Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance (The Animal Sagas) Read online

  And as for the magic gift they both shared, as far as Lynda knew, Sonya really didn’t shift. In fact, Sonya had hardly ever practiced her magic – maybe just on a few rare occasions. Lynda, by this time, was a master at it. Hell, she’d been able to shift she she was about six, so she had a little over twenty years practice honing her skills and letting her “inner pussy” roam. Outside of her family though, no one knew of her feline magic and she wanted to keep it that way. Maybe Sonya’s gift was just a weaker version. But as it was, her were line, the Yukonia line, was now a rare and highly prized commodity and she’d just as soon keep a low profile, just to make sure somebody didn’t try and take advantage of their highly sought after gift.

  Who would have ever thought that things could ever change again for the sisters in just the blink of an eye? Certainly not Lynda.

  Chapter 4

  Present day -

  Sonya Seron was a shapeshifter. She had been most of her young life. In fact, she had an older sister named Lynda who could also transform, or shift, whichever you liked, and her mother could too. Literally, over half her extended family also had this rare gift – aunts and uncles, cousins, you name it, and 99.9% of them were women! In fact, her clan, or pack, again, whichever you prefer, the Yukonia line, an old and once great clan of were-people, all shared this incredible gift. It was normally passed on from mother to daughter, though she had heard tales of a few men in the clan who also were shifters.

  In fact, usually the true Yukonia men, fathered by pure Yukonia parents, carried the gene as a recessive too. Then if they were to marry another possessing the Yukonia gene, then they too could bear shifter offspring. It was really quite amazing when you think about it. As for Sonya, well, she too had the incredible gift to shift into the shape of a cougar, puma, panther or mountain lion – whichever you preferred. In fact, she enjoyed the name catamount herself. To her it sounded more royal, unique and strong – exactly as she envisioned her she-cat alter ego.

  But today she simply stared at the angry werewolf below her from her safe perch high in a pine tree. For the last half hour, Clay, a shifter himself, he was a werewolf, had been sitting in the snow at the base of the pine. At first he had been patient, but that patience had worn very thin. He had been growling and yapping at her to come down from her perch and return home with him immediately for a while now. Sonya, still in cougar form, daintily licked a blond paw and stretched out her toes, carefully inspecting her fur and pads. She pretended to be unconcerned by all the noise her bodyguard was making. Which only infuriated Clay more. Surely, everyone in a five mile radius could hear all the fuss he was making, no doubt! She half expected other members of the pack to arrive at any moment to see what all the fuss was about.

  As it turned out, especially since she had no cell phone or internet connection anymore, “Thanks big sister!”, she thought to herself, annoying Clay was Sonya’s latest joy in life. And, turns out, she was really good at it too – it was a great way for her to find amusement in a pack of way too serious wolves! After all, she hadn’t asked to become part of a werewolf pack, or to be given a bodyguard, all of that had happened as a consequence of her abduction. Her freedom had still been stolen, even though at least with the werewolf pack she was safe.

  So he must pay the price to be in her presence as far as she was concerned. He didn’t even have to be here as far as she was concerned – she would really prefer just being left alone to explore the new wilderness on her own. But Clay would have none of that. So if he were going to have to hang around all the time he would just have to do what she wanted to do. Easy enough, right?! At least that’s what SHE thought.

  Just over five months ago, Sonya had been abducted from her home by a local thug named Jonathan Anderson. Turns out, he was a shifter too and just happened to be a werewolf who had been intent on forcing her to become his mate. And she had met Jonathan at the bar the two sisters worked at on the weekends. Sonya had been terrified that he would make good on his threats, and was certain that her life had come to a miserable end.

  Her sister Lynda had gotten her a part time job there on the weekends to help pay the family bills and then one day in comes this big, pushy, greasy looking guy named Jon who did his best to get in her pants. Yuck! There was no way that was ever going to happen unless she was absolutely unconscious and she was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen in her lifetime. Still, Sonya was more than happy to accept his $50 tips every time he came in – but that was all – otherwise he was really not her type.

  Her big sister, Lynda, had made a huge sacrifice to save her from Jonathan and his stinky buddies. Not only had Lynda worked out a plan to get her back, but she had also given herself to the new pack leader, Ben, in return for all his help by becoming his mate. Turns out, Ben was also Jonathan’s rival pack’s alpha male which pretty much ruined all Jonathan’s plans before they could actually happen. She had actually met Ben, her new brother-in-law, just briefly before the abduction, by chance, but had no idea Lynda would go to such levels to get her back. In fact, as much as they had fought in the past few months, Sonya half expected Lynda to let the bad guys keep her. She now realized what a pain in the rear she had been to Lynda and was truly sorry for all of it.

  Now Sonya was the new sister-in-law of Ben Wilder, pack leader, and a new member of the Strongheart werewolf pack. Not that she had asked to be. Not that she had a choice whether she wanted to be or not. Lynda, who was pregnant with Ben’s twins, was settling into pack life fairly easily. It was fairly surprising to Sonya how easy the transition for Lynda was actually. That was thanks, in large part, to the magic of their Yukonia bloodline, which allowed them to quickly adapt to their mate’s needs and lifestyle.

  Sonya however, chafed under the werewolf lifestyle and all the rules that now held her. An un-mated Yukonia cougar was not meant to live alone in a pack. She was meant to roam, to hunt, and most importantly, to be free. She thought she was trying to fit in, but did every thing in her power, it seemed, to show her defiance. And poor Clay, since he was around her pretty much 24/7, he got the bulk of it now.

  Chapter 5

  Present day -

  Sonya was grateful for what her sister had done for her. She had made a great sacrifice by offering herself to Ben, however in the end, it had turned out to be a good romantic match. After her previous abduction, she realized that she was far safer living within the pack’s protection, than she ever had been when she and Lynda lived alone back at their family’s old cabin. In that sense it did give her some sense of comfort, since her parents had passed away, leaving the sisters with only each other.

  She even appreciated the necessity of Clay’s presence. She understood it, she really did, but it didn’t make her have to like it! Scouts had reported to Ben on more than one occasion that Jonathan had been seen sniffing around the edges of Strongheart territory since her return to her sister and the Strongheart clan. He still wanted her even after all the drama of a few months back! Just the thought of it made her shiver.

  But Sonya didn’t want to be caught alone with that man ever again. Still, she longed to hunt the new mountainous woods of the pack’s territory by herself. To feel the grass beneath her feet, and to feel the breeze rush through her fur as she encountered the new territory all on her own terms, now that is something she longed for. Big cats were meant to roam by themselves – didn’t these dogs understand that? She wasn’t worried at all about being alone out here… as long as she had shifted that is. And Sonya was tired of her relentless babysitter. He was a nice enough guy, but boring to a fault, and always following Ben’s commands like a little puppy.

  Clay was up and pacing slowly back and forth, the haunches beneath his snug fur shifting lithely with every gesture of his paw. “Damn it Sonya! Get your furry red rear out of that tree right now, or I am coming up there after you! Again! You know I mean it!” Apparently, Clay had gotten tired of waiting for her to come down of her own accord while she day dreamed atop the tree. As loud as Clay coul
d growl, he was always very cautious with her, and had never actually hurt her.

  When she glanced down with a smug glare, she found him as she expected to. He stood there, shivering in the snow, just as nude as the day he was born. Sonya took a good long look at his muscular frame – and from her vantage point she could see everything, her eyes lingering for a moment on his light green gaze. She had to admit, if she was going to have to have a babysitter, Clay Rhodes was definitely a fine looking man – were or otherwise. With the blonde hair that topped his features, he was certainly nothing to turn her nose up at. Even if he was a bit tedious to be around, he was not hard to look at, at all. She always considered it a good day when she could force the handsome werewolf to shift back out of his wolf form, and face her down naked. Yep, a really good day.

  Deciding she had played hard to get long enough, Sonya stood up, stretched, and lithely jumped down from the tree. Stretching, once she landed back on solid earth, she taunted him, still in cougar form, by lightly swatting at him with a large snowy mitten. Still, she didn’t want to have to repeat her last hunting time with him. She had been caught up in the desire to obtain her prey, and in doing so, Clay had been torn through the woods at such high speeds that he did not even have time to slow down and avoid the treacherous pines.

  That time he did climb the tree to get her down. She could still see him clearly in her mind trying his best to climb that tree. And as a general rule, wolves are not known for their tree climbing skills. Sonya had been forced to pluck pine slivers from Clay’s legs for hours, while Lynda lectured her about not mistreating her bodyguard. As if it was her fault that Clay couldn’t keep up. As if it was her fault that he was always managing to keep her from evading him completely. It was his choice to chase her after all. She wasn’t a kid but sometimes Lynda could really treat her like one.

  Landing next to the well muscled man, Sonya gave him a playful head butt knocking the soft fur of her forehead against the chilled skin of his side and hopped a few feet away. “Knock it off she-cat. I’m hungry, cold, aggravated and it’s time to head home. It’ll be dark soon so let’s go,” he snapped as he glared down a her.

  Just then the striking young man, she guessed about thirty or so, she wasn’t sure exactly, turned back into his wolf form, huge and grizzled grey with light yellow-green eyes. Sonya playfully hopped back beside him, gave his muzzle a quick lick, actually slapped him this time with a large snow filled paw and then leapt away as he play snapped back at her. He could be such a grouch, she often thought to herself. With that Sonya turned and began making her way back towards the cabin Ben and the pack had given her to call home. It wasn’t at all like the cabin she had shared with her parents, and most recently with Lynda, all her life, but it was nice enough and they did keep her well stocked with everything she might ever need. Except for a cell phone and internet service!

  She often wondered how Clay really felt about having to share living accommodations with a full grown woman that he wasn’t sleeping with. She had no idea what the other pack members said to him about his new “baby-sitting gig”, but she could imagine that they really gave him a hard time about it, if only behind his back. It could not be easy for him to be domesticated without the benefits. Despite all the teasing and trouble she gave him, Sonya felt sorry for the handsome werewolf. It couldn’t be easy on him just watching but never touching – she knew that.

  She had seen him stealing glances at Lynda and Ben when they went out together, or as they finished their night curled up next to each other in the midst of the pack. He was at a point in his life that most would consider a time to mate. Clearly he wanted to take a mate himself. He was certainly of age to do so. It was obvious to her, even if it wasn’t yet to him. But she was convinced that he had been thinking about it even if he would not admit it. Probably he had been thinking about it for a while now at his “advanced age” she thought to herself and then chuckled. Yet most of the female wolves in the pack were already mated, or too intimidated by the Alpha’s second to consider ever approaching him in a romantic fashion. Not to mention he was now stuck following her around, 24-7 any way.

  It could not be exactly easy for him to nuzzle up to a female while Sonya stood by watching. Maybe there was something she could do to help him. Sonya soon became determined to play matchmaker. Perhaps if he had his own mate to be concerned about, he would ease up on her just enough for her to obtain a little bit of freedom from time to time.

  Chapter 6

  Maybe there was something she could do to help him out in this situation. Hmm… definitely something to think about. The wheels started turning… When they finally reached the cabin, Sonya shifted back into her human form, swinging her hips tantalizingly as she walked in the front door. Just another way in which she loved to tease Clay. She could feel his eyes lingering on her, but he did not let a single growl escape. It was definitely a Yukonia thing. Or at least a she-cat thing! She grabbed her clothes which hung on the wall just inside, then threw Clay his sweat pants back over her shoulder as she passed down the hallway. She could hear him give a frustrated sigh as he caught the clothes and she headed to the kitchen.

  “Aw come on Clay. It wasn’t that bad, you only had to wait half an hour this time! And you didn’t even have to climb up after me either!” She looked over her shoulder at the young man who now stared at her with an eyebrow arched and damp towel in hand, wiping dirt from his face and hands. “Come on, I will make those deer steaks you brought back from last night’s kill,” she said matter of factly.

  “I’m going to take a shower.” He grunted at her, trying to look anywhere but at her. “I’ll be back out when the food is ready. Don’t forget… ”

  “I know, I know. To let you know if I hear, see, think or smell anything suspicious.” Sonya finished the sentence for him. “I know, I know. Get going, will you? You stink! And don’t use all the hot water either – I want a shower tonight too!”

  Sonya pulled the steaks and a few other mixed vegetables from the fridge and laid them about on the counter as she dug through various pots and pans in search of her favorite cast iron skillet. She fried the venison steaks in her cast iron skillet with some potatoes and onions, added a little mustard, some salt and pepper and a few mushrooms too while she pondered Clay’s current romantic problem. The trouble was he needed to get out of pack territory and meet a few new women who weren’t intimidated by his status in the clan. Sonya actually knew of a few nice female weres who lived in the nearby town. Maybe he should meet a few of them. Might be just what he needs to cheer his grouchy old self up.

  However, after the kidnapping incident of five months ago, and all the conflict between the Strongheart and the Dark Fang clans, she had been forbidden from returning to town by Ben, the pack Alpha. As it was, the town was just outside of Strongheart pack territory, and it was considered simply too dangerous for her to go down there without several wolves in attendance. And Lynda had expressly forbid her from going to town too. An unmated Yukonia were would be a prize many would like to claim. And no way Ben would ever allow that to happen! Plus she didn’t want to repeat the drama with Jon again. That guy is crazy, no two ways about it, she thought to herself.

  If she tried to go down there with just Clay, she would get both of them in a lot of trouble from both Ben and Lynda and she knew it. Much more trouble than it was worth. Plus, Clay was terribly strong, she knew that, but there was no way one were could stand up by himself to a pack and come out unharmed. And she didn’t want to see him get hurt. Sonya sighed to herself as she turned the steaks over in their pan and stirred the vegetables about.

  But,” she smirked to herself as she stirred the onions. “If they were to come here,” her devilish smirk was enough to make her look sinister in the steam rising from the pan. Sonya sighed as she turned the steaks in their pan once again. By the time Clay was drawn to the kitchen by the heavenly scent of her cooking, she had managed to work herself into a deep sexy pout. She was very familiar with how to get
what she wanted.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked as she carried their plates to the table.

  “Oh nothing,” she shrugged dismissively. He nodded as if that solved everything, and sat down at the table. Sonya slumped down in her chair across from him. She rested her chin in her palm and heaved a very heavy sigh again.

  “Sonya?” Clay glanced up at her reluctantly. He had gotten to know her well enough to know that she could get into some serious moods.

  “Oh I’m sorry,” she frowned. “I just was thinking of my friends.”

  “Friends?” he asked and took a bite of the venison steak. “Mmmmm,” he sighed at the flavor. “Awesome.”

  “Thanks,” she smirked a little. She always enjoyed it when he praised her cooking. She knew that he would be just as kind to one of her friends.

  “Now what about these friends?” he asked.

  “Well it’s just, ever since I’ve been part of the pack,” she paused a moment when she saw his eyes glaze over with loyalty. “Not that I’m not insanely grateful,” she hurried to explain. “But, I haven’t had a chance to see any of my old friends.”

  “Sonya,” Clay said with warning in his voice. “You know Ben said no going into town. It’s too dangerous right now.”