Scent Of A Mate: League Of Gallize Shifters

by Dianna Love

  He ran through the fight mentally. He told Gan with telepathy to get Scarlett and leave when it was clear the cats would follow her and the baby. Those two fought their way to a sport utility ... he wasn’t sure what happened then, if they made it out.

  This woman would know.

  He was loath to ask her anything.

  Forcing his brain to work harder, he had flashes of the battle and ... ah. There it was. The image of a naked female shouting at him to run.

  If he had any luck left in his miserable life, he’d never lose that memory.

  He’d been busy fighting a panther shifter.

  In his mind, he’d shouted at her to run while he held his panther in place. The other cat had started regaining consciousness after he’d been slammed to the ground.

  She hadn’t run after yelling at him to cut loose and go.

  Instead, she’d shifted back to her wolf, which had been a really stupid move, because he now recalled how clearly exhausted she’d been. He’d had to knock his panther aside and tackle a hyena going for her.

  Swinging his head to face this woman again, he said, “You should have run. I couldn’t say the words while I was a wolf, but I was fighting the panther to give you time to escape. When I changed to human ... think I lost touch with reality.”

  Her lips parted. Surprise swept through her gaze. She had no comeback.

  He asked, “Why did you change back to wolf again? It was slow. I’m not criticizing, but you had to know you couldn’t make a fast shift that soon and all banged up.” How could she have wasted that opportunity?

  Grabbing a bar and pushing her face between two of them, she replied, “I shifted to stay and fight, because I know how Lincoln operates. He would send a second wave. They showed up as soon as my wolf took form.”

  Shit fire.

  He could see it now. Adrian clutched his head with both hands, struggling to piece it all together.

  One thing came through crystal clear.

  She’d stayed to save him.

  “Shut up, you two,” shouted from seventy feet away, where a pair of guards paused beneath a dim light hanging off a pole.

  The still nameless female shifter swung around until she leaned back against the bars.

  Adrian settled against his, too.

  She had stayed to fight by his side.

  What had he done?

  Insulted her hygiene.

  He should be thankful they were in separate cages where she couldn’t claw him. He’d deserve that.

  He had no business being around a female, but he still had to find one in particular. The sister of his friend who had sent a letter to his last military post overseas. That was the letter the Guardian delivered to Wyoming.

  The only thing keeping him standing and not turning his throat to the Guardian to end this hell was a debt to a fellow brother in arms.

  Once he found the man’s sister and paid that debt, Adrian was done.

  The sooner the better, Mad Red told him.

  That was new.

  He and his wolf normally never agreed on anything.

  Chapter 29

  While Scarlett showered, Gan picked up her phone and stepped outside. She said they had an hour until time to leave so they could reach Lincoln’s place before midnight.

  Gan had been watching her use the phone and found the last call she received on the way back to the motel.

  He hit call back number. When a man answered, Gan said, “You are Zink. I am Gan, Scarlett’s mate. Lincoln tried to kill her. I need your help.”

  No one on the other end spoke.

  Gan pulled the phone away and looked at the bright display. Had he done this wrong?

  “Let me talk to Scarlett,” Zink finally said.

  “No. She is sleeping to heal. Was hurt bad. Lincoln’s men come for her. We barely escape. I must meet Lincoln.”

  Zink cursed. “This is not the way it works, dude.”

  “You said you trust Scarlett to pay.”

  “She told you that?”

  Gan lied, but didn’t think Zink would know, since most of what he’d said to this point had been a lie. She was his mate even if he never told her. “Yes. She explain all you said. I need your help to protect her.”

  “Man, you’re putting me in a bad spot. I am always straight with Scarlett. Can you send me a picture of her healing?”

  Gan gripped the phone, frustrated, then forced himself to stay calm or this had no chance of working. “No. This is burner.” Isn’t that what she called the phone?

  “Shit. She’s been a great client. First, what do you need?”

  “Take me close to Lincoln, then I go alone.”

  “What if I just give you the address?”

  Gan shook his head at so many questions. “I have address. Do not want to leave truck or anyone know I go there. I will pay twice.”

  “You’re doubling what she’s paying me?”

  “Yes.” If this worked out and Scarlett lived, she would be able to pay. That was not too much to ask for keeping her safe.

  “Okay, look. I’ll get you within a mile. That’s as close as I want to be to Lincoln’s property.”

  Relieved that money swayed this man, Gan told Zink he’d meet him at the super-store in five minutes, because he did not want anyone to know where Scarlett rested. To delay at all would mean he couldn’t slip away from the motel in time. He hated to take Scarlett’s phone, but he had to slow her down more than slicing a tire on Vic’s vehicle would do.

  He ran maybe two miles to the big store in a light drizzle that ended by the time he got there. He shook water off his head and wiped his face.

  Zink had said he’d be in a red Subaru, whatever that was, parked close to the road. When Gan reached the parking lot, he spotted a red car immediately since the other vehicles were all closer to the store entrance.

  He slowed to a walk until he stood in front of the car with headlights turned off.

  A tall, slender man with a thin mustache, glasses, and balding head got out. “Gan?”

  “Zink?”

  They nodded at each other.

  Gan walked to the passenger side and folded himself into the seat. He groaned at being in the tight space.

  Zink frowned at his wet clothes, but asked, “Why didn’t you take her truck and just park it somewhere for when you’re ready to go back?”

  There would be no coming back for Gan.

  He brushed off the question with a simple answer. “Has tire problem. Fix in morning.”

  “Okay, I guess,” Zink muttered as he took off, driving at a steady speed.

  The trip seemed to take a long time, but that was likely due to Gan being balled up inside a small car. According to the phone he still carried, which showed the time, the drive had taken only twenty minutes.

  Almost the same time as the journey to Naomi’s house.

  Zink let him out near the first stretch of wooded area they reached that had no houses close by. “I sure hope Scarlett is good with this. I hate to lose a client like her.”

  Gan dropped his head to look inside before closing the door. “This is only way you keep client. Thank you for help.”

  Zink smiled weakly and left.

  Humans could not smell lies.

  He struck out, using the directions Zink had given him on the drive over. Zink knew a lot about Lincoln’s compound and how everything worked there. A few things Gan felt sure Zink had not shared with Scarlett, which meant Zink had held back information to sell later. He probably gave Gan more, in case Scarlett wasn’t happy he helped Gan without her approval.

  When Gan reached a property with large gates protected by two men with weapons, all of which fit Zink’s description, he stayed downwind to scout around the outside. The wall surrounding this land was tall, but different than the black iron one around Naomi’s house. This barrier had thick support structures of cement four feet wide, with ten-foot-high chain-link fence running between the solid wall sections.

  The a
ir smelled heavily of cat shifters.

  Male, his tiger said.

  Gan asked, You can tell male and female?

  Yes.

  Gan took in another breath. He picked up a faint scent of wolf and turned to his left.

  His tiger said, Wrong way.

  That stopped Gan in his tracks. How do you know?

  When his tiger didn’t reply, Gan tried his new name. Gemelo?

  Thinking, tiger answered. Go to right. I know this, but not why.

  He had no reason to think he knew better than his tiger on this, so he changed direction to the right. Once he was far enough from the gates, he moved over to a beaten-down path that ran along the outside of the wall. When the wolf scent grew stronger, he told his tiger, I smell more wolf now. You are right.

  His animal said, Of course.

  Gan smiled at the overconfident beast.

  But he’d like to figure out what was going on right now. His tiger never talked to him.

  Not like this.

  With the rain having passed and moon peeking between clouds, he made out a large house deep inside the property and behind two walls shoulder high and maybe twenty or thirty feet long. Moonlight glinted off large metal tiger statues standing on top of each wall section flaring out from the driveway to the house. He couldn’t make out more about the house as bushes and trees on the inside of the fence blocked his view.

  While keeping an eye out for any threat and his nose tuned to new scents, he still wanted to find out what had changed between him and his tiger. I am glad to talk, Gemelo. But why now and not before?

  Before, I claim mate. Now you claim her.

  Was Gemelo talking about when Gan called Scarlett his mate when he spoke to Zink? When he’d said those words, he had felt it to be true in his heart. Is that what it had taken to find peace with his animal?

  His tiger added, Mate claim us.

  Gan stumbled a couple steps, paused to listen for anyone moving toward him, then started out again.

  He pushed his tiger for more. When did mate claim me?

  Us, tiger corrected with loud snarl.

  Gan covered one ear with his hand, which did nothing to lower the tiger’s volume.

  When did she claim us? he amended.

  When she stop change. She use love to help us.

  Gan had been torn when Scarlett admitted taking charge to stop his shift in front of Adrian. He’d been disappointed to find out he had not been in control, but he hadn’t been angry with her.

  Just as the tiger said, she’d done it because she cared.

  No, his animal had used the word love.

  His heart thumped at a crazy pace. Had he found love? He thought about all that she meant to him and realized that must be love. She had been ready to put her life on the line for him and he was here doing the same for her.

  Happiness he’d never known rushed through him along with despair that hit him in the gut.

  He would never get to experience love with Scarlett for the rest of his life. That life would end soon, but he hoped the love stayed with him when he was gone.

  If he survived fighting Lincoln, the mating curse he’d heard about would kill him.

  He would never look at another woman the way he saw Scarlett.

  A stronger whiff of wolf yanked Gan’s head up.

  Will you change when I ask? he put to the tiger to find out what the two of them could do.

  Maybe.

  Clearly, choosing a mate had not solved all their problems, but Gan would take what his animal gave and hope for the best.

  When he saw a sectioned-off area inside the fence, he moved slowly toward the strongest wolf smell.

  Large cages came into view that landscape hid from anyone entering by the gates.

  His eyes adjusted to the poor lighting near the opening between the cage area and the rest of the compound leading up to the house.

  He located a cage holding Adrian, who sat with his chin dropped. The Gallize wolf was still alive.

  If those enclosures had held humans, they would be too far away to hear Gan speak in a normal tone, which he couldn’t risk. Getting as close as he could, he whispered, “Wolf man.”

  Adrian’s head came up slowly then he turned glowing silver eyes to Gan.

  Without making any sudden move, Adrian asked in a low voice. “Are you alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then go call the Guardian.”

  “No. Will not make Scarlett happy.”

  Adrian dropped his head back, murmuring something toward the sky that sounded angry. He turned to Gan again. “You’re gonna get captured, Psycho Cat.”

  “Yes. I am here to trade me. You three leave.”

  Adrian’s eyes dimmed back to his normal dark gaze. He seemed at a loss for words. “I thought you wanted to escape. Live up north.”

  “Yes, but will not be. Guardian can call me any time. I am captured no matter where I go.”

  “Shit fire, Gan. Don’t do this.”

  “Why not? You and women can be free. Is good.”

  Adrian’s head swung away from him. He stretched his neck, looking toward the gate then turned back. “Get out of here. Guards are coming.”

  “I look for them. I only want to know you are here.”

  Gan walked off with Adrian trying to send him away.

  When he reached one of the cement fence supports he’d passed, Gan backed up and ran then leaped to get a hand on the top. He pulled himself up and over, landing softly inside the wall.

  There was just one guard and he had entered the gate to the cage area by the time Gan dropped inside the compound.

  Gan crossed his arms and waited. When the guard closed the small gate, he must have scented Gan. His head snapped around quickly. He lifted his rifle, aiming for Gan’s chest. “Put your hands on your head and get on the ground.”

  Shaking his head, he told the cat shifter, “Lincoln will not be happy if you kill tiger he wants. Tell him I have deal.”

  The rifle lowered an inch. Speaking into a headset similar to the one Vic had given Gan when they hiked into the farm, the guard told someone a cat shifter claiming to be a tiger had snuck in.

  After a moment, the guard said, “Walk ahead of me.”

  Gan told him, “No. I have no weapon. You walk first or I leave.”

  They were back to a standoff while the guard spoke to his invisible person again. Whatever he heard must have startled him. He nodded then turned to Gan. “Follow me.”

  Gan shrugged. Walking behind the guard, Gan noted how thick shrubs walled off the cage area and were cut to form walls leading to the house.

  That meant Adrian and the women would be brought to Lincoln through those passageways if Gan convinced the tiger to make this swap.

  The wall of hedges ended at the solid cement walls supporting the tiger sculptures.

  As the guard passed through that entrance to Lincoln’s home, Gan stopped in the center of the wide paved driveway that continued inside, circling a large fountain with a metal sculpture of a woman with a fish tail. Enough room for twenty vehicles to park around the entrance to the house.

  Scarlett might call this one a mansion, too.

  He swallowed, hoping she did not hate him for changing her plans.

  From this point, the house resembled Naomi’s but not as large or expensive looking.

  Cat shifters swarmed the interior area of the yard and fountain leading up to the house.

  He’d remained in the middle of the drive to wait.

  Scarlett had been right. Lincoln’s people were not disciplined. That cat shifter guard had no idea Gan had not followed. Gan glanced behind him to find six shifters, but they were all over a hundred feet away at the gate where a vehicle would enter. Lincoln must have plenty of guards close to the house for those six to stay at their original duty.

  He took in the mix of cat shifters. Some ran into the circular drive half-dressed as if pulled from bed. Others were in the process of changing into their cats.


  An imposing man with jet-black hair falling loose around his face rushed out the front door of the two-story home. He had Naomi’s beauty in a male face and a tall body, too, but muscles had grown so large on his arms and chest he looked unnatural even for a shifter.

  His scowl diminished his too-pretty face. He barged through his men. They parted and reformed behind him in scraggly order.

  Gan held up a hand to stop the man when they were fifty feet apart. “You are Lincoln?”

  “Yes. Who are you?”

  “Gan. I am tiger you want.”

  He turned to his men. “Who was at the lake house raid that can identify this shifter?”

  A hand shot up. The man did not step into view, but said, “It’s him. I followed and leaped on the truck as they were leaving after he shifted back.”

  That must be the panther Scarlett shook off the roof of their vehicle.

  Satisfied with that answer, Lincoln turned to face Gan again. “Where is Scarlett?”

  “Not here.”

  “That’s obvious,” Lincoln snapped. “She set the terms through her contact. She has to be here to make the trade.”

  Gan had been pulling in scents as he stood there. He couldn’t be sure, but he believed Lincoln smelled desperate. That tiger shifter would never touch her again.

  Opening his arms in a gesture of this is all to expect, Gan said, “You want tiger shifter or not? I am Siberian tiger. Very powerful. I am yours for three wolves.”

  “Three? I said the two female wolf shifters.”

  Crossing his arms, Gan said, “Never mind. I will go.” He took a step back and all the cats moved forward.

  Lincoln called out, “You do realize my men could just take you or kill you.”

  Gan had considered that and hoped Scarlett was right about Lincoln building a dynasty. “True, but you lose tiger to breed and many guards. Why lose so many when trade keeps cat shifters alive?” He waited for an answer. When a tense moment had passed, Gan added, “I am here to make deal. You lose much if you do not trade now.”

  Gan gave that truth and shrugged, trying to convince Lincoln he was bored, when in truth he worried this would not work. He hoped Lincoln was desperate enough to make this deal before Scarlett showed up and ruined his plans.