Free Dylan (Bowen Boys) by Kathi S. Barton Page A

more
fluffy eggs.”
    “It’s the baking soda. Why can’t he be
like a normal person, a man? Why a fucking panther?” She broke four eggs into a
bowl and started whipping them hard. He wanted to point out she was nearly at
the meringue stage, but didn’t.
    “He is what he is…still a man but with a
bit more.” She snorted. “I don’t think you believe me.”
    “No, I do. But if there was ever an
understatement, that’s it.” Khan walked in and frowned at him, but George
offered him a bit of his breakfast instead of speaking. Khan looked at Jack.
    “I don’t suppose I could have one like
that, could I?” Khan sat down at the table as if she’d already answered him. “I
could use some coffee, too, if there is any.”
    “I don’t do coffee, and that machine
looks like something from the next century. Have at it if you want any.” She
got another dozen eggs out of the refrigerator and another pound of bacon.
“What kind of pack or whatever is this?”
    George had his mouth full so Khan
answered. “It’s not a pack, but a group. Ours is a family, and that’s what we
go by. Packs are wolves. We’re cats, not dogs.”
    “Well la de da, mister know it all. I
was just asking. There was no need for you to get all pissy with me.” She
slammed his plate in front of him. “You should remember not to piss on the hand
that feeds you, moron.”
    Khan opened his mouth and closed it
twice before he sat and dug into his food. Before she could make her own
breakfast another of George’s sons walked in the door. Reed nearly hugged her
when she offered to make him something, but backed off at the last second. She
looked at him oddly but moved back to cooking.
    “You know it’s sort of hurtful the way
you jerk-offs avoid touching me. I didn’t do anything to that family. And I
didn’t kill that little girl.” Her back was to them and she missed the look
between them all. “I might be a lot of things, but I don’t kill children.”
    “They didn’t touch you because of me.” George
looked at Dylan when he came into the room. “You’re my mate and they know it.”
    She looked at each of them, and Reed
dropped his head, his face bright red. She looked back at Dylan and glared. George
was glad he was there to see this. He had a feeling she was going to strip a
hunk of hide off his son.
    “You told them not to touch me? You
actually told them that we had sex and now they can’t come near me because of
it? Why, you chauvinistic asshole.” She slammed the spatula down on the counter
and eggs went flying. “How dare you? How dare you treat me like I’m some sort
of plague to them.”
    “I didn’t tell them anything. They can
smell me on you.” George knew the moment she got it and so did the rest of
them. Dylan was a little slower.
    Jack looked at Reed, who still had his
head down. She snapped at him to look at her. His head came up like she’d
yanked it up. George felt a tightening in the room and looked around to see
whose panther was showing. No one. He looked at the girl again.
    “What do I smell like?” Reed looked at
Dylan. “I asked you a question, not him. And you’ll damn well answer me.”
    “Him. You smell like Dylan. And not
because you used his crap in the shower either. You have his scent, the way his
panther smells.” Reed’s nostrils flared. “And you smell like feline, too.”
    She looked at George. “What does that
mean? And your answer had better be more helpful than his was.”
    “I would like for you not to speak to my
dad like that.” She glared at Khan and didn’t back up when he stood. “You’ll
have respect for your elders, or I’ll show you how to have it.”
    Her fist came out so quickly that there
was no way for Khan to avoid it. When he started to lunge after her again, she
pulled her gun out and shot between his feet. No one in the room moved.
    “I’m a little stressed out right now,
and you fucking aren’t helping me by ordering me around and treating me