To Love a Stray Ch. 17

"Wish I could go hunting," Jazzy says. "I know exactly who I'd be hunting." Her eyes are dark and she licks her lips as she glances towards the door, I smile to myself and shake my head and Marissa laughs softly.

"What?" Jazzy demands.

"Nothing dear," Marissa says in a calm tone.

"Looks like guarding my food is catching," I say and Jazzy stares at me a moment before understanding shows on her face and she laughs self-consciously.

"I just feel so grumpy all the time," she admits.

"That's fairly natural," Marissa reassures her.

"I just wish this was all over so I can get back to the quarters and back to Mitchell! I hate being away from ... Where did you sleep last night Rosy?" Jazzy asks suddenly with suspicion.

"With Micah," I tell her without hesitation.

"Why should I believe that?" Jazzy asks with narrowed eyes. I smile at her and lick my lips before taking a bite of sandwich; I chew it thoroughly before swallowing. I am sick of her jealousy over Mitchell and I am starting to feel irritated even though I know it is because of the hormones she is giving off.

"Because my name is Rosy, not Lotty." I growl low in warning.

"Come on now girls, no arguing." Marissa says firmly and I reach for another sandwich. I rub my stomach where Wynn is kicking energetically and smile to myself as I feel the small hand or foot connect with the palm of my hand.

"The baby is strong, healthy and very active?" Marissa asks with a warm look towards my stomach.

"Yes it seems he never stops kicking this last week," I admit.

"I got to touch her baby bump before," Jazzy says almost defiantly as she glares at her mother.

"Jazzy I am sure the last thing Rosy wants is to have others bothering her all the time," Marissa scolds with a guarded look my way.

"It's okay, I enjoyed it. And the baby seemed to as well, he pushed against where Jazzy was touching." I say with a fond smile at Jazzy.

"As long as you weren't bothered by it," Marissa says gently. I glance her way but Marissa is looking at the sandwiches closely before selecting one.

"Did your Mum tell you about what happened with Lotty?" I ask.

"No she hasn't. Did Sam finally ask her to marry him?" Jazzy asks excitedly.

"No Miss Carlotta Inness got herself trapped in her own little web." Marissa says coldly with a glance for both Jazzy and I.

"What happened?" Jazzy demands. "Did someone catch her rutting with a tom? Someone she wasn't supposed to be with?"

"No, apparently she didn't come into heat when she was due to and her father forced her to name who was responsible. Lance Baxter. Mal called Stan, Lance's father and told him, either Lance marries Carlotta, or he and his sons were going to hunt him down and castrate him. Well there is to be a marriage in two months," Marissa tells her with an amused smile.

"It's about time she got her come-uppence! Oh! Poor Sam! Does he know?" Jazzy asks suddenly worried.

"Yeah he was told yesterday just before lunch," Marissa tells her. "And from what I've heard he took it hard. There was some talk about he was just walking out and leaving the clan but Rosy managed to talk him out of it thank goodness."

"Good! I'm glad we didn't loose a high grade tom because of some little alley she," Jazzy spits before looking at me. "Both Momma and I don't like Carlotta Inness. She has encouraged so many different toms to mount her not to mention she has tried to tempt several married Alphas as well. I bet Lance will not put up with any of her games and he will breed her every year or second year until they get a she-kitt. Momma do you think she'll be a good mother? Or will Stan and Lance have Lauren raise the babies for a couple of years?"

"Jazzy," Marissa warns and I glance her way to find her carefully avoiding looking at me. I look at Jazzy only to find she looks away uneasily and glances back at me but looks away again when she sees me watching her.

"You said neither of you like Lotty?" I say to break the uneasy silence. There is obviously something going on and I have the uneasy feeling I know what it is because as a veterinary assistant I had helped hand raise kittens and pups rejected by their mothers at or soon after birth.

"Yeah, not long after Lotty and Sam started seeing each other she and her parents came here for a visit. When Sam went away on a job, she started chasing after all the toms in the quarters and got spiteful when she was turned down. I know she even presented to Justin and tried teasing Donovan but Micah, Dwayne, Alex and Edwin soon put a stop to her games." Jazzy tells me with her chin jutting forward belligerently. I'm not sure if she is annoyed with Lotty or me.

"I heard you got on well with her at the meeting," Marissa says quietly trying to gauge my reactions.

"I haven't been raised the werecat way, and as long as Sam was happy then I had no problem with Lotty. But I must admit she is one she-kitt I would keep very close and not turn my back on. I'd want to be able to see her all the time," I say with a shrug. "Some times in the human world a family tolerates and is nice to the person their family member is with so they don't hurt their own. So if Sam was to find someone else and I didn't like her I would still be friendly and polite as long as she done the right thing by him."

"Werecats aren't like that. Any tom I end up with has to be liked and respected by my family," Jazzy tells me. "He will become ... or would ... it doesn't matter. I'm not getting married yet," she says with a nervous laugh.

"You must want to go have a morning rest Rosy," Marissa says with a smile and I sense the tension beneath it.

"Not really but since you would like some time with your daughter I'll go see what Micah and the others are doing." I say with a smile.

"Don't forget Mitchell is mine," Jazzy says sharply.

"Okay Jasmine Williamson, my brother Mitchell is your tom. But Micah is mine," I say making it sound like I obviously thought I was getting the better of the two.

"Nasty, nasty stray," Jazzy says with a laugh.

"Crazy aunty Jazzy, the cat woman," I say with a smile. Marissa laughs at both of us and I head for the door, she follows me outside when she opens it and once we are out of hearing of the room I stop and turn to face her.

"You really don't like Lotty do you? Just a guess but did she ... try something with your husband?" I ask evenly.

"Yes she tried but Wade would never lower himself to the likes of her. Miss Carlotta doesn't have the moral fibre most of her brothers have and fortunately none of our sons were tempted by her, she was merely trying to cause trouble because both Edwin and Micah refused to play her games." Marissa tells me

"Is she likely to try anything once she's married?" I ask suspiciously worried for Sam.

"If she thinks she can get away with it," Marissa says with a nod.

"I've already ground her face in the dirt, I can just as easily do it a second time," I mutter to myself. I go to turn away but stop as a question I meant to ask pops into my mind.

"Marissa, do you know if ... um ... if it's normal to have sex a lot when pregnant?" I ask in a rush once I find the courage to put it into words.

"Is Micah asking you to let him make love to you?" Marissa asks levelly.

"No. In fact last night was the first time Micah has done more than just hold me since ... since Donovan and I got back and I was just wondering," I say lightly as I look away.

"You had best talk to Doc first but Wade and I were very active sexually during all my pregnancies." Marissa admits with a quiet dignity. Marissa gives me a thoughtful look before giving a slight shrug.

"You don't mind Micah mounting you after the strays mounted you?" Marissa asks quietly. I take a deep breath as I go to deny it and I realise she wouldn't really understand my reply so I take another breath as I search for the words to explain.

"They are two totally different things. The strays used violence to control me, it was about their power over me or so they thought. They abused me and used my body but they couldn't touch me, not my inner cat. Not me the being," I say quietly and give a soft sigh. "With Micah it's different, it's like when he touches me he makes ... he heals all the wounds life has left on my soul and he makes me complete again. He takes away my pain when all others seem to do is cause it,"

"Well I'm glad you're happy being with Micah," Marissa tells me. "I'm glad my grandbaby will be staying here and not being moved to another clan,"

"Don't toms usually move to the clan that the she-kitt belongs to?" I ask curiously.

"Yes usually but our clan territory is big enough for two she-kitts as well as the fact that most of your mother's territory was given to us by Ray when we took in your brothers," Marissa tells me.

"Who will end up being Alpha? Micah or whoever Jazzy ends up with?" I ask.

"Jazzy will end up with Mitchell, Wade has been training him for the position for the last year when we realised there was something growing between them. When you and Micah are married you will be able to move into your mother's homelands if necessary." Marissa explains. The way Marissa subtly avoids my eyes yet looks directly at me warns me there is more to this than she is telling me and I tuck the knowledge away for exploration at some later occasion.

"I might head back to the quarters, Micah promised to take me hunting for lunch." I say. We walk to the front door but I stop in the hallway and tense as I lift my chin and sniff the air experimentally.

"Marissa? We have visitors," Wade calls from the living room and I walk to the door so Marissa can get to Wade.

"Wade darling, you should have called me. Mal, Angela, Carlotta," Marissa greets all of her visitors politely.

"Marissa, so nice to see you again. We're just on our way to Stan Baxter's compound and Lotty wanted to stop in here to see Rosy, we'd been told she was expecting but it looks like we were told wrong." Angela says quietly.

"Rosy and I are expecting our first child in a couple of months," Micah surprises me as he speaks and I step into the room to glance along the wall to where he, Doc and Dwayne are seated facing the visitors.

"Sorry! I'd thought I heard Rosy was more ..." Angela breaks off with an embarrassed sound and I glance her way.

"I'm expecting as well Rosy, maybe we're due around the same time?" Lotty breaks in with a friendly smile as she pats her still flat stomach.

"When are you due?" I ask with interest.

"I'm nearly four months along so I'll start showing soon. My jeans are too tight already." Carlotta says with a smile. "Just wait until you start loosing your figure, it's very trying."

"Sounds like your not enjoying it too much," I say my voice thick with sympathy as I smooth a hand down over the material of the very loose t-shirt I am wearing. The swell of my stomach becomes evident and I see the flare of irritation Lotty quickly hides at the sight.

"Oh wow," Lotty enthuses as she gets to her feet and approaches me. I flinch away from the hand she extends towards my stomach and repress the low snarl forming in my throat.

"You'll have to excuse Rosy Lotty. She hasn't been feeling like herself since she returned home to us." Micah says as he gets to his feet and comes to my side.

"I seem to remember Rosy being a bit ... unusual at the meeting," Lotty says making it sound like she is being kind to me.

"Yeah that sounds like me," I say with a smile. "Unique, one of a kind. More stray than clan,"

"That's not what Conner and Kell seemed to think," Lotty purrs almost inaudibly with a glance Micah's way from under her lashes.

"What can I say," I smile widely at her as I resist the urge to pluck every hair from her head one at a time. "I was coming into heat, need I say more?"

"Isn't it time for your morning rest?" Micah asks me as he meets my glance levelly.

"I'll go lay down then," I tell him as I nod slightly.

"I'll come with you. I could do with a nap as well," Lotty says as she links her arm through mine. I see the way both Micah and Dwayne suddenly narrow their eyes.

"We've got spare rooms here you can use if you want to lay down Carlotta," Marissa cuts in.

"Rosy and I have sooooooo much to talk about," Lotty says enthusiastically as she urges me towards the door.

"Rosy tell Mitchell I need to speak to him immediately," Micah orders.

"Yes Micah," I say with a glance his way before letting Lotty lead me from the room. Once we are outside the house Lotty lets go of my arm and sends me a closed look.

"I need to talk to Sam, explain to him what happened." Lotty tells me and I detect a note of something forced in her voice. She breaks into a jog and hurries towards the quarters ahead of me and I frown as I hurry my steps but refuse to break into a run. I arrive at the door of the quarters a few minutes behind her and I can hear her feminine tones as I open the door and walk in. I head towards the lounge room where I can hear the voices and pause in the doorway taking in the scene before me.

Mitchell and Sam are in the kitchen facing the lounge room and Sam's face is a mask of anger and pain. Lotty is just inside the lounge room from the kitchen doorway with both of her brothers trying to stop her going after Sam. Justin and Donovan are standing between the lounge and the TV clearly unsure of what to do.

"Come on Sam, let's go to your room and talk. You know you want to," Lotty tells him as she pulls one arm free from Chris.

"I have nothing to say to you Lotty," Sam snarls, "Everything is over. Finished. Nothing left between us to talk about."

"Come on Sam, we need to talk. I can explain everything," Lotty tells him.

"You heard what he said. He doesn't want to talk to you or has pregnancy made you deaf?" Mitchell asks coldly.

"Shut up Mitchell! Just because you're sniffing around Jasmine doesn't mean a thing. None of the Alphas and their Queens will recognise her as a possible Queen. She'll probaly drop dead before she can have a kitt," Lotty snaps disdainfully. "You know why the Williamson's are keeping your sister here don't you?"

"Do enlighten us Carlotta," I invite evenly.

"Don't listen to her Rosy," Donovan implores as he comes around the lounge and puts an arm around me protectively.

"Lotty, leave Rosy out of this. We can go for a walk, I'll talk with you." Sam tells her quietly, his voice thick with defeat.

"Yeah get her out of here," Justin mutters as he comes around the lounge and tries to lead me to a seat on the lounge.

"No, I'm waiting to hear what the Princess has to say," I tell them evenly.

"Enough Lotty," Malcolm growls at her as he tries to pull her away from where she is staring at me.

"Why? You said yourself they're keeping her as a ..." Lotty breaks off with a startled cry as Malcolm shakes her roughly.

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about," Malcolm tells her.

"Malcolm, don't treat your sister like that," Sam growls as he stalks over to where they are. Malcolm releases Lotty and takes a step away from her as he eyes Sam warily, Lotty smiles as she steps forward to run her hands up Sam's chest possessively.

"Carlotta Inness get your dirty hands off my brother," I growl as I step away from both Justin and Donovan. "I will not have the likes of you consorting with my brother!"

Lotty turns and eyes me assessing, and I bare my teeth in a mockery of a smile. Her eyes settle on the shirt that hides the swell of my stomach and I can almost see her trying to work out how vulnerable I am. She glances around the toms and I growl low in my throat as I take another step towards her.

"Don't go worrying about them, I'm the one who is about to get in your face. You do not come onto my territory and play fucking mind games with any of the toms here let alone my brother!" I snarl as I advance another step towards her.

"Ever stop to wonder if this is on MacIntosh clan territory or not? Hell why even worry, Jazzy's not here now and besides, I am bigger than her and a hell of a lot tougher and meaner than she is. Do you want to try your luck?" I ask in a low snarl of a tone as I advance on her. Lotty stands her ground, her top lip curling in a snarl and I launch my attack as I leap the last few steps to be within reach.

My right hand catches the side of her head as she tries to duck my blow and then I am straddling her upper body as I knock her backwards onto the floor. I deliver a flurry of blows, hard stinging slaps to her arms and shoulders as she tries to protect herself from me. She digs her heels in and tries to buck me off but I twist my body keeping my balance, and grab two handfuls of hair as I lean forward and snarl down into her face.

"Let me go you bitch," Lotty protests as she tried to pull my hands from her hair but she only succeeds in making me pull her hair. "Malcolm! Chris! I am your sister, help me!"

"Can't handle me by yourself?" I yell at her and stand up dragging her to her feet by her hair, she screeches in pain and I let her go to deliver a hard stinging slap to her face. I glance around quickly to make sure neither of her brothers is about to interfere before I let loose with a volley of slaps that catch her mainly on the arms and shoulders with the occasional one connecting with her face. I grab two handfuls of hair and begin to drag her towards the door out to the hallway, she struggles but I stop and pivot to pin her against the wall with my shoulder for a few seconds as I glare into her face.

"How about I mess that pretty face of yours up so your husband doesn't have to worry about you luring any toms into your bed when his back is turned?" I ask in a snarl and her eyes go wide in fear. I release her hair and rain slaps down on her meaning to leave my mark on her, I feel skin break beneath my fingernails and I hear her cry of pain before I step back.

"Get the hell out of my building!" I snarl and I stalk her as she makes her way along the wall leaving bloody smears behind as she goes. She has her chin tucked down against her chest, both shoulders hunched giving the full impression of submission. At the screen door, she fumbles to open it and I take a step forward to reach around her and jerk the door open.

I almost miss the slight narrowing of her eyes and fear I am too late as I twist away desperately. Her elbow skids across my stomach then along the top of my hip. If I hadn't managed to twist my body, she would have delivered a hard blow to the swell of my stomach. A screech of rage and pain escapes me and I take her down in a full body tackle in the doorway regardless of the hard surfaces around us, this time my hands are clenched into fists as I hit her.

* * * * *

Micah

"Micah! Micah!"

I hear Justin yelling even before the kitchen door slams against the wall and he runs into the house.

"Micah there's big trouble!" Justin yells as he runs through the house.

I step out of the living room and see Justin hurrying towards me with a worried look as he breathes heavily.

"Lotty and Rosy are fighting!" Justin bursts out. "Not arguing but fighting! Slapping and punching," he calls loudly then turns and heads back the way he came from in a hurry.

"We need to get them away from each other," Doc says worriedly as he pushes past me, and then heads after Justin.

"Dwayne," I call before rushing after them.

Outside I overtake them as we run towards the quarters. I can see the two she-kitts struggling on the ground while the toms stand around uselessly. Sam is running both hands through his hair agitatedly and while both Mitchell and Malcolm make moves to step forward and grab one of the struggling pair both toms back off uncertainly.

I am relieved when I see Rosy get to her feet but my relief turns to frustration as she reaches down and hauls Lotty to her feet by her hair and drag her further away from the quarter's door.