Panther's Pride [Black Panthers 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Leah Brooke

  Setting her slightly away from him, he lifted her chin, his eyes dark with concern as he touched his lips to hers. “Okay?”

  Glenna nodded, hiding a smile. “Okay, but I want you to stop worrying so much. I feel great. I promise. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how no one is shifting in front of me. It hasn’t scared me since the first time you did it. I’m fine. Great, in fact.”

  Running his hands down her body, he groaned. “You look better, more rested and not as pale. Hell, you’re so lush. I just want to take a bite out of you.”

  With a smile, Glenna reached back to squeeze his ass. “I’ve had the same idea a time or two about you, especially when I get a glimpse of your naked ass.”

  Throwing his head back, Joe laughed out loud. “You’re a naughty girl. Behave yourself, at least until I can take you up on it.”

  Pressing her aching nipples against his chest, Glenna rubbed against him, delighted to find him hard. “Would you like to see how naughty?” Aroused by the image of him taking her so roughly, she touched her lips to his chest.

  Joe groaned, gripped her upper arms and pushed her away from him. “Don’t tempt me. I want you so badly, I have to keep taking cold showers. Mitch said no sex. We can make you come, but we have to be gentle.”

  Glenna’s mouth dropped open, her cheeks burning. “You didn’t actually ask him about that, did you?”

  Laughing at that, Joe ran a hand down her hair. “Of course. How the hell am I supposed to know if I don’t ask?” Running a hand down her back to her bottom, he turned her toward the bathroom. “What would you like to eat?”

  Glenna’s mouth watered. Watching him over her shoulder, she went into the bathroom. “A cheeseburger with mustard and pickles, cottage cheese with tomatoes and a strawberry milkshake.”

  Joe grimaced. “Honey, are you sure that’s what you want?”

  Grinning, Glenna wagged her ass at him. “Positive.”

  She jumped at the knock on the bedroom door, relaxing again when Mitch’s voice came from the other side. “I stopped to tell you that Graham’s starting the grill. Thomas and I are running to the store.” He chuckled softly. “I heard the list. I’ll get some things I think she’ll want—and Joshua called. He and your mate’s sister will be here within the hour.”

  Glenna gasped, her heart racing. “Fiona’s almost here? That’s wonderful!” Pausing, she glanced at Joe, wondering just what kind of mood Fiona would be in. “I hope Joshua was nice to her.”

  Joe coughed and turned away. “Of course he was. Joshua’s a very nice guy.”

  * * * *

  “Put me down, you brute!”

  Leland inwardly groaned, tightening his hold on Glenna when she attempted to jump up from his lap.

  Glenna stilled, shoving the pickle slice coated with peanut butter into her mouth. “That’s Fiona!”

  Leland kept his arm around her to keep her in place, running his hand over her swollen abdomen. He couldn’t seem to stop touching her, reassuring himself that she was really here. “No jumping up. You stay right where you are. Joshua will bring her to us.”

  Still reeling from the news that the baby seemed to recognize him, he met his mate’s frown with a raised brow, lightly rubbing her belly and back.

  When she opened her mouth, obviously to chew him a new asshole, a low growl rumbled from his chest—a warning growl that he hadn’t even meant to make—but that seemed as natural as breathing.

  Glenna gaped at him, and then narrowed her eyes, slapping at his chest. “Don’t you growl at me. I’m not scared of you.”

  Amused, and intrigued at his instinctive growl, and delighted by her response to it, he kept his expression stern. “Then stay where I put you.”

  Keeping his expression one of polite interest, he turned as Joshua carried a very angry Fiona through the doorway and into the kitchen.

  Joshua didn’t look any happier. With a snarl, he set Fiona on her feet directly in front of him and Joe. “You wanted her brought here. She’s here. Mission accomplished.”

  Watching Joshua’s face, Leland knew the exact moment his pack mate realized that Glenna was pregnant.

  To Leland’s surprise, Joshua nudged Fiona aside and dropped to his knees in front of Glenna. “Holy shit!”

  Amused at the stunned look on his usually unflappable pack mate’s face, Leland shared a smile of pride with Joe and pulled Glenna closer. “Exactly.”

  Thomas turned from putting away groceries, grinning at Joshua. “We’re trying to watch the cussing.”

  Glenna’s eyes went wide. “Damn, you’re even bigger than Leland and Joe!” Frowning, she narrowed her eyes at him. “What did you do to my sister?”

  Amused at his mate’s attempt to intimidate a man who stood a foot and a half taller, he patted her back. “Easy, my mate. This is Joshua. I don’t think you ever met him before. Joshua, this is Glenna, our mate.”

  Joshua gulped, his gaze on Leland’s hand resting protectively over her belly. “She’s pregnant.”

  Joe grinned. “Yes, she is, and Mitch says she needs peace and quiet.” His tone deepened and lowered, filled with meaning. “She’s not to be upset.”

  Getting to his feet again, Joshua turned slightly to glower at Fiona. “Good luck with that with her here.”

  Fiona put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to glare up at him. “Just because I’m not going to put up with your high-handed—”

  “Enough!” Joe got to his feet. “No fighting. Joshua came to get you because we told him to. If you’re going to be mad—be mad at us—but not in front of Glenna.”

  Shaking his head when Fiona opened her mouth to speak, he smiled. “I’m sorry, but we did what we did to get you out of a bad situation, one that wasn’t necessary for you to endure.” Raising a brow, he touched her arm. “Family is everything, and you’re family now. You belong with your sister, and that’s where you really want to be. You’re like a sister to us now. Surely, you can’t blame us for trying to protect you the way you protected your sister.”

  Fiona’s lips twitched. “Any argument I make now is just going to make me sound stupid.”

  Joe’s brow went up. “Then I guess we’re done here. Hungry?”

  Joshua smothered a rare smile. “Leland and Joe seldom lose arguments.”

  Thomas winked at Glenna. “They had to deal with all of us. They’ve had a lot of practice.”

  Leland breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that Glenna seemed more fascinated than upset. Wincing as she popped another pickle slice coated with peanut butter into her mouth, he smiled when the baby—who’d kicked at the sound of Joe’s voice—settled under his hand.

  Nodding, Fiona turned back to Glenna and smiled. “You look a hell of a lot better. How’re you feeling, honey?”

  Frowning, Glenna turned to Leland. “Everyone keeps saying that. How bad did I look before?”

  Nuzzling her neck, Leland smiled, breathing in the heady scent of his mate, a scent that had the ability to arouse him in a heartbeat while filling him with a sense of protectiveness and possessiveness that satisfied something deep inside him.

  He couldn’t imagine a life without her in it now. “You always look beautiful to me, my mate.”

  Fiona frowned. “Wait a minute. Did you call her your mate?”

  Joshua’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. You got a problem with that?”

  Alarmed when Glenna stiffened, Leland searched her features, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

  With her hands on her hips, Fiona stood toe to toe with Joshua. “That’s a ridiculous thing to call your girlfriend. Fiancée. Whatever.”

  “A mate is a hell of a lot more than a girlfriend, or even a wife.”

  “It makes you sound like an animal—and stop sniffing me!”

  Leland swung his gaze to Joe, and then Glenna’s when she stiffened again. It sounded suspiciously as if Joshua had found his own mate and didn’t care for it at all.

  Joshua bared his teeth. “Would you like to see how mu
ch of an animal I am?”

  Swinging to face Leland, Glenna gripped his arm, her eyes swimming with tears. “Please don’t let him scare her.”

  His mate’s plea, and the tears in her eyes had a low growl rumbling from his chest, his arms instinctively closing protectively around her. Lifting his gaze to Joshua’s, he shook his head. “You heard her. If you upset my mate, I’m not going to be happy.”

  Joshua eyed Glenna with new respect, a respect already established with most of the others.

  Determined to make sure the pack understood that her place here was an important one, he nodded once. “I see we understand each other.”

  Thomas touched Fiona’s arm, introducing himself. “Hi. I’m Thomas. You’ve got the same eyes as Glenna.”

  Joshua growled. “They’re darker.” With a hand on Fiona’s other arm, he yanked her away from Thomas with a glare.

  Fiona gaze swung around the room, settling on each of them as they introduced themselves before coming to rest on Glenna. “Something’s going on here. What is it?”

  Graham came through the door with a platter of hamburgers. “Sorry it took so long, Glenna. Eat up, honey.”

  Leland shot Fiona a look. “We can talk later. Right now, Glenna needs to eat in peace.”

  Although curiosity still glimmered in her eyes, Fiona nodded. “Of course. I see she’s still craving meat.” Tears glimmered in her eyes. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry I couldn’t do better.”

  Her tears seemed to clearly fluster Joshua, who rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her. “You did great. Look at her. You made sure she went to the doctor and everything. It was our fault for chasing her away in the first place.”

  “Good Lord.” Glenna layered pickles on her cheeseburger before squirting mustard all over them. “I’m fine. It’s my responsibility. I did it.”

  Leland kept rubbing her belly, knowing that the baby’s kicking upset her stomach while she ate. “I think Joe and I had a little to do with it, too, honey.” Pride had him beaming at her.

  Glenna shrugged, lifting her burger. “I shouldn’t have bothered Fiona, but I couldn’t find another job after I—” She stopped suddenly, her face red.

  “Got fired from the last one?” Joe smiled. “Yeah, we found out about that when we went looking for you. Paid a visit to your friend.”

  Glenna’s eyes went wide. “Dickson? You went to see him? Shit. What did he say?”

  Leland’s stomach tightened with anger when he thought about the position that asshole had put his mate in. “Not much. Joe knocked him out as soon as he opened his mouth. Didn’t even give me a chance to say a word.” He glared at Joe, still irritated that he hadn’t been able to pay Dickson back for what he’d done to Glenna.

  Fiona threw her head back and laughed. “Oh! I would have loved to have been there for that.”

  Leland glanced at Joshua before sharing a look with Joe. Amused at the warning glare Joshua gave each of the others whenever they spoke to Fiona, he hid a smile and reached for a burger. “I wouldn’t worry about that. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot of fights in the future.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Glenna and Fiona sat at the edge of the yard in the chairs Joe and Joshua had carried down for them, and stared up at the mountains.

  Joe made sure the chairs had been placed several feet away from the ravine, pointing to it with a frown. “Don’t get any closer to that than you are right now. The edge can be slippery and it’s a long drop to the bottom. Damn it, we’ve got to get a fence put up again.”

  Sipping the remainder of her second strawberry milkshake, Glenna waited until the two men left and glanced at her sister. “So now that we’re alone, do you want to tell me what’s going on with you and Joshua?”

  “He’s a Neanderthal. Let’s leave it at that.” Lifting a brow, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you going to tell me what everyone but me seems to know? What’s all this mate crap, and why were you afraid Joshua would scare me? What the hell do you think that big lug could do to scare me?”

  Looking back at the mountains, Glenna sighed. “You know I hate keeping secrets from you, but this isn’t mine to share. Ask Joshua.”

  “I will.” Fiona got to her feet. “You sit here and rest. Joshua said that he would unload the truck, and I want to get my things put away. I like the idea of staying with you until the baby comes, but I’ve got to start looking for a job. If Mom and Dad hadn’t sold the house, I’d stay there. Hopefully, I’ll have enough money to find a place of my own soon.”

  Glenna’s heart lurched. “Please stay until the baby’s born.” She hated to admit it, but despite Leland’s, Joe’s, and Mitch’s reassurances, the closer she got to giving birth, the more frightened she became.

  Patting her hand, Fiona smiled. “I’ll still until then, but then I have to go. You belong here, Glenna. I don’t.”

  Turning away, Fiona paused, and turned back. “Do you love them?”

  “Yes.” Emotion and hormones brought tears to Glenna’s eyes. “So much.”

  “Do they love you?”

  Glenna didn’t want her sister to worry, but couldn’t lie to her. “They’ve never said.” Leland’s comment about the baby being good for the pack still worried her. Forcing a smile, she leaned back in her chair, resting her hand on her abdomen, where the baby slept. “But, I think they do. They just don’t recognize it. They didn’t ever plan to fall in love.”

  Fiona’s brow went up. “Nobody plans to fall in love. It happens when you least expect it. That doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.” Shaking her head, she turned away again. “I’ve got to go get the truck unpacked before it gets dark. I want you to promise me, though, that you won’t settle just because of the baby.”

  Glenna smiled, finding it almost impossible to imagine her life with anyone else. “I promise—and I want you to promise me something.”

  Frowning, Fiona glanced toward the house. “What’s that?”

  Eyeing her sister thoughtfully, she allowed a small smile. “I’ve seen the way Joshua looks at you. I want you to promise me that you won’t walk away from something that’s right under your nose.”

  Fiona’s face turned fiery red. “He’s a Neanderthal.”

  “Maybe he only wants to protect you.”

  Shaking her head, Fiona smiled sadly. “Honey, that kind of man died out a long time ago. Now, they’re just assholes.”

  * * * *

  Interesting.

  Perhaps the Alphas were smarter than he’d thought.

  They wanted the child from her, but hadn’t even claimed to love her.

  He couldn’t afford to wait for the others to get here. He’d have to act alone.

  Kidnapping one pregnant woman shouldn’t be too much trouble.

  Easing his way down from the top of the ridge, he kept himself hidden in the brush, keeping one eye on the woman walking briskly back to the large farmhouse.

  He looked around, surprised that they’d left the pregnant woman alone.

  Reaching the bottom of the sharp incline, he stilled, his senses on alert. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air, his heart pounding furiously.

  The moment he’d waited for had finally arrived.

  They were here—close—which would make his revenge even sweeter.

  The light breeze gave him the advantage, the smell of paint reaching him with each gentle wind.

  Knowing it would keep them from catching his scent, he smiled as he approached her.

  * * * *

  Still thinking about the conversation with her sister, Glenna finished her milkshake and set the glass aside. Staring at the mountains, she thought about that day on the road when she first met Leland and Joe.

  She’d known at once that they would change her world, but she hadn’t realized just how much they would teach her about herself.

  She’d never known that she could be capable of loving this way. She had more than enough love in her heart for both of them.

&n
bsp; She’d never realized how hungry she’d been for family.

  She hadn’t realized that love could make her feel so powerful—and so vulnerable.

  She ran a hand over her abdomen. Their lives had become entwined forever—a bond that couldn’t be broken.

  That bond comforted her and gave her a sense of security she hadn’t anticipated. It also gave her an inner peace and strength that she hadn’t even realized she’d been missing.

  She saw things clearer now, and strongly suspected that although neither Leland nor Joe had ever said the words, they loved her.

  She smiled to herself, wondering if they even knew it themselves.

  “Excuse me.”

  Jolted out of her reverie, Glenna jerked upright and spun to her right, where the unfamiliar voice had come from.

  A man stood several feet away, his smile immediately putting her on edge. He had the same dark coloring as the rest of the pack, and had the same arrogant gleam in his eyes.

  The similarity ended there.

  She wanted to get away from him, her skin prickling with unease, but couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

  Wondering if he was one of the men who’d been away, and feeling too defenseless sitting, Glenna pushed herself to her feet. “Hi. I’m Glenna.”

  “Hi. I’m Jim. I’ve heard so much about you.” He came closer, taking her hand in his. “It’s nice to finally meet you. The Alphas sent me to get you. They don’t want you down here alone.”

  Glenna glanced up at the house, wondering why Leland and Joe hadn’t come to get her themselves. Something must have shown on her face because his smile widened. “They would have come to get you themselves but something came up that they have to deal with. They figured you’d understand.”

  Nodding, she glanced back at the house again. She certainly didn’t expect them to put aside their responsibilities to do something as frivolous and coming to get her.

  She’d known from the beginning that the pack came first, but something definitely felt wrong.