Her Undercover Panther : A Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance

by Jasmine White

  “I ask myself that at least three times a day.”

  “You ask yourself what I did to deserve you?” he teased.

  She threw a pillow at him. “No. I ask myself what I did to deserve you.”

  She sat up and the sheet slipped down, revealing her smooth breasts. She didn’t move to cover herself back up.

  “They’re expecting us for dinner,” he said, taking in the sight of her. “You better get in the shower, or I can’t be held responsible for what I do with you sitting there, looking so beautiful.”

  “Maybe I’m not that hungry,” she challenged.

  “Well, I’m hungry, and you need to get out there and meet the rest of the people you’re sworn to protect.”

  She sighed heavily. “True. I guess that’s one good thing about living in the DC area; there’s a chance that we could get snowed in and not have to leave the house for days.”

  “That sounds like my kind of life,” he said, leaning down and kissing her gently, cupping her breasts in his hands for a brief moment before tearing himself away to hit the shower. He stopped, turning back to look at her again and smiling. “Pippa sent a dress over. She said you can keep it. I’ll warm the water up, but don’t take too long. They’re waiting for us, and you don’t want to make a bad first impression.”

  He went into the bathroom, turning on the shower and leaving her to decide when to get up. She threw the covers aside, grumbling to herself but still dragging herself out of bed. He was right; they were waiting for her to join them. She could go back to sleep after dinner, but for now, she had to do her job and go meet the people who would be depending on her. It was a heavy responsibility, but she wasn’t planning on taking it lightly.

  She held the dress up in front of her, delighted by the blue patchwork that looked a lot like a quilt her grandmother would have made, but was light and airy. The dress was halter style, with a wide blue ribbon that tied around her neck to hold the maxi length dress on. It was beautiful, and Tara was touched by Pippa’s thoughtfulness.

  Leaving the dress on the bed, she went to the bathroom just as Luis was getting out.

  “As much as I’d like to join you,” he said, “I don’t think the food will still be warm by the time we’re done.”

  He winked at her, grabbing her and hugging her against his naked body and planting a quick kiss on her lips.

  “You’re not playing fair,” she said, taking in the sight of the droplets of water on his bare, bronzed skin when he set her back down on her feet.

  “Neither are you,” he said, smiling at her before he left the room to dress.

  “What are you wearing to dinner?” she called after him.

  “I have some clothes,” he said.

  “That’s a shame,” she said. “I was hoping that you would wear something a little more traditional.”

  His laughter filled the tiny home, and it was still echoing against the walls when she closed the bathroom door and stepped into the shower.

  She showered quickly, enjoying the same coconut-scented shampoo that she’d had at the resort. She left her long hair hanging loose when she was done, wrapping a dry towel around it to soak up the rest of the water and walking out into the bedroom to get the dress and her shoes.

  “That’s a good look on you,” Luis said.

  She smiled at him, slipping the dress over her head and standing in front of him so he could tie the ribbon behind her neck. She put on her sandals and let her hair down, running her fingers through the long strands to pull out the tangles before braiding it into a loose braid.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “You’re not wearing any panties,” he said, his eyes fiery with need.

  “You’re right. I’m sure it will be fine. The dress is down to my ankles. No one will know.”

  “I’ll know.”

  “That’s good,” she said, smiling and grabbing his hand to pull him toward the door, “because I did it for you.”

  Luis slapped her lightly on the ass, drawing a delighted squeal from her.

  “You’re playing with fire, and you’re going to get burned,” he said.

  “That’s my plan. Don’t let me down.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  They left the house and walked hand in hand to the gathering area, enjoying the light of the full moon that washed the gravel road in front of them with bright, silver light.

  The entire village was gathered in a picnic area in the center of their little town, and already, Tara could smell the food cooking in a small building just off what she would call the square. People were laughing and talking with each other, and some were beating homemade drums while others danced.

  “This is breathtaking,” Tara said softly to Luis.

  “Isn’t it? I’m always in awe of those who can take something like being exiled to an island and make it a joyous life. These families are amazing.”

  “I don’t see any children,” she remarked, looking around.

  “They won’t bring them out until they are sure of you. GRE was very interested in our potential for children, and it was Pippa who first noticed that the interest was more than just a passing interest. From the beginning, they have hidden the children when outsiders are present.”

  “I don’t blame them,” she said, feeling the real weight of their existence for the first time. She had never lived a life where a child had to be hidden because of the DNA that ran through his veins. She couldn’t even wrap her head around living so freely, yet having to guard everything you held dear every time there was someone new in the village. “That’s a hard way to live.”

  “It is. So tread carefully these first few days. They’re taking a big step by trusting you this much right now. If you push them too fast, they’ll clam up.”

  “Maybe it would be best if I don’t even interview anyone tonight and I just enjoy getting to know them.”

  “That would be perfect.” He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head and inhaling her scent wrapped up in the coconut that still clung to her. “You have the best heart. I think that this is the perfect job for you and that you are the perfect person to save us.”

  “Thank you. That means more than you could ever know.”

  They had reached the first table, and a petite woman with a larger than life personality rushed to greet them.

  “Hi. I’m Jennie. I’m happy to see you here tonight, and if you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be happy to help.”

  Tara found that she instantly liked the woman, even though her energy made her talk so fast that Tara had to really listen to follow every word. Tara introduced herself and put her hand out for a handshake. Jennie grabbed her hand, pulling her roughly and then hugging her instead of shaking her hand. Tara laughed and hugged Jennie back, not sure what to make of such an exuberant soul.

  Jennie led them to a long, picnic-style table, and had them sit in the middle. Tara watched Jennie skip away, looking more like a child than a woman who was pushing forty.

  “She’s something, isn’t she?”

  “She is,” he said, laughing quietly. “The best part is that her mate, Sebastien, is a very terse and broody man. He has softened a lot since they paired up. She really does bring out the best in him.”

  “I think she’d bring out the best in anyone. How can you frown with her around?”

  A group of young men came toward the table, each carrying a large, carved wooden platter of fruit and vegetables in front of them; some that Tara recognized and some she didn’t. Many of the fruits had been roasted on the fire, and Tara soon learned that it was customary for fruits in this region to be cooked rather than eaten raw.

  The smells that wafted up from the trays were foreign but still delicious to Tara. Her mouth watered at the sight, and she realized that she hadn’t had an actual meal for more than a day. The table filled up with trays and people so fast that Tara was surprised to see how many people had gathered while she wa
s admiring the first tray that had been brought out.

  She looked around, surprised to see many more people than she’d expected.

  “How many people live here in the village?” she asked quietly.

  “Almost one hundred people. I’m counting the children that I know about. There are twenty or so couples, and each couple has two or three children, maybe more.”

  “I didn’t realize how many people are here.”

  “There are a lot, all living off the land and what little they had with them when they were picked up or brought here from the resort.”

  “I’m glad I came to the village. I never would have realized how many people were affected by my work if I hadn’t.”

  “I think that was Andrew’s point. He trusted you because these people need you.”

  Pippa finally showed up, sitting across from her and pulling Diego down beside her.

  “Sorry we’re late,” she said. “You should eat; it’s going to get cold.”

  “I was waiting for everyone else to start,” Tara said.

  “And everyone is waiting for the guest to take the first bite,” Pippa said. “Do you like sweet potatoes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. That brown-looking thing in front of you with the roasted skin tastes a lot like a fried sweet potato. That would be your best bet for the thing to try when all eyes are on you.”

  Pippa’s voice was so low that she had to lean forward for Tara to hear her. Tara nodded, grabbing the fruit that Pippa had indicated and taking a bite. It did taste a bit like a fried sweet potato with brown sugar on it, and it melted in her mouth as she chewed. She smiled, taking another bite, and a murmur of approval went through the gathered crowd as they began their meal.

  “What would have happened if I hadn’t liked it?” she quietly asked Luis.

  “We would have thrown you in the ocean to see if you could float.”

  He laughed at the incredulous look on her face. “I’m really just joking with you. Some might have been offended, but most people would have just written you off as an outsider. Your genuine love for a local staple makes you relatable.”

  “Got it,” she said, grabbing a second fruit and taking a bite. This one was bitter, and Tara almost spat it out but managed to swallow it. “Good night, what was that?” she asked him quietly, trying to hide the rest under the table so she didn’t offend.

  “It’s a lime,” he laughed. “We roast them with the food and squeeze the juice on the food when it’s done.”

  She laughed in spite of herself. “I guess I should have recognized it, but the skin was blackened.”

  “It’s alright. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.”

  Tara looked down the table, her face flushing when she realized that half of the people were smiling at her with obvious humor. She laughed good-naturedly, going back to the feast and talking to people between bites of food. She noticed Luis watching her more than once, but she ignored him. She was there to meet the people she would be working to help; she would deal with him later.

  CHAPTER 16

  The week went by so fast that Tara was shocked when she opened up the door to her apartment in Fort Worth after an exhausting day of travel.

  “I can’t believe we’re already back in the States. I hated saying goodbye to everyone.”

  “I know. But it wasn’t goodbye; we’ll go back soon.”

  “Are you sure about this? I feel like you’re only moving here to make me happy.”

  Luis went to her, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her forehead.

  “I would tell you if I didn’t want to move. I promise.”

  “I don’t even know where we’re going to live. I have to pack up my apartment quickly, and then we need to move somewhere close to DC. I’ll only be in the office the first few weeks, and then I’ll only go in a few times a month, so we can live pretty much anywhere.”

  “Then we have almost three weeks to ourselves before you have to report to your office. I’m sure we can find something that will make us both happy.”

  “I’m sure we can find something for both of us. Even if it’s something that makes you feel more at home, that’s fine, too. DC is my dream job, and this task force is so amazing, I really don’t need more than you, my career, and a roof over my head.”

  “What about playing violin? Maybe we can move somewhere with a small orchestra, and you can fulfill that dream as well. It’s worth a shot, right? And now that you will not be working unless there’s a need, and that will be mostly from home, you’ll have time to practice and perform if the opportunity arises.”

  “That would be wonderful, but I think I need to stick to the present and worry about my dreams later. Anywhere we move will have an orchestra, even a small chamber orchestra. So I think we should focus on finding a place to live and then dealing with other things.”

  “What about Virginia?” he asked. “I loved growing up there.”

  “We can look there. I have three weeks left, and my apartment is pretty bare. It will take me a day tops to pack it up, and everything will fit in the bed of my truck. We could pack it up tonight, but frankly, I’m just too exhausted.”

  “We can sleep tonight and hit this fresh tomorrow. I’m in no hurry. Maybe you have some people you want to say goodbye to?”

  “I don’t. I wasn’t here long. I transferred here after my stepdad died, and I haven’t really felt at home here. I’m ready for a change, and I’m hoping that my mom will want to move, too. She’s stayed in Los Angeles, and she won’t move out of that house, but I never understood why and she won’t tell me. I guess she just feels at home there.”

  Luis’ lip twitched when she mentioned her mother. She looked at him, tilting her head to the side and regarding him with a serious expression.

  “I totally forgot, but you were going to tell me what Martin told you back at GRE. I think now is as good a time as any.”

  She rummaged through her bag, pulling out the bottle of pills and taking one while she waited for him to formulate an answer.

  “Can I see those?” he asked, and she handed them over. “You said they’re for your joints, right?”

  “Yes. They’re Omega blockers or something like that. If I don’t take them, my joints feel like they do when I’m overtired. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s really not a big deal. The doctor didn’t really explain it, but he said it wouldn’t really affect my life, and taking the Omega blockers would prevent the pain from being worse.”

  Luis turned the bottle over in his hand, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Don’t think changing the subject to talk about a pill I take once a day is going to get you off the hook. What did Martin say?”

  “He told me not to let you get away, and not to worry about how the world sees us because being apart was the worst thing that could ever happen to a man who let the one get away.”

  “I don’t remember Martin ever having a wife. Maybe that’s why. He was still pining over someone he wished he hadn’t let go of.”

  “That’s true. We didn’t talk long before they took him to get medical attention, but he told me enough.”

  “So, who was the one that got away from him?”

  “I think maybe you should sit down.”

  “Alright,” she said, sitting on the sofa in her tiny living room while he sat across from her on a chair.

  “Martin was married more than thirty years ago. He had a good life and a beautiful wife. After they had been married a few years, his wife got pregnant and had a baby. He loved that child with all his heart, and he was a doting father. But the world was changing, and there was a wave of hate crimes toward shifters, people that were half human and half shifter, and those that loved shifters. Martin saw what was going on in the world and knew that it would get worse before it got better, if it ever got better. So he sat his wife down, and they made a decision. His wife fought him tooth and nail, but she finally realized that he was right, and that the safety of their only ch
ild mattered more than anything else, including their own love. So they divorced quietly, and his wife moved out of the house with their child.”

  “That’s so sad,” Tara said. “No wonder he never married again.”

  “It is. They moved to another city, and after about a year, Martin moved to the same neighborhood. He stayed close, always keeping an eye on them and secretly providing for them so that they wanted for nothing.”

  “I never knew. All those years I knew him, and I never knew what he had been through. How awful for him.”

  “Eventually, the mother remarried with Martin’s blessing, though I’m pretty sure that the new husband knew about Martin. They were close friends, and Martin was even in their wedding.”

  Luis was watching Tara’s face. Her eyebrows scrunched up, but she didn’t say a word, so he continued.

  “Martin even helped his little girl up when she fell at the wedding, scattering her basket of rose petals everywhere and causing her to dissolve into miserable little tears, thinking that she had ruined the entire wedding.”

  “What?” she whispered, but Luis didn’t stop.

  “Then, one day, he heard something in the alleyway behind his house. He looked over the fence, shocked to see a man attacking his child, his own flesh and blood. He was opening the gate when the man plunged the knife into your side, and he flew into a rage. Without even thinking, he shifted and went after the man. He saved your life, but someone saw him and reported him.”

  “Oh no,” she gasped, so much of her childhood and her memories finally falling into place. “That’s why he was gone when I got out of the hospital. I didn’t know how anyone knew about him.” She sat there, staring at her hands and replaying Luis’s words over and over in her head. “So, you’re saying that Martin is my father?”

  “He is.”

  “And my mother was the love of his life?”

  “Is. She is his Fated Mate. The pain of leaving a Fated Mate behind is supposed to drive you mad. I’m not sure how he survived the experience.”

  “But when we were on the island, why didn’t he just tell me?”