She said that made sense and that she would meet with Shane. Rogen told him she loved him and closed the connection. He told Dawson what she’d wanted. He laughed a little, and Thatcher asked him what was so funny about that.
“She saved some of the members of the pack, an entire family, right?” Thatcher nodded as he worked. “All right then, what do you do when someone is kind enough to save another tiger for you? Or if they’re doing something wrong? You reward them with a nice little mark on their skin that makes it so they’re a member of your team, so to speak.”
Thatcher thought of nothing else but her being marked by the alpha. It didn’t bother him, not really, but he did wonder what Rogen would think about it. He could almost hear her telling Shane off, telling him that she wanted no such reward, that anyone would have done it.
As soon as they were finished with the operation, he showered and dressed for home. Dawson said that he’d keep an eye on the young man, and promised he’d call if needed.
As much as he hated to leave a patient, he thought it might be well worth being there today. Whatever was going on at home, he’d bet anything that a war was either going on or about to start. Thatcher laughed a great deal on the way to his home.
~*~
Shane had to bite his tongue several times in dealing with the pretty woman. She was stubborn, he had to hand it to her. But he was a pack leader, and she had done him a great service. All she had to do was put out her hand, accept his gift, and that would be the end of it. Instead, she said that she wasn’t going to take it no matter what. He had a feeling that the no matter what was what it was going to come to. Finally, Thatcher was home.
“Hello, darling.”
Shane didn’t have a mate. Well, he’d had one, but she passed a very long time ago. Now he was left alone with two grown daughters who now had families of their own. Shane had no one to go home to at night anymore. Watching the couple in front of him, Shane wanted to find himself someone to have at home when he got there. Thatcher looked at him with a twinkle in his eye, as if he knew what he’d been dealing with.
“She is stubborn.” Rogen said she was also right there. “You will take this gift I have for you, and you’ll enjoy it.”
He sounded like he was insane and let out a long breath just as Thatcher sat down. Perhaps he could reason with him. His wife was certainly one to test a man’s patience.
“Did you know that my mom said that you needed a housekeeper?” Shane asked Thatcher what the fuck he was talking about. “Your house. It’s in disarray, and you haven’t dusted, Mom told me, in months.”
“I have no idea what you or your mother is talking about. What I want you to do, Thatcher, is make her take my gift. She’s being very stubborn, and I don’t have time for it.” Rogen told him to go home then. “See what I mean? She’s should be listening to me. I’m a pack leader, and I have a fucking gift for her.”
“You know what? I’ve already had to make my cat take down one man, and you might just be her first kill.” Rogen stood up, and so did Shane. When he looked at him, Thatcher couldn’t help it, he laughed. Rogen continued. “You sit your ass right down on that couch, and you fucking will listen to me.”
Shane sat. Then he looked at Thatcher, shocked. Yes, she’d just made him sit down. He was an alpha, for God’s sake. But he’d be lucky if she didn’t make him beg before long.
~*~
“Now. I saved those people not for you to come here and make me feel like I’ve done you a disservice, but because they were nice to me.” The indication that he wasn’t being nice was very clear, Thatcher thought. “If you want to make me so that the next time I see an accident I have to weigh it against putting up with your bullshit, then that’s fine, I guess. It’ll be on your head if anyone dies from it.”
“Now you see here—” She snapped her fingers and pointed to the couch, and Shane sat again. “How the fuck are you doing that?”
“Because, you fucking moron, you might be the leader of a bunch of dogs, but I’m a leader of a bunch of fucking cats. And if you were to slowly turn around and look in the yard, you’d see that each of my tigers is waiting for me to signal before they come in here and tear your ass up.” Shane did look, then turned back to Rogen. “Are we finished seeing who has the longest stream of piss?”
“Yes. And my apologies. You’re nothing like any woman I’ve ever worked with before.” She said that she wasn’t working with him. “Yes, that much I’ve come to realize. But I am sorry. I don’t understand what’s going on right now, but I am sorry.”
“My mom said that you’re out of touch with women.” Shane told Thatcher that was the tru
th. “Yes, and the fact that you thought that I’d tell Rogen what to do, or even step in for her, shows me that you also have been missing out on talking to people in general. You can’t order them around anymore, Shane. Women are much smarter than we give them credit for.”
“I’m beginning to see that.” Shane stood up, then went down on one knee. “I am profoundly sorry for treating you like a bimbo, as well as an idiot. The reason that I’m saying bimbo is because Beth—you saved her family—said that I was treating her like one when I tried...well, it’s not important. I was an idiot all around today.”
“Yes, but I won’t hold that against you this time.” Shane laughed. It sounded surprised, as if it had been a while since he’d done it. Thatcher felt sorry for the older man. “Did you know that you have squatters on your land?”
“No. We don’t cover it all, but most of it. How did you find out?” She didn’t answer him, and Shane’s look at him didn’t get him anything either. “Do I not want to know? Or is this a case of you having to kill me if you told me?”
“The latter. They’re also stealing your power source, as well as hunting on your land. There are six men that I’ve counted, as well as a truck that comes in once a week to drop off more food and takes things away. I have the name of the delivery company.” Shane asked her if she’d help him. “Yes. But when I do, it’s best if you stay out of the way. I don’t want anyone killed over this.”
“Seriously, do I want to know how it is you know all this?”
Rogen told him that she really would have to kill him, because no paperwork had come back on him as yet. She’d tell him or have him killed, depending on what everything said.
“You’re serious.” Rogen told him she was. “I don’t understand any of this, but I believe you. And even when my paperwork comes back to you clean, I don’t know if I want to know then either. But I would like, if you can, for you to get the squatters off the land. I don’t want you to kill them...will you have to?”
She didn’t even blink at Shane, and Thatcher was sure that was what scared the older man. Thatcher could see that he was confused, but he didn’t ask any more questions. When Shane sat down again, he looked defeated.