The Panther's Rival

by Emilia Hartley

  She wondered about how Nick was doing, if he was missing her the way she missed him. Had he already moved on? Would he be angry when she stopped by unannounced to say hello? Would he still admit to falling for her? Could she admit her truths to him? Should she?

  Tom was another issue entirely. He’d wanted her far away from Nick. Now that she’d seen them turn into bears, she supposed she could understand why. She counted his overprotectiveness of his brother as a small blessing. Fixing her car faster than expected had given her the time she needed to be by herself and clear her head, working through the shock and incredulity so she could decide what she really wanted.

  What she really wanted was to go back and see Nick.

  The man’s voice raised a decibel, desperation growing in his tone as he continued to talk. It interrupted Jo’s train of thought, dragging her reluctantly back to the conversation.

  She bit back her frustration at still being there, interrupting the manager mid commendation. “Excuse me,” she said politely. “My apologies, but I must press you for a decision. I’m on something of a tight schedule today.”

  The manager sighed. “I must be honest with you, I was hoping you would push harder for the job.”

  “Listen,” Jo replied, sitting forward and folding her hands in her lap. “Liberty Art is an excellent gallery. Artists have gotten their start and gone on to do great things in the art scene with our help. But you already know that. What’s the point in trying to sell ourselves when you’ve already paid?”

  He pressed his lips together. “You do have a point,” he mumbled, not meeting her gaze.

  “We want your client’s work, as you well know. I’m sure it would be great exposure for him, but at the same time, we can’t sit around chipping away the hours of our day waiting until a decision falls into our laps.” She sat back, eyeing the manager confidently. “After all, we are a business at the end of the day. I’m sure you understand.”

  The man seemed to steel his resolve, nodding as he stood to his feet. He held his hand out. “Thank you for being so frank with me. I’ll send the contract over to Liberty Art this afternoon.”

  Jo grinned widely, standing as well before accepting his firm handshake. “You’re most certainly welcome. I look forward to seeing his work in our gallery.” She watched him go, a sense of satisfaction in her chest. She may have quit with her best interests at heart, but she’d no doubt miss this part most of all—closing on a deal. There was nothing better than that moment when everybody came to an agreement. She nodded, taking a slow deep breath as she settled her thoughts. This part of her life was over now. It was nice to end the chapter on a high note.

  Grinning to herself, Jo flipped open her laptop and emailed Brian, giving him the rundown of the meeting and letting him know that he should expect to get the client’s details sometime today. Lastly, she attached the short and clean resignation letter to the bottom of the email before sending it off. Closing the laptop carefully, she sat back in her chair and looked around. Everything was exactly as it had been a minute ago, but it felt completely different.

  She was free.

  ***

  The day’s drive back to Rawlins dragged on painfully slow. When she finally stumbled out of her car to run into the shop office, it was daybreak of the following day.

  “Nick?” she called, pushing open the door. “Nick?”

  “Jo?” Tom launched from the back room into the office, his eyes wide with shock. “You came back?”

  Jo nodded, happily. “Yeah, I finished early with my business in San Francisco and thought I’d stop by to apologize.” She looked around eagerly. “Did he step out for food or someth—”

  “He’s not here,” Tom growled. Jo began to notice little stress lines on his face that likely meant he hadn’t been sleeping “He’s gone.”

  “Gone?” Jo repeated, the sight of him visibly bristling making her take a step backward “I… I’m sorry, Tom. I know you’re trying to keep me out of Nick’s life, and I’m sure you think you’re intentions are good, but I need to speak to him for just a moment and I’ll be on my way.”

  Tom shook his head. “No, Jo. I mean he’s gone. He left and I have no idea where he is,” Tom finished, eyes slightly panicked.

  Jo’s heart began to hammer in her chest. “What do you mean? What happened?”

  Tom shrugged roughly, running a hand through his hair. “He’d gone to the cabin to fix it up some. That was the last time I saw him.” He began to pace, his hands gripping one another tightly. “Sometime later, he called while I was away from my phone. His message…” He looked up at Jo with and intense gaze, “he said was going after them. The entire enemy clan. By himself.

  “I dropped everything and ran to the cabin as soon as I’d heard the message, but it was too late.” He inwardly cursed himself, his body nearly vibrating with anger. “The cabin’s in a shambles. Windows are boarded, the porch is torn up. A bunch of stuff. I’m not really sure what happened, but Nick had been there first… and now he’s gone.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it. “I smelled some of the enemy bears as well, but their scents were much weaker, so I know they weren’t there at the same time he was.”

  “Can you not like… track him or something?” Jo asked, blindly searching for solutions despite not knowing anything about shifters.

  Tom managed a fleeting smile. “You don’t think I’ve tried? His scent was too old; it fell off before I was even a mile from the cabin. It’s a bust”

  “Old?” How long has he been gone?” Jo asked, her blood running cold.

  Tom eyed her solemn as he answered. “Almost twenty-four hours now.”

  ***

  “Do you think he’d have his phone?” Jo asked, desperately.

  Tom shook his head. “I found his clothes not too far into the forest. His phone was in the pocket.

  “How about a note?”

  “Anything worth telling is in the voice message he sent me,” Tom retorted.

  “Well you have to give me something here, Tom!” Jo cried, throwing her hands up in defeat. “You’ve known him your whole life. We just need something small. The faintest trail of breadcrumbs.” She clasped her hands together, silently pleading him to put in the effort.

  Tom stared off into space for a few beats of silence before his eyes lit up in an epiphany. “Maybe,” he muttered quietly. “That might work.”

  “What might work?” Jo asked, impatient.

  “I think I have a plan,” he replied, nodding once, as he grew more confident. He promptly headed for the door. “Just stay here where it’s safe. If all goes well, we’ll be back soon.”

  “Like hell I’m staying here alone,” Jo rebutted, following closely behind him. “If Nick’s in trouble, I want to help.”

  “Don’t you get it?” Tom exclaimed, rounding on her. “This isn’t a silly little human problem. These are flesh-hungry bear shifters who won’t hesitate to tear your pretty little human throat out! I won’t allow it.”

  Jo set her jaw, glaring right into his furious eyes. “That’s not your decision to make, Tom.”

  A growled bubbled up Tom’s throat, low and dangerous.

  Jo waved it away. “This old trick again? Trust me, it was scarier the first time,” she dismissed, unimpressed. “Got anything else in your top hat of magic tricks?”

  He growled louder, lips peeling back to bare his teeth at her. It was surprisingly underwhelming, and with an annoyed scoff, Jo slid past him to head to her car. “I’ll just follow you, okay?”

  Tom looked like he was warring with himself to say or do something, before finally throwing up his hands in defeat. “Suit yourself, but don’t you dare step out of that car.” He spat, his body tensing as the change took over his body.

  He undressed as quickly as possible, dipping behind some shadowed foliage just in time to maintain some form of censorship between himself and Jo. She heard bones snap and muscles convulse. Tom’s cries were low and painful as they floated to h
er ears from where he had changed. Soon after, a mighty brown bear emerged from the tree line, poking his head out to let Jo know he was finished. Knowing it was coming this time, she could properly appreciate just how amazing and awe-inspiring his bear form looked. It made her hopeful for her reunion with Nick.

  She nodded. “And I’m not making any promises,” she said, finally answering his request. She smiled at the noises that trickled from his lips, more of a chagrined groan than a growl. Without another word, Tom tore off into the trees, making Jo scramble into her car and peel off into the tree line before she lost his large frame in the shadows of the forest.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Nick had ended up tracking the Northern Wind clan for hours the day before, the complete darkness of night under the cover of the forest providing both an advantage and a hindrance to his mission.

  He’d known they were here, their scents all distinct and swirling as he watched them come and go. He’d watched from the shadows, picking up easily that Lucas was out for a while, and his subordinates were taking turns running into Nick’s territory to keep an eye on him.

  He watched as a bear named Jake slunk in late at night, alerting Dan that, despite combing all of Rawlins, Nick was nowhere to be found. He crouched lower in the grass, keeping low… just in case.

  He stayed like that for hours longer, silently stalking the Northern Wind until the bear he’d wanted to see most of all finally made his return. Flood limped to Dan, letting him know that Lucas had finally finished his errand. Finally, Nick couldn’t help but think. Even his patience had a limit.

  When Lucas entered the clearing, Nick had to bite back a vicious growl. Everything about him set Nick’s bear off. He wasn’t an alpha, but he was large—larger than even Dan, his designated muscle bear. His subordinates scuttled backwards in fear if he moved too close to them, and absolutely no one made eye contact as he walked leisurely into their camp.

  “Idiots!” he roared immediately. “Explain to me how I can have so many fools in one pack.”

  The bears shuffled uncomfortably under their leader’s scrutiny, and Nick’s chest rattled. This wasn’t what leading was supposed to look like. This wasn’t how a pack was supposed to behave.

  “What do you mean, Lucas?” he heard Dan ask, reluctantly.

  “Oh?” Lucas quipped descending upon his second. “You don’t know?” Dan cringed backward, averting his gaze until Lucas finally walked away.

  “I supposed you can tell him,” Lucas called out, and at first Nick thought he was speaking to no one in particular until a thought twisted his stomach. As if on cue, Lucas barked a laugh after a beat of tense silence. “Oh, come on, Nick. How long are you going to hide out over there in that tall grass?”

  A shiver ran through Nick as he was finally exposed. Figuring there was no more reason to hide, he bit back a curse before launching himself from his hiding place.

  “I assume you got the message?” Lucas asked as Nick met up with the enemy.

  He was clearly outnumbered; trying anything crass would be foolish. “I did.”

  He could almost see the wicked grin that flashed on Lucas’s face. “So, you’ve changed your mind then.”

  “No.”

  A chorus of growls met his response, the other bears waiting quietly in the shadows for their leader to give the word. Lucas glared at Nick. “Then why are you here?”

  “I only want for you to leave us alone,” Nick replied, honestly. More growls. This time more insistent and anticipatory than before. Nick looked out into the dimness of the forest to where the other bears hid in wait. “I don’t want to fight,” he said, showing his intent by sitting back. It was a bold move, but Nick was determined to show them that he wasn’t a threat.

  Silence filled the small clearing as Nick locked eyes with Lucas, neither speaking.

  Slowly, Lucas’s lip curled back into a disgusting sneer. “That’s too bad.”

  Nick’s fur rippled, his body tensing as he felt the shift in the ambience around him. In only a split moment, he’d gone from visitor to prey, his senses sharpening as the first bear lunged.

  He turned in time to bat it away, but not before two more launched themselves at him. They both latched onto his back, and he let out a painful roar. Claws dug into his torso from all sides, but he managed to dig his claws under the bear on his right. Dan roared in pain before falling away.

  The first bear that had attacked him, Jake, found his footing again, springing at Nick’s chest in a vicious display. His fangs slid home, but Nick snagged one of his ears in his mighty jaws and tore hard. Jack backed away with a yelp, blood spurting from the ear that had been nearly torn from his head. Flood was still worrying at meat of Nick’s left shoulder, yanking and pulling backward with all his power.

  I’m going to die, Nick thought to himself, pain tearing at his body as he finally flipped Flood off of him. The three bears took a short moment to nurse their wounds before descending upon him again. Three bears attacking, with Lucas watching the entertainment from nearby. He’d defeated three bears before, but between their first cabin attack and his fight with Tom, his body was still feeling the fatigue. He was resilient, not invincible, and it showed in the way his body moved too slowly to dodge. To make things worse, Nick was pretty sure there were more bears still lying in wait in the obscurity of the forest.

  Summoning all his strength, Nick roared with a fury. He met Flood claw for claw, managing to hook a swing deep into the other bear’s torso. He swiped a paw down across Jake’s face as he approached, and blood sprayed as his snout split open.

  He didn’t notice Dan behind him until it was too late. He went for Nick’s legs with a snarl, and Nick collapsed on him, latching his jaws around whatever was closest. Dan snapped wildly at Nick’s throat, but Nick could just barely hold him off.

  “Ready to chat yet, alpha?” Lucas called from where he was watching the brawl.

  Nick spat a growl, baring his teeth. “Never.” He rolled his body, bucking Dan off of him and swiping at his ankles. Dan staggered backward, meeting Flood and Jake to regroup once more.

  Lucas looked quietly at Nick for one long moment, his breath frosting the air. His golden eyes flickered to the three bears in the brawl. “Kill him.”

  ***

  Jo followed anxiously behind Tom, barely able to see the obstacles of the rough forest in front of her. Branches and tossed up rocks were damaging the fresh new paint job Nick and Tom had just put on the car, and she was pretty sure a log she hadn’t seen until it was too late had done some serious damage to her undercarriage.

  Tom’s body suddenly rippled violently, and even through the rolled up window, Jo could hear the guttural snarl that tore from his throat. Was something wrong? The mighty bear’s paws pounded the forest floor faster than before, and Jo stepped heavily on the gas.

  In a flash of scenery, Jo’s car sailed into a clearing, and she slammed on the brakes hard. She slapped a hand to her mouth in surprise, her headlights brightly illuminating the grisly sight of the scene before her and nearly drawing a terrified scream from her throat.

  Four bears were almost literally tearing each other apart. They lunged and dipped and tore and raked claws. Blood sprayed and cries were roared to the sky as the battle raged on before her. With a furious bellow, Tom lunged into the fight as a large brown bear’s paw swung downward for a killing blow. Jo noticed with a start that Tom was helping the bear that’d nearly gotten his head taken off. Jo looked intently at the bloody and exhausted bear on the forest floor, and though covered in blood, she could still make out the telltale grey stripe of fur that accented his deep brown coat.

  “Oh my god, Nick!” Jo gasped, a frantic sob bubbling up in her throat. He rose from where he’d fallen, standing on hind paws and roaring powerfully. His teeth bared and snapped as another bear lunged at him. Nick batted the bear down, but not before getting a slash of claws in his side. Standing back, Jo noticed a huge bear in the background, overlooking the massacre that was ha
ppening. His eye glinted impishly in the headlights of her car, overseeing the brawl with a manic level interest.

  In the corner of her vision, she saw two more bears dart from the dark forest. They were smaller but fast and uninjured like the rest of the horde, tackling Tom to the ground easily. The two bears Tom had been fighting previously lunged Nick without a second thought. He saw them coming and turned to fend them off.

  The fight raged on, Both Nick and Tom fighting two bears each. Jo could only stare on in horror as they became increasingly bloodied and broken. She was surprised that they could still fight, watching in equal parts horror and awe as Tom fell forward, crushing the arm of an enemy bear under his full weight. Even Jo could hear the crack as it broke, the bear crying out in pain.

  Nick bellowed a triumphant roar of his own, but was slow to rise. As he turned to face off against the remaining bear, the larger bear from earlier came barreling out of the forest cover with a snarl. As Jo watched the bear rise up on two legs, lifting a heavy paw high above Nick’s throat, she knew that Nick wouldn’t be able to respond in time.

  “They’re going to kill him,” she breathed, blood draining from her face as terror sang through her veins.

  Jo moved before her mind processed it, her engine revving aggressively. In a rush, her car rocketed forward as her foot slammed down on the gas none too gently. Pressing her hand to the horn, she drove straight for Nick and the bear poised to kill behind him.

  ***

  With the loud blare of a car horn, Nick snapped to, seeing Jo’s car propelling toward him. In nearly the last moment, he used every last ounce of his energy to lunge away, tackling Flood with him, who’d been temporary shocked paralyzed by Jo’s rampaging vehicle. He pinned Flood by the throat to the cold forest floor as a terrifying crash exploded around him.