“You want me? Then catch me, you bitches.”
CHAPTER SIX
Talon was braced for the two Hunters who charged toward him, prepared to kill them if that’s what it took to protect his mate.
It didn’t matter that he’d trained with them. Or that they were only following the commands of the elders.
If they stood between him and the woman who was his other half then they had to die.
On the point of shifting, Talon was caught off-guard when the nearest Pantera halted, pointing a small crossbow in his direction.
What the hell?
He dodged to the side as the small bolt whizzed toward him, striking him in the upper thigh.
The weapon wasn’t large enough to cause permanent damage, but Talon swiftly realized that he was in trouble.
Already a thick potion laced with malachite was pumping through his bloodstream, caging his cat and weakening him.
God. Dammit.
“Don’t interfere, Talon,” the voices of the elders thundered through his mind as they went in pursuit of Isi who’d already vaulted over the gate and disappeared into the marshes.
The two guards followed behind them, leaving Talon to collapse against the stairs of the porch.
Black fury engulfed him, his cat roaring in distress as the scent of his mate faded.
On hands and knees he tried to claw his way toward the gate, refusing to give up despite the knowledge that he’d never get to Isi before she was caught by the elders.
He would fucking drag himself across the entire country to get to his mate.
He’d managed to crawl halfway down the path when he heard a startled curse and Raphael was abruptly kneeling beside him.
“What the hell is going on?”
Talon reached out to grab Raphael’s hand. “The elders…they have Isi. You have to save her.”
“Shit,” Raphael muttered. “What did they do to you?”
Talon struggled to lift his head, meeting Raphael’s eyes that glowed with a luminous rage.
“Malachite,” he managed to mutter.
With another round of foul curses, Raphael ran his hand over Talon’s trembling body, at last locating the dart.
“This is going to hurt,” the older cat warned, yanking out the dart before he used his dagger to cut a deep incision and sucking out the potion like it was snake poison.
Instantly Talon began to feel stronger.
With the source of the malachite removed, his natural immune system kicked into gear, beginning to burn away the effects of the mineral.
Forcing himself upright, Talon would have tumbled on his face if Raphael hadn’t reached out to wrap an arm around his shoulders, hauling Talon against his side.
“Damn,” he growled.
“I’ve got you,” Raphael promised, keeping Talon upright as they headed toward the gate.
Talon’s balance remained uncertain and his movements painfully stiff, but he grimly forced himself to keep pace as Raphael led them along the edge of the marsh, the older Pantera’s expression intent as he remained locked on the trail.
Then without warning he came to a halt. “Dammit.”
Talon clenched his teeth, the need to get to Isi pounding through him with a brutal insistence.
“What?”
Raphael grimaced. “The elders used their mist to mask their scent.”
Talon closed his eyes, concentrating on his bond with Isi. “I can find her.”
“You’re mated?” Raphael demanded in surprise.
“Not now,” Talon snarled. “We have to get to Isi.”
“Fine. Where are they?”
“The temple.”
Raphael gave a sharp nod and together they were headed toward the most sacred section of the Wildlands. Less than fifteen minutes later they approached the wide, cypress bridge that extended across the moonlit bayou.
It was said that the middle of the bridge marked the precise spot where the sisters Opela and Shakpi were born.
And where Opela had sacrificed herself to imprison her evil sister.
Tonight the foot of the bridge was brightly lit with torches. The pools of light surrounded the three elders who sat before Isi who’d been tied to a wooden pier. On each side of her was a male Pantera guard holding a large dagger. Not that they needed the weapons. Isi was not only bound and gagged, but she was barely conscious, with a large bruise already forming on the side of her head where she’d been hit.
Talon roared in outrage, desperately trying to shift so he could rip the bastards to tiny, bloody shreds.
“Stay back.” The voices of the elders blasted through his brain, but Talon moved grimly forward.
“Talon.” Raphael grabbed his arm, holding him in place. Then he turned to glare at the elders. “Don’t do this.”
“We have no choice,” they replied in unison. “Look at the land. Even here, in this sacred place, the magic is fading.”
Talon glanced toward the mossy ground, noticing for the first time that it had turned a sickly shade of brown. A part of him was saddened by the sight of the decay. He was as horrified as any Pantera at the thought that the Wildlands were endangered.
But in this moment, nothing mattered but rescuing Isi.
Raphael spoke directly to the elders. “My baby…the first Pantera in fifty years…will die without her.”
The elders never allowed their attention to waver from Isi or the men who both lifted daggers to slice through Isi’s forearms, the wounds deep enough to allow blood to drip down her arms and onto the ground.
Talon lunged forward, only to be halted by Raphael. He growled in fury, but the malachite still coursed through his blood, making him too weak to fight the larger Pantera.
“This is the only way to ensure the child will survive,” the elders pronounced, hissing in disgust as Isi’s blood hit the ground with a loud sizzle, scorching what was left of the dying vegetation. “There. You see. Her blood is toxic.”
A shocked silence filled the air as they watched in varying degrees of horror as the blood continued to spread over the ground, leaving blackened earth in its path.
It was as if her blood held a wildfire that destroyed whatever it touched.
Chillingly aware of what was going to happen next, Talon fiercely called on his cat, overcoming the lingering malachite with grim resolution.
In a blur of power he shifted, lunging forward before anyone could react to his abrupt attack.
His roar shook the ground as he rammed into one of the guards who’d dare to hurt Isi, using one brutal swipe of his paw to knock him unconscious. Without hesitation, he was slamming into the second guard, catching him before he could shift and defend himself.
His teeth sank into the man’s flesh, but before he could rip out his throat, Raphael was at his side, yelling directly into his ear.
“Wait. Dammit, Talon, look.”
Slowly the words penetrated the red haze that filled Talon’s mind with the need to kill, forcing him to release his prey and glance where Raphael was pointing.
Astonishment jolted through Talon, jerking him from his cat form to human. Instinctively he moved to stand as a barrier between Isi and the elders, his frantic gaze watching as the blackened earth trembled, as if a powerful force was surging from beneath the ground. Then tiny, tender sprouts of green began to break through the crusty dirt.
“It’s starting regrow,” he breathed. “She’s healing the land.”
There was the sensation of furious disbelief as the mist around the elders shimmered in the torchlight.
“It’s her death—”
“Stop.” Talon took his life in his hands by challenging the powerful females. “You see what’s happening.” He swept his hand toward the tender green shoots that were beginning to spread. “Are you going to let your stubborn belief that you’re always right destroy our hope for the future?”
Raphael moved to stand at his side, his arms folded over his chest. “Talon is right. Until we understand what
is happening, we can’t risk destroying the female.”
There was a long silence, as if the elders were arguing among themselves. Talon swiftly used their distraction to turn back to Isi, using a claw to slice through the ropes that bound her to the pier.
His heart clenched as she tumbled into his arms. She was barely conscious, her body trembling from a combination of pain and shock.
God dammit.
He’d failed her. She was his to protect, but he’d allowed her to be stolen from him and injured.
“Talon.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his throat.
He scooped her off her feet, cradling her against his chest. “I’ve got you, darling,” he swore, his gaze locked on the elders. No one was taking her away. Not ever again. “And I’m never letting you go.”
“You have made your point, Talon,” the elder with white fur spoke in his head, taking the lead for her sisters. “Although we are not convinced she is harmless, there is enough doubt to delay her death until we have a greater understanding of what is occurring.”
“I think I might be able to help.” Stepping from the shadows at the edge of the sacred land, a male Pantera offered the elders a low bow. “May I approach?”
The elders spoke in unison. “Welcome, Xavier.”
The tall, mocha-toned man with startling blue eyes moved gracefully forward.
Talon felt a leap of hope at the sight of the leader of the Geeks. If anyone had managed to coax the secrets from the computers Talon had brought from Baton Rouge, it would be this brilliant Pantera.
“What did you discover?” he demanded, ignoring the annoyance of the ancient females who clearly felt they should be in charge.
He didn’t give shit who he had to piss off.
He was going to do whatever necessary to protect his mate.
Xavier walked forward, his gaze flickering toward the fresh green vegetation on the ground before moving to Isi who remained cradled in Talon’s arms.
“I know who our enemies are searching for.”
Talon felt a tingle of premonition inch down his spine as Xavier’s dark gaze remained locked on Isi.
“Who?” Raphael at last demanded.
“Chayton,” the Geek revealed. “Father of Isi and Ashe.”
XAVIER
By Laura Wright
CHAPTER ONE
Sweet freedom.
Pool cue in one hand, margarita in the other, Amalie strode across the dusty floor of The Cougar’s Den.
Hot damn, she was emancipated.
Granted, it was only for three days and nights, but she planned to make the most out of every second. Clad in her tightest jeans, black high-heeled boots, and a white tank that showed off her young, Hunter’s body and plenty of cleavage up top, she felt every male eye move over her as she passed.
Well, every male but one.
Stopping in front of the pool table, she dropped her cue on the playing surface and lifted her glass to her lips. Salty sweet goodness rolled over her tongue and down her throat. She wasn’t a big drinker. Shoot, she wasn’t a big anything. In fact, this was her first time in The Cougar’s Den. For years, she’d heard all about it from the other Hunters. Listened as they regaled her with stories about drunken nights, hard-won pool games, hook-ups with hot males or females. While she went home.
Not tonight, she mused, draining her glass, then eyeing the bartender. Tonight she was cutting loose. Tonight she was going to know what it felt like to play hard, drink hard and just be a ready and willing single female.
“What do you say, darlin’?”
Mal glanced over her shoulder, spied the male who’d just spoken to her. He was tall, blond and human, and his mouth curved into a wicked smile. “Dance?”
She turned around and faced him. “I didn’t know this place had a dance floor.”
“They don’t,” he said. “Not yet anyway.”
The male whistled to one of his buddies and the pair grabbed a few tables and pushed them aside.
He turned back to Mal and shrugged. “Nothing fancy, but it’ll do. What do you say? I like this song and you’re smoking hot.”
Mal’s heart fluttered in her chest. Sure, she was a kickass Hunter who was capable of bringing down several full-grown males with one hand tied behind her back—part of her training—but in the Wildlands no one ever talked to her like this. Looked at her like this. Like she was desirable and available. It felt so good.
Alcohol snaking through her blood, making her warm and bold, she followed him out onto the makeshift dance floor. The bartender had cranked up the music and a few other couples had already taken advantage of the space.
“Name’s Beau,” the male said over the music as he started to move.
Mal grinned as she sidled up close to him and started to sway her hips. “Nice to meet you, Beau.”
“You too, darlin’.” His eyes traveled down her body. “Never seen anything as sexy as you come in here.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” she said on a husky laugh, her head feeling deliciously fuzzy. “But I appreciate it anyway.”
He laughed with her, his dark eyes glittering with interest. They were a handsome set of eyes, deep and soulful, and she could probably get lost in them if it wasn’t for the breath-stealing, knee-weakening crystal blue orbs of a certain Pantera male in the room. Eyes she’d been lusting after forever.
Seeing those piercing, highly sexual eyes in her mind, and fueled by inhibition-killing margaritas, she turned her head.
Such a big mistake.
He’d only been in The Cougar’s Den for maybe a half hour, but it was enough for him to cause a stir. Not like he could help it. Females just couldn’t seem to catch their breath around him, and males were understandably intimated by his size.
Still swaying, Mal ran her hands up the sides of her body as she watched him at the bar. Eating up the metal bar stool he inhabited, Xavier was by far the hottest male specimen that had ever walked the earth. Over six foot four, and all powerful shoulders and broad chest, the gorgeous male looked more like a professional athlete than the head of the Geeks. His skin was the color of wet bark, and his features were sharp and fierce. His dark hair had just been recently cut, buzzed close to his scalp, making his amazing, crystal blue eyes pop. And every time Mal saw him, she had an irrepressible urge to rush at him, leap into his massive arms and attack his perfect mouth.
It’d been like that for the past seven years.
Oh, who was she kidding? More like ten.
As the male she danced with moved around her, Mal’s gaze slid to the female who sat beside Xavier at the bar. Blond, petite and quietly appealing. Why does Xavier have to go for the exact opposite of me? she screamed silently, wondering if it was psycho to actually plot the woman’s death while dancing with some random guy.
Then Xavier reached across the top of the bar and covered the woman’s hand.
A shock of pain brought Mal’s head around. Her gaze connected with Beau and his dark eyes and dreamy smile. “I need another drink.”
He grinned. “I’ll get it for you, darlin’. Just stay here and keep those hips swayin’ and those hands runnin’ up and down yourself. I’ll be right back.”
Why couldn’t Xavier say things like that? Well, maybe not exactly like that. Maybe not so creepy and proprietary, but something that indicated that he saw her as a female and not his best friend’s little sister?
She closed her eyes and moved seductively to the music. She felt someone come up behind her, definitely male, maybe Beau, maybe not, but she didn’t stop to look. Tonight and for the next three nights, she just wanted to let go, give in, feel, be felt…
* * *
She needed a spanking.
Maybe more than one.
Xavier narrowed his eyes on the Hunter female who was gyrating on the makeshift dance floor, sandwiched between two greasy human males, while another ordered drinks a few feet down the bar. Did he blame them for going after her? Leering at
her? Drooling like dogs? No, he did not. With her perfect body clad in way-too-tight clothes, hungry green eyes, and thick ebony hair flowing down her back, she looked like a goddamn sex kitten tonight, and he was going to pummel the bastard who’d let her out of her cage.
Where the fuck was Aristide?
Her brother—and Xavier’s closest friend—never let his sister out of his sight, except when she worked as a Hunter. And even then, Xavier could count on the rest of the Pantera to watch her. They all knew how special she was. Important. The kind of female you put up on a pedestal and stared at.
Not fucking leered at.
His eyes narrowed into pinprick slits as he watched her rock the dance floor. How the hell had she learned to move like that? Her hips. Her ass. Her hands threading in her hair and running down her body.
Another jolt moved through him, but he forced it away. He always forced away those kinds of flashes when it came to her. Amalie was not just the last Pantera born, which made her untouchable in and of itself, but she was also his best friend’s little sister. And the code of honor between males killed even the most desperate of attractions.
He stood, slipped the flash drive the woman beside him had brought with her into his jeans pocket. “You didn’t have to disable the camera to get these shots, did you?”
The blond PI he’d hired to help in his search for Ashe and Isi’s father, Chayton, shook her head. “No. But it was a bitch and a half to get up there, and stay up there while I located the serial number. Thank god some asshole got a tattoo last night. Gave me a solid hour.”
The human female had found a hidden camera in Isi’s voodoo shop, and had spent the past three days trying to get a few minutes alone with it. “Did you run the number?”
“It’s some exclusive, expensive shit. There’s a list of the high-end stores that sell cameras like that on your drive, but I couldn’t get sales records. You’re going to need a top notch hacker.”
Good thing he was one, Xavier thought, his gaze sliding over to the dance floor again. A growl sounded in his throat. Amalie was grinding her hips against some human male like she wanted sex.