Three Hours (Seven Series Book 5)

by Dannika Dark

  I smoothed out all the rough edges in my voice. “Why can’t I go home?”

  “Home isn’t safe.”

  “Since when?”

  His brows sloped down as he lowered his chin. Wheeler seemed to have mastered the stern face. “Since thirty seconds ago when you said someone attacked you.” His gaze flicked behind me and his lip twitched. “I see you found something to snack on.”

  I whirled around and looked at the coffee table with embarrassment. My panther had not just gnawed on one leg but chewed off another. It’s one reason I’d switched my furniture to glass tables instead of wood.

  “I’m sorry about that. I’ll have it replaced,” I said absently.

  Something made me turn around and look at Wheeler—a small detail I had initially disregarded, but now it became a niggling question in my head. “What happened to your eye?”

  He touched the dark bruise on his left eye. “That all you plan on wearing?”

  “I need to speak to someone who will give me answers.”

  “As you wish, Diva.”

  “Have a good evening, Grumpy.”

  When he closed the door behind him, I sat on the sofa and huffed out a breath. Had he seen my panther? My God, he must have. But how did I get here? Maybe I’d blacked out in human form, and when he put me in here, I’d shifted back to my panther. I wasn’t sure what aftereffects the strobe device had, but it left me disoriented.

  A rapid series of knocks sounded on the door. Before I could answer, the door opened.

  “Naya, are you okay?” Lexi slammed the door behind her and ran toward the sofa where I was sitting. Then she hissed and lifted up her bare foot. “Dammit! I got a splinter.”

  “Oh, honey…”

  “No, I’m fine.” She sat to my left and looked me over. “Seriously. What’s going on?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. One second I’m onstage during a performance, and the next, a man came up and forced me to shift.”

  She grimaced. “In front of everyone? You’re kidding me. What the hell kind of lunatic would make someone shift in a Breed club without knowing what their animal was?”

  “A fool who knew exactly what my animal was.”

  “Come again?”

  I sighed and brushed back my unkempt hair. “The reason I came to speak with Austin privately was to ask for protection. I paid for a bodyguard. Remember the girl at the club who went missing? It happened again, and then someone came after me. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m frightened. This just doesn’t feel like my life anymore. I want to go home and sleep in my bed, cuddle with Misha, and not feel this rising sense of dread that others have me figured out.”

  Lexi swept her hair behind her shoulders and then clasped her hands together. “We saw your panther.”

  My blood chilled.

  She shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Wheeler called ahead to tell us he was bringing home a live panther and to move everyone upstairs until he secured the heat house. Austin had a fit. He went out to meet him by the road and they got into a fight.” Lexi shook her head and briefly looked up at the ceiling. “This isn’t good. I don’t know what Wheeler’s standing is with the pack anymore—not after this. When I found out it was you, I begged Austin to let you stay for the night. You were still in the back of Wheeler’s Camaro, and Austin yelled at me to get in the house. He’s never done that before, but I could see the fear in his eyes. I’ve heard a few stories about Shifter history, but I guess I never knew how deep-seated the fear of panthers was. Not until I saw that look.”

  “Was I awake in the car?”

  She chuckled in disbelief. “We could hear your cat growling all the way inside. Wheeler didn’t have the same look of fear in his eyes that Austin did. I had a good view from the upstairs window. He had a chain looped around your neck and walked you up to the porch as if you were his pet or something.”

  My jaw dropped. “He what?”

  Impossible! Was this a joke? Lexi must have been nipping at the wine. There was absolutely no way my panther would have been submissive to anyone, let alone a wolf. I couldn’t even consider it.

  She pulled her foot up and poked at it, looking for the sliver of wood in her heel. “Well, you’ve been the talk of the house since your arrival. I’m glad you shifted back, because Austin hasn’t been able to stop pacing. A hall connects this room to the main house, but he intentionally built it without windows to make sure anyone using it was safe from outsiders getting in. He put a lock on both sides, but he’s never used the outside lock until tonight.”

  “Why would he lock the door from the outside to begin with?”

  “I suppose he was afraid one of us girls might get really horny, break down the door, and mount one of them,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “The worst part about it was that the heat house was my idea. I was joking at the time, but Austin never forgets anything I say.”

  I placed my hand over my chest, fighting the urge to have a complete meltdown. I didn’t like being weak in front of anyone; that’s not the kind of woman I was. I’d always been strong—a fighter—but now it seemed like I was fighting shadows.

  “Naya?” Lexi asked in a soft voice, brushing a swath of hair away from my face. “Hey, it’s me. I don’t care if you’re a panther or a skunk; I love you regardless. You hear me? Maybe I’m a little terrified of your animal, and I don’t expect we’ll be best buddies, but that’s fine.”

  A bubble of laughter burst out, and I smiled. “I’m so sorry for all this. I didn’t mean to cause a rift in your pack, and I would have never asked Wheeler to bring me here. I still don’t understand how…”

  She put her foot down and winced. “Good news. You have a few clothes here. Remember the trip we were going to take to Padre Island and then your dickhead boss called you in to work? You were so pissed off that you flew out the door and left your bag behind. You told me to keep it here until our next trip. It’s just outside the door and it probably has everything you’ll need, including a toothbrush and all that. I’m going to talk Austin into letting you stay here a while longer.”

  “No, no. Not necessary.”

  Her head jerked back. “Oh, really? A maniac is after you and I’m supposed to send you home? Not happening. If Austin kicks you out, then you’re staying in a hotel, and I’m going with you.”

  “Lexi, really, I’m fine. It’s nothing you need to worry your pretty little head over.”

  “You’re not fine!” she shouted.

  “Look at the trouble I’ve caused! I don’t want you and Austin to fight because of me, and I definitely don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way.”

  She catapulted to her feet. “You’re my best friend, and you could never ask for too much. Hell, you never ask for anything. I’m offering, you’re accepting, end of story.”

  “Cat fight?” Denver loomed in the doorway, eating pears straight out of the can.

  Lexi glared down at his bare feet when he crossed them at the ankle. “Don’t come in here,” she said. “There are splinters all over the floor.”

  “Didn’t plan on it, honeypie. Just wanted to watch the show. Heard meowing all the way in the kitchen.”

  “Wipe that smug grin off your face,” she said, shoving at his naked chest. “You’re only in a good mood because you won the bet.”

  I leaned forward, tightening the throw around me. “What bet?”

  Lexi twisted around, her face carrying a look of disdain. “These idiots had a running bet on your animal.”

  “A hundred dollars per person is nothing to sneeze at,” he said with a mouthful of pears. “I’m the only one who said panther. We had bets on cougar, mountain lion, bear—”

  I snorted. “Who thought I was a grizzly?”

  “Get out of here!” Lexi shoved him backward, and I heard the can drop on the floor.

  “The fuck? I’m not cleaning that up,” he said.

  The next thing I saw was my bag hurling over Lexi’s head and hitti
ng the fridge.

  Lexi bent over out of sight, and then I heard the metallic clinking of silverware in the distance.

  “You missed!” he yelled out.

  “Are you craving anything?” she asked politely.

  I waved my hand and stood up. “My old life?”

  “Anything you need and I’m here for you. There’s a phone on the table,” she said, pointing to the long table to the left of the door. “Ring me if you need anything, but we’re not locking you in anymore. That was temporary until you shifted back—not that your panther would have figured out how to turn the knob, but I didn’t have any say in the matter. My house is yours, so feel free to come out anytime and walk around.”

  I felt like an interloper now more than ever before. A panther in a house full of wolves? No, I didn’t feel the welcome mat rolling out from anyone but Lexi. I unzipped my bag and pulled out something to sleep in. Lexi watched me from the door, eyes brimming with questions, but I knew she was anxious to get back to Austin and smooth things over.

  “I suppose this will all be aired out in the morning,” I said. “No need to fuss over me. You’re a darling for letting me stay despite the circumstances.”

  Her gaze drifted toward the floor. “No matter how mad Austin is, he remembers what you did for me with Beckett. If someone had discovered the body and called the police, it could have been so much worse. No one asked you to help—you just did it. Maybe that’s why no matter how bad this seems, you have nothing to worry about. He’ll come around, but I get why he’s upset. He has a pack to lead, and Wheeler was pretty stupid for walking you in like that. Anything I can do before I go to bed?”

  I hesitated at first, but then dared to ask, “Is Wheeler still awake?”

  She hopped on her foot and gave me a peculiar look. “It’s late, and I don’t want him to upset you.”

  “Please? Just ask if he’ll come in here for a minute.”

  “If you need me, I’m just down the hall… across the house… up the stairs… and down another long hall.” She laughed and covered her mouth before it got out of control. “Good night.”

  I smiled reassuringly as she closed the door. Then I went into the bathroom and changed. The request for Wheeler had surprised even me, but suddenly I needed him. I also needed to know how he’d gotten so close to my panther without losing his head.

  ***

  Wheeler twirled the saltshaker on the long wooden table in the kitchen, lost in thought. The lights were out except the twinkle ones strung around the windows along the wall behind him. William sat across from him, picking at the knotty wood on the table.

  William Rush had entered the pack around the time Ivy had left. He had an easygoing personality that made it easy to confide in him. It was obvious why he was once Lorenzo’s second-in-command but now slid in third in the Weston pack. Reno was the second, but William had a subtle way of leading that was more politic than direct.

  “Austin still pitching a fit?” Wheeler asked.

  William ran his fingers through the curls of his dark hair and sat back. “I think his mate is smoothing things over the way only a woman can. Did you notice the way she had him carry her up the stairs, all because of a tiny splinter? Lexi plays a good game with her man’s heart, and she knows exactly what makes it tick.” He paused for a moment before speaking. “I know you weren’t raised in a pack, but Austin’s in a position where he has to make decisions that benefit his family for the short- and long-term. You’re fortunate to be sitting here. Let’s just say had you pulled that stunt in Enzo’s house, he would have strung you up in the tree right beside the panther.”

  “I had it under control.”

  “Indeed. Walking a two-hundred-pound jaguar into a house full of wolves, humans, and children. Had you lost control, she could have attacked one of us. Austin had a right to be angry, don’t you agree?”

  Wheeler cut him a sharp glare. William had a sneaky way of injecting guilt into any man with a simple prick of words. “Maybe I also think my brother could have trusted me and given me a chance to explain.”

  “You two should talk it out first thing in the morning.”

  “And mayhap I don’t want to,” Wheeler growled.

  Some forgotten, juvenile part of him wanted unwavering loyalty among his brothers, who were not just pack to him, but family. But that’s not the way it worked.

  “Perhaps he’ll listen, or not. But if you don’t plead your case, you’ll never give him that chance.” William stood up and rubbed his eyes sleepily. “That woman must like you something fierce.”

  Wheeler scoffed at the remark. “That what you think? Naya despises me with the power of a thousand suns.”

  William pressed his fingertips on the table, his eyes lit with amusement. “I think we both know that’s a lie. Unless it’s their first change or they’re scared, the animal within us always respects the ones we care for. If you’re blind to that fact, then maybe it’s just as well. If you know it to be true, then you are a black-hearted man if you choose to mistreat her henceforth, as that woman has feelings for you.”

  “She doesn’t have feelings for me. She’s… confused.”

  A smile hooked one corner of William’s mouth. “She didn’t look very confused when you escorted her panther onto the porch and patted her side as she rubbed against you. You do know why cats rub their faces on things, don’t you? They’re marking territory.”

  Wheeler unscrewed the lid from the salt and flung a handful at William. “Get the fuck out of here.”

  William laughed and shook his head. “Good night, brother.”

  When he left the room, Wheeler wiped up all the granules of salt from the table. His mind drifted back to the club when Naya had begun her performance…

  Jesus effing Christ. Naya was like a symphony of movement as she walked the stage. He’d never seen anything so captivating as the way she had complete ownership of her body, delivering more than a dance, but using it in a way that evoked emotion. He’d visited many a strip joint, but nothing compared to what he had witnessed. In fact, it struck him in a most profound and unexpected way when he saw the chain shackled to her wrist and her struggle for freedom.

  Had it not been for his damn cell phone ringing, he would have watched the whole performance. He might have been able to save her from the man who had brazenly walked onstage, and you can bet your ass that man wouldn’t have made it five steps in her direction. Austin had sent him to protect her, and the one time she needed Wheeler, he was dealing with family shit.

  Ben called with an emergency, as usual. To Wheeler’s surprise, Ben was in one of the private rooms at the back of Club Sin. Nothing went together better than strippers, money, and gambling, so most club owners combined the three. They weren’t small potatoes either. If you played in one of those clubs, then you needed serious cash. Ben normally worked the human tournaments or in casinos, but sometimes he got the itch for a bigger pot, and he’d wander into one of these clubs with a big set of balls and a medium-sized billfold.

  And every time, Wheeler bailed him out.

  Wheeler had angrily tucked his phone in his back pocket and made his way to the private rooms. Naya was fenced in by bouncers in a crowded room, so he’d only have a short time to resolve this crisis before her dance ended. Once he made his way past security, he found Ben surrounded by three men who looked like they’d been using his face as a punching bag. The fear in Ben’s eyes vanished when he caught sight of Wheeler.

  “Brother! See, what did I tell you?” he said to the men. “I’ve got the money; it was just a delay in getting it all here.” Ben patted one of the tall suits on the shoulder, who immediately knocked his arm away.

  Wheeler gave Ben a punishing stare. A table to the left had cards and poker chips spread all over, as if someone had been thrown on top of it and roughed up. Maybe it was the blood spatter on the queen of clubs that gave it away, or the gash on Ben’s cheekbone.

  While each of the Weston pack contributed to the fami
ly account, they all had their own separate funds. Ben’s account was as depleted of money as a Vampire’s victim was of blood. Without a word, Wheeler sat down and signed a check.

  Meanwhile, a man wearing what looked like a communication device over his ear had turned his head away, listening to someone. Then he approached Ben and baited him with another game—a bigger pot.

  Wheeler held his check between two fingers and glared at Ben. “Do you want this? Then say no. We’re done here.”

  Ben filled in the numbers of what he owed and walked out with cocky strut and a smug grin on his face.

  “These guys are loaded, Wheeler. I can beat ’em.”

  “The fuck you can. What am I doing here then?”

  Ben stopped him in the hall. “Now I know how they play and all their tells. Sometimes you have to lose a little to hustle the next game. I’m serious, man. That pot could set us up for the next five years. Don’t you care about your pack?”

  Wheeler pointed a finger in his face. “Don’t. If I even hear that you came back in this club to eat a fucking sandwich, then Austin’s gonna know about it.”

  “Fuck you,” Ben spat. “Austin doesn’t give a shit what I do because I’m bringing in a hell of a lot more money than you.”

  “And how many times have I had to bail your ass out to get you that money? Your contribution to the pack has been at my personal expense. All my savings, Ben.”

  Ben snorted. “Yeah, well, spare me the guilt trip. Aren’t we a team? You help me and I help the family. What the hell is wrong with that? You need to get that chip off your shoulder. What’s past is past.”

  That last sentiment rang in Wheeler’s ears as he sat at the kitchen table, listening to the house creak and shift like older homes often do. He poked at the miniature mountain of salt and wondered how the pack would view his situation if they knew about it. Both brothers thought they were in the right, but there could only be one, which meant the other was wrong. Wheeler had always felt he was the one doing the right thing, but what if he wasn’t? What if Austin decided Wheeler was the one who had to go? This was the only place Wheeler wanted to be, and his loyalty for the pack ran deep.