Ouachita Mated(18)

Didn’t he owe her that?

His cat, that retched animal within him, would have moved on long ago. Would have taken another lover simply to distract his mind from the guilt the man in him harbored. But Magic couldn’t stomach it. Not when his heart was torn to shreds over his part in his mate’s death. It was why he hardly shifted. Giving his panther freedom was dangerous.

But standing here, arguing with this fiery little female, he didn’t feel the dread pool in his gut like he should. There was no sense of wrongness even though his mind told him it was wrong.

“You want to know what Clara was talking about or do you want to argue about endearments?”

“Endearments?” She frowned. “Woman is an endearment? Sir is an endearment?”

“Whatever, alright. Just sit.”

With a sound of annoyance, she flopped down on the bed. “I’m not a dog, you know,” she muttered. “Sit, Josie. Good, Josie. Here’s a treat, Josie. It doesn’t work like that.”

Magic stared at her, baffled.

“Damn, girl,” he breathed. “What am I going to do with you?” The question was more rhetorical than not, but her eyes narrowed on him.

“Tell me something,” she said, her voice missing any of its normal sass. “Why does everyone feel like I need to be handled? Like I’m the troublesome sibling of the family or something. I’ve spent four damn years trying to prove that I’m a grown-ass woman, but it’s still like this every time I come here.”

Magic frowned. What was this? She was genuinely upset that he’d told her to sit?

“Yeah, okay,” she continued. “I know I’m a hellraiser, but it’s all in fun. I’m not hurting anyone by trying to get y’all to let loose here and there. It’s taken me a long time to find the balance between fun and responsibility. I’m still working on it actually.” She shook her head. “Shit. Nevermind.”

“I don’t think of you like that.”

She gave him a disbelieving look, and added an eyeroll in case there were any doubts that she was calling him on bullshit. Hadn’t he thought she was trouble every time he laid eyes on her? Only now was he seeing how unfair that was. Eagan had caused more hassle than Josie ever had. Hell, insert any name from the clan, and that would hold true.

But she was so clearly upset, he just wanted to fix it. Unknowingly, he’d struck a painful nerve, and he never meant to hurt her.

Stupid Jupiter ass.

“I don’t think you’re a troublesome sibling. I don’t think of you as a sibling at all.” His insides wouldn’t be all twisted up if he thought of her like a sister.

Her gaze flicked to him, and he saw the sharp sting of hurt there. “Of course not. I guess I just meant Beth and Ryan. We…” Her hand made an awkward gesture between the two of them. “We aren’t… anything. Sorry. It was a dumb question.”

Magic’s brow furrowed in frustration. She’d misunderstood him. Shit. This wasn’t going well.

“I don’t mean you’re not important—”

“Really, it’s fine.” Her expression was prim and composed. She sat straighter on the bed. Like she’d donned some businesswoman hat. “You just witnessed a rare moment of weakness is all.”

No, what it was, was a glimpse inside her walls. And he was hungry for more. Apparently there was much more to the put together, fun-loving city-slicker than Magic had ever imagined. He wanted to peel back all her layers and get to the soft center. The part of her that cared about people. He knew it was there or she wouldn’t be so upset. And she could pretend she wasn’t, but he’d never believe her now.

“Listen.” He took a deep breath and let it fly. “We are a clan of shapeshifters. Werecats, to be exact. Renner, Eagan, Layna, Owyn, Gash, Bailey. Even Doc Davis and Mason. Tana, you remember her? Myself. All of us. We’re part human, part cat. That’s our big secret revealed. That’s what Clara was talking about. And if I didn’t think you were trustworthy, I wouldn’t be telling you. Got it?”

She stared at him, blinking over and over. Her expression was blank, as if still waiting for his words to register.

He waited. Waited for any response. A denial, a scream. But nothing came.

“Josie.”

More blinking. Like her eyelids were on a programmed loop.

Magic rushed forward to make sure he was close if she fainted. Was that what was happening? Some kind of shock effect?

“Josie, are you okay?”

Her head tipped to the side, strands of her long hair spilling over her shoulder to pool at the crease of her elbow. “Did you say… werecats? Because…” She let out a hysterical laugh. “I thought you said werecats.”