By the Tail Read Online Free PDF Page B

do some things I’m not proud of to show my loyalty.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Like beating up Mr. Jeffries and nearly scaring Maya Shields to death?”
    “Yeah.” He blew out a breath. Two of his biggest regrets—public spectacles of clear abuse. But it had been either push them around or see them killed. They’d healed from the few bruises he’d landed, and they’d since accepted his apologies.
    “So what about you trying to put a move on my sister?”
    He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
    “Miles told me you wanted Stacey, and when you couldn’t have her, you decided to push her at Lex to punish her.”
    “That makes no sense. For one, I hated Lex. I didn’t wish any poor woman on him. And two, your sister annoys the shit out of me. No way I wanted her.”
    “She’s pretty.”
    “So?”
    Joy just looked at him.
    “Fine. Every guy who sees your sister wonders…” He cleared his throat. “But I got over that years ago. Stacey’s so…Stacey.”
    A smile curved her mouth, and he breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.
    “Anyway, so now you know.”
    “Do I? What about you showing up when they shot Miles and kidnapped Gabby? Or when they nearly got Stacey and Dean?”
    “I just told you. I was trying to put out fires. Do you have any idea what Lex almost did? He sent me to spy on you guys for him. Hell, I could have taken any of you from Cougar Falls before you knew what had happened. As it was, I fed what information I could to sources in town. How do you think so many Shifters arrived to help you guys out at the ranch? Or how there wasn’t a total massacre before you saved Stacey? Lex wanted to use Hunters and rogue Ac-taw to kill the Chastells and that wolf living with them. I slowed him down.”
    She had to remember him and his group arriving at Chastell Tours to prevent an all out war on the Chastells and their gray wolf just a month ago.
    “Oh yeah. You did, didn’t you?” She gave him a look he couldn’t read. Did she believe him or not?
    Parched, he took the drink from her hand, downed it, then handed the plastic cup back.
    “Better?” she drawled.
    “Yeah. Thanks. That’s it.”
    “Not exactly.”
    He groaned. “Ask. I’m an open book.” After that incredible time together in the spa, he’d do whatever she wanted for another shot at her.
    “So now, going home. You said Lex’s guys are still making problems? I hadn’t noticed that the last time I was back.”
    “For all of two seconds,” he added under his breath. “We routed most of the idiots. A bunch died the last time they tangled with Hunters.” Hunters—humans who knew of Ac-taw and wanted nothing more than to kill them. “Right now, Greg Ayers and Darren Watson are making the most noise about wanting me out of the picture.”
    She nodded absently. “You know, technically, we shouldn’t even have a pride. None of us are lions. Panthers are solitary creatures.”
    He chuckled, glad she referred to them as
panthers
. A good sign. Though their species of Ac-taw had a lot of different names—cougar, panther, catamount, puma—the Miami pride often referred to themselves as Florida panthers. Unlike the cougars in Montana. “Don’t be too literal.
Pride
is just a term that applies to cats. God forbid we call ourselves a pack.”
    She scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue. Joy was beautiful and funny. Damn, she made his heart race. Wondering if he’d be pushing it, he nevertheless covered her hand on the seat rest between them.
Mine
, his cat snarled, and he inwardly agreed.
    She blinked down at it, then at him. But she didn’t pull her hand away. “What do you want from me, Quince?”
    He thought about the ugly little bracelet she’d given him when she was sixteen, the one he’d kept all these years because it had been from her, snug in his front pocket. How much he loved her, wanted her. And he realized the truth wouldn’t set him free at all. He’d spook her away if he moved too fast. He