Her Panther Protector [The Protectors 5] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Doris O'Connor

  “Not really, not that I can blame her for, anyhow. I’ve handled this all wrong from the beginning, but fuck it, Saber, she’s mine.”

  Saber had grown serious and nodded. “Well, you’ll get it sorted one way or the other. Not many women can resist the Sasha charm offensive.”

  Macey was the first to admit that she wouldn’t be able to resist him either, but, curiously enough, Sasha hadn’t even tried, and that made Macey feel even worse. Oh, he spent plenty of time with Kenny, and seeing their relationship develop had been wonderful, but he kept his distance from Macey. He very rarely even touched her, and if it hadn’t been for the unguarded moment when he thought she wasn’t watching him and the heat in his gaze that made her want to combust on the spot, Macey would have thought he’d have gone off her.

  No, the infuriating man had clearly decided to wait for the green light from her, and she was still dithering.

  With a sigh, Macey pushed all these disturbing thoughts away and slid behind the wheel of her trusty old Friedolin to start the long trek home. Driving always calmed her, and after a hectic shift, she looked forward to the peace and tranquility of her cottage.

  Kenny stayed the night at Ronan’s when she worked nights or the late shift like she had done today. The arrangement had proven a godsend, and Kenny loved it at Ronan’s place. He and Ronan’s twins got up to all sorts of mischief, but Kenny doted on the toddlers and vice versa.

  Seeing how happy Kenny’s new environment made him, Macey was sincerely glad that she’d followed the insistent voice in her head that had led her to Cumbria when she was looking for new employment. Though she had to wonder at the origin of that voice, the more time she spent around Mrs. H. It seemed the old lady had more than a helping hand in bringing together most of the mated Protectors, so who knew what spells she’d used to lure Macey here?

  It was enough to give herself the mother of all headaches, so Macey pushed those thoughts away. Maybe she ought to take on the position as community nurse that had opened up. It would mean far more steady hours, so she could be around more for Kenny. Mind you, that would also mean that she had no means of getting away from Sasha…Still, not having to drive over an hour after a long shift to get home…yeah, that would be bliss.

  Macey turned the key and listened to her trusty steed sputter reluctantly into life with a frown. That’s all she needed—car trouble—after she’d held her ground with Sasha that she did not need escorting to and from work. Really, enough was enough. She was never on her own when at work, and she kept the door locked when she drove, so as far as she was concerned, she was safe. And there was such a thing as phones and besides, she still had her gun tucked away in her purse and she wasn’t afraid to use it.

  She knew fine well that Sasha didn’t listen to her complaints. More than once, she’d caught the shadow of wolves running alongside the countryside with her, and there’d been one too many motorbikes around when she was driving home.

  With a shrug at the thought of overbearing, dominant shifters, she turned her music on high and drove out of her parking space. It took moments to reach the open countryside and, singing along off-key, her attention was taken up by concentrating on the many twists and turns of the Cumbrian countryside barely lit up by her headlights.

  Completely engrossed, she didn’t realize until she was over halfway home that there hadn’t been any distant roar of a motorbike, or large shadows flanking her in the countryside. Maybe they’d finally given up, or maybe…

  Her heart lurched in her throat when her car jerked from side to side. The engine splattered and coughed, and then her forward movement ground to a slow halt.

  “Shit!”

  Her curse bounced through the quiet surrounding her, and in her rear view mirror, she could just about make out the steam that rose from the engine compartment at the back.

  “Double crap.”

  Now, what was she going to do, and how freaking typical was this? The one time she could have done with several muscle-bound hulks to get her out of this predicament, and none seemed around. It was eerily quiet out there when she cracked open her car door a tad. Far too quiet, in fact, as though nature itself was hiding from something.

  Jeez, listen to yourself.

  Now was not the time for her imagination to run away with her, and besides, help would be here soon, and if not…Macy swore under her breath again when she fished her phone out of her purse. One bar, and that was fading in and out. Gyrating around in her car only improved the reception slightly. There was only one thing for it. Risk getting out and hope for a better signal.

  Clutching her phone in one hand, and her hand gun in the other, Macey left the relative safety of her car. Every instinct she possessed screamed at her to get back in, but she was tired, and hungry, and she needed to get home. For that, she needed to call breakdown.

  Leaving her car door wide open to make a quick dash back inside should she need to, Macey inched into the limited amount of light her headlights afforded her in the pitch black surrounding her.

  There were no street lights out here, and thanks to the earlier rain, heavy cloud cover meant there was no sign of the moon, either, when she looked up. Utter blackness surrounded her, which no doubt explained why she felt so vulnerable. Another quick glance at her phone showed the signal to be getting worse. Now she didn’t have anything at all, and what’s more, there was an odd rustling sound behind her. Macey spun round, gun drawn, and her scream died in her throat when two men materialized out of the darkness.

  The smaller one regarded her through the narrowed slits of his eyes, and her stomach threatened to bring up the muffin she’d had at break earlier when she realized what the dark stain down his torn shirt was. Blood, and lots of it. It stained his fangs when he smiled at her, and the creature in front of her kept smiling even as she emptied her bullets into him and his companion. It made that one drop the mangled torso of a sheep he was carrying, and Macey finally found her voice to scream.

  Her cries for help just brought forth more of these creatures, and, throwing her now-useless gun at the head of the one closest to her, she made a dash for her car. Her fingertips closed around the edge of the door. So close, yet not close enough, as a clawed hand grasped her shoulder and flung her away from the car.

  Macey landed heavily in the ditch, gasping for breath, as she found herself surrounded. No, damn it, she couldn’t die here. A flash of black flew over her with a furious snarl, and the vamp next to her exploded into ash, followed by several more. Half crawling out of the ditch, she witnessed the large black cat taking down the vamps with deadly and ruthless efficiency. When the last one exploded into dust, the panther shifted into the welcome sight of Sasha. Blood-and-ash-covered as he was, he looked utterly furious, his eyes glowing in the dark as he advanced on her with an animalistic snarl that sent Macey’s heartbeat through the roof.

  Oh, lord, he looked so angry with her, yet she’d never been gladder to see him. Not caring how unwise this move might be, she scrambled to her feet and threw herself in his arms.

  “Damn you, kitten. I told you this fucking car of yours is a death trap waiting to happen. Did they bite you?”

  Sasha’s deep growl resonated through every fiber of her being, and, keeping her eyes tightly shut, Macey shook her head. It was so unbelievably good to be back in his arms. Even covered in blood and muck as he was, he smelled like home, and he was so lovely and warm. Macey’s teeth chattered together, and she pushed further into the cocoon of his arms in a vain effort to get warm. The nurse in her realized the fact that her body was going into shock, but the needy and all-too-human part of her just wanted to stay in the arms of the man she loved.

  A sob escaped at her at that thought, and Sasha swore and his hold on her gentled as the dim roar of approaching motorbikes got louder, until it was deafening and the ground shook under her feet. Even through her closed eyelids, Macey could tell they were in the glare of several strong headlights, and a deep voice swore loudly.

 
“Fuck, you’ve cleaned up, man. How is she?”

  “Not good. I don’t think they got her, but she’s freezing and I need to get her home, and someone needs to deal with that fucking car.”

  “No worries, we’ve got that covered. Here, give her to me while you throw some clothes on. You can’t go anywhere looking like that.”

  Sasha’s possessive growl vibrated through her, and she had to smile at that sound. Lord only knew what she must look like right now. It was becoming far too difficult to stay focused, as another just-as-warm body surrounded her briefly. This one smelt odd and she wrinkled her nose and then breathed a sigh of relief as Sasha’s scent engulfed her once more, and she snuggled into him.

  “Come on, kitten, we need to get you out of here. Can you hold onto me? If we wait for the truck to get here, it’ll take too long, and those fucking vamps are everywhere tonight. Kitten, look at me.”

  His large hand grasped her chin, and his hot breath feathered over her skin. Try as she might she couldn’t disobey that tone of voice. It meant she forced her eyelids open to see Sasha stare at her. Brows drawn together, he studied her and his lips kicked into a half-smile when she croaked her reply.

  “No need to shout, Sir.”

  “Here, give her this. It will bring some color in her cheeks.”

  The strong smell of alcohol filled her nostrils and she tried to pull away, but Sasha’s claws dug into her chin and she dutifully swallowed the contents of the metal cup the other man held up to her lips.

  Fire burned her gullet, and the wolf shifter smirked as she coughed and gagged, while Sasha slowly slid her down his length until the ground was back under her feet.

  “What the fuck was that?” She wheezed her question and glared up at the man she now recognized as the Alpha of the Mongrels.

  “Home-brewed, Miss Macey, and guaranteed to put hairs on your chest.” His smirk deepened when Sasha issued a clear warning growl, and he flicked his gaze up and behind her. “Mind you, I reckon your mate wouldn’t be best pleased at that, so you best not have any more of this. Brought you back round, though, huh?” He winked at her and then stepped away, depositing the flask of alcohol back in the side pocket of his leather jacket.

  Macey shook her head to clear it of the remaining fog and drew in a sharp breath when she took stock of her surroundings. Everything, including her car, was covered in a fine sheet of ash, and she flinched when another one of the bikers slammed her boot down and shook his head.

  “Ah, she’s fucked. Needs a new radiator, possibly a piston. No fucking chance can I fix that here. We’ll need to tow her in.” He threw her an apologetic glance when he noticed her staring at him, and shrugged his shoulders.

  “You can fix him up, though?” she asked, and she felt Sasha tense behind her. Well, tough. She loved her little car, and she’d do anything to keep her Friedolin.

  The burly shifter rubbed a hand through his long beard and nodded. “Aye, this I can do, but it’ll take time. Not sure she’s worth it, mind you.”

  “He’s worth every penny it’ll take. Stop calling him a she. You’ll never get him fixed if you keep on insulting him like that.”

  A murmur of amusement went through the semi-circle of bikers, and Macey felt her cheeks heat. No doubt they all thought her insane, but it seemed terribly important to her right now to make sure they understood this was her car and her decision, and no one else’s.

  Sasha’s exasperated sigh behind her stirred the fine hair on her neck and sent a shiver of need down her spine.

  “Enough, kitten,” he said, and the edge of command in his voice, laced with barely leashed fury, made her insides turn to goo. Oh, she would do almost anything for him when he used that tone of voice, which no doubt meant she was indeed as submissive as the online test she took had stated she was, as crazy as that sounded to the rational part of her. Not that that side of her brain was in charge right now. Nope, it was very much her hormones ruling the roost right now, and when Sasha turned her in his arms so that she had to look up to see his expression, they all sighed as one.

  “The boys will fix that monstrosity if you insist on it, but I’m taking you home right now. To my place. This thing between us gets sorted tonight.”

  His voice held the most delicious growl, and he was clearly taken aback when she dropped her gaze and murmured her answer.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sasha swallowed down his surprise at her whispered reply. Even his volatile beast wasn’t quite sure what to make of that response. While she’d said it before, it had been with an intonation that almost made it sound like an insult. This time, however, she sounded as though she meant it.

  “Look at me and say that, kitten.” He dropped his voice on purpose and a shiver went through her, and when she finally raised her gaze to his, the bottom dropped out of his world. A wealth of emotion reflected back at him, but it was the uncertainty mixed in with desperate need that spoke to the Dominant in him. It might only be her reacting to having been almost killed by that that fucking nest of vamps, but if it meant he got her back to his house, then he would work with that. No doubt the bike ride would bring her back to her senses. He shook his head at his wayward thoughts. This is what he wanted, wasn’t it? So why was he overanalyzing this now, for fuck’s sake?

  Pushing those thoughts firmly to the back of his mind, he raised an eyebrow at her when she didn’t respond, and Macey drew a shuddering breath into her lungs. “I said, yes, Sir,” she said with only the slightest wobble in her voice.

  “You’re not going to fight me on this?” he asked, and the briefest flash of defiance showed in her eyes. If he’d blinked, he would have missed it, but it reassured him that his sassy and rather infuriating Macey was still in there, and thank fuck for that. As ready as he had been to tan her hide until she wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week for the danger she’d put herself in by getting out of the car, that all had paled into insignificance at the thought that he could have lost her. His panther whined at the thought, and her expressive eyes widened, and she leaned in closer into his warmth and shook her head.

  “Very well, but I mean it. We’re sorting this, tonight, just as soon as I get you in the warmth and you’re acting more like your normal self. Now get on my bike, and make sure you hold on tight.” He gave her a gentle shove in the direction of his Harley, grateful that the wolves had ridden it up for him. When it became clear that she was late, Sasha had left it behind and shifted, relying on his panther senses to find her. His heart had damn near stopped when he’d sensed her terror and heard the gun go off, and as for seeing her lying in that ditch, about to be devoured by vamps…

  Fuck! That had been way too close for comfort. Macey scrambled onto his bike, and he swung his leg over the fuel tank and opened up the throttle, after handing her his helmet. A small squeak came from his girl, and he grinned to himself as he revved the engine a bit more, and she snuck her hands around his waist and held on for dear life. His beast all but purred at having his mate plastered all over his back like this, and with a nod to the watching Mongrels, he let his Harley go. Another shriek into his back, and Macey scooted so close to him that you would have been hard pressed to get a hair in between them, and that was just fine by Sasha.

  His cock hardened as her scent enveloped him, not marred by fear this time, but exhilaration as she relaxed into the ride. By the time he stopped outside the cottage that had been his family’s home for generations, he was so damn hard he could have pounded concrete with his blasted dick. Maybe taking her back to his on his bike hadn’t been the brightest of ideas. The way he felt now, he would be hard-pushed not to pounce on her the minute he got her through his front door, and they needed to talk and clear the air first, maybe.

  With a grunt of annoyance, Sasha shook her off him and jumped off his bike. Macey followed at a more sedate pace, and when she didn’t seem capable of undoing the strap on her helmet, he did it for her. A small whimper escaped her when his larg
e hands closed over her trembling digits, and Sasha couldn’t help himself. Having yanked the helmet off her head, he let his hands linger on the delicate skin of her neck. Her heart rate sped up under his fingertips, and she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Something inside Sasha snapped witnessing that action, and his beast growled long and hard while he tucked her lip out from under her teeth.

  “Don’t, kitten. Your body is mine to mark, no one else’s.”

  Her eyes widened at that statement, but she didn’t argue, and when he grasped her elbow and marched her inside his home, she followed without a moment’s hesitation. It was only when he flipped on the lights that she stalled.

  “Your arm, you’re bleeding! Oh my god, they got you?”

  Sasha followed her horrified gaze and, sure enough, his long-sleeved shirt was soaked through with blood. He shrugged his shoulder to play the injury down and fresh blood seeped through. He frowned at the rapidly spreading wetness and didn’t stop Macey when she slid her hands over the injury. He could almost see her switch into nurse mode in front of his eyes.

  “It’s nothing,” he said. “No need to fuss over me.”

  “Nothing?” Macey let go of his arm, which was steadily dripping blood on the floor, and glared up at him. “This is not nothing, not if you’re not healing. One of those things must have gotten you with their claws, and, dammit, this shirt has to come off, and I need more light. Where’s your kitchen?”

  At Sasha’s nod toward the back of the house, she tugged him along after her, and he had to smile at her determination. When she couldn’t find the light switch and swore under her breath, he flicked the thing for her using his injured arm, and pain shot up his shoulder. His panther whined, and Macey gave him a shove toward the kitchen table.

  “Are you hearing him? This is not nothing. Those things’ claws are poisonous. I’ve read up on them, and your animal at least has the good sense to admit he’s in pain, even if you’re too damn stubborn to.”