Wild Panther (Full Moon Protectors Book 4)

by Sammie Joyce

“They are!” Brigit breathed, slinking down so much, I thought she might fall under the table. “What else would they be doing here?”

  Amity’s jaw tightened but she didn’t speak, leaving me to answer Brigit’s question.

  “It’s Anticlaw. They’re here for the shifters.”

  7

  Amity

  Hearing the words aloud sent chills of apprehension through me but I kept my face even as the men flooded the floor.

  “Come on, shifter shitheads!” one of the men cooed viciously. “We know you’re in here. We know that this place is run by shifters.”

  A baseball bat smashed the glasses off a neighboring table and a woman whimpered.

  “You don’t need to do this!” someone yelled angrily. “We’re not all shifters!”

  The words seemed to have some impact on the leader of the group, his back straightening as he looked at his companions by the door.

  “You sure you can sniff them out, Boyle?” he demanded. The man guarding the entrance scowled.

  “You didn’t have to say my name, Miller,” he hissed back.

  “Gavin Boyle,” I breathed, more to myself than anyone else. He was a leopard shifter, one I knew had a long rap sheet and good issue with authority. I shouldn’t have been surprised that rogue shifters were helping Anticlaw but I was. Surprised and betrayed.

  “Can you just answer the damned question?” Miller grumbled. “Can you tell which ones are human and which ones are shifters?”

  Boyle nodded.

  “Fine. Any humans can make their way out of the restaurant,” Miller called, waving his arms toward the exit. “Any shifters get caught trying to escape, you’ll be the first to die.”

  My heart began to pound in my chest. There were at least ten shifters in the room. If all of us shifted in chorus, we could easily take out these idiots with their knives and clubs. They would be no match for us.

  But there will be bloodshed and we’ll be made out to be the bad guys.

  My eyes darted around the room but the shifters I recognized didn’t meet my eyes. I knew they were thinking the same thing I was. If we were going to do it, we’d need to do it without witnesses.

  “What are you guys waiting for!?” Brigit squeaked and I realized she and Dan were already heading toward the exit. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “Go,” I told Wes quietly. “There’s no reason for you to be here. It’s going to get messy.”

  A public ambush. This was new for Anticlaw. New and devastating. Their game was getting stronger, more violent. The Council needed to up its game to end this madness.

  “We need to get you out of here,” Wes whispered, nodding toward the kitchen entrance. I shook my head.

  “Just go,” I insisted. “There’s no need for you to be here.”

  “Amity!” Brigit yelled out as the other members of the crew began focusing their sights on the sitting guests. More dishes smashed and I heard the low growl of a wolf ready to shift.

  “I’m not going anywhere without you,” Wes told me. I gaped at him. Under any other circumstances, I might have been touched by his dedication but this was suicide.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, worry seizing my heart. I pushed at him. “Just go.”

  “Well, what do we have here?”

  It was too late. Wes was caught up in my mess now.

  The man ambled around the table, swinging a meat cleaver with a leer in his eyes.

  “Shifter filth on a date?” he asked tauntingly. “Isn’t that cute.”

  “He’s not a shifter,” I hissed, jumping from my spot to confront the man. He loomed over me by a good six inches but I wasn’t afraid—at least not for myself.

  “If that’s true, why isn’t he leaving?”

  He didn’t wait for a response, his hand covering my face to sit me down. The motion took me by surprise but before I could leap back to my feet, Wes tackled the man down. The punches came swiftly and severely as they rained over our attacker’s face.

  “Wes, stop!” I screamed, pulling him back. I managed to yank him off, Wes stumbling as the Anticlaw thug lay bleeding on the floor. Suddenly, I realized that the humans had all cleared out of the building, leaving only us alone with the group.

  More weapons flew as the shifters rose to defend themselves and I hollered out to all of them.

  “Now!” I screamed. “Shift now!”

  In a matter of seconds, we were a show of fur and fangs, our teeth countering the blades and bats intended to harm us.

  I wished I’d told them not to kill but I was just as caught up in the frenzy as the others, our security breached, our fury unchanneled.

  It wasn’t until I heard Wes yelling my name over and over that I finally allowed the red haze to fall away from my eyes. The gang had been disabled. Blood was sprayed across the walls and tables and the restaurant staff fell back to stare in horror at the scene. Slowly, I reclaimed my mortal body.

  “We really need to get you out of here before the cops arrive,” Wes told me urgently. “You and everyone else.”

  He didn’t need to tell me again. I knew he was right and we needed to go.

  “Clear out!” I told the other shifters, nodding toward the emergency exit. Gavin Boyle had also disappeared, knowing the danger he was facing now that he’d been outed as a member of Anticlaw.

  I didn’t pause to ensure the shifters were on my tail. If they knew what was good for them, they’d do as I’d instructed. They knew I was a member of the Council. It was in their best interest to heed my orders.

  Into the night we rushed, gathering with the crowd who stood in awed terror outside the restaurant to wait for emergency crews to arrive.

  “You’re covered in blood,” Wes whispered, dragging me out of sight, toward his car. I barely noticed when he piled me into the Mercedes, my hands trembling in the aftermath.

  “Are you hurt?” Wes demanded, pulling us out of the lot. I saw Brigit and Dan still waiting but I didn’t ask Wes to stop. When I composed myself, I’d send her a message.

  I guess she knows I’m a shifter now, I thought furiously.

  “Amity, are you hurt?”

  I shook my head, staring down at my hands.

  “No,” I replied. “I’m fine.”

  He exhaled and nodded.

  “They deserved everything they got,” he growled.

  “That’s not the way the public is going to see this,” I replied tersely. “We’re always the bad guys.”

  “There were enough humans to attest to what really happened,” Wes insisted. I found myself looking at him, a bemused smile touching my lips despite the gravity of the situation.

  “You should have left with the others,” I told him, trying to keep my voice stern. He cast me a sidelong look, a half-smile of his own forming on his mouth.

  “And missed the way you and the other shifters handed those bastards their asses? When am I ever going to get an opportunity like that again?”

  I didn’t answer but the beam faded from my lips and I turned my head to stare out the window into the moonlit night. Suddenly, I had a heavy feeling in my chest, one that was almost suffocating me.

  The way things are going, things like this might happen a lot more than you think. Be careful what you wish for, Wes.

  But I knew I needed to be careful too because I was glad he was there and that couldn’t be a good thing.

  8

  Wes

  I didn’t know where I was going when I started driving. All I knew was that I had to get away from the restaurant before anyone could start questioning Amity and what she was doing there. I had no idea if the Anticlaw group was dead or just badly hurt but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out. I was sure we’d hear about it soon enough.

  We were silent for a long moment as I tried to wrap my head around what had happened and it seemed like Amity was doing the same.

  “Where are we going?” she asked finally and I noticed that we had left Junction City and were heading d
own Highway 99 toward Eugene. Except in my mind, I would be moving southwest on the 569 toward the 126 and back home. It was just automatic, my car taking me back to the security of my own house, but I hadn’t thought about it until Amity asked.

  “I… I think I’m heading to Veneta,” I confessed.

  “What’s in Veneta?”

  “My house.”

  Amity nodded and settled back against the leather of the passenger seat.

  “Is your car still at the restaurant?” I asked, suddenly realizing that might pose a problem.

  “No. I drove in with Brigit.”

  I exhaled and nodded. That solved one small issue.

  “I could take you home,” I suggested, hoping that she would say no. I didn’t want to leave her alone after all she’d endured but I also didn’t want her to feel trapped with me.

  She cast me a sidelong smile and shook her head.

  “I can make my own way home from your place,” she replied lightly. I felt my heart surge, a rush of heat forging through my body.

  Don’t read too much into that, I warned myself. She probably just doesn’t want to be alone either.

  It was stunning how strong and yet vulnerable Amity seemed to me, prepared to attack and yet wanting to hide. It was as though her amygdala was in constant conflict, her nature wanting her to run for cover but her primal genetics forcing her to stay and fight to the death.

  All I wanted to do was protect her from all of it.

  “Why Veneta?” she asked unexpectedly. I peered at her in the darkness before resettling my eyes out the windshield.

  “It’s far enough away from everything but still close to the city for me to get to work,” I answered. “Do you live in Junction City?”

  “Heceta Beach.”

  The response surprised me and I laughed.

  “Well, then you know what I mean,” I offered. She smiled passively.

  “I’ve been thinking that maybe I’m a little out of the loop out there,” she confessed. “I’m considering selling my place and moving this way but…”

  She trailed off but I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say.

  But after tonight, she’s glad to be out of the way.

  “It’s gorgeous along the coast,” I offered, wanting to pull her mind away from the events of the night. “I thought about buying a lot out there before I bought this one.”

  “You bought the lot or the house?”

  “The lot. I built the house.”

  Amity couldn’t hide her amazement and I chuckled.

  “I’m handier than I look,” I told her.

  “I thought you were an accountant or something,” she gasped. I gave her a feigned scowl.

  “Financial consultant,” I corrected. “And can’t nerds know how to build stuff?”

  “I-I didn’t mean that,” she stuttered and I laughed again.

  “My father was in construction,” I explained. “I learned everything there is to know about building. I think he was disappointed when I opted for a career in finance, not skilled labor.”

  I paused, my eyes narrowing slightly as I realized something for the first time.

  “I think in some ways, I built the house as a tribute to him.”

  “That’s very sweet, Wes,” Amity murmured. “He must have been very proud.”

  I shook my head, a grimace overtaking my features as I steered the car off the highway toward my property line.

  “He never got to see it. He died just after I graduated college.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  A heavy silence fell over the car, a pang of hurt slicing through my chest at the memory.

  Dad would have hated the shifters, I thought ruefully, a bittersweet amusement touching me. The man had loathed anything that wasn’t “normal”.

  “Holy hell… is that your house?”

  The Mercedes had come to a crawl as I pulled into the long driveway, activating the garage door to let us through. Unexpectedly, I thought of Vero. I hoped she wouldn’t do a surprise drop-by that night.

  I’m doing nothing wrong, I reminded myself and I realized I didn’t feel guilty in the least. Veronica and I weren’t exclusive, never had been. She may have wanted more but I had always been clear with her. And Vero had certainly never made me feel anything like Amity did. The panther’s nearness alone was driving me over the edge. All through dinner I had fought the urge to steal a kiss, knowing it wasn’t the time or place.

  But in a few minutes, we’d be in my house, away from Dan and Brigit’s prying eyes and alone.

  Don’t pressure her. She’s got a lot on her mind.

  Even if I didn’t get that kiss, I knew I wouldn’t be upset. I was enjoying every second I had with Amity.

  “You really built this place by yourself?” Amity demanded, opening the car door and shaking her head in disbelief.

  “Well, I mean, most of it. Of course I had help with the plumbing and electrical and whatnot but… yeah, I did.”

  I couldn’t help but let a note of pride sneak into my voice. Amity turned her eyes on me admiringly and another jolt of energy shot through me. I felt like I would always be electrified by her looks alone.

  “Come in,” I urged. “I’ll show you around.”

  I unlocked the side door and we entered through the kitchen.

  “Alexa, turn on the hallway lights and play my playlist,” I instructed the device.

  “Activating Wes’ playlist and turning on hall lights.”

  “That’s fancy,” Amity commented, laughing as she stared at the speaker.

  “Alexa? Not really. It was on sale for twenty-five bucks at Walmart over Christmas.”

  Amity giggled, staying close on my tail as I led her through the house to show her my handiwork.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “Something tells me you haven’t stepped foot inside a Walmart in your entire adult life.”

  I spun, a fake offended look on my face.

  “What are you trying to say? That I’m some kind of elitist?”

  Amity cocked her head back and met my eyes squarely.

  “Maybe,” she teased. “But I do like your taste in music. I often play Chopin when I’m working at the museum. It helps me think.”

  “They say that music stimulates the senses,” I offered, wracking my brain for a citation on the subject, but my brain wasn’t the search engine I’d hoped.

  “I believe it,” Amity replied. She dropped her eyes demurely. I cleared my throat.

  “So… uh, did you want to see the rest of the house?”

  She nodded eagerly, raising her head to meet my eyes.

  “Yes, please,” she replied. “I’ve never been in a homemade house before.”

  “Then let me do the honors of devirginizing you,” I chuckled. I didn’t miss the blush on her cheeks and I filed it away for later.

  * * *

  We started at the kitchen, working down the left hallway, and passed the sunken living room toward the study. I could feel Amity’s amazement as she stared at my home, each room impressing her more.

  “It’s like a horseshoe!” she realized as we walked along the hallway and curved upward to where the bedrooms were nestled in the back.

  “I thought it might be lucky to design it that way,” I replied.

  And right now, I feel pretty damned lucky.

  I pursed my lips together so as to not say the words aloud.

  “Guest room one,” I offered, opening the door. This room had its own bathroom and private patio overlooking the back of the lot. The second guest bedroom had a half bathroom and sliding glass door but no deck.

  “You could rent this out as an Airbnb,” Amity sighed. “There’s so much space.”

  I shook my head vehemently.

  “No way,” I replied. “I don’t like people in my personal space.”

  “Me neither!” she agreed, nodding. “In fact, I always thought that Airbnb thing was weird.”

  I closed the secon
d bedroom and paused at the master, pushing open the door.

  “Wow!”

  Amity almost pushed me aside to get a better view of my suite. It was four rooms in one. As we entered, the sitting room boasted a full settee and sofa, and a forty-seven-inch television mounted on the wall. A bar fridge sat next to the sofa, coasters on the marble coffee table for those beers and waters inside. Beyond the front room was the bedroom. A seven-piece bathroom with a jacuzzi was directly to the right, the walk-in closet on the opposite wall. In the center was a four-poster bed, elevated like a king’s throne.

  “You really don’t do anything halfway, do you?” Amity asked, awe overcoming her face.

  “I like to think not,” I replied. She stopped walking, her eyes taking in every detail of the bedroom until her eyes rested on my face.

  My pulse quickened as I read the look in her eyes, my mouth parting slightly as she stepped toward me.

  “Wes…” she murmured. “Thank you for staying with me in the restaurant.”

  It was the first mention she’d made of the events since leaving the restaurant and I was relieved she wasn’t avoiding the subject.

  “I wouldn’t have left you there,” I told her firmly. “No matter what.”

  “You could have been hurt or killed.”

  “So could you and how would that look?”

  She blinked.

  “What?”

  “I mean, can you imagine if anyone caught wind of what happens when you go out on a date with me? I’d be finished in these parts.”

  She stared at me for half a second before bursting out laughing and I joined her, glad she could tell I was teasing.

  Without warning, she slipped her arms around my neck and drew me down toward her, bringing my lips to hers. Instantly, my body melded with hers, feeling the sweetness of her mouth in the very core of my body.

  She tasted better than I could have dreamed.

  My arms snaked out to pull her closer and Amity drew her head back to look at me coyly.

  “What?” I asked, my breaths escaping in short rasps.

  “Let’s see if you finish everything you start,” she whispered.