A Strange New Breed

by Wendy Stone

  He held out his hands to her. “Don’t be angry, Terry.”

  * * * *

  Kadian grimaced as Shurene fixed his bow tie in the elevator on the way down from his suite. “You look pretty hot in a tux,” she said softly.

  “I look pretty hot in anything,” he kidded.

  “Yeah, I can see how you’d think that,” Shurene said, hearing him snort in amusement and feeling a flash of heat against her hands. “Listen, dragon breath, do me a favor and keep it to yourself. I don’t feel like being shish kabobed.”

  “Then you’d better keep your pack under control. We’re going to warn and protect the panthers, not get them in the middle of two enemies, got me? If you double cross me, Shurene…”

  “I know, I know, you’ll fry my lying ass. You just keep those panthers under control. We’re going to help, not attack.”

  They stepped out of the elevator, a dapperly attired handsome singer and the bedraggled and bruised blonde beauty. “I can get myself home from here,” she said, giving one final twitch to his tie.

  “Good. Hurry.”

  Kadian found his car waiting for him outside the hotel, watching out the tinted windows as Shurene hurried the other way. Her gait was stiff, her body tensed. As if she moving the wrong way would cause her to fall apart. Considering her injuries, he didn’t know how she was walking at all. Weres healed faster than humans and had a much higher pain tolerance, but still, just the abuse done to her sex had been extensive. The Rhinos had a lot to answer for.

  His cell phone was in his pocket and he plucked it out, hitting a number on the speed dial and listening to it ring on the other end. “Come on, Nashe buddy. I’m going to need some back up.”

  * * * *

  “Don’t be angry?” Terry fumed, turning to glare at the handsome man, naked in the center of the big bed. His green eyes were gleaming at her, his chest, all that glorious masculine flesh there for her to play. But he’d gone behind her back. He’d ferreted out her secrets without asking her. “How could you think I wouldn’t be?

  The phone on the side table rang and Nashe turned and glared at it. “I had to know,” he said, ignoring the ringing. The machine in the other room picked up the call.

  “You could have asked,” she snapped back.

  “I did!”

  Nashe climbed out of bed, going toward Terry before he heard Kadian’s voice.

  “Nashe, damn it, pick up the phone!”

  Torn, he looked at Terry.

  “Get the phone.” She said, grabbing her clothes and putting them on.

  “Yeah,” Nashe said into the phone. “This had best be imp—What?”

  Terry started, seeing the look of horror that came over Nashe’s face. “Yeah, stop by and get us. We’ll be ready. Try Lukah again. I know today is their mating day, just do it.” He hung up the phone.

  “The rhinos are planning on attacking the mating.”

  “Rhinos? Why would they want to attack Lucinda and Marshal?”

  “Because they’re rhinos and the biggest assholes of the weres.”

  “Can’t be bigger than you,” she muttered, glaring at him as she reached for the dress she’d brought over for the mating.

  “Okay, I deserved that,” Nashe growled, grabbing for his tux. “I’m sorry I went behind your back. I should have asked you. But isn’t it better that I know?”

  “You aren’t getting out of this so easily, Nashe. Don’t even try getting logical on me. Rational doesn’t work well when I’m feeling this irrational.” She pulled the dress over her head, settling it around her hips before pulling her hair to the side so he could zip her up. “Let’s just go let you two be heroes and talk about this later.”

  He zipped her up and before she could move away, spun her so that she fell against him. “I love you,” he said, finding her mouth even as she pushed her hands against him.

  His mouth was warm, firm, demanding a response that her body gave without conscious thought. When he let go of her, she remained leaning against him, her hands fisting in his white shirt. His hands rested against her hips, palms sliding over her curves under the silken texture of the dress.

  “Not fair,” she moaned when he finally lifted his head. “I’m still pissed at you.”

  “I know.”

  “We will discuss this all later.”

  “I will be repentant,” he promised, his fingers stroking over her cheeks.

  “You’d better be,” she warned, smacking him on the tight curve of his ass before she pulled away to grab her brush.

  They were in the lobby when Kadian’s car arrived. Terry smirked, seeing the huge limo. “Must be rough to be a famous singing star.”

  “Terrible,” Nashe agreed, offering her his arm.

  She took it, after a second’s hesitation. “I’m still mad,” she whispered.

  “I know. I won’t take anything you do as forgiveness until you say so.” He helped her into the car, sliding in after her. “Did you get Lukah on the phone?”

  “No.”

  “How the hell did you find out about this?” Nashe asked, picking up Terry’s hand to twine her fingers around his.

  Kadian closed his eyes, loathe to tell them about his run in with Shurene, especially after what had happened with Marissa and the Were-Jackals.

  “Kadian?” Nashe growled. “I know that look. What did you do?”

  “I saved Shurene from Bray and Trey Bard last night. They’d raped her, more than once and beaten her until she could barely walk. Then they drugged her.”

  “Drugged her with what?” Nashe asked, horrified at the tale.

  “Maj. She says she knows now what happened with Jake. She knows that it wasn’t Lukah that killed him. Trey and Bray had a good time telling her what they’d done to her husband. I don’t think she knows all of it, though.”

  “I don’t think she should ever have to learn about it all, either. Let her have some comfort in thinking that her husband was a good and honest man who got involved with the wrong Weres.”

  “What happened to him?” Terry asked, knowing some of the story from Chris. She’d never met Jake, though she’d heard he was a lot like his brother Chris.

  “Maj happened to him. It’s a strong narcotic, very addictive to weres. He got addicted to his own product, ending up using more than he sold. The rhinos are the top producers of Maj in the United States. They have their very own drug cartel.” Nashe almost spat the words, his disgust for the rhinos and all that they stood for very apparent. “Now they are coming after Lukah and the panthers because they’ve been responsible for shutting down a lot of the dealers in the area.”

  “How?” she asked. “I’ve been to Lukah’s, it’s almost impenetrable. I can’t believe that they would be able to get in.”

  “I don’t know,” Kadian said, glancing out the window as they went through the gates to Lukah’s estate. “All I know is that the panthers are in danger and we’ve got to warn them.”

  * * * *

  “This dress is absolutely breathtaking on you, Lucinda. Mapshal won’t be able to keep his eyes off you.” Marissa twisted one fat curl around her hand, letting it fall against the thin white silk of Lucinda’s dress. Her dark hair looked stunning against the silk, gleaming almost blue in the light.

  Marissa had helped her dress, sliding the thin silk over Lucinda’s gorgeous curves. With a touch of eyeliner, some bronzer on her cheeks and just a hint of rose on her lips, the were-panther made an amazingly beautiful mate.

  “Do you really think so?” Lucinda asked nervously.

  “I know so. He hardly can keep them off you at any time.” A knock sounded at the door and Marissa went to answer it, coming back with a white box. “This is from the florist.” She took off the lid and a sigh of pleasure escaped her lips.

  She lifted out a small ring of lilies. “Wrist or ankle?” she asked Lucinda.

  “Left ankle,” she said, sitting down on the side of the bed and holding out her bare foot. “There should be a wreath in
there for my hair and a single flower for me to carry.”

  Marissa knelt, sliding the flowers onto Lucinda’s shapely leg. She rose and found the wreath, breathing in the sweet scent of the beautiful lilies. Grabbing a few hair pins, she pinned the wreath to Lucinda’s hair and then found the flower in the bottom of the box. It was huge, the blossom the size of a large man’s fist.

  “Are you ready?”

  Lucinda nodded, then grabbed Marissa’s arm. “Thank you,” she said quickly, then hurried from the room.

  Marissa smiled. “Finally,” she said softly. Following Lucinda down the stairs, she found Lukah and gave him a wide smile. “I think she’s thawing towards me.”

  “Who could hold out?” he asked, tucking her hand under his arm and pulling her to his side. He lifted her chin with two fingers, brushing a stray lock of fiery hair from her pale skin. “I sure couldn’t,” he said, his lips touching hers.

  “Good thing,” she murmured when he lifted his head. “I’d have hated to really turn on the charm.”

  Lukah chuckled, skimming his finger across her chin in a loving gesture. “Come on, we’re supposed to follow the female mate out to the clearing. You did a good job with Lucinda. She looks incredible.”

  “And you aren’t supposed to notice that,” Marissa said, wrinkling her nose.

  They followed Lucinda down the wide path that had been hung with fabric and draped with flowers. A thin carpet had been laid over the grass then strewn with the petals of hundreds of roses, in every color imaginable. Stepping on them released their scent into the air.

  * * * *

  Lucinda walked carefully, happy she wore no shoes to trip her up on the soft carpet. Just the thought of how embarrassing it would be to fall on her face in front of the clan had her cringing. Music was playing, something soft and slow, a bit on the dreamy side. She went down the curve in the trail, feeling the eyes of the people following her on her back.

  There he was. Marshal, her mate, standing before the elder, waiting for her. His tux was expensively cut, stylish though he wore no tie. The collar of his white shirt was opened to midway down his chest, exposing skin tanned from being outdoors. His black hair, so like her own, was wind-mussed and she had the strangest desire to run her hand through it and straighten it for him.

  He also wore no shoes, his long narrow feet spread shoulder-width apart. Marshal’s gaze found her own and held it, with so much passion and longing in that intense amber gaze that she found herself breathless.

  Marshal broke tradition, coming down the last few steps of the runner to take her hand. Lucinda heard the gasp of surprise from those gathered around them as well as a few sighs from the ladies in the crowd. He took her hand, lifting it to his mouth.

  “You look stunning,” he whispered against her hand before tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear.

  “You do, too,” she breathed.

  “Ready to do this?”

  Lucinda looked into his eyes, searching for answers though she didn’t know the questions. She nodded when she heard her father clear his throat, though doubt still remained inside of her. Marshal put her hand in the crook of his arm, pulling her forward toward the elder, a small wizened man who looked ready to blow away in a stiff wind.

  “We’re ready,” Marshall said.

  The elder smiled, staring benignly at the couple in front of him. His eyes were clouded, a milky white film covering the irises and pupils. “Lucinda and Marshal wish to be mated!” he suddenly cried out in a deep voice that didn’t sound as if it could come from such a small man.

  “What say you? Yay or nay?” he called out to the clan surrounding them.

  A loud chorus of yays was roared back amidst a burst of laughter. Lucinda’s father, Julius, stepped forward, extending his hands to the two. “I give to you my daughter, my precious girl. She is now yours. Keep her to your side, protect her, love her and give her many children.” He placed Lucinda’s hand in Marshal’s, both their palms turned up. Taking a long piece of golden ribbon, he handed it to Marshal before kissing his daughter gently on her cheek. “Be happy baby. That’s all I want for you.”

  Lucinda felt as if a hand was squeezing her around the heart. Her breath came in harsh pants, causing her breasts to jiggle under the silk material of her dress. Beads of sweat dotted her brow. “I can’t do this,” she whispered, looking up at Marshal with panic in her eyes. “Please, can we talk about this for a minute?” she begged.

  Marshal nodded, though he entwined her hand in his to keep it palm up. “We need a few moments,” he said to the elder, pulling Lucinda off to the side and into the privacy of a tiny alcove in the fabric surrounding them. “What is it?”

  “This is forever,” she said quietly, waving her hand at the assembled crowd, the elder, her father. “This ceremony will bind us tighter than any marriage ever could. How sure are you that we’re doing the right thing?”

  Marshal closed his eyes. When he opened them, she could see the determination there. “You won’t remember this,” he said quietly. “You were just a kitten. I could see even then how beautiful you were going to be. But it wasn’t your beauty that drew me to you. It was the strength in your eyes, the way you weren’t afraid to go after every thing you wanted... and with such passion.” He sighed, moving a bit closer to her.

  “But that isn’t why I contracted with your father. Besides the passion and the strength, you have a goodness about you that you don’t want anyone to see. You’re afraid it’ll make people think less of you, think you have a weakness. It’s not weak, Lucinda. It’s the strongest thing about you. I fell in love with that and with you.”

  “Wait,” she said, holding up the hand that he didn’t have. “You love me?”

  “Of course. You don’t think I’d be spending the rest of my life with a woman who was only a passing fancy?” He bent and kissed her lips. “Now don’t spoil the day. Let’s go out there and finish this.”

  Lucinda’s head was spinning. She’d never expected he would be in love with her. He started to tug on her arm gently. “Wait,” she said again, though this time she didn’t know what to say.

  Marshal surprised her. “You don’t have to say it back to me, Lucinda. You and I both know you are only doing this because of your father and tradition. Tell you what, I’m going to give you a choice. I’m going to go back out there and stand. If you want me, you’ll come out there and join me, if not, well then I guess I get to look the fool. What do you say?”

  “But my father…” she began, only to be interrupted.

  “Your father isn’t the one that will live with me until one of us dies. This is up to you.” He slid his fingers off her hand, draping the golden ribbon in her palm. “Come out there to me with this and we’ll continue the ceremony. I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy. If not, well, then I guess we’ll have to see about getting the mating halted.”

  “You can’t halt a mating,” Lucinda whispered, unsure why she wasn’t jumping on his offer and slipping through the trees to go find her car.

  “With enough money to spread around, Lucinda, I can do anything. Well,” he amended, “anything but make you love me.”

  He kissed her once more, than stepped back into the clearing. Lucinda heard the collective gasp of those gathered when they saw she wasn’t with him. “My mate-to-be needs a moment to herself,” she heard him say.

  “Leave or stay,” she whispered. “That’s what it comes down to. Leave and let my father hate me but still have my freedom, or stay and mate with a man who’s not only rich and handsome, but loves me.”

  She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then took the first step toward her destiny.

  * * * *

  Nashe burst into the house, yelling Lukah’s name. It echoed through the empty house, seeming to mock him. “They’ve already gone to the clearing.”

  “We’ve got to warn them,” Kadian said. “The Rhinos could be here at any time.”

  “Terry, you st
ay here.” Nashe turned to leave the room but then turned back hearing the clip of Terry’s heels behind him. “I don’t want you out there, Terry,” Nashe growled, turning to stare into his mate’s stubborn blue eyes.

  “Fuck you,” she said amenably. “I’m your mate, not your puppet. I’m also a were and can help. So quit arguing with me and let’s go warn them before someone gets hurt, and I don’t mean out there.”

  Kadian laughed. “Wow, she’s got your ticket all right. I’m not going to have to worry about you anymore, am I?”

  “Shut up, Kadian,” Nashe growled. “Terry, if something happens to you out there…”

  “Ditto,” she interrupted. “So I suggest you watch my back and I’ll watch yours.”

  “Oh goody,” Kadian grinned, rubbing his hands together. “Does that mean I can watch your front, Terry?”

  “Shut up, Kadian,” they both said, turning to glare at him.

  “Whoa,” Kadian said, holding up his hands and backing off. “Try to remember the reason we’re here guys. Rhinos, big ceremony, more blood than a slasher flick?”

  “You have such a way with words,” Terry said. “Come on.”

  It wasn’t hard to find the clearing. They just followed the rose strewn carpet. There was a crowd of weres gathered in a semi-circle in front of them, hiding where Lucinda and Marshal would be standing for the ceremony.

  “Lukah,” Nashe called, seeing his friend, Marissa standing with her back against his chest, his hands around her waist. “Lukah!”

  A crashing in the underbrush was all the warning and then chaos ensued. The first rhino came slashing through the draped material, aiming straight for Lukah and Marissa.

  A Strange New Breed

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lucinda stepped out in front of the gathering of witnesses, straightening her shoulders and walking up to Marshal. “You’re my mate,” she said softly, for his ears only. “We are meant to be.”