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Tora held his gaze until the road dictated she provide it a bit of attention before she drove them into the thick tree line framing their two lanes. The silence between them was thick with sizzling tension that bordered more on passion than anything else.
“Stop.”
It took her two seconds, if that, to recognize the danger in his tone. Immediately her wolf rose within her, ready to die defending herself if the need arose. She didn’t slam on the brakes but carefully pulled off the road and put her SUV in neutral, keeping one hand on the wheel and the other on the shifter.
“Shut off the motherfucking engine, Tora.”
His leopard so prevalent his words were more animalistic than anything. There wasn’t any denying that even though the interior of her vehicle vibrated with danger, she was far more turned on than anything. Regardless, she still didn’t let down her guard.
The bite of her claws at the tips of her fingers had the back of her jaw tingling. The change was right there, waiting for her to ask for it and embrace it. She’d learned at a young age how to control it and become the master, so the beast didn’t win. Yet, some days she still wondered if it wasn’t the other way around and her wolf simply allowed her to believe she held the reins of control.
Still she listened. While typically the only male she would take orders from was her Alpha or Kraven, there were times she made exceptions. This was one of them. Once the engine no longer rumbled, she remained still, feeling those sharp cat eyes on her, watching for any sign of fear, retreat, or hell, anything.
“Look at me.”
Her scars burned but she ignored that and slowly faced him. Keane’s eyes had gone completely leopard and she didn’t see any sign of the man lingering there. The tips of those incredibly sharp canines hung below his lip.
“Say that again.”
Reining in her wolf, or it reined her in, she didn’t blink. “Yes.”
“Why?” Still more leopard than human but the tips of his fangs vanished.
Well fuck. She’d not wanted to think about the reason for the response that had spilled from her mouth.
As she stared at him, the green of his eyes deepened further to the dark golden green leopard gaze he had in his shifted form. He teetered near the edge of his tenuous restraint.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I just was.”
As she watched him, the human element came back into those green eyes, taking them back to the vibrant green they had been the first time she’d met him. He lifted his hand and slid it into her hair, not asking for permission to touch her. If it wasn’t this man it would be a violation of her person, but with him, all he did was manage to set fire to her blood and make her skin sing.
Keane dwarfed her, made her feel the diminutive size she was. Made her feel like a woman who would be protected if she let him. Hell, maybe even without her permission.
“There is nothing between Dyana and myself, Tora. She is one of my best friends in the world, but she’s not my woman. I need you to tell me you understand that.”
It wasn’t just male compulsion lining his words, there was something else, something more. There was raw need barely peeking it’s head up, but she was far more astute than many gave her credit for.
“I understand.”
The bite of his claws scraped the back of her skull where his large hand rested against her, below her hair. He shook his head once, never dropping her gaze.
“No. I need the words. Give them to me, from your lips to my ears.”
“I understand you and my Alpha are only friends.”
He’d been across the interior at the start of her sentence, now somehow, she was free from her belt, straddling his lap. Both his hands were sunk in her short hair, anchoring her there. Sure, she could have fought, could have gouged out his throat as he exposed it to her, but she didn’t. Instead, she sat there, straddling his big lap, feeling his large cock between her legs with only their pants separating them.
“You and I need to have a talk, canine.”
The tension rolling through her ebbed slightly by his calling her canine, it was his way of teasing her. She’d learned this the few times they’d run into each other.
“Right now?”
His green eyes dropped to her lips then rose back to her waiting gaze. “No. But soon. Where can we meet and when?”
She didn’t want to talk. She wanted to touch, lick, bite. She wanted to fuck. The wall surrounding her emotions dropped like a hot rock and she noticed immediately that he could tell. His eyes glazed with raw hunger as his nose flared.
Tora reached out to touch his neck, allowing one claw to push through, she dragged it along the bronzed skin. Keane never blinked, just watched her, trust mixed with the hunger she witnessed.
“Are you planning on killing me?”
“Not today.”
Another drop to her lips and back before a low Spanish curse flew from his mouth. Seconds later he claimed her in a kiss that would have set fire to her blood if it’d not already been burning. It wasn’t tender or gentle.
It claimed. It branded. It stole the rest of her soul that could be possessed.
Tongues twining with one another, she purred low in her throat and squirmed closer to him. Needing his touch just a tiny bit more.
No, that wasn’t true. She needed so much more of him against her. Wrapping her arms around him, best she could, she locked her legs about his waist. There were times it helped being so tiny.
The scrape of his fangs against her tongue, pushed her closer to the edge of the cliff. He gripped her hair and separated their mouths, drawing her back so he could stare at her. Tora wanted to snap at him for ending her pleasure. She didn’t, just held his stare.
“Lord knows I want nothing more than to rip your pants off you and fill you with my thick cock, Tora. But not like this. We’re talking first. And that can’t happen until we both get our shit handled.”
She got it. There were things that had to be discussed between them and she respected he was able to see past his lust to make it clear, because she’d been lost in the haze. One heartbeat she was on his lap and the next, she’d put herself back in the driver’s seat and had the engine running once more, shifting and putting them back on the road.
“Tora.”
“Nothing to say.” As she drove, she shored up walls he’d torn down.
Instead of stopping on the outskirts of town, she continued on into the small sleepy mountain town. The bears they passed had a mixed look of anger and shock that she’d come back. She didn’t engage them, her one goal was to get him to his bike then get back on her way.
At his bike in the bar parking lot, she allowed her vehicle to idle as he hopped out. She knew they were being watched by a good number of bears and other shifters. No one stepped out however, as he made his way to his Harley.
She waited while he tugged on the hem of his leather jacket, swung his leg over and started the bike. The loud engine rumbled, so if anyone hadn’t been alerted that he was back, they now knew.
He glanced at her and she gave a small jerk of her head. She wanted him ahead of her, so she could protect him from any rear attack if one was to come. He revved the engine, straightened it up, kicked up the stand and rolled out of the lot. Part of her wanted to stay there and fight those who would dare consider hurting him.
The rush of protective anger shocked her. She’d not felt that for anyone other than Casimir when he first protected her, and she saw him fighting with Kraven. The brake light from the bike, grabbed her focus and she shifted into gear, following him once more.
They passed the town limit sign without any incident, but he never stopped until they came a stop sign. As he’d paused in the middle of the road, she pulled up beside him.
“I have your number, canine. You can damn sure I’ll be calling you.” His deep voice carried easily over the rumble of the bike he straddled.
“Travel safe, leopard.” She gave him a nod and took off, going straight. In her rearview, she watched as he angled his bike right and vanished from view.
He would keep good on his word and call, she had zero doubts about that. Right now, however, she had to make her way to her next destination and see what she could learn about some rumored eagle shifters there.
Part of her wondered why her Alpha didn’t just ask his mate to ask her friend, but on the other hand, she understood. Shira would be protective of those like her and wouldn’t likely share. Which was why she was on her way.
Even so, as she traveled, her thoughts wandered back to the man who she could still smell in her vehicle. The moon had risen by the time she pulled off the road and found a spot to park until morning.
After she made sure to secure her camp, she allowed her wolf to run and get worn down enough for a comfortable night sleep. There had been a period of time when she’d been unable to shift and her wolf had adjusted, granted, it definitely hadn’t been a pretty sight, but they’d learned to cope.
Now that she no longer had that fear, there was always time for a run. Back at her truck, she shifted and stood naked in the muted moonlight for a moment. The night was cold, the mountains weren’t aware it was supposed to be summer, or if they did, they didn’t give a damn. Truth be told, neither did she. All she cared about was the sharp crisp air that bit at her skin, reminding her that she was alive.
She dressed with swiftness in a pair of warm gray work out pants and pulled on an old sweatshirt that had a picture of a blue police box in the middle of it. That was it, no words were necessary. It was one thing from her one she’d kept from one of her trips abroad. Big and thick, it dwarfed her and she loved sleeping in it on nights like this.
Hopping up into her vehicle, she lowered the window but left the tailgate down. She needed to be able to hear if there was any kind of intruder coming toward her. Some nights she still slept in wolf form. Usually after nights when her nightmares woke her. For whatever reason, she didn’t seem to experience them when she was in her lupine form. And sometimes, she just needed not to dream.
Tonight, she was willing to risk it, because not dreaming meant not dreaming about anything, including Keane Patrick.
As she slid beneath her bedding, she yawned then burrowed until she was warm, toasty and comfortable. Trusting the animals of the woods to keep her safe she allowed herself to drift off to sleep, doing her damnedest to forget about how being in Keane’s arms once more had been as well as the extent of her jealousy when she heard the affection he had for Dyana in his tone.
“Bastard,” she muttered falling without hesitation into the dream world.
αβ
Keane strode in the restaurant and skimmed the area. Most who occupied this space were humans. A few shifters here and there but they were all keeping with the company they were with and aside from people looking at him when he entered, he wasn’t paid any special attention to.
Scanning the establishment, he spied the man he sought over by a window, nursing a drink as he sat there. With a nod to the waitress, he pointed to where he was heading.
“I see who I’m meeting.”
He flashed her a grin that had her flushing hot and suddenly it wasn’t just shifter, human, and food he could smell but also her arousal. A few of the other males looked in her direction but she merely batted her eyes at him and stammered before walking away.
Before he met Tora, he would have followed her and had his dick so far up her, her feet wouldn’t have been able to touch the floor as he screwed her in the hallway. Now, she didn’t do a damn thing to or for him. His woman had already been picked for him and he wasn’t going to do anything to fuck that up.
Reaching the table, he gave a sharp nod and withdrew his chair.
“George Byrom, nice to finally meet you.”
The man was squirrelly, his eyes darted all over the place, like he expected the lions two tables down to forgo their hamburger and feast on him.
“You’re lucky I even agreed to this meeting, you missed the first one.”
“What can I get you, handsome?” A different waitress than the one he’d met earlier showed up.
“Whatever dark lager you have on tap, honey. Thank you. And get him another of whatever he’s drinking.”
Her blue eyes sparkled. “Sure thing.” After confirming what George was drinking, she bounced away and Keane watched the man across from him.
“Like I said on the phone,” Keane stated calmly. “I was held up.”
“Humph.” Those eyes darted around again.
“Why are you around shifters if they make you so nervous?”
“You don’t know?”
“Wouldn’t have asked if I did.”
“I’m a fucking slave, not that you care. Hell, for all I know you’ll tell my owner that I did something wrong and he’ll make me pay.”
“Slave? I was under the impression that you were working with Harkin because that was your choice. Are you telling me that he approves of slavery?”
“Not on the outside,” his voice dropped as if he thought it may save him from speaking in an area with shifters. “But yes, he does.”
Keane scowled, only to flatten out his expression when their drinks were delivered. “Thank you, honey.”
She batted her eyes and sashayed away. He could smell another shifter on her and again, it wasn’t any of his concern. Not compared to what he had just heard about Harkin. Delving into his thoughts, he tried to pull up when he knew about Ryan Harkin.
Not overly much. The man was the Alpha to the Gynt Lynx Clan. His own Alpha was trying to get some negotiations done with him, wishing to tighten up his ties with some of the other feline clans.
Part of him wondered if it was a trick to see if their clan could be trusted with secrets from the Gynt Clan. On the other hand, what the fuck did he care if they were in agreement with slavery? Inhaling, he didn’t detect any scent of a lie from the man across from him.
“How is he keeping you like that? All shifters know that enslaving others, human or shifters is not just immoral but forbidden by our laws.”
George shook his head and wouldn’t meet his eyes. Keane noticed how two lionesses watched them with far more attention than was needed.
“What is your Alpha proposing that I take back to mine?”
Relief smoothed over his expression as George reached into the bag, he had beside him and pulled out a thick packet. Pushing it over the table to Keane, the shifter didn’t say a word as he picked it up and opened the cover letter.
Approving of slavery or not, the man could put together a proposal. Keane ordered food for both of them, even insisting when George tried to excuse himself. Paying attention to any other shifters who may be interested in what they were trying to talk about, he steered the conversation back to what held his attention the most.
Slavery claims.
“How long have been with Harkin?” He speared his last potato and brought it to his mouth.
Mr. Byrom’s eyes flashed with the smallest bit of fear, anger, then ever so briefly, hope. “I’ve been in his employ for fifteen years now.”
Reaching for his drink, he nodded. “Any family?”
“A daughter.”
And right there was how this man was being controlled. The leopard within him roared in anger and rage. It’s job was to protect those weaker and they both despised slavery. While he may not like every human, or shifter, he met, Keane maintained a firm belief that everyone had the right to their own life. Owning another, wasn’t part of that right.
“I should be getting back,” George said with a smile, pulling out his wallet.
“On me. My Alpha would insist,” he said when uncertainty popped up in the man’s gaze.
“Thank you.”
Keane stood and made sure he had the packet in hand. “You have my number if there is anything further you or your Alpha need from us. We will be in touch.”
George gave a short nod then walked away. Moments later two others exited as well, and Keane knew that’s part of why he couldn’t get George to say anything further. He knew he was being watched.
With a low rumble of discontent, he paid for their meals and walked outside, digging for his pocket as he called his Alpha.
“How’d it go?” Juan asked the moment he got on the line.
Even though he didn’t see them, he knew there were shifters watching and listening to him. It was an odd place for him to be, were he honest with himself for this secondary meeting spot. It wasn’t in his favor, nor, if he were to think that the lynx Alpha were to play fair, it wasn’t in his man’s either.
But hearing about slavery made him think this cat was far sneakier than anyone had given him credit for. And that was a fact that worried him.
“I have the packet he presented here, his representative answered all my questions and knows they can reach out to either myself or you if there are any further concerns.”
“I’m expecting you back asap, there is another situation that I need you here for.” He hung up.
Keane knew his Alpha understood he wasn’t happy about something yet he wouldn’t ask him about it on the phone where they could be overheard. “Of course, Alpha. I’m on my way.” It didn’t matter the man had already gone, he was portraying a look. He pushed the end call button and got on his way toward his bike.
This time he didn’t even make it to the outskirts of town before he was surrounded. Sitting on his bike, engine idling, he watched the circle of stank hyenas near. He could scent a few lynxes, but they weren’t upfront and close to him.
Interesting that they are working with the hyenas. I will have to pass this along.
The inhuman screech had him wincing even as continue to wrench up with all his strength. The man’s bones were harder to break being a shifter, but he was still vulnerable. Keane snarled low as another shifter tried to intervene and hit him in the shoulder with the busted thick branch.
The broken wood stabbed into him and his answering hiss grew deeper as he finished off the man he had within his clutches. Partially shifted he wheeled around to face the next attacker. Two more flew at him and he gnashed at them all the while reaching out for their heads to knock them together. Hyena’s were notorious for being stupid and never giving up, even when the odds were against them.
As much as I’d love to pretend, they’re not any threat to me, their sheer numbers make that statement so far from the truth.
Two large males rushed him running over the two he’d just displaced. His bike lay off in the distance. With a low roar of pure fury, he launched himself at them, shifting completely as he did. What started as man ended up being a huge, extremely angry and dangerous leopard.
Biting through the thick mane around one’s neck, he allowed his teeth to penetrate through flesh until the creature’s blood ran from his mouth to mingle on the soft ground. He caught the scent of not just human form but also gun oil.
Whirling to face the new threat, he chuffed with defiance as the two men put two shots into his neck. Instantly the world went askew, and he fell, unable to hold himself up on his large paws and his world went dark as a large net fell over him.
