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  I can’t wait to see that. I almost forgot about the fawn I rescued. It feels like years ago. I assumed Benjamin would release it into the wild as soon as it was fully grown, but it seems like I was wrong. I should have known. Benjamin gets attached to animals. It’s kind of sweet. I suppose he got attached to M.E.O.W. too. In the beginning, I thought he’d move on as soon as he’d earned some money, but here he is, still part of our little team. Well, no longer that little. If this growth continues, I may have to consider paying taxes at some point. No. Not happening. As much as I like Lady Lara, I’m an assassin and criminals don’t pay taxes as a rule. Maybe I could donate a statue or something silly like that to make up for it. An animal rescue that can deal with the strays Ryker can’t look after.

  “We’re going to have to operate,” Doctor Lavalle says, sounding very grave. “It’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

  I don’t know how much she knows about me, so I keep my mouth shut.

  “How long is it going to take?” Bethany asks.

  “Hard to say until we open her up and see the state of things. Three hours at the very least, depending on how skilled this young man is.”

  She nods towards Gryphon. He looks a little offended but doesn’t protest. It’s true that he never finished his medical studies, but he’s got a lot of practical experience. I doubt I’d have survived childbirth without him.

  I close my eyes and try to relax. The pain is making that rather hard, but hopefully, it’ll be gone soon.

  “You better get on with it,” I mutter and grit my teeth. “And if I don’t wake up, I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your lives.”

  Chapter Four

  One month later

  “You cannot call your daughter Catnip,” Lily groans and rolls her eyes. “She’ll never forgive you for that.”

  “It’s a perfectly decent name. Lady Lara’s secretary is called Apple. If a human can call her daughter after food, so can I.”

  “And what about the others? String? Milk? Mouse?”

  “Mouse is rather nice,” I say innocently, even though I’m starting to see her point.

  Today, we’re having a naming ceremony for my litter. Until now, I’ve called them Tailie, Vamp, Biter and Furrie, but I know they can’t keep those names, as cute as they are. For now, the four of them are behaving like regular human babies, if you ignore the fangs and an unusually fast developing dexterity. Tailie keeps wrapping his tiny tail around my arm when I carry him, reminding me of a monkey. He’s got a surprising control of it already. They’re growing as slowly as human babies, but they’re already able to sit on their own and turn onto their bellies. Soon, they’ll start to crawl and all hell will break loose.

  “Maybe you should stick with the C-theme,” Lily suggests. “Cara, Cain, Claudia, Caramel.”

  “Caramel is food too. I thought you didn’t like food-related names.”

  “Cindy then. Those are normal names.”

  “And boring ones,” I sigh.

  I’ve already had this conversation with the guys and we ended up with an endless list of names, but not a single one of them felt right to me. My babies aren’t ordinary. They need names that show how special they really are.

  “Fury,” I mutter thoughtfully. “Vengeance. Justice. Wrath.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  I shoot her a stern look. “I am.”

  “You have three males, why not let them name one girl each and you name the boy? That way you can make them feel even more involved in their care.”

  I roll my eyes. “Some days I feel they’re more involved in their lives than I am. Take now, I’m here with you while Ryker and Gryphon are playing with the litter. Lennox is researching shifter babies. And even Bethany is part of it all, trying to synthesise my breast milk.”

  “And Benjamin is out shopping for the nursery,” Lily interrupts. “We’re all trying to help. You have four babies; you can’t be expected to do everything yourself. Besides, it’s not like you chose to get pregnant.”

  I shudder. I hate it when someone mentions that. I want to forget where my offspring came from. All I want to do is focus on the present and on their future. The past is gone. There’s nothing I can do about it.

  “What else is he getting?” I ask. “That room is full enough already.”

  Lily shrugs. “No idea. Maybe a new mobile after Tailie pulled it down with his tail and the others destroyed it.”

  I laugh at the memory of seeing the four of them surrounded by carnage, proudly looking up at me, expecting praise for tearing apart their mobile. I doubt human babies would have been able to do that. For now, none of them has claws, but I doubt it’ll stay that way. Vamp already moves her hands as if her fingernails were longer than they are.

  Back when I was pregnant, Gryphon used his siren senses to find out what my babies were. He thought that two of them were cat shifters and two of them sirens mixed with shifter genes, one of them a wolf and one something he couldn’t identify.

  I’m starting to think he was wrong. I think they’re all cat shifters. Vamp and Bitie clearly have a cat’s fangs and Tailie’s tail is feline too. Furrie’s body hair could be a number of animals, but she behaves the same way as the others. Now that they’ve been born, I’m wondering more and more who their father is. Are they the products of genetic experiments?. What if they’re Delaney’s biological children? What if he implanted me with his seed while I was imprisoned?

  I shudder at the thought and clench my hands. It’s much easier to think that they did some scientific experiments on me than the alternative. I’m used to being experimented on; it’s happened to me all my life.

  Once I get Delaney into my claws, I’ll get a sample of his blood to do a paternity test. I need to know, even though I’m not sure how I’d cope with the truth. Either way, I’ll never tell them how they were conceived. I want them to feel wanted and loved, as if I’d planned to have them.

  I sense Ryker moments before he storms into the room.

  "Someone's arrived at the villa," he announces with barely withheld excitement. "My cats saw two people enter. It could be Delaney."

  I'm on my feet instantly, already buzzing with blood lust. We've been waiting for this moment. Torching the house with nobody inside didn't seem right. I also needed time to heal, but now that I'm back to full health, this is the perfect opportunity to see if my skills are still what they used to be. Besides some walks on the city's rooftops by night and one tiny assassination, I've not gone back to my old job yet. I’m sure the house is being watched and I didn’t want any of Delaney’s cronies to see that I’m still alive – and returning to my old self. It's taken two weeks to regain weight and muscle and the other two weeks have been full of suckling babies and boring admin stuff. Now though, I’m itching to get active and do something messier than changing diapers.

  Lily gets up and shoots me an indulgent smile. "I'll look after the babies, you go and have fun. Shall I tell Lennox and Gryphon to join you there?"

  "Lennox already knows," Ryker says with barely withheld impatience. "He'll come as soon as you or one of the others takes over babysitting."

  I'm already out of the room, grabbing weapons from the coat rack by the door. We've turned it into a mini armoury with a few of everyone's favourite weapons, for emergencies. We also have an entire room full of toys, everything from knives to crossbows to smoke bombs, but I don't have time to go there. I already have a knife in each boot plus my trusty poison darts in my shirt collar. I never go anywhere without them. I've had to make sure that they can't accidentally sting the babies when they clumsily grab my shirt, but that was easily solved with tiny plastic sheaths, no larger than a matchstick each.

  "Are you going to shift?" I ask Ryker when he joins me.

  "No, I'm in the mood for slashing something." He grins evilly. While I was away, he trained with the others, improving his weapon skills. For someone who couldn't even walk upright a year ago, he's made excellent progress. Having liv
ed all his life as a cat has given him excellent balance and reaction speed. He keeps saying that he wants to make himself some gloves with blades at the fingertips like claws, but he's not turned that idea into reality yet.

  We run, taking back alleys and a couple of detours to stay out of sight of humans. It’s broad daylight and I don’t want us to draw attention before we’ve even reached the villa. Once we’re there, that’s a different matter. I can’t wait to sink my blades into something fleshy.

  By the time we get to the house, I’m breathing way faster than I should be. I thought I was fully recovered but it seems I’m not as far as I’d hoped. I need to build up stamina again. Luckily, that gives me an excuse to get out of the house despite everyone’s concerns that I may be seen. After today, Delaney will know that I’m still alive. I hope he’s here, ready to be killed.

  Three cats await us in a cul-de-sac behind the villa. I don’t recognise any of them, but I immediately take to the black female with beautiful golden eyes. She’s a miniature me. I know some humans have superstitions about black cats, but that’s only because we’re so amazing. They’re scared of us. I bet even this small kitty could take down a human, if she really put her mind to it.

  “Has anyone left the building since you alerted us?” Ryker asks.

  The largest of the cats, an elegant Sphynx that could do with some fur, shakes her head. Ryker has taught them basic gestures likes that and nodding to make it easier to communicate with us when we’re not shifted. I wonder if he’s added to their motion vocabulary while I was gone. Something to explore later.

  Ryker holds out a hand and grins at me. “My lady, shall we go?”

  “Are you inviting me on a date?”

  “Indeed I am. I must warn you, though, there may be blood. I hope the lady won’t faint at the sight?”

  I manage a ladylike giggle. “If I do, you’ll have to catch me in your strong, muscular arms.”

  “You have yourself a deal. And I may keep you in my arms once I’ve caught you. I can’t guarantee you’ll keep your clothes on, either.”

  The black cat meows. I feel like she’d roll her eyes if she could.

  I look up at the house and let the humour drain away, putting on my assassin mask. The time for joking over. The time for vengeance has arrived.

  * * *

  We enter through a fire escape at the back. A complete security oversight, if you ask me, but I doubt Delaney will want my opinion. The door at the top of the ladder is locked and most likely alarmed, but now that we’re here, I no longer care about subterfuge. I don’t want to murder Delaney from behind. I want him to look me in the face while I slowly, painfully take his life.

  If he’s even there. I mentally cross my fingers. This would make it nice and easy. Kill Delaney, then concentrate on eliminating his allies. Could the Great Cat in the Sky smile on me just this once? I think I’ve earned a little luck.

  Ryker looks at me, his expression hard. “Ready?”

  I nod. “Let’s do this. You go downstairs and block the door; we don’t want any escaping. I’ll find Delaney if he’s here.”

  “Alright, but only until the others arrive. I’ll join you as soon as they’re here. I’ve got my own bill to settle with that fucking siren.”

  His body is tense with barely withheld anger, surprising me. I thought I was the only one keen to dismember and decapitate Delaney.

  “What bill?” I ask, feeling like I should know the answer myself.

  Ryker stares at me. “Really? You think it was easy for me when you were gone? You think I – we – don’t hate the siren just as much as you? You were the one who was tortured by him, but trust me, it feels like he inflicted the same pain on me. On my heart. Not knowing where you were, if you were even still alive, it killed me inside. The guys and I have just as much reason to want to kill him as you.”

  “But-“

  “No buts. This isn’t just about you. It’s about all of us, our family. Choosing us all means more than just having three men to fuck. We’re in this together, and I know it’s hard, you’re not used to having people who love you, but you need to get used to it. Fast. We’ve given you time to recover, but I don’t think we can wait much longer. You need to open up, tell us what happened. We can only help if we know everything.”

  I gape at him. I didn’t expect this, not in the slightest. I had no idea. Am I really this clueless? Did I miss all the signs of the guys being unhappy? Is that even it?

  “Are you unhappy?” I whisper, my assassin mask crumbling away. Fuck. This isn’t the time for personal baggage, but we probably have to discuss this now that we’ve started, or neither of us will be able to focus fully on the task at hand.

  He slowly shakes his head. “No, not unhappy. Just… I don’t even know. I guess I want to feel like I’m needed. Not just for looking after your litter. I want to listen to your problems and I want to solve them. I want to be there for you emotionally, not just physically, but for that, you need to let me in. You can’t keep us out forever, Kat. It’s not fair. We’re ready to bare ourselves to you, but it has to go both ways.”

  Bare myself. Let down my guards. I’d started doing that, before I was kidnapped. But now, I don’t think I can. I’m a mess inside. I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same again. Delaney broke me, even though I’d never admit that. He crushed me into pieces and the babies are a constant reminder of that. I love them, but every time I look at them, those shards of ugly memories cut into my heart.

  “I know you’re not alright yet, Kat,” he says softly. “You don’t have to pretend that you are. When we’re back home, we’re going to talk about it. No excuses. We’re going to lock ourselves into a room and we’re not going to leave it until everything’s been discussed.”

  A shiver runs down my back. I don’t think I can do this. The thought of it makes me more scared than I am of being back in that cell.

  “You didn’t choose the best time to discuss this,” I say with a fake laugh.

  “No, probably not.” He gives me a small smile, but I know he’s not ready to drop the topic. “But I’ve not had the chance to be alone with you since you got back. I guess I couldn’t put it off any longer. Sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for.” I mean it. I get where he’s coming from. I just wish it were all a little easier.

  I take a deep breath. “Shall we kill a siren?”

  His smile gives way to a flash of his teeth. “With pleasure.”

  Chapter Five

  As soon as we open the door, a shrill alarm starts blaring through the house. I cringe at the noise, but I bet the switch to turn it off is downstairs by the main door, the way it always is. I've dealt with enough security systems to know the standards. Ryker winks at me, all back to his normal, jovial self, and runs off towards the large staircase at the end of the corridor we've entered. Before we opened the door, I’d extended my senses and felt for whoever is in the house. Five people. I couldn’t discern whether they're siren, human or otherwise; the walls are too thick to give me their scents so I have to go by heartbeat alone. Five. I was hoping for more. Hopefully, the others won't arrive until it's all over, that will leave more killing for me.

  Two of the people are downstairs, to be dealt with by Ryker, two are on my level and one's above me. I rely on my instincts and decide to head upstairs. Hopefully, that person is Delaney, alone in his office.

  My blades are in my hands, ready to throw or slash, whatever’s necessary. The adrenaline coursing through me is a welcome change from all the dullness of the past weeks. Not that looking after four babies is boring, but I’ve missed this. My senses are on full alert and the world seems sharper. I notice everything, from the tiny dead spider on the floor, half-hidden by clouds of dust, to the yellowish stains on the ceiling that talk of past water damage.

  I doubt this house is used very often. Sophie said her father took her here only once, when he forced me to turn into his prisoner. The smell of mothballs permeates the air, alo
ng with the stale dryness that tells of a home that isn’t aired often enough. I can almost taste the dust, even though my careful footsteps don’t cause any to be flung into the air.

  Below me, a fight has started. I don’t have any doubts that Ryker can deal with the two people, even if they’re mutants. He’s got the reflexes of a cat and will dance around them, never letting their weapons close.

  It’s strange that the two people on this floor haven’t moved at all, despite the alarm that is still blaring through the air. I’ve managed to block it out, but it prevents me from listening to any conversations that may be going on. It’s likely that Delaney – or whoever else is in charge – will have called backup by now.

  Logic dictates I should deal with this floor first, but the hate for the siren makes me run up the staircase instead. This level has an entirely different feel to it. Dark cherry wood covers the walls, making it look both older and more luxurious. The air smells of cigar smoke. Not something I ever noticed in the house I was held prisoner in, but then, I never progressed to Delaney’s living quarters. Maybe it’s his vice. Maybe he sits in his office, surrounded by smoke, coming up with his evil plans while sipping on a glass of whisky. I wouldn’t put it past him. It would match his perfect suits, the politician persona. A smooth, polished businessman with a black, evil heart underneath the fake smile.

  Finally, the alarm stops, leaving only blissful silence. That must be Ryker’s doing. I breathe in deep, urging my ears to stop ringing. I zone in on the heartbeat on this floor, straight ahead from me. I ignore all the other doors, although I’m a little jealous of their polished golden doorknobs. Maybe I should steal some on the way out; they’d look great in my own house.

  I hesitate in front of the final door. The wood here is carved into something that looks like poison ivy. How fitting. I’m sure at least two of my darts are dipped into a mixture that includes ivy. The darts are a last resort though in case this goes pear-shaped. I want to torture Delaney first, slowly peeling down his barriers, exposing his insides, before looking him straight into the eyes as his life extinguishes. I lick my lips at the image. It’s going to feel good.