But the mere thought of leaving the security of her home and traveling across the state with a man who stirred her most primitive needs sent a flutter of nerves through the pit of her stomach.
“I can’t,” she breathed.
His hands lifted to cup her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks with a tender caress.
“I promise I’ll take care of you, sweetheart.” The heat of his hands scalded her skin, his musk wrapping around her to offer a drugging sense of comfort. “Nothing’s going to hurt you.”
Did she really have a choice?
There was no way in hell she was going to stand around and wait for the scary man dressed in leather to break into her home.
But that didn’t mean she had to like it.
“You’ve already put me in danger,” she accused, assuming the man had to have followed Lian to her house.
She hadn’t had a problem with gun-toting strangers before.
“Trust me.” He reached to grab her hand, tugging her until she was pressed against the solid strength of his chest. “Can you do that?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted with a stark honesty.
Without warning he swooped down to capture her lips in a kiss that jolted through her with blistering pleasure. Sage gasped, her mouth instinctively parting beneath the enticing demand of his tongue.
Good lord.
Who knew a mere kiss could feel like she was being struck by lightning?
She shivered, her fingers clutching his T-shirt as he spoke against her tingling lips.
“Come with me, sweetheart,” he urged.
“Fine,” she grudgingly agreed, allowing him to tug her out of the room and toward the side door in the kitchen. “But I don’t like this.”
Keeping her hand tightly clenched in his, Lian steered her toward a small opening he’d obviously cut into the hedge surrounding her house. Then, keeping in the shadows, he moved along the dirt path at a swift pace.
Sage remained silent, periodically glancing over her shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed.
There was something distinctly unnerving in the thought that there was a very real possibility of being shot in the back.
But after running for over a mile, her thoughts altered their focus from flying bullets to the growing ache in her side.
She was a researcher, not a marathon runner.
About to inform her companion she couldn’t jog all the way to the Wildlands, Sage was caught off guard when Lian tugged her around a thicket of trees where a car had been parked.
No. Not just a car.
This was a sleek work of art.
“What is it?” she breathed in awe.
Lian ran a hand over the streamlined roof, a strange smile curving his lips.
“A Lamborghini Gallardo.”
Sage didn’t know much about cars, but she sensed the white automobile with black accents was worth a rather large fortune.
“It’s yours?”
The sinful smile widened as Lian opened the passenger door so she could slide onto the butter-soft leather seat.
“Actually it belongs to Jean-Baptiste,” he explained as he took his place behind the steering wheel, revving the powerful motor to life. “He’s going to shit when he finds out that I borrowed it.”
Despite the fear that continued to pound through her, she couldn’t help but laugh.
The man was impossible, but he was so boyishly charismatic that she couldn’t be mad.
“Borrowing implies that there was mutual consent,” she informed him.
He stomped on the gas. “It was an emergency,” he countered, taking obvious pleasure in flying down the road at a speed that made her hair stand on end. “And it was just sitting in the garage, begging to be taken. How could I resist?”
She shook her head. She’d bet her rare Kish tablet that this man had never heard the word ‘no’ before.
“Are you an only child?” she abruptly demanded.
“Nope. I have three older sisters.”
“That explains it.”
He sent her a quick glance. “Explains what?”
“Your assumption you should always get your own way.”
He chuckled, his attention thankfully returning to the road. “What about you? Are you an only child?”
She turned her head to study the scenery that passed them in a dizzying blur.
“Yes, but I wasn’t spoiled.”
“Why not?”
She hunched a shoulder, her stomach cramping at the unpleasant memories of her childhood.
“My father was rarely home and my mother washed her hands of me when I refused to embrace my gifts,” she confessed.
“What about your extended family?” He was forced to slow as they hit the interstate. The morning traffic wasn’t heavy, but she was certain the last thing Lian wanted was to be stopped by a cop. “Your grandparents and aunts and uncles?”
“I never met them.”
She sensed his astonishment. Not surprising. From what she’d learned of the Pantera, they were a tightly knit community that put an emphasis on the pack.
“Never?”
“My father emigrated from England and my mother’s family disapproved of her choice to practice voodoo.” Her hand reached to unconsciously grab his hard thigh as they darted off the interstate and hit a side road with a sudden burst of speed.
She understood he was trying to determine if they were being followed, but…yikes.
“You must have been lonely,” he said, taking several more turns before they were back on the interstate.
It took a minute for her to catch her breath. “Yes.”
“I can’t even imagine,” he mused. “I was smothered to the point of near insanity. I love my family, but a male needs his space.”
Her lips twisted, hiding the envy that sliced through her heart.
How many nights had she dreamed that she was surrounded by a loud, loving family that actually cared whether she did her homework or ate her vegetables?
“Spoiled,” she said beneath her breath.
Naturally he heard her. It seemed they actually did possess the acute senses of a puma.
“Don’t worry, they’ll be anxious to smother you as well.”
Her head jerked around to meet his teasing glance. “Me?”
“Of course.”
“Why would they care about me?”
“Because they’re Nurturers and they’re morally compelled to fuss over people.”
She scowled, telling herself that he was being ridiculous.
And even if he wasn’t, she didn’t want complete strangers fussing over her.
Did she?
“I won’t be there long enough for anyone to notice me,” she protested.
A mysterious smile touched his lips. “We’ll see.”
Knowing it was pointless to argue with the stubborn man, Sage settled back in her seat and concentrated on the world that whizzed past her. Anything to keep herself from thinking of how far away she was from the safety of her tiny cottage.
She lost track of time as Lian concentrated on weaving through the increasing traffic, one eye on the rear view mirror to make sure they weren’t being followed.
Then, just as they reached the outskirts of Baton Rouge, she was jerked out of her inner thoughts as a black truck zoomed from a side ramp and slammed directly into their rear bumper.
“Lian,” Sage cried in fear, certain they were about to die in a fiery crash.
Lian, however, expertly turned into the spin, somehow managing to avoid the other cars as he whipped them around and then headed for the nearest exit.
“Hang on, sweetheart.”
* * *
Lian didn’t have the same skills as Jean-Baptiste behind the wheel, but he did have a car with a finely tuned engine that could hit two hundred miles an hour, and the lightning quick reflexes of a cat.
Within a few miles he’d managed to shake the black truck and disappear among the suburbs of Baton R
ouge.
Still, he remained on full alert.
There was no way in hell the intruder could have followed them from his researcher’s house.
Which meant that the bad guy had enough cohorts to watch the roads for the very distinctive Lamborghini. Or he’d managed to tag the car with a tracking device.
Either way, Lian had to get off the streets.
Winding his way toward the older district that lined the banks of the Mississippi River, he at last turned onto a dead-end street that had seen better days.
Beside him Sage sucked in a deep breath, clearly suffering from shock.
“Why are you slowing?” she demanded in husky tones.
“We need to lie low for a few hours.”
She furrowed her brow, studying the dilapidated homes and air of aging decay that shrouded the entire neighborhood.
“Here?”
“Trust me.”
She brushed back a silvery curl that had come loose from her ponytail, her hand unsteady.
“As if I have a choice.”
Lian pulled into a narrow alleyway, regret stabbing through his heart.
When he’d gone to collect the mysterious Dr. Parker for Xavier, he hadn’t considered that he might put the man in danger. And even when he’d discovered that the researcher was a fragile young woman who was terrified to be forced from her home, he’d still insisted that she leave.
He’d been confident that he could protect her. That nothing could get past him to hurt her.
Now he realized that his arrogance had very nearly gotten both of them killed.
Shit. If something happened to this female he would never forgive himself.
Not only was she vital to the future of his people, but his cat was insisting that she belonged with him.
There was nothing more important in the world than keeping her safe.
Halting in front of a chain link fence that blocked the path, he reached beneath the seat to retrieve his gun. Then, rolling down the window, he used his acute sense of smell to ensure there was no one lurking in the shadows.
Once confident they were alone, he swiftly left the car to press his hand to the sensor hidden in a box on the brick wall that lined the alley.
Instantly the gate slid open.
The locks were rigged to sense the touch of a Pantera, which meant as soon as the gate closed behind them, nothing but another Pantera could open it again.
Returning to the car, he drove past the fence and through a garage door that lifted as they approached.
As the door slid down behind them, the lights flickered on to reveal a large, surprisingly well-maintained space that was attached to the two-story Colonial-style home next door.
Climbing out of the car, Sage glanced toward the steel storage cabinets that held the expected tools and auto parts expected in a garage, as well as several emergency firearms and ammo.
“What is this place?” she asked.
Joining her, Lian placed a hand on Sage’s lower back and urged her toward the door connecting the garage to the main house.
“A safe house.”
They walked down a short hall, then together they stepped into a large, airy kitchen that had been recently remodeled to include white cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and a white and black tiled floor.
Sage blinked, seemingly astonished to discover the inside didn’t match the dilapidated outside, but her attention was clearly more focused on what might be hidden just around the corner.
“Are we alone?”
“Yes.” He pulled his cellphone from his pocket, needing to pass along word of their attack, as well as getting help as quickly as possible. “Raphael has called most of the Pantera back to the Wildlands.”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around her waist as she glanced toward the windows.
“What if they find us?”
He moved forward, brushing the back of his fingers down her cheek. “They can’t get through the locks.”
“How do you know?”
His heart twisted. Man. He hated the fear that edged her voice.
And the knowledge that he was entirely responsible.
“They’re specifically designed to react only to a Pantera’s touch. There’s no way in hell any human could get past them,” he said, not bothering to share the fact that there were traitors among the Pantera. She was freaked out enough. “Besides, I made sure we weren’t followed.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips over her forehead. “If you need the bathroom there’s one just through the dining room, next to the office.”
She gave a jerky nod, wiping her hands on her sweatshirt before she forced herself to head out of the kitchen.
Lian resisted the urge to yank her in his arms and offer her comfort.
She was still trembling from their nerve-shredding trip to the safe house. She needed time to gather her composure before she would be ready to accept anything from the male she no doubt held to blame for her current situation.
Completing his phone call to Raphael, he searched through the kitchen for something to make for lunch.
It would be a few hours before the nearest completely trustworthy Pantera could reach them. Until then, he intended to do his best to prove to his companion that he wasn’t going to let her down again.
He’d demanded her trust.
It was time he earned it.
Opening a can of soup, he poured it into a pan and set it on the stove, then he pulled out a loaf of bread from the freezer along with sliced cheese.
He’d just laid the buttered bread in the hot skillet when Sage returned to the kitchen, her face pale but her expression calm.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, keeping himself busy as she settled on a stool that was pulled up to the breakfast bar.
The urge to touch and hold her was nearly overwhelming, but he compelled himself to be patient.
Not his finest talent.
Hell, it didn’t even make the top hundred.
“Yes,” she admitted. Not that she had much choice when her stomach gave a loud growl.
“How about a grilled cheese, and tomato soup?”
“You cook?”
He sent her a startled glance, the agonizing pressure in his chest faintly easing. Her teasing might be forced, but it proved she hadn’t completely decided to hate him.
“Only the basics,” he warned, spooning the soup into bowls as he finished browning the sandwiches and slid them onto paper plates. They were far from perfect. One side was too dark and the other barely toasted. But he couldn’t deny a strange surge of pure joy as he watched her sip the soup and take a large bite of the grilled cheese. Ignoring his own food, he leaned his elbows on the counter and studied her with blatant pleasure. “To be honest, I rarely get the chance. Now I’m starting to understand why it makes my mother so happy.”
She glanced up in confusion. “You are?”
“I like taking care of you,” he told her in soft tones.
Her gaze dropped, a blush touching her cheeks. “I’m not a child.”
His lips twisted as the violent awareness he was desperately trying to keep leashed blasted through him.
“Believe me, Dr. Parker, I’m painfully aware you’re all woman.”
Her blush deepened, the pulse at the base of her neck fluttering.
Not fear.
Arousal.
She cleared her throat. “How long are we going to stay here?”
Unable to resist temptation, Lian reached out to touch his fingertips to that pulse, his cat purring at the blatant assurance she was far from indifferent to him.
“Until Raphael can send someone to escort us to the Wildlands.” His fingers drifted down to the loose neckline of her sweatshirt. Her warm, citrus smell filled the kitchen, making him instantly hard. “I’m not going to risk trying to move you without backup.”
She polished off her sandwich, trying to pretend her heart wasn’t racing as his finger slipped beneath her sweatshirt to trace the li
ne of her collarbone.
“Why do you think they followed us?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? Their enemies had one purpose, and that was to return Shakpi fully to this world. So far they’d infiltrated the Wildlands, lured a handful of Pantera into becoming traitors, and tried to turn the humans against them. So attempting to predict their next move was enough to give any poor Hunter a headache.
He gave a frustrated shake of his head. “Maybe they hope to kidnap me to use as leverage in getting ahold of Shakpi. Or—”
“Or?” she prompted.
He hesitated before finishing his sentence. Sage was too intelligent not to reason out what was bothering him.
“It could be they’ve learned you hold the potential to translate the scrolls.”
“What if I can’t?” She bit her lip, the stunning gray eyes shadowed with fear.
Not for herself. But at the thought of failing his people.
With a smooth leap he was over the breakfast bar and pressing a finger to her lips.
“You will.”
“You can’t be sure,” she protested. “My skill with languages isn’t magic.”
His thoughts fragmented as his finger traced the full temptation of her lips.
There were a thousand reasons his thundering need to claim this female was a bad idea.
A demented goddess who might wake at any moment. Enemies who were even now searching for them. Sage’s potential position as Shaman.
Not to mention the fact that the female was still feeling vulnerable.
But nothing could convince his cat that she didn’t belong in his arms…oh hell, who was he kidding?
It wasn’t just his cat.
The man very much needed her stripped naked and spread beneath him.
“You’re magic,” he assured her, lowering his head to bury his face in the curve of her throat.
She lifted her hands to rest against his chest, but they didn’t try to push him away.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
He shuddered. The raw ferocity of his need was enough to scare him, let alone a poor female who couldn’t possibly understand how quickly a Pantera could become addicted to one special partner.
“I’m sorry.” He nipped at her tender flesh, his arms sliding around her to tug her off the chair and against his chest. “I know I keep pushing you, but my cat doesn’t understand why it can’t have a taste.”