Under the Panther's Protection [Black Panthers 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Leah Brooke

  Fiona turned to Joshua, gripping his shoulder. “They killed the Alpha. He said that.”

  Her hushed tone had Joshua gathering her closer. “It’s over, my mate. Don’t think about it anymore.”

  Leland took Glenna’s hand in his. “So, it’s another thing they blame us for. They’re wild. Corrupt. Have no morals. By their own admission, they steal and kill. They’ll bring unwanted attention to us the way their parents did to our parents. We’ve got to put an end to this somehow.”

  Glenna eyed Leland. “You don’t think they’ll stop, do you?”

  Leland sighed. “No, my mate. They won’t. They want revenge, and even if they get it, they’ll look for an excuse for more. They won’t stop until someone stops them. In the meantime, you and Fiona will be guarded at all times.”

  * * * *

  After breakfast the next morning, Joshua glanced at Graham, Brock, and Leland. “You ready?”

  Nodding, Graham shoved another piece of bacon into his mouth. “Yeah. The kids are already gathered out back.”

  Leland grinned. “They’re competing with each other the way all of you did.”

  Joe sat back, sipping his coffee and watching Glenna feed Jonas his bottle. “Vincent’s good, but he’s getting too cocky.”

  Joshua shrugged. “He’ll learn. We were all cocky at one time or another.” Grinning, he ran a hand down Fiona’s back. “And some of us were just good—good enough to outdo the Alphas.”

  The younger members of the pack lived in a large building close to the houses the others had built, several hundred yards from Joshua’s house.

  They’d wanted their own place to listen to their music and watch the shows they liked without adult interference into their privacy.

  They were all watched closely, and since they knew that everyone could hear and smell them, they knew they couldn’t get away with much.

  Joshua and the others trained them to hunt, fight, and patrol, and he knew they would be anxious to get started.

  Satisfied that Fiona had eaten enough, he lifted her from his lap and rose, settling her again before straightening. “You stay here while I’m on patrol. I’ll be back to get you when I’m done.”

  He needed to run, to rid himself of some of the restlessness inside him.

  Fiona had been too quiet all morning, and when he’d asked about it, she’d deftly avoided the subject.

  She nodded and smiled. “Okay. When Glenna finishes feeding Jonas, we’re going to make chocolate cake.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  He went into the other room with the others and stripped out of his clothing, folding it neatly and putting it on the shelf with the efficiency of long practice.

  “Let’s see if our mates can figure out which one of us is which.”

  Graham scowled at Joshua. “They all can tell who Joshua is.”

  Knowing Graham referred to his size, Joshua grinned. “Yeah. Come on. I need to run.”

  He shifted with ease, the muscles in his body tightening and adjusting to his new form. He stretched, determined to give his muscles a good work out before the day had finished.

  He looked over to see that the others had shifted, and also stretched, their own restlessness evident.

  They walked out to the kitchen in a straight line, and Joshua went straight to Fiona, relieved that she didn’t tense up as she had the night before.

  Grinning, she reached out to touch his head. “Joshua.”

  Glenna nodded. “Absolutely. He’s easy.” She pointed to Leland. “And that’s Leland.”

  Fiona studied him, her eyes narrowing. “How do you know?”

  Giggling, Glenna reached out to kiss Leland’s head. “It’s the eyes.”

  Sitting back, both women studied Brock, Dane, and Graham, leaning close and whispering to each other and alternately nodding and shaking their heads.

  Fiona pointed at Dane. “That’s Graham.”

  Shaking his head, Dane looked at Glenna.

  Glenna studied him. “It’s Brock.”

  Joe sighed. “No. That’s Graham. Look at his ears. Graham’s are pointed slightly forward.”

  Glenna turned to him. “Is that how you tell them apart?”

  Chuckling, Joe got up to refill his cup and open the back door. “No. To me, it’s just Graham. They all look very different to me. It’s okay. We’ll have to work on it some more.”

  Joshua inwardly sighed, and with a last look, he followed the others out.

  Until the women could tell who belonged on the farm and who didn’t, they would be in even more danger.

  Fiona went to the window to watch the men join the others and, within seconds, watched them split up and disappear in all directions.

  Turning, she watched Glenna and Joe with the baby. “I feel like a fifth wheel. I’m sure you could do with some privacy. I’m going back to the house.”

  “No, Fiona.” Joe rose and joined her at the window. “You’ll stay here. I’m going to take Jonas up for his nap, and then I have some calls to make. You two can sit and talk or bake or whatever you want to do. Just don’t leave the house.”

  He took Jonas, kissed his wife’s head, and left, leaving Fiona alone with her sister.

  After watching him disappear from view, Glenna turned to her. “I talked to Mom. Dad’s doing great. Have you told her that you’re pregnant yet?”

  “No. I want to wait a few more weeks to make sure everything’s okay.” Fiona went back to the table, sipping from her glass of milk in the hopes of easing the slight nausea.

  Pressing a hand to her stomach, she sighed. “It’s hard to believe that Jonas and this baby are shapeshifters. Hell, the whole thing’s unbelievable.”

  “I know, but believe it or not, you get used to it.” Frowning, Glenna touched her arm. “What’s wrong? You’re white as a sheet.”

  “I don’t know. All of a sudden, I just got—”

  Clamping a hand over her mouth, Fiona raced for the downstairs bathroom, making it just in time.

  The next hour passed in a blur, and with nothing left in her stomach, Fiona had begun to dry heave.

  Glenna had tied her hair back, much like Fiona had when Glenna dealt with morning sickness. “Poor Fi. I’m going to make you some chamomile tea. I’ll be right back.”

  Fiona accepted the warm washcloth with a nod, not daring to speak. After another bout of dry heaving, Fiona wiped her face again and curled up on the bathroom floor, pressing her forehead against the cool tile.

  “Honey, what can I do?” Joe’s voice came from the doorway, but Fiona didn’t bother to open her eyes. She shook her head, immediately regretting it.

  Holding her by the shoulders until the next bout passed, Joe cursed. “I’m calling Mitch.”

  Fiona didn’t care who he called as long as he left her alone.

  Once he left the room, she curled into a ball on the floor again, rubbing her stomach in an attempt to calm it.

  Minutes later, Glenna rushed in with a cup of chamomile tea. “Here, honey. Drink this. I know it was the only thing that helped me. It’s gotta work.”

  Fiona wanted to tell her sister to go away, but recognizing the panic in Glenna’s tone, she struggled to a sitting position and accepted it.

  She took a small sip, relieved that it stayed down, and little by little emptied the cup.

  “Thank God.” Taking the cup, she ran a hand over Fiona’s shoulder. “I’m going to go make some more. I’ll be right back. Mitch is on his way. I’m just so glad you’re feeling better.”

  Glenna’s relief was short-lived when Fiona got sick again.

  The chamomile tea helped, but not enough.

  It only gave her a few minutes of respite, but Fiona kept sipping it, grateful for anything.

  She’d become so weak that she could barely lift her head and wanted nothing more than to lie on the bathroom floor.

  Mitch arrived and found her that way and began firing questions at Glenna and Joe.

  Wishing they would all j
ust go away, Fiona waved weakly at them and jolted upright, getting sick again.

  Resting her head against the rim, she sucked in a breath. “Please just go away and let me die here.”

  “You’re not dying.” Mitch wiped her face and flushed the toilet. “Glenna, get me some more of that tea. If we can’t get something in her soon, I’m going to have to hook her to an IV.”

  Fiona found herself leaning back against him, too weak to object. “Tell Joshua I love him.”

  Mitch stiffened. “Stop it. You’re not dying. The baby’s just letting you know that he’s there.”

  Fiona jolted upright and got sick again. “Tell him I know.”

  Mitch chuckled at that, but his eyes remained dark with concern. “Okay. Here’s the tea. Try to sip a little more.”

  * * * *

  Relieved that there didn’t seem to be any sign of the rogue pack in the mountains, Joshua watched Graham stalk one of the kids with amusement.

  It was obvious that William Hines had shifted for the first time just recently and was still clumsy and untrained but eager to learn.

  He looked around, obviously realizing that he was being stalked, but Graham adjusted his position with every wind shift, making it difficult for William to figure out which direction the threat came from.

  He looked around frantically, his nerves obviously getting the best of him.

  He hadn’t yet learned how to calm himself—something they would teach him, and he would practice over and over.

  William’s heart would be pounding furiously, and he wouldn’t be experienced enough to handle the adrenaline rush, which would put him at a disadvantage.

  Graham, in the meantime, continued to move closer to his prey. Staying low to the ground, he approached little by little, taking his time to move in on the boy.

  Lifting his nose, William sniffed the air again, trying to find the source of the scent.

  Catching another scent, Joshua turned to see another one of the kids racing straight toward him.

  Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched Graham leap at William, probably to finish the game in order to see what was going on.

  Edward, William’s older brother by a year, skidded as he reached Joshua’s side, shifting immediately. “Joshua! You have to come. Your mate’s sick. They called Mitch. It’s real bad.”

  Scared to death at what could possibly have happened, Joshua leapt down the last ledge of the mountain and ran flat-out toward the farmhouse, outdistancing Edward within seconds.

  It seemed to take forever to cross the yard, and he shifted as he leapt onto the deck, running naked through the back door to find Joe pacing in the kitchen. “Where is she?”

  “Bathroom. Mitch and Glenna are with her.”

  Running to the bathroom, Joshua stopped at the doorway, the sight in front of him stopping his heart.

  Fiona had a gray cast to her skin and lay sprawled on the bathroom floor, leaning heavily against Mitch, who was attempting to get her to drink from the cup he held.

  “Fiona!” Pushing past Glenna and Mitch, he reached down to pick Fiona up, gathering her against his chest. “What the hell?”

  Weak and pale, she barely opened her eyes. “Joshua.”

  “I’m here, my mate.” He lowered himself to the floor with her on his lap, taking the washcloth from her hand and reaching up to rinse it.

  Stepping around Mitch, Glenna took it from him and rinsed it herself, handing it back to him with a sigh. “She got sick to her stomach right after you left. I made her some of the tea, and it works for a while, but then she’s sick again.”

  “Poor baby.” His heart pounded furiously, but he struggled to hide his fear. “You’ve been like this ever since I left?”

  Fiona nodded and stiffened and then breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah. Mitch says the baby’s just letting me know he’s there.”

  Joshua’s stomach clenched at the realization that she’d been in this shape for hours. Forcing a smile, he flattened his hand on her abdomen, aware that Joe stood in the doorway with Glenna. “Did you tell him we know?”

  Smiling, Fiona nodded, laying her injured wrist over his hand. “I tried, but he wasn’t listening.”

  Mitch sat back on his heels. “Her color’s getting better. Do you want some more tea, honey?”

  Fiona nodded again and reached for the cup. “Thank you. I’m so thirsty.”

  “I’ll go make more.”

  When Glenna left in a rush, Joe crouched near Fiona’s feet. “Did Glenna go through this?”

  Nodding again, Fiona sighed. “For months. The little bit of food we managed to buy and get into her came right back up again.”

  Joshua kissed Fiona’s hair. “You have no reason to feel guilty. You did everything you could for your sister.”

  Joe scraped a hand over his face, his eyes filled with misery and guilt. “She went through this and we weren’t there for her.”

  Glenna reappeared with another cup of tea and handed it to Joshua. “Stop it, Joe. It’s over. Next time I plan to throw up all over you and Leland.”

  Joe laughed and rose, gathering her close. “You do that, baby.”

  Mitch took Fiona’s pulse and looked into her eyes, watching her gulp down the next cup of tea. “If I hadn’t seen this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.”

  Joshua wiped Fiona’s face again, relieved to see that she looked much better. “What are you talking about, Mitch?”

  “Your mate got sick within minutes of you leaving her side, and after throwing up for hours, she miraculously stops as soon as you show up again. That can’t be a coincidence.”

  Joshua gaped at him. “What?”

  Getting to his feet, Mitch frowned. “It’s obvious to me that your mate needs you even more than we’d suspected. I’d like to experiment with this again and see if she gets sick when she’s away from you.”

  Joshua glared at him. “No way. I’m not putting her through this again.”

  “We won’t keep you separated for long—just long enough to know for sure.”

  “No!” Joshua rose with his mate in his arms and started toward the bedroom where he’d left his clothing.

  Closing the door behind him, he set her on the bed, making sure she was steady before releasing her. “You okay now, baby?”

  He pulled on his jeans, whirling back at the sound of her sob. “Fiona!” Going to his knees beside her, he lifted her face to his. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

  “No.” Shaking her head, she pushed at him. “It’s just one more thing. I can’t believe this.”

  Alarmed, Joshua forced himself to keep his voice calm. “Baby, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What’s one more thing?”

  She jumped to her feet, pushing past him. “One more thing that I need you for!” She whirled toward the door. “Fuck this. I’m leaving.”

  Fear gripped Joshua by the throat, and with a growl, he caught her before she reached the door. “You’re not going anywhere until we have this out.”

  “Just leave me alone.” Fiona started crying again, sobbing so hard he feared she’d get sick again.

  “Please, baby. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I need you too much!” Moving away again, she flung her arms. “I don’t have any money, and I can’t get a job. I depend on you for everything.”

  Joshua blew out a breath, realizing that he faced another emotional landmine. “You need me because you’re pregnant with my baby, and I hope you need me because you love me, as much as I need you because I love you, too.”

  “You don’t love me. You can’t.”

  Raising a brow, he pulled her close again, wiping away a tear. “Really? Why would you think that?”

  “You’re gorgeous. Sexy. Strong. Sweet. You could have any woman. Why the hell would you want to tie yourself to someone as needy as I am?”

  “Why the hell would you think you’re needy?”

  “I told you. Hell, I even need you to keep my feet warm. I can’
t sleep if you’re not with me, and now when I’m away from you, I throw up.”

  Hugging her, he kissed her hair. “Did it ever occur to you that I love being needed?”

  “Not this much.”

  Rubbing her back, he smiled when she slumped against him. “You’re wrong. I love knowing that, after what you’ve been through, you trust me enough to feel safe enough to sleep when you’re with me. I don’t like that you get sick when I’m not around, but it’s only because I don’t want you to be sick. Besides, it sounds like it’s pretty temporary.”

  He ran a hand over her belly. “You and the baby are mine, and it’s up to a man to provide for his family. It satisfies me in ways you’d probably never understand.”

  Straightening, he lifted her face to his and wiped another tear. “And you’d better never let another man warm those pretty toes. Only me.”

  To his relief, she giggled. “I won’t.”

  “You’d better not even think about it.”

  “You really love me?”

  “I really love you, my mate. How you can’t see that is beyond me.” He pulled her close again and rubbed her back, smiling when her stomach growled. “Sounds like you and the baby are hungry again.”

  “I’m starving.”

  “After the morning you’ve had, I’m sure there’s nothing left in your stomach.” Turning her, he reached for his shirt. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

  Fiona stepped closer and touched his arm. “Joshua, I’d really like to do that experiment Mitch talked about.”

  “And risk getting that sick again? No.”

  “But it wouldn’t be like today. Maybe you could just go away far enough that I would feel sick and, when he calls you, you can come back.”

  Joshua started to shake his head again, but she leaned closer.

  “Please. I’d like to do something that would help Mitch understand how all this works. Being a little nauseated for a few minutes is a small price to pay to know for sure.” She pressed a hand to his chest, a touch he felt all the way to his cock. “I really would like to help. I hate feeling so useless.”

  Joshua blew out a breath, hating to put her at risk but knowing that she needed to feel more useful. “Fine, but it’ll be fast, and Mitch will have to be with you the entire time.”