Sebastian/Aristide (Bayou Heat) (18 page)

Kat had read, walked around the backyard and the front yard, eaten some leftover bread pudding, even showered in Aristide’s amazing outdoor shower. Anything and everything she could think of to keep her mind from racing. But it was impossible. Her mind raced like a crazy person, and her pulse jumped every time she thought she heard something near the house. It had been three hours since Aristide had left, and she was losing herself in worries and fears about what was happening. Had the directions she’d given him worked out? Was Marco still there? Noah?

Pulling a blanket around her shoulders, she padded out to the porch and sat on the swing, looked out at the quiet, dark lane in front of the house. She should’ve gone. She should be there if something happened. She could go now, couldn’t she?

Stop, Kat. God, stop right now
.

She inhaled and exhaled a couple of times to get her bearings back, to push out the panic. Aristide was right. Having her there would be a distraction and possibly even a match to Marco’s unstable flame.

Pushing off the swing, she was just about to head back inside, maybe try that book again, when she heard a sound behind her. She turned to see an enormous black puma kicking up dirt as it raced down the lane. Her heart jumped into her throat as it stopped in front of the gate and shifted into a tall, broad shouldered, caramel-skinned man with shockingly blue eyes and short black hair. His tense gaze traveled the pathway and eased slightly when he spotted Kat.

“Katherine?” he asked, raising one black eyebrow.

She nodded. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Xavier.” He opened the gate and walked in. “I’m Ari’s best friend, and mate to his sister, Amalie.”

Recognition dawned within her. Aristide had spoken many times of this man, and of his sister. “Is he all right? Have you heard from him? Anything about my son?”

He smiled gently, cautiously. “He hasn’t returned, but Mal has sent me to stay with you.”

Kat felt instantly cold, even inside the blanket. “Why?”

“We’ve been infiltrated by our enemies.”

“Oh my god. Where are they?”

“They’ve breached the borders of the Wildlands and are moving toward town. Our Hunters will stop them before they get here.”

“Humans?” she asked, feeling sick. She’d done this. She was responsible for this. She’d never forgive herself if the Pantera were harmed. Or the baby. She vowed she would do whatever it took to help them, to undo her lies.

“They’re disciples of Shakpi,” Xavier continued. “The evil spirit who has one goal: to destroy the Wildlands.” His jaw tightened. “Her followers are out for blood. They believe it’s the only way to revive Shakpi and return her to power.”

It was almost too much to take in, but there was one thing Kat understood. The blood they wanted wasn’t from battling the Pantera. “The baby?”

Xavier nodded gravely, though his eyes shimmered with happiness and hope. “Ashe’s cub has just been born. A beautiful little female.”

***

A battle of distraction raged behind Hiss as he ran toward Medical, Chayton’s body, near lifeless, in his arms. He tried not to think about what he was doing, what he was allowing to happen, and all the Pantera lives that were at stake back near the border. He just kept moving. The human male weighed practically nothing, making it an easy feat, but it wasn’t the man’s weight that was Hiss’s biggest concern. If Shakpi couldn’t be revived by the blood of Ashe’s cub, she would certainly perish along with this man—the host who sheltered her. Hiss couldn’t let that happen. If he survived this monumental act of treason, if he was going to out the Elders and the leaders of the Pantera for all they had done to his family, he needed the evil one’s power to keep him alive and safe outside of the Wildlands.

All around him, dawn threatened to break, and Hiss quickened his pace. He’d created the camouflaged shelter he was headed for. Had scoped out the spot himself. It was perfect. Near enough to Medical so the blood could be delivered while it was still warm, but far enough to be hidden from sight.

His eyes vigilant, his nostrils widened for the scent of any Pantera who might be headed his way, headed into battle with the magic-laced humans, Hiss spotted the heavily wooded area up ahead. It was untouched, and he blew out a breath of relief.

Kneeling down, he placed the male inside the small shelter made up of leaves and bracken, wishing he’d brought something to cover him with. Chayton’s breathing was worrisome. It seemed overly shallow and his skin looked ashen.

Hiss glanced up at the sky. The human male should’ve been there by now. What the hell was keeping him? Hiss would be discovered if he remained longer than a quarter hour. But the wave of concern that moved through him was overtaken by the sudden and strong scent of a Pantera he knew well. She was smart and cunning, and she was upon him in an instant.

“Hiss?”

Heart thundering in his chest, Hiss rose. He kept his body in front of the shelter. He didn’t want to have to hurt her, his closest friend within the Hunter community, but the human male was on his way. And that bastard would show no mercy to anyone who stood in his way.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, coming toward him. “You’re needed—” She stopped a few feet away, caught sight of the shelter and blanched. Her gaze slid to his, then back to the shelter.

Thinking fast, Hiss blurted out, “Shakpi awakened. I followed her here. I’m guarding her—”

“No,” Mal said tightly.

Hiss could practically feel her mind working.

“Oh, Hiss,” she whispered, dropping into a crouch.

“Don’t do that, Mal. You have no idea…”

His words were ripped from him a rush as Amalie simultaneously shifted to her puma, and knocked him backwards. She was on top of his chest in an instant. Hiss had never seen her so feral. With a curse, he shifted too, and bit into her puma’s neck with his fangs. Mal cried out, but drew back and battered his face with her paws, drawing blood. Rolling on the ground, fur flying everywhere, the two cats clawed and bit at each other, vying for dominance. Finally, Hiss got his legs underneath him enough to push her off. Twin snarls rent the air as both of them scrambled to their feet, then shifted back to their human forms.

Breathing heavily, Hiss growled at her. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mal! Goddammit!”

A few feet away, Mal glared at him and spat on the ground. “You already have.”

“Get out of here now,” Hiss returned.

But she didn’t move. “I trusted you with my life.”

“We all trusted you.”

Hiss whirled around at the male voice. Moving through the trees toward them were two Hunters: Lian and Rosalie. They looked ready to kill.

Panic swirled through Hiss. Could he run? Make it to the border? Fuck, no. Lian was one of the fastest males he knew.

“Don’t even think about it,” came another male voice behind him.

Again, Hiss whirled. This time it was Mercier who blocked his way.

The massive Hunter shook his head, his sable eyes flashing pure hatred. “You deserve death for this, Hiss.”

“And you won’t get that blood,” Lian called.

Hiss turned back, utterly fucked now. Lian was standing beside the shelter that housed Shakpi.

“The cub is born,” Lian said. “Healthy and beautiful. Your plan has gone to hell. And the one you’re waiting for? He’s dead.” The male sniffed. “The asshole’s name was Marco something. A real piece of shit. Like the bottom of your shoe.”

Rosalie shook her head. “Nice company you’ve been keeping, Hiss.”

Exhaustion barreled down on Hiss. Some of it from all the shifting, but most of it from the burden he’d been carrying for too damn long.

“The battle?” he ground out.

“Over,” Rosalie said told him. “Two casualties.”

Hiss’s head came up, nausea snaking through him at the thought of a dead Pantera. “Who?

“Human. The disciples.” She stared at him. “But you can bet your ass someone will find out about it—that human blood was spilled inside the Wildlands. They’re going to be coming for us now. Maybe not today, but soon.”

“None of ours were hurt?” Hiss said without thinking.

Mercier laughed bitterly. “There’s no
ours
anymore, Traitor.”

But Rosalie nodded. “A Pantera Hunter was hurt. An apprentice.”

“Which one?”

“Why should it matter?” Lian uttered blackly. “You don’t give a shit about us. You betrayed us.”

“I was betrayed too, Lian!” Hiss spat. “So go fuck yourself!”

“What?” Rosalie asked. “What are you talking about?”

He knew it was pointless, knew they wouldn’t care or believe him. But he told them anyway. “The leaders of our kind, Rosalie. They allowed my family to be killed all those years ago, for the good of the clan.” He growled. “Where is my justice? I’m not the only traitor here.”

All three Hunters were silent for a moment, then Mercier spoke. “Mal, you and Rosalie take Hiss into custody. Lian and I will follow with Shakpi.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Hiss said, wanting to run as Rosalie came toward him, but knowing he wouldn’t make it out alive. And goddammit, he had to stay alive. “Ask them! Any of you. Ask the elders. Shit, ask Raphael.”

But they weren’t listening now. They had a job to do. Hiss knew how their minds worked, because once upon a time he was a loyal Hunter, too.

Kat was going crazy. Dawn had broken a good thirty minutes ago and there was no sign of Aristide. She and Xavier were both feeling the stress of not knowing what was going on. Inside the house one moment, pacing the gardens the next. No one had come by to tell them anything. No one seemed to be around. Kat was ready to beg Xavier to go and find out some news and come back. But she knew he wouldn’t go. There was a sort of silent code between the males here, especially best friends like Xavier and Aristide. They looked out for each other, and Kat couldn’t help but be moved by it.

“Coffee?”

Shivering in the gray morning light, she glanced over her shoulder to see Xavier walking down the porch steps, two cups in his hand. “No, thanks.”

“Come on now,” he said, holding one steaming mug out to her. “It gives you something to do. Something to sip and hold while you’re slowly going mad.”

He grinned at her on that last bit, and she laughed softly and took the cup. “Thank you, Xavier. For the coffee, and for the company.”

“Anytime,” he said. He came to stand beside her at the gate. “He’ll succeed, Katherine. I know him like no one else. His word is everything to him.”

Her heart squeezed inside her chest. Yes, she believed that. “How long have you two been best friends?”

“Seems like forever,” Xavier said with a sniff. “Since we were cubs. I did think we might be headed for a breakup a short time ago when I fell in love with his sister.”

Kat turned to look at him. “Really? I’d think he’d find that comforting. His best friend, who he trusts, and his sister.”

“Well, it turns out he did end up feeling that way.” His dark brows lifted over his extraordinary eyes. “But I was worried. That male is family to me, and I did not want to lose him. Nothing’s more important than family.” He smiled a very wicked smile. “You’ll see.”

Heat surged into her cheeks and she nearly choked out, “What?”

Xavier laughed, but the sound died away nearly as quickly as it came. He glanced past her, craned his neck and narrowed his eyes. “Katherine, come.”

“What?” Kat followed him out the gate and onto the dirt road. For a second, she couldn’t see anything. Dawn had broken, but there were some low hanging clouds about. But after a moment, she caught sight of something in the distance. Her heart lurched, then started slamming against her ribs.
No…it can’t be
. Without another thought, she started toward it. Walking slowly at first. She thought she heard Xavier call to her, but she didn’t look back. She swore she saw the cat she wished to see. But what of the boy?

She slowed, stared, not believing what she was seeing. Because truly, how could it be possible? Then she gave a muffled cry and took off. Running toward the puma, and its small, blond, five-year-old rider.