Claiming Their Vagrant [Leopards of Leopold 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Fel Fern

  His woman was running because she was frightened of the prospect of being claimed by him and Mason, but Noah intended to prove to her she rightfully belonged with them.

  “There’s a pard meeting later, you know, and if Lars asks where you went?”

  Noah rolled his eyes at him. “Tell him to go fuck himself.”

  Sam’s eyes widened at this. “Really?”

  “Just do me a favor, kid. Don’t tell him anything unless he asks.”

  “All right, then.” A strange look crossed over Sam, making him appear much older. “I hope you get her, Noah. She seems tough on the outside, but she’s a lot like Lars.”

  “Yeah?” Noah asked, curious. He shouldn’t be stalling, but he wanted to listen to what the kid wanted to say.

  “When Rain and I first met Lars, he really seemed to be lonely, you know? He thought he was hiding it well enough, but he couldn’t hide it from Cas and Des.”

  Sam looked thoughtful.

  “Noah, Lex was in a hurry to leave. It might seem like she’s running away from her brother, you, and Mason, but I have a feeling she’s just terrified of having to rely on someone else after being alone for so long.”

  Noah let out a deep breath. It made a whole lot of sense why Lex seemed terrified of acknowledging there was something between them.

  “Since when did you become so smart, kid?”

  Sam grinned at him. “You should go before you lose her trail.”

  “Wise-ass.” Noah quickly made a call to Mason.

  He couldn’t refuse his mate when he insisted he wanted to come along. Mason was part of this, too, and he noticed Lex had a soft spot for Mason. Noah went by the garage to pick Mason up. His mate had managed to change into a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt, although he still smelled a little of oil and diesel.

  “What happened?” Mason demanded.

  Noah sighed and began explaining.

  “You said you had the situation under control, Noah,” Mason pointed out unhelpfully.

  “Yeah. I know, sorry. I reacted badly.” Noah let out a breath. “It’s fine, Mason. We’ll just have to find her and drag her back.”

  “Maybe you should let me handle the talking when we finally find her, Noah.” Although Mason spoke in a calm voice, Noah could detect his apprehension underneath.

  “What’s wrong with my approach?” Noah demanded, but he knew Mason was right.

  The last thing they needed was to send Lex running again. “Fine, you do the talking.”

  “We need to find her first.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Heya, Lex. Haven’t you seen you in these parts for a while,” a voice drawled, making Lex tense.

  The lone werewolf in the leather jacket sat beside her on the bar, dunking a bottle of beer. Seeing who it was, Lex relaxed. Nix was a lone wolf who didn’t belong to any pack, like her, and was one of the few shifters she could trust.

  “Been here and there. The usual. How’ve you been, Nix?”

  “Good. Need a place to stay for the night?” Dragging his eyes across her, he winked.

  Lex snorted. The werewolf’s rough good looks, despite his age, and dangerous vibe might’ve easily charm young female shifters and mortals alike, but Nix knew it wouldn’t work with her. They’ve fucked before in the past and worked together on some freelance jobs requiring a shifter’s expertise, like moving illegal goods. Nix was equal parts her mentor, occasional fuck buddy, and friend.

  “Where? In your charming motel room?”

  “Hey, it’s a pretty decent establishment. There’s cable TV and we could catch up.”

  The hell with it. Lex was tempted to say yes, to say, “Screw it, I have an itch to scratch,” but the memory of Noah and Mason floated in her mind. As far as experience in the bedroom went, she had plenty. Lex had taken both humans and shifters to bed, but none of them could stand up to the intense and passionate night with the two men.

  Just remembering the sweet way Mason made slow love to her, or Noah’s authoritative voice, made her skin feel warm. The black panther inside her opened its eyes lazily and stared back at her expectedly, as if to say, “When are we mating them again?”

  Nix placed a hand on her arm. “You in heat, Lex? Let this big hairy wolf take care of you.”

  Lex considered the lone wolf a decent man and she couldn’t say that to everyone she’d met, but after having Noah and Mason, her panther wanted no one else but them. Fuck. If this went on, she was in deep shit.

  She still remembered Noah’s wounded expression when she told him it was a mistake. The last thing Lex wanted was to hurt him, but it was the only way to untangle herself from the mess she unknowingly placed the three of them in. Noah and Mason would be fine. They had each other and the two of them seemed happy long before she barged into their lives.

  “Sorry, not today, Nix.”

  Nix withdrew his hand, which made her remember he was decent. Most men hitting on her kept trying and sometimes she had to resort to violence to make her point. The biker shrugged and went back to nursing his beer, but Lex could see her refusal hurt him.

  “It’s not you, Nix. It’s me. I’m going through some personal shit and I need some time to think things through.”

  Nix seemed glad to be talking about something else. “Yeah? Well don’t let your guard down. I heard some psychotic bastard’s been gutting shifters down south.”

  “I take it the killer hasn’t been caught?” Lex asked wearily.

  The old fear she thought she’d gotten over was retuning. Noah had offered her protection, but her pride refused her to take his and her brother’s help. Was she being stupid? She couldn’t stand seeing her brother’s face, though. Lars and her were too alike, they were too hotheaded to put the past aside.

  “He keeps jumping state lines, so the local human authorities have trouble tracking him down. The general consensus is the killer’s a shifter and added to the fact he’s smart and doesn’t leave tracks, the human police are unlikely to catch him anytime soon.”

  “Nix.” Lex took a breath. “Where did the last known killing happen?”

  “Dark City, but there’s only been one victim. No one can figure out the guy’s MO since he kills both male and female shifters.” Nix ordered another beer. “Anyway, won’t help talking about such things, but it pays to be careful. Even loners like us should start considering traveling in groups for a while.”

  A chill ran down Lex’s spine. Dark City was just a few miles away from Leopold City. Had the killer been following her trail? Gods, what if she’d unknowingly led him to her brother?

  There was also the explanation that the killer followed no particular logic. Perhaps he or she simply killed whoever was at hand. There was no use wasting time battering herself with what-if questions.

  Lex wasn’t sure she should divulge what little she knew, but she needed to learn more. “Oh, he has a particular type. Werecats. More specifically, black panthers.”

  Nix’s eyes grew wide at that. “Are you sure, Lex? If that’s true, then you shouldn’t been lingering around this area. Dark City’s pretty damn close.”

  “Running is no longer an option.”

  Fuck. After knowing the killer was practically just around the corner, Lex had a sinking sensation she was going to end up riding back to Leopold City. She may be a bitch sometimes, but when lives were at stake, Lex was adult enough to put pride aside.

  Rare concern appeared on Nix’s face. “Lex, now isn’t the time to be toying with danger.”

  “There’s no helping it, especially when family’s involved.”

  Nix nodded soberly. The big man understood the meaning of family. He’d lost his human wife in a store robbery years before. “You need my help, Lex? You have it, you know. I can gather up some folks we’ve both worked with before, too. Just ask.”

  “Nah, but I appreciate the offer.” Lex reached out to pat Nix’s large fist. Just then, an ear-shattering growl ripped through the bar.

  Lex’s eyes widened
slightly, not expecting Noah and Mason standing by the doorway of the bar. Waves of anger rippled from Noah and she could almost see his leopard snarling within him. Mason’s leopard was more contained, but it was wrought with tension and unease.

  Conversations stopped, but The Dancing Wolf bar catered to both humans and shifters, so the folks there only watched the two strangers with growing interest.

  “If you’re looking for trouble, leopard, then take it outside,” the barkeep yelled.

  “No trouble if I get my way,” Noah snarled back.

  Lex was at a lost for words. Noah looked like some great feline beast summoned from hell. He stalked toward them with a predator’s grace only werecats seemed capable of. His searing gaze swept past Lex and focused on Nix. Noah cracked his knuckles and Lex could almost hear them pop.

  “I’m only going to warn you once, wolf. Touch my woman one more time and I’m going to rip you to shreds.”

  Lex knew Nix wasn’t one to back away from a fight, especially from another shifter who could rival him in size and strength. The werewolf coolly studied Noah and Mason before taking a sip of his beer. “Last I heard, Lex is no one’s woman, or has that changed?”

  The last words were directed at Lex. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact Noah and Mason had actually gone after her. While she resented being fetched like some stray cat in need of a rescue, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth for them.

  “I don’t know.” Lex licked her lips when Noah’s large hand wrapped possessively around her waist, bringing her down from the bar stool and close to him. The familiar and comfortable scent of him staggered her. The panther inside her purred, reacting to the dominant leopard near her.

  Lex stopped herself from raising her nose to sniff the line of his neck. What the hell was wrong with her?

  “Yeah. She’s taken. Who the fuck are you?” Noah ignored Lex’s shove, and that annoyed the hell out of her.

  “An old friend. Lex, is this guy really for real?”

  Lex was about to dish out another witty remark, but she stopped cold when Mason joined them and reached out to uncertainly stroke her cheek. He hit her with his lethal hazel-green eyes. “Lex, please don’t run away anymore. Let’s talk this out, okay?”

  She let out a curse.

  Damn Noah. The bastard knew she had a soft spot for his mate and he didn’t mind letting Mason handle the talking. Lex’s skin felt unbelievably hot. Her panther wanted to lick and rub her body against Noah and Mason’s cats. The beast wanted to mark her territory and tell other female werecats the two men belonged to her and her alone.

  “Okay. I can see there’s clearly something between the three of you, but I’m not leaving until I know Lex is willing and safe,” Nix interrupted.

  “Lex, come back to the city with us,” Mason pleaded.

  Gods, his hands felt amazing. They stroked her cheek and neck, and Lex wanted them to keep on touching her, to reach below her clothes and find her intimate places. Her panther continued purring, eager to rub against Mason’s leopard. Mason’s slow lovemaking contrasted sharply with Noah’s rough fucking, but Lex was greedy. She wanted them both.

  “Yeah. Fine. I need to see my brother anyway.” Lex was aware Noah hadn’t let her go, and his firm hands combined with Mason’s touches wasn’t helping her think. “Nix, I’ll be fine.”

  Nix nodded. “You message me if anything happens, Lex. You got my number.”

  “I’ll update you. Take care, Nix.” Just like that, they were out the bar.

  “Who the hell was that guy?” Noah demanded. He stopped right in front of her bike, stopping her from getting on it.

  “A friend. What do you care, you jealous, Noah?”

  “We’ve done this dance before, Lex,” he said tightly. “If there’s going to be an ‘us,’ then it’s just going to be Mason, you and I. You understand?”

  Lex’s comeback was halted yet again when she felt Mason’s warmth on her back and his lean, corded arms around her body. She could feel the heat of his lips on the nape of her neck, and it made her shiver.

  “Aren’t we enough, Lex?” Mason murmured against her ear.

  “Oh hell, Noah. Stop making Mason handle all the talking.”

  Noah raised an eyebrow. “Why? He seems to be doing a fine job of keeping you calm.”

  “You’re so tense, Lex. When everything’s settled, I’m going to give you a massage,” Mason went on, licking her neck. She closed her eyes and leaned against him. So what if Mason could make her calm? That had to be a good thing.

  “A massage, huh?”

  “Absolutely, baby. I’m going to make you feel like a princess.”

  Noah snorted. “Yeah. After that, I’m going to have you on your knees and rut you.”

  Lex opened her eyes to glare at him. “You’re so fucking crass, Noah.”

  “And you have a dirty mouth, sweetheart. Now, what were you saying about Lars?”

  Lex told him about what she heard from Nix, and she could feel his and Mason’s worry building. They really did care for her brother and their pard, she realized, because they were family. Was she actually considering surrendering her nomad days and finally settling?

  Some part of her still longed to belong, to be part of a family. Her brother was doing a fine job running his pard and taking care of his family, she could see that. Lex wondered if she could also do a decent job of being Noah and Mason’s mate.

  One thing at a time, Lex. Help Lars, and then worry about your relationship problems with Noah and Mason. Hell, did she just think that? A relationship, her?

  Noah made calls before they rode back to the city. The tension was rubbing on her, too. It wasn’t a hundred-percent certain the killer was gunning for her brother, but he was only the black panther in Leopold City. Besides, instincts were telling Lex her big brother was in trouble and she trusted her instincts.

  She knew Lars. Her bastard of a big brother probably dismissed her tales of a killer hunting panthers exclusively.

  The three of them just entered Leopold City when the call came. Noah looked pale after the call.

  “Something happened?” Lex asked, maneuvering her bike so it was beside Noah’s window. They’d stopped by the curb for a discussion.

  “Cas called. She says Des and her couldn’t find Lars anywhere. They’ve gathered a search party, but so far the pard hasn’t come up with anything.”

  Lex felt sick in the stomach. While Lars and her had their differences, she genuinely really did care for her big brother. The last thing she wanted was to see him hurt, even worse, dead.

  “Did Cas try using the pard bonds connecting her to her mate?”

  “Yeah, but she isn’t feeling anything. Lars has probably been knocked out cold so he couldn’t use the pard bonds.”

  He’s either unconscious or dead. Noah didn’t need to voice the last out loud. Lex had a feeling Lars wasn’t dead yet, though. Her brother was made of tougher stuff. She wrecked her brains and tried to recall all the facts she knew about the killer.

  “Remember the first time I came here?” Lex began.

  Noah and Mason nodded. “You barely escaped the killer, you remember anything else?” Noah asked.

  “My memories of that night are still damn foggy. I can’t remember what he looks like, but he must’ve come during the night while we were sleeping.”

  “Usually our beasts would warn us if we’re in trouble,” Mason mused, and then blinked. “The only way we’d never notice another intruder in the vicinity is if we’re either unconscious or…”

  “Drugged,” Noah finished glumly.

  “It makes sense if he drugs his victims. Maybe that’s probably why my head was a little fuzzy,” Lex agreed. Thinking back, perhaps the killer had run out of time and tried killing her by overdosing her with drugs. He just hadn’t count on her surviving. “But he’d have to load himself with huge amounts of animal tranquilizers to knock any one of us down. Lars isn’t a normal shifter either. To keep a leop
ard king down, he’d have to keep injecting Lars in timed doses.”

  “Unless he has an endless supply, there are only a few places you can get animal tranquilizers.” Noah looked thoughtful. “I’m going to update Des, Cas, and the other enforcers. Tell them to look out for places selling or dealing tranquilizers. Shouldn’t be a lot since the city’s run by shifters and we’d make sure to get rid of things that are harmful to us.”

  Chapter Nine

  Lex was amazed by how fast the Leopold Pard mobilized. Most of the werecats didn’t second think about dropping their evening plans to join the search for their king. Their loyalty told Lex volumes about the influence her brother wielded. Lars wasn’t just respected. His cats cared about him, too.

  “Noah, Mason, and Lex, you three will be coming with me,” Des was saying.

  They were all gathered in Lars’s tiny apartment. The pard seemed used to him taking command when her brother wasn’t around. Lex could almost smell the tension and worry in the room. Standing by Des’s shoulder, Cas held Jana close to her as the little girl continued to cry.

  While the leopard queen looked calm as she soothed and spoke to the other concerned members in the pard, Lex knew she was frightened for her husband. How her brother managed to find a sweet woman like Cas, a dependable consort like Des, and produce a sweet angel like Jana, still eluded Lex. Jana. Her niece.

  Lex’s stomach twisted in knots. She’d heard from Noah how wrecked the pard had been when their old king died. Her brother had taken up the reigns and tried fixing things. Lex still had to sort things out with him, but the last thing she wanted was to see her niece, Cas, Des, and the pard lose their king.

  “Des, I think it’ll be better if I come,” Cas pointed out.

  Des gave her and Jana each a kiss on the cheek. “It’s better for you to stay here with Jana and the other cats, hon.”

  Cas’s eyes flickered with anger for a second, but she only nodded in understanding. She turned to Noah and Lex. “Help bring Lars back, Noah, Lex.”

  “Will do, Cas.” Noah turned to everyone else in the room. “We can’t afford to waste any more time. Let’s get going.”