The Panther's Rival

by Emilia Hartley

  Amara chuckled. Zoe Hamilton was definitely a category in herself, that was for sure. Though she was beautiful, and actually fairly smart, she was known around town more for being a hot mess than anything else. She could frequently be found on a bar stool at Murphy’s, taking shots or drinking vodka tonics. It wasn’t uncommon for Amara to load her drunken friend into a cab and take her home to tuck her safely into bed. Thankfully, that was Mitch’s job now, but still; better him than her.

  It was no secret that Zoe and Amara didn’t get along. The entire town knew they’d fallen out of sorts and become more frenemies than anything else over the years. She had no delusions about the reason either. When they were fifteen, Amara, Zoe, and their friend Becca, were walking down the street one night when they were attacked by a group of wolves. Shifters, actually, from the Valley Clan. Led by none other than the infamous Kal Vann.

  It had been Nova and Nemoy who had saved them. They had come racing down from whatever rooftop they had been keeping watch on, and fought off the shifters. Zoe had been knocked out from the start. One of the wolves was on top of her preparing to rip into her throat when Nemoy had shown up, though he’d almost been too late for Becca. She’d survived, thank God, but she now had to walk with a cane.

  Amara, on the other hand, had been chased down the street. Kal had targeted her specifically, and wasn’t about to let her go. She had a lump of scar tissue down the length of her collar bone to prove it. It was Nova that had come after them and forced Kal off her, saving her life. For years afterward, she thought the image of the boy standing over her had been a dream.

  That is, until he walked back into her life a decade later. She still couldn’t believe he had been taking care of her for almost half of her life.

  Zoe, however, hadn’t had someone looking out for her. No one except Amara, really. And for some reason, Zoe had always resented Amara’s protectiveness. She had started drinking and going after boys and, over time, the two girls had drifted apart. Becca was the only thing tying them together. Nothing had really changed since they were teenagers. The only difference was that now it was legal for Zoe to drink.

  “I saw Becca the other day,” Amara said to Mitch. “And she, uh, mentioned that things between you and Zoe were pretty difficult.” But hadn’t he just said things were going just fine? Maybe Becca was just imagining things. Zoe did tend to overreact about…well, everything.

  Mitchell shrugged. “I don’t know. Yeah, maybe, I guess. But I mean, come on, it’s Zoe. We always fight. She’s pretty intense.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Amara bit her lip. “But maybe it’s something more than that? I don’t know.” When Mitch just gaped at her, she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I’m just worried, is all,” she told him. “I really just want you to be happy.”

  “I know.” He wrapped an arm briefly around her shoulders and squeezed. “And I am…for the most part. But hey, thanks for being there for me.”

  Rolling her eyes, she nudged him with her shoulder. “Of course.” An awkward silence fell between them for a moment or two. “Hey, you know what we haven’t done in a while?” she asked, hoping to break the silence. “We haven’t had our movie night. What do you say, huh? Sunday night, you and me, Chinese and an action flick?”

  A grin spread across his face. “Yeah, I think I’d really like that. It’s been a while.”

  “Good.” She smiled back at him. “It’ll be nice to be able to make fun of you for not knowing how to use chopsticks again.”

  With a smirk, Mitch chucked a towel in her face. “Shut up, Townsend.”

  By the time Amara got home, she was absolutely exhausted. Pulling her truck into the driveway, she cut the engine and opened the door. She all but dragged her tired body up onto her porch. Unlocking her door, she walked into her house. And froze.

  Lying on her dining room table was the long stem of a deep purple orchid, bound by a silver ribbon to folded note.

  Flowers. Somebody had come into her house and left flowers on her table. Had her secret admirer finally crossed the line into stalker?

  Forcing herself to cross the threshold, she went to the table and picked up the flower, the note dangling by the ribbon. With a shaking hand, she opened the note and read. She let out a visible sigh of relief. It was from Nova.

  They’ve finally set a date. I will pick you up tomorrow night at six. The first trial begins at sunset.

  The first trial. The pack had decided they could move forward with the first trial?

  Amara pressed a hand to her chest. It was happening. If they got through the trials, they would be allowed to get married.

  Still glowing, she changed into shorts and a tee shirt and crawled into bed, ready to settle in with a good book. She’s been reading for maybe fifteen minutes, about to nod off, when the phone rang. Groggy, she picked up the receiver and held it to her ear. “Hello?”

  Silence.

  “Hello?” Amara said again. Was there something wrong with the line? No, she could tell someone was there. “Hello? Look, I know you’re there. I can hear you breathing.” Still, no one answered. Disgusted, Amara hung up the phone, slamming the receiver down in the cradle.

  It was probably just a wrong number. Maybe a kid pulling a prank. Probably something completely harmless. And yet, she slept with her lamp on for the rest of the night.

  Chapter 3

  Nova pulled up to Amara’s quaint little house a little before six o’clock. He’d expected to wait for a while since he was early, so he was surprised to find her waiting for him on the front porch.

  She wore a long-sleeved, black dress that swept all the way to the floor. One thin line of brass buttons ran the length of the dress down the center, and her thick, dark hair fell in waves around her shoulders. Though he was sure she had heard him pull up, it was clear that she was too lost in thought to notice. If she had been a wolf, he would have said she was gazing up at the moon. Who knows? Maybe she was anyway, even though that particular celestial body was obscured by clouds.

  Getting out of his truck, he slowly and quietly padded his way up the porch steps to where she was leaning against the railing staring out at the sky. Nova wrapped his arms around Amara’s waist and pulled her close, inhaling the sharp scent of her soap and the light floral scent of her skin. Even without his heightened senses, her very essence would have been intoxicating.

  “Hey, there, beautiful,” he said by way of greeting, pressing a kiss to her temple. Smiling, she tilted her head back and leaned against his chest. Her answering murmur came out more like a purr. Tipping her chin up with the tip of his finger, he covered her mouth with his. It was just a soft brush of lips at first, just a simple hello. But when he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue explore her mouth, the touch became passionate and hungry. Soon, his broad hands were gripping her waist, pulling her tight against him. He could feel himself get hard just from being so close to her.

  Never, in his entire life, had one woman had such an effect on him. And he was never letting this one get away.

  “Are you sure we have to leave now?” Amara wanted to know. Her breath was a soft caress against his cheek. Her teeth lightly grazed his ear lobe, sending shivers down her spine. Reaching up and back, she wrapped an arm around his neck, effectively locking them together in their embrace.

  More than anything, Nova wished he could whisk her inside and take her right there against the door. Or on the table. Or maybe even just there where they stood on the porch. But if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, they needed to climb over the obstacles the Pack had placed before them, the first of which began in less than an hour.

  “I’m sorry, love,” he told her, nuzzling her neck. “We’re on a schedule tonight. But I’ll make it up to you later.” Nova gently nipped her shoulder. “I promise.”

  It was like all the heat just went out of her. With a heavy sigh, Amara went slack against him, her eyes once more clouded with tension and worry.

  “What
is it?” he asked. Amara shook her head, but he could tell something was wrong. “Amara. Tell me. Please.”

  “Are you sure Kal’s locked up?” she asked. Her voice was small and tight, which was unusual. All of her normal confidence was gone. “There’s no way he can get out?”

  “None. He’s under lock and key. There are guards posted inside and out of that building during all hours of the day. Kal Vann is not getting out of there alive. You have my word.”

  “You’re going to kill him?”

  A single line creased Nova’s forehead between his brows. Were they going to kill him? Probably not. Nemoy was hoping to use Vann as a bargaining chip to gain peace between the two clans. It was slow going, to be sure. Apparently, Callahan Vann wasn’t as interested in his son’s safety as his son would have had them believe. It was a shame, too. Both Clans could use some peace. The humans were getting antsy. Amara had told him last week they were trying to get the hunting parties set up again. She was holding them back as long as she could, but it was still happening. And it was all Kal’s fault. So yes, Nova would like nothing more than to rip out his nemesis’s throat, but what he said was, “He will need to face the Tribunal. It’s a panel of Alpha’s from four different Clans throughout the region. They will try him and sentence him how they see fit.”

  For a moment, she was quiet, staring up at the sky with a hardened expression. She ran her fingers over the lump of scars at her collar bone. “I hope they give him the fate he deserves. I hope they sentence him to death.”

  Her proclamation of damnation chilled Nova to the bone. Had she always had this much hatred towards Kal? Or had it built up over the years, culminating into what it had now become after Kal had held Sadie hostage and threatened to rip out her throat right in front of them just a month ago?

  Nova squeezed her tightly. “I’m sure justice will be served.” Running his hands down her arms, he linked his fingers with hers. “Come on, gorgeous. They’re waiting for us.”

  The drive to the compound where Nova lived only took about twenty minutes. Amara was silent and distant the entire time which was incredibly unnerving to him. She was never this preoccupied around him. In fact, usually he couldn’t get her to shut up. Was Kal’s fate the only thing worrying her, or was there something else? “Amara?” Taking her hand, he pressed her fingers to his lips, kissing them lightly. “What’s bothering you? And don’t just shake your head at me. I know you. I know when something’s up. So, what is it? Did something happen at the station?”

  He watched her face for any sign of change, and what he saw incited such a fierce surge of protection toward her that he almost scared himself. Fear clouded Amara’s features and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was more than just Kal Vann that was bothering her.

  “He called me last night,” she said. Her voice trembled, and it was barely louder than a whisper. “He called my house.”

  Nova frowned. “Who called?”

  “Whoever has been leaving me flowers. He called me in the middle of the night, but he didn’t say anything.” Her fingers shook in his. “I could hear him breathing on the other end of the line.” She turned to look with him, her eyes wide. “Nova, he knows my home number. I’m unlisted. How much does this guy know about me?”

  A fury almost worse than he had ever felt washed over him as he looked at her. He rubbed her fingers with his, trying to console her, but inside, his emotions were boiling. This man, whoever he was, was terrorizing her. He was using those scare tactics to break her confidence and damn it, it was working. “I’ll increase the patrol around your house,” he told her. “I’ll make sure there is someone stationed outside, keeping watch around the clock. You will never be alone.”

  “Nova,” she let her hand caress his arm. “I don’t want that, either. I don’t want a babysitter. I just want to live my life. I don’t want any of these wolf battles. I don’t want the politics. I just want a simple, normal life. You finally have Kal in custody. After ten years of looking over my shoulder, wondering if that wretched wolf was going to come back and finish the job he started that night, I finally have some peace. I can finally sleep at night without wondering if he’s going to be waiting for me when I go outside. I can walk home without feeling as if I’m being followed. At least, I should have been able to.

  “Now there’s this guy that’s actually stalking me. And what scares me even more is that I don’t think he’s a wolf. This isn’t a dispute over territory. It isn’t a vendetta. Whoever this is, he’s human. I can feel it. And I’m starting to wonder if he’s dangerous.”

  Helpless, Nova scrubbed a hand over his face. “What do you want me to do, Amara? How can I help you if you won’t let me?” He had never felt so incapable in his life. How did you stop a human stalker from making your home feel unsafe? There was no way in hell she would let him move her to the compound full time again. It was one thing to become integrated with the Pack on a regular basis, but it was another to be separated from humans entirely. She’d had a hard enough time the first time he had isolated her for her own safety. He wasn’t about to do it again, even if every fiber of his being was screaming for him to do so. “What do you want me to do?” he asked again.

  Turning to him, she shook her head, one lone tear sliding down her cheek. “That’s the problem, Nova. I don’t know.”

  Chapter 4

  There was a crowd waiting for them when they pulled into the compound. At least eight people stood outside the Council building. It was a long, wooden structure with huge wooden poles at either corner made with woven grass walls. It was where they held meetings and conducted important ceremonies, Amara knew. And yet, for all the time she had spent with the Pack at the compound, she had only ever been inside once.

  Nova clasped Amara’s hand as they started forward, their feet crunching over the gravel in their wake. “Are you nervous?” he asked her, a bit of a tease in his voice.

  Instinctively, Amara balked. “No,” she answered automatically. But she knew that wasn’t true. Forcing herself to calm down and be less defensive, she took a deep breath. The long, slow inhale and exhale did her good. Maybe she should take up meditation as her next hobby. “Okay, maybe a little,” she admitted. Nova’s lips twitched at the corners. Her eyes widened. “Are you laughing at me, Lowery?” she wanted to know.

  Instantly, the little grin disappeared, but amusement still danced in his eyes. “Of course not.”

  “You are. Here I am, about to enter some unknown trial to do God only knows what, so a bunch of virtual strangers can tell me if I’m fit to marry, and the man I’m supposed to be marrying is sitting here laughing at me!” And yet she couldn’t help but find the hilarity in it herself.

  “No, I’m not,” he assured her with a chuckle. Amara rolled her eyes. “And I do appreciate you doing this. I know you’re going into it blind.”

  And wasn’t that terrifying? “Are you sure you can’t tell me what’s about to happen?”

  “I wish I could, love. Trust me. But I don’t know any more about these trials than you do.” He shrugged. “Nobody does. It’s a Council secret. Even though I’m technically on the Council, only the Head Shaman knows what goes on during the trials. Even the Alpha isn’t privy to that information.”

  Amara frowned. “I thought you said the Trials were public?”

  “To the Council, they are. But even they heed the advice of our Shaman. He is the supreme spiritual leader in the community, you know. They say he even has a direct link to our ancestors.”

  She suppressed a shudder. Men turning into wolves she could handle, but for some reason, all the magic and spiritual stuff sort of freaked her out. Maybe it was because she had never really been big on faith and religion. Or maybe it was because she was finding out that all her grandfather’s old stories were real.

  As they got closer, Nemoy stepped forward. The robe he was wearing was a deep, cobalt blue embroidered with an intricate forest design of red, gold, silver, and green. The others surrounding him
were in similar robes of various jewel tones. Nemoy’s face, all sharp lines and angles, looked strange in the torch light. It was almost like it was softer somehow. Happier. Maybe it was because he was smiling. “Welcome Amara, Nova.” He nodded to each of them in turn. “Welcome to the First Trial in your nuptial ceremony. There are three trials in all. If you can pass each of these trials, you will be allowed to wed, and your union will become permanent and untouchable under Pack Law. Mountain Clan wolves mate for life. There is no divorce. Death is the only severance, and as a pack, we fight like hell to keep that from happening. If you fail, however, then you are honor bound to dissolve your union and go your separate ways. The penalty for failure to comply in this situation is exile.

  “Amara, we know you are human, however, you are choosing to wed a Mountain Clan wolf and join our pack, so we are unable to change the trials to be more suitable for a human life. They will be challenging, and you will find yourself in situations where being human may be your downfall. Unfortunately, without the completion of these trials, the Council is unable to honor your marriage. Do you consent to participate in these trials and follow the laws of the Pack?”

  Amara pursed her lips. She knew she had to answer, but it all felt so formal. Was this part of the trials? Had they already begun? Or was it just part of the ceremony? She glanced over her shoulder at Nova. He smiled his encouragement. Okay then. Amara nodded to Nemoy. “Yes, I consent.”

  Nemoy gave her a curt nod, but she was almost sure he’d smiled. He turned to his brother. “Nova, you are the Beta of the Mountain Clan Wolf Pack. You hold the second highest position in regards to prestige, and your strength is matched by no wolf in our pack, save your Alpha. And yet, you choose to wed a human.”

  Amara raised a brow. She knew everything Nemoy was saying was the truth, but it still stung a little to hear it out loud. She tried her best not to take offense. Guess I should try harder, she thought wryly.