Nine

Mandy’s panther jumped within her, urging her to move faster when they spotted Kinsey standing around a bistro table with Dimitri and some others. If Mandy doubted what she felt before, she could no longer deny it now that Kinsey stood so close and Mandy’s panther wanted to bust out and take the woman right there in the crowded bar. The sensations overwhelmed her, making her cunt throb just as much as they confused her. She had never been with a woman before, never even been attracted to one, so how her panther scented another woman as its mate befuddled her. Still, there was no denying the urges filling her right then. She needed Kinsey Pickford. Needed her right then. Right there.

The sounds of a bar assaulted her ears, clinking glasses, loud music—Garth Brooks singing about his low friends—raucous laughter with ear-splitting shouts as people enjoyed their Saturday night. The air was warm from the cluster of bodies filling the place, and Mandy watched as servers in skimpy outfits made their way around the tables, flirting with the patrons as they passed out the drinks that kept the good moods flowing. The clack of a cue stick smacking a pool ball sending it flying to crack into a cluster of balls ricocheted off the back wall. Taking a deep breath, Mandy could smell the various animals filling the place along with other paranormals, a witch for one, more than likely Dimitri’s mate. Everglades possessed that neighborhood bar feel that people called theirs and were loyal to, a lot like Shades back in Draven Falls.

Fitz reached out, taking Mandy’s hand in his, surprising her and making her jump slightly. “Are you all right?” he asked. “We can wait until she’s alone if you want.”

Mandy gave a soft laugh. “That doesn’t sound like an abduction at all.” She shook her head. “No, we’ll join them now. We can focus on Dimitri and Lainie if things turn awkward, but somehow, I get the feeling she felt what I felt the other day.”

Fitz squeezed her hand. “All right, but if at any moment you start to feel uncomfortable, just call it, and we’ll head back to the motel.”

She just nodded once and started toward the others.

They had decided to avoid the cabins in Bull Creek, wanting to put some distance between them and anything that should go wrong. Instead, they rented a room in a small strip of a motel on the other side of Harmony before St. Cloud, settling for the quaintness of the place over the more traditional hotels in the bigger cities. The motel was small, only twelve rooms, and painted a boring white with dark red trim. Folding chairs sat outside each door in case the resident wanted to prove they actually stayed there. Fitz and she tossed their bags inside and made the short trip to Bull Creek looking for Kinsey. When no one could be found, they decided to try the only social gathering place around—Everglades. The decision had been the right one.

Mandy felt her nerves tremble with each step she took toward the table where the others stood, the entire group now staring at her and Fitz as they crossed the room. “Do you recognize any of these people?”

“Just Josh and my brother and sister,” Fitz replied. “I’ve never been to Bull Creek before.”

She nodded and kept walking.

“Fitz,” Dimitri shouted as he rounded the table to embrace his brother. Mandy noticed Lainie looking over from the dance floor, eyes wide. “What the hell brings you to our neck of the woods?” Dimitri released his brother and then hugged Mandy. “Amanda, it’s great to see you. I hope this moron is treating you right.”

“He’s treating me amazing as always,” Mandy said. Over Dimitri’s shoulder she noticed Lainie pushing through the crowd, moving toward them, a small group following in her wake. Mandy leaned back, smiling. “How have you been? I’ve heard some pretty scary stories from your brother here about what’s been going on in your community.” She glanced over at Kinsey, her panther purring inside wanting to embrace the other blonde. “Hello, Kinsey.”

“Mandy,” Kinsey greeted, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “It’s good to see you.”

Dimitri made the rounds around the table, introducing everyone. By the time he had his arm back around Adira, Lainie joined them, and the introductions began anew.

Fitz shuffled a little where he stood, and Mandy knew he wasn’t sure how to handle everyone’s scrutiny. The two of them had not discussed what to do when they found Kinsey, just that they needed to find her. “We just needed a break from Dad, so decided to come torture my siblings. We’re staying at a small motel up the road. The pickings around here are slim.”

“You should have called us,” Adira said. “We have some vacant cabins still.”

“Mine is actually empty at the moment,” a shaggy, thick-bodied man—Wes, if Fitz remembered correctly—said. “Just recently refurbished, too. Any family of Dimitri’s is welcome to use it.”

“Thanks,” Fitz said with a nod. “I’m not sure how long we’re going to be staying, though, so I’ll have to let you know.”

“Anytime,” Wes said. “Now, I need to get back behind the bar.” He leaned over and swatted the busty blonde’s ass, grinning. “And you need to get back to minding the tables.”

“Yes, boss man,” the woman said with a giggle before she reached out and squeezed Kinsey’s arm. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

Mandy watched as Kinsey gave the other woman a smile and nod before watching the shorter woman grab the tray off the table and walk off, following the burly-looking man.

Kinsey took a sip of her wine, and then Mandy watched the woman’s chest rise and fall with a deep breath. For the first time, Mandy took an inventory of the other woman’s features: long, blond hair, a dancer’s body, long legs, slender torso with small breasts, and soft blue eyes. She was gorgeous, and Mandy’s panther wanted to ravish her. She could feel the heat pooling between her legs, even though she couldn’t explain the sudden desire outside of her panther’s mating call. Is this how Fitz felt every time he was around Kinsey? How did he hide it from me?

Kinsey offered them another smile. “So, does your father even know you’re here?”

Fitz gave a soft chuckle. “Yeah, he does, and no, he’s not happy about it, at all.” He shrugged. “But Mandy wanted to come, so we came.”

Kinsey arched her eyebrows as she turned to Mandy. “You wanted to come to Bull Creek? Why?”

Mandy took a deep breath. Moment of truth. “I think you know why,” she said. “I think you felt it Tuesday morning when I came to your house.”

The entire table grew quiet as everyone watched the two women. Even Fitz just stood there, stoic and still. Please don’t tell me I’m wrong. Mandy held her breath, waiting for Kinsey to say something.

Kinsey stared at her, ignoring everyone else around them. She slid her tongue between her lips, and it took all Mandy’s restraint not to grab the other woman and kiss her, claiming her in front of everyone, even her husband. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I felt Tuesday morning,” Kinsey said. “At first, I thought it was your connection to Fitz my panther picked up on, but then, when I saw you walk into the bar, I couldn’t deny it. I don’t understand it, and I sure as hell can’t explain it, but my panther wants you just as much as she wants Fitz, and I have no clue what to do about it.”

Before she knew what happened, Mandy moved around the table, pushing everyone out of her way, unable to stop; she wasn’t even sure she was the one moving her feet. The next thing she knew, she was beside Kinsey, her hand sliding up the other woman’s back and into her lengthy, blond hair, pulling Kinsey’s mouth down to hers, and kissing the woman with a hunger that threatened to devour her. Kinsey stood stiff for a moment, and then Mandy felt the other woman surrender to the kiss as well, her hands on Mandy’s arms as they stood, locked in the first female kiss either of them ever experienced.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fitz just stood there, staring. Everyone just stood there, staring. Mandy and Kinsey continued kissing for what seemed like forever but was probably only a couple of seconds before Mandy finally broke the intimate moment and stepped back, both women breathing hard. Still, no one spoke. Fitz didn’t even know what to do at that moment. His wife had just kissed the woman his panther wanted as his mate, and now the animal paced back and forth in a hungry passion within Fitz, wanting to shift and take Kinsey as well. “I, uh, thought we were going to talk first,” he said in a slow drawl as he stared at the two blondes still clutching each other.

“I thought so, too,” Mandy said. “Sorry,” she offered Kinsey. “I kind of didn’t expect that, either. I hope I didn’t embarrass you.”

Kinsey grinned. “Surprised, but not embarrassed. My panther wanted the same thing, as well.” She turned to Fitz, reached out, and took his hand in hers, pulling him closer. “I think I could use a kiss from you, too.”

Fitz grinned, feeling the twitch in his pants as he stepped closer. Kinsey still held his hand as he leaned down and kissed her soft lips, still warm from where she kissed his wife. Her scent filled his nostrils and swelled his heart, his cock throbbing even more within his pants. Over a year had passed since he tasted her lips, and he lingered in the kiss, savoring the moment. Where they would go from here, he had no idea, and he really didn’t care right then. He had this moment to relish, and he lost himself in it.

When they finally did break the kiss, Kinsey still held his hand, and he felt Mandy’s hand in the middle of his back. “I think I need a drink,” he said in an almost whisper.

“I bet you do,” Dimitri said, laughing. He then called Noel over, and everyone ordered another round. Fitz ordered a scotch neat. A double.

As everyone stood around chatting, Mandy sticking close to Kinsey, Fitz leaned over and whispered to Kinsey, “You left without saying goodbye. You even ran away from me in the woods the night before you left.”

Her expression fell as she glanced down at her wine glass. “I know, and I was wrong to do that. At the time, I thought it was for the best. I thought I needed to make a clean break.” She glanced up at him again, an apologetic smile creasing her face. “Forgive me?”

He reached out, taking her hand in his. “I deserved it. There’s nothing to forgive.” He turned to Mandy, smiling. “Seems it was necessary for your panther to find her other mate. Now, we just have to figure out what that means.”

“At least, we know there’s something that needs figuring out,” Mandy said. “And this misery you two have endured for the past year can end.”

Kinsey reached out, brushing Mandy’s arm. “It wasn’t really fair to you, I know.”

“I’m just as much at fault,” Mandy said. “I knew how you two felt about each other, but I married Fitz anyway.” Then she grinned. “I think we have plenty of time to figure out how to make it up to each other.”

Fitz just chuckled but said nothing as Noel arrived with the drinks.

Dimitri stood on the other side of the table, his arm around Adira. Lainie and her mate—Rance?—stood beside them, both leaning on the table. The others scattered around nearby tables but remained close. Mandy stood on one side of Kinsey, and Fitz stood on the other, not sure where the right spot for him was at the moment, feeling like he should be beside his wife, but also wanting to be near his mate.

“Dad’s going to have a fit,” Lainie said, grinning. “I wish I could be there to see it.”

Rance gave her a quizzical look. “Why would he care? Wouldn’t he be happy they each found their destined mate?”

Dimitri shook his head. “Daddy Dear doesn’t believe in destined mates, only family loyalty. He’ll see this as Fitz trying to undermine his authority as patriarch of the family. He won’t take it well at all.”

Fitz lifted his glass, smiling. “Well, we don’t have to worry about him this weekend. He’s in Draven Falls, and we’re here. We have time to figure some of this out before we have to tell him.”

Just then, Fitz’s phone started to ring. He glanced down and groaned as he saw his father’s name. “Well, that didn’t take long.”