Her Panther: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 4)

by Katherine Bogle

  I glared at him. “How stupid do you think I am?”

  Jett’s lips quirked in a rueful smile. His gaze shifted away from me, checking on the door to the kitchen and then the door to the outside.

  A cold fist tightened around my heart. Was he checking to see what he could get away with while my other mates were in the next room? My fight or flight instinct kicked in, and at last, all my beasties were in agreement. We would fight.

  Heat flared inside me, my dragon ready to burst from my flesh, while my wolf snarled and my bear roared. There was hesitation in their actions, but they understood my safety came above all—even their desire to claim my last mate.

  Maximus stuck his head in from the kitchen, rage burning in his eyes. “What’s going on in here?”

  “Nothing,” Jett said, raising both hands.

  “Everything okay?” Owen asked, appearing next to Maximus with a dish towel in his hands.

  “Fine,” I said.

  When my mates didn’t budge from the doorway, Jett turned back to me. He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t think you’re stupid.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Then why the hell would I go anywhere alone with you?”

  I thought Maximus was about to spring across the room, but Owen but a hand on his arm, stopping him.

  Jett swiped a hand over his head, looking awkward. “I just wanted to apologize… again.” His face was pained even as he said it.

  “That’s it?” I demanded. “You just want to apologize?”

  He nodded but wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  Even if I’d wanted to trust him, I couldn’t. Not yet.

  “I accept your apology, but forgiveness takes time, Jett,” I said.

  Jett closed his eyes and sighed. “I know. But you have to understand, I thought what I was doing was best for us all.”

  Maximus growled low in his throat, that sexy protective sound making me feel safe even as I sat in a room with my betrayer.

  “I know that, but what you did was wrong,” I said to Jett. “You should have come to us and discussed it. That’s what adults do.”

  Jett’s cheek twitched. I could tell he was biting his tongue. He wanted to lash out with his words like he always did. Maybe it was a defense mechanism for him, or maybe he was just an asshole. Either way, he swallowed his retort and nodded. “Next time, I’ll ask.”

  My shoulders relaxed. “Good.”

  Before Jett could say more, Owen strode to the table to gather up the few remaining dishes. He quickly disappeared back to the kitchen while Maximus remained in the doorway to glower suspiciously at Jett.

  “There’s one more thing,” Jett said, ignoring my overprotective wolf mate.

  I raised an eyebrow, silently imploring for him to go on.

  “You need to come to the uniting of the Panther Clans.” Jett finally met my gaze, his dark eyes fierce and unwavering.

  I suppressed a shiver under his intense gaze. “Alone?” My entire body tensed. This is exactly what we’d just talked about. I couldn’t go anywhere alone with him. Not even if I wanted to.

  Before Jett could answer, Maximus straightened in the doorway. “Absolutely not,” he growled.

  I winced and looked between my wolf mate and my panther. Jett narrowed his eyes and glowered at Maximus. His strong jaw worked back and forth.

  “The Panthers will be expecting the Silver Shifter,” Jett ground out between clenched teeth.

  He was trying—really trying—not to lunge across the table and throttle Maximus. I hid my smile with my hand. I almost wanted to see him try.

  “And how do we know you won’t drug our mate and spirit her off somewhere?” Maximus challenged, taking a step further into the room.

  Jett rose from his chair. He braced his fists on the surface of the table. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Recent history would suggest otherwise,” Maximus retorted.

  He has a point, I thought, but didn’t voice my opinion. Instead I watched their verbal sparring match, barely hiding my amusement.

  Jett growled. “I told you it wouldn’t happen again. I made a mistake.”

  “Yes, you did,” Maximus said. “And your mistake hurt our mate.”

  Jett froze, his angry gaze softening as it slid to me.

  My amusement fell away. He looked so sorry that for the first time I believed his apologies were sincere. I sighed and stood. “I’ll go,” I said.

  Maximus’ head swung towards me. “Absolutely fucking not.”

  “I’m going,” I said. “He’s right. I’m still set on uniting the clans—even the Panther Clan. That means I need to finish my tour, and the panthers are the last stop. Don’t worry. You can come with me.”

  Maximus relaxed, and his angry scowl melted into a small smile. “That, I can agree to.”

  “You want to bring this mutt into my territory for a summit of all North American Panther Clans?” Jett trembled with rage, but his glare remained solely on Maximus.

  “Yes,” I said. “And Owen and Cash will probably want to join us as well. They’re my mates, and they’ll go with me if they wish. Remember, you don’t have a right to my time Jett. You haven’t earned my forgiveness or my trust. I don’t owe you anything. I’m doing this for all the clans, not for you personally.” I paused, waiting for his gaze to shift to me. When it finally did, I continued, motioning to Maximus. “But it isn’t just my forgiveness and trust you need. It’s theirs, too. We’re a team, and if you want to be a part of it, you need us all to embrace you.”

  For a second, I thought he was going to argue with me, but the fire in Jett’s eyes cooled as my words sank in.

  “Fine,” Jett snapped. “Bring whoever the fuck you want.” He pushed away from the table and turned on his heel to storm out of the dining room.

  Seconds later, the front door slammed and my panther mate stalked across the lawn.

  “I think that went pretty well,” Owen said, appearing in the doorway behind Maximus.

  I laughed. “Better than expected, honestly.”

  Maximus grumbled his agreement as he shifted past Owen to return to the kitchen. My bear mate gave me a quick wink before following, leaving me alone to contemplate my first visit to Panther Clan territory.

  6

  Jett

  “Exactly where is this meeting to take place?” Owen asked as we stood next to my car, phone in hand. “Considering what happened last time, we’d like to alert our clans to our whereabouts when we’re with you.”

  A growl built in my throat, but I held it in check. They had every reason not to trust me, it was true. Eventually, they’d learn that I had only the best intentions, but it would be slow going. Patience was not my strong suit, so this was going to take some getting used to. I’d operated alone for so long, trusting them didn’t come natural to me, but I knew I’d never get back into the other shifters’ good graces until I made an effort.

  “I’ll introduce the Silver Shifter to the New York Panther Clan at my place,” I said. “The signing will take place there, too. There will be a few panthers from other clans around the country, too.”

  “That won’t affect what we’re doing here, will it?” Maximus asked. “With the four New York clans?”

  “No,” I said. “It’s just a panther thing.”

  Apparently satisfied with the interrogation, Maximus and Owen climbed into the back seat of my car, letting Quick Silver take the passenger seat while I drove. At least they hadn’t asked for the keys to my car. Besides my balls, that was about all they’d left of my manhood.

  The moment we stepped into the lobby of my apartment building, Cassandra came rushing over, her heels clipping the tiles in the lobby. “What the hell, Jett?” she hissed. “It’s about time. You’ve got the alphas of ten other panther clans in the conference room. They’re all waiting for you.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know I’d be grilled for ten minutes before anyone would step into my car. Thanks for entertaining them. I’m sure you charmed th
em better than I ever could.”

  “Obviously,” Cassie said, rolling her eyes and screwing her lips to one side to suppress a smile. She turned to the others in my party and extended a hand to Ariana. “I’m Cassandra, but you can call me Cassie. I’m Jett’s second. I hear you’ve got big plans for the New York Clans.”

  “Oh,” Ariana said. “I guess I do.”

  “Sounds like something we should discuss,” Cassie said. “I hope you don’t mind if we need Jett for some panther business first.”

  “Not at all,” Ariana said. “He’s all yours.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Cassie said, rolling her eyes again.

  “Here goes nothing,” I said, straightening my shoulders. I strode into the conference room in front of Cassie, letting Ariana and the other alphas fall in behind us. The panther alphas around the table, some of whom I knew and some I didn’t, stiffened when the others stepped into the room.

  “You brought other shifters,” one of them observed.

  “Is that a problem?” I asked, ignoring one of the panthers who outright hissed in Maximus’ direction.

  “Is that New York’s famous Silver Shifter?” an older blonde woman asked from the end of the table. Her eyes widened slightly as she rose from her seat.

  “It is,” I said. “And my mate.”

  There was a beat of silence. Looks of confusion and consternation flew around the room. But only one person’s reaction interested me. I watched Ariana from the corner of my eye. She swallowed, her eyes widening at my acknowledgment. I knew it wasn’t enough, not yet. But it was a start, the beginning of making up for my mistakes. Now that I’d realized what I’d almost lost, I’d do whatever it took to earn back what I’d taken for granted.

  “She’s a… Wolf?” a panther alpha asked at last. I recognized the man, but couldn’t remember his name.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Nice to meet you,” Ariana said, giving a small wave. “I can wait outside if it’s a problem.”

  “It’s not,” I assured her.

  “Well, if she’s your mate, I guess it’s permissible,” said an older gentleman I remembered from when my father was still around. Dressed in a sleek black suit, he stood out like a sore thumb. “It’s not like we’re passing out government secrets.”

  A few people smiled, and the atmosphere eased.

  “Our clan would be honored to join the panther clans of this country,” I said.

  “I assume your Second has filled you in on all the details regarding the Panther Nation,” said the man I remembered as Bernie.

  “Yes,” I said. “The clan wouldn’t run without Cassandra. She’s the greatest asset I bring to the Panther Nation.”

  I knew she’d call me a suck-up for that one, but it was true. It was just easier to say it to the members of the Panther Nation than to my sister. Cassandra could intimidate even me. And in my absence lately, she’d more than stepped up. When I’d offered to let her take over as alpha, I’d meant it. She’d make a damn fine leader if she wanted the job. But she refused. She didn’t want the job or the responsibility. She was happy where she was, and even went so far as to demand I remained Alpha.

  Even so, I had her sign the treaty with the other clans and me, our signatures binding the New York Panther Clan into the Panther Nation, which would make our people stronger and provide reinforcements if we needed them against a future threat. With the vamps ramping up their attacks, there couldn’t have been a better time to have every panther in America behind us. If the Panther Clan had been the weakest of the four shifter clans in New York, it sure as hell wasn’t anymore.

  When we’d finished signing, we invited them to join our clan’s welcome party for the Silver Shifter. Most declined, but a few followed us into the clubhouse area of the apartment complex. Our clan, only a small crowd of about fifty members, filled the clubhouse with chatter.

  “Panthers,” I said as we stepped into the room. They fell silent, turning to stare as Ariana entered. I held out an arm. “I present the Silver Shifter, Ariana. She is here to unite our clan with the other New York Clans. Together, we can end the vampire threat that plagues our people.”

  A smattering of applause met my words, and Cassie gestured to a small room off the side where serving trays were set up. “I ordered catering,” she said, smiling at Ariana. “I hope you like barbecue.”

  Ariana perked up at the mention of food. “I love it,” she said.

  “Then let’s eat,” Cassie said, gesturing for her husband and kids to join her.

  While the clan members milled in to fill their plates, I stood back, but when I saw Ariana emerge from the food line, I jumped at the chance to speak with her before the other alphas surrounded her.

  “Hey,” I said. “You find everything you need?”

  “As long as the food isn’t poisoned,” she said. “At least I hope you wouldn’t poison your whole clan just to take me down.”

  Ouch.

  “I admitted my mistake, and I apologized,” I said. “How are we ever going to unite the clans if you’re constantly accusing me of trying to kill you?”

  “Hmm, I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you, oh, right—tried to kill me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, my fists clenching as I fought to hold back my growl. “I know I didn’t do what was best for you, or even the panthers, in the end. If it makes you feel any better, I offered to let Cassie take over as alpha.”

  Ariana’s eyes widened, and she paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. “What?”

  “She said she didn’t want the position, but if that’s what it takes for you to trust that I have your best interests in mind now, I can resign as alpha, anyway.”

  “Then what would happen?” she asked, taking her bite of meat and chewing as she waited for me to answer.

  “Cassie would be forced to take the position,” I admitted. “She could do it temporarily while she chose an alpha for the long term, but she wouldn’t. She’d serve. The needs of the clan come first, and she’d always put them ahead of herself, even if it meant taking alphahood when she really didn’t want to.”

  “So, if that happened, I’d have to unite the clans with her as panther alpha,” Ariana said. “I’d be dealing with her instead of you.”

  I bit back a smartass reply, my chest squeezing painfully at the idea Ariana had just presented. “Yes,” I admitted.

  I waited for her to jump at the chance to get rid of me, to work with my sister instead. But she just stood there contemplating a minute and then asked, “Why would you do that?”

  “I let my personal vendetta against the vamps cloud my judgment,” I admitted, though it was like eating broken glass to lay out my mistakes for her to dissect right there in a crowded room. “I thought I was putting the clan first, but in the end, it fucked everyone.”

  A smile cracked Ariana’s lips. “You can say that again.”

  “And really, I did it for you,” I admitted, rushing ahead when I saw Maximus and Owen detaching themselves from my sister’s interrogation and heading my way.

  “For me?” Ariana asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I know I fucked up. I wanted you to know how serious I am about making amends. If this is what you want me to do, I’ll do it.”

  “You’d give up being alpha,” she mused. “For me.”

  I nodded, my pulse thrumming in my temples. “If it would make you see that I mean it when I say I’m on your side now.”

  “Hm,” Ariana said, forking some food around her plate. “That’s a nice gesture, Jett, but I don’t think it’s what your clan really needs. And to be honest, it’s not what I need.”

  “What more do you need?” I asked, throwing my hands up in frustration. “What can I do?”

  Ariana sighed and set her fork down on her plate. “I just need time, Jett. Trust doesn’t happen overnight.”

  “Fine,” I muttered. “Take as much time as you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
>
  I’d offered her everything, offered to give up everything for her, and she hadn’t taken it. I didn’t know what else I could do. But whatever it took, I was going to find that one thing she wanted, the one thing that would prove my sincerity, and I was going to give it to her.

  7

  Ariana

  Jett’s car rumbled beneath us as we pulled back onto the highway. Now that we were back on the road, my body relaxed, and I was able to breathe easier. Though I enjoyed meeting Jett’s family, and seeing Panther territory, I was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar faces. I was ready to return to our pack and plan for whatever came next. If all the Panther Clans in North America could unite despite their differences, then so could the four clans of New York.

  Now I just had to figure out how to do that.

  I chewed on my lip as I watched the trees fly by until Jett’s phone rang. The sudden noise made me jump, and I shifted in the passenger seat to face him.

  Maximus grumbled behind me, unhappy that Jett had his phone back. Jett might have lost his phone privileges in pack territory, but outside of it, he could make all the calls he wanted.

  Jett grabbed his buzzing phone from the nook in the dashboard. He glanced at the caller ID before swiping to answer. He held it up to his ear, giving a quick hello to whoever was on the other line.

  “What is it?” Jett asked, his tone icy.

  I could barely hear the voice on the other line over the sound of the road and the rumble of Jett’s car, but it sounded feminine. A shot of jealousy sliced through my chest, and I sucked in a quick breath. I shouldn’t feel jealous. Jett could talk to whomever he wanted to. But it certainly didn’t sound like Cassie on the other line. Whoever it was had a velvety voice dripping with sugar. Despite Jett’s blazing expression, I still didn’t like whoever that lady was.