The Panther's Rival

by Emilia Hartley

  Tess smiled and sipped at her tea. The younger girls giggled and started asking questions. Tess did her best to try to answer them all. She was happy that she’d managed to distract them from the situation in which they’d found themselves. Tess’s hand found itself to her belly and she rubbed it slowly.

  She wanted to see Connor again.

  CHAPTER 3

  The truck twisted through the narrow roads. Water from the day’s rain pelted the roof with loud tings while drips accumulated around the tiniest of cracks and splashed Connor on the cheek routinely. He punched at the cracks to make them stop, but his efforts only made them worse.

  Dammit.

  Nothing was going right. It was such a beautiful morning only to turn into a gloomy afternoon. Worse still, his gas gauge registered close to empty.

  He tried his best to push everything aside and focus on his destination: the Cliff Walker den. Tess would be waiting for him there, he knew she would. He could already feel soft contours of her skin and smell her sweet scent.

  A passing car honked as Connor pulled the steering wheel and the car back into his own lane. He shook his head to snap from his memories and saw a gas station just up ahead which he begrudgingly pulled into.

  The place was ancient. Old wood served as siding and most of it was showing signs of mold or rot. The awning over the gas pumps had several holes that pooled water up and poured it down on the patrons below. Along-side the service station a trio of motorcycles sat with a tarp hastily tossed over the top.

  He pulled the truck into the only available gas pump and splashed his way into the station. The inside of which wasn’t much better than the outside. Mismatched shelves with rows of candy and other consumable goods lined the racks and a single cooler sat in the back of the station, advertising alcohol and soda.

  The trio of bikers who must have owned the cycles outside leaned against the far wall, chugging on their beverages when Connor entered. None of them smelled like wolves.

  Good.

  “I hear Mutt is on a warpath,” said one. Connor paid it as little mind as possible. A bunch of idiots talking wasn’t something he was interested in.

  “Pfft, who cares? The guy lost half his gang the day after that fight,” said another, “nobody wants to roll with a loser.”

  “Yeah, but I never saw him this angry. I hear he’s thrown down a bounty on that kid he got in a fight with,” said the third.

  “Really? How much is the bounty for?” Asked the second.

  “Ten large. Quite a chunk of change if you think you can take him out,” said the third.

  “Ha, no thanks. I don’t fight against guys that can dodge a shotgun at point blank and throw Mutt around like a ragdoll,” replied the first.

  “I heard there’s some crazy guy that took the bounty already, anyway,” said the third.

  “That guy must be nuts,” laughed the first.

  Dodging a shotgun at point blank? Throwing someone bigger than him? That sounded suspicious. Connor didn’t realize he’d been standing in front of the clerk without saying a word this whole time.

  “You goin’ to order something?” the clerk asked.

  “I gotta fill up outside, twenty should do it,” he said, handing the clerk a fresh bill. The clerk nodded and clicked a button on the register. Connor couldn’t shake his interest in what the bikers were talking about. He turned, strolling casually over to join them.

  “What the hell do you want,” asked the first biker.

  “Information,” Connor said, “I heard you say there’s a bounty going out for some kid. What did the kid look like?”

  “What’s it worth to you?” Asked the biker, rubbing his fingers together.

  Like I’m going to pay you shit…

  “Fine, do you know where I can find the guy that put the bounty out?” Connor asked instead.

  The bikers looked him up and down.

  “Get lost, scrub,” the second replied.

  “Wrong answer,” Connor said. They were asking for what was coming. Connor wrapped his hand around the neck of the first biker, and slammed him to the ground. Even without the added strength of his shifter heritage he was more than a match for the man wriggling beneath his grasp. The clerk reached for a shotgun that was hidden behind the register. Connor whipped his head around and growled.

  “I’m going to ask one more time,” Connor growled, “What did he look like and where the hell can I find the guy that’s lookin’ for him?”

  “You better let him up now while you still have a head,” the clerk said, racking his gun.

  I don’t have time for this.

  Connor could feel the call of his wolf. It was ready to pounce on everyone in the station. But, these guys were all human. If he shifted here and one of them got out, who knows what would happen next.

  If.

  Connor pushed the thought down, holding the wolf at bay. He returned the biker to his feet, but still held him against the wall, his feet dangled to meet the floor. He stared daggers into the remaining bikers who were all too ready to bolt.

  “Talk.”

  “Alright, alright,” the biker said, almost pissing himself, “It was some tall, gangly bastard. Had a smokin’ hot girlfriend. They showed up and busted up Otto’s a few nights ago. Mutt put a bounty out on ‘em and he’s been ridin’ around the mountain. I hear he’s found himself a new gang at some lake on the other side of the mountain.”

  Connor lingered a moment, staring them down; he was satisfied with their answer. His blood was returning to normal, the wolf was satisfied for now.

  “One more question,” Connor said, “did you get a look at the man that Mutt hired?”

  The biker he released doubled over and coughed.

  “I got an okay look at the guy, he didn’t look nothin’ special but there was a claw mark that ran along the left side of his neck. Guy gave me the spooks just lookin’ at him, Mutt called him Eli. Somethin’ about him bein’ a hunter.”

  A hunter? Could it be the hunter? The one that that killed those bears back at the den? Of course that dumb little mongrel Alex would get us in trouble with a hunter. Not even part of the pack anymore yet still his shit came back to Connor. He clapped the biker on the back and smiled through his teeth.

  “I’m glad we could have this friendly chat,” he said, “We are friends after all, right?”

  The bikers looked to each other, only to turn back to Connor and nod quickly.

  “And, friends don’t go blabbin’ to nobody about friendly matters, right?”

  Again, the bikers all nodded in unison.

  “Good,” Connor said, “You boys have a nice day.”

  Connor walked past the clerk, who still had his gun shouldered. His finger had the trigger half pulled; Alex didn’t want to wait around for him to finish what he started. He sloshed his way out of the small station and back into the rain. The bikers didn’t take their eyes off him until after he finished filling up his truck and was long gone down the road.

  That hunter means trouble. Alex was quick but there was no way he’d outrun a bullet, especially not one from a hunter.

  Dammit, why do I have to save that little self-righteous piece of shit?

  He was Tess’s only brother. Even though he wasn’t part of the pack anymore that still stood for something. Once Connor could get his hands on the hunter, he’d make sure to take the hunt out of him.

  It would be another hour drive before he’d get to see his beloved Tess. The Cliff Walker den was a pain to get to, and for good reason, it was safe. He would have run the entire distance on his own four legs if there were no other option.

  I need to get to Tess quick.

  CHAPTER 4

  Tess sat by the window, drifting between daydreams. It was late in the day in the cottage and the sun was already set behind the mountain, but the remaining hint of daylight still illuminated the fresh snow.

  The smell of food wafted from a large pot in the kitchen caused her stomach to growl. Her head
leaned back and rested upon the wall behind her.

  How much longer could she wait before returning home to the farmstead she’d grown up on? How much longer would she have to keep guessing the fate of her lover?

  Tess snapped from her thoughts to the sound of crunching snow. A path of footsteps etched their way through the hillside and she leaned against the glass to identify the stranger.

  As the door opened, the cottage woke up. The children by the fire pit untangled themselves from their half sleep and stared at the new stranger who was just out of sight from Tess.

  “Connor!” they shouted.

  Tess couldn’t stand fast enough and tripped over the blanket at her feet, catching herself with her hands. She rolled her eyes as she stood to her feet to greet him. Connor was covered in young pups trying their best to climb over him as though he were a living jungle gym, it seemed she wasn’t the only one excited to see him.

  “I guess you have fans,” Tess laughed as she winded her way through the young crowd.

  Connor lifted a young one over his head to screams of delight only to catch her as she fell close to the floor. Another skittered up his back and straddled his shoulders, begging him to take her for a ride around the room.

  Tess’s heart melted. He was such a good man. Anyone able to play with kids like that would make an amazing father. She wrapped her hands around her stomach and allowed herself this moment to feel contented.

  “A little help?” he asked.

  She didn’t want to let it end so soon. Yet, she yearned to spend some time with him, alone. With a hearty sigh she stepped in the middle of the crowd.

  “Dinner’s almost done,” she shouted, “Time to go get cleaned up!”

  The youngsters let out a collective groan but Tess gave them no quarter. She straightened her grin and clapped, pointing them toward the sink to wash their hands.

  “They’re worse than the bears,” he chuckled. He lifted the pup from his shoulders and set her gently on the ground. She scampered off to join the rest of the children.

  Tess ambushed him from behind, coiling her arms around his tight abs.

  “I missed you,” she said.

  Connor turned to face her and they locked eyes. She was lost in the deep blue marbles that smiled back. He kissed her on the forehead and after a time they decided to sit by the roaring fire in the middle of the room to both warm up and talk.

  “How was the drive?” she asked.

  “Do you really care about that,” Connor asked.

  “Not really,” she replied, truthfully, “I just like the sound of your voice.”

  For the brief moments they sat by the fire, her fears dissipated and she could feel him start to relax. Instead of being in the middle of this terrible feud with the bears, or rival pack members, Tess felt like she was back in the forest on the first night they’d met.

  “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” he asked, stroking his hand through her hair.

  She responded silently by snuggling into the crook of his arm.

  His eyes scanned the room and she wondered what it was he was really looking for. “Is there somewhere more private we can go?” he asked.

  Tess pushed herself up to sit and thought for a moment.

  “Well, the alpha here said there are a few cabins in the area that are mostly unused at this time of the year. Maybe he’ll let us have one of those for a while,” she said with a coy smile, “I’ll go find out.” She readied herself to stand but was stopped short by Connor.

  “I got this one, you just relax,” he said.

  Connor took a pillow from nearby and tucked it under Tess before rolling to his feet. The pack alpha was in the kitchen, starting to dole out the evening meal. Tess watched the two converse for a brief moment. It was still crazy to think that this sexy man was not only the alpha but her lover.

  He returned to her and offered a hand that she took happily as he helped her to a stand.

  “Can you walk,” he asked.

  “After sitting cooped up in this cabin for the past few days, walking sounds good. I’m sure I’ll manage,” she replied, slapping him in the stomach with her pillow.

  Connor helped her into her jacket and the two ventured into the vast snowy hillside. The air was crisp and biting. She was glad that Connor held her so close; his warmth was enough for the short trip they’d need to make to the nearby cabin. The falling snow was already covering Connor’s tracks from before.

  The cabin was tiny compared to the large cottage they’d just left. A tiny smoke stack peeked out from the snow covered rooftop and snow piled in front of the unlocked door. If Connor weren’t so strong they might have needed to find a shovel, but he wrenched it open with little effort.

  Upon entering they found a simple setup; a single bed was nestled against wall to their left, with a set of sheets folded at the foot. A cast iron stove stood against the back wall with a pile of wood stack up beside it.

  Connor got to work quickly and started a fire while Tess threw off her shoes and shivered her way into the bed covers. As the fire burned brighter, Tess clicked off their single flashlight and they lied together in the small bed. The last flash of daylight passed through the snow covered window and they were left in darkness.

  CHAPTER 5

  “What’s on your mind?” she asked.

  Connor rubbed her belly beneath the covers. He couldn’t believe that in just a few months he’d be a father. There was nobody else in the world he would have shoulder the responsibility with him.

  “At this point, only you,” he said.

  He eased his head down and kissed her on the nape of her neck. She quivered.

  “I’ll never say stop, but I’m not sure now is the time,” she said,

  Connor nibbled at her ear and she giggled from the tickle that ran down her spine.

  “There must be something we can do,” he said.

  His hand rubbed the length of her back. Her breathing quickened from the chill of his touch.

  “Cold,” she said.

  He withdrew his hand but she took it and returned it to her spine.

  “I like it,” she said, “don’t stop.”

  He smiled. She rolled herself to her side. Connor lifted her shirt over her shoulders, exposing her to the cool air of the cabin. She breathed deep and shuddered from the cold, pulling her arms in close to cover her chest.

  Connor tore off his own shirt and tossed it to the side of the room. The tiny heater struggled against the freezing temperatures, the fire started to roar inside its small fire chamber. The room was beginning to warm.

  He paced his hand along her spine. Goosebumps rose from his touch. She quivered with excitement at the sensation. Her nipples hardened under her hands.

  Again, his hands ran the length of her backside. Her tense muscles were beginning to loosen under his touch. With each pass along her back, he pushed harder. Digging into her soft skin and attacking the sore muscles.

  Tess didn’t want him to stop. She’d been nervous for so long and didn’t realize how much her body had reflected her fears. Having him here, right now, massaging those fears away, she allowed herself to feel at ease.

  His hands massaged lower and lower down her back, digging deep within her hips. She felt her muscles give in to his powerful grasp and melt into the bed.

  She couldn’t have moved if she tried. Her body was so loose from his tender touch. Part of her wished she could have returned the favor. No doubt he was just as tense as she, and he’d just been in a fight where he’d been battered and bruised.

  His hands found her thighs and she couldn’t help the arousal she felt within herself. Her mind wandered to the last time he’d held her thighs like that. Their passionate love they made those months ago. She wanted it now, but wasn’t sure if they should.

  “We shouldn’t,” she said.

  “I won’t,” he replied.

  Still his hands urged lower down the length of her legs and his body followed along with them. He ki
ssed every inch of her skin that he could.

  She rolled to her back as he kissed down the length of her stomach. Her head fell back against the pillow while her muscles relaxed.

  His mouth kissed further and further down her stomach until it found the soft hair on her mound. The scent of her arousal filled the air and Connor knew it. He gently lifted her legs and massaged the back of them.

  Each forceful motion gave her a surge of excitement. But, nothing compared to the delicate kiss he planted on her clit. A jolt of lightning shot up her spine from the suddenness of the sensation.

  She clenched her teeth without realizing as his tongue reached out and began to draw circles around her most tender of areas. She could feel her juice running down the sides of her leg. He licked them from her skin and returned to his work.

  The tight circles he drew sent shivers through her body, urging her to further heights of arousal. She moaned into her arm as Connor continued.

  He licked the length of her engorged sex and flicked along her clit with the tip of his tongue. Deep within the pit of her stomach she could feel the slow rumblings of something she hadn’t allowed herself in a while. Not since the last time she’d been with Connor.

  His arms held tightly to her thighs while her hips fought to regain control. He continued the motions with his tongue as Tess breathed heavily. Her moans became louder in the silence of the cabin.

  Then without any warning, she felt it shoot through her body as a flood. Her relaxed muscles suddenly tightened and her toes curled as the orgasm took over. She arched her back and bucked her hips. After she finally managed to loosen herself up, another small wave came again, then another.

  She quivered while Connor held her close. A giant smile streaked across her face and she was satisfied. Connor threw the blanket over both of them and warmed her with his own body heat.

  She could feel his cock throbbing beneath his jeans and she wanted to please her man. But, she was drained of whatever energy she may have had. Before she realized, she’d closed her eyes and was asleep.