by Tami Lund
“He was following them that day,” Brendon explained. “When he decided it was the right opportunity, he overrode their control on the car, turned it right into the path of the semi heading in the other direction. Then, while the semi driver sat in his seat crying and blubbering, he shifted, ran up to the scene, shifted back, unhooked whatever he’d rigged onto their car in the first place, then shifted into an animal again and took off. He fled the scene before the cops and emergency vehicles even arrived.”
“Guess you’re not such a conspiracy theorist after all,” Josh said to his cousin. He couldn’t say anything else, couldn’t say anything more to acknowledge Brendon’s words at the moment. His emotions were running too hot as it was. He needed to ensure Rachel’s safety, hopefully bring her back into his life, then, only then would he deal with this new discovery. Maybe he could finally mourn his parents and move on. But first, he had to find Rachel, had to make sure Pantera didn’t kill her, too. So many lives lost, all because the man wanted the greener grass on the other side of the fence.
“I’m sorry, man,” Brendon said, but Josh was distracted when Matt pressed the brakes, slowing the vehicle. He glanced out the windshield, saw a cluster of emergency vehicles blocking the road ahead of them.
“What’s going on?”
“No idea.”
“Thanks, Brendon. I’ll call you back with an update, when we have one,” Josh said, wanting to get off the phone.
“Later, man. If you need us, we’re ready to head to wherever you’re going.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
He disconnected the call while Matt maneuvered the vehicle into a nearby parking lot, per the instructions from the police officer directing traffic. Josh watched the scene of the accident with dispassionate interest, until his gaze alighted upon the single vehicle with the crushed left front bumper, parked in the middle of the street.
“Wait. Stop. Pull over.” He clawed at the seat belt, jerked open the door, and rushed toward the cluster of uniformed personnel. He could hear the pounding of shoes on pavement behind him, indicating Matt followed.
“What happened?” he asked the first police officer he came to.
The guy’s gaze swept over him and hardened before he waved Josh away and told him to stay back from the scene.
“What happened?” he asked again.
“Car accident. Hit and run. Now stay back.” The officer turned his back on Josh.
“That car.” Josh reached for the cop’s arm. “My—my—”
“His girlfriend was driving a car just like that one,” Matt interjected.
“Do you know where she is now?” the police officer asked, suddenly interested in what Josh and Matt had to say.
“What do you mean? Isn’t she over there?” He pointed at the crushed car.
“Car’s empty. And whatever hit it is gone. We’re trying to figure out what the hell happened.”
Josh’s gaze swept the scene again, and then he grabbed Matt by the front of his shirt and pulled him toward a nearby alley.
“What are you thinking?” Matt asked.
“I’m not sure. I hope I’m not right. But I think I got a whiff of shifter.”
“Not good.”
“Nope. Let’s go see for ourselves.” They stepped deeper into the alley and both shifted into the form of housecats. A moment later, they darted out of the alley and ran toward the accident scene. They managed to sniff around for a few minutes before a police officer shooed them away and they returned to the alley to shift back into human form.
“Rachel was there,” Josh immediately said. “That was her blood on the road.”
“And Pantera,” Matt confirmed.
“I smelled fear. Her fear. He has her.”
Josh dug his phone out of his pocket. “What are you doing?” Matt asked. They ran toward the Escalade, and he jumped into the driver’s seat, while Josh spoke into the phone, summoning the pack to a meeting.
“I want every damn shifter in the pack at my house in one hour. Every damn one,” he barked at Cal, who was on the other line.
“Even Pantera?” Matt asked when he disconnected the call.
“He’ll come. If everyone else is coming, he won’t have a choice.” Josh’s voice was grim. He was forcing Pantera’s hand, and he knew it. This could go either way. He only hoped whatever happened, Rachel came out of this unscathed.
Less than an hour later, just as Matt guided the vehicle up the drive toward Josh’s home, his phone vibrated. He slid it out of his pocket. Pantera’s name flashed on the screen.
“Pantera.” His tone was clipped. Matt cast him a furtive glance, but Josh did not look his way.
“Hello, Tigre.” Pantera’s voice purred through the cellular lines. “I believe I have something of yours.”
“What’s that?” Josh said coolly.
“A woman. A human woman. Quite easy on the eyes, despite not being a shifter.”
Josh closed his eyes against the pain and frustration swamping him. Pantera had her. He had her. And if the bruises he’d left the last time were any indication, he would have no problem whatsoever hurting her again. He took a deep breath. And lied through his teeth.
“She isn’t mine. In fact, as I understand it, she’s yours. Jeremy says you threw her at me as a distraction. Thanks for that, Pantera. She was a good lay, and I admit, she distracted me for a minute. But I’m over it now. I’ve moved on.”
The line fell silent, save for Pantera’s heavy breathing. Josh waited, holding his breath, wondering if he’d made the right move, or if he’d just pushed the other shifter over the edge. Matt had been telling him for years the man was crazy. Brendon had said Jeremy thought he was losing his mind, too. Josh should have dealt with the fucked-up shifter a long time ago.
“Liar!” Pantera shrieked over the line. “Liar!” There were muffled noises and then suddenly a scream rent the air. Josh’s fist crushed the glove box and Matt cursed and slammed on the brakes. They parked in the circle drive in front of Josh’s house.
“Did you like that, Tigre?” Pantera asked, back on the line and back, apparently, to being calm. “She didn’t. She looks to be in some serious pain at the moment.”
“What the fuck did you do to her?”
“Let’s just say she may not be able to use all ten of her fingers for a while.”
“You bastard. What the hell do you want?” All pretenses that he didn’t care about her were gone. He cared. Too much. If Pantera hurt her one more time…
“I think you know the answer to that question,” Pantera replied sweetly. “But I’m not going to make it easy on you, not anymore. You and your family have fucked with my life too damn much for me to make this easy for you.” He paused, and Josh waited, unable to fathom what the madman had in store.
“Dusk,” Pantera said after a moment. “At this address.” He rattled off an address located only a few miles from Josh’s home. “Invite the pack. We’re going to have a public challenge. See you there.” He disconnected the call.
“Shit,” Josh punched the dented dash again. When Matt inquired, he said, “We’re to have a public challenge. At dusk. Winner gets the pack.”
“No sweat,” Matt said emphatically.
“It’s too damn obvious,” Josh mused. “He knows he can’t win. I’ll crush him.”
“Oh hell,” Matt said as comprehension dawned.
“He has something planned.” Josh picked up the phone and dialed his friend Tanner’s number. Whatever happened, he had a bad feeling someone would need a healer.
He could only hope it would be Pantera.
Chapter 19
A makeshift arena had been constructed in the backyard of a home not quite as opulent as Josh’s mansion. Tiki torches had been positioned every few feet, staking out the area. There was even a small section of white folding chairs, for those who wished to sit during the public challenge—whatever the hell that was.
At the far end of the arena was a thick wooden post w
ith a small, deer-stand type contraption jutting from it, a few feet off the ground. Five burly men were situated at regular intervals all the way around the post, and anyone who tried to get too close was bodily shoved away.
Rachel stood on the platform, her arms tied above her head, secured to the post with a metal hook. Her clothes were torn and bloodied, her face was tear-stained. Her broken finger throbbed with pain. She sucked in sobbing breaths and wished she were anywhere but there. She’d stopped scanning the crowd a while ago, and simply hung there, feeling like the woman with the scarlet letter A emblazoned upon her chest.
She was a circus act, a spectacle for the crowd to gawk and stare at. Everyone who entered the yard was outrageously curious, as if she were some sort of specimen they’d never seen before. A few shouted at the men who guarded her, telling them it was cruel to keep her up here like this, on this platform, on display. Others called out that having her here was ruining the fun. How were they supposed to have a real competition with a human looking on?
There they go again. Rachel rolled her head, trying in vain to lessen the pain in her shoulders. The whole lot of them talked as if they were an entirely different species than she.
She hadn’t seen Kent Pantera in over an hour, not that she was complaining. The man had gone certifiably crazy. He’d poked and prodded her, punched her in the chest, right where the seatbelt bruised her in the crash, and he’d bent one of her fingers backwards until it snapped and she screamed in pain. And he’d smiled as if he were enjoying it the entire damn time.
“You look like her a little, you know,” he had whispered at one point. His eyes had been bright and feverish when he said it. “I only had a brief glance, but I remember she had red hair. Maybe that’s all it is. That, and the fact that you’re human.”
She had no idea who or what he was talking about. Of course, she had no idea what he was talking about half the time in general. He had blathered about pack masters and shifters and how he planned to pass a law that shifters could never mate with humans. He had gone off on Josh and commented about how he was surprised Josh hadn’t tried mating with her yet.
“How do you know he hasn’t?” she shot back at that point, goaded beyond her capacity to be quiet.
“Well, he hasn’t fucked you from behind yet, has he?” Pantera had sneered. At the wide-eyed look she’d given him, he’d flown into a rage, punching her and slapping her and screaming about the wrongness of shifters and humans mating.
He’d even screamed something about his father and throwing it all away for a human, but all Rachel could think about was the way Josh acted when they’d had sex doggy style for the first time, and every subsequent time after that.
Did he really think they were mated?
Was she really buying into all this mating and shifter crap?
She knew why she was there, of course. Pantera intended for her presence to be a distraction. It was how he expected to win some sort of challenge against Josh. From what Rachel had been able to gather from Pantera’s rantings, he and Josh were to engage in physical combat. Whoever won would be declared the master of their secret association.
Pack master. Pantera said the words with reverence. He was so crazy, Rachel suspected he truly believed he was some sort of animal leader.
Even after Josh informed him he knew about Pantera’s scheme to get Rachel to sleep with him, Pantera was confident he would win. Whatever his plan was, it had something to do with her, and it infuriated her that she could do nothing whatsoever to stop it. She did not want to be the reason Josh lost his position as pack master or leader or whatever the hell he wanted to call himself.
There was a commotion near the house, and curiosity got the better of her, as Rachel lifted her head to see what was going on. Josh came running around the side of the house, charging straight toward her, Matt, Cal, Brendon, and a handful of other guys hot on his heels. Hope bloomed in her chest. They were coming to rescue her.
He still cared. Her arms ached with the anticipation of being set free.
The burly guards standing beneath her platform crowded together and wouldn’t let Josh pass, even after he shouted something about being their pack master. One of them said he had a new pack master now, and Josh slugged him in the jaw. They scuffled for a few minutes, and another one jumped into the mix when Josh gained the upper hand. Matt and Brendon grabbed the other two guys and pulled them off Josh.
Matt whispered in Josh’s ear and Rachel watched as he lifted his gaze and looked at her.
I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, Josh. Please. She did not say the words out loud. He dropped his gaze and turned his back on her, and she felt a stab in her heart that was ten times worse than any pain Pantera had inflicted thus far.
The crowd was growing agitated. Pantera’s guards struggled to keep everyone in check. Josh paced to and fro a few feet away. He pulled off his shirt and his muscled torso glistened with sweat and blood from where he’d been scratched while scuffling with the guards.
Oh no. Pantera’s plan was to wear Josh out before he made his appearance. It suddenly dawned on Rachel. She had been wondering how Pantera intended to beat Josh in hand-to-hand combat. While the older man was certainly in shape, he had to know he was no match for Josh, who was in his prime, and clearly furious to boot.
But if he kept scrapping with the guards and pacing like that, he would wear himself out, and Pantera really would have a shot at winning. She wanted to call out to him, but she was afraid it might cause him to tussle with the guards again. He needed to preserve his strength. He needed to win this ridiculous, old-fashioned battle. Beat Pantera to a pulp and finally put the man in his place. It was clearly high time.
The noise level in the crowd increased, anticipation thick in the air, and Rachel noticed everyone seemed to be watching a point somewhere behind her. She strained to turn to see for herself, but couldn’t twist her head far enough. She did not see the giant gold and white panther until it strutted along next to the platform upon which she was tied. She sucked in a breath and stared, watching the animal’s progress as it walked toward the makeshift arena.
What the hell?
No one ran screaming. No one seemed frightened. The panther didn’t attack anyone. It was just like the gala at the country club, the night she met Josh. Except this was a white and gold panther instead of a sleek black one. What was it with this group and their lack of fear for giant predators? A small part of her was glad she was tied up on that platform, because she sure as hell was afraid.
She tore her gaze away from the animal and focused on Josh. He kept darting glances from the panther to her, and the worried look in his eye made her nervous. What was going on?
Her question was answered when the panther stepped into the middle of the arena and turned to face Josh. With one last glance up at her, Josh stepped onto the grassy area, a few feet away from the animal, and the crowd surged forward, eliminating any possibility of escape.
Was he supposed to fight the panther? This was the challenge? Were they serious? How was everyone okay with this?
Her gaze swept over the crowd. No one seemed disturbed by the sight of the panther facing off against Josh. In fact, they seemed more concerned over Josh’s appearance than the panther’s. It was hard to tell over the roaring of the crowd, but she could have sworn she heard the word “Shift” shouted multiple times.
The panther roared, and with a hard look on his face, Josh faced the animal, crouching into a battle stance.
Who was he kidding? He was going to be mauled. He was going to be killed. Why was he doing this?
She scanned the crowd again, searching for Matt. He had to do something. He had to stop this. It wasn’t right. If Pantera called a challenge, then shouldn’t Pantera be the one to do the fighting? How could he send in an animal to fight with Josh, and how could this be acceptable?
Rachel watched with growing horror as the panther stalked toward Josh, who kept his stance and watched the animal without moving. The ani
mal roared again and lunged, and at the last second, Josh ducked out of the way and the cat missed him, losing its footing and stumbling into the crowd of onlookers. They didn’t break formation; no one ran away screaming when the cat bumped into them. They simply pushed it back into the makeshift arena.
The panther used the momentum of the crowd’s push to surge forward, lashing out at Josh, who did not move out of the way fast enough this time. Five long, red slashes covered his back, blood welling and pouring from the wounds.
Josh dropped to one knee for a moment, but then scrambled to his feet and ran to the other end of the arena. The cat gave chase and the crowd shouted and cheered, lost in the frenzy and excitement. Even Rachel couldn’t look away.
“Oh, Josh,” she whispered, tears springing to her eyes when he took another hit, this time to his left calf.
She was so caught up in watching the spectacle that she did not realize she was no longer alone on the platform until the rope holding her arms above her head went slack. She stumbled and would have fallen to her knees had someone not caught her in time. She turned her focus from Josh and the panther to the person with his arms wrapped around her waist.
“Cal?”
“I got you,” he murmured. He pulled her away from the front of the platform.
“Josh,” she whispered as she was handed down into Matt’s waiting arms. A moment later, Cal leaped off the platform and landed next to them. She sagged against Matt’s chest.
“He’ll be fine,” Matt promised. “Just as soon as we get you out of here.”
“No,” she said as she found enough strength to struggle against him. “No. I can’t leave. I won’t leave him.”
Matt and Cal exchanged uneasy looks and then Matt spoke. “Rachel, you can’t see this. It isn’t for your eyes. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Is this all that pack and mating crap again?” she asked, her voice gruff with her frustration.
Matt blinked in surprise. “He told you?”
Rachel clutched at his arms as she looked into his face. Into his eyes. Dark eyes. Familiar eyes. Cat-like eyes. Panthers, shifters, mating, secret associations, exclusive societies.
