by Fel Fern
Noah bit down on Mason’s lower lip, feeling him groan. He began pumping Mason’s cock until it began thickening and leaking over his fingers. Noah sucked and nibbled, finally pushing his tongue inside Mason’s half-opened mouth. He swept his way in, probing Mason’s heat, savoring his taste.
Fuck. Noah could still remember the way they’d look at each other, with Lex’s gorgeous inked and slender flesh between them. He could still taste and scent the black leopard on Mason and on him, and it drove him impossibly mad that she was just a few feet from them.
Noah furiously tongue fucked his mate, his fingers gaining speed as they worked Mason through his boxers. His mate dislodged his mouth from his, panting, eyes locked into his. Noah always liked moments like these, where Mason’s eyes were focused on him and him alone like the entire fucking word no longer mattered.
“Noah, please,” Mason murmured against his neck, but Noah’s eyes moved down to the tender bit of flesh on the side of Mason’s neck.
There, a faint crescent scar stared back at him, making him growl. It was the spot he’d chosen years ago to place his mating mark, so the other cats in the pard knew Mason was his. Noah closed his mouth over the mark hungrily, latching on it, remembering the sweet night when Mason submitted to him.
“Noah…I can’t…I’m coming soon.”
“Not yet, Mason. I’m far from done.”
Noah could feel the other man vainly rubbing his other body against him, and the touch of skin and skin made him hungrily lick at the slightly sweat-cooled flesh again. When he bit down, Mason moaned against him again. He made his way down, nibbling and administering little teasing bites until he caught one of Mason’s nipples in his mouth.
“Come for me, Mason,” Noah said, before sinking his teeth on the hardening bud.
Mason cried out against him, buckling and shuddering. Noah could feel his cum emptying all over his fingers, warm and sticky. He was about to gather the other man against his chest, about to stroke the square of Mason’s back just the way he knew his mate liked it, but Mason had tossed the sheets aside.
“I want to taste you, too,” Mason explained, crawling between his legs.
He growled softly when Mason fisted his hair and guided him to his erect cock. Noah didn’t bother with underwear usually.
“Greedy little mate.” Noah closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Mason’s heated mouth on him. “It’s going to be fine, Mason. It’s…”
Noah couldn’t continue with his thoughts scattered far and wide. Mason knew how to easily get him off, how to suck his cock expertly. His mate didn’t waste time this time. He serviced Noah quick and dirty.
In no time at all, Noah was gasping and pumping the last few drops of his cum into Mason’s mouth. His mate, as always, didn’t spill a single drop.
Mason collapsed beside him on the sheets, looking like a satisfied cat. “Is my grumpy mate feeling better?”
Noah reached out to affectionately stroke his slightly sweat-soaked hair. “Hell fucking yeah.”
“You were talking about Lex?” Mason asked quietly, expression growing serious
“Yeah. I wanted to know if your feelings have changed after just now.”
“Have yours?” Mason asked, eyes probing.
He seemed to look satisfied by whatever he saw, because he settled himself more comfortably in the crook of Noah’s arm.
“Nah. Taming her is going to be one hell of a challenge, though.”
“I know. I think one of us has to go with her tomorrow when she meets Lars and Cas.”
Noah frowned. “You think she’d need protecting from her brother?”
He was startled by the sound of Mason’s quiet little laugh. Fuck. Hearing Mason’s carefree laugh was enough to make him hard again.
“No. We’re going to be the ones who’ll need protecting.”
Mason began to trace the ink on his lower ribs. It was an intricate tree with its branches inked with his name. Noah could still remember the pleasure filling Mason’s face when he found out Noah had inked his name into his skin. Damn. If Mason continued touching him, Noah was going to have trouble focusing on what point he was trying to make.
“Noah, are you listening?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then what did I just say?”
Noah wrecked at his brains. “Something about we’re the ones who need protecting.”
“That was before.” Mason sighed. “While I love how I’m still capable of distracting you, I need you with me on this. Okay?”
“Fine, but you’re going to be offering that sweet ass to me.” Noah growled, enjoying the color on his cheeks. “Now what were you saying?”
“One of us needs to go with Lex, because Lars knows all the scents of the werecats under him and he’s going to smell both of us on his little sister.”
Noah sat up straighter, definitely awake. “Oh, fuck. I didn’t think of that.”
“Yeah. Well, it’s better to admit our mistake earlier then have him knocking down our door.”
“Lex isn’t a mistake,” Noah pointed out. “Is she?”
“We both know she’s not. Noah, we’re both enough and happy. Nothing’s wrong with us, but after we’ve had her, it now feels like there’s a missing part of us.”
“I know what you mean.” Noah let out a breath, thinking. “Okay. I’ll go with her to see Lars.”
“Are you sure? While I know my big scary mate can handle anything, Lars is our king.”
“Are you saying I can’t take on Lars Marsden in a duel?” Noah teased, but there were still worry lines on Mason’s face. “Don’t worry your little head off. I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay.” Mason snuggled close to him. “Besides, Cas is going to be there. She’ll hold back Lars if he gets too dangerous.”
“Fucking fine plan, hiding behind women,” Noah muttered, but Mason was right.
After seeing what Lars did to the werewolves and leopard traitor who betrayed their old king months ago, Noah knew Lars could get nasty and volatile when he got serious. At least with Cas there, he could use her as some sort of buffer.
Not that Noah planned on hiding his and Mason’s intentions toward Lex, but he had a feeling they had to take a careful approach with Lars. Once their king had gotten over his initial shock, then Noah and Mason would openly announce their claiming of their unsuspecting mate.
Chapter Seven
Noah stared uncomprehendingly at the text message he’d just received from Mason for a few seconds. The text read, “Cas won’t be at the meeting. She’s with Lil and Jen. Be careful, Noah.”
Noah cursed softly under his breath. Lil was the pard’s unofficial doctor and Jen was a female leopardess who was having pregnancy complications with her cub.
There was no helping it. Natural-born cubs were rare enough in the werecat community. It was better for pregnant females to be around other females to calm their nerves, and considering Jen’s mate just ran out on her, it was better for Cas to be there. The worse thing a man could do was leave his mate when she needed him the most.
Hell, if the cowardly asshole came crawling back to Leopold City Noah was going to tear him a new hole. Noah had known Diego, Jen’s mate, or thought he knew him. Diego was a problem for another day, though. He had to face Lars alone.
Noah wasn’t, by far, a coward. He was the Leopold Pard’s most feared enforcer, and he’d worked hard alongside Lars and the other enforcers to finally stabilize their pard after it had been de-stabilized by the death of their former king. Now he and Mason were about to destroy the pard’s balance again, but the last thing Noah wanted was to back off.
“Noah, you going chicken shit on me?” Lex’s amused voice interrupted his thoughts.
Noah turned his gaze on the willful female he intended to risk his pard position for. Lex casually leaned against the doorway of Lars’s apartment, finishing up a smoke.
His gaze dipped past her face to the rest of her smoking body hidden beneath her battered leathe
r jacket and tight faded jeans. His own jeans grew a little tighter at the thought of simply tearing at her clothes so he could feast his eyes on her gorgeous painted flesh again.
Noah licked his lips, remembering the taste of her pert nipples under his mouth and the way her cold metal piercing contrasted with the warm taste of her hardening bud. Fuck. He couldn’t even begin to sort out the things he wanted to do to her.
Lex rewarded him with a low and throaty laugh. She crushed her cigarette and pressed one free hand over the visible bulge on his jeans.
“Down, boy. I don’t think my brother will appreciate us fucking on his doorstep.”
She let out a gasp when Noah’s hands caught her waist. They slipped lower, until he was cupping the firm well-rounded globes of her ass.
“I’ll fuck you anywhere I want to, Lex, and you know you won’t bother stopping me,” Noah said against her ear.
Feeling a shiver pass through her, he nipped at her earlobe.
“You know why, kitten?”
“Why, what?” Lex murmured, leaning close to him.
“Why you won’t bother resisting me.”
“Uh-huh. Why?”
“Because you and your cat know you were made for me and Mason.”
She sighed against his exploring mouth. His hands were all over her, and they were all but eager to taste and reacquaint themselves with her flesh.
Noah wasn’t sure what made him abandon all sense of logic. Perhaps he was consumed by the sheer primal instincts of his metaphysical bestial half, who was only eager to mount and mate the female in front of him.
Some of Lex’s cold and tough exterior was melting and bending into something indescribably soft and alluringly female with each rough touch. The knowledge he was capable of making her yield was amazing.
Somewhere along the way, Noah’s brain melted. He didn’t fully comprehend the significance of the challenging growl from the other side of the door, or his metaphysical leopard waking inside of him and giving him a warning snarl.
The loud thud was followed by the sound of the door splintering. Noah’s instincts finally kicked in. He grabbed Lex’s shoulders and managed to steer them both away just as the wood gave way. The door fell apart, revealing Lars, still in human form, but his hands were partially shifted to claws.
There was no recognizable human emotion left on his face. Lines of fury stretched across his rugged face, making him appear more animal than human.
Lars’s words were reduced to a growl. “You could’ve rutted and mounted any female in the pard, Noah, but not my baby sister.”
Lex dislodged herself from him, but before she could confront him, Noah gripped her wrists in warning and used his body to shield her.
“Lars, calm down. I can explain.”
“Right now, I don’t care for your fucking explanations, Noah. I can smell your stink and Mason’s all over her.”
“For fuck’s sake, Lars. You haven’t changed one bit. This is exactly why we fought in the first place, remember?” Lex tried wrenching her hands away from Noah, but Noah refused to bulge. “Let me go, Noah.”
“No. Not until we settle things here and now.” Noah looked his king directly in the eye. “You know me, Lars. You know my mate. Do you think we’d take a random female just to screw around with?”
He could see some semblance of logical thought returning to the leopard king’s eyes. Lars may have a short fuse and occasionally let out glimpses of his beast, but underneath it all he possessed exquisite control of his black panther.
Noah waited for Lars to regain full control of his leopard. His king breathed in deeply and calm returned to his eyes. “What are you saying, Noah?”
“I’m saying Mason and I aren’t screwing around, and in case you forgot, werecats mate in threes.”
Noah could feel Lex’s immediate change in breathing, and he could smell the conflicting emotions beginning to brew inside her. His words didn’t bring her pleasure. They only brought her confusion and panic.
Damn. This wasn’t the place and time to let her know his and Mason’s intentions, but he had to make his point to his king.
“You’re aware of the consequences of your words, Noah?” Lars said carefully.
Before Noah could respond, Lex managed to loose herself from his grip. She snarled at both of them, eyes hostile and unfriendly.
“Fuck you both, specially you, Noah. Your bullshit isn’t funny, and the last thing I need is for you to protect me against my own damn brother.”
“I ain’t bullshitting you, Lex.” Noah leveled his gaze at Lex. “Go ahead and tell me and Lars here you didn’t want me to mount you just a while ago. Lie and tell me your cat doesn’t recognize Mason and I as your mate.”
A flicker of hesitation passed her face, but it quickly disappeared.
She bared her teeth at him and said, “You may be a damn good fuck, Noah, but that’s all there is to it. Don’t think there’s anything else.”
Noah’s jaw twitched at those words. She was lying straight to his face and they both damn well knew it. He took a step toward her, but Lars gripped his shoulder.
“Why are you here, Lex?” Lars finally spoke, his tone unreadable.
“To warn you about a killer. Don’t know the exact facts, exactly, but he’s been on a killing spree for black panthers, so watch yourself, big brother.
“Lex, you came to me for a reason. So spit it out,” Lars said impatiently. “Let’s put animosity aside. Bitching about the past won’t be helping anyone, especially if what you said is true and a killer is gunning for black panthers specifically. What do you need from me?”
Lex’s expression grew hard. She was closing up and Noah didn’t like that one bit. “Absolutely nothing, brother. Me, I’m out of here.”
“Lex, listen to reason,” Noah interrupted. “The Leopold Pard is here and you’ll be protected being with us. When you’re on the road, you’re alone and open to an attack.”
“I can take care of myself just fine, Noah. I’ve been taking care of myself for years.” Lex fixed him a cold look. “It was a mistake coming to Leopold City.”
“Are you saying being with Mason and I was a mistake, Lex?” Noah asked carefully.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Lex’s features, but it disappeared like it was never even there. “Yeah, Noah. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
His leopard raged inside of him. It was demanding he stop Lex, his mate, from leaving, but his human part accepted nothing he did or say now could stop her.
“Lars, are you really just going to let her go?” Noah asked harshly.
“Lex has always done what she wants. There’s no stopping her if she puts her mind to something.” Lars let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t even know if she’s telling the truth about a killer, or she just got herself stuck in some shit and needs my help.”
“You don’t believe her? Lars, the wounds on her were real.” Noah was aghast.
“Wounds tell nothing, Noah. You don’t know Lex well enough like I do. Mason and you would be better off forgetting her.”
How could Lars simply brush the matter off? Didn’t their king always place an emphasis on bonds during their pard meetings, and wasn’t Lex his only last living relation?
Noah understood none of the shit that went down between the two siblings, but he wasn’t just about to give up on a potential mate. Mason wasn’t going to forgive him for one thing, and his pride wouldn’t let him give up. Screw Lars and screw this killer. Lex Marsden was going to be claimed by him and Mason. She was going to be theirs.
“What the hell happened between the two of you?” Noah demanded.
“There’s too many reasons to count. I honestly don’t even remember anymore. We used to have each other’s back when we saw each other on the road, but suddenly she’s decided to take the road to death, doing strangers, drugs, riding with killers and doing god knows what other shit.”
Lars let out a breath. “I’m done caring, Noah. If you’re wise, you w
on’t go after her. I don’t have time for this bullshit. I have a family now, and a pard to lead.”
Noah felt sick in the stomach as he took leave of his king. It didn’t look like Lars was about to change his mind any time soon, but Lex’s words worried him. He didn’t think she was lying, and if there really was a killer out there gunning for black panthers, then both Lars and her were in danger.
“Fucking stubborn black cats,” Noah muttered, heading out of the apartment building.
He shouldn’t have wasted his time reasoning with Lars. Noah should’ve simply just ran out and chased after Lex.
“Noah, you looking for the hell cat?”
Noah glanced at the grinning young man sitting by the curb. Sam wasn’t a leopard shifter. He was a werewolf who, along with his sister, Rain, was adopted into the pard by Cas. Sam had come a long way from being an abused wolf. He was always doing the best he could to help the pard.
Noah had taken a liking to the boy over the months, but sometimes Sam had too much free time on his hands being a damn busybody.
“Sam, weren’t you supposed to be helping Lil and Cas with Jen?”
Sam shrugged. “The ladies threw me out. So what’s with Lars’s sister and you, Noah? You into her or something? She’s freaking hot, man. What does Mason say to that?”
Noah glowered at him. “Did you see where Lex went?”
Sam gestured at a road Noah knew led to the highway. Fuck. He was hoping Lex would linger a little while longer. She probably knew the roads better than he did, and wouldn’t have any trouble shaking him off her trail.
“Lex better be dreaming if she thinks she can just waltz out of our lives.”
“Uh, Noah. Where are you going?”
Noah ignored the little wolf trailing after him as he walked toward his car. “I’m playing fetch the black kitten.”
Oh, he was going to do more then fetch. Noah intended to knock some sense into her, to show her what exactly she was going to miss on so she wouldn’t think of ever running from Mason and him again.