Declan nodded. “Yes, it is. I came down here originally to find out if Magnis Quinn’s daughter was living in New Orleans and to take her home to Montana.”
“How’s dat workin’ out for you?” There was a faint smirk on Caine’s face.
“Not very well,” Declan replied with a straight face.
Caine chuckled. “I s’pect not. Lily’s got a stubborn streak big nuff, you’d tink she was Cajun.” His voice was laced with amusement.
Lily huffed at the comment but she didn’t argue with him.
Caine glanced at her. “You know it’s true, cher. No’ting to be ashamed of, neither.” He turned his attention back to Declan. “Declan Monroe.” His tone grew serious and the tension that had faded was back in the air. “Give me one good reason why I should let you stay in Black Water Pard territory.”
Declan
Declan watched the man in front of him. He understood what Lily meant about the Alpha of the Black Water Pard being intense. It wasn’t any one thing about him, not really. It was simply him. His power, his strength, his dominance were there for all to see. It made his wolf want to issue challenge but he kept a tight reign on the urge.
As Caine bantered with Lily about her stubbornness, Declan studied him. The man gave none of his thoughts away so trying to read him was akin to trying to read a book in the dark. Damn near impossible. He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by the question but there was no hesitation in his reply.
“Lily.”
Caine cocked a brow. “What about Lily?”
“You asked me to give you one good reason to let me remain in your territory. Lily is my reason. She’s not just a fellow wolf shifter, she’s my mate. If she’s here then this is where I need to be as well.” He noticed the leopard didn’t seem surprised by his claim which meant the Delacroix brothers had already filled him in.
Caine stepped closer to Declan for a moment, then gave him an arched look. “Your mate, eh? Yet I don’t smell her on you, or you on her. Why is dat?”
Lily spoke up before Declan could. “Just because my wolf recognizes him doesn’t mean I have to give in to animal instincts. I’m in a committed relationship with someone I care about; there will be no mingling of our scents.”
Caine laughed. “Oh, you’ve got your work cut out for you, wolf. Good luck wit’ dat.” He ignored the way Lily glared at him. “You can stay in our territory unless you do someting to hurt Lily or bring trouble to da Pard. Da connection between mates is strong; you wouldn’t be able to stay away, and I’d rather dere not be fights between you and my Pard. We’ve got enough trouble with da Red Moon Clan. Lucas Cormier, da Alpha, has been sending his jaguars into our territory for a while now, causin’ a stir and harassin’ some of my leopards.”
“Oh, believe me, I know I have my work cut out for me with Lily, but I’m up to the challenge’,” Declan said with a smirk. Lily was going to be a handful, that was for sure. “I won’t bring trouble to your Pard. Thank you for extending your hospitality to me and allowing me to remain in your territory. If there’s anything I can do to assist the Black Water Pard with the Red Moon Clan, just say the word.”
“Let’s talk.”
“Lead the way.” Declan followed Caine through his home and into his study, where the leopard took a seat behind his desk before motioning to one of the thick chairs in front of it.
“Have a seat.” Caine waited until Declan was comfortable before he continued. “You’ve offered to help with da jaguars. What can you do dat my leopards can’t?”
Declan leaned forward a little before he answered. “First of all, I can get close to them without them realizing I’m the enemy. If any of your leopards go near them, they’ll catch their scent and it’ll turn ugly. Beyond that, until recently, I was part of a Special Ops team that specialized in everything from tracking men who did very evil things so we could take them out, to extracting prisoners of war and kidnap victims, and stopping insurgents in their tracks. Several of my former teammates have rejoined the private sector as well, and I can get them here within days. We can help because we can infiltrate their ranks and get in and out to sabotage anything they have planned.”
Caine listened intently to what he said and cocked a brow at him. “Infiltrate dem how?”
“What is the one weakness any Alpha male has regardless of his species?”
Caine didn’t hesitate. “Women.”
“Exactly. Two of my team, Sasha and Echo, are jaguars. They can get in and wreak havoc from the inside.”
“Do it. You know, we had some government agents sniffin’ around here some years ago. Dey tried to talk Remy into joinin’ a Special Ops group. I’m bettin’ dat was yours or one like it. He had da skill but he wasn’t interested in der offer. Talk wit’ him; he’ll pick out any of our leopards who might be of use to you.”
“Will do. Don’t worry, whatever the jaguars have planned, we’ll stop them before they even start. Barring that, we’ll make them regret ever even thinking about coming into Black Water Pard territory uninvited.”
“Thank you, Declan. Your help means a great deal to me, and my Pard. Whatever you can do to help me keep my people safe, I greatly appreciate it. I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to your mate. Good luck with dat. You’re going to need it.” Caine chuckled as they headed back outside.
Lily
“Eme? What’s wrong?”
Emelise blinked several times before she turned to Lily. “I don’t… Fuck, Lily, this is not what I had in mind when I came here.”
