by Michelle M Pillow & Mandy M Roth

Stray Cats & Angry Kittens

Dmitri pressed his hands into the Optimulialus’ throat. It was a demon common to the seedier side of the underground culture. He’d had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting up with one a year ago. After the burns from its saliva healed on his arms, he swore to rip the next one he found apart. Not wanting to be too hasty, he’d held back. This one was proving to be one of the biggest pains the ass Dmitri had dealt with lately. It even beat Mike out for top spot. The promise he’d made to himself was sounding better and better. 

The creature looked surprised that a lycan would dare to challenge him. But how could he not? Dmitri had spent the last two months prowling the alleys trying to find someone he could bump off the supernatural doctor’s list. The doctor could possibly be Michelle’s last line of help and Dmitri would be damned if he let a chance for her to see him slip by. Dr. Putnam was notorious for packing up and disappearing overnight. Once, he’d vanished for a century. Michelle didn’t have a century.  

Dmitri didn’t care that the demon outweighed him by three hundred pounds or that if he wanted the demon could probably cast a spell over him to curse him for three lifetimes. This ugly creature had the earliest appointment time with Dr Putnam and Dmitri wanted it. Now. 

The creature laughed, baring his hideous teeth. “I know who you speak of. You’re not the only one who’s been asking around for her, lycan. Others inquire about her well being.” 

Dmitri stiffened. He could only assume this creature was mistaken. As far as he knew, he and Mandy were the only ones trying to find Michelle a cure and Mandy ran all her leads past him, leaving him to do the leg work.  

“Don’t believe me, lycan?” 

“I want that appointment and you’re going to give it to me,” Dmitri growled.  

“Her name is Michelle. She is a blonde human. Ugly, lycan.”  

Who you callin’ ugly?  

Getting a good whiff of the beast’s foul stench, Dmitri curled his nose in disgust. There were times when having super senses wasn’t such a blessing. “Who’s been asking around about her?” 

A third eye opened in the Optimulialus’ forehead. The creature ignored him, taunting, “You can’t touch her, can you? Something always gets in the way. I’ve seen that look in a lycan’s eyes before. You’ve been holding yourself back, saving yourself for her. You’re going mad, aren’t you? And for her. How sweet.” 

“Shut up, you know nothing about it! Now will you give me your appointment or not?” 

“You should stay away from her lycan. She’s not for you.” The beast laughed hard, before swinging out his arms. He thrust Dmitri back into a gate, slamming his body into the brick wall of the dank alley. “He’s not going to be happy if you touch his daughter.” 

Dmitri took a deep breath. He surged to his feet. “Her parents are dead. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“She’s soft isn’t she?” The Optimulialus laughed. “Would you trade her to me for the appointment?” 

Dmitri stiffened. “You will never lay a filthy paw on her!” 

“Neither will you.” The beast laughed. “Dogs and cats never did get along. A doctor can’t help her. If you want her to get better then leave her alone. Never speak to her again.” 

Dmitri moved to charge him. The beast reached out, tossing a dumpster at Dmitri’s head. The metal container slammed into his body, sending him flying back into the wall. Dmitri moaned, weakly pushing the container off. Stumbling to his feet, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a list. It was time to pay a visit to the creature with the second appointment time. One way or another, Michelle would be getting in to that doctor today. 

*****

Mandy stood near the office door with her eyes wide and her stomach in a knot. She’d promised Dmitri that she’d drop a few more leads off at the Raven before she had to get home and review her weekly column. She thought it would be a simple task. Armando had been missing in action for weeks and she’d resided herself to the fact that he hated her, or at least she thought she had.  

Seeing him making out with another woman nailed the lid on the coffin—pun intended. The woman was almost as tall as he was and had a head of gorgeous red hair that hung to her mid-back. Mandy knew she should leave them, give them privacy but she couldn’t get her feet to move as she watched the mysterious woman unbuttoning Armando’s shirt. A shirt Mandy had given him as a gift.  

Unshed tears filled her eyes as Armando returned the woman’s kisses with as much energy as she had. Not wanting either of them to find her standing there, Mandy turned fast and ran directly into Muir. She bounced off him hard and staggered back a tiny bit. Instantly, he reached and grabbed hold of her, keeping her upright.  

“I did not mean to startle you. I thought you realized I was near,” he said, his voice low and polished.  

She should have known he’d be close. He was always close anymore. Since the moment he’d shown up in the middle of a snow storm he’s shadowed her every move. At first Mandy was convinced that he was a stalker but when Darren explained that Muir had been sent by the high council to watch over her she’d stopped worrying about him harming her and started worrying about why in the hell she’d require protection.  

Staring up into his royal blue eyes, Mandy did her best to appear fine. After seeing the man she loved with another woman it was hard to do. “I didn’t… umm….” 

“Mandy?”  

Hearing Armando say her name chipped away madly at the thin hold she had on herself. Hot tears ran down her cheeks. She didn’t turn to face Armando. She couldn’t. The man had taken everything from her when he walked out of her life. She was a shell of herself. A numb, going through the motions robot that wasn’t sure she’d ever be about to feel again.  

Muir reached out and ran his thumb over her wet cheek. His soothing touch was the only thing that kept her from audibly sobbing. It was humiliating enough having been caught spying, for lack of a better word, on Armando and her replacement but to break down so openly would have been too much for her to deal with.   

“Sweetie, are you going to introduce me to your friends?” the redhead asked, her voice a tad higher than Mandy thought it would be.  

“I… errr… yes, umm….” 

“My name is Vivien, Armando.”  

“Yes, right, Vivien,” Armando murmured.  “That is Muir from the council. He’s a representative of the Magik section and the other is….” 

“Late for an appointment.” Muir stared down at Mandy and gave her a soft look.  

“Mandy?”  

As much as she wanted to turn around, she couldn’t. There was no way she could put on a happy face. Not when she still loved him with all her heart. Putting her hand on Muir’s massive chest, she patted him gently. “You’re right. I need to go.”  Muir took her hand in his, shocking Mandy and headed towards the front door. 

“Mandy, wait. I wish to speak with you.”  

She could feel Armando moving up behind her but she refused to turn and face him. The man assumed she had sex with Darren. What he’d walked in on looked horrible and in fact was horrible. She deserved to lose him. Hell, she should have never even had him to begin with. Armando was a nice guy. The kind of guy she’d spent so long avoiding. She should have known it would end badly.  

A cool hand fell upon her shoulder, sending a chilling sensation over her. Instantly, her body reacted to Armando’s touch. “Please, Mandy, I wish to speak with you.”  

“Why?” she asked, still refusing to face him. “I’m fine. It’s over. You’ve moved on. I’m happy for you. Have a nice life, Armando.”  

Muir tightened his grip on her hand. “Are you all set?”  

“Yes.”  

“Where do you have to go that is more important than speaking with me?”  

That comment made Mandy turn to face him. “I have to stop by the church, Armando. Today’s the day we were supposed to be there ourselves, in case you forgot. Turns out a couple of the people you invited didn’t get the memo about our wedding being called off. They’re giving Father a hard time about leaving. I need to handle that. Then I’ve got an appointment to view a house and I don’t want to miss it. Go back to celebrating your freedom. It’s good to know that it didn’t take you long to bounce back into the game.”  

Looking into Armando’s dark eyes and not crying was the hardest thing she’d ever done. There was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break down. She’d shed more than enough tears over him.  

His eyes widened. “Today is the day we were to….”  

“Wow, you didn’t even remember, did you? Damn, if you should happen to have a knife on you and would like to thrust it into my gut, by all means, have at it. It may actually relieve some of the pain of guilt that I have. Not that you care if that ever goes away.” Mandy didn’t bother to hide her shock and outrage. He may have walked out of her life and moved on but at one point in time she believed that he truly had cared for her.  

Apparently not.  

“I will see to the guests at the church. Go enjoy your,” he gave her a questioning look, “Did you say that you have an appointment to view a house?”  

“Yes.”  

“I thought you were happy with your apartment and its location.”  

She couldn’t believe he was serious. This had been one of the hardest days of her life and here Armando stood asking about why she was moving as if everything was fine between them. “I’m not happy in my place anymore. It doesn’t hold good memories and it… it… umm. Never mind.”  

“It what?” Muir asked softly.  

Because Muir asked, Mandy answered. “It gives me the creeps every time I come in and out of the downstairs entrance. I keep having the worst dreams about that area. It’s insane, I know it is but that doesn’t mean I feel comfortable there anymore.”  

Armando gasped, drawing her attention towards him. He stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time. “Are you well?”  

“Am I well? What? Are you implying that I really am crazy? Oh, go with heartless bitch. That’s one of my personal favorites. How about a woman who obviously likes pain?”  

Muir squeezed her hand tighter. “Come, let us get on our way. Darren will be concerned if we are too late. Even if the vampire handles the other matter, you are still behind schedule.”  

“How is Darren doing?” Armando asked, taking Mandy by complete surprise. No amount of sarcasm was detectable in his voice.

“Listen, I don’t want to make small talk with you, Armando. Go back to screwing your new girlfriend and I’ll leave you be. I don’t care anymore. I can’t care. I’ve got bigger things to worry about.”  

“Bigger things?”  

Mandy snorted. “You really did walk completely out of my life didn’t you? Hmm, let’s see. Besides finding out I’m still married to Darren, finding out that you walked out on me without so much as a goodbye, worrying day and night about Michelle, having some guy show up out of the blue telling me I require protection, skull spitting headaches that come on all the time now and dealing with some weird energy that keeps coming over me, I haven’t been up to much.  And yourself?”  

Armando arched a brow and stepped closer to her. “Headaches and energy?”  

Feeling one coming on, Mandy slowly rolled her neck and took a calming breath. “The day after you left, I started getting them. They come out of nowhere and only stick around for about twenty minutes or so but they still hurt. And talk to Muir about the power thing. He keeps claiming its some magic. I’m thinking it’s something the cable company did to me. So far, I’m a human channel changer and able to blow up television and computer monitors with just a thought. I’d get a cape but none match my shoes.”  

Armando looked at Muir. “Explain this to me.”  

Outraged that Armando would dare to speak to Muir with that tone, Mandy started to say something but was cut off by Muir.  

“It’s simple, vampire. When you impregnated her, you kick started the vampire in her. When you killed her and then brought her back, you kick started the portion of her that contains the magiks gifted upon her. It’s really rather simple. Then again, everything has been very simple yet the two of you made it all so very hard.”  

It took Mandy a minute to register what Muir had just said. The second she did, she was unable to hide her laughter. Holding tight to his hand, Mandy leaned forward as she moved from a loud outburst to the silent laugh phase. “Ohmygod, that was good. I think I like the part about me being pregnant best. I’m fairly sure I’d know if I was by now. Don’t you think?”  

A sad look passed over Muir’s handsome face. “Mandy, you are correct. You are no longer with child.”  

“No longer with… that’s not possible. Armando can’t have children and I’ve not been with anyone but him since the first day I went out with him.”  

Muir shook his head slightly. “Occasionally, it is possible for a vampire to reproduce. You carry the blood of one in you from long ago. It makes since that your body would accept what his offers.”  

“It makes sense? Nothing makes sense! The whole lot of you are delusional. Armando tell this man that we were never pregnant and you have never hurt me like that. I mean, sure, you tore my heart out and staked it to the wall for all to see but that doesn’t constitute as killing me.”  

Armando spun her to face him completely and pulled her close to him. His cool energy wrapped around her a second before he pushed his power out and over her.  Images of the last night she’d seen him flooded through her head. It was all from his prospective. She saw herself in the bed with Darren and how very much it looked as though they were indeed having sex. She saw herself being pinned to the wall by Armando’s magic. Images Armando forcing Darren to shift passed by.  

The minute the images moved to the hallway, Mandy felt her stomach drop out. She watched as Armando threw power at Darren, hitting her in the process. She’d been told that it knocked her out cold but the moment she saw her body lurch high into the air and flip over the second floor railing Mandy knew it had all been a lie.  

The images continued. This time showing Armando and Darren sitting beside her unmoving body. It all kept coming. Hearing Armando tell Darren that he was unable to save his child send chills through her. The second that Darren revealed that he knew she’d been with child and that it was Armando’s made her feel as though a truck had slammed into her. This couldn’t be true. The two of them would never keep information this important from her. No. They would have told her. One of them would have told her.  

“I am telling, or rather, showing you now, Mandy.”  

**** 

Two elves, a slippery troll and a slime demon later, Dmitri had his appointment. He was sore, smelly, slimy and covered in some kind of magical dust. But, it had been worth it. All he had to do was shower and find Michelle.  

When he got home the house was quiet. She’d been going to the office to work lately. It was strange, but she had never once said anything about Brian burning down her house. Mandy was babysitting her cat so Michelle had been going there a lot as well. Part of him wondered if it was just an excuse to avoid him.  

Jumping in the shower, Dmitri washed off the slime. Wearing a pair of black slacks and a matching black shirt, he ran his fingers through his hair and headed out the door.  

I love Dmitri. 

Dmitri stiffened to think of it. She’d said those words. Michelle had actually said those words. The last two months hardly changed anything. He’d tried to get close to her, but she skirted away from his touch. If he hadn’t heard the words for himself, he might have had to give her up completely. 

Dmitri got into his jeep and started it up just as his cell phone rang. “Yeah?” 

“Um, Dmitri?” Michelle’s voice whispered, sounding shaken. “Are you terribly busy right now?” 

“What is it?” His hand tightened on the wheel.  

“I, um, hate to bother you, but….” 

“What’s wrong? Where are you?” He felt his whole body tense. 

“I’m, ah, at the office. Can you get down her right away?” 

*****

Mandy stared up at Armando with so much hurt, so much anger that she couldn’t find the words she needed to express how she felt. Hell, she wasn’t even sure how she felt. This wasn’t news that ever in a million years she’d expect to hear or see in this case.

“Kitten, say something.”  

How could he dare to call her Kitten when he’d walked out and left her lying in Darren’s arms only to show up with a redhead in his office. A redhead that he was most certainly going to screw.  

Not once in the entire time he’d been gone had Mandy done anything more than co-exist with Darren. He’d filled a void in her life that didn’t include sex. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t thought about it. Her body lit with so much sexually charged need that at times she thought it would burst into flames but Darren had stopped it when Mandy had been physically unable to. Between the two of them, they’d avoided what they both had wanted to do only for her to find out that Armando had been fucking other women all along.  

Knowing that he cared so little about her, about causing her to lose their child that he ran off to gods knew where, with gods knew who sickened her. Mandy prayed that Armando was eavesdropping in her mind again. She wanted him to know what she couldn’t seem to verbalize. He was a coward. He should have been there when she woke. He should have told he what had happened. He should have stood by her side during the last several months. He could have stayed and just told her flat out that he didn’t love her, that he never really did. But he didn’t. Instead, he left another man to clean up his mess.  

“Would you ever have told me the truth if Muir hadn’t have brought it out in the open, Armando?”  

He looked away, his dark eyes refusing to meet her gaze, refusing to face her just like he’d down for so many months.  

“I see. I guess we’re done here.” Mandy let out a disgusted grunt. “Sorry that we interrupted your late afternoon quickie. Carry on. It’s clear you have no problem doing that. You might want to call Michelle. Maybe she’d be willing to act as your conscience, Armando, since you seemed to have lost your somewhere along the way.”  

Turning, she walked towards the exit. Mandy had thought she was numb before. That was nothing compared to the way she felt now. She’d gone from desperately wanting Armando back in her life to being ashamed for him. She wasn’t without fault in the situation but when it’s reached the point that people got hurt, people died and an innocent was stripped away for no reason other than jealousy the scorekeeping ended.  

“Mandy, we need to talk about this. It cannot be left this way between us,” Armando pleaded.  

A slight smile played across her lips as she continued on her path for the exit. “Why, Armando? You had no problem leaving this as is for so long. Hell, you were planning on leaving them status quo for the rest of my life. Thank the gods I won’t live as long as you or you might have to pretend this even slightly bothers you for eternity.” “It more than slightly bothers me, kitten. It has eaten at me. It is something horrible that I must carry.”  

“Pfft, that’s some heavy burden. Tell me, does ramming yourself into the redhead help alleviate the load? Oh, gee what am I talking about? Of course it does.”  

Muir fell into step with her, not saying a word and not having to.  

Mandy thrust the door to the club open, hoping that Armando had followed too close and that the sunlight would hit him. That would be too easy of an out for him. The coward’s path. Then again, he’d proven himself to be a man who seems to enjoy taking that fork in the road.  

*****

Michelle stared down from the filing cabinet, not exactly sure how she got up there. All she knew is that three very big cats were looking up at her—a black panther, a white tiger and a female lion. One minute she’d been wading through the ton of paperwork Hank had flooded her with after she refused to go out on a date with him, then the next, she was leaping through the air to get on top of her filing cabinet.  

They growled, roaring violently beneath her. She watched the cats pace around her desk. It was like they were looking for something—or waiting. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she began to cry. 

“They sense your fear, lass,” a low, male voice said, the accent unmistakably Scottish.  

Michelle tensed. That wasn’t Dmitri. She wanted Dmitri. Dmitri always protected her. He always came when she needed him. When she came to her senses, he was the first person she thought to call.  

The man lounged in the doorway. At first all she could see was the top of a head. Long blond waves spilled over his shoulders. His black jacket was buttoned from neck to waist, falling open over his pants. When he looked up at her, she was struck by startling yellow-green eyes. The man was handsome and by the smile lining his mouth he knew it. 

Almost weak, a name passed her lips. She didn’t know where it came from. “Connor.” 

“You know me,” he said, smiling. He lifted his hand up to her as if he expected her to take it.  

Michelle shook her head. “No.” 

His smile faded. “You remember?” 

“Get them away,” Michelle demanded, looking at the cats. The beasts had settled and were lying contentedly on the floor. 

Connor frowned up at her. Slipping sunglasses out of his front pocket, he put them on. His voice hard, he stated, “You get them away and do try to remember me before we meet again.” 

“No,” Michelle said as he walked away, leaving her in the office. “Wait.” 

The cats lifted their heads, becoming restless once more. Michelle didn’t dare take her eyes off of them.  

“Dmitri,” she whispered. “Where are you?” 

***** 

Dmitri ran into Michelle’s office building. He felt the stirrings of supernatural magic in the air. It was eerily quiet. There had to be some kind of powerful magic over the place to make everyone in it disappear. Sniffing, he smelled cats.  

“Shifters,” he whispered. Running, he detected Michelle, her scent unmistakable. He ran faster. 

Seeing a group of cats in Michelle’s office, he growled, letting his body partially shift.  

“Michelle?” Dmitri roared. 

“Here! I’m here!” 

A cat roared. Dmitri opened his mouth and gave a mighty growl. The animals took off, sensing his anger. He swiped at them as they darted past, but didn’t give chase. It had been too long of a day to play animal control with a bunch of stinking cats. 

Walking into Michelle’s office, he glanced around. Michelle sat on her filing cabinet, her eyes closed tight. He felt himself relax. Lifting a hand up, he said, “Michelle, give me your hand.” 

Michelle instantly climbed down, falling into his arms. “I was so s000000cared. I don’t know where they came from. Suddenly, everyone was just gone and I… and…” She sniffed clinging to him. 

“Shh, it’s all right.” Dmitri patted her back as he walked her quickly away. They weren’t the only ones left in the office. He felt magic stirring around them. “Let’s get you out of here, all right? I’ll keep you safe, I promise.” 

*****

Michelle lifted her head as Dmitri led her away. Dmitri was partially shifted into his lycan form and she found it incredibly sexy. His protective arms were around her, holding her. He pushed the button for the elevator, breathing heavily as he looked around. Michelle couldn’t resist. She slid her body to the front of his, pulling her arms around his neck.  

“You came for me,” she whispered, molding her body to his. 

“I’ll always come for you,” he whispered back. 

Glancing over her shoulder as Dmitri pulled her into the elevator, she saw Connor watching them from an office door. She shivered, Dmitri pulled her closer. Connor shook his head in warning before he disappeared.

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