Little Panther
Page 6
No. No. Nononono. She couldn’t.
“CATHAN!”
The words ended on a growl before the man behind him screamed and the gun fell to the ground. He could smell blood. The other two men reached for their weapons.
He watched as the most beautiful tiger he’d ever seen leaped over him and dug her claws into the man’s chest. Then she pounced on the last man. The tiger was all golden fur and stripes. And fangs and claws. Aw hell.
“Josie?”
She turned around and glared at him, her tail twitching as she snarled. Holy Hell she was gorgeous.
“Kitten? Can you step away from the man? He’s dead, OK?”
She bared her teeth, glancing down at the man still on her claws.
“I know, but he’s dead. Let him go and come to me, OK?”
Her tail twitched in irritation, but she chuffed and stepped toward him. He grinned, holding her head in his hands.
“You’re a gorgeous tiger, kitten, but can you come back to me? Just think about your human body, all right? Just breathe for me.”
She closed her eyes and he watched as her body slowly transformed back into her human form. She blinked, shaking her head like she was trying to clear it.
“That… That was…”
He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. He needed her scent. Needed to know she was OK. “Kitten, you scared the hell out of me.”
“I just reacted.” She blew out a breath before rubbing against his chest. “I didn’t…didn’t even know how to do it.”
“Hey, hey.” He took her head between his hands. “I’m not mad. Hell, I’m impressed. Do you know how long it took me to shift the first time? You did it within hours. That’s amazing, kitten.”
She smiled. “I guess I really am your kitten now, huh?”
“You would’ve been no matter what. You’re mine.” He nuzzled her neck. “My kitten.”
She nodded. “I am. As long as you’re mine too.”
“Forever, Josie. Forever.”
EPILOGUE
Greg Little sighed as he sipped at the whiskey in his glass. The bar was crowded and loud but at least it was an escape for a bit.
He ran a hand over his face. His sister could’ve died and it would’ve been his fault. Hell, if not for Cathan claiming her, she would’ve been dead. He just couldn’t leave well enough alone and let this shit stay buried like it belonged.
He wanted to laugh at how pitiful he felt. He’d only wanted some answers. He hadn’t wanted to put his sister in danger like this. The worst part was he wasn’t any closer to answers. Every lead had come up empty and left him with more questions.
He took another sip of his drink, emptying the small glass.
Three weeks. It had been three weeks since the attack and nothing else had happened. None of his contacts were talking to him, and Josie was fine. Hell, by all accounts, she was better than fine.
He was happy for her, really. Even if the idea of her being mated made his skin crawl. She was still his baby sister after all.
The worst part of everything was the lack of answers. He still didn’t know why his parents were targeted. Didn’t know who had sent those attackers after her. Cathan had said they’d mentioned a boss, but none of the attackers were talking because they were dead.
At least Josie was safe for now. Cathan would protect her.
“You gonna just mope all day? Or do you need a drinking buddy?”
Greg blinked and looked to the side to see Cathan smirking at him. Greg narrowed his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be with Josie?”
Cathan shrugged as he sat on the stool beside him. “She wanted a night with her girlfriends. Have you met them? They’re loud.”
Greg snorted out a laugh. “Yes, I have, and yes they are.” He shook his head. “Still, are you OK leaving her alone?”
Cathan sighed. “No, not really, but as she pointed out—multiple times, by the way—she’s kind of stronger now. Plus, she’s not alone.” He glanced at Greg. “Besides, she was worried about you. We were worried about you. You OK?”
Greg downed the rest of his drink before answering. “Am I really supposed to answer that?”
“Yeah, and you know you can’t lie to me.”
“Damn it.” He leaned back a little to look at the ceiling. “No, I’m not OK. If you hadn’t been there…”
“But I was, because you made sure I would be, Greg. I was doing what you told me to. Hell, I wasn’t even the one that took them out, you know that.”
Yeah, he did, but that didn’t make it better.
“Besides,” Cathan continued. “She’ll be fine now. She’s a hell of a tiger.”
The dreamy way Cathan said it almost made Greg groan. “Could you not think about my sister like that in front of me? Thanks.”
Cathan chuckled. “Sorry, man. Can’t help it.” He sobered. “By the way, are you gonna tell her, or should I?”
Greg tilted his head. “Tell her what?”
Cathan tapped his nose. “You forgot about my sense of smell, huh? You know what I mean, Greg.” He tilted his head with a knowing look. “I should’ve realized it earlier, but I think I was too distracted by my mate to pick up on it. Plus, with all the time you spend around us, who knows? Maybe I was scenting someone else. But I’m not, am I?”
Greg winced. “Hell…”
“Yeah. So…are you gonna tell her you’re a shifter now or should I, wolf?”
About the Author
Marie Cole lives with her soon to be husband and three cats. In her free time, she knits, plays video games, and thinks of even more characters to write about.
Discover more about Marie Cole here
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormariecole
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
EPILOGUE
About the Author
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