Azrael_Big Cat Shifters Looking for Fated Mates Read online

  The gods were playing a joke on him, he was sure of it. He pulled into his driveway looking at his home. It was nice, everything was perfect but he felt like something was missing. It was something you couldn’t buy. Even though Cook and her family were more like friends than employees, he didn’t have the feeling of family in his home. The passion and love a mate and cubs could give him weren’t there.

  It wasn’t his fault fate had withheld that mate from him and he didn’t want offspring from someone like Eugenia. That wasn’t going to happen. Being drawn to Maddie couldn’t be a sign of anything. He was just going through a lot and she was a strong female. She was what he need right now. Strength to rely on for now, not forever. He chuckled but it sounded hollow. What was his world coming to?

  Once he got in his house, he headed to his home office. It had an outer office for Lucia with the fax machine/printer in one corner, file cabinets for anything he needed stored, and a nice desk ready to go. There was even a loveseat for any visitors that had to wait. One door directly connected to his office.

  When he stepped into it, he was overcome with luxury. There was a mobile bar to serve guests or himself a nice array of drinks. A couch, one that looked comfortable enough to sleep on if needed, sat along one wall. His desk was huge, his desk chair large and comfortable, and two wing back chairs sat across from him as if waiting for clients to come in.

  He’d set his laptop up last night. It was temporary until his desk top computer arrived. It was no problem, he used both regularly. Before he got ready for bed, he would clean out his waiting emails. Turning on the computer, he saw over a thousand. What kind of emergency was going on?

  First he went through deleting those he knew were spam. There were about a hundred of them. Then he picked out those he knew would be urgent based on who they were. It amazed him how many were asking for housing. He didn’t deal with that, Maddie did. Those emails he forwarded to Lucia.

  Finally he began to get to some that dealt with his actual business. Those went fast because he knew what to do with them. His stomach rumbled and he saw it was past seven. It was supper time and he needed to head to Cook’s house to eat. She wasn’t using his kitchen yet, his housekeeper had to clean it thoroughly first. When he entered the door and walked to the dining room, the smell of good food hit his nose.

  The family sat around with a few guests eating family style. It was something he rarely did but found he enjoyed. His eyes fell on Maddie, Viv, Caro, and Lucia. “Is this a party?” He teased. Everyone shut up immediately. Cook had heard him and shot him an irritated look.

  “Be glad Maddie has helped me with the shopping and made dessert for today.” Cook declared.

  “Believe me. I am. Maddie makes delightful desserts. Between the two of you, the meal will be delicious.” He admitted. Sitting, he was across from Maddie since all seats near her were taken.

  “Thank you.” Maddie said. Her cheeks blushing slightly at the compliment.

  “How are things going with the apartments?” He asked.

  “The top floor residents are moved in and the third floor occupants are beginning to move in. The last two floors will be done completely in ten days or so. Then we’ll have several days off before we start on the next building.” Viv explained.

  “Will that take care of all of those already here?” He asked.

  “Those that don’t insist on a house. There are two families waiting on houses. One is in the process of buying one in Shell Knob, but the other family wants one closer and refuses to settle for anything less than what they want.” Viv admitted.

  “Sounds like the Rossies.” He guessed.

  “Are they known for being demanding?” Viv asked.

  “They are. Usually they get what they want given time. Where are they staying?” He wondered.

  “In a hotel in Eureka. They have several luxury level hotels there.” Maddie noted.

  “How will you manage the next group? They’ll be here before you start work on the next building.” He pointed out.

  “I suggested they wait. Hopefully most of them will.” Maddie admitted.

  Many of his people were impulsive. They were creative and dreamers. Practical matters weren’t what they concerned themselves with. He actually felt a bit bad for Maddie because they would give her a hard time.

  “Most of them will rush down here hoping that doesn’t apply to them. Some of those will find out where you live and park on your lawn.” He explained.

  “I’m sure you can help a family out by letting them live with you.” Maddie suggested.

  “What about you?” He challenged.

  “I’ve already done that once.” She declared. “Ariel might house a family or two temporarily if some of the members work for her in construction. I might do that as well.”

  “So you are willing to help out your workers?” He asked.

  “Yes, and I’ve already done my part in helping others. Now it’s your turn.” Maddie insisted.

  He knew pushing her could be expensive. Her revenge on Diniel had been perfect because that male hated to be seen as a bad guy by anyone. It had cost her too, but he’d bet it was nothing she’d not been planning on giving anyway. Let Diniel feel like she’d only done it to force him. It made the poor guy feel less victimized. He’d bet this place meant a lot to Maddie. This was her town, where she’d raised her family.

  Maybe he’d not felt those community ties to a land since they’d left their homeland, but he felt those ties to his kind. Maddie probably felt the same about her family and the place they called home. It was odd that all her kids had left and only one had come back. More than anything, he wanted to know more about this woman.

  The only one that knew that and might tell him something was the white wolf. He’d zoned out and now he became aware everyone was looking at him. “Sorry, I was going over my schedule tomorrow. Did someone ask me something?”

  “Yes, we asked you what your intentions were with helping house the next wave.” Maddie explained.

  “If they come without a place to stay or something in mind, they’ll have to get a tent.” He responded.

  “And if your house hadn’t been nearly finished? You came two weeks early,” Maddie noted.

  “I had a place in mind. I knew all your guests had left.” He smirked at her.

  “You couldn’t have known if I had other family or friends visiting. My house is not a hotel.” Maddie grouched.

  That was true and he hated people he didn’t know staying with him. He was just teasing her and to be honest he liked her to get angry. She looked much younger when her face was flushed and her eyes lit with aggravation. If he was honest, he enjoyed seeing her that way.

  The meal was done since everyone had finished eating and all the females got up and helped Cook. He wasn’t sure what he should do since he wanted to find an excuse to spend some time with Maddie. Unfortunately, he had no excuse. It irritated him that after he had hung around to see her after the ladies cleaned up, she had just said goodbye and waved as she walked out.

  “Tell her if you are interested. At least you’ll know if she shares your interest.” Cook advised.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Our shared interest is just this move.”

  “Are you telling yourself that too or just everyone else?” Cook asked looking skeptical.

  He just left before she asked too many questions. The older female noticed everything. His bed was waiting and calling his name. Tired and cranky, he stripped naked to go to bed where he lay unable to sleep. Possibly an hour later, the panicked knocking pulled him from his bed before he’d gotten any sleep at all.

  Opening the door naked, he looked down in surprise. “Lucia? Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “We were run off the road and Maddie, Viv, and Caro were taken. You were the only one I could think of to go to. You’ll find them, won’t you?”

  A wave of anger mixed with worry rolled over him. It was all he could do to hold back his cat and try t
o think. “Come in and we’ll decided what to do.” As she entered, he hurried to the bathroom to grab a robe. Once he had it in, he hurried back to her.

  “What do we do now?”

  “They’ll be to a destination by now. We need some hunters and I have none of mine here yet. Maddie and Ariel are friends. We’ll call her and she’ll get the hunt started. Then we’ll go where you were run off the road and see what we can find.”

  Pulling out his phone, he quickly hit Ariel’s number. “Damon’s on the way.” She said. “We’ll find them, have no doubts.”

  “Why? Why would they take Maddie and her family?” He asked.

  “She’s a white wolf. She’s my first cousin and high on their wish list.” Ariel admitted.

  “A white wolf? Why didn’t I know?” He questioned.

  “We don’t advertise it. You can see why, can’t you?”

  “Apparently it made no difference.” He pointed out.

  “No one can’t anticipate everything. It made a difference for many years. Now we need to go and get our girls.” Ariel had hung up on him.

  “Let’s go to where you were run off the road.” He directed. First he threw on some clothing then grabbing his keys, he left the house with Lucia behind him.

  They drove to the site where Viv’s SUV was in a ditch with no way to get it out. A tow truck would be needed, but he didn’t concern himself with that. He circled around it, breathing deeply. “Find anything?” A deep male voice asked.

  “Who the hell are you?” He asked.

  “Damon McDougal and I assume you are Azrael and Lucia. This is my wife, witch extraordinaire Marissa.”

  “It would be a pleasure to meet you under different circumstances. The stench of rogue wolves is all over this place.” He admitted.

  “My mate will cast a finding spell and we’ll know which direction they headed in.” Damon stated.

  A lovely redhead exited an SUV filled with children. Power surged all around her. It was magic and he had to force himself to act as if it didn’t scare the holy shit right out of him. Magic of her kind was something shifters of all kinds had a hard time with.

  “What I’m doing will show us the way they’ve headed, but it will also show us where they ended up. The problem is if they’re moved, it won’t show us where. Only the original destination will come through. Right now, it’s northeast. I would guess St. Louis to begin with. That means we need to call Danny.” Marissa said.

  “Danny?” He asked.

  “Ariel’s oldest son.” Marissa explained.

  “Of course. Isn’t he the alpha in St. Louis?”

  “He is and therefore in a position to look for them if they pass through.” Marissa informed.

  The witch made perfect sense. He, on the other hand, was about to go crazy over the situation and he wasn’t sure why. Or maybe he was and didn’t want to admit it. “Will Ariel make the call?”

  “She already has. She’s called Matt too. He’s her youngest and alpha to the Springfield pack. Ariel will have everyone she trusts on the lookout for Maddie and the girls.” Damon came up from behind him and explained. “We have little evidence from the SUV, but we have identified two of the possible abductors.”

  “I can’t believe they just grabbed them on a highway.” He muttered.

  “It’s not a major highway and it was evening. There was no one on the road when it happened. Four people have already reported the SUV in the ditch. People around here would have stopped or at the least called in the abduction had they seen it. My guess, they followed them until they hit a deserted stretch of road.” Damon hypothesized.

  “That sounds likely.” He admitted. “They may have been stalking them a while.”

  “That’s more likely than not. Now we just need to get the word out so our whole network is alerted.” Marissa observed.

  “What is your network?” He asked.

  “It is a call list of the white wolves and friends that live over the country. We even have some around the world if they leave the country.” Marissa explained.

  “There are that many of you?” he was amazed. This was a newly found lost bloodline. How could so many have been hiding right under their nose?

  “They weren’t aware of what they were themselves.” Damon answered his unasked question.

  “Goddess, she must have helped them hide for so long.” He observed.

  “They bred with humans enough to make detection difficult. The fact that no one was looking for them made it all that much easier.” Damon admitted.

  “Your kind wasn’t easy on my family. It looks like it’s starting all over again.” Marissa pointed out.

  “Tell me why the goddess has decided to reveal your family now?” He questioned.

  “Your kind needs us.” Marissa admitted. “That doesn’t mean your kind will behave as they should. Each one is afraid they will not be on top of the heap.”

  “What?” He asked.

  “Everyone is jockeying for position. They all want the most powerful wolf but she’s mated. Not that it stopped some of them. But it has stopped others.” Damon offered.

  “Have you started on the list?” He asked.

  “I call the first five. The first five call the next five who call more and more in the US. I do the same for each continent.” Marissa explained.

  “Like a calling circle?” He asked.

  “Pretty much.” She agreed.

  “That’s smart. It makes everything easier.” He commented.

  “They’ve already started the calls. I hope we know something soon.” Damon said.

  Marissa’s phone rang. “Matt? Yes, your Aunt Maddie, Viv, and Caro were all taken. Thank you. It helps.”

  “Was that Matt?” Damon asked.

  “It was. They are already past Springfield and headed toward St. Louis. They were found on video going through a stop light.” Marissa informed.

  “What the hell can we do?” Azrael asked.

  “Control your cat!” Damon said. “Your eyes are gold with his presence.”

  “I’ve got him. He’s just upset.” Azrael admitted.

  “I can understand, but you’re next to my mate.” Damon said as he positioned himself in front of his mate.

  Yes, his cat was agitated but not in attack mode. Damon had no cause to worry, but he couldn’t blame him. He would be the same were Maddie near and aggravated animal next to her. “What do we do now?” He asked.

  “We have to wait. They aren’t near us and they are currently moving. Once they hit St. Louis, if they stop, we’ll try to go there.” Marissa said.

  “By the time we get there, won’t they be gone?” He asked.

  “Not if we fly.” Marissa answered.

  “How the hell will we fly?” He asked.

  “There are several ways. Once we know where they are, we’ll pick the best way.” She replied.

  These people confused him. He had no idea what to do. It was like things had gotten out of control, his control at any rate. “We’re just letting them escape?” He asked.

  “They’ve already escaped. This was well planned and by the time someone came to you, it was already too late.” Damon admitted. He yowled like a wild cat.

  “Hey, I did the best I could.” Lucia said.

  “I’m sure you did, Dear.” Marissa replied. They did this at the most isolated place along the way. I’m still surprised they let you go.”

  “They might not have, but I jumped out and hit the ground running. I’m one of the faster cats around.” She answered with pride.

  “That will be a help. We’ll get them back, we just have to attack at the right time.” Damon explained.

  Waiting was the hardest thing to do. Yet it was what he would do to get his er Maddie back. Damon had explained everything but he still wasn’t sure of his part in all this. What the hell was he supposed to do and when? Basically it sounded like Marissa was being informed as Maddie’s abductor’s drove by and she would plan the best time to get to them.
/>   Once she decided things were a go, she would take them to those guys which they would attack and grab Maddie, Viv, and Caro back. That was all he was waiting for and he wasn’t sure why Maddie was so important to him, but she was.

  “Go now and get some rest. You’ll need to be ready when the time is right.” Damon said.

  “Why aren’t you contesting my right to help get them back?” He asked.

  “Ariel said you would be part of the effort. That’s all we need to include you.” Damon admitted.

  “Did she say why?” He asked.

  “You’ll need to discuss that with her. That’s over my pay grade.” Damon said with a grin.

  “Aren’t you a council member?” He wondered.

  “I am.”

  “Is anything over your pay grade?”

  “Anything dealing with Ariel.” He admitted. “That stuff is in the magical arena and I don’t go there.” Damon insisted.

  “But your mate is a witch.”

  “And your point? I’m still just a shifter. Magic doesn’t suit me.” He admitted.

  ”Then can she tell me?”

  “I can’t. I was sworn to secrecy. You’ll have to ask Ariel.” Marissa explained.

  “I believe you two are not being fully honest with me.”

  “So?” Damon asked. “Go to Ariel. She’ll tell you if she wants you to know. I suspect you already know anyway. You’re just too damn stubborn to admit it.”

  Was he right? No, of course not. “I’ll go home and get some rest. Don’t forget to let me know. Come on Lucia, I’ll drop you at your house.” He moved to his SUV as Lucia trudged behind him.

  It was clear she wasn’t happy with what had been done but had no idea what to do herself. Their friends would remain in the hands of the rogues much longer than he cared for. Maddie was smart and resourceful, maybe she would find a way to escape. If not, he feared for what might happen to her.

  A white wolf that had been a shock. Why hadn’t she changed to wolf as many of her kind had? Maybe she could have fought off these rogues had she been a wolf. Between the three of them who knew what they might have been able to do. Not that it mattered now. But it might matter again sometime in the future. He’d heard Ariel didn’t want to change them unless she knew their mate was a wolf.