by Scarlet Day
“Not on our boat, you’re not.” Chase boarded the boat and walked toward the front. “This is strictly a bachelors’ boat.”
Bryce chuckled, and the vibrations sent pleasurable ripples through her.
“Not so easy to resist, is it, cousins?” Blake climbed on board, followed by Drake and Jake, and they carried Abby’s bags down into the galley.
Brad lowered his head and claimed Abby’s lips in a quick but heated kiss. “Soon, love.”
Abby nodded and let him lead her to one of the built-in couches lining the edge of the boat. Bryce unhooked one of the ropes tethering the boat to the dock while Chase unhooked the rope at the front. The engines roared to life, and the big boat glided out of the marina and out into the harbor.
Bryce settled onto the couch next to her and took her hand, twining their fingers together. The water looked inky-black in the pre-sunrise darkness. The waves slapped rhythmically at the side of the boat as they made their way into open water.
Questions and curiosity had been gnawing at Abby all night. Well, at least the part of the night when she hadn’t been out of her mind with sexual desire. Pulling her legs up under her, she got comfortable, ready to get some answers.
“So, guys…this cat in my head. She’s gonna want to come and play, isn’t she?” Impatience had been building in her mind and in the cat as it paced. It was like having a caged animal in her head, and it wanted out.
Brad wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the temple. “You’re very intuitive. Did you know that, love?”
Abby shook her head and gulped. Suspecting something to be true and having it confirmed were definitely two different things. She had no idea just exactly how the mechanics worked to bring her cat out, but she did know thinking about it too hard would freak her out.
“I’ve never been that way. Why now?”
Brad brushed his fingers down her cheek, and her cat purred in contentment. “Because you found us. Female cats never manifest themselves until they join with their true mates. Yours has been guiding you incredibly well.”
Abby stared out over the dark water, thinking about her cat. “She doesn’t look like you. She’s black.”
A thrill of something—anticipation or excitement, maybe—raced through her, but it wasn’t her own emotion that she felt. She gasped. “I felt that!” She looked back and forth in amazement between Brad and Bryce.
Bryce pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “It’s natural to become in tune to your mates. Pretty soon we’ll be able to read each other’s emotions easily. When we’re all in cat form, we can even hear each other’s thoughts.” Bryce paused. “Actually, you might even be able to hear our thoughts when you aren’t in cat form if you’re anything like Kate.”
It took a moment for his words to register. “Kate? What about Kate?” She looked to Bryce in confusion and then to Brad.
Brad grinned and shrugged. “She’s a black panther, too.”
Abby stared at Brad in shock. After a few minutes, the scientist in her began to emerge. “Shifting would be a hereditary trait, right? Some type of genetic mutation or anomaly? But, my mom’s not a panther, and neither was my aunt. I mean, I don’t think so anyway. You’d think that would be something they would tell us, right? You know, like, Granddad had heart disease, high cholesterol runs in the family, and, oh, by the way, you might turn into a panther.” She was rambling. She knew it, but she couldn’t stop it. Her mouth was working faster than her brain. Hyperventilating was a distinct possibility as her breathing sped up.
Bryce stroked her leg in a calming motion, and Brad pulled her closer and leaned his lips to her ear. “Shh, love. Breathe.”
Brad kept his lips close to her ear, and she concentrated on the sound of his breathing. In, out. In, out. Steady. She worked to match her breathing to his and slowly began to calm down.
She turned to look into Brad’s eyes. “Thanks. I still have questions though.”
Brad’s mouth turned up in a sexy, little grin, and it threatened to send her into another round of hyperventilation. “Ask away, but I think you should save the questions about your parents until you and Kate are together.”
The suggestion confused her, but she decided maybe it would be better if she had family with her when discussing that aspect. There was another question she had been thinking about, though the topic sent fear through her soul.
“Those…things. The people who took me.” She felt Brad and Bryce stiffen on either side of her. “Were they really…you know…vampires?” Her voice dropped to a whisper on the last word, unable to bring herself to say it too loudly.
Concern and trepidation rolled off Brad. “Are you sure you want to talk about that right now?”
Looking out over the ocean, she watched the water shimmer in the first dim light of the morning. “I need to know.”
Brad didn’t speak for several moments. Finally, he nodded. “Yes. They really are.”
Abby steadied herself. “Tell me about them.”
Brad sighed heavily. “They’ve been trying to kill the black panther line for generations, once they figured out they couldn’t harness their power. They tried to get to Kate, but she’s a fighter, just like you.”
“They weren’t trying to kill me though. Their leader, Tiberius, he wanted to…” She gulped, not wanting to say this out loud. “He wanted to breed with me.”
A low, menacing growl erupted from Brad. Bryce tightened his grip on her hand and turned her to face him. “He wanted to what?”
“He said he wanted to join our powers together.”
Abby felt the shock and revulsion boil within them. She didn’t really want to talk about what had happened to her, but it had been festering inside her like a poison, and she knew she needed to get it out.
“He was in that room with me. Not the whole time, but I could feel him come and go. I couldn’t find him though. It’s like he was invisible. I could feel his breath on my skin, but when I tried to hit him, it was just…nothing, nothing but air.” Thinking about the cold presence in the small concrete room sent a shudder down her spine.
Brad sucked in a breath. “My god, an ancient.”
“A what?” Abby didn’t know what it meant, but judging from Brad’s reaction, it couldn’t be good.
“One of the original vampires. The black panthers cursed them to darkness eons ago. It’s where the myth comes from about sunlight killing vampires. Unfortunately, it’s only the ancient ones that it applies to. Their creations are perfectly capable of walking around in broad daylight.”
“Let me guess. They can make themselves invisible?” The knowledge that she’d been locked up with a real-life vampire threatened to send Abby over the edge, but she held on to her sanity by the barest thread.
“Among other things.” Bryce’s voice sounded ominous.
“I did actually see him at one point. He made me take a test to see if I was fertile. I’m not right now. If I had been…” She shuddered again, unable to finish the sentence.
Brad wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close to his chest while Bryce wrapped his hands around her upper arms and buried his face in her hair. Both men struggled to maintain control. She could feel their turmoil. Rage boiled up inside of them and flowed out of them like a surging wave.
It took a few moments for Brad to control his ragged breathing enough to speak, though his body still shook with barely controlled rage. “We won’t let him touch you, love. I swear it.”
Bryce took a shuddering breath. “He’s got to be a rogue. The other ancients would never allow it.”
Abby sighed, hating that she had upset them but relieved that she’d been able to get the words out. “It’s over now, though, right? I mean, once we get to the island, I’ll be safe?”
Brad nodded but still looked worried. “We’ve got to get your sister here though. We can’t protect her if she’s in Texas.”
“What does Emma have to do with it?” Abby thought of her carefree, quirky twin.<
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“If you’re a black panther, it means she is, too.” It took a moment for Brad’s words to register.
“What? Oh my god, we have to call her! They could be after her right now!”
“Kate’s taking care of it. It’s okay. We’ll get her here and keep her safe.” Brad’s attempt to comfort her didn’t help much. She hoped Kate could get Emma here in time. Her twin could be somewhat…headstrong.
Blake came up from the galley with a tray of sandwiches. “We thought everyone might be as hungry as we are.” He passed the tray around and then handed it up to Cash and Chase, who enthusiastically dug into the food.
Abby hadn’t eaten in a long time, but her stomach rolled as she tried to swallow the first bite of sandwich. The events of the last twenty-four hours, the stress and emotional roller coaster she had endured, finally took its toll on her system. Spinning around in her seat, she leaned over the side of the boat and spit the food out. She heaved great gulps of air as she fought the nausea threatening to overwhelm her. Brad and Bryce held onto her, supporting her and comforting her as she fought to regain control.
“We’ve got company!” Chase’s yell grabbed everyone’s attention. He passed a pair of binoculars down to Brad and pointed in the distance. Drake and Jake raced up from the galley and joined them, concern etched on their faces.
Abby spun and scanned the horizon, but all she could see were seagulls flying overhead, waves sparkling in the early morning sunlight, and small, green islands dotting the ocean. She searched harder, finally spotting a moving shape separating itself from one of the islands in the distance and heading straight for them.
Chapter Eighteen
“Speedboat.” Brad handed the binoculars to Bryce, who pointed them in the direction of the approaching vessel.
“Can’t tell how many are on board. Nine? Maybe more? They’re packed liked sardines on there.” Bryce handed the binoculars back up to Chase. “Any weapons on board?”
Chase scoffed. “A couple of spear guns down in the galley, but they’re not gonna do us much good against this bunch.”
Brad looked around. “We’re close to Panther Key, but not close enough. They’ll catch up to us before we get within the island’s protection.”
“Great. Hand-to-hand combat on a boat. Should be fun.” Bryce’s grim tone indicated it would be anything but fun.
Brad grabbed Abby by the shoulders and spun her around to look at him, a hard expression on his face. “Abby, I want you down in the galley. Now.”
He pulled her toward the steps leading into the belly of the boat and steered her down the steps then started to close the door between them. “Listen to me, Abby. I want you to lock this door and stay down here. Don’t unlock it for anything, do you hear me?”
She nodded, fear and panic stabbing her heart like arrows, robbing her of breath. Brad clenched his jaw and then leaned forward and kissed her hard on the lips. “I love you, Abby. I want you to know that.”
The door slammed shut. “Lock it, Abby!” She obeyed Brad’s muffled command and secured the latch then backed up against the far wall.
The look of determination she had seen in Brad’s eyes scared her more than anything. The realization that these men, all of them, would fight to the death to protect her was staggering. She had only known Brad for a few short weeks, since that first phone conversation when he had called her with a job offer. They had spoken on the phone a few times, getting paperwork in order and making arrangements for her to start working for him. She never would have imagined that she was talking to the man she would give her heart to.
Standing there, waiting for the sounds of battle to begin, she realized she had given her heart to him. She wasn’t sure when it had happened. Maybe that first night they had made love. It was crazy, falling for someone this hard and this fast.
It was even crazier that it had happened twice. She had known Bryce for even less time, but her heart belonged to him just as certainly as it belonged to Brad. Except with Bryce, she knew exactly when it had happened. The moment she had looked into his eyes as he carried her away from her concrete cell, she had known. Maybe not consciously, but her subconscious had definitely known it.
Her cat had known it, too. This stalking beast lurking in her brain had been guiding her actions. From the moment she had come face to face with Brad and Bryce, the cat had woken up, as if it had been sleeping all her life until it found the ones it waited for.
The cat growled in her head, and Abby sensed its frustration and agitation. Whatever would happen, it wanted to be out there, on deck, standing and fighting with her mates.
No! Brad said to stay here. The cat snarled its disapproval at Abby’s thoughts.
The sound of another boat motor reverberated through the galley. The other boat was getting closer and closer with every passing second. Abby ran to one of the galley windows and looked out. The red speedboat drew closer and pulled up alongside them. She quickly counted nine men—no, vampires—in the other boat, probably as many as they could pack on board from the looks of it. They crouched, preparing to leap onto the Panther’s Pride as they got closer.
Abby ran to the galley door, wanting to unlock it. But what could she do? She wasn’t a fighter, and she certainly couldn’t take on the men about to board the boat. She remembered the fight in her bathroom and knew how that scenario had played out. Looking around desperately, she spotted the spear guns Chase had mentioned, stowed in racks on the wall. She grabbed one and tried to figure out how to work it. He finger accidentally pressed the trigger, and she jumped in surprise as the spear shot out and embedded itself into a cabinet on the opposite wall.
“Dammit!”
She grabbed the other spear gun and ran back to the door. Being as quiet as possible, she unlocked it and cracked the door open slightly, just enough to peer out.
All hell broke loose. The vampires jumped from the other boat. Vicious snarls tore through the air. Brad, Bryce, and the others had partially shifted, so that their teeth had elongated and claws sprouted from their fingertips. Short tan and gold fur covered their exposed skin. They ripped at the vampires with deadly accuracy. The vampires had their own lethal-looking teeth and were inflicting as much damage as they were receiving. Her men and their kin were holding their own, but they were outnumbered.
They were going to lose. Or, if not lose completely, some of them wouldn’t make it. They were going to get killed trying to protect her. The thought hit Abby like a lightning bolt. She looked down at the spear gun in her hands. It seemed useless against the fight on deck. She would probably just end up hitting one of her men instead. She let go, and the gun fell to the deck with a thud. She shook her head in denial. She couldn’t just stand here while they all died for her.
The cat in Abby’s head growled, demanding attention. A wave of defiance from the cat washed over her, along with a large dose of annoyance directed at Abby.
What? What do you want me to do?
The cat bounded forward in her mind and pressed an image into her consciousness. Abby gasped, knowing exactly what the cat wanted her to do. Without hesitating, she stripped off her clothes, discarding them on the galley deck. Unconcerned with her nakedness, she threw open the door and lunged up the steps. Hurling herself through the opening, she emerged onto the deck as a fully transformed black panther, a ferocious snarl bursting from her.
All combatants on the boat momentarily froze as she landed in the center of the fray. Abby looked down at her legs and saw silky, black fur and huge paws sprouting deadly claws.
Wow! Too cool!
“Abby, no!”
Brad’s voice snapped Abby’s attention back to the fight. Brad lunged across the deck toward her, but a vampire grabbed his arm and ripped a chunk of flesh out of Brad’s shoulder. Brad turned and tore at his attacker’s throat. Fury consumed Abby at the sight of Brad’s injury, her vision going as red as the blood running down Brad’s arm. She threw herself across the deck, trying to get to the bastard who’d hur
t her mate.
Bryce’s yell alerted her just as two of the vampires lunged for her. Turning his head, he tore open the neck of a vampire attempting to restrain him. He broke free and dove for Abby, just as another vampire dropped from the wheelhouse on top of him, sending both Bryce and the vampire crashing to the deck. Abby dodged the vampires trying to grab her. Cash and Chase battled two opponents in the wheelhouse. Kate’s mates fought four others at the front of the boat. One vampire lay on the deck, his head severed from the rest of his body.
She had to get the rest of the vampires off the boat. But how? Her cat growled, and Abby glanced over to the other boat, floating approximately twenty feet away. The cat growled again, more insistently this time, and followed its instincts. These bastards wanted her, so that was what they were going to get.
Jumping up onto the ledge of the boat, she used her strength to leap onto the other boat. The vampires behind her jumped after her, landing neatly on either side of her. She crouched in the corner, snarling. Her cat had gotten her over here. Now what?
“We’ve got her!” the one on her left called to their companions, several of whom managed to abandon their fight and leap to the speedboat. The one on her right pushed the throttle forward and steered the speedboat away from the Panther’s Pride, leaving some of their companions behind and drastically outnumbered.
“No! Abby!” The agony in Brad and Bryce’s combined cry ripped at her heart. One of the vampires grabbed a net, and another one reached for a tranquilizer gun.
Oh, hell no! There was no way she was getting drugged and dragged off again and fucked by some freaking monster! Her cat growled in agreement and rage.
Abby’s vision went red again, and time seemed to slow down. Power built inside her like a great furnace welling up from somewhere deep within. It was a tangible thing, like she should be able to grab it and use it as a weapon, but it was hard to get a grip on. Concentrating hard, she managed to wrap her thoughts around the tiniest portion of the power. It felt hot, like fire, and she instantly knew what to do with it.