On Silent Paws, page 1
part #6 of Wildcat Hills Pride Series
In the war of love, the heart must never surrender...
Vaughn Christian is pissed. His alpha has sent him on a serious mission along with another shifter who keeps trying to play the mate card. Vaughn is determined to keep things strictly business between them. He’s lost one mate and doesn’t think he can survive losing another. But his heart and body aren’t listening...
Finley Palmer knows Vaughn’s his mate. All this cougar shifter wants is to ride off into the sunset with the man of his dreams. But Vaughn’s making that almost impossible. What does he have to do to get through to the stubborn coyote shifter?
Finley is determined to fight for his love, but it won’t matter if he and Vaughn don’t survive this mission. At this rate, stress will either make them or break them.
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On Silent Paws
Copyright © 2019 Liza Kay
ISBN: 978-1-4874-2599-9
Cover art by Latrisha Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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On Silent Paws
Wildcat Hills Pride Book 6
By
Liza Kay
Dedication
To my readers. Thank you for your patience and encouragement!
Chapter One
“Shouldn’t we talk about the elephant in the room?” Finley asked.
“The only animal I have the desire to discuss is the cougar who came into my bedroom without my invitation. In the middle of the night.”
Finley threw his arms up and let out a loud sigh of anguish. Talking with his mate felt like pulling teeth. Surprising Vaughn while the guy was asleep hadn’t been the best idea, Finley had to admit. But he was desperate. “We’re scheduled to leave on a mission in the morning.” Despite Vaughn’s protest, Beta Alan had put his foot down and decided Finley would accompany Vaughn to scout a secret laboratory where a crazy doctor experimented on humans. Fin wasn’t sure yet if he was happy with Alan’s meddling or not.
“Don’t you think carrying around unresolved issues puts us both at risk?” Finley suppressed the urge to adjust himself and crossed his arms over his chest instead. Mostly because he didn’t want to give Vaughn the satisfaction.
The coyote shifter already knew how he effected Finley. At the sight of a naked Vaughn sitting in his bed—the planes of his muscled body softly illuminated by the light from the lamp, a sheet pooled around his waist—Finley’s cat purred in deep appreciation.
Vaughn merely raised a dark red eyebrow.
God, what Finley wouldn’t give to be able to lick over the equally red morning stubble covering Vaughn’s cheeks.
“Unresolved problems? Do you mean the fact you forced your way onto my mission? Or the way you keep following me around, trying to be friends, although you know I’m not interested?” Vaughn grabbed his pillow and fluffed it. “Well, in my opinion the only problem is you’re keeping me from getting some much-needed sleep. That, in fact, is dangerous because I don’t think we’ll get much rest during this mission.”
Finley pressed his lips together and took a couple of deep breaths. Yeah, he wanted to smother his mate with his own damn pillow. And maybe punch him in the face for being deliberately obtuse. “Stop being a prick. Tell me why you’re acting as though you don’t know what I am to you.”
“A nuisance?” Vaughn asked with a straight face.
Finley winced. Okay, that hurt. “No, my mate.” Finley put emphasis on the last word. He took a couple of steps toward Vaughn and stopped beside the bed. “Why are you denying me? Am I so hideous?”
Vaughn laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. A muscle in his jaw twitched. His cold gaze never left Finley’s. “Don’t be stupid. Just because you have a nice ass—and I admit I wouldn’t mind giving it a good drilling—doesn’t mean there’s more between us than lust.”
“So you admit to being attracted to me?” That was something, at least. Finley could build on that.
Vaughn shrugged his shoulders. He was fit for being in his early forties, but not overly bulky like Malcolm or Bailey. The light set fire to the crinkly copper-colored hair on his chest. The skin under that hair was creamy pale. “Who wouldn’t be? I haven’t had sex in a while, and you’re constantly throwing yourself at me. I’d be dead not to get a boner around you. Is that why you’re in my room? You want a cock up your ass?”
“No.” Finley squinted. Maybe.
“You want to fuck me?”
Finley growled. “No.” Well... yes.
“Pity. Maybe a good hard fuck would get rid of the tension between us.” Vaughn threw his pillow back onto the mattress. “In that case, could you please leave me alone? It’s fucking two in the morning.”
Scrubbing a hand through his short hair, Finley briefly closed his eyes. What he had to say wasn’t easy. “Look, I think I know why you’re behaving the way you do. Losing your first mate must’ve been horrible. I get it. But—” He interrupted himself when Vaughn snarled.
“You get it? You most certainly don’t!” Vaughn flung back the comforter and rose, quickly closing the distance between them until their chests bumped together. Vaughn lowered his voice to a cold whisper. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
A shudder surged through Finley’s body. He guessed it was the combination of Vaughn’s fury, the dominance in his deep voice, and the heat of Vaughn’s naked chest Finley felt seeping through his shirt that caused his body to react in all kinds of interesting ways. He was turned on, for one. But another emotion, one he hadn’t felt since being a soldier, pushed to the forefront. Fear. Finley squared his shoulders and raised his chin.
Vaughn lifted his lips at one corner, revealing longer than normal teeth. “You have no idea what losing the other half of your soul does to a shifter.” A growl rumbled in his chest. What looked like pride simmered in the depths of his green eyes. “You’re stronger than I thought, I’ll give you that. But a good soldier knows when he’s lost a battle. Whatever you’ve cooked up in that head of yours, if it involves you and me, you better forget it.”
Finley shook his head. His mate wanted to speak in analogies? Fine. “Doesn’t mean I’ll lose the war as well. I won’t give up on you. On us.” Because if Vaughn didn’t pull his head out of his ass, Finley had no doubt he would find out what losing a mate felt like, and pretty soon at that.
All emotion drained from Vaughn’s face in a creepy display of absolute control. He moved closer and positioned his lips near Finley’s ear. Vaughn’s warm breath raised goose bumps on his skin. “You’re playing with fire. You should stop before one of us gets burned.” He flexed his hips, showing he wasn’t as unaffected as he wanted Finley to believe.
Finley’s breathing sped up. He lost the fight against his own body and lifted his hand, placing it on the center of Vaughn’s chest. He felt the coyote’s heart beat hard and fast, noticed the man’s muscles jump under his touch. The physical pull between them was growing stronger with each passing day, though only Finley seemed inclined to admit to it.
Finley spread his fingers on Vaughn’s chest—loving the feel of the scratchy hair beneath his palm—as he scrambled for words. “And if I want to get burned?”
Another shiver coursed through him when Vaughn ghosted his fingers over his hip. Such a light, innocent gesture, and yet it contained so much. Finley wondered how Vaughn could possibly maintain any semblance of self-control while he himself was this close to sinking to his knees and begging his mate for the slightest sign of affection.
“Then go and touch the cooktop, kitten.”
This wasn’t the first time Vaughn’s aloofness left Finley feeling pathetic and small. He turned his head so his mouth brushed over Vaughn’s stubble. His lips tingled as he sucked in a breath. He swayed slightly as Vaughn’s enticing scent wrapped around him.
Vaughn pulled away a couple of inches. His gaze roamed Finley’s face until he focused on Finley’s mouth. Vaughn licked his lips. He slipped his thumb under the hem of Fin’s shirt and circled his hip bone. Another deep sound emerged from Vaughn’s chest.
Finley felt Vaughn tense even more under his hand, as though his body was preparing for an attack. Vaughn was probably strong enough to do whatever the hell he wanted to him. Finley didn’t have one submissive bone in his body, was usually the one in control when it came to sex, but Vaughn’s inherent dominance almost brought him to his knees.
Finley felt naughty with his still-clothed body pressed against Vaughn’s nak
Unfortunately, his words broke the spell between them like a bucket of cold water. Vaughn reared back and glared. Then he grinned dangerously. “Was that an invitation? If so”—he pointed at the bed—”get on your hands and knees. I’ll make it good for you.”
Finley gulped. His gaze was drawn down to where Vaughn curled his hand around his bobbing prick, lazily stroking it. Finley knew if he gave in, Vaughn might never respect him. While Vaughn thought of him as a nuisance, Finley could only guess how much worse it would be once Vaughn got the one thing from Finley he seemed interested in—his ass.
Finley was too proud of a cat to humiliate himself, even for his mate. His dick and his cougar didn’t agree with his train of thought, though.
“Make a decision, Palmer.” Vaughn’s face was as hard as ever. “I can see and smell how much you want me.”
Finley shook his head. He forced himself to look away from Vaughn’s big cock and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes. But not like this. I don’t know what kind of guilt trip you’re on. If all you want is sex, I’ll wait until you’re ready to have a decent conversation with me. I’ll see you in the morning.” Not giving Vaughn a chance to reply, Finley pivoted and left the bedroom. Before he was able to catch his breath, he ran right into Romeo at the top of the stairs.
The ocelot shifter touched his arm and frowned. “Fin...” He blinked up at him with sleepy eyes. His hair was matted on one side, and his glasses sat askew on his nose.
“Don’t. Please.” He gently brushed Romeo’s hand away.
Romeo scratched his ear. “I heard voices. What are you doing here?”
Finley hadn’t told anybody that Vaughn was his mate. His friends would try to help him, and they’d only make things worse. As a result, his pride mates thought him a masochist and an idiot who chased after a guy who didn’t like him. Truthfully, he didn’t care what they thought. But he wasn’t looking forward to their pitying looks once they found out his mate didn’t want him. He shrugged helplessly.
Romeo nibbled his bottom lip. “You were in Vaughn’s room. I usually keep my nose out of other people’s business, but—”
“Then don’t start. Not on my account.” Finley patted Romeo’s slim shoulder. “Go back to your mate. Good night.” He turned and silently descended the stairs, then left the house.
The night air held a bite to it, as well as a promise of snow far earlier than usual. Walking back to his home in the center of the village, Finley zipped his leather jacket and flipped up the collar against the wind. Unlike most cat shifters, Finley loved snow and cold. Snow had the ability to cover the ugly remnants of fall under a pristine white blanket and give the world a fresh, innocent look. Finley loved to sit on his porch, either in his cougar form or snuggled in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa—he could watch the falling snow for hours. No two snowflakes alike, just as no two people were ever alike. But each beautiful in their own way.
Finley sighed. The coming winter promised to be a hard one. No matter how determined he was to tear down Vaughn’s barriers, he wasn’t sure whether he’d succeed. Measuring up to a dead mate was hard enough. The thought of fighting Vaughn’s inner demons filled Finley with additional dread.
Chapter Two
Vaughn curled his fingers around his biceps and rocked on his heels. His fidgeting annoyed the hell out of him, and he supposed the other men in the room wondered what had crawled up his ass. He couldn’t help his body’s reaction to a certain kitty.
Finley’s male, musky scent was driving his coyote nuts. The dumb animal scratched and whined in his head until it was next to impossible for Vaughn to follow Bailey’s elaborations.
Bailey moved his index finger over a map spread on a huge table in the newly set-up conference room in Alpha Xander’s house, pointing out each location of Doctor Taylor’s wandering lab he remembered.
Since the good doctor had provided Richard Thoreau, the President of the North American Council, with highly trained assassins, Xander and the other leaders of the slowly forming resistance had decided to take out the man’s laboratories first. Zane Taylor took advantage of desperate, terminally ill humans and offered them a cure for their diseases. However, the cure came with one whopping side effect. The treated individual, if they were lucky enough to survive, became stronger, had better eyesight, and heightened reflexes. And they regularly needed blood to survive.
Dependent on Taylor for their dietary needs, as well as bound by a contract, the assassins did President Thoreau’s dirty work—namely killing everyone who dared to speak against Thoreau’s plans to make himself king of the American shifters and establish bird shifters as the leading race. Bailey, who was also a doctor, had turned on his employer when he’d rediscovered his moral compass during a battle against Xander’s pride.
“Right before my last mission I was stationed in a compound in the middle of Superior National Forest in Minnesota, which neighbors the Canadian border. A huge wooded area clustered with dozens of lakes.” Bailey grabbed another map and placed it over the first one. “The compound consists of barracks for the assassins and the staff, as well as a top-notch, highly secured building that holds the lab.”
Finley placed his hands on the table and bent over as he studied the map. “That’s a trip of seventeen hours. How long are the intervals between changes of location?”
Vaughn grunted affirmatively. Seventeen hours... crammed into a car with tempting Finley. The guy’s movement had pulled his soft, worn jeans tight around the cutest, most fuckable butt in history. I should’ve gotten laid while I lived in the city. The second we’re alone in the car I’ll probably fuck him through the dashboard.
“Did you listen to a thing I said?”
Vaughn looked up and knew he’d been busted. Finley’s cheeks were flushed, so he’d most likely seen Vaughn drooling away. Or he was angry about being ignored. The kitty had serious attention issues.
Vaughn sighed and took a step closer. “You want us to stop in Sioux Falls. Not a good idea. I’m a wanted man since me and Romeo broke into the Council’s secret prison to rescue Jules. We can take a break in Minneapolis. We’ll blend in better in a bigger city.” See? He was able to listen to his comrades and ogle a hot guy’s glutes. Call him Mr. Multitasking.
Finley frowned. “Minneapolis is ten hours away.”
“Five for each of us.” Vaughn shrugged. “I’ll take a nap while you’re driving anyway, Palmer. Please don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who chatter non-stop during a road trip.”
The only indication he’d managed to piss Finley off once again was a slight tightening of the man’s lips. “Fine. We can take my car.”
“Nope. We’ll take my SUV. Sooner or later we’ll encounter trouble. I had my car specifically converted for such occasions.” He’d seen Finley’s car—it didn’t have bulletproof windows. Vaughn would be damned if he’d let the stubborn cougar get killed during their mission. Never again would someone die because Vaughn fucked up.
Finley sighed. “I have another car for missions. But if you insist we take yours, that’s fine with me. I can be ready in half an hour.”
“My stuff’s in the trunk.” Vaughn looked down at the map. “What kind of security will be waiting for us at the compound?”
Xander pursed his lips, then spoke up for the first time since Vaughn had joined the meeting. “Don’t forget you’re supposed to scope it out so we’ll know what we’re dealing with before we take the operation down.” A loud crash in the corner of the room distracted Xander, and he walked over to a thick blanket spread on the floor. The alpha lowered to one knee and made cooing noises at his giggling grandkids. The triplets sat on their diaper-cushioned butts, waving their fists with happy smiles. One of the girls, whose name Vaughn couldn’t remember, threw another wooden building block through the room. It crashed against the wall with more force than Vaughn had anticipated. The baby boy, Kioshi, started to cry.
