Catching Her Mates Read online

  Whyr Desires

  Catching Her Mates

  Leslie Morgan caught one of her mates’ scent as he was leaving a club with another woman. She won’t mate with a tomcat and hatches a plan to curb his wandering ways. As she waits, her patience is stretched to the limit and she’s almost ready to hunt them down.

  John, Archer, and Judge Dark have searched for their mate for years. After catching her scent in a bar, they hunt for her. One day, Archer finds her while she’s at work. They take her home and claim her. Leslie is a sexy, cunning Whyrcougar and they’re determined to capture her heart as well as her body.

  But someone is stalking Whyr in Casworth again and this time, they’ve targeted John and his family. John, Archer, and Judge vow to protect her. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. She’s theirs and no one will take her away from them.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter

  Length: 82,445 words

  CATCHING HER MATES

  Whyr Desires

  Rebecca Airies

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  CATCHING HER MATES

  Copyright © 2017 by Rebecca Airies

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-776-2

  First Publication: November 2017

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  For my sister C, hope you’re back on your feet and doing what you love soon.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Rebecca Airies has always loved to read. Futuristic, the classics, mystery, horror and of course romance from sweet to extra spicy—the genre doesn’t matter as long as the stories capture her interest and take her on an adventure. She soon discovered a love for writing and characters just waiting to tell their stories. Since that time, writing has become an obsession.

  Rebecca lives in Abilene, Texas. She loves the outdoors, growing things, and working on crafts when she’s not lost in the worlds of her characters.

  For all titles by Rebecca Airies, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/rebecca-airies

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Landmarks

  Cover

  CATCHING HER MATES

  Whyr Desires

  REBECCA AIRIES

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  This was it. She had to do it.

  Leslie tossed back her drink and turned, leaning against the table. Red lights flashed and swirled across the dance floor. Couples gyrated, rubbing up against each other as they danced, and groups gathered around the gleaming black tables. The Wild Beat rocked tonight, and cougar females packed the bar. All part of her scheme.

  Her heart raced, thumping against her chest. So much could go wrong. She took a deep breath as she smoothed her sweaty palms on her black skirt. The plan accounted for everything she could control, but so much remained out of her hands. She pivoted back around.

  Everything would go right tonight. It had to. She couldn’t avoid the chief forever.

  “So, Operation Man-whore Takedown is in full swing?” Chloe met Leslie’s eyes.

  Chloe shone in a green-and-black top and a black skirt tonight. Her red hair cascaded down her back in a fiery fall. Occasionally, a slight frown curved her lips, but she pulled it up when she realized someone looked her way. What was wrong? The tightness in her shoulders and jaw gave away the tension that boiled within her.

  Something bothered that girl. Well, other than the whole trying to get pregnant thing and having enough sex to make every woman around her jealous. Chloe hadn’t become pregnant yet. Though she’d been upset last week, she’d relaxed by the end of the night. So why was she tense and quiet tonight?

  “Yeah, with luck and your big man’s unknowing cooperation, the man-whore will realize he has a mate, but not know who the hell she is. I’ve got a few friends here. They’ll come into contact with Logan as he comes over here and as he leaves.” Leslie forced her lips into a smile.

  With a little help, Logan would carry her scent right to him along with that of other cougar females. Maybe John would feel something close to the frustration ripping at her over the last weeks. She adjusted the position of the straps on her sleeveless violet top and drew in a deep breath. Just relax. It will work.

  John’s brothers might be back in the city or would be soon. Those two men added to the chance of discovery. That couldn’t happen. Not yet. If she went to their home and it smelled like another woman, she’d rip it apart and maybe them, too. An uncontrollable storm raged in her since the day John’s scent hit her. If she could control herself, she’d go confront him, but she couldn’t take that chance.

  The man went through a different woman almost every night. Her claws pushed against her nails. No more. Maybe, just maybe, she could catch him in the mating trap.

  Inhaling his scent had changed her life. Not to the point of mating heat. She’d be in the hospital by now if it had. It had been three long weeks.

  And she was slowly going crazy. Some nights, she greeted the dawn with gritty eyes. Up yet another night from the cougar snarling and pacing inside her. Its mantra one single phrase repeated again and again. Search for its mates. If only she could. That couldn’t happen until John stopped taking every woman who caught his eye to his bed.

  Her body pumped out pheromones to attract her mates. Only her mates. Other whyr would notice something different about her scent, but wouldn’t know why. Good thing. Her skin crawled at the touch of any male other than her men.

  And the tension rose the longer she was alone. Every day her muscles tightened further. One of these days, she’d bite someone like some rabid canine.

  “You’re lucky I like you,
or I might get a little upset about the thought of other women touching my Logan.” Chloe narrowed her eyes at Leslie. “Anyone else suggests allowing women to bump into him and rub against him, and I might have to bounce them across the parking lot. The only thing saving them is the fact that I know they’re doing it to help you leash that tomcat.”

  That would be fucking fabulous. Maybe she could actually enjoy driving again. Every time she left her house, she putted around as if she had the safety patrol sitting next to her. Every police car tightened her muscles. Was he in that car? He didn’t do traffic patrol much, but he sometimes took a shift.

  “Thank you for being so cooperative.” Leslie smiled and wiggled her hips to the beat. “They don’t have any designs on your man, even if he is gorgeous. They’re doing it only because I’m their friend.”

  He had to realize he didn’t need to look for a mate. He had a mate, and she waited right here in the same town. This had to work. Nothing slowed a male cat’s roll like realizing he had a mate. On the other hand, he couldn’t recognize who exactly that mate was yet. The line of lovers in his bed turned over almost daily. That had to change.

  “Have you heard anything from said gorgeous man?” Shonna asked.

  “Not—” Chloe stopped as her text tone cut through the lull of noise between songs. “Well, this is from him. He’ll be here in about five minutes, and he’d like a big kiss since a quickie in the back room is out of the question. After him working nights last week and starting the morning shift this week, catching time with him has been hit and miss.”

  “More information than I ever needed to know about that.” Dixie scowled at Chloe.

  “Maybe I should feel sorry about tormenting you, but I don’t. Mainly because you revel in doing the same to me.” Chloe grinned and took a long drink of her nonalcoholic cocktail. Wild Beats had become inventive with their offerings in that variety since Chloe had decided to get pregnant. “This will be a short visit before he joins John, Jason, and other officers at another bar.”

  “Yeah, enjoy it, girlfriend, because I will get you back.” Dixie folded her arms across her chest.

  “Will you?” Shonna waved her finger at Dixie. “You know you haven’t found your mates yet. There’s still the anxiety and issues that come with doing that. I’m sure she’ll enjoy watching you go through that the same as you did her.”

  “And you’re in the same boat. You haven’t found your man.” Dixie turned to glare at Shonna.

  “Yeah, but I’ll only have to deal with one. Much easier and fewer issues.” Shonna chuckled. “I totally don’t envy you bears and cats that part.”

  “But there can be so much pleasure in the more.” Chloe grinned.

  Two people stopped beside the table. Leslie turned her head and smiled. Maggie hadn’t been sure she’d make it. The woman beside her tall black-haired friend was a mystery. The blond human had vibrant purple streaks through her hair. Since the last few encounters with Maggie had been at Pride functions, not that surprising.

  “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Magdalena Black. She’s the sister of our illustrious alpha cat.” Leslie waved her hand. “And she’s a good friend. I’ve known her since we were both kits in the same childcare center.”

  The others said hello, but they glanced at the woman with Maggie.

  “Hi, you can call me Maggie. Almost everyone does. This is my friend, Penelope Steele. She goes by Penny though. This girl helped me get through college calculus.” Maggie gestured to the woman at her side.

  Penny waved and grinned. “Hi, I hope you don’t mind me being here. When Maggie told me what was up with the calling together of the cougar females, I had to meet you. A couple of my friends got hit by the John Dark ‘sex them and kick them to the curb’ train. They totally weren’t expecting one night and then nothing more.”

  “You have some experience with male cats?” Leslie tilted her head. Not the usual type of woman who chased shapeshifters for sex.

  “Ah, no, definitely not. Maggie clued me in early about whyr only getting serious with their mates. I’ve never been one for casual sex, so if someone showed interest, I didn’t give them any encouragement. From what I know of mating, I was pretty sure that they’d let me know if they were my mate.” Penny smiled.

  “Yeah, they probably would, but until they meet that woman, a good portion of shapeshifter males are man-whores.” Leslie rubbed at her temple.

  “And afterward, they’re just stupid.” Maggie slid a glance at her friend.

  Leslie raised her eyebrows. Something lurked behind that look. Maybe she should wait until Penny wasn’t within hearing range to ask. Could Penny have a mate and not even know about it?

  “Penny!” The screech came from three tables away, but carried even over the music.

  “I’m going to go see what’s up over there and maybe hit the bar. Did you want something, Mags?” Penny tilted her head.

  “A beer. And Penny—” Maggie turned to her friend.

  “I know whyr business. I won’t say a word about the plan.” Penny lifted her hand.

  “Good, and if they want to talk, you don’t have to rush just because I said I wanted a beer.” Maggie put a hand on her shoulder. “I see Gina over there, and I know you haven’t seen her in a while.”

  “Okay.” Penny nodded and glided off.

  Once she was out of earshot, Leslie turned to Maggie. “So she has a mate and he’s stupid.”

  “They all are.” Maggie sighed and threw a hand up. “I’ve told them life could be short and that they should grab happiness while they can. They won’t listen to anything I say. By the way, I arranged for a few more girls to come tonight. They’re going to bump into the bear on his way over here and as he leaves. When he walks out, he’s going to be pretty sure that the cats here are drunk.”

  “You said life’s short. Is she in danger?” Chloe asked.

  “Not that I know of. When I told them that, I was envisioning a car accident or something.” Maggie shook her head. “I haven’t been able to see her much beyond an hour here and there at the house. We share a house, by the way. And that’s been limited, because I’ve been tied up at work late nearly every night. I did have to convince her to come tonight so something could be wrong.”

  “Looks like the big guy is here.” Shonna glanced across the room. “And he’s already run into traffic.”

  Leslie spun. Women mobbed around him. Logan stepped to the side to make his way around a group of three tipsy-looking cougars. One of them fell against him, grabbing his arm in the process. The other two managed to brush against him as they grasped their friend’s arms. The second time women bumped and rubbed against him, a low growl rumbled.

  “It’s okay, Chloe. They don’t want to take your man. We’re just leashing a man-whore.” Shonna rubbed her hand over Chloe’s back.

  “That does not prevent me from wanting to send them sliding across the dance floor like a hockey puck on ice.” Chloe clenched her hand.

  “Really? A hockey puck?” Leslie laughed. Damn, that was a visual. Women in glittering dresses sailing across the polished dance floor into a net. She lifted her glass and drank.

  “I could have said bowling for cougars, but that sounds like an advertisement for older ladies’ night at a bowling alley.” Chloe shrugged.

  Leslie’s throat tightened. Her drink caught. She coughed twice and blinked burning eyes. Her chest stung, and air grated over the raw tissue of her throat. Giggles erupted from the other people at the table. Never take a drink right after Chloe said something outrageous, because something more extreme could follow.

  “This better work to neuter your man-whore.” Chloe glared at the women who impeded Logan’s progress toward them.

  “Penny could do the neutering if that’s what you want. She’s a vet.” Maggie lifted her eyebrows twice.

  “Yeah, I kind of want him still intact that way, but it will work as long as John or either of his brothers are there,” Leslie whispered. If the brothers
were even home.

  Luckily, Chloe allowed this to happen even if there wasn’t any sexual contact. It had to be driving her crazy. Her claws came out at every new tale of John and some new woman, and they hadn’t even been together sexually. Instinct and possessiveness ruled. The tension had frayed her last nerve.

  “He’s there. Jason already texted me, and I asked who all was with them.” Chloe took a deep breath. She rolled her shoulders.

  “To the downfall of all man-whores.” Shonna lifted her glass in a toast.

  A few moments after the toast, Logan arrived. He’d undoubtedly heard that, but not any of the soft conversation beforehand. The toast was great. If he thought Shonna felt down on men, perhaps he wouldn’t notice anything strange about the sea of women who had impeded his path and more who’d do the same on the way out.

  “Hey, baby.” Logan pulled Chloe out of her seat and enfolded her in a tight hug. He kissed her lingeringly. “It’s been a long day, and I can’t wait until I get you home.”

  “Whoa, bear, you promised me girls’ night tonight.” Chloe leaned back and narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Yes, I did, and you’ll have it, but you can’t blame a guy for trying. Aside from that, I promised I’d go to the bar and have a few drinks with the guys.” Logan laughed and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

  “Hey, big guy, can I give you a hug? I’ve got to gather a few friends and leave for a birthday party at another club, and you look like you had a hard time. Sorry, I have to cut our night short, Chloe.” Leslie opened her arms. He might not want any cat near him after that gauntlet, but hopefully, he’d let her.

  “It’s okay. You’re forgiven as long as you buy a round at the next one.” Chloe grinned.