Soft Kitty

By Tielle St. Clare

This kitty needs to be petted. Hard.
A little too much domestic bliss around the Pack is making Knox’s nerves tingle. If he had his choice, he’d escape to the city for a few nights of hot, sexy fun, but after the recent attacks, Knox knows he can’t leave. He needs to stay and protect the others—the happily mated pairs. Ugh.
That doesn’t stop the intense urges inside him.
He needs a fight or a f—
Well, you get the idea.

Enter Gideon
He could give Knox both his desires—a fight and a f—
Well, you know what he means.
But Gideon’s not here for sex and he’s certainly not here to get mixed up in inter-Pack politics. Bears are solitary creatures. They don’t get involved and they certainly don’t take mates. Ever. Well, okay, sometimes, but rarely ever.

It’s just while the rest of the Pack is living in Happy Ever After world, Knox and Gideon have to keep up their defenses. There is not time for, well, you know...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tielle St. Clare
• Release date: Aug 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005131166

Book preview

Soft Kitty

by Tielle St. Clare

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2021 T. L. Green

Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill / EDHGraphics

All rights are reserved. This e-book is licensed for individual readership only. No portion of this e-book may be resold or redistributed in any format.

To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at https://www.facebook.com/tiellestclare/

Author’s Note

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Chapter One

Knox rocked slowly in the deck swing, listening to the rain fall on the roof. His cat liked the lounging capability of the swing. Almost as good as a tree branch.

Fuck.

Knox looked to the other chair on the front porch at Phin. The normally calm bear shifter tensed as he scanned a snail mail letter Teague had picked up at their mailbox in town. An actual letter.

Fuck, Phin said again.

I’m game, but your mate is a little... Knox paused for effect. Phin raised his eyebrows, practically daring Knox to continue. Which he did. Feisty. Won’t he mind?

Shut up.

You offered.

I didn’t. It was an expletive. Gideon, the Leader of my old Sleuth is coming to visit. And fuck you. I like my mate feisty.

No shit, Knox drawled. The vent conducts sound way better than you might imagine.

Sorry. The word came out of Phin’s mouth but the wicked grin on his lips belied any actual apology.

Bite me. Knox flinched at the wave of bitterness that leapt from those two words.

You okay, man? Phin asked, suddenly serious.

I’m fine. I’m just a little nauseated at the happy homemaking surrounding me. It all seems a bit mundane.

He infused the statement with additional boredom, more because he knew it would set Phin off and that would take care of any lingering tedium for Knox.

Except it didn’t.

Phin’s grin grew bigger.

You left Damon’s Pack to move here with Caleb, me and two pups. The bear shifter shook his head and Knox swore he heard the other man actually tsk. You can’t have expected balls to the wall excitement.

Maybe it’s because my balls haven’t seen any action, he thought.

Besides, we’re on full alert after the attack last month. You’re on patrol every day. You can’t be bored.

I—

Maybe you should head into town tonight after your patrol.

Knox shrugged. What’s the point? There’s no gay bar nearby. I’d have to head into the city and we know I can’t be away for that long.

There was some chance of finding a fuck buddy in the little town a few miles from the base of their mountain, but humans held little interest for him. They were too easily hurt. A one-night stand might satisfy his immediate urges, but if he were looking for a—

He slammed the brake, dragging his train of thought to a screeching halt.

You’re not looking for anything more than a one-night fuck. Definitely not a mate. Mates were fine for a wolf—the whole mate for life thing—but a jaguar craved variety. Most other animals fucked and moved on. Hell, he wasn’t sure how Phin and his bear stuck it out with one guy.

Except it had only been a month. They were still in the sex is new phase. Once the fucking got boring, Phin would drift away. Brutal breakups weren’t the gentle bear’s style. And Deacon? Knox gave it another couple weeks before he was off looking for the perfect twink.

Phin’s hibernation paunch was starting to show beneath his clothes.

Deacon had gone into the city almost a week ago. Client meetings—or that was his story. Knox wasn’t convinced.

Knox worried his friend’s lover might have decided a bear shifter living in the woods was too much trouble.

And with Phin losing his six-pack and gaining the fluffy layer... Knox shook his head. According to Quincy, Deacon was well-known for limiting himself to perfection when it came to his fuck buddies.

Poor Phin. He seemed to really like the human.

Even as Knox allowed the thought to sour his already rotten mood, a car drove up—high end SUV. Expensive as shit and glistening like it had been recently washed and polished. The mud on the road seemed to stand in awe of the shiny paint job, refusing to cling to it out of respect.

Deacon.

Phin’s face lit up at the sight but he tugged on the hem of his shirt as if trying to pull it away from the lumpy part of his belly.

Deacon threw the vehicle in park and jumped out, like an excited child. The image didn’t match the snarling, cynical businessman who had stormed up here weeks ago, ready to drag his best friend down the hill.

Honey Bear! he called out. He reached in the back seat and pulled out a brown paper bag. Knox considered the possibility he brought wine but dismissed it. None of them were big wine drinkers. Whiskey was the drink of choice.

The human wrapped his fingers around the top of whatever bottle was inside and strolled toward the front porch. His gaze remained completely locked on Phin—to the point Knox felt slighted. He hadn’t garnered so much as a glance.

The heat blazed from Deacon’s eyes. He did a slow scan of Phin’s body, pausing no more than a heartbeat at the thickening around Phin’s waist. Still the hesitation was enough to make Phin tense.

Hi, honey. Devon stopped a few feet away. Something that could only be described as an evil grin crossed his lips. "Guess what I’ve got. Fireweed honey." He held up the crumpled bag. Phin made a noise that sounded like a cross between a moan and a gurgle.

Deacon took the last two steps to reach his lover’s side. Wanna see how it tastes on my cock? he whispered, but with Knox standing right beside them, he couldn’t avoid hearing.

The bear’s growl burst from Phin’s throat. Knox jumped. Deacon laughed.

I’ll take that as a yes. He wrapped his free hand around Phin’s wrist and pulled him up the stairs with no more than a snarky Hi Knox as they walked by. A dazed and smiling Phin trailed behind him.

The screen door slammed shut before Knox realized Phin hadn’t said anything more about the leader of his Sleuth coming to visit.

Two grizzly bears? In the same small space? Male grizzlies, even shifters, tended to be solitary creatures and not terribly friendly to their own kind. If this guy is getting ready for hibernation too, we definitely don’t have enough food, Knox thought.

And fuck, we’re close to winter. What if he gets stuck here? Bear shifters didn’t specifically hibernate but they slept more than half the day and were fairly useless for the other half.

I’m not giving up my room, Knox muttered. The two bears can share the downstairs.

He went back into the house, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his day. The restlessness he could only attribute to being in one place too long, being too domesticated, flared again.

He had work to do. Two academic papers to read and edit. Both on the lifestyles of jungle cats. Knox had built a reputation as an expert. As an editor for human and shifter publications, he was able to contribute to the Clowder. He called their little group a clowder because he refused to be part of a Pack or a Sleuth. Sleuth? What a stupid collective noun.

He also wrote a fiction series about a group of teenage shifters secretly fighting the infiltration of vampires into their town. The title of best seller didn’t accompany his name but his royalties added to the coffers. Each member of their group provided for the general fund, but Caleb demanded every person also saved some for himself. Unlike their previous Pack which took everything.

Knox divided his earnings between personal savings, the Clowder and an account for Caleb’s pups.

Knox didn’t expect—or even want—to have children of his own. He would do his best to assure Caleb’s pups were taken care of.

He wandered through the main floor of the house, poking his head into the kitchen to see the kids and Quincy studiously coloring at the table. Quincy’s head popped up. His eyes still a little wild from the attack. He lifted his chin in greeting. Knox returned the gesture but didn’t walk in. He loved the pups, he did, but he didn’t feel like playing Unca Knox right now.

With all the extra patrols he was behind on his work. He went into his bedroom and planted his butt in the corner, laptop resting on his knees. Before he finished reading the first line, he heard it.

A low, almost painful groan, followed by oh, fuck, honey, that’s sweet. Taste good, honey? Fuck. Phin and Deacon. Fucking.

Knox glared at the air vent that opened to the basement. He stretched up and snagged a pillow off his bed and smashed it against the open panels hoping to muffle the sounds.

His preferred way to work included headphones and hard driving music pounding through his brain. With the attacks three weeks ago, he couldn’t bring himself to block out foreign noises. He needed to be on alert.

The stress in the house was getting to them all. Quincy and Caleb had been sniping at each other. Knox knew he was being a moody asshole. Even Teague—gentle, quiet Teague—had been bitchy. And Raiden—fuck, he didn’t know what to do with Raiden. The cat still came around—typically during dinner and never when Quincy was alone—but since the attack, he spent more time in his ocelot form patrolling the edges of the compound.

That probably had something to do with Quincy’s death stare every time the little shifter came near. Knox smiled at the memory. Quincy might be human but he had the possessiveness of a shifter and guarded his mate like a fat kid guarded ice cream. No, don’t stereotype. Like a vegan guarded a plate of kale. He chuckled at the analogy and typed it into an ideas document he always kept open. Easy to imagine one of his future characters saying something similar.

Knox glanced at the clock. Caleb would be returning soon. Since the random wolf attack, they’d been more diligent in their patrols and Teague put a schedule in place. Eight hours each—him, Caleb and Phin. Raiden offered to take a shift but Caleb nixed the idea. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Raiden but...

He let the thought trail away. Raiden had been helpful. He’d saved the pups and Quincy by getting Caleb when they’d fallen into the river. Still, there was something not quite right. Maybe it was because a cat like that usually ended up as part of a pack or pride. Ocelots might be small and vicious in their animal form but could be overcome by a couple of wolves or mountain lions. They tended to seek protection with packs or prides because Alphas didn’t find them any threat.

So why was he solo? And why did he show up here?

A knock on the door snapped Knox out of his thoughts. Damn he hadn’t gotten anything done. He shoved his laptop to the side and glided to the door in a few smooth steps. He was a cat, after all.

Caleb waited on the other side. Naked except for a pair of shorts, he was filthy, mud clinging to his hair and covering his fingers.

Nice.

This rain is killing me, Caleb growled. I wish it would just fucking turn to snow and be done. The mud sticks to my fur.

And you stink.

Fastidious prick, Caleb tossed back as he walked toward his bedroom. Is Phin heading out?

Knox tipped his head toward the vent and heard a soft hold on, honey, you don’t get to come yet.

Knox’s shaft twitched with the sexual noises. Damn, if the thought of Deacon fucking his friend aroused him, it clearly was time to head into the city and work off some energy.

Naw. Deacon’s back. I’ll take his shift and he can have mine tonight. He paused. I might run into town later.

Caleb chuckled. I see how it is. That will be okay. I’ll be around while Phin’s patrolling. And with Deacon back, we can lighten up a little around the house.

Does your mate know you trust Deacon to act as a proper guard but not him?

A faint hint of red touched Caleb’s cheeks but Knox couldn’t decipher if it was because of embarrassment or anger. Quincy is human.

So is Deacon.

It’s different. I trust Quincy...

But...? The one-word challenge came from a new voice in the hallway. Quincy. Knox winced at the chill in the Alpha Mate’s voice. I trust Quincy but... he prompted.

Caleb glared at Knox like this was his fault, which it kind of was, but not intentional. Okay, maybe he’d wanted to annoy Caleb. He hadn’t meant Quincy to hear. Hadn’t meant Quincy to get pissed.

There’s no but. Caleb straightened. I trust you.

Then why don’t you consider me a proper guard? Knox is right. You won’t leave me alone in the house. I always have to have a shifter with me, right? Until Deacon shows up. He’s fine. Quincy stalked forward. He stopped at the doorframe to Knox’s room, putting Knox in the middle of Quincy and Caleb. I’m not some weak-ass invalid you need to take care of. I can protect myself.

I know that.

Really? You don’t act like it.

Knox glanced over his shoulder wondering if he could surreptitiously slip back into his bedroom. He could crawl out the window and go on his patrol. Awkward.

I trust you with my children, Caleb snarled. Either the sound or the words startled Quincy because he froze. Caleb stalked forward, full-on Alpha mode screaming from his muscles. I trust you to protect my children. I know you will do anything in your power to protect them.

I would. Quincy’s voice floated across the space.

"And while you’re protecting them, I need someone who can watch your back. No, you’re not as strong as a shifter and I think Deacon is a little more ruthless than you are, so I won’t apologize for wanting someone to protect you while you’re protecting our kids."

Quincy blinked, the sudden tears welling at the base of his lids. He threw himself at Caleb. Of course, the Alpha caught him.

I can’t let anything happen to you or the pups. I can’t, baby. Let me have this.

I just don’t want you to think— He paused.

Caleb grinned, a half smile designed to convey his understanding. I don’t think of you as a housewife, babe. I will take over kid duty as soon as I clean up.

Quincy leaned in and whispered into Caleb’s ear, but of course, Knox’s jaguar hearing picked it up.

Why don’t we continue this apology in the shower? Quincy asked. Caleb chuffed, the sound so similar to his wolf’s pleasure noises it made Knox sigh. Heavily.

Something wrong? The Alpha’s question teemed with tension.

Knox rolled his eyes. I’m surrounded by happy fucking couples.

As if he’d