The Panther's Rival

by Emilia Hartley

  She continued to sniffle as her head fell into his chest. His heart beat quickly. She hoped it wouldn’t be the last time she’d have the chance to feel it. It reminded her of that calm, glassy lake with the breeze calmly cradling their bodies in the moonlight. She wanted to be back there.

  “I wish I could tell you how much I just want things to be the way they were. How much I want to just lie with you under the stars again, or how much I just want to run away with you and forget the world; you are what matters most to me,” he said.

  “Why can’t we,” she said, speaking into his chest, “why can’t we just leave it all?”

  He hugged her close and felt her body shake with every sniffle. She wasn’t bothering to hold back her feelings anymore. Everything she’d bottled up while at the den came pouring from her.

  “I wonder that same thing,” he replied, “Yet deep down I know that if we don’t save the rest of the pack, they’ll have to shoulder my burden. Someone else will have to rise up and answer the same questions I have right now. And, another family will be at risk when I could have just fixed everything.”

  Tess rubbed the tears from the corner of her eyes and looked up at Connor. He lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips. She urged for more and pushed herself in tighter.

  She felt so small in his arms, so protected, but she knew the feeling wouldn’t last. Deep down she knew he was right; he made a commitment to protect the pack from any threat. However, that didn’t mean she had to like it.

  “I want you to go back to Cliff Walker den,” he said, “Take Cynthia, and the rest of the girls there as well. They may be bears but they’ll be safer there. Can you do that for me?”

  Tess shook her head no.

  “We’re safe here. Crunch is a strong fighter and if Cynthia is here I doubt any harm will come to us.”

  “Fine,” Connor sighed, no longer able to argue, “Stay here if it makes you feel safe. We’re going to get Torque and make him give us some answers. If we get them then maybe, just maybe, we can convince the bears to end all the fighting.”

  “Promise me you’ll come back,” she said.

  “I promise,” he said. He held her close again. Tess didn’t believe it for a word. Neither of them wanted to let go, they wanted to savor the moment they were spending together. Tess made a memory of his scent, hoping she’d have a chance to smell it again.

  Alex walked over to join them. Tess rubbed at her eyes to try to push away the tears. Her brother had seen her upset many times before but this time she felt so naked.

  “Are you two finished?” he asked.

  Connor nodded as he reached his arm around Tess’s shoulders. They walked together to join the rest of the group.

  “What’s the plan?” Alex asked as they rejoined around the morning fire.

  “We’re going to find Torque, when we do we’re going to make him answer every question we have. Once we know who the real killer is we can capture them and maybe try to talk some sense into the bears so we can end this war,” Connor said confidently.

  “Well, I hope you boys have fun with that,” Crunch said, “I’ll be staying right here.”

  “Can you at least take care of the girls?” Connor asked.

  Crunch grunted and spat on the ground which Connor only assumed meant yes.

  “I’m going too,” Samantha chimed in.

  “Why?” Alex asked.

  “So I can punch this Torque guy in his stupid face for starting all this shit,” she replied.

  Connor and Alex glanced at each other. Would it be safe to bring a bear along on their trip? She was the only one that knew how to get to the bear den, if they’re going straight there then maybe she would be an asset.

  “Sounds good enough to me,” Connor said with a shrug.

  Tess raised her hand to join but was shot down by Connor immediately with a sideways glance.

  “Tess, don’t say it. You’re having our child and the last thing you should be doing is running around and fighting,” he said.

  She closed her mouth and accepted her fate.

  “Get in,” Connor said, pulling the truck keys from his pocket, “we need to go now.”

  “I thought I was taking the bike for this one,” Alex asked.

  “We don’t have the time to gas up every twenty miles. Just get in the truck,” Connor said.

  Tess took one last moment with Connor, her eyes watching him listlessly.

  “You better come back,” she said. She planted another kiss on his lips.

  Beside them, Cynthia handed a stuffed basket to Alex which he tossed in the cabin of the truck.

  “Leftovers,” she said. Cynthia leapt on him like a horny dog. Tess almost didn’t want to keep watching but couldn’t look away. She tilted her head when they didn’t stop. Their hands were all over, it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

  “Ahem,” Connor coughed.

  Samantha was already climbing in the truck and she braced the food on her lap. Connor eased into the driver’s seat and twisted the ignition to start the truck. Alex got the hint, finally pulling away from his woman. Tess giggled at the sight. He hopped in the passenger side and rolled down the window to plant one more kiss on his Cynthia’s cheek.

  “I’ll see you soon,” he said. Cynthia smiled back, eliciting an eye roll from Tess.

  “This is going to be fun,” Samantha said as the truck started to pull away.

  “Right,” Alex replied rolling his eyes, “that’s one word for it.”

  The loud truck eased its way down the dirt path with Crunch watching them from behind.

  CHAPTER 12

  “This is pretty good,” “I’ve been missing my sisters cooking,” Alex said, “Cynthia just burns everything when she cooks. I end up having to make everything myself.”

  Connor nodded, savoring every bite of the food he brought along for the ride. Their destination was a ways off, according to Crunch’s map. The small basket of barbecue still steamed between the three of them on Samantha’s lap.

  “Sometimes I wonder if she does it on purpose,” Alex added.

  Connor chuckled while tossing a chicken bone out the window. Tess was an amazing cook no matter what she made.

  They followed the twisted road around the mountain. The trees were just beginning to gain back their spring coats and Samantha marveled at the beauty.

  The roads were mostly washed out and getting around the mountain was tricky at best. They’d had to backtrack more than couple times and Connor was growing frustrated. It didn’t help that Alex was full of questions and Samantha was full of words.

  “What are you going to do when we get there?” Alex wondered. “It’s not like we can just show up to the front door and ask to see this guy.”

  “I’m going to ask them a few questions,” he replied.

  “They usually aren’t the talking type, according to Crunch,” Alex said.

  “They’ll answer my questions,” Connor said.

  “Look at that one!” Samantha said, pointing at a nearby tree, silhouetted by the light of the early morning dawn. They’d driven all night. The sun hadn’t quite crested over the horizon, but it would soon.

  “I thought we could just sneak our way in, we might get lucky and catch him by surprise,” Connor replied. Connor wasn’t concerned even if a fight broke out. The only thing on his mind was the mission in front of him. That’s how he was raised by his father, nothing else matters but the success of the mission.

  He thought back to those years where his father would give him a task and wouldn’t allow him home until it was complete. He remembered the nights he would spend laying under a hastily made shelter to block out the rain, or the nights where the rain stopped bothering him because it had become his only friend.

  He laughed at his youth. His father was dead; nothing he could do would bring him back. The lessons he’d taught Connor seemed to do almost nothing to prepare him to lead.

  “Catch him by surprise?�
� Alex laughed.

  “I don’t see you coming up with any brilliant ideas,” Connor snapped.

  “Do either of you even know what this guy looks like?” Samantha wondered.

  Alex looked to Connor and they both shook their heads.

  “That’s what I thought,” she said, “Maybe you should just prowl in and try to figure out which one is Torque first before coming up with a game plan.”

  Connor was sad to admit it but she was right.

  “This is it!” Alex said, “The lake cabins are just through this small patch of forest. We better ditch the truck.” They double checked the map, to make sure this was their destination. It was.

  Connor screeched the truck to a halt on the loose gravel then pulled over, but not before making sure the vehicle was pointing back where they came.

  “In case we need to make a hasty getaway,” he said, “Samantha, you should probably watch the truck.”

  “I’ll be ready for you,” She nodded, she seemed glad to have a task that didn’t involve suicide.

  Connor and Alex stripped off their clothing while Samantha watched, not even trying to hide her curiosity. Connor tossed his shirt into her face before sliding off his jeans.

  He inhaled deeply; this was what wolves lived for. His muscles stretched and tore as the wolf took over, only to knit themselves back together as he fell to all fours. His sense of smell heightened and he could make out the dense musk of the other shifters nearby. He could also smell salt; they were near a salt water lake, they were definitely here.

  Connor shot through the forest toward the smell of the lake, Alex nipped at his heels, keeping pace with ease. Connor marveled at the ability of what he’d come to know as a primal. Part of him wished that he could have had that power. He could have put it to good use, instead of it being wasted on a lone wolf like Alex.

  Jealousy aside, Connor had one purpose on his mind. The scent of the shifters grew ever closer to them as they sped through the brush and over fallen trees.

  They slowed when the lake was in sight. The sky reflected off its sheen surface. On the opposite side of the shore was a single large campfire that was recently lit with cabins dotted around. They were larger than the ones in the forest clearing; these cabins looked like they could fit eight people comfortably. However, age had taken its toll and more than a few had roofs nearly collapsed with tarps hastily thrown over.

  Near the road that edged into the group of cabins stood a row of motorcycles carefully stowed. Aside from a couple bikers sitting around a steaming pot it was noticeably empty. They must still be asleep. Perfect. The largest of the cabins sat highest on the hill. At two stories in height it even had its own balcony that overlooked the lake.

  The door to the balcony of the largest cabin swung wide. A single man stepped out and stretched tired muscles before leaning on the railing. He pulled out his watch, to check the time. It looked antsy, as though expecting something. Or someone.

  Almost as if on cue, the silence was broken by the echo of motorcycle engines. A dark delivery van started pulling its way into the space, flanked by a more bikers. Connor instantly recognized Mutt with his powerful build. Bad luck. Alex nudged up against Connor, tilting his head to the side to motion toward the van.

  The man from the railing disappeared only to exit the cabin at ground level. The driver’s side door to the van cracked open for Eli to step out. This was bad and getting worse by the second. Mutt followed closely behind him as the man from the balcony stepped from the small door downstairs. That must be Torque. Crunch told them that he was the one in charge of the biker gang now.

  Connor expected the shooting to start but was somehow not surprised when it didn’t. Instead, Torque greeted the hunter as a friend.

  Alex and Connor locked eyes. Words didn’t need to be spoken, they both knew that this was becoming a bigger mess than either of them had thought.

  Connor was still trying to completely come to terms with what he was seeing. Every wolf feared the hunters, and Torque should be no different. By shaking the hunter’s hand, Toque sent shockwaves through Connor’s body.

  They had somehow become allies.

  Torque let out a loud, high-pitched whistle. Cabin doors were kicked open for the rest of the pack to file out and join their alpha. Connor wanted to get in closer to hear but he dismissed the idea as foolish. They watched as the bikers began to unload the van. A few plastic crates came out and were piled against the wall of the large cabin. Connor narrowed his wolf eyes for a better look.

  Torque pried a crate open to check the contents. What he pulled out was a brand new rifle. Connor had never known wolves to use rifles, there was never any real point since your jaw could do more damage than a gun could any day. Besides, it was a cowardly way to fight.

  Eli clapped a hand around Torque’s shoulder as they walked away from camp to chat business. The pair was heading around the lip of the lake, right towards Alex and Connor.

  As they grew closer, Connor and Alex could finally hear them.

  “There’s enough firepower there to end all of them,” Torque said, “We can ride out tomorrow.”

  The hunter held up his hand to silence Torque.

  “You’ll do no such thing,” he said, “I wanna watch ‘em suffer.”

  Torque looked frustrated.

  “Why the hell did you bring this stuff to us now? If all we’re goin’ to do is sit on it?” Torque wondered.

  “Consider it a gift,” Eli said.

  Connor prowled closer to the pair with Alex in tow. At his distance they were well out of earshot of the men in the camp, who were too distracted anyway. Connor waited and listened.

  “Crunch has been coming around,” Torque said, “should we cut him in?”

  “No,” the hunter replied, “He could screw everything up for the both of us.”

  “I heard he’s got some new muscle,” Torque added, “Probably better just to get rid of him.” Eli nodded as Torque looked at his watch. “One hour.”

  Eli perked up, holding a hand to silence Torque.

  “Something’s here,” he said, “I can smell ‘em. Wolves.”

  Connor leapt from the bushes, from this distance there was no way he could miss his prey. He tackled the hunter to the ground with his powerful alpha body, holding Eli firmly against the sandy embankment. Alex leapt at Torque shifting back into his human form mid-jump. His hand hooked under Torque’s collar as the fur brushed away from his fingers. His muzzle pulled back into his face as he slid his body behind Toque, grabbing his arm. By the time Alex was human, Torque was on the ground with his arm locked and his neck under tight hold.

  Connor was so close to the hunter. He could finish this right now if he wanted to. All he had to do was lean down and bite hard and the hunter would be finished. He fought against the rage, this time he needed answers, they were the only thing keeping the hunter alive for the time being. However, if Connor was to talk, he needed to shift. His foot held the hunter in place as his bones cracked and his sinewy muscle snapped back into human, he noticed that the hunter wasn’t bothering to fight back.

  “Giving up already?” Connor asked confidently.

  “Oh, it hurts. The proud alpha tackling the elderly hunter to the ground,” laughed Eli sarcastically, “You picked the wrong man to fight, but you’ll find out soon enough.”

  Torque looked at his comrade and wondered what he meant. Alex held him tightly to the ground despite his attempts to wiggle free.

  “We want answers,” Alex said, “And you’re going to give them to us.”

  “Did you kill the bear shifter and start this fight?” Connor asked.

  Torque still continued to struggle while the hunter just laughed.

  “I could make a sound and half that pack over there would be on you in a second,” Torque said.

  “And, I could bite your head off before they got close,” Connor replied.

  “Just tell them, Torque,” the hunter said, placing his hands behind his head fo
r comfort, “I don’t want this to take all morning.”

  Torque stopped struggling.

  “It was him,” Torque admitted, “I watched him kill the bear woman.”

  Connor cocked an eye.

  “What?” Connor asked, “but that would mean that he’s a…”

  Connor was surprised he hadn’t noticed sooner.

  “I tried to scare her off. He told me that if I got rid of her I could take over as alpha of the pack. He would help me get rid of Crunch,” Torque said.

  “So you killed her?” Alex asked, “I’m confused.”

  “I was ready to do it, but he came in and beat me to the punch.”

  “You see? I’m your killer. Call the police!” The hunter added sarcastically.

  “You shut up,” Connor yelled at the hunter, pressing his foot harder into his chest. The hunter threw his hands up but continued to lie in the sand smiling. Connor pushed his leg further up the hunter’s chest until he had his foot on the man’s throat. He was ready to kick down hard at a moment’s notice.

  “Don’t do it,” Alex said, “We need him to get the bears off us.”

  Dammit.

  “So, you took over for the gang because this piece of shit needed someone in charge that he could control?” Connor asked Torque. He nodded, reluctantly. He’d sold out his pack for power.

  Connor remembered when he was younger and wanted to take over for his dad. His dad was always so upset all the time, he always rubbed people the wrong way, but in the end they listened to him because he was usually right. Every time Connor would be thrown into the forest to fend for himself, he would picture his father sitting at home, laughing. Before his father died, he was making himself tough so he could challenge his father for control. But, it didn’t matter anymore.

  Torque was an echo of everything that Connor wanted to be as a child. After his father died he wanted nothing more than to have his father back.

  “You’re both coming with us,” Connor said, “Crunch will have some fun with you, and I have a feeling the bears will have a few words for the hunter.”