The Panther's Rival

by Emilia Hartley

  Quick breaths turned to gasps; Jo nearly drove herself insane with her need for Nick. She didn’t know what was happening to her, the fire in her abdomen was growing, working her into and inferno. Her entire body felt like it would burn away to ash. Nick’s touch scalded as he tore at her clothes, clawing them away from her skin with an almost feral vigor. The taut flesh of his torso was feverish under the thin fabric of the shirt, and he responded to her touch by ripping the shirt off, tearing it away violently at the collar. His eyes were bright like burning coals, scorching Jo wherever he looked and burning his uncontrollable hunger for her into her memory for the rest of eternity. It drove her insane and she wanted more. She usually wasn’t one to like it rough, but for Nick… she’d definitely make an exception.

  Jo felt Nick abruptly shudder violently against her, as if he was struggling to make his body move the way he wanted it to. His breath was coming fast and hard, filled with a searing desire that matched hers in perfect tempo. “I can’t stop,” he breathed, his hands tugging roughly upward on her long john top. He lowered his body, and Jo’s flesh felt charred where the naked skin of his muscled torso touched hers.

  “I don’t want you to,” Jo moaned. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop, Nick.” Her panting was manic, breath coming quick and fast as his hands burned heat down her body. Her hands gripped his hair, tugging reflexively as the pleasure surged uncontrollably within her.

  A basal growl tricked out of his lips as he shook violently against her body, and it only excited her more. “Please,” Jo whimpered, her nails scratching over his strong shoulders and back before plunging her hands downward. She felt him hard and ready, pressed against her inner thigh with a dark promise of things to come, and it almost sent her over the verge with the sheer ecstasy of knowing just how much he wanted her. Her fingers clawed eagerly to the button of his pants. “Please, Ni—”

  “No!” Nick tore himself from Jo, jumping to his feet and running two hands roughly through his hair. Something like pain and anger passed through his eyes, amplified by the heat of his blazing need. He took deep breaths, almost gasping as he visibly fought to regain control of his body and mind. His eyes fluttered shut, and with one final deep breath, he said, “I have to go. I shouldn’t be doing this.”

  Without another word, he turned and left out into the night, not even bothering to salvage the shirt he’d torn to tatters.

  ***

  “How much is there to fix?” Nick asked, shouldering his way roughly into the back shop where Tom was still working. The door banged loudly against the wall, the sound making both brothers cringe. Nick could hardly muster the capacity to care. He wasn’t really in the mood for finesse.

  Tom grimaced, looking down at the half-fixed car. “Mostly the cosmetic stuff, if I’m recalling correctly. And the part we ordered, of course. The lights still need a bit of wor—Nick, what the hell, man? Where’s your shirt?” Tom asked, the incredulity in his eyes beginning to bleed into anger.

  Nick shrugged. The last thing he wanted was an ‘I told you so’ lecture from his baby brother. “Spilled some wine on it. Waited until I left and ditched the shirt because the smell was giving me a headache. What of it?”

  Tom glared at his brother, thoroughly unconvinced. “Uh huh. Funny how I don’t smell even the slightest hint of wine on you. And you don’t look like you’re damp, so you didn’t take the time to wash up.” Tom’s eyes narrowed further. “In fact, you smell an awful lot like a particular human we both just met today, so why don’t you cut the bull—”

  “Don’t. Start,” Nick warned. “We just talked.”

  “Bullshit,” Tom spat.

  “I don’t want to hear it, Tom,” Nick growled dangerously. “I’m not in the mood for your nagging.”

  “So then tell me what happened!”

  “It’s none of your goddamned business!”

  “Uh huh, so you just ate and talked, and then you left?” Tom asked, voice dripping in skepticism.

  “Yes.”

  “Without a shirt on?” Tom asked through gritted teeth.

  “Tom—”

  “I’m not stupid, Nick!” Tom bit out. “Do you honestly think I haven’t seen you today? How you’ve been practically salivating over her since the moment you laid eyes on her? Stop trying to play the fool!”

  A rattle bubbled from deep within Nick’s throat, giving his brother one final warning off. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just shut up and get the work done. For our customer that we’re helping. That’s all. Nothing more.” Even as he said the words, he knew there was so much more. That was too close a call, he thought to himself. I can’t go near her again. Not like that.

  Tom looked at his brother with an expression of mild disgust on his face. “You’re normally the smart one, Nick. But when it comes to her…” He shrugged, his arms falling defeated at his sides. “Your brain’s not right, man. All this chaos, and for a human no less.” His nose wrinkled, as if the word left a foul stench in the air.

  Nick had heard enough. The rattle that shook inside changed to a full-on growl, his whole body tensing. His spine cracked as the bones in his body began to lengthen, shorten, and change. The violence of the change tore a feral scream from his throat, the muscles morphing and turning the cry into a vicious roar. Fur spurted in rippling waves over his skin, his body already wound into a deadly coil in anticipation for the attack to come.

  If Tom wanted a fight, he was damn sure about to get one.

  Chapter Eight

  When Jo woke up the next morning, there was a fleeting moment where she could barely remember what had happened with Nick. Unfortunately, as she took in the spilled glass of red wine and the torn clothing that had been perfectly wearable before last night, it all came flooding back at once.

  Last night held some of the most mortifying moments of Jo’s life. The way she’d been lying there, almost on the verge of release simply from the touch and feel of him, the way he tore hungrily at her clothes, the way she had him right where she’d wanted him almost from the time they’d first met—and then he left. Ran, practically. Right out the door without even turning around to say goodbye. Her eyes flitted over the litter on the floor, gaze finally falling on the ruined tatters of Nick’s shirt. Frowning, she picked it up. He’d run away, out into the freezing cold of the night, and he hadn’t even bothered to grab his shirt first.

  All in an effort to get away from her as quickly as humanly possible.

  Great. Just great…

  She noticed the way the shirt had been destroyed, torn jaggedly at the neck and all the way downward. Heat rushed involuntarily up her neck and into her cheeks. Her heart beat began to speed as she thought of him and what they’d shared last night, the way he tore at her and growled for her body like he couldn’t control himself. It had been rough in a way she’d never experienced before… in a way she liked. But even in its intensity, she’d still felt safe. She smiled. It may have ended all too soon, but not everything last night was a total embarrassment.

  For the time being, Jo decided to distract herself, trying not to worry about Nick and how awkward their next meeting was sure to be. She poured herself a mug of warm coffee that had brewed on timer while she woke, and wandered over to the snug book nook. She found a few that sounded mildly interesting before stuffing herself into a cozy armchair. Throwing a thick blanket around her shoulders, she opened the first book and began to read.

  ***

  Noise nearby woke Jo with a start. She looked around from where she sat, but there was little view from the corner and she didn’t find much to allay her confusion. Writing it off as some random wildlife ambience, she stretched lazily in the chair. Her book had been mildly interesting, but the blanket had been warm and the little reading area quite cozy. Despite pouring herself a cup of coffee sitting, she’d only taken a few sips before her comfort allowed her to drift back off into slumber. The night with Nick, though woefully short as it was, must have taken more out of her than sh
e’d originally realized. Not that she was complaining.

  Her eyes fluttered sleepily, and she made an effort to wake up more. The blanket slipped, and a chill hit the bare skin of her torso. She’d forgotten that her shirt had also been a casualty in the erupting volcano that had been last night. With a shiver, she tugged the warm cover back over her shoulders, snuggling herself back into the chair. She was finally awake, but she didn’t want to leave her lovely warm den just yet. Looking around lazily for a clock, she realized with a grin that there was no reason to search. She had no schedule to keep, no phone calls to make, no boss to annoy her. She didn’t care, and out here, she didn’t have to care. “Yep. This is definitely shaping up to be a dream vacation,” she murmured contentedly.

  A sudden ruckus made Jo jolt upright, again, her eyes widening as she recognized the sound. It resonated with her, deep into her mind, jogging a particular memory from the night before. It had been while she and Nick her practically coiled around her, but she ignored the heat that tried to kindle, bypassing that memory for one that felt most similar to the sound she’d heard just now. A growl or a groan as it vibrated and shivered through her entire body as it came from…

  Nick.

  Whatever had made that noise was growling, but scarier and louder, more like a roar. She remembered the bears that destroyed her car and a shiver ran through her. That terrifying noise wasn’t too far away.

  The roar sounded again, and Jo leapt out of the chair, her book flopped lifelessly to the floor from where it had been sitting on her lap only moments before. She crept as silently as she possibly could across the hardwood, fear tingling down her arms and numbing her fingertips. The second howl sounded dangerous, terrifying, and made her want to run for the hills. How had she ever assumed this monster held any resemblance to the growls of passion Nick shared with her last night, she’d never know, but that was another problem for another day.

  “Did you lock the door? Did you lock the door?” she chanted to herself as she tiptoed towards the front door. She slowly peeked her head around the corner, gazing across the small foyer to where the front door was. With a sigh of relief, it appeared at some point in her drunken stupor, she’d managed to lock the door behind Nick after he ran away. Knowing all of the windows would still be locked, she was as safe as she could make herself right now. Small victories.

  As her breathing calmed, a third roar sounded—then another… and then another. “Oh, God, there’s more than one,” she whispered to herself. And they were getting closer.

  She carefully peeked out of a nearby window, but couldn’t see much more than forestry and a small patch of the dawn-lit lawn. Suddenly, there was a blur in between the trees—something big and dark. “There!” she exclaimed, her voice squeaking with more than a little bit of fear. It was a bear. It had to be. Her heart began to pound before she could talk some sense into herself.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay. There’s no reason for bears to come near the cabin,” she told herself just as another large body blurred between trees. “Just don’t worry and they’ll pass this little old cabin by,” she consoled, her breath quickening despite her words.

  The first thing she wanted to do immediately was call Nick, awkward failed one-night-stands be damned. Back tracking to when she’d last had her phone, she found it tossed haphazardly on the bed she’d chosen to sleep in, dead as a doornail. Grumbling at her obvious lack of luck, she decided that it was best to busy herself with the mundane until either her phone had battery or it was safe to go outside.

  As she made herself a bit of toast for a quick snack and warmed up her neglected mug of coffee, she could ignore that the sound of the roars were going away. In fact, she was pretty sure they might be getting louder. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

  “It’s okay, I’m fine. Maybe… maybe they’re just playing,” she reasoned with herself as she grabbed her hot toast and even hotter cup of coffee. She slowly made her way back toward the reading nook where she hoped to have better luck ignoring the ruckus that the local wildlife was creating outside. “Maybe it’s the same two bears from before and they just rough house around the woods like this. I’m sure it—”

  A loud roar sounded directly outside the front door, rattling the windows before a loud thud crashed against the front door.

  Jo screamed, loud and terrified as the mass slammed into the front door, again and again to a chorus of angry bear snarls and roars. Hot coffee scalded her hand as it sloshed over the mug’s rim and everything in her hands went cascading to the floor. Panic surged through her as she watched the door rumble and shake under the strength of the mighty beast. The peeping window on either side of the door blasted inwardly with the force, of jabbing paws. Jo could only see the glint of morning dew on the tips of their talon like claws before they were pulled back and slammed into the fragile glass once more.

  Fighting past her frantic state, Jo lunged for the stairs. If they managed to break through the door, she’d be safest upstairs. She made it a few steps before a clumsy stumble sent her sliding gracelessly to the bottom again. Her legs were trembling, making it difficult to coordinate. Eventually she managed to fight and clamber her way to the stairs as she heard the first splinter of the doorframe. It made a loud crack that echoed against the cabin walls and chilled her spine. She had to get somewhere safe.

  She dipped into the bedroom, scrambling for her phone. It hadn’t charged much at all, but she hoped that it was enough to make at least one phone call. She went closer to the door behind her, but realized quickly that the bedroom wasn’t going to be as good a stronghold as she’d hoped. Nick had obviously skimped on the smaller details; the room door in particular was flimsy, frail, and cheaply made. A rampaging bear would tear through it in mere seconds.

  Stepping back out into the hallways, she realized quickly that the other room’s door was the same as the first. Another house shaking thud slammed against the front door, another splintering crack as the frame gave way a bit more. Jo was dizzy with panic.

  The bathroom!

  Jo remembered what Nick had said the night before. He’d put money into it. Maybe… just maybe…

  She skittered down the hall to the bathroom door and nearly wept in relief. The door was a thick maple, and its frame was reinforced with metal framing. The screws looked shiny and new, devoid of rust or any other imperfections. It wouldn’t hold a pack of bears forever, but it was all she had. One step at a time. For now just she needed enough time to call Nick.

  She practically threw herself into the bathroom locking the door and pushing whatever she could in front of it. Her legs promptly turned to jelly and she sank, scared and shaking to the bathroom floor. She knew she didn’t have much time, and that she needed to get to that phone call ASAP, but for one frightful moment, her body refused to move.

  With effort, she snapped the spell and pounded the power button on the cellphone. It powered up quickly, displaying a 3% battery warning. Quickly, she dialed the number she’d pulled from Nick’s phone yesterday.

  It rang three times before Nick picked up the phone. “Jo?” he asked, his voice mildly surprised and very relieved. “I honestly didn’t expect you to call me back after—”

  “None of that’s important right now. Bears are attacking the cabin and my phone’s about to die,” Jo gasped into the phone. “Please. Please help me.”

  ***

  “Bears?!” Nick roared, his vision flashing red with the shock of immediate rage. Tom poked his head out of the back room, a look of alarm on his face at the sound of the word. “I’m on my way.”

  “Don’t forget guns or something! There are like… three of four of them!” Nick heard a crash in the background and Jo shrieked. His bear roared loud from within, and Nick couldn’t help but agree. At the sound of Jo’s terror, his fury knew no bounds.

  “Okay, okay, okay,” he said, trying to think quickly and get her as safe as possible. “Where are you, right now?”

  “Bathroom. I’ve barricaded my
self in the bathroom,” she gasped.

  “Good, that’s very good. It’s the safest place in the house for you,” he reassured. “Jo, I know you’re probably scared as hell right now, but I need you to do something for me, okay?”

  “Yes,” she shuddered, and he could hear her tears and fear through the phone. “Yes, anything.”

  “Okay, good. I need for you to peek out the little bathroom window. You should be able to see the front yard from there. Then I need for you to tell me what the bears are doing right now. Can you do that for me?”

  Jo was silent for a small moment before saying. “Yes, I… I think I can.” He heard some rustling on the other end of the line as she scrambled to her feet.

  “Okay, are you looking?” he prompted, headed out the door of the shop with Tom following close behind.

  “I… yeah,” she answered, her voice losing some of its fear for a bit of confusion.

  “What’s happening? I need you to explain it.”

  “I… I’m not sure. They’re… growling? At each other, I think. But none of them are attacking.” A pause. “There’s one huge bear standing in front of three smaller, but still big bears, and the largest bear is growling to the biggest of the three smaller bears. I-I’m not really sure if I’m explaining this right.”

  “No, no, this is good. They’re discussing something,” Nick assured, speaking aloud as a way to relay information to Tom without breaking contact with Jo.

  “Discussing something?” Jo parroted, and Nick silently cursed himself. He didn’t have time to go through the ins and outs of bear shifter behavior with her, not that she’d get it even if he had an eternity.

  “Just… don’t worry about it,” he dismissed. “Bears are somewhat of a frequent occurrence around these parts. We’ve dealt with them our entire lives; Tom and I know what to look for. What they’re doing is a good thing.” They were already jogging in the direction of the cabin. “It’s imperative that you stay on the line with me. I need to know when they stop growling at each other. The moment it happens, okay?”