Ouachita Mated(9)

Josie glanced away, finding the rack of essential oils on the counter suddenly very interesting. “I mean… yeah… a little.”

“A little?” Beth’s tone was skeptical.

“Mm hm. A little.” Josie pulled a bottle of frankincense oil from the shelf. And unscrewed the cap for a sniff. Huh. So this is what baby Jesus smelled like.

“Can I ask how?”

“Sure.”

“Okay… how did you retaliate, Josie?”

She scanned the tiny glass bottles. Where was the myrrh? Frankincense was myrrh’s Siamese twin, right?

“I just made sure his column wouldn’t see any accounts receivables for a while. That’s all. You should really get some myrrh for in here.”

“I don’t want to know details, do I?”

Josie replaced the bottle. “Nope.”

There was a beat of silence and then Beth let out a laugh that had Josie grinning from ear to ear.

Yeah, it was good to be back with someone who got her. The city had been her home for so long, but she was always down for a change. And the mountains didn’t have to be a boring snooze-fest.

Wherever there was Josie, there was trouble.

Maybe that’s exactly what this place needed. A little hellraiser. A little fun.

And maybe in the meantime, she could figure out what she was going to do with her life.





Chapter Three



Magic adjusted his gloves and hit the heavy hanging bag once again with a little more vigor. He couldn’t go full strength of course. They shared this gym with humans. Their visitors might wonder how he’d demolished a 150 pound bag with one punch. Though the place wasn’t exactly busy at this time of night. Most of their guests were snuggled up tight in their rooms until morning.

He should be in his own room. Not out in the open where he could run into her again.

Josie.

He shook his head, landing another solid hit to the bag.

He considered actually making use of his cabin for the few days she was here. Like the other cats in their clan, he had his own simple cabin in the woods, but he didn’t stay there often. He preferred to stay on-site. He kept a room in the wing reserved for seasonal employees, and he liked it just fine.

He didn’t need a home. He’d had that already.

A boisterous male laugh had Magic turning his attention to the weight bench. Bethany’s brother, Ryan, lowered his back to the slab and prepared to lift more weight than most humans could handle. Mason, a cougar shifter, stood behind to spot him.

Magic watched the human. He was one huge-ass motherfucker compared to Mason’s lithe build, but the cat could still best him. They’d been sparring together since Ryan moved into the lodge.

After Renner mated Bethany, and Ryan learned about the werecats, leaving his sister alone with the shifters wasn’t an option. He’d been worried for her safety, which Magic both despised and respected. The mountain cats weren’t monsters. They were just different.

It had taken time, but the human male had come around. He and Renner even combined their skills to form R&R Construction Services, and brought in extra revenue for the clan. He was one of them now, under Magic’s protection.

Ryan managed to get the bar out of the cradle, his triceps straining, and lowered the load to his chest.

“Naw, human, I don’t see it happening. Betcha can’t get it back up,” Mason goaded.

Ryan locked his jaw, his face turning red against the pressure. “Don’t… touch… it…” he ground out.

Mason put his hands in the air for proof, and Ryan adjusted his grip, arms shaking as he forced the weight back up. When his arms were straight, Mason helped him get the bar back in place.

“Well, I’ll be a nut sucker,” Mason murmured in shock.

Ryan barked out another laugh, gasping to catch his breath. Grabbing a towel from Mason’s hand, he sat up and wiped the sweat from his face.

“Think you’re done for the night,” Mason said, passing him a water bottle.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah. Let’s call it.”

He stood and headed for the showers, but when he did, Magic caught sight of the claw marks on his upper arm and froze mid-punch.

A mating mark?

No fucking way.

The three slashes were deep and in the process of healing. They were close enough to his shoulder to make Magic think of his own mark.

Which of their females could have done this? Fury filled him as his mind flipped through the possibilities. There was only Doc Davis, Bailey, and Layna. None of them would have mated. The females relied on the no mating pact more than the males did. It kept them free. It kept them safe.

Ryan disappeared behind the door, and Magic was left floundering with his emotions. The human hadn’t even tried to hide the mark. Didn’t anybody respect his authority anymore?