The Cat Receives A Bird Call

Afancy ass box appeared on our porch unexpectedly while I was asleep. I didn't find it because after an all-nighter with the birdbrain, this kitty needed some beauty rest. Leo brought a delicious smelling tray of food to get me to drag my arse out of bed and dangled it in front of me with wicked glee.

"Now, love, Hex will be up to get this room sparkling soon—up and at ‘em. Food is on the tray by the chaise and your clothes are on the jacuzzi. You need to shower while all the normal guests are out and about. The drama from last night has dissipated, thank the stars."

I arch a brow at him, wondering what went on after Taurus zapped me to wherever. I knew Rhea came back here and even though I was distracted when I arrived, I saw the cars from the Den family. I assume someone called them to get Rhea calmed down after our disastrous outing.

That's a conversation I have no interest in starting this early.

"Everything is ready for tonight. Sandrine and I are hitting the town with Siren, Caesar, and Hex. You miscreants will have the house to yourself, I think. Even the wench is going out with the dancing duo."

Uh oh. I'm supposed to meet Taurus and they're all going out?

I can not leave Victor and Rafe alone. They've had difficulties since Rafe mated with Wilde. That's yet another mess that blogger-cum-laureate left in his wake. Maybe Alistair and Rhea can come over to keep Rafe occupied and Victor can tinker around in the workshop?

Shit, I'd feel terrible.

Donatella only left a few months ago, and I've thrown so many recent additions to our family into the mix. Caesar has his buddies Hex, Leo, and Preston. Leo has Sandrine and Hex has that crazy as hell droid, Chaos.

Leo probably didn't mention her on the list of attendees because I'm not a fan of the head of her family. Belle is about as bad news as you can get. She's one of those fake Southern women who use ‘bless your heart' in place of saying ‘fuck you'. She likes to pretend she's all sugar and spice but motorcycle edgy at the same time. Her clone and two droids—Mayhem, Veruca and Chaos—live on her ranch. Between the four of them, their names suit what follows in their path.

Sari loves that family. I'm convinced she has a deeper relationship with them than she lets on and for all I know, it could include mating. It wouldn't shock me to find that out, especially since Rhea has a yen for Mayhem because he's a bad boy.

Victor only has me since Dona split, and he doesn't say how heartbroken and lonely he is, but I know. He's one of my dearest friends and much like Leo, we're rarely lovers now. We're simply two people who love each other very much. I'd do anything for him, but he asks for nothing. He's always there, especially when I need him most. No matter what I do or say, who I bring into the family, what changes I go through—Victor still loves me as much as the first time we kissed.

I can't abandon him entirely to sneak off and meet Taurus, right?

"I forgot, love. Vic is going with us. I think he figured you might meet up with the firefly and the puppy dog."

I give him a stern look. "Leo."

He grins.

"Leo! Caesar wears a collar and you don't poke fun at him."

"Hell, yes, we do. Quietly, though, because Chaos can be a genuine terror if you make her mad. She enjoys walking him when she's here with Hex. Crazy as a hatter, that one—she spooks me." He grabs the tray I was picking at and sighs. "Get clean. Do something that makes you happy tonight. Christ knows we're all aware something is wrong and the lazy git won't tell anyone what the bloody problem is. Our family's not supposed to have that kind of secret; it's against the rules."

Pursing my lips, I shrug. "It's nothing, really. I have a lot of toes to try not to step on. My family needs me. I'm still learning not to skewer myself. It's all making me a little crazy."

"I wasn't programmed yesterday, woman. I know that it's bigger than that. I won't force the issue—that's Victor's job. He'll be after you soon enough." Leo throws me a wink and heads out, leaving me to ponder the hot mess that is my life.

Being mated with four clones and two mostly humans, plus dating several droids, sounds difficult. It didn't use to be, despite my current woes. The troubles began when Rafe and I mated with Alistair, Rhea, Wilde and Sari. Emotions running the highest highs, lowest lows, and everything in between are stock in trade with them. Some days I swear I wouldn't do a thing differently and others—well, we don't talk about the others. I'm hoping to make it through this rough patch and see the other side where the sunshine we'd had is hiding.

Letting everything inside me go still, I close my eyes. I breathe deeply, working to contain all of our hurt, sorrow, and pain in a tiny ball that I can tuck away. My magick keeps it all hidden—cleansing our mating bonds—so it doesn't flow to the others. It's damned exhausting keeping Rafe and my misery a secret. It's a gargantuan strain and I think it's why I struggle with controlling the beast. She's the outward embodiment of my rage, escaping to express it in a way that I cannot. The stress of fighting with her, hiding the secrets and scars, and putting on a brave face is wearing on me. I'm afraid that I'll lose my shit in a seriously public way.

I have to find an escape.

That is why I'm going to throw caution to the wind and use whatever in the hell is in this box Leo gave me. The scent clinging to the box tells me it's from Taurus. I don't know why I know it will help me locate that place we were last night, but I do. He's the only thing in my universe right now that makes me feel free.

He's not part of my world, and he never will be. He is not looking to use me to climb a social ladder, and he doesn't want to add himself to my ever-growing harem of mates. He just wants to blow off steam—in bed and out.

I can't have him, and I don't want him.

This might be perfect.

Texts from people about last night tainted the hour I spent getting ready. I'm not in the mood to discuss it in depth, especially given that I promised Taurus I wouldn't reveal our secret after we left my house. Mostly, I just toyed with Sari and Wilde until they gave up.

Now that I'm clean, dressed, and caffeinated, I can focus on this damned box.

Smiling to myself, I rip open the sparkly paper on the package. The delivery service from the Company doesn't come here because they can't get through the barrier spell. It must have been hand delivered by the preening prat himself. After last night, he knows how to get through the shields.

I look at the contents and frown. The box has a smartphone in it.

What a bloody cheater.

It looks exactly like the most common smartphone on Earth. A closer inspection tells me that the Company either has someone from that mega corporation on their payroll or they own a large stake in it. Why? Because it is one of those phones except it's tricked out. When I turn it over, the back is jet black with an engraved silver peacock with gemstones studding the tail. This bad boy was handmade this morning, delivered by the afternoon, and had to cost a fortune.

Typical Taurus: this is a billion-dollar booty phone.

I don't think this is a magickal transport device. I can't imagine that their tech could be this small. Then again, what the hell do I know about Company tech? The phone has one number in the contacts—presumably Taurus'—and social media apps that only link to him. Why do I need a messenger app to get a hold of someone who can talk in my head? There are also a few pre-installed games that are right up my alley. Again, I wonder where he"s getting his information.

I should call him, right? I fidget a bit, unsure if I should be so accessible. After arguing with myself for a few minutes, I give in. It goes straight to voicemail when I do, and then a text appears.

The Peacock: Now.

In an instant, I'm sitting on the couch in the room from last night. It's less spartan today, which surprises me. There's wood paneling and thick, fluffy carpet. The bar area nearby has been upgraded and now sports crystal glassware and rich looking alcohol in snifters. An armchair and a coffee table sit catty corner to the sofa as if waiting for someone to lounge.

Interesting.

I don't see the clone in question, so I settle into the comfy couch. Humming under my breath, I distract myself with the bird phone. I would get creeped out about the "me-specific" things on it, except that it's so damned like Taurus. No wonder people think he's magickal. He's not; he's just filthy rich. He's the billionaire playboy turned superhero of clones.

Before I finish the first level in the game, Taurus hops over the back of the couch with a grumble. He growls and kicks his feet up on the coffee table. His expression is turbulent, and I wonder why he brought me back here hours after we parted when he's in a foul mood.

"You look hungry." I can only surmise that's what caused his dark countenance, as anger would look bloodier.

"That's one way of putting it." His stomach rumbles as if to confirm my words.

I reach over without thinking, rubbing his tummy lightly. "Is everything okay? I thought we weren't meeting until later, but then the text came through."

His demon visage flashes, then fades, then flashes again. It's like he's having control issues—not something I'd expect from him. His expression finally smooths it out when he quirks a grin at the hand on his torso. "I had issues at work. I missed lunch, and I got stuck in a boring sodding meeting. Everyone around me having a sodding snack didn't help."

The mother hen in me clicks into place and I sit up on my knees, rubbing the back of his neck soothingly. Last week, the thought of this scenario would have been so surreal that I couldn't comprehend it. Today, it feels natural to do it.

"Did somebody at work take your lunch money or something?" I give him a soft smile, letting him know I'm only kidding before I kick up a purr in my chest.

His eyes widen at the purr, and he shakes his head. "Not a soul would dare to cross me, gorgeous. I think I'm feeling a bleed off Talia. She's also having a rough day at the office." He narrows his eyes at me. "Don't think that purring's going to make me all poofy and smitten, either."

I roll my eyes. "Tell me what's going on with you. There's no need to remind me how big and bad you are or how many people you killed for looking at you sideways. I know it's not just a bleed. Talk to me, you jackass." My fingers work over the pressure points in his neck, ironing out tension as the rumble in my chest gets stronger.

He adjusts, ostensibly to keep me from mussing his hair, but I can feel his tension fading. This is not the date I imagined with him when I called, nor is it one that anyone would believe I'm having.

However, here we are, and it's oddly comfortable.

"I'm not sure that it's fair to tell you about it, Sandwich. You have ties that bind." He opens one eye and looks at me for a moment, waiting for me to nod. "As soon as people saw on the blog that Talia and I were out in the open, we started getting our bells rung. The gnome came knocking on Talia's door for lunch today, which explains why mine was nonexistent."

My free hand flies to the bridge of my nose, pinching tightly as I try to control the emotions running through me. Sari couldn't stay away, could she? She and Wilde have torn our family to ribbons. They've scarred, bruised, tortured and broken us emotionally and physically, yet they can't stop looking for more. I've loved and hated them both for so long now that I'm not even sure if it's loves or co-dependency.

Whatever it is, they're hungry for more destruction. Maybe it means they're done destroying Rafe and I. Their focus has shifted, and we can hide away with Alistair and Rhea. I could let them duke it out with Taurus and Talia.

No. That's not how this is going to play out, damn it.

I wanted one thing for myself, which is why I kept it a secret. The public fight on my lawn cancelled out my efforts and surprise, surprise. Sari immediately found her way to Talia's door before I could get a stitch of clothing off.

That meddling bitch.

"I'm not surprised. Sari's been difficult to deal with for quite a while now. I've been avoiding her—impossible as that is in our house—as much as I can. She's probably whining about Talia to that walking toe rag, Belle, right now." My eyes narrow and I give the coffee table a solid kick, sending it flying across the hardwood. "Shit."

His eyebrows raise as he gives me a puzzled look. "Did you stop speaking English there for a moment and I missed it?"

I sigh. "No, I was being a bitch. My insults get graphic when I'm angry. That woman is ‘Shit Stirrer Numero Uno'. Everything she touches turns ugly. I wouldn't have a thing to do with her except Hex adores Chaos."

Chuckling, he shakes his head. "Graphic looks good on you, pet. I don't mind it, given the mood I'm in. Explain the chaos bit, though, as I'm lost."

"I haven't called her a dumpster whore, so there must be hope for the day yet," I grunt, kicking at the bottom of the couch. "Chaos is one of Belle's droids. She dates Hex; you know, the punk rocker looking droid from my house? You might have seen him last night. Chaos is also fairly fond of Caesar, the droid inventor from Dona's family."

I stop as he barks a laugh, shaking with mirth. His arm shoots out and yanks me onto his lap as he wipes his eyes. "Christ, Sandwich, I needed that. I guess you had a run in with the gnome as bad as ours?" He pauses for a moment, nodding. "I definitely remember the upstart who helped start the Conflict. I don't know if I feel bad for him being attached to a chit so destined for doom or not. Hex, though, I didn't notice."

Shooting him a dirty look for the comment about Caesar, I sigh. "No, I didn't have a run in with Sari. I'm sure she's in a grim mood after having to shore up Rhea last night only to find out she missed a Battle Royale while doing so. However, I refuse to let her provoke me into punishing her—which she always wants—nor will I let her punish me if I see her. I was only venting about Belle."

I'm not lying.

I haven't spoken to Sari or any of the folks who were upstairs last night, but I can assume I pissed them off with my blog posts. Rhea is probably mopey about missing the ‘good stuff'; Alistair will be fearful of his ‘brother'. Wilde and Sari must be furious if they already hit Talia. They got left out of a brawl and they got stuck with crying, whiny Rhea.

There were nudges, along with our connection from Sari and Wilde, when Leo woke me up. When I didn't answer, they kept pushing. They asked how I felt, if everything was okay, if I needed them—I knew it was a trap. Finally, they gave up and now I know why—they went after Talia. Right before Taurus whisked me away, there was an unexplained message apologizing. I didn't know why then, but I do now. Sari knew she stepped in it by making Talia angry. She did it on purpose to make waves so she wouldn't feel threatened.

I'm not playing her game. Hell, I'm too tired to even consider it. All of them—her, Wilde, Alistair, and Rhea panicking over nothing.

I just can't deal with their drama.

Taurus frowns, running fingers up and down my spine. "Are they really that crazy?"

"Yes." My voice is soft and I'm struggling to hold back my emotions. I won't unload my crazy on him. We've barely started whatever it is we're doing; I refuse to drive him away. Taking a deep breath, I pause so I can figure out how to explain without revealing all the insanity.

"Sari has low self-esteem and wallows in it, but she wants you to coddle her. Once you do, she makes it almost impossible to give her what she wants. You can't meet her expectations, so she gets jealous. Then she'll say you're only pretending to take care of her. Both she and Wilde will get clingy and demand even more of you. That makes them feel selfish, so they lash out. Once that hurts you, they want to get punished for being bad people."

His brows raise and I continue, sighing. "The next phase is resentment—they feel bad because everyone's always mad at them. Sari will apologize and pretend everything is okay. But really, she doesn't mean it. She'll go to that bitch Belle to cry about how everyone is mean to her. Belle will go bulldog and lash out at people in public because she has no goddamn sense. Everyone gets mad."

Feeling my breath get tight, I rub my chest before I finish the tale. "The problem is that Sari cares if you're mad at her, so the cycle never ends. Belle doesn't care, nor does she know when she's crossed the line. It all fucking sucks. So today, I'm not giving any of them what they want. There will be no coddling, no punishing, and no fighting. I'm out."

Taurus grins proudly and ducks his head to steal a quick kiss. He murmurs, "Aren't you glad I only kill things when I get pissed?"

I laugh. "It makes the brain work a lot simpler, that's for sure. Most of the time, I distract Wilde and let Rafe handle her."

A snarl rips from his throat and I blink, tilting my head quizzically. "Sorry. I'm peckish and it's hard to control the big bad when that ponce comes up."

"I made them mad by not really answering the questions they texted earlier. I annoyed them on purpose to amuse myself, so I can't complain."

"Why don't you tell me what you did before I eat you for lunch?" Taurus gives me a mock demon face sneer as if it would scare me, and I suppress the urge to giggle.

Considering where I'm perched, it's not very threatening. I bat my lashes and pretend to act terrified. It's been so long since someone was playful with me. "Please don't eat me! I'll tell you."

His stomach growls, and he glares. "Be quick about it, lunchable."

Biting my lip, I grin. It feels ridiculous to be this happy about lighthearted banter, but the darkness in our family has eaten away at the fun times. It feels like there's a cloud following Rafe and me around. That's what the others can sense Leo asked about earlier. So I try to appreciate this, even though I have to discuss the idiots I'm mated to.

"The texts Wilde sent seemed like he was feeling insecure about me going places or doing things that aren't in his wheelhouse. He's not a hunter, no matter what he wants to believe, so I would never invite him to go. When we first met, I pushed his rigid lines, but eventually, it got tiring. I don't do that anymore. I decided that you either love someone for who they are, or be with someone else. I didn't say it like that to him, but he got jealous because there are things I don't share with him. I know the blog posts set this off. It's worse because he couldn't track me through the bond. I was afraid we'd have unwanted guests show up when I did it, but I didn't tell him that." I shrug, trying to make it sound like it's no big deal.

Wilde being jealous of Taurus before he and I have done anything is a big deal. It means he and Sari are going to be insufferable about this relationship. Equally damning is the silence coming from Rhea and Alistair.

Those two will use guilt as a weapon, I'm sure.

Taurus' expression turns vicious. "If you weren't so large with scruples, I'd tell you to throw my name in there to get him even more riled."

"He and Sari would have to come out of hiding first. They've clamped our connection down and won't talk to anyone, according to Rafe."

"Aw, I suppose between you and my goddess, their toes got squashed. I feel right terrible about that."

I snort. "Watch the sarcasm; it's dripping on me." I swat his shoulder lightly. "They're both so jealous of you they've tripped flat on their faces trying to find out what's going on. Sari would literally kill someone to get invited to go hunting with us—picking Rhea hit a button, I think. Somehow, they all think you're going to take me away from them. Don't ask me if it's me or Rhea, too; I don't know how deep the crazy pool goes."

"Well, shit, they caught me. I'm planning on stealing you and locking you in my basement until you beg me for it."

"Oh, no!" I giggle, pretending to be horrified. "Don't lock me up and subject me to your base defiling." Kicking my feet, I fake a struggle. A smile splits my face as I realize that I'm having a great time and even talking about the family isn't squashing it.

"What, no vicious beast from hell?"

I put my hand to my forehead and pretend to swoon. "Fiend! Unhand me, you vile creature of the night!"

His grumble is barely intelligible as he buries his face in my shoulder to laugh. "It wouldn't hurt you to wiggle your bum a bit." I wiggle and he raises his head to give me a rakish grin. "Yeah, that's it. Struggle for me. I'm a big, evil beast that will steal you away in the middle of the night and use you shamelessly." His head dips and he licks up my collarbone; this time my shiver is real, and he knows it.

I murmur, "Oh no. Whatever will I do? How will I survive?"

He suddenly cocks his head, stopping completely. His eyes cut to a side table where his phone is vibrating across the surface insistently. "Bugger. I'm being paged. Every fucking time, I swear." Nipping at my earlobe, he mutters, "I'm going to take care of this problem and then grab a bite. When I come back, I'll seduce you properly."

Nodding, I let reality seep in as he sits me aside on the couch and stands to go. "Okay. Can I get back and forth from here on the phone?"

He nods. "Company tech in that thing. They use it for the lab coats that don't live in the Rift. You can get here and back using the listing with my name. Good idea that, as I'm not sure how long the job will take, and I hate leaving you to wonder about unsupervised."

His eyebrows bob and I swat him again. "Go, you overstuffed bird."

With a wink and a grin, he disappears. I'm left to wonder what I'll do until he comes back. I can't be at his beck and call, can I?

That'd be way too bizarre.