the combatants was a cat. The longhaired black cat was larger than normal house cats.
This one was the size of a Savannah. Big, big cat. His coat was very fine and glossy. The moon came out long enough for me to see it wasn’t a pure black. There were shades of dark brown in his coat just like in his hair. It almost looked he had a mane that was threaded through with that deep brown. There were touches of brown around his nose and mouth too.
Looking away from the cat staring a hole through me, I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at Marshell. “I swear, I take my eyes off you for a minute, and what do you do?”
“Hey, it wasn’t me.” Marshell jerked his head at the cat.
The cat hissed in response.
Well, now, that sounded threatening, so I kept an eye on the cat. “Everything okay here, Marshell?”
Marshell rolled his eyes. “For the most part.”
“Um, alrighty, then.” I needed to give Sam a heads up on what was about to happen. I turned to face him. “Look, your name is Sam, right? Well, Sam, a very lovely and bossy black woman is going to show up here shortly looking for her twin brother. Her name’s Janelle Foles.”
Sam looked at Dolf.
I caught the look. “I’d highly suggest you bring her back here. Trust me, you don’t want her looking for Marshell or me on her own.”
I looked at Heller again. So far he was just sitting there watching us.
Sam threw his hands up. “Jeez! I’m supposed to be conducting an interview with someone who just happens to be human, so I can’t explain this, but hey, no problem.”
Marshell bared his fangs at Sam. “ I was minding my own business until your buddy over there latched on to me, so deal with it, man.”
“Marshell, chill out,” I said. Jesus, this was going downhill fast. “Sam, I’m going to call Janelle and tell her to ask for you. You’ll be glad you took care of this. Janelle isn’t someone to mess with.”
Marshell snorted.
Sam didn’t look convinced, but I had other worries. He had no idea, he really didn’t, and he didn’t want to know either, which was why I sent him to wait on Janelle. The males of their species could be vicious, but the females? God. They could be straight up sadistic.
Mumbling, Sam left.
That settled, I shot another glance at Heller, then turned back to Marshell. “Could maybe someone tell me what’s going on here?”
Dolf stuck out his hand. “As I said earlier, my name is Dolf. Well, Dolfoon Hoyer is my full name, but I go by Dolf. I’m the heir apparent and head beta to the West Falls clowder.”
“Ah, yeah. Um, I’m Lawson Dupre.” I shook his hand, but glanced at Marshell. “I’m a little unsure what heir apparent means.”
“He’s the next Alpha of their clowder. A clowder is a group of cats,” Marshell answered. “Think wolf pack, but felines instead.”
Dolf winced. “Well, we’re not exactly like the wolves.”
I didn’t know that that meant, and didn’t care for now. “Ah, right. I’ve heard of Alphas. But what has that got to do with this?” I asked, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. Even with a jacket, I was chilled. It was quickly getting uncomfortable out here.
Dolf picked up the clothes on the ground and put them on a small table near us. “It seems Heller smelled your scent on Marshell and reacted. Since you’re not scared of your friend, I’m going to assume you know about paranormals.”
I nodded. “Yeah, for about ten years now.”
“That makes this so much easier, then,” Dolf said.
“Yeah?” Marshell cut his eyes over at the big cat watching us. “Tell your beta over there that.”
I looked at Heller too. I really wished he’d change back.
“Oh, he’s aware,” Dolf said, setting Heller’s shoes next to the clothes. “That’s why he acted like—”
“ Marshell ? Lawson ? Look, they better be out here, or I’m going to—”
I smirked at Marshell. “Hurricane Janelle has arrived.”
“Gods.” Marshell pinched the bridge of his
This one was the size of a Savannah. Big, big cat. His coat was very fine and glossy. The moon came out long enough for me to see it wasn’t a pure black. There were shades of dark brown in his coat just like in his hair. It almost looked he had a mane that was threaded through with that deep brown. There were touches of brown around his nose and mouth too.
Looking away from the cat staring a hole through me, I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at Marshell. “I swear, I take my eyes off you for a minute, and what do you do?”
“Hey, it wasn’t me.” Marshell jerked his head at the cat.
The cat hissed in response.
Well, now, that sounded threatening, so I kept an eye on the cat. “Everything okay here, Marshell?”
Marshell rolled his eyes. “For the most part.”
“Um, alrighty, then.” I needed to give Sam a heads up on what was about to happen. I turned to face him. “Look, your name is Sam, right? Well, Sam, a very lovely and bossy black woman is going to show up here shortly looking for her twin brother. Her name’s Janelle Foles.”
Sam looked at Dolf.
I caught the look. “I’d highly suggest you bring her back here. Trust me, you don’t want her looking for Marshell or me on her own.”
I looked at Heller again. So far he was just sitting there watching us.
Sam threw his hands up. “Jeez! I’m supposed to be conducting an interview with someone who just happens to be human, so I can’t explain this, but hey, no problem.”
Marshell bared his fangs at Sam. “ I was minding my own business until your buddy over there latched on to me, so deal with it, man.”
“Marshell, chill out,” I said. Jesus, this was going downhill fast. “Sam, I’m going to call Janelle and tell her to ask for you. You’ll be glad you took care of this. Janelle isn’t someone to mess with.”
Marshell snorted.
Sam didn’t look convinced, but I had other worries. He had no idea, he really didn’t, and he didn’t want to know either, which was why I sent him to wait on Janelle. The males of their species could be vicious, but the females? God. They could be straight up sadistic.
Mumbling, Sam left.
That settled, I shot another glance at Heller, then turned back to Marshell. “Could maybe someone tell me what’s going on here?”
Dolf stuck out his hand. “As I said earlier, my name is Dolf. Well, Dolfoon Hoyer is my full name, but I go by Dolf. I’m the heir apparent and head beta to the West Falls clowder.”
“Ah, yeah. Um, I’m Lawson Dupre.” I shook his hand, but glanced at Marshell. “I’m a little unsure what heir apparent means.”
“He’s the next Alpha of their clowder. A clowder is a group of cats,” Marshell answered. “Think wolf pack, but felines instead.”
Dolf winced. “Well, we’re not exactly like the wolves.”
I didn’t know that that meant, and didn’t care for now. “Ah, right. I’ve heard of Alphas. But what has that got to do with this?” I asked, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. Even with a jacket, I was chilled. It was quickly getting uncomfortable out here.
Dolf picked up the clothes on the ground and put them on a small table near us. “It seems Heller smelled your scent on Marshell and reacted. Since you’re not scared of your friend, I’m going to assume you know about paranormals.”
I nodded. “Yeah, for about ten years now.”
“That makes this so much easier, then,” Dolf said.
“Yeah?” Marshell cut his eyes over at the big cat watching us. “Tell your beta over there that.”
I looked at Heller too. I really wished he’d change back.
“Oh, he’s aware,” Dolf said, setting Heller’s shoes next to the clothes. “That’s why he acted like—”
“ Marshell ? Lawson ? Look, they better be out here, or I’m going to—”
I smirked at Marshell. “Hurricane Janelle has arrived.”
“Gods.” Marshell pinched the bridge of his
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