Chapter 40 The Famous Shadowcat Arrives
Chapter Fourty
The Famous Shadowcat Arrives
— Xavier —
From the moment she slipped out of the townhouse without saying goodbye, I knew something was off. Sunday’s a lot of things—reckless, impulsive, stubborn, my dream-girl—but sneaky? Not so much.
I stick to the shadows, following her down the quiet streets. She doesn’t look back, doesn’t hesitate. Wherever she’s going, she’s convinced it’s the right choice. She always thinks she knows best and it often ends in disaster.
When she turns into the lot at her father’s garage, I slow, my instincts flaring. If she were just dropping in on her dad, she would’ve said something. She wouldn’t have slipped out the back door, pulling it shut softly, like a teen sneaking out after curfew.
She steps into the garage, her smile light as she spots Wade coming out of the storeroom.
“Hey, Daddy,” she calls casually as she adjusts her bag.
Wade looks up, wiping his hands on a rag. “What’re you doing here this time of day?”
“Just taking a meeting in my office,” she quips, nodding toward the empty bay. She doesn’t wait for him to respond. But as she steps closer, she glances back over her shoulder.
“Actually, could you give me a little privacy? It’s… personal.”
Wade’s brows knit together, his mouth opening like he’s about to ask a question. But something in her expression makes him pause. He nods once, slow and reluctant. “Alright. I’ll be up front if you need me.”
“Thanks,” she says quickly, striding toward the bay with purpose.
Wade huffs a laugh, but his feet stay planted. He watches her go, his brow furrowing slightly. His hand freezes mid-wipe when another figure steps into view—broad-shouldered, tattooed, and impossible to forget. He narrows his eyes, muttering, “Well, shit.”
I slip closer, silent in the shadows, eyes locked on Sunday. She stands near the back wall, looking so damn vulnerable. The way she glances around, smoothing her hair and shifting her weight, makes me want to scream. She’s too trusting, too hopeful. I can already see her rationalizing whatever bullshit Silas is about to feed her.
He steps out of the darkness a moment later, his towering frame backlit by the afternoon sun behind him. My grip tightens on the blade at my side, shadows forming its edge.
***
I wait. Watching. Listening. Ready.
The fluorescent lights overhead buzz like angry bees, spilling harsh light into every corner of the garage. Not ideal. The brightness limits the shadows I can use, but it doesn’t matter. Not yet.
Sunday doesn’t see it. She stands in front of him, arms crossed, expression wary but too open. She’s listening, letting him speak. And the bastard is good at it—his voice low, smooth, carefully measured. I can’t catch every word, but I don’t need to.
I know his type. Manipulative. Charming when it suits him. Dangerous when it doesn’t. The kind of man who always thinks he’s three steps ahead, he leaks superiority, bleeds it.
But that arrogance is going to bite him in the ass this time. He doesn’t know I’m here. Thinks he’s in control, that has my mate alone and vulnerable. I can’t wait to correct those assumptions.
But not yet. He’s standing right under the light. His shadow stretches toward me, but not far enough. I need him to move. Just a little more.
He leans in, says something I can’t catch, and Sunday steps back. Her hands drop to her sides, her body language shifting—nervous, unsure. Our bond pulses with her discomfort, then sharpens into alarm. He’s cornering her, his presence pressing in, trying to bend her to his will. My jaw clenches, the blade in my hand vibrating with the urge to act.
Move—just a little further and then I’ll have you.
Sunday shifts, backing into Wade’s line of sight. Her anxiety is climbing now. Silas follows.
I slip along the wall as they circle each other, his shadow stretching, elongating with each step he takes away from the light. Almost there. He’s crowding her and I hate it.
And then— got you.
El cabrón .
He really is her mate. My jaguar gives a confused hiss and steps back. The scent hits us ike a gut punch—amber and sandalwood, relaxing and warm, like he was always meant to be with us.
And he’s standing here, harassing her? What a pinche basura.
My jaw clenches, the blade in my hand vibrating with the urge to act, now I want to kill him harder.
A portal opens—an earth-bound one, thank the Moon Goddess—but it forms fast. His hand shoots out, wrapping around her arm.
“You’re pathetic ,” he spits, his voice a jagged sneer. “Do your mates know you’ll swallow any line you’re given?” He scoffs, eyes gleaming with derision. “Or is that one of your vaunted skills?”
Her breath hitches, sharp and startled. That’s all the excuse I need.
“Let. Her. Go.”
The words come out cold, deliberate. He freezes. Sunday jerks back, stumbling as she pulls free, her eyes darting to me—relief and confusion tangled together.
Silas doesn’t turn immediately. Smart. He knows better than to make any sudden moves with a blade at his neck.
“Ah, the famous shadow cat arrives,” he drawls, tilting his head just enough to aim his words at Sunday. “I told you to come alone.”
She ignores the taunt, her jaw tight.
“Does he know? Does he know how you’ve trapped him?” He chuckles. “It’s a fair question, sweetheart. You see something rare, something powerful, and what—you just take it? Doesn’t matter what he wants, right?”
“Shut up, Silas,” Sunday snaps, but there’s a faint waver in her voice.
His smirk curls, dripping with condescension. “Oh, sure. That’s not how it works. The Omega jaguar is your mate.” He spits the word like poison. “Bet that’s real convenient for you. Snatch up someone who can walk through shadows.”
My grip on the blade tightens. The shadows flicker, but the rage that washes over me isn’t a flare—it’s a freeze. It settles in my veins like ice, sharp and crystalline. My breath slows, each inhale colder than the last.
When I speak, my voice is a lethal whisper.
“You don’t know a single fucking thing about me.”
“Bet she didn’t even ask. Did she?” Silas sneers, his tone taunting. “Just took you and added you to her private army of pussy-struck supes.”
“Absolutely, I am.” My voice is icy, and I press the blade closer. “Pussy whipped, struck, head over fucking heels. And touching my pussy was a very, very bad idea.”
Silas stiffens under the blade, his body heating up.
“If you shift a single fucking claw, I’ll take your head off—and I’ll do it with a smile.”
He relaxes a fraction, his skin cooling. He’s angry, but not foolish. He doesn’t dare move. For a moment, the only sound is Sunday’s uneven breathing.
“She’s smarter than you think,” I say, my voice low and measured, each word precise as a scalpel. “And a hell of a lot more dangerous than you give her credit for. So why don’t you tell me why I shouldn’t end this right here? It might be a kindness for your dragon.”
His laugh is short, bitter. “Because you need me alive.” He tilts his head just enough to glance at Sunday. “Don’t you, sweetheart?”
She doesn’t respond. I don’t blame her—she’s still catching her breath, her hand rubbing the arm he grabbed like she’s trying to erase his touch. The betrayal in her eyes hits harder than I expect. I make a mental note to deal with that later.
Right now, my focus is on him.
“You’re out of chances,” I say, my grip on the blade tightening, my voice cold enough to cut.
Silas turns his head just enough to meet my eyes. The anger there is molten, barely contained.
“You think this is over?”
“It is for you,” I snap, pressing the blade closer.
But Sunday’s voice stops me cold.
“No. Wait.”
I glance at her, incredulous. “Sunday—”
“Just… don’t.” Her voice shakes, but it’s firm. “Not like this.”
It’s a plea wrapped in a command. My grip loosens, just enough for him to make his move.
The quake hits before I realize what’s happening, the ground trembling violently beneath us. Silas twists out of reach, faster than I expect. The shadows flicker and fade, my blade wavering as the tremors shake my focus. By the time I regain my footing, the doorway is closing behind him.
“Damn it!” The curse echoes in the now-still garage. I slam my fist into the wall, frustration boiling over before I wrestle it back.
Sunday leans against the opposite wall, pale, her breaths shallow. She looks at me, her voice barely a whisper.
“You let him go.”
I whip around, my jaw clenched tight. “I let him go?” Disbelief spikes my voice to a new octave. “No, preciosa y desquiciada .” Precious and insane. “You sneaked out of our house like a deranged little mouse, met with a dangerous bastard who already tried to kill you, and then you told me to let him go!”
“I thought—” She cuts herself off, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter what I thought.”
“No,” I snap. “It matters a lot what you thought.” I exhale, trying to find something that resembles inner calm. “Walk me through your thought process, Amor. I’ll need to know how to defend you in the Alpha’s court. I’m not sure your ass can take the punishment that sneaking off to meet Silas for shits and giggles is going to get you.”
“Not shits and giggles.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Oh? What was it then?”
She lifts her chin. “He found Colt.”
I start nodding, my mind spinning through possibilities. Classic blackmail. Threatened to kill her brother, probably.
“We’ll get him back.”
“No, Colton’s fine.” She waves her hand, her voice weary. “Silas gave him a nice bottle of liquor and fed him a whole line of bull. But the thing is, he wasn’t lying. Colt can smell a lie a hundred feet away. If someone’s thinking about lying, he knows. So when Silas told him he was sorry, that he made a mistake, that he wanted to help us take down Roxana…”
She trails off, the weight of it settling between us.
I pull her into my arms, my grip firm but careful. “You thought maybe you could use your magic, your effect on his dragon, and get rid of the Roxana problem?”
“Shadow,” she looks up at me with those big gray eyes. “Am I one of those girls who’s just too stupid to live—you can tell me?”
I burst into laughter. “No, but you do have a tendency to forget that you have us, you have a family, you don’t have to solve these problems by yourself.” I exhale. “Do you want to know how I’m feeling right now?” She nods. “I’m hurt that you didn’t trust me. I’m hurt that you didn’t think I’d be right there next to you doing everything ten times stupider than you could possibly manage on your own.”
“Ride or die.”
“That’s us.” I nod.
“Tomas is going to kill me.
“And then, your brother. Did he really sell you out for a bottle of liquor?”
“Colt is very easily swayed by gifts and compliments… and math.”
“Math?”
“Yeah, if you ever need him to do something, make up statistics and give him a Slim Jim.”
Finally, I exhale, forcing my voice to steady. “He’ll be back,” I say. “And next time, Amor , I won’t let him walk away. That was his last chance to be part of the best mate-group on earth. He’s going to regret every decision that brought him to this point one day, and I’m going to laugh and laugh… ”
Sunday doesn’t reply. She smells sad. I watch her for another beat. “So, we need to tell the others what happened, but maybe we could massage it so you don’t seem like you’re actually trying to elope with the villain.”
“You mean lie? To our mates?”
“I mean, there’s an art to explaining things…”
Wade reenters the garage, where the fuck did he go while a demi-dragon tried to kidnap his daughter?
“So, I messaged the boys, and they’re on their way,” Wade says, his tone steady as a river. “Told ’em we had a Silas sighting and that Sunny’s fine. I’ll leave the details up to y’all.”
She leans into him, taking comfort in his presence. After a moment, she lifts her head, her eyes searching his face. “Daddy, are you feelin’ anything about him? Anything that could help us?”
Wade’s gaze goes distant, like he’s peering through a window only he can see. He exhales slowly, the weight of what he knows settling in the air between us.
“Sugar, I wish I could tell you somethin’ easy, somethin’ clear. But the truth ain’t always kind.” He pauses, his voice softening. “That boy’s stitched into your story now, for better or worse. Your paths are gonna cross more than once, and each time, it’s gonna change you—maybe for the good, maybe not. But he ain’t goin’ anywhere, not yet.”
He glances at me, his eyes steady and knowing. “And you, Xavier? You’re bound up in this too. You and your jaguar have a part to play, whether you like it or not.”
He steps back, his presence solid and grounding. I slide in beside her, the tension in my chest easing just a fraction.
“Ready to go home?” I ask, my voice softer now. “We can order some pizza.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh no, your stew!”
I wave it off. “I turned it off before I left. Besides, I think we need pizza.”
She exhales shakily, her shoulders slumping. “I’m so sorry, Shadow. I was really stupid.”
I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. “No. You were optimistic and caring… okay, maybe a little naive. But mostly, caring.” I pause, my gaze gentle. “You wanted to help his dragon, didn’t you?”
Her cheeks flush, and she looks almost embarrassed. “I guess I did. Seeing Tomas struggle… I have a thing for rejected mates, alright?”
I chuckle, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “See? Not stupid at all.”