Fated to a Cougar

Chapter Seven

Grady watched Sage’s face carefully to see what her reaction would be to his confession of being a cougar shifter and what she was to him. At first, her expression remained blank, as if she really hadn’t heard what he’d said. Then it switched to one that was guarded, almost as if she thought he wasn’t all there in his head.

“You’re a cougar shifter?” Sage asked. She looked around the room before focusing back on him. “And your family already knows you think of yourself as being one?”

“We’re all shifters.”

“Except for me,” Katarina said. “I’m just a regular human like you, Sage.”

Sage shook her head. “I’m sorry, but do all of you think you’re doing Grady any favors by playing along with his delusions? And that’s what it has to be.”

Grady blew out a breath. “I really don’t want to shift to my cougar form in front of you just yet. I need you to accept it a bit more or it’ll freak you out. You can’t deny you felt something pass between us when you put my pendant on. That feeling of an invisible bond forming, tying us together was the mating bond. I felt it, and from the look on your face then, I know you had to have as well.”

“I can admit I did feel something. But how can you be sure it was our souls joining? For all you know it could have been us only caught up in the moment, if you know what I mean?”

“It wasn’t that. It was the magic inside the pendant. Every male cougar shifter is given one once he reaches adolescence, and when we meet our mates, she sets off this bit of magic, which makes the rubies glow. To have the mate bond forming, the female has to be the one to take the male’s pendant and put it around her neck.”

Sage skipped her gaze over Olivia and Katarina. “So your mom and Katarina wearing cougar head pendants means they claimed their males too.”

“Yes.”

“Look, Grady, I’m a cop. Do you have any idea of some of the weird stuff I see sometimes on a daily basis? I have to say this ranks right up there.”

“You’re going to have to shift,” Jase said. He put his arm around his wife. “It’s too bad Sage didn’t grow up with an uncle who is a werewolf like Katarina. It would make this so much easier.”

“Werewolf?” Sage asked, really thinking things couldn’t get any stranger than they already were.

“The hell with it. I’m shifting,” Grady said as he stood and stepped in front of her.

Sage watched, transfixed, as Grady’s body blurred and shimmered. Then in a matter of a few seconds, a large cougar took his place. She opened and closed her mouth a few times and looked around at the other people in the room. They didn’t at all seem surprised. Actually, Olivia appeared happy with it.

The cougar Grady had become took a step closer, which snapped Sage’s attention back to him. He purred loudly, then rubbed his furred cheek against her knee. She didn’t know what to do. She felt frozen in place, her mind desperately trying to make sense of it all.

“It’s okay, Sage,” Katarina said as she crossed over to her and took the spot where Grady had been sitting. “Touch him. It’s still Grady inside there. He’s able to think and react as he would in his other form. He just can’t communicate with you.”

Katarina took Sage’s hand and led it to the top of the cougar’s head and got her to stroke him. Maybe it was because the other people in the room weren’t freaking out or acting afraid, or because Sage was already an emotional wreck from her sister dying, but whatever it was, she wasn’t having an “Oh my god, run for your life” moment.

She pulled her hand out of Katarina’s grasp and petted Grady one more time before she said as she looked into the cougar’s eyes, “Okay, I believe you now.” She then looked at the others. “Do you mind if Grady and I talk alone?”

Olivia stood first and came over to Sage. She bent and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “Welcome to the family.”

“Family?” Sage asked as the notion took her by surprise.

“Yes, family. You’re no longer alone, my daughter. Being Grady’s mate, you’re now a part of our family group and are one of us, as is Josh. We’ll take care of the both of you.”

Sage lost it. Tears welled in her eyes and there was nothing she could do to stop them. Through a sheen of them she watched the others leave the room. Everything she’d kept bottled up inside since losing her sister came out. Sobs racked her body as a strong pair of arms gathered her close. Grady had shifted back to his human form, but she hadn’t noticed until he sat her on his lap with her head on his shoulder.

She had no idea how long it took for her to cry herself out, but he sat with her through it all, gently rubbing her back, telling her how much he loved her and that everything would be all right. Once her sobs subsided into hiccups, Sage felt as if she’d been through the wringer.

“Are you okay?” Grady asked.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Are you okay with what I am and what you are to me?”

Sage wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she sat up and looked at him. “Surprisingly, yes. It was what your mom said about me now being part of your family. It’d only been Macy and I since I was eighteen and she was twenty. Losing her, it was as if I’d lost everything. I know I have Josh, but he’s so little and dependent upon me. Now I have you. I can lean on you and you’re always going to be there.”

“And I will be. You’re my mate, a part of my soul. I love you, and I’ll love Josh as if he were my own child.”

She cupped the back of Grady’s head and kissed him, long and deep. After she lifted her head, she said, “I love you too.” She gave him a small smile. “I guess you being a cougar shifter is the reason your head healed so fast, huh?”

“Yeah. We heal a lot faster than humans.”

“I guess I have a lot to learn about what you are.”

“Don’t worry. No one is going to test you on it,” Grady said with a crooked grin.

“Good.”

“Now let’s go tell everyone that you’re okay with us and that you’re feeling better.”

Grady stood and put Sage down on her feet. She put her arm around his waist as he wrapped his along her shoulders, tucking her up against his side. She was sure she’d have a ton of questions but right at that moment, all she cared about was the fact he was hers and would never leave her. Facing a life with no family scared her more than him being able to shift into a cougar.

It was three weeks after her sister had died and Grady had revealed what he was to Sage. She was back on the job, but only temporarily. She’d given her two-week notice and would no longer be a cop after that. Raising Josh was more important and she wanted to be the kind of aunt slash mother Macy would have wanted for her son. Her sister had planned to be a stay-at-home mom, so Sage would be as well. And it wasn’t as if she needed to work. Her mate had more than enough money to support the three of them.

After going through her sister’s belongs and getting the house on the market, Sage had then focused on selling her own as well. She and Josh had moved into Grady’s family home. The baby even had his own room right next to hers and Grady’s. It’d been a guestroom, which Olivia had turned into a nursery. She’d even slipped in a few stuffed cougars instead of teddy bears.

This was the last day Sage would be on duty. It was an afternoon shift, but she didn’t worry about Josh. The rest of her family was always there whenever she needed them to watch him. That was one thing she really liked about cougar shifter family groups. They always looked after one of their own.

Sage had also learned about Caleb, the guy who’d jumped Grady the night she’d met him. Once back at work she’d been using her police resources to see if she could get any leads on Caleb’s whereabouts. Her methods were legal, unlike Draven’s. She’d turned a blind eye to whatever he did.

It was getting close to the end of her shift. Sage decided she’d do a drive-by of Caleb’s house. Grady, Jase and his cousins Taylor and Blaise took turns watching the place in case their suspicions about Caleb wanting to torch it turned out to be correct. So far nothing had happened there.

She pulled the cruiser over to the curb and scanned the front of the large house. There were no lights on anywhere inside or outside. With another pass, Sage caught something that looked like a person-shaped shadow darker than the rest heading around a corner toward the backyard. Not wanting to take any chances, she shut off the car’s engine, then got out with her flashlight in hand. She headed in the direction she’d seen the shape go.

There was a full moon that night, and its light reflected off the snow. Sage turned on her flashlight once she neared the corner of the house. Since no one had shoveled in a while, the snow was deep. And she saw footprints in it that looked fresh. She followed them, keeping an eye out for the person who’d made them.

It didn’t take her long to find him. He had his back to her, bent over, working on something. She heard the distinctive rasping sound of a lighter being used, but the wind must have blown it out. It didn’t work in his favor either since it blew in their direction right into their faces.

“What are you doing?” she asked loudly.

The man shot around and Sage aimed the light she held in his eyes. The first thing she noticed was it was Caleb who stood a short distance in front of her. She’d seen pictures of him. And the second, he held in one hand a glass bottle that had a rag hanging out of the top, which couldn’t be anything but a Molotov cocktail, and in the other a lighter. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was going to do with them.

“Everything is fine, Officer,” Caleb said. “This is my house. I locked my keys inside and was going to look for the spare one I have hidden in the yard.”

“Really,” she said. “And you were going to use that homemade bomb to light the way for you?”

“It isn’t what you think it is.”

“Drop what you’re holding and walk toward me, keeping your hands in sight.”

“You’re overreacting. As I said before, this is my house. I’m not breaking any laws.”

“You will do as I say or I’ll force you to comply.”

Caleb walked toward her, but made no move to drop what he held. “What’s your name, Officer? I’m going to go to your superior and tell him how you harassed me for no reason.”

Once he was close enough, Sage said, “You can try, Caleb, but since this is my last night on the job, I don’t think it matters.”

He stopped and stiffened. “How do you know my name?”

Sage put one hand behind her back as she pulled out the cougar head pendant she wore under her uniform shirt with the other after she pocketed her flashlight. Caleb’s eyes widened, then he sniffed the air and a look of fury passed over his face.

“You’re Grady’s,” he said with a snarl. “Did he send a woman after me?”

“No. I decided to come here by myself since I have more experience taking in scumbags like you.”

“Do you think that you, a mere human, can best me enough to subdue me? I’m a cougar shifter. I’m faster and stronger than you.”

As if to prove his words, Caleb let loose with a cat’s growl and launched himself at her. Too bad for him, Sage had been all prepared for that. She pulled the hand she had at her back to her front and aimed her Taser gun right at him. She fired and the two small electrodes hit him in the thigh. He went down like a ton of bricks, no longer able to move as his muscles involuntarily contracted.

Sage closed the distance between them and looked down at him. She kept the electricity flowing from the gun to Caleb. “Yeah, you might be faster and stronger, but you’re no match for a Taser gun just like every other criminal out there. Now be a good boy and shift to your cougar form.”

She turned off the juice and waited to see if Caleb would do as she’d ordered. Of course he didn’t. Once he’d recovered enough to be able to move again, he growled threateningly and tried to have another go at her. Sage jolted him a second time, rendering him immobile.

“Go to hell, bitch,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Wrong answer.” She squatted in front of him. “If a human gets zapped too many times, it can kill them. As for a cougar shifter, who can heal a lot quicker, I’m not sure how many jolts you can take, but I’m willing to find out. Either you shift so I can put zip ties on you or you get the juice for however long it takes Grady and whoever else in his family wants to come collect you to bring you to face our family group leader. It’s your choice.”

To show she meant business, Sage turned off the electricity before she zapped Caleb again. It didn’t take him long before he complied. It was then she found out a cougar shifter could take on his cat form while being tased. Obviously, the magic inside them wasn’t affected.

After the change was complete, she quickly zip-tied his front legs together and then his back, and for good measure, she tied the front and back together as well. Satisfied he wouldn’t be going anywhere, Sage turned off the juice and pulled the electrodes out of Caleb’s leg. He snarled, showing off his sharp teeth. She chuckled.

Sage straightened and pulled her cell phone from the inside pocket of her uniform jacket and called Grady. After she explained the situation, he assured her that he, Jase, Taylor and Blaise would be over to collect Caleb as quickly as possible.

Since Caleb’s place wasn’t in the same general area of her new home and Taylor and Blaise’s, it took the men about twenty minutes to arrive. They came running toward her. Once Grady reached her, he tugged her close and kissed her almost senseless.

“I can’t believe you caught Caleb after all the months we’ve been trying,” Grady said once he released her.

“It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Plus, I had some help from something none of you have.” Sage help up her Taser gun. “It would seem cougar shifters aren’t immune to being tased.”

Taylor laughed. “Did you get him after he shifted?”

“No, I hit him before that.”

“Then how did you get him to shift and lie still long enough for you to tie him up so well?”

“I told him he either shifted, allowing me to zip-tie him, or I’d keep the juice going to him until you guys showed up. He chose the first option.”

“Remind me never to piss your mate off, Grady,” Blaise said with a laugh. “I think she’s too friendly with that Taser gun of hers.”

Sage chuckled. “You have nothing to worry about from me. Well, if you guys can take care of Caleb, I should get back on the road. My shift is almost finished and I have to get back to the station.”

Grady pulled her to him again. “Are you still okay with giving up police work? You’re giving up your chance to be a detective.”

She smiled. “Raising Josh will be more rewarding, and he deserves to have me home. As do you.”

“Well, if you’re firm on it, I’m not going to complain.” He grabbed her ass. “Though I’m going to miss seeing you wear your police officer uniform. It turns me on.”

“I get to keep it,” she said with a wink. “I can wear it anytime you want.”

Jase cleared his throat. “You two do realize you aren’t alone? I so didn’t need to hear that.”

Taylor and Blaise hefted Caleb out of the snow between them. “Time to go,” Taylor said. “Dad will be happy to see what you caught him. I’m sure he’ll want to see you tomorrow, Sage.”

“Grady, Josh and I will be by sometime.”

After Taylor and Blaise left, carting Caleb with them, Jase said he’d meet his brother at home. Once Sage and Grady were alone, they slowly walked toward the front of the house. She was more than ready to turn in her badge and gun at her shift’s end. In less than a month, her life had changed, some for the bad and a lot for the good. As she looked at the man she loved, she knew she’d never have to worry about being alone again. She owned her cougar shifter’s soul as much as he owned hers.

The End