Page 40 of Stray Cat

Lindsay paused at the end of Graham’s front walk, wondering whether to go home or out for a run. The cat inside her wanted to dash around until she was exhausted and then curl up and go to sleep. Things always looked brighter after a good nap.

Or, she could call Xav right now, explain the danger of him coming to Shiftertown ever again, and end it with him.

Not that she’d accept any mate-claims from annoying Lupines, but Graham was right. Until his frenzied Shifters knew whether Lindsay was mating with Xav or not, they wouldn’t settle down to be their usual irritating selves. She was aware that Eric’s unmated Shifters, though less demonstrative, wanted that answer as well.

The thought of telling Xav to stay away for good ripped a hole in her heart and flooded her eyes with more tears.

Lindsay started walking. She didn’t know where she was going, and she didn’t care. She strode down the street, heading for open country.

A breeze touched her ankles. Lindsay glanced down to see, through her blurred vision, two wolf cubs running in circles around her. They emitted baby howls when they felt her attention on them, tails wagging hard.

Matt and Kyle had come to protect her, she realized. To walk with her and keep her safe.

Lindsay became abruptly aware of watchers—from porches, from front windows, from shadows of thick mesquites that dotted the way. Hostile watchers, she sensed, likely the Lupines who’d threatened Xav or those who sympathized with them.

Some Shifters would welcome any excuse to start a war between Graham’s Shifters and Eric’s.

All because Lindsay didn’t know what was going on in her relationship with Xav. So unfair.

She understood, though, that most Shifters would blameherif Graham’s Lupines caused trouble. Eric and Cassidy would not, but they’d have to deal with the mess.

“Shit!” Lindsay shouted to the air.

The cubs yipped in sympathy, their circles around her more enthusiastic.

She realized, after she’d gone another block, that the two were herding her back toward her own house.

“I’ll be all right, guys, really,” she tried to argue. “I’m more worried aboutyou.”

Kyle started to howl, a high-pitched, piercing noise. Matt’s yipping increased.

Misty had once told Lindsay that the wolf cubs, in spite of their cuteness, were quite powerful Shifters, descended from hyper-strong Lupines of the past. They had abilities that Graham couldn’t explain and probably more that nobody knew about yet.

But in Lindsay’s eyes, they were still cubs. If one of the watching Lupines decided to attack her, he’d kick aside the little wolves without remorse.

“I’ll go home,” she assured them. “But only if you two go back to Graham and Misty. They need you.”

The cubs utterly ignored her. Tails going like mad, they continued their enthusiastic circling, guiding her inexorably along her street and to her house. Lindsay sensed the watchers retreat, turning away to other things as though understanding they’d lost this round.

Matt and Kyle stuck to Lindsay until she reached her back door. When she leaned down to stroke their fur in thanks, they went wild, licking her face and yipping in joy.

They waited until Lindsay had gone all the way inside before they tore across the backyards, heading once more for Graham’s house.

Lindsay watched them go with regret. The cubs were not only protective, they were good at distracting her from despair.

She knew that once she’d retreated into the solitude of her own room, she’d have to face some hard truths, ones that might end in profound pain.

* * *

Xav and Nealspent the morning tracking the helicopter, picking up its path from chance videos posted by campers and hikers, air traffic reports Neal hacked his way into, and a few calls to radio stations from those insisting they’d seen a UFO near Area 51.

Xav plotted the sightings, and they came up with a rough map of the helicopter’s movements.

Brody supplied coffee and went on a donut run as Xav and Neal worked.

“You two about done?” Brody asked after they’d gone through half the box of donuts. “This is like watching paint dry.”

“Not quite.” Xav rolled back from the computer in resignation. Neal, who let nothing faze him, lounged in a kitchen chair munching on a chocolate-covered donut with multicolored sprinkles. “We have a direction the helicopter went, but not its final destination. We’ll have to drive around looking for possible landing sites.”

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