by Lola Dodge
I meant to growl, but she kept scratching just the right spot, and the sound came out as an unexpected purr. Damn.
“We’ll talk it out when you’re awake.”
We’d talk all right. But the only way I was having a conversation with this lady shaman was with claws and fangs.
Chapter Three
Angel
I scratched at Quan’s soft fur, waiting for his breathing to slow. When lids slipped over his orange-tinted eyes, I waved my team over. “He’s down.”
“He’s beautiful.” Joanna the big cat handler practically skipped to us. In addition to her massive grin, she wore her zoo uniform, a khaki-colored shirt and shorts that smelled like horses. “Are you sure we can’t—”
I cut her off before she could go on a roll about weighing and measuring again. “He’s also human.”
“But—”
I bit back the speech on shifter ethics that I so wanted to give. “Let’s just get him in the crate.” The drugs were working, but Quan’s panther form was larger than his brother’s, and it was hard to say how long he’d stay out. I wanted him locked up and away from the public by then.
Joanna and her team went to work, and it took all five of them, plus a few of the guards, to shift Quan into the carrier they’d brought.
She was right, though. Quan was beautiful.
Regardless of the glossy fur and bright eyes, he was a man and a predator who was probably less than pleased that I’d tranquilized him.
Quan springs, his eyes flashing orange and claws glinting as he barrels toward me.
I wouldn’t be forgetting that one soon.
And so much for a relaxing trip to L.A.
Maybe I should’ve asked Thunder to stay after all. He’d offered, but I couldn’t see keeping him away from D.C. when he had such important work to get back to. I was used to babysitting multiple heroes at a time; taking care of a lone panther wasn’t more than I could handle, even if Quan turned out a little more wild than expected.
I retrieved my purse from the head of security and headed to find my ride. I slipped past the drivers holding signboards with dozens of last names and beyond the crowds of families waiting to pick up loved ones. Thankfully, no one recognized me—but then, they usually didn’t, unless I was with the team. Alone, I looked more secretary than superhero.
As I stepped to the curb, a truck towing a horse trailer pulled up. Mom honked and jumped out, then wrapped me in a hug.
“I missed you, mija.” She smelled like cinnamon, and her hair hung down in long, scattered curls. Her few gray strands and skin crinkles were the only things differentiating us—I had her same brown eyes and curvy figure. If I’d been born seeing the future, I would’ve sworn the woman had cloned herself.
“Missed you too, Mom.” I gave a wry smile. “Perfect timing, as usual.” She’d even foreseen the need for the trailer, but that hardly surprised me. Clairvoyance was a handy power to have.
She winked. “I was almost late. Hector didn’t want to lend his truck, but I told him you were in trouble and the old softie handed over the keys. He says hello and hopes you’ll come for dinner while you’re in town.”
Hector was our crotchety but sweet seventy-year-old neighbor. I hadn’t seen him in years. I smiled. “I’m going to be busy, but I’ll save you a night.”
“You and your schedules.” She cupped my cheek, ignoring the indignant honking of the cars she was blocking with the trailer. “You look tired.”
“No more so than usual.” Although a headache was settling in at the base of my skull. Having to put down a game cat wasn’t helping my stress level.
“I miss you when you’re away so long.” She stroked my hair. “I know you won’t move back, but I wish you could be closer, baby.”
Mom stands at the stove, stirring a batch of spicy sofrito. She squeezes my hand on the first day of kindergarten, tears in her eyes. “You can do it, baby.” Her brown eyes gleam again as she adjusts the tassel on my UCLA graduation cap. “It’s just the beginning, Lina.”
“So do I.” Just a hug and I felt so much more grounded. Smog covered the sun and the airport air smelled like diesel, but by the palm trees and dry heat, I was home.
“Here comes your new pet.” She moved to unlatch the trailer as a team of animal handlers and security guards hauled the crate.
My new pet? I winced. Mom didn’t typically divulge the specifics of the future, but I’d learned to read between the lines, and if I wanted a new cat, I would’ve gotten a Scottish fold kitten.
Please let this be a temporary problem.
I tossed my bag into the passenger’s seat of Hector’s truck and went to supervise the loading procedure. The crate was a tight squeeze, but it fit.
Nothing less from the clairvoyant.
After thanking everyone involved for their cooperation, I promised Joanna we’d return the crate and call if I had trouble. I might have trouble, but I was banking that Quan would shift once he was in a safe space, so it was nothing she could help with.
We pulled away from the curb and I drummed my fingers against the dash. Quan was definitely a wrench in my plans, and I had half a million things to do before I met with the administrators at UCLA tomorrow.
“Go ahead and make your calls.” Mom flicked the turn signal. “We’ll be in traffic for a while.”
“I don’t want to ruin our time together with work.”
Mom waved a dismissive hand. “Your mind’s already flying off. Take care of your things first.”
I did have a lot of things. I put a call in with the feds and apologized for the scene at the airport. As I’d feared, Quan wasn’t registered. A little Manhattan Ten clout was enough to keep him in the country, but I had to promise to keep a representative with him at all times.
That would mean me until I could get him back to New York. Next, I called Panther and Ivory, letting them know I had everything in hand and I’d fill them in on the details later. Ideally one of them could’ve flown out to pick up our guest, but both were needed in court these next few days. I emailed the admin team so they could get Quan’s visa processed immediately, then left a message for the PR department to make sure they were neutralizing the panther on the loose headlines.
I called the hotel, and I called UCLA, and finally left a message updating Tank. That was it…probably.
I sank back into the seat, feeling like I’d just run a marathon. We sat in a patch of light traffic, and Mom tapped her fingers against the steering wheel in time with the reggaeton on the radio.
“You’re working too much, baby.”
“Probably.” But that was the price of working with superheroes.
She bit her lower lip, lost in thoughts. Finally, she flicked off the radio. “Would you be mad if I told you a few things?”
“Things you’ve seen?” She’d only volunteered exact details once before, and she hadn’t said as much, but I was certain she’d saved me from a fatal car accident. If she was volunteering information now, I wouldn’t brush it off.
Mom nodded, her gaze still distant. “You’re in a crossroads period.”
That didn’t sound promising. “Meaning?”
“Your future is nebulous. I see new faces arriving in your life soon—some for better, some for worse, but the details are vague. You have critical choices coming.”
“Any hints?” I appreciated the heads-up, but I couldn’t do much without more information.
“I don’t want to sway you, but…” Mom’s voice trailed. The car ahead of us pulled up a few lengths as the drivers behind us honked. I doubted she could hear the noise when she was so focused on gazing into the future. “Make the decisions that are best for you, baby, and don’t be afraid to try new paths. You’ll wear yourself out if you keep on like you have been, and you have to think about letting down your walls. I know you need to protect yourse
lf, but you can’t do it all alone.”
I wanted to give my usual I’m fine, none of that’s a problem, but if she was seeing this in the future… “I’ll think about it.” Though letting down walls was easier said than done—I couldn’t let any old person into my life.
“That’s all I can ask.” Mom’s eyes cleared, and she punched the radio back on as she caught up to the cars ahead of us. “Now, what night do you want to come to dinner?”
“You tell me.” I had full-day functions all week, and it would be difficult to sneak away between the information sessions and mixers and interviews.
“Maybe Wednesday. Maybe not. We’ll have to see how this week goes, hmm?” She pursed her lips. “What else has my girl been up to?”
I ignored the hint that my schedule was about to be derailed and focused on sharing gossip. When I wasn’t bailing Steel out of jail or peeping around Jet’s photo shoots, I’d been working on learning Korean and questing Manhattan to find stylish shoes that fit Ivory’s size 11 feet. Mom was taking a painting class and trying to seduce the nice Guatemalan man who owned the art supply store. I didn’t doubt she’d succeed, and by her saucy smile, neither did she.
When she finally pulled up to the hotel, I felt relaxed for the first time in ages. “I’ll sneak home for a visit as soon as I’m free.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Mom tapped her temple. “And I’ll pull the cat man around to the service entrance.”
“Thanks, Mom.” We exchanged a hug and kiss, and I headed to tell the hotel the bad news. The girl at the desk had to be fresh out of undergrad, and she knew exactly who I was. “Welcome to the Excelsior, Ms. Angel.”
All bright-eyed too. Too bad she had to get involved in this. “I have a bit of a strange request.”
“Of course.”
“I’m going to need you to call all of your available bellboys and staff down. I have a…package that needs to be brought to my room in the service elevator.”
No one else was around, but the girl lowered her voice. “And the nature of this…package?”
I supposed I was being suspicious. Might as well lay everything out. “One of my colleagues is having a nap in panther form. I need him brought up to my room in his crate. And I’d like to upgrade to a two-bedroom suite.” I’d booked a modest room for myself, but if I was going to have company all week, I wanted more breathing space, and I certainly wasn’t sharing a bedroom.
Her jaw dropped a bit, but she quickly snapped back to regulations and logic. “We have a strict policy against animals.”
“Technically he’s human.” But if they frowned on lapdogs, the jungle cat wouldn’t exactly be a welcomed guest. I pulled a sheet of crisp M10 letterhead from the folder in my bag and quickly scrawled a message. It always came in handy for getting the boys out of trouble. “This is my signed promise to pay for any property damages in full. You can also tell your manager that the Manhattan Ten will use this as our exclusive hotel in Los Angeles and publicly endorse it as such. Fair?” She probably didn’t have the authority to agree to such things, but I doubted she’d fight it.
She stared at the paper with saucer eyes. “I think that should be fine.”
“Good.” I smoothed my skirt. “What room should I head to?”
She handed me the keycards and rattled off the relevant information about the hotel and its services. I thanked her, and then bee-lined for the concierge’s desk. I was going to put the poor man to work. If Quan came to the airport with a suitcase, it had definitely gotten lost in the shuffle, and I wasn’t sharing a hotel room with a naked man. Going by the height on the profile the FBI had sent me and his brother’s proportions, I estimated Quan’s sizes and gave the concierge a list of the pieces I’d need as soon as they could be bought or tailored—price was no object at this point.
Then I had him order me a few extremely rare steaks and a Caesar salad from the kitchen. By the time I made it up to my room, the French doors hung open, and the sweaty and nervous-looking members of the hotel staff were depositing the crate in the middle of the formal sitting room. I scanned their nametags, making a mental note to send some hefty tips before checking out.
I thanked everyone, but they were out the door before I could finish the words. I’d expected a bit of fascination, but the staff members were either extremely well-trained or extremely wary of predators. Maybe a little of both.
I threw the deadbolt and chain on the door and pressed my ear to the side of the crate. Deep breathing was the only sound that broke the silence.
Good. I needed to get myself in order before I dealt with Quan.
I took the smaller bedroom for myself, figuring Quan would be more comfortable with the California king. The suite’s classic décor was tasteful, but delicate glass lamps and fancy vases weren’t going to cut it with a panther barreling around. I cleared all the breakables out of Quan’s room—though there was nothing I could do about the chandelier—and placed anything made of glass in the hallway. Better to put the items in storage for safekeeping.
I hung up my clothes so they wouldn’t wrinkle and spread out the files I wanted to review, all the while keeping an ear on the living room. Finally, movement rattled the crate.
“Quan?” I thought about bringing my dart gun along for show, but we needed to have an actual talk. “I’m going to open the bolts, okay?”
A grunt sounded, but I couldn’t tell what form he was in. He’d better not be cranky with me when he was the one causing havoc in airports.
I slipped free the first bolt, and the crate rattled. My stomach fluttered, but I tamped down the nerves. Panther or not, Quan was human. I should be able to reason with him.
The second bolt clicked. Another rumble.
“You’d better behave yourself.” I slid free the third bolt and heaved open the door.
I caught a glimpse of fierce orange eyes before a massive black ball of fur pounced and the weight threw me back to the carpet.
My pulse hammered.
Maybe I’d miscalculated his capacity for reason.
Quan
Angel toppled like feather. A dull thump sounded as she hit the carpet. I balanced my weight on my back paws, pinning her under my body, and holding her wrists down with my front paws. No claws yet.
But the attitude on her. Behave yourself. Like I was a naughty kitten? Panther hadn’t mentioned how annoying the woman was.
Angel’s brown eyes widened for a split-second, but I didn’t catch the scent of fear—just a jolt of panic and then she was staring me down. “What are you doing?”
I growled, moving my sharp teeth closer to her face. All I could smell was the scent of the jasmine in her tumbling dark hair.
“You can’t play the panther card with me, Quan. And don’t tell me your brother is the reasonable one. I had such high hopes for you.”
I snorted. Could she be more condescending?
“This isn’t the nicest way to repay someone for saving your literal tail.” Angel wriggled her wrists, but wasn’t struggling to get free—she knew she couldn’t unless I let her. “If you’d shift back, we could talk it out.”
Fine. We could talk.
My fur bled away to dark skin, and I changed positions as my form changed. Now I straddled her, pinning her wrists with my hands.
Her gaze slid down my body, then quickly up to the ceiling. “This would be easier if you weren’t naked and on top of me.”
“You tranqed me.” And I was enjoying the view from this angle—the long line of her neck and smooth bronzed skin that begged to be tasted one way or another.
“You were going to run.” Angel let loose a suffering sigh. “I’m not about to have a panther frolicking through Los Angeles on my watch.”
“Then why’d you open the door with a gun in your hands?”
“Please. You shot me that same flat-ears, fangs-bared expression that
Pan gives when he’s about to make trouble. And you did pounce before I fired. I gave you a chance—not that you seem to be doing me the same favor.”
I gazed down at her, calculating. She wasn’t wrong, but maybe that was why she was getting to me. I had her at my mercy, and she wasn’t even fazed.
What fun was that?
“Can we finish this conversation with you in a robe?” She kept her gaze locked on the chandelier. “Your brother might not have mentioned it, but I have a bit of a photographic memory. What’s seen can’t be unseen…”
A flush colored her cheeks and her full lips pressed into a line.
At least I had some effect on the woman. She’d barely reacted to the panther, and not even being pinned to the ground by a man twice her size got much of a rise.
Not a shaman. A robot?
And why did I have to feel fucking guilty about jumping her? She’d shot me. She could at least let me have a little fun as payback.
A knock sounded at the door. “Room service.”
Angel lifted an eyebrow. “Do you want to let them in, or should we wait like this?”
I shifted off her, and she was up in a flash and heading for the door. “Your room’s on the left and there’s a robe in the closet.”
She opened the door and I caught the tantalizing scent of steak before slipping into my room. I could safely say I was being an asshole, but everything about this place made my hackles rise. Plastic tastes and metallic smells and artificial surfaces.
Plus, infuriating women who made me feel bad for trying to let loose some steam.
I had to get the hell out before I really snapped.
Chapter Four
Angel
The door clicked behind Quan, but I had to take a moment to compose myself before I let in room service. I smoothed my hair and jacket with shaking hands.
Smooth dark skin and impossibly broad shoulders giving way to a tight waist and—
Dios mío. I pressed my hands to my cheeks, but the memory wouldn’t let go.
