Leopard's Run

by Christine Feehan

  Temnyy leapt after her as if shot from a gun. Ashe glanced over her shoulder, saw the large leopard, and her laughter and small squeal of alarm floated back to him. She had to stop to shift. She hadn’t practiced enough yet and Timur made a mental note to make certain she did so as soon as possible. Sometimes the difference between life and death was just a few seconds.

  The big male raced after his mate and caught up with her at the first edge of the trees. It was cool and quiet in the small grove and she was already exploring, running from tree to tree to rub her scent everywhere. Temnyy found Godiva just as tempting as Timur found Ashe. He paced beside her, scent-marking over every place she rubbed to tell the other males he was there, and she belonged to him.

  They found several puddles, but mostly there were leaves and the occasional downed limb. She crouched, and he covered her, over and over, every fifteen minutes or so, throughout the night. They rested side by side. Sometimes Temnyy lay beside Godiva and other times he paced around her, restless and a little edgy, as if he’d caught the scent of trouble but could never quite tell where it was coming from. Then Godiva would be up again, and he would forget everything but his female in need.

  Hours later, morning light began to streak through darkness, and Timur nudged at Temnyy, telling him it was time to return to the estate. He had left Gorya in charge of Fyodor’s security, and there was a part of him that was a little anxious. He hadn’t liked having Evangeline’s family there while he was gone, but there was no way to tell Godiva her heat was coming at an inconvenient time.

  The two leopards walked beside each other toward the outer edges of the grove. Tree branches overhead formed a cool canopy in the very early morning hours. Birds flitted from branch to branch and squirrels chattered. Temnyy bent his head to sniff at a lizard as it crossed his path. Something hit the bark of a tree in front of the leopard, slicing through fur right between his ears. The sound was just behind it, a distinct report that was unmistakable. At once the leopard reacted, jerking to one side, slamming into the smaller female, knocking her back toward the center of the grove.

  Godiva didn’t need another warning. She ran, staying low, moving into the shadows, and finding grass where she could blend much easier. Temnyy stayed close to her and he too dropped to the ground.

  The shot came from the east, Timur told his cat, falling into his calm resolve. Leave Godiva here and work your way around so we can get the shooter.

  Temnyy relayed his impressions to his female. She stubbornly refused to remain hidden in the brush while he took chances. She was adamant that she could help.

  Timur swore under his breath. Of course, Ashe would refuse to hide from danger. Persuade her, Temnyy.

  He didn’t have to tell the male cat twice. The leopard swiped his paw at his mate, a warning few female leopards would ignore. Then the big cat began to belly crawl through the grass. Twice more the high-powered rifle spit bullets, but the shooter was fishing, hoping the cats would break and run. Once, the bullet hit close to Godiva, but she didn’t so much as flinch. The second bullet was farther away from both leopards.

  Temnyy had plenty of experience moving in short grass without being seen. He had endless patience. He used the freeze-stalk method that was so successful, moving inches and coming to a complete halt. His eyes might be blue, but at that distance, they would be lost in a sea of spots. The cat had the perfect camouflage and he used it to his utmost advantage.

  Timur had an idea where the shooter was and directed Temnyy toward that spot. It was a good distance away, almost to the other side of the grove. The male leopard took his time, unhurried by the sun coming up and light filtering through the grove. Fifteen minutes later, the cat heard a vehicle start up and then the sounds faded as if it had driven off.

  Still, the leopard was careful, making his way to the blind in the tree where the shooter had been. Timur swore again. There was no scent. That pointed the finger at Evangeline’s family, but there could have been a member of the hit squad they missed. He let Temnyy take his time, sniffing everywhere, following the tracks back to the place where a vehicle had been parked. The trail ended there. The SUV had driven off on the main road leading to the grove.

  Timur shifted and tracked back to the tree where the shooter had been, closely examining the ground and then the tree itself. There were no shells left behind, but he found fur caught in the bark where a leopard had gone up the tree. That leopard had been Amur. He held the fur to his nose and inhaled. The scent-blocker had faded enough that he caught an elusive scent. He stiffened and took a long look around.

  Temnyy, I’m going to throw this fur on the ground. You smell it. I want you to tell me if I’m wrong.

  He placed the fur carefully in the root system of the tree and shifted, allowing his leopard to take over their form. The male took his time, but he knew they’d smelled that scent before, and just recently. The shooter had left his stench behind when he’d come to visit with the other cops. Anton Lipin had been sent from Russia by Lazar. There was no other explanation. He might have already been established in law enforcement, but he was on Lazar’s payroll.

  Temnyy made his way back to Godiva. She rose the instant she saw him, her tail twitching. The two leopards rubbed against each other and then headed back to the Jeep. Ashe was stumbling with weariness by the time she shifted and climbed onto the seat.

  “It’s light.”

  “I see that.” Timur swung into the driver’s seat, his gaze moving over her face and body. She had a few bruises on her, several red marks and one or two strawberries. It was the best he could hope for under the circumstances.

  “We don’t have any clothes.”

  “Baby, you’re telling me things I already know. What’s the big deal? We’re still on the property, and I’ll drive right to the back door of the guesthouse. We won’t need to steal away out the window.”

  She heaved a sigh. “Who shot at us?”

  “I’m not certain who he is in all this.” It was a lie blended with the truth, and she was too tired to notice.

  “He didn’t leave clues behind, did he?”

  “Sooner or later, I’ll figure it out.” He had a prisoner waiting to be interrogated. He’d know everything he needed when he was finished with the man.

  The Jeep bumped over a few ruts and Ashe crossed her arms over her breasts and put her hand back against the seat, closing her eyes. He wanted to gather her close and hold her to him. She looked completely worn-out. They drove through the vineyards, Timur avoiding the few workers that moved through the plants, checking to make certain there was no pests or damages. He circled away from the human soldiers and brought the Jeep behind the guesthouse.

  Ashe appeared to be asleep, but she woke when he turned the key and the Jeep went quiet. She looked around her, blinking. “Amazing. We actually made it without anyone seeing us.”

  He got out and went around to her. “You’re gorgeous, woman. I’ve never understood why a woman wanted to hide her body, especially from men. We like looking at you.”

  He opened the door and inhaled, just to make certain no one had been in the residence since they left it. The house smelled of sex. Of pheromones. Of leopard. Not the enemy. He stepped back to allow her inside.

  Ashe walked straight into the kitchen to find a bottle of water. She drank the entire contents. Timur made another mental note to make certain he gave her water after their marathon sex sessions. He went on through to the bathroom, snagging his phone, and turned on the tap to run her bath. For the first time, he found himself anxious to get her to sleep so he could leave. He needed to find out everything there was to know about the man who had tried to kill them. He sent a warning to his brother and cousins that at least one sniper was in the area and active. He didn’t give them the name, just to be safe. He would in person.

  The others are arriving soon for a meeting. We need any information you can get from our friend. Their friend was their prisoner.

  Timur scowled at his brother’s te
xt. Like he didn’t already know that. I have to take care of my woman first. She needs care, Fyodor. Our friend is still going to be there and the longer he waits, the more anxious and cooperative he becomes.

  How much time do you need with Ashe?

  That set Timur’s teeth on edge. Would Fyodor ever neglect Evangeline? The answer was no. Never. As long as it takes. When do the others arrive?

  Jake sent the plane for them and it should be here by ten this morning.

  Timur sighed. Ashe is asleep on her feet. As soon as she’s down, I’ll see to our friend. After that, I have no idea how long things will take. You can entertain our visitors while I talk with him.

  Ashe wandered in. Up close, he could see more bruises forming on her skin. He skimmed his finger down one and tossed his phone on the sink counter. “I’m sorry, baby. I thought I was careful.”

  She glanced down at her body. “You were incredibly gentle under the circumstances. I just hope the two of them settle down for a few hours and give us a rest.” She yawned. “I’m so sleepy I don’t know if I can stay awake long enough to take a bath.”

  He caught her wrist and tugged when she turned back toward the bedroom. “If you fall asleep in the bathtub, Ashe, I’ll put you to bed.”

  She wrapped one arm around his neck and leaned into him. “Thank you for being so sweet to me, Timur. I don’t know what I expected, but you kept me from being afraid.”

  He frowned, unable to discern exactly what she’d been afraid of. “I think the shooter was after Temnyy. The initial shot was to take him out, not Godiva.”

  “I don’t know about that, I guess that should have made me afraid, but mostly, it made me angry. Whoever was shooting at us was doing so from a distance. What a coward.” She stepped into the bathtub and slid down until the hot water was up to her neck. “I meant I was afraid of Godiva and Temnyy getting together. It was … intense.”

  He turned off the taps and sank into the water with her, letting it soothe the aches in his muscles. “Leopard sex is always intense. It’s never easy, baby, not even later, when she’s not in heat.”

  “The leopards are still going to want to be together physically? I thought leopards only were with each other when the female was in heat.” She ducked her head under the water to soak her hair, came up and slicked it back off her face and then leaned back against the porcelain. “My parents never talked about that side of it.”

  “We’re shifters. We’re not quite human, and they aren’t quite leopard. We have different rules and different needs.”

  “I guess that makes sense, but seriously, they’re going to have to slow down. I thought I was in good shape, but I feel like someone took a baseball bat to my body.”

  His heart stuttered. “You should have told me it was that bad.”

  “What were you going to do? Godiva gets hot and she makes me that way. I can’t seem to control myself any more than she can. I don’t know why I’m such a baby. Every other female shifter has to have similar experiences.”

  They weren’t his woman. Women were different, and she had a small frame. His male was big. He was big. He dwarfed her in size the way Temnyy dwarfed Godiva. He should have considered that. She’s feeling battered, Temnyy, he chided the male. You should have taken more care with her. He was really angry with himself, not his cat. It was his responsibility to take care of her and under the circumstances, with her heat driving them, he didn’t seem to have much in the way of control.

  His leopard ignored him. The cat was driven by his nature. “Those other women aren’t you, Ashe. You’re mine. I don’t like you hurt.”

  Her lashes fluttered, lifted and those amber eyes were focused on his face. “You steal my heart, Timur, every single time.”

  She smiled at him, and he felt that pierce through his armor easily, mostly because she’d stripped him of every shield. He was left naked and vulnerable, completely exposed to her.

  He didn’t reply, but he did take the cloth and soap to wash her carefully. He rinsed her hair and then helped her stand. Drying her hair wasn’t easy, so he just wrapped it in a towel while he dried off her body. She didn’t try to help. She just stood there for him, looking as if she might fall over any minute.

  “I’m in love with you, Ashe,” he said. “I’m not offering you a lot in the way of white picket fences and social status, but I can tell you I’ll love you with every breath I take. I know no other man will love you better.”

  Her amber eyes didn’t leave his face. “I’m very grumpy in the mornings, Timur.”

  “You are?”

  She nodded solemnly. “And I’m a terrible cook. Worse, I have no real desire to learn. You know how they show the little woman with the apron in her kitchen waiting anxiously for her man to come home?”

  “I’ve seen that, yes.”

  “That is never going to be me. If you’re really, really lucky, I might make you a sandwich and even then, I can’t promise that it will taste good.”

  “I see.”

  “I totally lied when I said I’d take cooking classes. That’s never going to happen.”

  “I was fairly certain of that.”

  “There’s more.”

  He picked her up, cradling her close to his chest as he carried her through to the bedroom. “I don’t know if I can take more.”

  “You might as well know the worst.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m a terrible driver. I never really learned properly, and I’ve had several wrecks.”

  “Several?” He placed her in the bed and pulled up the covers.

  She nodded solemnly. “Six. And three other near misses. One that might have been a wreck, because I rear-ended him, but he didn’t want to exchange information.”

  Timur tried not to be alarmed. It was also difficult to keep a straight face. “I think we’ll be getting you a driver.”

  “That might be best.”

  He lay down beside her, one arm locking her close. “Go to sleep.” He kissed the back of her head. She didn’t make a sound, other than her even breathing.

  16

  TIMUR backed away from the mess that had been their enemy. He despised having to kill a leopard, especially one that had shifted in order to protect its human counterpart. The leopard had been particularly savage and in order to survive, Timur’d had to use lethal force.

  There were blood spatters on his torn clothing and the shoes he’d hastily kicked off. Ignoring his men, he went straight to the shower. His clothes would be burned along with everything else that might provide any connection to the disappearance of one Gavyn Zherdev, young for belonging to a hit team, but no less determined. Gavyn had started out posturing, all bravado, like so many others before him.

  Timur let the hot water pour over him, knowing it would wash away the surface blood from his skin, from his hands, but it would never touch what had seeped inside him. He pressed his forehead to the wall of the shower cubicle. His woman would take his reaction as proof of him not being psycho, but he wasn’t certain. Why kind of man could do the things he could do without ruining his heart or his soul?

  Gavyn’s bravado had given way to screams of defiance. Timur was used to that, so used to it he became bored by it, expecting it, knowing it was only another layer he had to peel away—and he’d done so. He was expected to extract the information that this man had. They’d needed to know everything he could tell them about the enemy’s plan. He’d personally needed to know how much danger his woman was in.

  Gavyn had originally come to kill Ashe. He was not to put a bullet in her head. He was to kidnap her, the team would use her, and then they would send her back to her grandfather in tiny pieces. He had been part of the original team sent by Lazar. His orders had been to keep her alive as long as possible, so she felt every bit of Lazar’s wrath. Mostafa’s granddaughter had to be taught a lesson, just as his son and whore of a wife had been taught.

  Timur had needed to delve deeper, and he’d told Gavyn that. An entire hi
t squad after one small woman? So far at least five of their team had been killed. Would Lazar send six of his best men to do a job like the one he’d described? He always asked his questions in the same, soft tone, pacing, because these kinds of interviews always made his leopard restless.

  Temnyy’d hated this man with every cell in his body. He’d wanted to get to him, rip him apart, devour him and then spit him out. This man had come to kill his mate’s counterpart. That was not to be endured lightly. Usually, when Timur had to interrogate someone, at his command his leopard stayed as far away as he could, curling up, trying not to hear anything said or done. This had been different. This man had come to take something precious from him—his mate. That was not to be tolerated, and Temnyy had refused to stand down.

  Timur had barely been able to control his cat, and the snarling posturing had been much more difficult than normal. He’d looked at his prisoner, heat banding over his eyes as Temnyy leapt again and again for the surface.

  Stop. You are not making this any easier.

  Give him to me. I will tear him apart.

  I need information. Much more than this. Leave me alone so I can extract it.

  Temnyy had refused to speak to him again, had just sent him a sulky, mulish snarl, but he’d retreated a short distance. Timur once more had turned back to his prisoner.

  Lazar had gotten word that his son, Mitya, was there in the States and his nephews Fyodor, Timur, Sevastyan and Gorya were there as well. Immediately, Ashe had become Lazar’s second concern. He no longer wanted her dead. Not yet. He wanted her taken alive and held along with Evangeline, so his nephews could see the women tortured, raped and killed. He was preparing a special death for them all.

  Timur had paced away from Gavyn. He hadn’t been able to kill him yet. He had to be careful. With his back to him, he’d asked who had given Lazar the information that his sons were close by. The answer hadn’t surprised him, although the time it took to get the information had. Ulisse had sold them out to Lazar, seeking favor with his fellow trafficker. Right on the heels of that, Apostol Delov had confirmed they were alive and living in the United States.