“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
Cal’s arms came around her from behind. “If I’m ever upset about something, if I can come stand in this spot, it just...recedes. I’m reminded of how big the world is, how powerful nature can be, and I remember that my problems are all small in comparison.”
Lillian just nodded. The sun’s rays rippled on the water. The sky was a bright robin’s egg blue; the morning felt full of possibilities. Like everything was new.
She leaned back into Cal and they watched together until the sun rose enough that the light faded from the lake. When it was done, Lillian felt infused with such a calm and peace, she was sure she could handle anything.
She turned back to Cal. “Let’s go to this meeting.”
They took Cal’s truck back to his office in the main building. Cal sat behind his desk, pulling a chair up next to him for Lillian. She took the seat beside him with a confidence that she hadn’t had an hour ago. Somehow, the glorious sunrise had melted her trepidation away.
It wasn’t long before the other leopards started to appear. First was a tall, quiet man whom Cal introduced as Grey, his “top man,” and his mate Alethia, a beautiful and stylishly-dressed woman. Lillian watched Alethia covertly as she took a seat, with Grey standing behind her, his hands on the back of her chair. Somehow, she’d imagined that all female snow leopards would be like Teri: tough and outdoorsy, not too concerned with fashion or make-up. Alethia looked like she’d just stepped out of the pages of a magazine.
Then there was Jeff and his mate Leah. They’d brought a sleepy toddler, an adorable little girl with beautiful dark eyes whom Leah introduced as Emily. “I don’t think she’ll make any trouble,” she told Cal, who assured her it wasn’t a problem.
Leah was the human woman, Lillian remembered. She looked like any mother of a young child, tired but happy. Jeff, her mate, gave off an aura of cheerfulness that was somehow immediately reassuring. He rested a hand on Leah’s shoulder when she sat down, then moved his hand to stroke over Emily’s fine-looking hair.
Lillian tried not to be jealous. But the sight of the baby sprawled trustingly in her mother’s arms...
She glanced at Cal. He was looking back at her, and somehow she understood that they were thinking the same thing. That will be us one day.
Teri and Zach were the next to arrive, followed soon after by Joel and Nina. The office felt crowded with all of them in there, but there was a sense of energy, Lillian thought. Purpose. They were all coming together to accomplish something, and they knew it.
“All right,” Cal said, once everyone was present. He didn’t raise his voice at all, but everyone immediately fell silent. “A few points of order. First of all, let me introduce Ms. Lillian Lowell to all of you. She’s Teri’s sister. And my mate.”
Lillian could almost feel the indrawn breaths from most of the people there. Teri was wearing a self-satisfied smile, she noticed. Everyone else was suddenly regarding Lillian with great interest.
“That much is your business, but nothing else about her is, so keep any questions to yourself,” Cal continued. Lillian wondered if she should feel offended at the presumption there, but she didn’t at all. Instead, she felt a rising warmth at the protectiveness in his voice.
“Lillian’s been threatened by Gordon Hennessey and his crowd of mountain lions,” Cal said, “and I’m not putting up with it anymore. It’s time to take action. But I won’t strong-arm anybody into a fight. Anyone who wants to sit this whole thing out is welcome to leave, or stick around and hear all the news and then step aside. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is obligated to put themselves in any kind of danger on my behalf. Do you all understand?”
Nods all around the room, but not one person made any motion towards leaving. The pack was all wearing identical fierce expressions. Lillian was struck especially by fashion-model Alethia, who was wearing a gorgeous dress and heels and a full face of makeup, but looked like she was ready to shift and launch herself at the nearest mountain lion any minute.
“All right,” Cal said. “Here’s the situation, then.”
He started detailing what had happened so far. As he was talking, Lillian felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out of her purse.
It was Lew.
She excused herself with a murmur, holding up her phone; Cal paused, but Lillian didn’t look at him, not wanting to interrupt. She slipped out of the office quickly and answered it.
“Lew?”
“Lil?” His voice sounded panicky. “Lil, oh God, you’ve got to help me! I—”
Then his voice cut off, and it was replaced by a deep, growling one. “There you go, Ms. Lowell, you’ve heard his voice. So you know we have him. And I think you can guess what we’re going to do to him if you don’t show up with our money, and soon.”
“I don’t have any money,” Lillian tried to explain.
“Tough,” said the voice. “From what I’ve seen, you’ve got the smarts to get some. Unlike this loser.?
? There was a thud and a yelp; Lillian flinched. Had he hurt Lew?
“Come to the Hennessey cabin today with the cash,” said the voice. “If you’re not here by dark, you don’t want to know what’ll happen to your little hubby here. Bring your snow leopard boyfriend and both of you will face some consequences, believe me. Five against one isn’t pretty.”
The line went dead.
Lillian stared at the phone. Terror had risen in her during the call, but now it was being replaced by something else.