by KD Jones
“How long are you staying this time Connor?” one of the twins, maybe Rod, asked. He had always had a hard time telling them apart.
Mary answered for him. “He’s home for good.”
“Actually . . .” Connor was interrupted by Ric.
“Of course he’ll be staying. Enough questions. Let’s take this breakfast outside, it’s not too hot yet.”
Weres loved being outside. Everyone stood up and started piling out of the house. All except for Connor, who was whispering something to his mother. She patted his cheek and followed the others outside. It left Roxanne alone with Connor.
“I think they all forgot juice and coffee. I better go fetch something from the kitchen.” She felt nervous all of a sudden. She didn’t understand it. But she had goose bumps all over her body. Her wolf was pacing and feeling anxious. She walked past him into the kitchen, hyperaware of him following behind her. She tried not to make a big deal out of it.
“If I know my mom, she probably has some kind of dessert ready. What kind of dessert did she make?” Connor asked.
“What do you want?” She froze when she realized how that sounded. “I mean . . . what would you like to eat? No, that’s . . .”
Connor chuckled huskily. “Ice cream would be good.”
“We have tubs of that.” She opened the freezer and bent down. “There’s chocolate, vanilla, and a whole gallon of strawberry. Do you know what you want?”
“Yes.” Connor’s voice sounded strangled.
Roxanne glanced back and found that Connor’s eyes were fixed on her ass. She felt heat rise to her face. She cleared her throat. “What flavor do you want, Connor?”
He licked his lips. “Mmm . . .”
She stood up and turned to face him with a saucy smile. “I’m not on the menu. What flavor ice cream did you want?”
He gave her a knowing look. “I want a taste of what I found in my bed last night.”
She gasped and knew her face was turning red. “Um . . . what?” Did he know what she had done? How?
He leaned closer to her and growled low. “I’ll have any flavor that you have.” Then he backed away and leaned against the bar. Her move.
Roxanne was about to turn back to the freezer when a strange scent caught her attention. It was coming from Connor and it wasn’t completely human. She didn’t think, she just acted. She walked right up to him, pressing her chest against his, and stuck her nose against his bare neck. She inhaled deeply.
“Roxanne, what are you doing?” Connor asked but he didn’t step away. He raised an arm and wrapped it around her waist bringing her closer to him.
“What are you?” Roxanne asked looking up into his face. He was so handsome, but now it seemed like everything about him was more alluring, more controlled, more primitive, just . . . more.
Connor pulled away from her. “I’m a were panther.”
Roxanne frowned. “I thought they were mostly extinct.”
“Well, I was attacked by one and now I am one.”
“You’re a what?” Mary asked from the doorway.
Crap! This was not how he planned to tell his secret. “I’m a were panther.”
He watched as his mother’s face paled and she began to sway. Both he and Roxanne raced over to catch her before she fell.
“I guess that didn’t go well, huh?” Roxanne asked.
He snorted. “No, having my mother faint as I tell her I was changed into a were panther by a psycho was not how I planned this thing to go at all.”
“Well, it could have been worse,” she offered as he picked his mother up in his arms. He looked at her questioning.
“How so?”
“I’m not sure. That’s just something people say to make others feel better. Did it work?”
“Hell no.”
Chapter 6
“What happened here?” Ric demanded as he came into the front parlor where Connor and Roxanne had laid Mary down on the sofa.
“She overheard me talking about getting changed to a were panther and she fainted. I didn’t know she was there.” He should have. He was so distracted by being near Roxanne that he hadn’t been paying attention. She made him feel out of control. He wasn’t sure that was a good thing. He had worked too long and too hard to lose his control now.
Ric knelt down on the floor and pushed Mary’s blond hair out of her face. “I knew she wouldn’t handle it well at first. I had hoped to be with her when she found out.”
Suddenly Mary’s eyes fluttered open. “You knew?” she asked Ric.
The alpha nodded. “Connor told me when he arrived. He was waiting for a good time to tell you.”
Mary tried to sit up by herself, but quickly accepted Ric’s help as she eased her pregnant form upright carefully. Connor came closer and knelt on her other side. “I’m sorry, Mom. I wanted to find a better way to tell you.”
“There’s no good way to tell your mother that you were attacked and changed into another species. I want you to tell me every single thing that happened.”
He ran a hand through his long hair. “It was about eighteen ago.” Connor spent the next half hour retelling his story. It felt freeing, in a way, to finally have someone he could speak to openly about what had happened to him. He hadn’t realized how much it was weighing on him until now.
“Why didn’t you let the police hunt this maniac down?” Mary asked with concern.
Ric answered for him. “You can’t involve human police with shifters or any other paranormals. They can’t handle it and get killed, or they try to lock them up to study and dissect. It draws too much attention.”
“Who helped you with your shifting?” Samantha asked from the doorway.
Connor hadn’t heard her or the others come back inside. Sam stood at the entrance of the parlor. She watched him with concern.
“I had to teach myself. I remembered things that you and mom went through when you first changed to werewolves. I figured it had to be similar.”
Mary reached out to cup his cheek. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through that all on your own.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine,” Connor lied. He wasn’t fine. He felt like a walking time bomb, that at any minute he could turn into a madman and attack the people that he loved. It was his biggest fear. He knew this was not the time to confess this to his mother. Ric evidently agreed with that.
“Let’s let Connor tell us more tomorrow. You’ve overtired yourself.” He bent over to lift Mary easily into his arms.
“I’m not that tired. I want to talk with my son,” Mary protested.
“It’s okay, Mom. We have time to talk. I’ll be here for a while.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“I’m not a child to be put to bed early. I’m not even sleepy,” Mary complained.
“Oh, I know you’re not a child, honey.” Ric gave her a look and a growl. Then he whispered something in her ear that caused color to rise to her cheeks.
Connor looked away as his mother blushed and whispered back, “Hurry up then, big guy.”
Sam came and wrapped her arms around Connor. “I am so sorry for what happened to you. I know what it’s like to be turned against your will. If you need anything, just let me know.”
He loved Sam so much for that. She was his best friend and the closest he had to a sister. He kissed the top of her head tenderly. “Thanks, slugger. I think I’ll head home for now. I still have jet lag.”
“You’ll come over to my mom’s for dinner tomorrow night, won’t you? You haven’t been back since Aiden was born. He’s gotten so big.”
“Absolutely.” He said his goodbyes to the rest of the pack. Some lingered on the porch but as he opened the door to his truck, he turned back and saw only Roxanne standing there alone, watching him.
“Glad you’re back, Connor. Your family and friends have missed you,” Roxanne said to him.
“I’ve missed them too.” He wanted to add that he had missed her as well, but he wasn’t sure that would be app
ropriate. Especially since she was determined to mate a werewolf. What could he offer her except a mate that might turn into a psycho killer. He could hurt someone he cared about and that he just could not risk. He climbed up into his truck and drove away.
*****
Ric sat on the bed next to his mate and watched her sleep. She had woken up crying and he had made love to her until she fell back into exhausted sleep. He picked up his phone and dialed the one person who might be able to help him.
“Hello.” Adrian Belliveau’s voice came over the line.
“Adrian, it’s Ric.”
“This better be good, we just got Aiden down for the night and I was planning to seduce my wife.”
Ric got right to the point. “What do you know about werepanthers?”
“Not much. When I was turned they were already dying out. I believe there are a few clans in Latin America. They’re reclusive, though, so I wouldn’t know exactly where. My maker Lila would know more. She had more experience with the different weres during her time. Why do you want to know about panthers?”
“Connor’s back home and he was attacked and turned into a panther. The one that turned him is a crazy ass killer and Connor is scared that he might turn out just like the guy. He is planning on leaving again, and I can’t allow him to do that. It would kill Mary to have him go away and possibly never see him again.”
“Damn. Sorry to hear about the attack. Sounds like what we went through with the rogue wolf that turned Samantha. I’ll talk to Lila tomorrow and see what I can find out for you. Are you guys coming over for dinner tomorrow night? Sam called to say Connor was coming. Maybe I’ll have some answers for you then.”
“We’ll be there. Thanks, Adrian.”
They hung up. He should have waited for Connor before contacting Adrian, but Ric had to look after his mate. Ric lay back down and took his Mary into his arms. He would do anything to keep her safe and happy. Even if he had to lock up his stepson and keep him here for the next twenty years.
*****
The black panther stalked through the woods, searching for something to eat. He paused to look at the city skyline beyond the woods. He hated the cooler air in this place. Sure, he had fur, but this was no place for a panther like him. He should be back in the rainforest creating his own clan to rule. But he needed something, or someone.
The human, Connor, the one he had unintentionally changed, had left their home. Mors had been waiting so patiently for the new panther to come and worship him for making him a God among humans, but all that Connor had done so far was try to kill him. This would stop now. He would end Connor if he didn’t agree to come back and help with the clan. They needed to rebuild their species. First he would reclaim Connor, then he planned to change as many men as he could to panther. After that, he could finally concentrate of finding females that were compatible.
The females were the hardest to change. So far, all the ones he had attempted to change had died. They weren’t strong enough, they weren’t worthy enough to be accept his gift to them. He needed someone extra special to be his mate. He could keep turning people, of course, but to have a true, pure line, he needed to reproduce. His attempts to reproduce with unchanged women had all failed as well. Humans were too soft. He needed a shifter woman to carry his child to term.
Yes, he had a great deal of responsibility toward his kind. He was the only one dedicated to ensuring their survival. Mors’ old clan didn’t understand that. They misunderstood his intentions. He wanted to purify the clan. All those that couldn’t shift or had been born more human than panther he had gone to great lengths to exterminate. It was for their own good, but his clan called him sick and a loner. They were the ones in the wrong. Only he understood the truth. Unfortunately, his attempt to take over the clan himself had failed and he had been banished. The clan moved away and he knew they must have died out. There was no way they could survive with the weak stock that they had. So now it was all up to him to keep the panthers going. There was nothing he would not do so ensure the success of his plans. Nothing.
Chapter 7
Roxanne’s dreams were of Connor. This time was more vivid than the others. She dreamed that she was in his bed again, but this time he was with her. She woke up in near-orgasm but hadn’t quite reached that peak. Damn it!
She relieved her own needs quickly and took a shower to wash away the evidence. She should have more control over her body, but when it came to Connor she just couldn’t help herself. All her years and experience went right out the window when it came to the sexy male. Her wolf was no better, she wanted to rub against him until his scent covered her fur. What the hell? She needed a distraction badly.
Her morning was lazy as she tended the garden. She loved nature. Mary was a great cook, but she was a writer by preference, more of an indoor type of person. She had pretty much given Roxanne free range of the outside. Roxanne had responded by creating mini gardens all around the little Victorian house, but her pride and joy was the greenhouse.
She intended to ensure that the pack had ample fruits and vegetables throughout the year. She also provided produce to sell to the local markets, which gave her and the pack a nice little income. Roxanne loved helping the pack this way. She had never felt useful in her old pack. They treated her too much like royalty to let her work. It was stifling. But being here with Ric and her new pack, she had started to thrive and finally come out of her shell. Despite a rocky start, she and Mary had even become good friends. If she could just stop fantasizing about the other woman’s son, everything would be almost perfect.
“When is the new alpha coming to see you?” Sam asked from the entrance of the greenhouse.
“He’s arriving this afternoon. I’ll be taking him to a local restaurant downtown.”
“I bet he’s hot.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because when Mary asked about Alpha Lucas, Ric became very jealous.”
“He’s always a jealous of any man Mary takes even a mild interest in.”
Sam snorted. “That’s true. He is totally in love with her. I’m glad, too. It was really hard on Mary, losing her husband and having to raise Connor on her own. She deserves to have someone take care of her.”
“Do you remember Connor’s father? What was he like?”
“I don’t remember him too well. But he loved Connor. He was a good dad and a good husband. Mary never once complained about him. But seeing her with Ric, I can tell she never loved Connor’s father like she does Ric. Ric is everything to her.”
Roxanne nodded her head as she stared off out the green house window. “They were destined for one another. It was the first thing I noticed when I saw them together. Their connection. It was instantaneous.”
“We can’t help it sometimes, when we have that instant spark with someone. It’s just . . . there,” Sam agreed, looking down at her hands.
Roxanne could sense the sadness in the young woman at times. “Is there something wrong, Sam? You can tell me. We’re friends.”
Sam looked up at her and smiled. “I appreciate it. But I’m fine. Really. Anyway, I was going into town to look for makings for a cherry pie. Connor loves cherry pie and Mary is going to teach me how to make it. Did you want to come with me?”
“No, I need to pull some of these vegetables to take to the market tomorrow. But maybe I’ll come in later and watch the pie-making lesson. I’m okay at it, but nowhere near as good as Mary.”
“See you later. And Roxanne, don’t worry about Alpha Lucas. He’s going to love you.” Sam walked to her VW bug.
Loving her wasn’t the problem. Most of the males that came here to see her seemed to love her. Her problem was finding one she could love in return. That was easier said than done. She couldn’t make herself fall in love, it either happened or it didn’t. But this felt like it might be her last chance, at least according to the soothsayers. She had to make this work.
*****
“That’s great, man. Yeah, I
just got back yesterday. No, I plan to return to South America in a few weeks. Just wanted to come and see my family and friends. Okay, I’ll text you later.” Connor hung up his phone. He had spent most of his morning talking on the phone or emailing friends he hadn’t seen in a while. Everyone was doing well. Some of his college friends had even started families. It really hit home how much he had missed out on while he was gone. He didn’t want to leave again, but it was necessary.
He heard the dryer buzz that the laundry was done. He had washed his sheets, though he had been reluctant to get rid of his and Roxanne’s combined scents. It was intoxicating. But he forced himself to do it. She was dating and will be mated if the council has its way. Plus, he was leaving soon. He had nothing to offer her.
It really did bother him to think that Roxanne would belong to another man. He had pictured it in his mind a dozen times and found himself growling and getting possessive. He had no right to feel these things. Roxanne didn’t belong to him. She was wolf and he was panther. Were relations between the two even possible? Why not? Adrian’s maker Lila was mated with the werewolf beta Laws. If those two species could mate, why not a panther and a wolf? Fuck! What was he thinking? He couldn’t go after Roxanne and mate her. He could be a ticking time bomb, a psychotic killer just waiting to break free. He shook his head. He needed to leave before he did something irrevocable.
*****
Later that evening at the pack house
Roxanne heard knocking at the front door. She rushed down the stairs to answer it. A tall, well-built blond man stood on the other side. He wore a suit and looked very polished. He was simply gorgeous.
“Alpha Lucas?”
He gave her a panty-dropping smile. “Roxanne Jaspers?”
She smiled back. “Yes, I’m Roxanne.” She watched as he perused her from head to toe. His eyes lingered on her breasts and then came back to her eyes.