“Thanks for the warning,” Malik said as he followed the SUV leading the way. Her uncles brought up the rear, keeping them sandwiched in an effort to stop an ambush.
“What the hell?” He jammed on the brakes as the lead vehicle stopped in front of them.
He rolled down the window a crack when the man approached. “There’s a tree down. “We’re hoofing it from here.”
“Son of a bitch!” Malik hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. “What the fuck else can go wrong?”
“I need you to do me a favor,” he said as he jammed the car in park and killed the engine. “Kitrick will have a momentary lapse in his night vision when we go dark. Take that opportunity to shift into your cat and get the hell out of here.”
“Won’t he shoot me, even as a cat?”
“If our luck hasn’t totally run out, he’ll not be prepared to lose the light so quickly and he won’t see you shift. The asshole thinks of himself as an animal rights activist.” He shook his head at the irony. “He doesn’t bat an eye at killing a human, but he’d never purposely target an animal unless it attacked him. Just don’t attack him if you see him. Turn away and get the hell out of there.”
The last thing Malik wanted to do was leave their mate to her own devices. However, it would look odd, even to a city slicker like Kitrick to see a leopard and a tiger walking through the woods together and it might be enough to make her a target.
“Shift now!” he counted to five and turned off the lights.
Carmen wasn’t a fast shifter. If he had to guess, he’d say it had been a long time since she felt the need. Failing to shift regularly could, literally, be the death of them. He would have to talk to her about that, later.
However, now was the time to hunt. At least this time, if he got shot, he wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to change back into his human. He couldn’t shift. If he did, he could ruin what little edge Carmen had.
Using the night vision of his cat, Malik scanned the side of the road. He could feel the bastard stalking them.
Still, he grinned darkly. The asshole didn’t know the scope of their protection. He also had no idea that his prey had just become the hunter. Carmen might not like the idea of killing a man, but her cat would demand survival and if Kitrick threatened her, it would react accordingly.
Closing his eyes, he reached for the magic he knew resided within him. He thought of Carmen. He pictured her, imagining her scent and the softness of her silky skin and hair.
Carmen? He attempted to establish a mental link. Such a thing would be easy, had they already mated. However, they had not. Are you doing what we asked of you?
Yes, came the answer. I don’t have a death wish, thankyouverymuch.
Good. He grinned at her snarky answer. I do not have a death wish for you, either, kotik.
Don’t you dare call me pussycat now that I’m strolling through the woods alone with some sort of mad killer looking for me.
Malik laughed out loud, quickly covering it with a cough. Just be certain that you stay away from the mad killer, kotik.
You think that Russian accent of yours is sexy, don’t you? It isn’t, you know.
I think you are lying to me. She didn’t sound at all convincing.
Well, I’m not. Eeew, eew eew! I think I just stepped in bear poop. Why can’t leopards wear shoes? I have a really nice pair I had to send into the ether when I shifted.
Bears, there are bears here? He stiffened at the thought that a bear could attack his precious Carmen.
Of course there are bears here. We’re in the mountains. There’s probably moose or elk around here, too. You know, there’s really no doubt about it, now. I have firsthand experience. Bears really do crap in the woods.
Malik smiled at her irreverence, both terrified and awed. The thought of her being alone in the woods when a bear could attack her scared the hell out of him. Yet she still managed to make him smile, in the midst of her own fright.
Keep moving toward town and let me know when you get there.
I’m here. I see the sheriff now.
Go to him!
I am. She sent the impression that she stuck her tongue out at him. Stop being so bossy. If you think that’s going to fly if we mate, you’re sadly mistaken, bub.”
Stay in town where you are protected... please. He tacked on the last bit just in case she decided to ignore him because he didn’t ask. It’s time for the rest of us to hunt.
He broke off communication and immediately shifted into his tiger. Where is everyone? No one stood with him by the vehicles. Thanks for making me a target, you assholes. His tiger chuffed its displeasure.
Entering the woods, he lowered himself onto his belly and gazing around him, he searched the woods. Kitrick was here. If he wasn’t mistaken, the man had also brought along a helper. It wasn’t like him to share a bounty. Perhaps the price on their heads was higher than he thought.
An obvious noise to his left had him looking to his right before he turned back to the left, once more. Only a green tracker would fall for that trick. He stayed put, hoping to draw the other man out. If it was Kitrick, he’d either grown sloppy, or the last two days of hard driving and no sleep was finally taking its toll.
Malik rested on his haunches, his ears swiveling back and forth. He heard the heartbeat of a family of terrified rabbits hiding in their warren. They sensed the predator and stayed huddled safely out of the way. He heard the slight sound of fur brushing against the leaves as the others stalked their prey. Most importantly, he heard the slow, even heartbeat of a gunman attempting to find a target.
While Kitrick had managed to hide his scent before, he couldn’t do it now. Maybe it was the scent of the gunpowder or, perhaps, the stench of evil that followed the man wherever he went. Whatever the reason, Malik had a direction. Now, he would use the patience of his cat to stalk his prey and end the danger to his mate.
Slowly, as though he hadn’t a care in the world, Malik stalked his prey. The man slowly made his way through the woods, his night vision goggles giving him an advantage over humans. Little did he know, he wasn’t fighting humans.
The scream of a leopard had Kitrick spinning around. It wasn’t until a man screamed that the gunman grew agitated. He jumped at the sound of every twig snapping, the rustle of the rabbits and other small animals taking cover. Every little sound kept him spinning in circles, his rifle to his shoulder, at the ready.
Finally, when Kitrick spun his way, his rifle pointed over Malik’s head, the cat charged, leaping on the man and knocking him to the ground, the rifle trapped between the man and the tiger.
“You’re a beautiful animal.”
Kitrick tried using a soothing tone as he slowly reached for the spare handgun Malik knew he kept on his hip.
The tiger growled, his nails flexing, sinking into the soft flesh of the other man’s chest beneath his feet. Lowering his face, Malik stared into Kitrick’s eyes, letting the man see into his soul. It was his right to know who killed him.
“It-It’s you!” Kitrick cried just before Malik took his head between his teeth and crushed his skull.
Chapter Nineteen
Carmen stalked through the woods on the other side of town, occasionally stopping to sniff the air in search of enemies. She insisted that the sheriff and his men go help the others. She didn’t want to face Kitrick alone, but she would if the man was stupid, or crazy, enough to approach her in this form. So-called animal activist, or not, the man would shoot her if she got too close to him. Every species had survival instincts.
Slowly, she made her way to her uncles’ house. Her muscles ached from hiding in and running through the woods. She wasn’t used to running more than a few hundred feet and she’d just made her way two miles through mountain brush and another two miles across town. Tired and sore, she limped up the porch steps and concentrated on shifting back to her human self. She reached for the magic, imagining her human form an
d what she’d been wearing before she changed to her leopard. She frowned when her clothes didn’t seem to fit right.
“You really need to shift more often, girl,” she told herself as she reached out and rang the bell.
After a few moments, the porch light clicked on, the door opening a crack before Melody threw it wide and pulled her into her arms for a huge hug.
“What happened?” her friend asked as she ran her hands up and down Carmen’s arms, obviously looking for some kind of injury. “Your uncles called and told me to expect you.” She leaned to the side, looking out into the darkness. “Where are they?”
Turning her attention back to Carmen, Melody pressed her lips together, obviously suppressing a smile.
“What?” Carmen gave her a narrow-eyed glare. “Don’t you dare pick on me when we haven’t seen each other in forever.”
“I’m sorry.” Melody looked contrite for about five seconds before she giggled, clapped her hand over her mouth and then giggled again. “I’m sorry. Really I am. It’s just that—” She laughed out loud. “Why are your clothes on inside out?”
Carmen glanced down and groaned. Not only were her clothes inside out, her blouse was on backward, to boot. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “I really need to shift more often.” It was obvious she needed practice. Hell, she didn’t even have enough command over the magic to make sure she clothed herself properly anymore.
Glancing back at Melody, she rested her hands on her hips. “Well... are you going to stand there laughing at me all night, or are you going to let me in so I can fix this mess?”
“Oh... sorry.” Melody stepped aside. “Come on in.” She gave Carmen a hug and then closed the door. “Where have you been?” Stepping away, she turned and started down the hall. “Your uncles were worried sick when you didn’t answer your cell phone and the car and GPS parted ways. I thought they were going to go crazy.”
“I got tired of waiting for my mates to show up for their stint at guard duty. Hell, it seemed as though every team who arrived to guard me had been given a hands off order. I’d been celibate since you got married.” Carmen sighed and pulled her shirt over her head, turned it right-side out and put it back on. “It’s a good thing I got tired of waiting, too,” she said with a grin. “My mates never would have volunteered for guard duty. They aren’t from Paradise.”
“What?” Melody gasped, holding her hand to the center of her chest. “They’re not from Paradise? Are they... are they human?” She whispered the words as though it should be considered akin to having a disease.
“Listen to you.” Carmen laughed. “You used to be human. What have you got against them now?”
“Well... nothing. I just never thought your mates would be human. That’s all.”
“They aren’t.” Carmen did a little dance, barely able to contain her excitement now that she was talking to her best friend in the world. “I would have accepted them if they had been, though.”
“Then what—”
“They’re from the cascade.” Carmen hugged Melody, still unable to believe that she’d finally found someone. “You know that place where that man...” She paused, thinking. “That Corbin guy was from there. Wasn’t he some sort of prince, or something?”
“Yes. I believe he was. Are they tigers?” Melody glanced back, her eyes round.
“Yes, they are.”
“Seriously?” Melody glanced around as though making sure no one could overhear them. “Those guys are huge!”
“Yes.” Carmen’s cheeks burned. “They are bigger than most males I’ve seen.”
“So...” Melody waggled her brows. “How big are they?”
“Mel!” She swatted her friend on the arm.
“I was just curious.” Melody pouted before turning to walk to the edge of the room. “After all, almost all of our men are over six-feet tall.”
“Okay, okay... If I had to guess,” Carmen replied with a sigh. “I’d say both Malik and Gable are close to seven-feet tall.”
“Seven-feet!” Melody ran over and hugged her again. “You got what you wished. With them being so big, they must make you feel positively tiny.”
“They do.” Carmen grinned. “And that’s just one of the best parts.”
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you finally found your mates.” Melody turned to the sink, filled a pitcher and dumped the water into a nearby coffee maker and then set it to brew. “I’ve felt so guilty being so happy this past year while you stayed in Philly alone.” Spinning around, she leaned back against the counter with a wan smile. “I knew you were lonely.” She grimaced. “Hell, I was lonely for you.”
Tears filled her eyes and she laughed. “Look at me. I’m crying again.” She grabbed a paper towel and dabbed at her eyes. “It seems as though I’m always crying these days.” She glanced at Carmen. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re here. I’ve needed to talk to you since last Wednesday.”
“Why? What’s up?”
“Well...” Melody rested her hands over her stomach. “We always promised each other that we would be the first to know.”
Carmen stared at Melody’s stomach for a moment before she squealed, “Omigod! You’re preggers?” Dancing over to Melody, she hugged her best friend close. “Congratulations!”
She did another little dance. “I don’t believe it!” I’m going to have a little cousin to spoil.”
“You can’t say anything to the guys. They don’t know, yet.”
“We don’t know what, yet?” Wyatt asked as he entered the room.
“I... um...” Melody’s face turned red. “Well...” She sighed. “I really wanted to tell you guys some other time.”
She hedged around the question as Mitch stepped up beside her. “Tell us what, love?” Leaning down, he kissed her forehead. “That’s you’re having our child in a few months?”
“You knew?” She gasped and then thinned her lips, her eyes narrowing as she glared up at him. “I’m going to give that big-mouthed doctor a piece of my mind.”
“The doc never said a word.” Mitch grinned. “We smelled it nearly three months ago. Likely, within hours of conception.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Melody swatted them both on the arm and stomped her foot. “So that’s why you guys have been tip-toeing around me the way you have.” Crossing her arms, she stuck her bottom lip out.
Mitch glanced at Malik and Gable who had wisely remained silent as they stood just inside the doorway. “Would you care for some coffee?”
“Thank you, but no,” Gabe replied. “I think it wise to retreat to your local hostel and get some rest.”
“After you, kotik.” Malik grasped Carmen’s arm and aimed her toward the door. “We have already secured a suite of rooms so that you might rest.”
The glint in his eyes told Carmen that sleep was the last thing on his mind. She stared up at him, their gazes locking.
“I think you’re right.” She did her best to keep the knowing grin from her face.
Turning toward Melody, she gave her a hug. “You’re my best friend in the world. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“Oh, stop it,” Melody said through another bout of tears. “You’re acting as though we won’t see each other in the morning.”
“We might not.” Carmen released her friend with a wink. “My mates might keep me occupied for the next few days.”
Chapter Twenty
Gabe ushered Carmen out through the front door and took a deep breath. He liked the scent of the pine trees surrounding them. Something about fresh cut pine always made him think of home.
Perhaps it was because the pine grew fast and thick in the cascade. They used it for heating, cooking and just about everything they needed. They had even built homes out of the versatile wood.
Of course, they had a small use for electricity. Their solar panels assured that they had enough power for their hot water heaters. How
ever, a nice pine fire for cooking a thick slab of beef or pork just made it taste delicious.
“It’s a nice night for a walk,” he said as Malik fell into step on the other side of Carmen. They flanked her as they headed for the local hotel. Kitrick might be dead, but that didn’t mean there weren’t others out to harm her.
“Did you have a satisfactory visit with your friend?” He hoped she did. It might be a few days before they would let her out of their sight. This might be a protected town, but that didn’t mean they trusted everyone in it.
“Yes, but I do want to see her again, soon.” She smiled up at him. “I understand that you two are anxious to get this mating business over with, but I still want to make sure that we’re doing it for all of the right reasons and I don’t mean just because we’re lusting after one another.”
“I thought your uncles explained to you about mates.” Gabe grasped her right hand while he signaled Malik to take her left.
“They did.” Her cheeks turned that lovely shade of pink again and he smiled.
“And?”
“They told me that you males can always scent your mate.” She shrugged and continued. “That doesn’t mean that I want to stake the rest of my life on it. I want to know that we’re mating because we care for one another, not just because you two want to get in my pants.”
“Believe me, kotik, there are more things that I want to do with you than merely getting into your pants.” Gabe lifted her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “There is a spot,” he paused, pressing the back of her hand to his chest. “Right here, that aches at the thought of losing you.”
Carmen snorted in obvious disbelief.
“You might think it’s too soon for us to feel anything for you, malysh,” Malik added. “But we have a lived a long, long time and we know what loneliness feels like. Something about you has filled all of those dark, empty places inside of us and we cannot imagine living the rest of our lives without you with us.”
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