by Tami Lund
He needed to be in control. He needed to rule this pack, to force them to his way of thinking. He’d even been eyeing property on the west side of the state. It was rural, with few humans in the vicinity. A small pack already lived there, out in the woods, away from civilization. They were surviving, but they were disorganized, their pack master uninterested in doing any more than what was necessary to maintain the pack. It would be easy for Kent to take over his pack, then move Tigre’s pack there.
They could create their own shifter town, like the Lightbearers had with their coterie.
There was a species that had the right of it. Never mind that one of his own had mated with the king’s daughter and apparently sired a pup that was half-Lightbearer and probably in line to take over the throne. Before Tanner came along, the Lightbearers had almost no contact with the outside world. Exactly what Kent wanted for his pack.
His pack. If only. It infuriated him that he had not yet taken over. He clenched and unclenched his fist, watched it shimmer as his hand shifted from human to animal and back again. He needed an outlet for this anger and frustration.
He needed a good kill. Someone needed to die. Someone needed to be punished, so Kent could relieve this stress building inside him.
“What do you know about the fire inspector?” he asked in that same mild tone he always used with his subordinate.
Jeremy relayed everything he’d heard.
*
Violet was having a hell of a week. First, she’d had to deal with a small fire at a middle school. Some kid, pissed off because his parents wouldn’t buy him the latest video game, thought it would be cool to set a trash can on fire. The only satisfaction in that mess had been when the mother cuffed the kid upside the head for his idiocy. Unfortunately, that hardly made up for the miles of red tape and paperwork that a fire at a public building caused.
Then there’d been that clear case of arson at one of the fancy mansions down Million Dollar Mile, as she liked to call the homes in that particular exclusive neighborhood. She could work herself to the bone and she’d never be able to afford a place half as big as the one that burned earlier this week.
But that’s okay, she told herself. That was way too much house to clean.
The homeowners had been nice and cooperative, but as soon as they pointed out that guy, Kent Pantera, had done the electrical work, he’d bristled like a cornered dog. The looks he gave her still made her shudder. He was a mean one.
She wouldn’t want to bump into him alone in a dark alley. She wouldn’t want to bump into him at all, unless that tall, dark, and handsome guy she’d met when she reported her findings to Mr. Tigre was with her. But if he were with her, she wouldn’t want to be in any alleys. A dark place, maybe, but she’d rather it be more comfortable than an alley.
She still found it odd that she’d told Josh Tigre anything at all. But the Bears had insisted upon it, after she’d reported her findings to them. “He’s our leader,” Mrs. Bears said. “He needs to know.”
Leader of what?
She was one of those people who craved knowledge, who loved puzzles and couldn’t rest until she solved them. And this entire situation was a giant unsolved puzzle. She’d spent practically every waking moment for the last week trying to figure out the connection between the Bears and Josh Tigre and Kent Pantera.
There was something to it, she knew. They were all connected. She just couldn’t figure out how. Josh was young—thirty, maybe. Her age. Mrs. Bears called him the leader. Leader of what?
They all belonged to a handful of local country clubs, but that was the only connection she’d been able to find. Until tonight. She’d finally stumbled upon something—something big. Something so unbelievable, she was still more than half convinced it was a hoax.
A pack. They called themselves a pack. Really, it was amazing what one could find on the Internet, if one was tenacious enough. She’d stumbled upon a website. It had been protected, well hidden, clearly only meant to be found by certain individuals who knew how to look for it. But Violet had dated a guy who worked for the FBI, and whose job it was to seek those sorts of sites and make sure they weren’t run by terrorists planning a new-and-improved 9/11.
She’d picked up a thing or two from her ex-lover, and those tricks had come in handy in her determined search to figure out what the hell the Bears had meant by the word “leader.” Why that had stuck in Violet’s craw, she couldn’t say, but she was never one to discount a hunch. Hunches more often than not turned into solved cases.
When she finally managed to get past the firewalls and security on the website, she was even more confused than before. According to this website, these people belonged to an exclusive club that the web master referred to as a pack. Josh Tigre’s name was there. So were Mr. and Mrs. Bears. And Kent Pantera. And the guy who’d been with Josh at his home—Matt Tigre. Those two, she assumed, were related. But the rest? What was the connection? Why were they all part of this pack?
A pack implied animals. Dogs. Or wolves. Another reason she wasn’t entirely sure she believed what she read.
The web master wrote about runs in the woods, about pack meetings and mating. About pups that were born. Pups? These people were freaks. Messed up in the head. And they’d all seemed so damn normal. Well, except for that Kent Pantera guy—he was pretty damn scary. But then again, Violet believed he was responsible for setting someone’s house on fire, and she wasn’t convinced he hadn’t had a hand in that Billy Guido’s death.
As usual, she left the station late that evening. She had nothing better to do, other than sit at her computer and continue to spy on that website she’d stumbled upon, the one about the “pack.” She considered calling Gary, but they were currently in the “off-again” phase of their relationship. She had a feeling it might stick this time, considering she’d heard he was spending more and more time with his ex-wife these days. It might be time to dust off the dating skills.
She thought about Matt Tigre. Now there was a man. He was twice the man Gary had ever been, even in his prime. If she had someone like that to go home to, she’d never work a lick of overtime. She’d be too damn eager to get home and get in some good romping time.
If only, she mused, climbing into her old, abused Chevy and heading home. As she drove, she tried to recall the last time she’d gotten laid. She and Gary hadn’t hooked up in months, although a few weeks ago, she’d gone to a party at one of the other firefighters’ homes. She’d gotten drunk as a skunk and had decided Raymond Pasquel looked appealing. Clearly, that had been a case of the liquor talking. Raymond Pasquel hadn’t even looked good as a baby. She had literally shoved him out the door the next morning, before rushing to the bathroom and expelling the contents of her stomach into the toilet.
Damn, her life was sad.
Violet pulled the car into the garage, killing the engine and pressing the button to close the automatic door. She climbed out of the car, grabbed her purse and computer bag, and headed toward the house, pushing open the door connecting the garage to the kitchen, while still looking down at the mail she’d snagged from the mailbox before she pulled into the driveway. A low growl caused her to glance up.
“Holy shit.”
There was a cat in her kitchen. Not just any cat, but a cougar. A giant cougar with a white snout and white stripes around its eyes. The eyes were black, and its ears were flattened to its head. The hackles on its neck were raised and its tail flicked back and forth in a steady fashion. As Violet stood there staring, it opened its mouth and let out a menacing snarl.
Violet jumped and her gaze darted every which way while she tried to figure out what to do. Fear and panic won over logic or any other sense, and she turned around and tried to run. The cat caught her as she reached for the doorknob. One paw wrapped around her leg and jerked her further into the house.
Violet’s fingers scrabbled against the tile floor as the cat pulled her closer and closer. She screamed when it slashed at her leg, slicing it open to the
bone. And then it slashed again and again, over and over, violently. And all Violet could think was, Is it real? Are they really a pack?
She died still wondering.
Chapter 16
As usual, Matt headed to Josh’s house for breakfast. Jeanine was a great cook, and Matt appreciated good food. Besides, he lived alone, so what was the point of going through the act? Jeanine always made plenty, and usually, Josh liked his company.
That’d changed now, though. Not that Josh didn’t appreciate his company, more like he didn’t need it quite as much. Not now that he had Rachel to warm his bed. It was clear Josh cared for her more than he should. That was unfortunate. Matt liked the woman, respected her, appreciated what she did for his friend and pack master, but unfortunately, she was human, which meant their relationship could only go so far. Sucked for Josh, but sooner or later, he’d get over it. Everybody did.
Matt accepted the three-meat omelet and hash browns Jeanine offered and headed into the dining room to eat. He tucked into his meal and wondered what the repercussions would be if Josh decided to take Rachel to mate. If he was honest with himself, he could admit that if Pantera weren’t in the picture, the rest of the pack would probably get over it, eventually. Oh, they’d grumble and complain for a while, and some of the younger dumbasses whose heads were filled with Pantera’s and Josh’s father’s beliefs about exclusivity might even attempt to challenge him for the position. But they’d lose, of that Matt had not doubt. Josh was an exceptionally strong pack master, both physically and mentally. No one could topple him from his position—no one except Pantera.
The problem, of course, was Pantera and his poison, and Josh’s own late father’s insistence that the pack be exclusive, keep itself separated from their human neighbors. Not to mention Pantera’s sneaky, backhanded ways of getting what he wanted. That one would never challenge Josh outright. But he’d sure as hell try to come up with some other way to destroy the pack’s favorite son.
Josh had a steep hill to climb, if he wanted to take Rachel to mate, and to Matt’s mind, it made more sense to give it up and choose a shifter as his mate. Then everybody would be happy. Well, maybe not everybody, but certainly most of the pack. The vast majority. That was what mattered, right?
Shaking his head, Matt flipped open the newspaper, smoothed it out, and then stared at the front page. A head shot of the attractive fire inspector took up most of the top half of the paper.
Local Fire Inspector Found Dead In Own Home
He quickly scanned the article, which told of a gruesome death that had the authorities baffled. It appeared as though she had been attacked by an animal, but she had no pets, and there was no indication of forced entry. While the humans couldn’t connect the dots, Matt certainly could.
She’d been killed by a shifter.
He shot out of his seat, grabbed the paper, and rushed from the room. Forgetting for a moment that his cousin was likely not alone, he stormed into Josh’s bedroom suite a few minutes later—and stopped dead in his tracks.
Josh was in bed, and just as Matt had forgotten, he wasn’t alone. He was with Rachel. And they were mating.
Mating?
Yes, mating. She was on her knees, her hands grasping the headboard, and Josh was behind her, pistoning into her, while her head lolled on his shoulder and he massaged her breast with one hand and held her hip with the other.
“Fuck, Josh!”
Josh’s head whipped around and his eyes widened as he realized he’d been caught doing an act that was strictly forbidden between him and a human. And then he went into defensive mode, growling a warning at Matt and grabbing the sheet, trying to cover both himself and Rachel, who was trying her damndest to hide behind his body—as if it wasn’t obvious what they’d just been doing. Matt shook his head in disgust and turned and strode from the room.
*
“What’s wrong, Josh?”
It was at least the fourth time she’d asked since Matt walked in on them a few minutes prior, and he still refused to answer. Wordlessly, he pulled on clothes, disappeared into the bathroom for a brief moment, and then he simply turned and strode out of the bedroom, all without so much as acknowledging her existence.
It hurt. A lot.
Just because his cousin caught them having sex, Josh was suddenly giving her the cold shoulder? What the hell was that about? Did he really think no one knew? She’d moved in with him—was sleeping in his bed. And he postured and preened like a peacock whenever any other man was in her vicinity, always keeping his hands on her in blatant announcement of his possession—how could anyone not know?
She shoved the blanket and sheets aside and headed into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a ribbed tank top. She pulled her hair back into a sloppy ponytail and left the bedroom. If he thought he was going to have any sort of relationship with her, he was damn well going to explain himself. She could put up with the jealousy and posturing and his high-handed ways. But not this. Not a blatant show of embarrassment at having been caught with her. If he was humiliated because he was sleeping with her, well, then they shouldn’t be sleeping together at all.
When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she could hear raised voices coming from the vicinity of Josh’s office. Feeling slightly guilty for intruding—not that it stopped her—she tiptoed toward the partially opened door of his office. She could hear the argument from the hall, and recognized Josh’s and his cousin Matt’s voices.
“...mating with her, Josh! She’s human. And you’re the fucking pack master. What were you thinking?”
Pack master? Something about those words set off warning bells in Rachel’s head, but she couldn’t figure out why. What the hell was Matt talking about?
“I was thinking that she’s my mate and I can damn well reconnect with her any time I want,” Josh’s voice growled back at his cousin.
“She’s already your mate?” Rachel could hear the disbelief in Matt’s voice. “For how long?”
What was all the mate business? They talked almost like a pack of wolves. What the hell was this association?
Josh’s tone was resigned. “Since the fire.”
“Since the fire?” Matt repeated. And then he said it again. “Shit, Josh. What the hell are we going to do?”
Rachel recalled the passion in their lovemaking at the Bears’ home, after the fire. She had joked about how intense Josh had been. Had he determined that moment meant something more than Rachel realized?
“I don’t know,” Josh said, his voice shifting, indicating he was moving. Probably pacing. “I have no fucking clue. But I’m in love with her, Matt. It’s like I couldn’t resist. You know how we are.”
I’m in love with her, Matt. For a moment, Rachel forgot all else and focused on those words, her insides warming, her heart swelling like baking bread. She fought the urge to rush into the room and tell Josh she loved him, too.
“No,” Matt said coldly. “I don’t. In all of my adult life, I’ve never had a problem resisting mating with someone, no matter how hot or how damn good she is in the sack.”
“I have to tell the pack.”
The pack? A bucket of icy water poured over her warm fuzzies, leaving her once again confused and alarmed. She wrapped her arms around herself and continued to listen, despite the internal battle she felt. Part of her wanted to run away, didn’t want to hear any more, while the other part strained to pick up every word, every sound, anything at all that might help make sense of what Josh and Matt were discussing.
“They aren’t going to forgive you this,” Matt shot back at him. “This is exactly what Pantera has been waiting for. You tell the pack you’re mated to a human, and you might as well hand the position over to him.”
Josh swore roundly, and Rachel backed up a few steps. Her mind raced with all she’d heard. Little made sense. The only thing that did was Josh’s wish not to let anyone know he was sleeping with her. This exclusive association of his wouldn’t acc
ept her. That much she understood. It hurt, but at least she understood it.
The rest? He and Matt talked as if they were—as if they were a pack of animals. Mating? Pack master? And they kept referring to her as human. They were, too... weren’t they? This wasn’t possible—was it?
What wasn’t possible? What was she thinking? That Josh and Matt were—what? Animals? Animals with the capacity to look and act like humans?
An image of the panther strolling through the country club the night she met Josh popped into her head. The way the guests at the party seemed to be more amused than frightened. In fact, none of them had been frightened. She and the service personnel had been the only ones who had even reacted to the sight. Was there a reason no one was afraid of the animal?
She shook her head. What she was thinking was impossible. Impossible. As in—not real. No way.
What did this conversation really mean? Did it mean Josh and Matt and their merry band of followers were all one hundred percent certifiably crazy? Should she run away as fast as she could, like she should have done the moment Kent Pantera threatened to kill her?
Great. I’ve gone from falling for bad boys to falling for crazy guys. I just can’t get it right, can I?
She turned around, determined to go upstairs, pack her bag, and get out of town. That’s it. Time to cut her losses and get out. Ten minutes ago, she’d thought Kent Pantera was the biggest threat to her wellbeing. Now, she had no idea what to think. Only one thing was certain: it was time to leave, Josh’s promises to take care of her be damned. As in love as she was with the guy, it wasn’t enough. Not when he was bat-shit crazy. She’d get over him. Eventually.
She hurried up the stairs, mulling over her final destination. Chicago suddenly seemed too close. She needed to keep going, further west. And maybe south. Winters sucked in the Midwest. Maybe it was time to try out warmer weather. How about Arizona? She’d heard the cost of living was higher there, though, so maybe she needed to try New Mexico, or Texas. Anywhere but here. Anywhere that—