“What happened here?” Ric demanded as he came into the front parlor where Connor and Roxanne had laid Mary down on the sofa.
“She overheard me talking about getting changed to a were panther and she fainted. I didn’t know she was there.” He should have. He was so distracted by being near Roxanne that he hadn’t been paying attention. She made him feel out of control. He wasn’t sure that was a good thing. He had worked too long and too hard to lose his control now.
Ric knelt down on the floor and pushed Mary’s blond hair out of her face. “I knew she wouldn’t handle it well at first. I had hoped to be with her when she found out.”
Suddenly Mary’s eyes fluttered open. “You knew?” she asked Ric.
The alpha nodded. “Connor told me when he arrived. He was waiting for a good time to tell you.”
Mary tried to sit up by herself, but quickly accepted Ric’s help as she eased her pregnant form upright carefully. Connor came closer and knelt on her other side. “I’m sorry, Mom. I wanted to find a better way to tell you.”
“There’s no good way to tell your mother that you were attacked and changed into another species. I want you to tell me every single thing that happened.”
He ran a hand through his long hair. “It was about eighteen ago.” Connor spent the next half hour retelling his story. It felt freeing, in a way, to finally have someone he could speak to openly about what had happened to him. He hadn’t realized how much it was weighing on him until now.
“Why didn’t you let the police hunt this maniac down?” Mary asked with concern.
Ric answered for him. “You can’t involve human police with shifters or any other paranormals. They can’t handle it and get killed, or they try to lock them up to study and dissect. It draws too much attention.”
“Who helped you with your shifting?” Samantha asked from the doorway.
Connor hadn’t heard her or the others come back inside. Sam stood at the entrance of the parlor. She watched him with concern.
“I had to teach myself. I remembered things that you and mom went through when you first changed to werewolves. I figured it had to be similar.”
Mary reached out to cup his cheek. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through that all on your own.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine,” Connor lied. He wasn’t fine. He felt like a walking time bomb, that at any minute he could turn into a madman and attack the people that he loved. It was his biggest fear. He knew this was not the time to confess this to his mother. Ric evidently agreed with that.
“Let’s let Connor tell us more tomorrow. You’ve overtired yourself.” He bent over to lift Mary easily into his arms.
“I’m not that tired. I want to talk with my son,” Mary protested.
“It’s okay, Mom. We have time to talk. I’ll be here for a while.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“I’m not a child to be put to bed early. I’m not even sleepy,” Mary complained.
“Oh, I know you’re not a child, honey.” Ric gave her a look and a growl. Then he whispered something in her ear that caused color to rise to her cheeks.
Connor looked away as his mother blushed and whispered back, “Hurry up then, big guy.”
Sam came and wrapped her arms around Connor. “I am so sorry for what happened to you. I know what it’s like to be turned against your will. If you need anything, just let me know.”
He loved Sam so much for that. She was his best friend and the closest he had to a sister. He kissed the top of her head tenderly. “Thanks, slugger. I think I’ll head home for now. I still have jet lag.”
“You’ll come over to my mom’s for dinner tomorrow night, won’t you? You haven’t been back since Aiden was born. He’s gotten so big.”
“Absolutely.” He said his goodbyes to the rest of the pack. Some lingered on the porch but as he opened the door to his truck, he turned back and saw only Roxanne standing there alone, watching him.
“Glad you’re back, Connor. Your family and friends have missed you,” Roxanne said to him.
“I’ve missed them too.” He wanted to add that he had missed her as well, but he wasn’t sure that would be appropriate. Especially since she was determined to mate a werewolf. What could he offer her except a mate that might turn into a psycho killer. He could hurt someone he cared about and that he just could not risk. He climbed up into his truck and drove away.
*****
Ric sat on the bed next to his mate and watched her sleep. She had woken up crying and he had made love to her until she fell back into exhausted sleep. He picked up his phone and dialed the one person who might be able to help him.
“Hello.” Adrian Belliveau’s voice came over the line.
“Adrian, it’s Ric.”
“This better be good, we just got Aiden down for the night and I was planning to seduce my wife.”
Ric got right to the point. “What do you know about werepanthers?”
“Not much. When I was turned they were already dying out. I believe there are a few clans in Latin America. They’re reclusive, though, so I wouldn’t know exactly where. My maker Lila would know more. She had more experience with the different weres during her time. Why do you want to know about panthers?”
“Connor’s back home and he was attacked and turned into a panther. The one that turned him is a crazy ass killer and Connor is scared that he might turn out just like the guy. He is planning on leaving again, and I can’t allow him to do that. It would kill Mary to have him go away and possibly never see him again.”
“Damn. Sorry to hear about the attack. Sounds like what we went through with the rogue wolf that turned Samantha. I’ll talk to Lila tomorrow and see what I can find out for you. Are you guys coming over for dinner tomorrow night? Sam called to say Connor was coming. Maybe I’ll have some answers for you then.”
“We’ll be there. Thanks, Adrian.”
They hung up. He should have waited for Connor before contacting Adrian, but Ric had to look after his mate. Ric lay back down and took his Mary into his arms. He would do anything to keep her safe and happy. Even if he had to lock up his stepson and keep him here for the next twenty years.
*****
The black panther stalked through the woods, searching for something to eat. He paused to look at the city skyline beyond the woods. He hated the cooler air in this place. Sure, he had fur, but this was no place for a panther like him. He should be back in the rainforest creating his own clan to rule. But he needed something, or someone.
The human, Connor, the one he had unintentionally changed, had left their home. Mors had been waiting so patiently for the new panther to come and worship him for making him a God among humans, but all that Connor had done so far was try to kill him. This would stop now. He would end Connor if he didn’t agree to come back and help with the clan. They needed to rebuild their species. First he would reclaim Connor, then he planned to change as many men as he could to panther. After that, he could finally concentrate of finding females that were compatible.
The females were the hardest to change. So far, all the ones he had attempted to change had died. They weren’t strong enough, they weren’t worthy enough to be accept his gift to them. He needed someone extra special to be his mate. He could keep turning people, of course, but to have a true, pure line, he needed to reproduce. His attempts to reproduce with unchanged women had all failed as well. Humans were too soft. He needed a shifter woman to carry his child to term.
Yes, he had a great deal of responsibility toward his kind. He was the only one dedicated to ensuring their survival. Mors’ old clan didn’t understand that. They misunderstood his intentions. He wanted to purify the clan. All those that couldn’t shift or had been born more human than panther he had gone to great lengths to exterminate. It was for their own good, but his clan called him sick and a loner. They were the ones in the wrong. Only he understood the truth. Unfortunately, his attempt to take over the clan himself had failed and he had been banished. The clan moved away and he knew they must have died out. There was no way they could survive with the weak stock that they had. So now it was all up to him to keep the panthers going. There was nothing he would not do so ensure the success of his plans. Nothing.
Roxanne’s dreams were of Connor. This time was more vivid than the others. She dreamed that she was in his bed again, but this time he was with her. She woke up in near-orgasm but hadn’t quite reached that peak.
Damn it!
She relieved her own needs quickly and took a shower to wash away the evidence. She should have more control over her body, but when it came to Connor she just couldn’t help herself. All her years and experience went right out the window when it came to the sexy male. Her wolf was no better, she wanted to rub against him until his scent covered her fur.
What the hell?
She needed a distraction badly.
Her morning was lazy as she tended the garden. She loved nature. Mary was a great cook, but she was a writer by preference, more of an indoor type of person. She had pretty much given Roxanne free range of the outside. Roxanne had responded by creating mini gardens all around the little Victorian house, but her pride and joy was the greenhouse.
She intended to ensure that the pack had ample fruits and vegetables throughout the year. She also provided produce to sell to the local markets, which gave her and the pack a nice little income. Roxanne loved helping the pack this way. She had never felt useful in her old pack. They treated her too much like royalty to let her work. It was stifling. But being here with Ric and her new pack, she had started to thrive and finally come out of her shell. Despite a rocky start, she and Mary had even become good friends. If she could just stop fantasizing about the other woman’s son, everything would be almost perfect.
“When is the new alpha coming to see you?” Sam asked from the entrance of the greenhouse.
“He’s arriving this afternoon. I’ll be taking him to a local restaurant downtown.”
“I bet he’s hot.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because when Mary asked about Alpha Lucas, Ric became very jealous.”
“He’s always a jealous of any man Mary takes even a mild interest in.”
Sam snorted. “That’s true. He is totally in love with her. I’m glad, too. It was really hard on Mary, losing her husband and having to raise Connor on her own. She deserves to have someone take care of her.”
“Do you remember Connor’s father? What was he like?”
“I don’t remember him too well. But he loved Connor. He was a good dad and a good husband. Mary never once complained about him. But seeing her with Ric, I can tell she never loved Connor’s father like she does Ric. Ric is everything to her.”
Roxanne nodded her head as she stared off out the green house window. “They were destined for one another. It was the first thing I noticed when I saw them together. Their connection. It was instantaneous.”
“We can’t help it sometimes, when we have that instant spark with someone. It’s just . . . there,” Sam agreed, looking down at her hands.
Roxanne could sense the sadness in the young woman at times. “Is there something wrong, Sam? You can tell me. We’re friends.”
Sam looked up at her and smiled. “I appreciate it. But I’m fine. Really. Anyway, I was going into town to look for makings for a cherry pie. Connor loves cherry pie and Mary is going to teach me how to make it. Did you want to come with me?”
“No, I need to pull some of these vegetables to take to the market tomorrow. But maybe I’ll come in later and watch the pie-making lesson. I’m okay at it, but nowhere near as good as Mary.”
“See you later. And Roxanne, don’t worry about Alpha Lucas. He’s going to love you.” Sam walked to her VW bug.
Loving her wasn’t the problem. Most of the males that came here to see her seemed to love her. Her problem was finding one she could love in return. That was easier said than done. She couldn’t make herself fall in love, it either happened or it didn’t. But this felt like it might be her last chance, at least according to the soothsayers. She had to make this work.
*****
“That’s great, man. Yeah, I just got back yesterday. No, I plan to return to South America in a few weeks. Just wanted to come and see my family and friends. Okay, I’ll text you later.” Connor hung up his phone. He had spent most of his morning talking on the phone or emailing friends he hadn’t seen in a while. Everyone was doing well. Some of his college friends had even started families. It really hit home how much he had missed out on while he was gone. He didn’t want to leave again, but it was necessary.
He heard the dryer buzz that the laundry was done. He had washed his sheets, though he had been reluctant to get rid of his and Roxanne’s combined scents. It was intoxicating. But he forced himself to do it. She was dating and will be mated if the council has its way. Plus, he was leaving soon. He had nothing to offer her.
It really did bother him to think that Roxanne would belong to another man. He had pictured it in his mind a dozen times and found himself growling and getting possessive. He had no right to feel these things. Roxanne didn’t belong to him. She was wolf and he was panther. Were relations between the two even possible? Why not? Adrian’s maker Lila was mated with the werewolf beta Laws. If those two species could mate, why not a panther and a wolf?
Fuck!
What was he thinking? He couldn’t go after Roxanne and mate her. He could be a ticking time bomb, a psychotic killer just waiting to break free. He shook his head. He needed to leave before he did something irrevocable.
*****
Later that evening at the pack house
Roxanne heard knocking at the front door. She rushed down the stairs to answer it. A tall, well-built blond man stood on the other side. He wore a suit and looked very polished. He was simply gorgeous.
“Alpha Lucas?”
He gave her a panty-dropping smile. “Roxanne Jaspers?”
She smiled back. “Yes, I’m Roxanne.” She watched as he perused her from head to toe. His eyes lingered on her breasts and then came back to her eyes.
“May I come in?” he asked, with a touch of humor.
“Oh, please.” She had forgotten they were standing in the doorway staring at each other. She moved out of the way to let him inside. She checked him out as he entered. He wore his suit very well, carrying himself with confidence. He spoke eloquently and his pants were tailored to showcase a nice tight ass. Her perusal was cut short with he cleared his throat to get her attention.
She blushed as she moved past him to lead him into the house. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you. I was expecting Alpha Ric to be here to formally introduce us.”
“He and his mate had a dinner to go to. The rest of the pack went bowling. It’s just us.”
“I am sorry not to meet the others, but I am quite pleased to have you all to myself. Shall we go out to dinner?”
“Yes, I’m all ready.”
*****
Connor held little Aiden in his arms while he bit Connor’s hand for the fourth time. “If you had your fangs, you would have sucked me dry by now, kiddo.” He ruffled Aiden’s hair, making him laugh.
Jackie smiled as she looked down at her son. “I was worried that I would have punctures from breastfeeding him. Luckily he won’t develop fangs until much later. He won’t need blood until he comes of age, usually around sixteen.” She reached for Aiden. “Let me feed him his bottle so he’ll stop biting.”
The doorbell rang. Connor wondered if maybe it would be Roxanne. Of course, the real reason he hoped that was it would mean she wasn’t be on that stupid date with this new alpha. Adrian answered the door and he heard a woman’s voice call out.
“Where’s my grandbaby?”
Not Roxanne.
He watched Jackie roll her eyes. “Lila, glad you could come. I was about to feed Aiden his bottle.”
“Oh, let me.” Lila clapped her hands and Aiden was delighted to go right to her.
“Who let the cat in the house?” a tall man behind Lila asked. That was Lila’s mate Laws, the beta of the wolf pack.
“Laws, be nice.” Lila lightly tapped him on his chest.
“Was just a joke, love.” He looked over to Connor and winked. “I was teasing. No offense.”
Connor smiled. He liked Laws. He had spent a little time with him when he had come home for Aiden’s birth. Laws did like to make jokes, but it was usually meant to put people at ease. “None taken.”
“Where’s the food? I’m hungry,” Ric proclaimed.
Mary snorted. “You’re always hungry.”
Ric shrugged. “I’m not disagreeing with you.”
“Okay, everyone to the dining room. I’ve got everything spread out, so just help yourself,” Jackie announced as she reached for Aiden to feed him.
Connor followed Samantha in and sat next to her. The others followed, finding their own spots and passing around plates and bowls of food. It was really impressive. “Wow, Jackie you outdid yourself. I don’t remember you cooking this well . . . I mean, this much before.”
Jackie laughed. “Adrian did the cooking and, yes, I know it’s a lot, so eat up.”
There was a pleasant conversation going around the table. People kept their questions light at first, asking him about what he had been working on in South America, the people there, and what he missed most about the United States.
“Besides missing my family and friends? I have to say the thing I missed most about the US was Big Macs. Or really anything from McDonald’s.”
“Don’t most countries have McDonald's?” Sam asked.
“A lot do, and they often serve different stuff special for that country, too. But where I was, there was no such thing as fast food,” Connor informed her.
Sam glanced down at her phone to check a new text. “Oh good.”
“What’s good?” Jackie asked.
“Roxanne made it through dinner with this guy. She may have found a keeper.”
“That is good,” Ric acknowledged.
Yeah, just fucking great.
Connor fought to keep his feelings under control. He looked up and found Lila staring at him.
She smiled at him. “I’m sorry, it’s been awhile since I have been around a panther shifter. Usually there is a calming quality about panthers, but you seemed to be filled with turmoil. Why is that?”
“It could be that the guy that made me was a crazy ass psycho killer, which is what I’ll probably become.” Connor spoke without thinking. Everyone in the room grew quiet.
“Why would you think you would be like him?” Lila asked.
“I assume that all the panther shifters were going insane and dying out. This guy that made me, Mors, is the worst of the lot.”
Lila shook her head. “The panther nation was once a rich and proud people. They worked hard at being calm and reassuring to others. They had practice because they had an internal battle. Their panther nature is one of a loner, but their human side needs companionship and to be part of a clan. So they always had to work to balance their two natures. There were a few that could not balance themselves and either they remained in their panther form or they . . .” She trailed off with a vague, graceful gesture, but Connor knew what she meant.
“They went crazy,” he finished for her.
She nodded. “But that was very rare. With any being there is the possibility of sickness. Whether human, were, or vampire; all who cannot find a balance suffer a fate of becoming unstable.”
Mary grabbed Ric’s hand as she looked over at Connor in concern. “Are you saying my son will become unstable?”
Lila shook her head. “Of course not. Connor doesn’t have the scent of the sickness that accompanies that. I used to know a clan leader. I can try to search for him. Panthers are notorious for disappearing when they don’t want to be found.”
That was definitely true of Mors. Connor wanted to believe Lila. Some of what she said made sense. He had struggled to find a balance with his panther. And each of the times he found Mors, there had been a strange, sick smell accompanying him. Maybe there was hope for him after all. Maybe he would be able to come home and stay home. Maybe there was a chance he could go after Roxanne. At least, if she hadn’t agreed to mate this Alpha.
Fuck!