Chapter Eight
Caine
The first thing one noticed, when they approached the plot of land the Black Water Pard called home, was the houses. While the paint on some was a bit worn, each one was in good condition, there were no rotting boards, no damaged roofs, even their small yards were well kept. A decade ago that wasn’t the case. The old Alpha had let the land go. He’d paid more attention to his own comforts, which included booze and women, and let the Pard wallow in squalor. As soon as Caine had felt he was old enough to handle taking control of the Pard, he’d challenged the Alpha for his position. There was a time when Zachary Eitenne could have wiped the floor with the younger leopard, but his gluttonous, lazy lifestyle made him soft, and Caine defeated him easily. Eight years after Caine defeated the old Alpha, the Pard was thriving, their homes were in good condition, and no one went without getting their basic needs met. If a member of the Pard needed help, there was always someone willing to lend a hand.
When Remy and Gage came to him to tell him about the wolf they’d run into at the coffee shop where Lily worked, he’d almost ordered them to bring the wolf to see him without Lily. According to the Delacroix brothers, the wolf was her mate and he was trying to take her back to Montana where he knew she had no desire to return. The only reason Caine didn’t give the order was he knew Lily wouldn’t have appreciated it. The Pard had taken her in, she was family, and they looked after one another, but she was stubborn, independent, and strong-willed. It would have pissed her off if he’d tried to protect her from the wolf.
“Remy’s docking now,” Gage said, approaching his Alpha. He’d been keeping watch for his brother’s boat so he could inform Caine of their arrival. “Interestin’ ting. Dere’s four in da boat, not tree. Dunno who da fourth one is.”
Caine frowned. “I’m sure we’ll see soon enough.” What was going on?
Lily
Lily looked between Emelise and Declan. Eme looked like she was on edge while Declan gave off a deceptively calm vibe. She was sure he wasn’t as calm on the inside as he was pretending to be. Surely he knew his continued presence in New Orleans depended on how this meeting went? “Relax, Eme, everything’s going to be fine.”
“You don’t know that, Lily. They didn’t want me because my father was human; they would have made my mom abort me. Maybe they won’t accept me.”
“Since when do you care whether or not others accept you as you are? Eme, people change, attitudes change. I’m a wolf shifter and they consider me family; do you really think they’ll turn you away?”
Emelise looked at her and then burst out laughing. “Well hell, you’re right, I’m being silly. Thanks, girl, I think I needed that to ease the tension.”
Lily flashed a grin. “Happy to oblige.”
“If you ladies are done chattin’, Caine’s waitin’ and you don’t want to keep da Alpha waitin’ too long,” Remy said and motioned for them to follow him.
Lily looped her arm through Emelise’s as they followed with Declan bringing up the rear.
Declan
As soon as he stepped off the boat, he felt the tension in the air. Was it simply because he was a wolf shifter among leopards or was there another reason? He had to force his wolf down because he perceived the tension as a potential threat. There were too fucking many of them for him to fight so he needed to keep his cool. He knew on the surface he looked calm and relaxed; it was a skill he’d developed quickly in order to put others at ease and make his former job much easier. When your target wasn’t expecting you to turn on them and rip their throat out, it was a lot easier to kill them without raising an alarm.
Declan followed Lily and Emelise, who were in turn following Remy Delacroix. Now that he realized the leopard wasn’t romantically interested in Lily, he could admit he liked the man’s attitude. He was cocky and sure of himself and he was protective of the people he cared about. He’d have to remember to thank Remy and his brother for keeping an eye on Lily all this time.
Remy came to a stop in front of a blond man who, despite the fact he wasn’t big and beefy, exuded confidence, control, and strength. The dominance damn-near rolled off the man as he waited for them to approach. Here was Caine Bordeaux, Alpha of the Black Water Pard. Declan was sure of it.
Caine
Caine watched them approach and his gaze went to the brunette walking beside Lily. She wore a crimson gypsy wrap-skirt made of what appeared to be cotton and gauze that hugged her hips and flared out around her ankles, paired with a black tank top. Black ankle boots peeked out from beneath the skirt and feathered earrings hung from her earlobes. Her black hair was pulled back from her face, and even from a distance, he could see her eyes were green. Whoever she was, she was gorgeous. “Lily, welcome, cher. I see you’ve brought visitors wit’ you,” he said when the quartet reached him.
“Hello, Caine. Yes, I have. Caine Bordeaux, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Emelise Rousseau. Eme, this is Caine, Alpha of the Black Water Pard.” Lily chose to introduce her friend first.
Caine stepped forward and his nostrils flared. His leopard was suddenly very aware of the smaller female in front of them. Her cinnamon and sandalwood scent hit him, and it felt like he’d been struck by a sledge hammer. Immediately he wanted to forget all about the wolf waiting to be introduced and whisk the female off to his house. Instead he reached out, took the hand she offered him, and lifted it to his lips. “Pleasure, cher.” His gaze locked on her, and he just barely contained the rumbling purr that threatened to escape him.
Emelise
Emelise studied the man as they approached him; he was clearly the Alpha. He was considerably taller than her, muscular without looking like he was on steroids, and those pale blue eyes of his made her belly quiver. In a word, he was sexy. Very sexy. She tried to push the thought away as Lily introduced them. When his musky scent hit her, she stifled a purr. He smelled delicious. The moment their eyes locked, she felt like she was getting lost in his gaze. His fingers gripped hers lightly, to raise her hand to his mouth, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her body was warm all over, her leopard was itching to come out, and she was embarrassed to feel dampness pooling between her thighs. What in the hell was wrong with her? The brush of his lips on the back of her hand made her shiver.
“It’s…” She had to clear her throat to speak. “It’s nice to meet you.” When he let her hand go, she actually curled it against her chest as if his touch had hurt her. The exact opposite was true. She wanted to reach out and trail her fingers along his jaw. That was so not happening.
When Caine let go of her hand and tore his gaze from her, Emelise felt a sense of loss. As realization hit her, she was glad it was nighttime and the area was only lit with a soft glow from nearby lights because it hid the fact she’d paled. She knew why her body was reacting to him; she knew why her leopard was suddenly wanting to roll around in his scent. Caine Bordeaux was her mate.
Caine
It took every ounce of willpower Caine had to release her hand and turn his attention to the wolf who’d moved up to stand a little in front of Lily. “You must be da wolf I’ve heard so much about.”
“Declan Monroe.”
“Yes, dat’s da name.” He looked at Emelise again for a moment. “You and I need to talk, cher, but I have to settle dis first.” He turned his attention fully to Declan. “I hear you’re here on behalf of Lily’s father. Dat true?”
