were around to help him, but, Goddess.” Cassidy took on a look of pure exasperation. “Jace’s Collar went off ten times a day, and even that didn’t calm him down. Poor guy. At least I got to Transition before the Collar.”

Jace certainly looked amiable now. But all the Shifters did, even Shane, until they were pissed off.

“It was hell,” Cassidy said. “But that’s over.” She blew out her breath. “Jace is ready to mate, but…” She opened her hands. “Not that many female Shifters to go around. It’s a real blow when we lose one. Not as many females die bringing in cubs as they used to, but it still happens.” She looked at Torey, her expression sad. “But you understand what Torey’s going through, don’t you? You lost your dad.”

Diego remembered the utter shock of it, the jolt of the violence that had taken his father’s life. Diego had been eight, Xavier six. They’d been stunned and grieving, but Diego hadn’t understood until he was older what his mother must have gone through. Mamita was a strong woman—she didn’t take shit from anyone—but she must have been devastated. How she’d held it together, held them together, Diego still didn’t know.

“You lost your mate,” he said to Cassidy. “Eric’s died too, right?”

“Kirsten. Yes, bringing in Jace.” She let out her breath. “That was tough.”

“But Eric’s still here. And you are. And so is my mom. You didn’t take the way out that Torey’s dad did.”

“I had Eric,” Cassidy said, as though it were that simple. “Eric had me, and he had to take care of Jace. And I bet your mom made it because she had you and your brother.”

“That’s true. I think I stayed alive when those meth-heads shot me and Jobe because I want to get them. And I will.”

“Exactly.” Cassidy drew another breath, as though she’d say something more along that line, then she let the breath out again. “I suppose we make choices for our own reasons. I feel bad about Torey’s dad though. I should have been paying more attention.”

“You can’t see every sign,” Diego said. Law enforcement had its share of suicides, and it wasn’t always obvious until later that the person had been in that much despair.

“I’m Eric’s second. It’s my job to see them.”

Diego’s brows rose. “Your job?”

“It’s what a second does. Noses into other people’s lives to make sure everything’s all right. So Eric doesn’t have to take time away from liaising with humans and keeping three different species of Shifters from killing each other. I take care of the secondary problems. Like making sure Torey’s new mom has time to cope.”

Diego glanced at the house next to the Wardens’. “You seem to get along with your neighbors, the grizzlies.”

“That’s because Nell keeps Shane and Brody in line. All the bears, actually.”

Diego remembered what Shane had said about Nell conceding leadership to Eric and Cassidy. “Why would she step out of the way for you and Eric? Bears are bigger than wildcats.”

Cassidy shot him a sly look that seared his blood. “Because wildcats are fast. Nell won’t try to take over. None of us would survive a fight like that, and we all know it. So we do what we do, and we don’t worry about it.”

They both watched Torey romp while Diego strove to calm down his body. “What else does a second do? You and Eric working together last night—that was amazing.”

Cassidy shrugged. “Experience. I help Eric fight when necessary, but mostly I listen to people. I help the older ones, especially those who got stuck in this Shiftertown alone, apart from their clans. I take them shopping or do it for them, or just take them out to be a friend.”

Diego felt a twinge of remorse. “And now that I’ve confined you to Shiftertown?”