“It grows on you,” Eme said with a snicker.
“Ignore her. She’s a heathen who grew up in da desert. You know all dat sun had to have fried her brain,” Mia countered.
All three women laughed at that. “All joking aside, like Remy said, if you need anything, Kylie, just let any of us know and we’ll make sure you get it,” Emelise assured her.
“I got the feeling, when he said that, he meant I should tell him, specifically.”
Emelise nodded. “I got the same feeling but that doesn’t matter. Any one of us will help you. That is one of Caine’s biggest concerns: that every member of the Pard is taken care of and all their needs are met.”
Kylie swallowed to clear the sudden lump in her throat. “This Pard is so different from my old one. Well, that’s not entirely true. My old Pard used to be a lot like this one but after some of the older members passed, things started to change.” She saw the look Emelise gave her but she was grateful the other woman didn’t ask her any questions. She wasn’t really ready to talk about her old Pard.
“Our Pard wasn’t always so welcomin’,” Mia informed her. “Our old Alpha was a bastard. He took money dat should have gone to takin’ care of da Pard and either used it for himself or gave it to one of da prostitutes he brought home wit’ him. Caine took over eight years ago and tings are so much better now.”
“My old Alpha wasn’t quite that bad, but he turned a blind eye to some things he shouldn’t have.” Kylie shrugged. “I’m just glad to be away from there.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you here,” Eme told her. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room. We really do need to go shopping tomorrow, though. You need more clothes than what’s in that little bag.”
Kylie frowned at Emelise. “I…really don’t have any money for shopping.”
“Girl, you don’t need to worry about that. The Pard’s got you covered.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of your hospitality.”
“Kylie, you are part of this Pard now. Or, you will be once you are officially welcomed by Caine, after he interviews you. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. He’s going to have to know what you’re running from, though. What being part of the Pard means is, if you need something and you can’t pay for it yourself, the Pard will take care of it for you. That is one of the core values Caine has instilled in every single leopard here. We take care of our own.”
Kylie laughed and held up her hands in defeat. “Okay, okay, you made your point. I’ll be sure to pay it forward once I start getting a paycheck.” She was nervous about her upcoming interview with Caine. How was she going to tell him what she was running from without going into detail? She wasn’t ready to share that with anyone.
Mia laughed. “You’re gonna fit right in wit’ us, cher.” She turned her attention to her cousin. “Since you’re home, I’m goin’ to take dis little guy on home so I can put him to bed.”
“Alright. Thanks for keeping an eye on Hailey.” Emelise gave her cousin a quick hug.
“She’s a treasure. You know I don’t mind sittin’ wit’ her,” Mia replied.
“I’ll remember you said that once the twins are here and change your tune,” Emelise teased.
Mia laughed. “Like I’d have trouble wit’ dat. Have you forgotten I grew up helpin’ my mama wit’ Adele and Auguste, and then Dempsey, once he got here, too?” She turned her attention to Kylie. “Welcome to da Pard, Kylie,” Mia said again before she grabbed the diaper bag near the sofa and left.
“Good point, Mia,” Emelise called after Mia as she left the house. “I’ll let you relax a bit,” she said once she’d turned back to Kylie. “We’ll head back into the city in a couple of hours so you can meet with Joe and shadow him tonight.” Emelise opened the the door leading to the guest quarters. “Here you go. There is a bedroom with an attached bath at the end of that hall. If you’re hungry, kitchen is here in the main part of the house, through that arch,” she said and motioned in the kitchen’s direction. “Just help yourself to whatever is in the fridge.”
“Thank you, Emelise, for taking this chance on me. I know you didn’t have to, especially since…I can’t give you references.”
Eme waved it away. “You’re running from someone, that’s obvious, and it’s none of my business who that is. That is between you and Caine. Like I said before, Kylie, as long as you’re not running from the law, I don’t care.”
Kylie stepped into the room. “Still, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. See you in a bit.”
Kylie nodded at her and once the door was closed she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d gotten the job, found a new Pard, and had a place to stay that wasn’t in a shelter, all in one day. Moving to New Orleans was definitely the smartest thing she’d ever done. Now, as long as Ezra didn’t find her, she could really start her life over.
An hour after her arrival at the compound, Kylie had showered, gotten something to eat, and was sitting across from Caine in his office. She tried to keep from fidgeting but she knew she was failing miserably. She bit her lip and waited for the questions to begin. Emelise was there, as well, and she was grateful for that. She knew she would have to give Caine enough information to prove she wasn’t a risk to the Pard but she hoped she wouldn’t have to go into detail.
“Relax, cher. You’re in no danger here. You just take your time and tell me at your own pace what brought you to N’Orleans.”
Caine’s voice was calm and it soothed her leopard’s unease. Kylie closed her eyes a moment to center herself before she opened them and looked at her new Alpha. “I recently got out of a volatile situation and needed a new start for my life. I didn’t plan to come to New Orleans; it just happened to be the first bus leaving the station in St. Louis.”
“Dis volatile situation, will it put da Pard in danger?”
“No. At least, I don’t think so. It shouldn’t.” She bit her lip. “If you would rather I not remain in Pard territory, I’ll go.”
