Boy? Felix didn’t look a day older than Ryan. Another hint that he was something other. And yeah, he was letting Ryan know that he smelled the cats on him. Of course he’d carry a hint of it. He’d lived with them four years.
Ryan narrowed his eyes, holding out the tray full of drinks. “Coffee?”
Felix showed his teeth in a low snarl. “Meow.”
He stalked off, throwing over his shoulder, “We’ll talk later, Trent. Don’t call me. I’ll call you.”
Ryan stared after him, watching until he got into a shiny red Ford dually with a snarling cat logo on the side. Alley Cat Industries.
A smirk grew on Ryan’s face. He’d found the local clan. But a chill whipped up his spine. These cats didn’t seem anything like his family in the Ouachitas.
Chapter Four
In retrospect, a midnight run with her cat wasn’t the best idea Layna had ever come up with. It was up there with that time she’d decided to try kale chips. Nah, fuck it. This was way worse than that. But she hadn’t been able to sleep.
Five days had passed since Ryan left the lodge. Five miserable days where her cougar shuffled between wanting to chase after him and wanting to claw some sense into him for running.
Her days were busy, but she’d had a lot of time to think about it at night. Too much time, and her cat wouldn’t settle. She was slowly becoming a walking zombie from lack of sleep.
She’d run over those last few seconds under the mistletoe a million times. There were so many things she’d do differently if she could rewind time.
Kiss him back, for one. Show him what she could do with her mouth. Correct him when he said, she didn’t want him. Grab his arm as he went to push out the door. Or run outside with him and jump in that truck so he couldn’t leave. Or, if he still insisted on going, leave with him.
She belonged with him.
Her cat slowed its run, coming up to a clearing ahead. The air was chilled and burned her lungs as she breathed deep, scenting for any danger. She knew to be careful. Even though there was a strict no hunting policy on Magic’s land, they encountered poachers from time to time.
There was no sign of any now. No scent of guns. No sounds besides those of the small forest creatures that came out at night.
She pawed into the clearing, lifting her face to the starry sky that broke through the tree branches above. Narrowing her gaze, she chose one star and brought it into focus, making it the only one that mattered.
Maybe Ryan was somewhere unable to sleep. Maybe he was staring up at the sky picking out a star of his own. Maybe it was the same one as hers.
She liked that idea. The possibility that the distance between them could be defeated because they’d both decided to stare at the sky at the same time. That they could be connected by something so big.
It reminded her of the star that guided the wise men to baby Jesus. People, miles apart, brought together by a single celestial being. A Christmas miracle. She needed one right now.
Her chest ached without her mate around. And her future didn’t even look dim. It was solid black. She couldn’t see having one like this. Or at least not one bright and happy. She’d be a sad song on repeat, living day to day, going through the motions like she’d done for the past week.
Damn him.
No. Not him. Damn her.
She could blame him if she wanted, be angry with him, but this was her fault. He’d shown her time and time again what he wanted from her. And in return, she’d denied him. She chose Magic’s happiness over her own mate’s. What kind of cat does that? She and Magic were close, but that didn’t matter. She should have given herself to Ryan when she had the chance. She should have opened her fucking heart and revealed just how much she’d fallen for him over the years.
My human is gone. My caring, laughing, human with his strong hands and sweet adoring eyes.
He’d always looked at her like she was everything. Made her feel like she was everything. How could he leave?
Layna breathed a heavy sigh, letting her head hang low with grief. Her cat was mourning and all she wanted to do was curl up and cry until Christmas was over. She’d even swiped a bottle of wine from the kitchen hoping it would help ease the pain in her chest. But it didn’t touch it.
What was she going to do?
She stared at the frozen leaves under her paws, more defeated than ever. If she could just make it through Christmas…
Then what? Was she going to set goals like that for the rest of her damn life?
If she could just make it to President’s Day. Or St. Patrick’s Day. When would this feeling end?
The answer was never. Not until she had him back. Not until she’d laid her heart bare and he explained why he’d walked away from her when the way was finally open for them. The cat had to have an answer. She needed to be sure in her mate’s strength.