Strange Lake Falls Panther (Strange Lake Falls Series Book 4)

by KD Jones

  Connor pulled up next to Ric’s truck and parked. He reached for Roxanne’s hand and squeezed it, seeming to know why she was so tense.

  “It’s going to be fine,” he reassured her.

  Roxanne waited for him to get out first and walk around to open her door for her. She had noticed that about him years ago, how mannerly he was. It made her feel feminine and special. He put his hand in the small of her back and walked with her towards the porch.

  The moment they got within a few feet, Roxanne watched as both Mary and Ric inhaled, scenting what Roxanne and Connor had been doing. Their scents were intermingled. She loved their combined scents, but she knew this would be problem for others.

  Mary paled. “What have you done? How could you?” Her questions were directed at Roxanne. Of course they were; she was the older of the two, an old friend of Ric’s, and the outsider. Before she could explain herself, Connor stepped in front of Roxanne, instinctively protecting her.

  “Roxanne is my mate. It’s done. She’s mine and I won’t give her up.” He narrowed his eyes in challenge at Ric. Roxanne grabbed his arm to try to get him to back down a little. She didn’t want anyone to fight over her.

  Roxanne couldn’t take seeing the hurt look on Mary’s face. She stepped past Connor, despite his protests. “I haven’t marked him yet, but I plan to. I love him.”

  Mary looked surprised. “You do?”

  Connor pulled her to face him. “You do?”

  She felt the heat rise to her face. She nodded. “I am completely head over heels in love with you and have been since the moment I first saw you.”

  Connor’s whole face lit up with happiness. “I love you too, baby. I was afraid to scare you away if I admitted how much I truly felt.”

  She cupped his face with both her hands. “You could never scare me away. I love you. You are mine and as soon as possible I plan to mark you so everyone will know it.”

  Connor pulled her against him and claimed her lips. A fire sparked between them; maybe it had never gone out. A perpetual flame, always lit, just waiting for the moment it could be fueled higher and higher, blocking out all that would extinguish it. The sound of Ric clearing his throat interrupted them. They pulled apart, but Connor kept his arm wrapped around her waist.

  Roxanne looked up at her Alpha, who seemed more amused than upset with them. Mary wiped a tear from her face, but she didn’t look angry now, just resigned.

  Ric spoke, breaking the tension. “There are bigger things we need to discuss than your mating. Come inside and have breakfast while we update you on what our trackers found.” Ric took Mary and led her back inside the pack house. “Honey, why don’t you go upstairs and take a nap. You didn’t rest well last night.”

  Roxanne watched as Mary lifted her head stubbornly. “I have as much right to be here to discuss these things as anyone. Connor is my son.”

  “Okay, but you are sitting down at the kitchen table. I will make sure everyone is served.”

  “I’ll help, Alpha,” Roxanne offered as they entered the kitchen. She noticed Alpha Lucas was there and so were the twins and their new Beta Laws. One of the twins was burning something on the stove. Roxanne rushed over to prevent a disaster. “I’ll take it from here.”

  *****

  Connor sat down at the large kitchen table next to his mother. He reached over and hugged her. He needed her to know he was okay. “It’s going to be fine, Mom. I promise.” She nodded and wiped another tear away.

  “It’s just so hard to let go sometimes. I thought I had, but then you came back and I wanted to help you run your life. I know I can’t do that, but a mom doesn’t stop being a mom even when her baby is all grown up. It’s kind of lifetime commitment.”

  “I’m not asking you to stop being my mom. I have my own life to live and my own choices to make.” He looked over at Roxanne. Her being his mate wasn’t so much a choice as it was fate. Even if fate hadn't intervened, he would still want Roxanne as his. “I love her.”

  His mom smiled at him. “I can see that. I can also see that she loves you. She’s a good woman and I know she’ll make you happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

  Roxanne came over to the table and started putting pancakes on people’s plates. When she got to Mary, she knelt next to the other woman. She placed a hand on Mary’s arm.

  “I love him with my whole heart. I will do everything I can to make him happy. I want you to know that your friendship has meant the world to me and I hope that this does not change that.”

  His mom placed her hand over Roxanne’s. “It won’t. You have been a very good friend to me. It was just surprising, is all. If I could have picked out the perfect woman for my son, it would be you.” The two women hugged each other as tears fell.

  Connor looked at Ric, who looked at the other men. They were uncomfortable with tears, even happy ones. Connor cleared his throat and changed the subject.

  “So, did you find Mors?”

  Chapter 15

  Alpha Lucas spoke up. “He has help. I scented another underneath Mors’ scent. He’s trying to confuse us. Every time we got close to him he seemed to know where we would be and got away.”

  Connor nodded. “I know. It’s been like that for the past year trying to track him down. It was like he was predicting my every move.”

  “Panthers have an innate ability to sense danger. As a werepanther, that sense is magnified, so he while he doesn’t really know what you’re thinking, he can predict where you will go,” Mistress Lila said as she walked inside the kitchen. She bent down and kissed her mate, the Beta Laws, on the cheek. She didn’t look for a seat but sat right on Laws’ lap.

  “If he can predict where we will go, how are we to capture him?” one of the twins asked.

  Roxanne handed a cup of coffee to Lila. “I have a friend who is a soothsayer. She might be able to help us.”

  “Great, what’s her number? We’ll call her right away,” Ric asked as he shoveled pancakes in his mouth.

  “That’s the problem, she had no phone.”

  “What? Why? How do we get in contact with her?” Connor looked confused.

  “She visits you in your dreams, correct?” Lila asked.

  Roxanne nodded. “Yes, how did you know?”

  Lila smiled down at Laws. “I can do that too.”

  “So, what, we wait until you fall asleep and hope she contacts you?” one of the twins asked.

  Lila smiled. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

  Roxanne looked at her in confusion. “Why?”

  “Because she’s here,” Lila said just as the doorbell rang out.

  Roxanne gasped as she ran for the front door. She swung it open and there stood her best friend in the whole world. “Diana!” She threw her arms around the shorter woman and pulled her to her for a hard hug.

  “Easy, princess, you’re much stronger than I am.” Diana hugged her back, laughing.

  Roxanne let her friend go and smiled down at her. “Why are you here? I mean, I’m glad to see you. But you never leave the convent.” She moved out of the way so her friend could enter the house.

  “I had a premonition that you needed me. So here I am.”

  “The head soothsayer just let you leave all by yourself, without protection?” Roxanne was worried.

  Diana blushed. “She doesn’t know I left.”

  Roxanne would have questioned her further but Connor came up behind her. “Who’s this?”

  “Connor, this is my friend Diana. She’s a soothsayer. Diana, this is Connor, my . . .”

  “Your mate,” Diana finished for her. She offered her hand to Connor. Connor took it, then gasped in surprise and quickly let her go. “Sorry about that. I have a little electric current going on right now. I need an outlet for it. A panther, huh? Very interesting.”

  “Would you like breakfast?” Roxanne asked, putting her arm through Diana’s and leading her to the kitchen.

  “Yes, please. Using so much psychic
energy can really build an appetite.” Diana paused as she entered the kitchen. Her friend was always shy around others. Roxanne introduced Diana to everyone there. She noticed Diana nod at Mistress Lila. They had some kind of silent communication going on.

  “Would it be okay to eat outside? So many paranormals in one small room kind of vibrates through me and wipes me out,” Diana asked, unsure what to do.

  “Of course. There are picnic tables out back. Connor, show her to the tables and I’ll get a plate of food for you.” Roxanne showed her friend out the back door with Connor.

  “Will she be okay if we all go outside? I want to hear what she has to say,” Ric asked.

  “Yes, Diana is very powerful and extremely sensitive to paranormal powers. As long as she is in an open and secluded location that doesn’t have a lot of traffic, she’ll be fine. It’s mostly confined spaces that give her the biggest problems,” Roxanne explained as she loaded a plate with eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Everyone went into the backyard. She went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, then returned to pick up the plate of food, but Lucas was there picking it up for her.

  “Let me help take this outside,” he offered.

  “Thanks, Lucas.”

  “I’m curious. Your friend is part werewolf?”

  “Yes, part werewolf and part Roma.”

  “Is she mated?” Lucas had his hand on the door but didn’t open it yet.

  Roxanne tilted her head as she considered why Lucas was suddenly interested in Diana. Instead of answering him directly, she gave him a little insight to her friend. “Most weres keep their distance from soothsayers. They prefer mating other weres or humans to keep the were bloodlines up. Soothsayers who survive childhood have the long life and strength of a werewolf, but they don’t have the ability to shift. The mixture of the magics involved prevents it. Many fear the power that soothsayers have.”

  “But she is not mated?” Lucas persisted.

  “No, Lucas, she is not mated.”

  “Good.” He didn’t ask any more as he exited into the yard.

  Roxanne followed him, worried that he might push his attentions on her shy friend. She watched warily as Lucas handed Diana the plate of food. She could swear she saw a spark light when their hands touched. Diana shrunk bank from him, surprised and a little frightened. Roxanne approached, growling at Lucas to back off. She sat down protectively next to her friend, handing her the glass of water.

  “What exactly did your premonition say?”

  “That if I wasn’t here, you would die,” Diana told her looking her directly in her eyes.

  Oh shit.

  Chapter 16

  Connor gave Diana the shortened version of what happened to him with Mors and that Mors was here now hunting Connor. The twins and some of the rest of the pack came and left as they took turns hunting Mors.

  Roxanne introduced her to the pack but they could tell she felt uncomfortable being around so many so they kept their distance. Her friend looked quite tired. “Do you need to get some rest?”

  “Yes. I may be able to search for this guy Mors in my dreams, too. Sounds like he has a little psychic ability as far as predicting when others are moving against him. He doesn’t know me, though, so he won’t be able to block me.”

  Roxanne looked at the packhouse. Diana needed a more secluded place to rest. She looked over at Connor. “Connor, can I take Diana to your place to rest? She needs more seclusion from other people, especially paranormals.”

  “Yes. I’ll take you both there.” Connor rose to escort them.

  “Is that a good idea? Mors may have followed Connor’s scent to our house and could be watching it,” Mary said with concern.

  “She’s right. I wouldn’t suggest going back there until we catch Mors,” Ric agreed.

  “You can take her back to my hotel suite. I’m on the quiet side of the hotel,” Lucas said, his eyes focused on Diana.

  “That’s a good idea. Have Lucas take Diana and Roxanne to the hotel suite. Connor, you join the twins in case they missed something. I have the rest of the pack doing security rounds around the packhouse. I’ll call Adrian and have him send some of his people to watch the hotel as soon as it starts to turn dark.”

  Roxanne watched as Connor looked at her with reluctance. Neither of them wanted to be separated. “Give us a few minutes.” Connor took her hand and led her around the other side of the packhouse toward the barn.

  “Where are we going?” Roxanne laughed.

  “I just need a few minutes to hold you.” He pulled her inside the barn. There were cows in the stalls nearby that mooed at them.

  As soon as they were out of sight inside the barn, Connor pulled her into his arms and kissed her. That low-burning perpetual flame of desire between them burst into full-blown fire. They didn’t have a lot of time. Probably everyone outside could hear them, but Connor didn’t care. He lifted her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He stopped kissing her to pull back and stare at her. “Promise me you won’t take any chances with your life. You go with Lucas to his hotel room and stay there until I call and tell you it’s safe.”

  “Connor, I’m a werewolf. A natural born, full-blooded. I’ve lived a long time. I can handle myself.”

  “Not against a man like this. He’s crazy, honey. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. It would kill me.”

  She gripped his hair and pulled him to her, gently biting his bottom. It made him growl with a deep need to claim her again. She pulled his hair back making him dip his head back to look at her. “He’s after you, Connor. He came all this way to hunt you down. Either he plans to take you back with him or he plans to kill you. I won’t allow either of those to happen. You’re mine.”

  She turned his head to the side and sunk her teeth in his neck. Connor felt the slight pain, but then he was suddenly filled with so much pleasure, he felt like he was going to come right then and there. Each pull she took of his blood he could feel in cock, like she was sucking him down there at the same time. He needed inside of her badly.

  *****

  She finished sucking and licked the bite mark. The bleeding stopped, but there would be a little scar to show the world that she had claimed Connor as her mate. Now she needed to get him naked and fast. They didn’t have much time.

  Roxanne reached between them and fumbled with the zipper to his pants. She growled her frustration. “Get these off.”

  Connor laughed softly in agreement. He helped her open his pants as he walked them over to an empty stall.

  There were stacks of hay in the corner and Roxanne felt the prickly stalks through her clothes when he laid her down. She was grateful she was wearing her dress. Connor lifted the dress up over her hips, exposing her underwear. She gasped when he gripped the edge of her underwear and ripped it with both hands.

  “You won’t need these,” Connor told her as he got down to his knees and admired her exposed pussy.

  “Connor, we don’t have time for foreplay,” she whispered as she felt his tongue stroke her velvet pussy lips. His finger dipped inside her and she felt spasms vibrate through her. “Please, Connor, I need you now.”

  He removed his finger and rose up over her, placing his cock at her entrance. He didn’t hesitate as he plunged inside of her, until he was completely rooted at her core. They both moaned their pleasure at the fullness.

  Roxanne wrapped her legs around his waist as high as she could go. She met his every thrust. He moved in and out of her quickly, picking up his pace. Their breathing increased in time with their exertions. She needed to come in the worst way.

  Connor leaned down over her and licked her neck where he had claimed her. Roxanne shivered from the touch on her mark. “Yes,” she whispered. Connor’s teeth elongated and he sank his panther fangs into her neck.

  It was like throwing lighter fluid on a smoldering flame. Everything inside of her exploded outward with her orgasm. Her spirit rose up toward the stars and then me
lded with Connor’s. They were one. Then they floated back to Earth, sinking into their bodies once more. They held each other as their heart rates attempted to return to normal.

  “Wow.” Roxanne couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  Connor chuckled. “You can say that again.”

  Roxanne looked up at him and smiled impishly. “Wow.”

  They both laughed as they looked into each other’s eyes. Then reality interrupted their private moment as Ric’s voice called from the barn door.

  “Get a move on, Connor!”

  Roxanne missed his heat when Connor reluctantly pulled out of her. “Promise me you’ll be careful. This guy wants you bad, if he came all this way.”

  Connor redid his zipper and reached out to straighten her dress. “I will. I have a future with you waiting for me. I’m not going to let anyone take that from me.”

  Roxanne still felt very uneasy about the situation as they rejoined the others. Something bad was going to happen, and she had to be ready for it.

  Chapter 17

  Roxanne sat in the passenger seat of Lucas’s car, with Lucas driving and Diana in the backseat. It was a quiet ride over to the hotel but it felt like it took forever. The silence was almost unbearable. It had been that way between Diana and Lucas ever since Roxanne and Connor returned from their tryst in the barn. Evidently Lucas had said something to royally piss Diana off and neither one felt like talking about it.

  Lucas didn’t take them through the lobby since he had access to his room from outside. He ushered them quickly up the stairs and down the corridor. He unlocked the door and held it open for them.