Freakn' Shifters

Chapter 4

It had proved surprisingly easy to discover the identity of the injured female. Javier simply questioned a few staff members while Ethan glowered. In short order, they were handed the information along with wishes of "Good luck" and "Glad I'm not you."

Ethan paid the pitying looks no mind, too caught up in his own inner misery of how to approach the female slated as his mate. Javier, on the other hand, couldn't stop grinning. He just wished he dared tape the event because seeing his enormous friend reduced to a quivering mass of jelly provided great entertainment.

His theory that the upcoming meeting would prove interesting held-and made him wish for popcorn-as Ethan knocked on the door of the house where several sources assured them the female, named Naomi, would have been taken.

A crowd of large men-none as big as Ethan of course-answered. An older, grizzled male, eyed them up and down before barking, "You're the idiots who got my daughter hurt. You've got a lot of nerve showing up here."

Things degraded from that point with the younger males-brothers, Javier assumed-growling and jostling for position and challenge. Ethan didn't back down. While women might tie him in knots, especially the prospect of meeting his mate, violence he understood. Ethan stepped forward actually going toe to toe with the elder wolf.

Javier wondered if he should speak up. Do I warn my friend against beating up the father of his intended or prepare to come to his aide? Neither proved necessary as the rumbling of testosterone soaked males died down as someone shoved through their ranks. Javier couldn't see, but he could hear a melodious voice, threaded in steel, order his friend away, mate or not. The situation at that point became too comical and Javier couldn't hold back the guffaws, a laughter he almost choked on as an oval face garnished in multihued bruises and framed in long, brown hair peered around Ethan's body to glare at him. With that one extremely icy stare, Javier knew fear for the first time in his life.

His panther, on the other hand, yowled with excitement in his mind. Oh f**k, no. She's my mate too.

Horror engulfed him at the thought even as he couldn't help but drink in the sight of her from her flashing grey eyes, her rosebud and delectably full lips, to her curvy and heavily breasted frame. A surge of desire rushed through him, making his c**k twitch even as his jaw dropped in disbelief. Words were spoken, but Javier, caught in a frozen moment of disbelief, barely registered them.

He snapped out of it when pandemonium erupted as with an indelicate "Ah, f**k", the female's eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed. Too many pairs of hands reached out to grab her. As the biggest, Ethan won and he held his prize up high, growling a warning at Naomi's father and brothers as they jostled and shouted for him to give her back. Things promised to devolve quickly if common sense didn't prevail.

Javier shoved in front of his friend and faced off with the bristling group of males. He held up his hands, trying to school his features into something that would calm them down rather than set them off further. "Gentlemen, surely all this yelling and posturing isn't helping the young lady? And it's probably alarming the neighbors. Could we not adjourn inside?"

"I think you should all listen to the cat."

Where Javier's words had provoked only heated glares and growls, the delicate feminine voice from behind him sent the males confronting him scurrying. Trepidation sunk its claws into Javier as he wondered what could make such a tough looking bunch scatter. A giantess, thought extinct sphinx, a deadly siren? He turned and held himself ready to run-or defend himself. A pent up breath whooshed out of him as he regarded the petite woman with graying hair who eyed him up and down with interest.

"And you are?" she demanded in a tone that brooked no nonsense.

"Javier, ma'am," he announced thrusting out his hand. "Number sixty-nine for the Loup Garou lacrosse team."

Slim fingers gripped his firmly as she shook his hand. "And the big fellow holding my daughter?"

Ethan rumbled in answer. "Ethan, ma'am, number forty-four"

"You are responsible for her current injuries I assume?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm awfully sorry. I was kind of distracted by your daughter."

Finely arched brows lifted. "Distracted? By Naomi?"

Ethan forged on ahead. "Yes, ma'am. I caught a glimpse of your daughter in the stands, and, well, she's my mate."

"Really?" The petite woman pursed her lips at that answer.

Javier thought about holding his tongue, but with a sigh he gave in, somehow knowing if he didn't this little woman would make him regret it later. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but I think I might also be her mate."

"What?" Ethan yelled. "You didn't tell me that when we were on our way over here."

Javier shrugged. "I didn't know until I set eyes on her. Trust me, I am just as unhappy about this as you are. I'm not meant for monogamy."

A cleared throat had Javier blushing as piercing gray eyes riveted him with disapproval. "I think we all need to go inside. Now."

Javier didn't stand around arguing, and neither did Ethan who stomped inside holding the still unconscious Naomi in his bear paws. Strangely, Javier wanted a turn cuddling the lush-and feisty-female, a crazy urge that he tamped down. If Ethan wants her, then Ethan can have her. Maybe once his friend marked her, this urge to sniff her and lick her-even worse, mark her as his cat demanded-would cease.

He almost ran into Ethan's back when he stopped suddenly. He stepped around him at the prodding of one none too happy mother, and he found the reason in the form of a line of men, all with their arms crossed over their chests.

The elder one spoke. "What are you doing inviting them into our home after what they did to her face?"

The petite woman faced off with the grizzled male, her hands planted on her hips. "I'm sorry, Geoffrey, did you suddenly become lord of the manor while I was at work, and me, a simple maid who can't decide who comes into our home?"

The man who had to be Naomi's father almost blanched at the quiet words. One of the big lugs at his side actually cringed. "Now, Meredith, you know that's not what I meant."

Meredith, Naomi's mother, arched a brow. "Good, then I don't see the problem with inviting in our two future son-in-laws."

And with those glibly thrown words, pandemonium resumed.