Layne
"SO THAT'S IT THEN? You're leaving?" Parker asks. We're crowded into Nash's living room, all but the lion, who's making himself scarce.
Sam has his arm around me. "I think it's better if Layne and I lie low for a while."
"Can't get lower than here," Declan grins, holding up the unmarked bottle of hooch.
"Exactly." Sam shakes his head. "I don't think Layne appreciated you guys getting drunk and singing outside our window at three a. m. last night."
"That was a good ole Irish serenade," Declan protests.
"Yeah well, you're lucky my tiger wasn't hungry," I say.
"O'course I'm lucky. "'Twasn't my idea, 'twas Laurie's."
The owl shifter holds up his hands when I mock frown at him.
"It's true, ya never could resist a good love story. Neither can Nash, though he doesn't show it." Declan sticks his head in the hall and shouts, "But inside he's just a big ole softie, isn't he?"Nash's bedroom door shakes with a roar.
"He'll come around." Declan winks at us.
"Or he'll get annoyed and eat you," Sam says.
"Either way." Parker shrugs.
"We're here for you, if you need us," Laurie says. His stutter has improved since the fight.
"We'll miss ya, kitty," Declan comes to me with arms outstretched. "May I hug her?" he asks Sam.
"No," Sam and I reply in unison, but I embrace him anyway, and then Laurie, while Sam and Parker pound each other on the back.
They all troop out to wave us off.
"So," I ask. "Where we going now?"
"I could take you home," Sam says. "Smyth and his men are dead."
"Santiago's still out there," I remind him.
"Not for long," Sam vows. "In the meantime... I know a place we can stay."
"I trust you." I lean back in my seat. "Let's go."
Sam lifts his phone to his ear.
"Sam, is that you?" A young woman's voice comes over the Bluetooth.
"Yep. it's me." He grins and turns and mouths, Kylie. I nod.
"Oh thank God. Although you better have a good reason for calling me on an unsecure line."
"All my equipment got torched in the raid."
"Yeah, that building was dust. Whoever that lion buddy of yours is, he really knows firepower. Jackson and Garrett arrived just in time to watch the fire department try to get the blaze under control. Sam." Her voice drops to an awed whisper. "I think he used napalm."
"Nash is crazy," Sam confirms. "But that's not why I'm calling. Kylie-I'm coming home."
"Really?"
"Yeah, for good." He sighs. I squeeze his hand, and reaches out and smoothes a strand of hair back from my face. "And I'm bringing someone I want you to meet…"
EPILOGUE
Layne
The cursor on the computer blinks at me. I'm in another stare-off. When the data finishes tabulating, I sit back with a smile.
A pair of hands cover my eyes.
"Guess who?"
I grin. "I can smell you."
"Oh yeah?" Sam's lips find my ears. "You want to taste me?"
I turn my head, keeping my eyes closed as I meet his kiss.
"Why, Dr. Zhao," he murmurs against my lips. "You're very good at this."
"I'm a quick study," I purr.
"Why quick? Why not slow?" Another kiss, and then we rest our foreheads together, just savoring the moment. Being together. Breathing each other in.
"You gonna work all night?"
"It's night?" I raise my head and blink at him. The late afternoon sun still illuminates my tiny lab.
"If I can tempt you to stop early-"
"You always tempt me."
"In that case." He leans down to kiss me again, when a small coo makes us break apart.
"Baby in the lab," Sam announces, stepping back with a rueful look on his face.
"Hey, Jay," I coo, picking up crawling infant. "Who's my favorite kitten?"
"Pup," Sam corrects.
"We won't know until she's a teen," I tell him haughtily, and carry the precious girl out of my lab, whispering "cat shifter, cat shifter," to her.
My lab is a former pool house. Kylie and Jackson went a little nuts buying me state of the art equipment, so it actually is the perfect place to continue my research. The gorgeous pool just outside the door, and frequent baby interruptions are fantastic added perks.
"Jaylin, there you are," Kylie exclaims, hustling to us. The baby babbles, holding out her arms for her momma. "I just looked away for a moment."
"She's getting really fast." I laugh.
"I hope she didn't interrupt your research."
"No, I was just about done." I grin at Sam as he sidles up beside me and takes my hand.
"You guys hungry? Jackson's got the grill going."
"Isn't that usually your job?" I ask Sam as we amble around the pool.
"I let him take a crack at it so I could lure you out," Sam kisses my cheek.
"Really? You were going to lure me out?"
"Eventually."
"Nice apron, Jackson," I call as we reach the patio where the huge wolf shifter is lording over a grill, wearing a "Kiss the cook" apron. He grunts, and flips a steak.
"Guys in the kitchen are hot," Kylie declares.
We sit around the table while Jackson grills enough meat to feed an army-or four shifters plus a baby. I had to get used to my tiger-sized appetite. No more skipping lunch or eating only a granola bar.
Thank God I had Sam to help me fit into shifter society. Turns out Smyth got the potion right. I am an alpha, as Sam guessed-almost as powerful as Jackson. It makes for a tricky treaty, living on Jackson's land. Luckily cats think of dominance differently than wolves. As long as Sam is safe, my cat is happy.
Good thing, too. My tiger could probably take Jackson in a one on one fight, but Kylie wouldn't fight fair.
"I have an announcement to make," I say when the foods on the table. "The research is conclusive. I don't have Barrington's."
Happy exclamations greet me. I accept Kylie's hug and go back into Sam's arms.
"A toast." Jackson raises his beer.
"To Layne," Kylie proposes.
"To life," I correct. "And all the people who make it worth living."
~.~
Sam
AFTER FOUR POUNDS OF STEAK, I step inside the house to get more beer-and some quiet. While we were eating, my phone buzzed in my pocket with a missed call. An unknown number but I know who it is.
You got my message? I text.
Yeah. the response comes immediately. My thanks to your source. I glance out to the table where my source, Kylie, is encouraging her daughter to take a few trembling steps toward Layne. It's taken a few months, but Kylie was able to dig up a few hits on a certain lioness. Denali Decker didn't leave much of a trail, but nothing stops Kylie.
Let me know when you're ready to follow up.
Not a second goes by before my phone shakes with another text from Nash.
Ready. Let's find my mate.