Prowl the Night

by Crystal Jordan

  “Rafael!” Ric’s voice caught his lagging attention, and he turned to shake the man’s hand. A wide smile crossed both their faces and Ric slapped his shoulder.

  Diego wrapped him up in an exuberant bear hug. “Hey, Rafe! How’ve you been, man? What happened to your clothes?”

  “Not bad, and I’ll tell you about it later.” The weariness that had ridden him for so long hit him again. “I’m ready to get home and catch some Zs, though.”

  The twins glanced at each other and Ric’s mouth tightened. Diego met Rafe’s gaze. “That’s going to have to wait for a few minutes. We have another pickup.”

  “Oh? Who?” The terse reaction—so unlike the energetic man—made curiosity rear its head.

  After a long moment, Ric answered. “We have a Panther coming in on a flight from Tokyo.”

  Rafe waited a beat, expecting more information. The twins’ uncharacteristic reticence definitely had his attention. “Someone from Ciri’s family, perhaps?”

  “No. The heir to the Spanish Pride.” A muscle in Diego’s jaw ticked. “Fernando Garcia’s daughter. Enrique Garcia’s sister. Teresa.”

  “Shit.” There was no other word he could put to the concept. There was bad blood between the European and North American Prides. Hell, there wasn’t a lot of love lost between the European and African Prides either, and it all came down to one man.

  Enrique Garcia.

  The madman was the Pride leader’s son, and he’d become obsessed with Isabel, insisted she was his mate, and assaulted her, biting her to mark her as his. She’d fled Barcelona and sought asylum in San Francisco, where her childhood friend was now the leader’s wife. When Isabel had arrived, she’d found not one, but both of the leader’s younger twin brothers were her mates.

  Rafe shook his head. “I mean . . . uh . . . shit.”

  Diego snorted. “Yeah, exactly.”

  “Are you sure you’re the right ones to be dealing with this woman?” As far as Rafe knew, none of the mated trio had had any contact with the Garcias since they’d gone to Africa to represent the Pride for Cesar Benhassi’s recognition ceremony when he’d come to power.

  “We wanted to meet her before Isabel has to see her.” Diego’s gaze hardened, and the pure protective instinct of a mated Panther male was evident in his expression.

  Enrique had also been in Africa for the ceremony, and in his madness had tried to attack Isabel again, demanding she return to his side as his mate. The twins had laid him out flat, and Benhassi had publicly rebuked Fernando for keeping a crazed man as his heir, forcing him to denounce his son and make his daughter his heir.

  Such reckless idiocy could have led to civil war, to the exposure of Panthers to humans, to the end of their race as they knew it. Civil war had decimated the Pride in Africa a few decades before, so if anyone knew what he was talking about, it was Benhassi. The altercation had soured relations between Spain and the other two Prides.

  And now the Pride leader’s new heir, Teresa, was coming here. It sounded like a recipe for disaster.

  Clearing his throat, Rafe hitched his pack higher on his back. “What’s she coming to North America for, anyway?”

  “She’s attending Antonio’s peace summit. She missed the opening ball last night because a storm over the Pacific delayed her flight, but she’ll be here for the actual summit.” Ric crossed his arms. “But let’s be real, she’s doing a tour of the Prides to find a mate. They’re saying it’s a dignitary tour to meet all the other leaders, heirs, and Seconds, and this summit is just the cap on the tour, but she’s unmated and around thirty, so . . . you do the math.”

  “No doubt Garcia wants to get her mated up and breeding since his loco son isn’t churning out potential heirs for his line anytime soon.” Ric slid his hands into his pockets, a muscle flexing in his jaw.

  Rafe sighed. This did not look promising. Ric was usually the rational one of the two, while Diego had a gilded tongue. If both of them were defensive and pissed off, they had a good chance of offending this woman and making relations between the two Prides even worse. Great. Just great. This was not what Rafe wanted to be dealing with right now. A hot shower and a bed were what he had in mind, in that order.

  “How long until her flight lands?”

  Diego checked his watch. “Any minute now.”

  “I’m getting a cup of coffee. You guys want anything?” The two were strung so tight, Rafe didn’t think they needed caffeine.

  “Nope, we’re good, thanks.” They spoke at once, their attention focused on the arrivals area.

  If he hurried, he might be able to get back in time to save the woman from a possible mauling. But without some coffee, he might not last long enough to help anyone. He was about ready to drop where he stood.

  Swinging around, he headed straight for the scent of coffee. Of all the overwhelming scents in the terminal, that one was the most welcome. The line was long, of course, but the boredlooking baristas shuffled people through with practiced precision. Within ten minutes, he had a steaming cup of pitch-black sludge. He burned his tongue when he guzzled it, but it was exactly what he needed.

  “Damn,” he groaned. He’d missed the woman’s arrival. Her chin was lifted and she met the twins’ gazes coolly. Whatever greeting they’d given her had been less than welcoming.

  Even from a distance, he could see she was an attractive female, with a smooth sweep of inky hair that brushed her shoulders. Her business suit was tailored to her curves. Not too slender, like most women were these days. Her eyes were a startling pale gray, and her lips were a little too generous for her face, but she was lovely in a reserved kind of way.

  “I thought Tomas was going to be the one picking me up. He is the one I’ve been dealing with to make arrangements for this trip.” Her voice was as frosty as the look in her eyes.

  Diego shrugged. “He and his mate took the day off. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with us.”

  “I see.”

  Not good. Not good at all. Rafe tossed the remainder of his cup in the nearest trash bin and pasted a smile on his face before he approached the trio. “Hello, Ms. Garcia. I’m Rafael Santiago. It’s nice to meet you.”

  The moment she turned to meet his gaze, some instinct rang in his head, reverberating like a clarion bell until it almost ached. He blinked, struggling to fight through the exhaustion to decipher what his senses were telling him. Then it pierced his sleep-deprived mind, and he jolted in shock.

  Mate.

  He froze, every muscle in his body locking tight.

  “Hello.” She held out a slim, elegant hand for him to shake.

  He could only stare at her, gaping like a fool. She let her hand hang there for a second, her expression growing stiffer. Her arm began to wilt to her side. Losing the chance to touch her finally spurred him into action. Thrusting his hand out, he wrapped his fingers around hers. The fine bones and soft skin absorbed his senses, and he drew in her scent, the heady aroma like a hit of opiates.

  When their flesh met, her eyes widened. Yes, she felt it too, this incredible connection that snapped between them. Triumph bloomed within him, the need to claim a bone-jarring recognition of mating fever. A flash of utter horror sparked in her pale gaze and she dropped his hand as though he were diseased.

  Stunned pain rocked through him at her sudden, unexpected rejection. His heart squeezed at this stranger’s reaction, this woman who was supposed to be a perfect match for him.

  She looked at the twins. “I need to collect my luggage.”

  Not waiting for them to respond, she spun on a heel and marched away. The three men glowered at each other before following her. Rafe had no idea why his mate would be so upset about having found what she was apparently looking for, but it didn’t stop the protective instincts that flared to life within him.

  The tiredness fell away as energy and alertness pumped through his system. He’d crash again later, but for the moment, every fiber of his being was focused on the female who was walking awa
y from him. He made his living observing people, finding out what made them tick, and then writing about it, but this time he wanted to know everything without the need to put pen to paper. Curiosity ate at him.

  Who was she, really? Being an heir was only one piece of a person. Why was she unhappy to find a mate? What had put the shadows in her eyes, the sadness that seemed just below the surface?

  He had to know.

  She studiously avoided his gaze while they got her suitcases out to the car. Of course they’d picked her up in the Jeep, instead of the Pride’s limousine. It was one more way to make sure she knew her Pride wasn’t favored here, and that sent a punch of anger through Rafe. Her face was composed when she gracefully climbed into the backseat. The space was too tight when Rafe settled beside her, his shoulders wide enough to touch hers, his legs cramped enough to be bent and crowding into her.

  “Sorry,” he said, but he didn’t mean it. His body reacted as if lit by a live wire every time he brushed up against her. His cock stiffened uncomfortably, but there was no room to adjust his position.

  “De nada.” Her voice was a bit breathless, and he heard her swallow.

  After that the car fell into silence. Even the exuberant Diego stared out the window and said nothing. Rafe ended up pressed to Teresa’s side when the car turned a corner, and he drew back immediately, but not before he got a whiff of her arousal. It surprised him, and he looked over her calm features. The woman knew how to hide her emotions from the world, but a closer look revealed that her fingers twisted together in her lap, a fine trembling in her limbs.

  She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and he felt that bone-deep connection again. For whatever reason, she didn’t want to want him, but she did. And, God, but he wanted her too. The need was clawing at his insides. Resisting it was almost painful. He dropped his hand to the seat between them and subtly rubbed his knuckles against her thigh.

  Her breath caught, and her body grew even tauter. The tension all but hummed from her, but the scent of her passion increased as well. His cock went rock hard, chafing against his fly. It was all he could do not to groan aloud.

  This was a stupid idea, with the twins close enough to smell the pheromones wafting off of them, but at the moment, the Panther in him refused to give a damn. This was far too primal an urge to fight.

  A shudder passed through her and he could see her breasts lift as her breathing sped. Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips, and he damn near jerked her into his lap. He wanted to be inside her, the scent of their combined arousal permeating the air around them while they rutted in a big bed.

  Soon. God, soon. How long before he could drag her away from the Cruz family and have his hands on her naked flesh? Would she resist or be as animalistic in her need as he would?

  He had no idea, but he wanted to find out.

  Madre de Dios.

  Teresa was going to lose her mind if she didn’t get out of this cramped Jeep. Now.

  This was a nightmare. It was a complete and utter nightmare. After what had happened with her brother, she’d been hoping she didn’t have a mate, and if she did, it could at least not be a man from America. Or Africa. But no, she had to deal with both problems at once.

  And it would be a lot easier if she weren’t also being driven insane by that American man as he stroked slow circles against her thigh while she tried not to come right then and there.

  She had never truly understood until this moment that sex could be better with a mate, but now she did. Dios, she did. She clenched her fingers together in her lap, trying not to reach for him.

  He was hard. She could see the clear outline of his erection in his khaki pants, and her sex clenched with want. Her nipples stood out in similar flagrant fashion under her silk blouse. What would it feel like to have him inside her? A rush of heat flooded her, and she could feel her skin sensitize as though preparing for his touch.

  Maybe it was. If the single point of contact was enough to indicate how good it would be, she didn’t know how long she could resist. It had been a long time since she’d taken a lover—not since Enrique’s fall from grace and her elevation to the intense responsibilities of heir.

  Her body clamored for her to make up for lost time. She squeezed her legs together and tried to ignore the ache between them, but she knew it was a fruitless effort before she did it. Every sense she had was focused on him. His scent, the way his brown hair ruffled in the breeze from the open passenger side window, the feel of his knuckles rubbing against her leg. She wanted to try all her other senses on him. What would he taste like? What would his bare skin feel like on hers? All of hers? What would he look like naked? The question was enough to make her even wetter, her sex fisting on emptiness.

  The Jeep pulled to an abrupt stop and she rocked in her seat, barely bringing her palm up to catch herself before her nose hit the back of Ric’s seat. At least she thought it was Ric. The men looked exactly alike and she hadn’t entirely sorted out their scent differences yet. She’d been too distracted by Rafe.

  She blinked and looked around. They were in front of a huge mansion, and from the smell of it, there were dozens of Panthers in the vicinity. The Pride den. Her belly executed a slow flip and she swallowed sudden nausea. This visit was so important. Her father might be willing to cut ties with leaders who’d insulted him, who’d insulted Enrique, but Teresa knew they couldn’t afford that. There were too few Panthers in the world, and their politics were too rocky to isolate their people. She’d used the excuse of a mate search and tour of the Pride just to get to this peace summit.

  She hadn’t really wanted a mate, but her father wanted grandchildren, wanted to prove that the European Pride’s leading family was as strong as ever. Stronger.

  If only it were true, but she’d do what she could in the coming days to strengthen their ties and keep Europe a force to be reckoned with. She pulled in a deep breath and pushed down her trepidation. There was no time for hesitation or fear.

  Rafe’s hand closed over her shoulder, and lust ripped through her so fast she almost snarled with the ferocity of her inner Panther’s reaction to his touch. “We’re here, Teresa.”

  “So I see.” She tried to keep her tone even, but doubted she succeeded. Turning to look up at him, she found him closer than she’d realized, his lips only a hairbreadth from hers.

  They froze, their gazes locked together. His eyes were like dark chocolate with flecks of gold in them. Rich and provocative. That hot spark of recognition sizzled through her again. Mate. Her mouth dried and she licked her lips. His gaze followed the movement, and her body turned to living flame.

  At that moment, if he had reached for her, she wouldn’t have protested. A smile kicked up the corner of his lips, the gold in his eyes glowing with feline intensity. “We have to go inside.”

  Yes, they did. Coupling in the backseat of a car was a bad idea, but she couldn’t quite recall why. In a daze, she climbed out of the Jeep, took one of her suitcases from Diego—or was it Ric?—while Rafe commandeered her other two bags, and they walked up the front steps. A pretty young woman opened the door for them, nodding as they passed her and entered the foyer.

  “What room is she in, Eva?” Rafe gave the woman a charming grin, and Teresa fought an unexpected wave of jealous possession.

  Eva linked her hands in front of her and returned the smile with a small one of her own. “The blue suite.”

  “I’ll show her up.” Rafe hefted Teresa’s bags higher. “I know you’re busy. The visiting politicos are probably running your staff ragged.”

  “That’s about right, yes. Thank you, Rafe.” A flash of relief showed in the woman’s gaze. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay here more comfortable, Ms. Garcia.”

  “I will. Thank you.” Her mind spun when he pressed his chest to her back, urging her forward. The full-body contact made her lungs seize. Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears, it drowned out every other sound. She felt her claws dig i
nto her palm where her fingers were wrapped around the handle of her suitcase.

  “Go left at the top of the stairs, third door on the right.” His voice was rough with lust, and she could sense that he burned with the same fire that consumed her.

  A feeling of unreality flooded her. She couldn’t believe she was going to do this. There was no doubt in her mind what would happen when they reached her suite. But she couldn’t not do it. Mate. It rang in her mind, in her soul, in every inch of her hypersensitized body. She obeyed his direction, turning blindly for the room he indicated.

  The door swung open on silent hinges and she stepped through, her eyes adjusting to the mellow lighting. The suite was decorated in pale blue with bronze accents, and a huge four-poster bed was visible through a set of open double doors. The bedroom was much too far away. She dropped her suitcase to the carpet and heard the thuds of him doing the same with her other bags. He shrugged out of his backpack and swatted the door closed behind them.

  When he turned to face her, his hands were already busy on his belt and fly. “Come here.”

  Her legs shook as they carried her the few feet to him. He kicked his boots aside and stripped out of the rest of his clothes in short order. She just stared at him as all that male flesh was revealed. He was beautiful, tall with wide shoulders and a muscular torso that tapered down into narrow hips. She wanted to touch him, slide her hands over his skin, the crisp hair on his chest, and the long cock that stood in a hard arc to just below his navel.

  Her nose twitched when she drew near him, and she stopped in her tracks. “It smells like . . . blood.”

  “Uh, yeah. About that . . .”

  Glancing around, she spotted his shoes and pants. She sniffed the air and made a face. “That isn’t human blood.”

  “Probably goat or cow.” A flush rose to his cheeks, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I was in Cairo for Eid al-Adha, and they still sacrifice animals for the holiday celebrations.”

  She blinked up at him, intrigued despite the grotesque mental picture his statement provided. “You’re serious?”