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  Someone was clearly willing to flatten the building rather than allowing the secrets hidden inside to be revealed, Elyon mused as she followed Max down a new and far less rickety fire escape. Now the question was…who was responsible, and what secrets were worth such destruction?

  Ely shook her head, reaching behind her to grab Max’s hand as they entered the building through an open office window. He offered it instantly. Team players. Mates.

  For now, nothing mattered but the fact that they’d managed to escape.

  Tomorrow was time enough to worry about the future.

  CHAPTER 9

  “You’re shitting me, right? You’ve mated? Your asset?”

  As dawn broke all around her, Elyon tried to ignore Cerviel. She was hot and dusty, her new boots had a hole in the toe from that last roof to roof leap, and she desperately wanted a swim in the cool bayou. But her dark-eyed, goatee-loving ghost brother wasn’t having any of it. He’d brought his A game to the party, and wasn’t going home without retribution.

  The A game being Advanced mockery.

  And the party being the safehouse just outside the Wildlands.

  No hotel room for her and her male. Sad.

  Course, she probably deserved Cerviel’s censure. Not too long ago, she’d ripped him a new one for falling head over ass for the female he’d rescued in Wyoming. She’d thought he was a fool. No, she’d thought he was a traitor.

  Her lashes lifted and she caught sight of her man, her male, sitting by the water’s edge. For the past thirty minutes, he hadn’t moved. Just sat there, bracketed by his mother and father, one thickly muscled arm around each of their shoulders.

  Her gut twisted. He hadn’t seen them in years. And yet they’d been all he could think about, care about. Enduring terrible pain and imprisonment just to keep them safe.

  And what had she done?

  Taken too long to decide.

  She released a weight breath. And believed they hadn’t loved her enough to find her. She’d been so damn stubborn, so jaded, she hadn’t even gone to them and found out.

  Something hot and wet stung her eyes, but she swiped it away quickly. Before Cerviel could see.

  That’s what was wrong with her. That’s why she never felt or cared or trusted until Max came along. She was punishing herself. She didn’t deserve peace or joy because she’d never given her parents the chance to explain—anything! She’d never given them the chance to hold her close and apologize for giving up and believing she was never coming back.

  They went to their graves not even knowing she was alive.

  “Hey,” Cerviel pressed near her ear. “I want to hear about this grand romance and of course, the building you blew up.”

  “I didn’t blow it up.” She did wonder who had, though.

  “Spill.”

  “Oh my goddess! I have nothing to say to you, okay?” She turned away from the beautiful familial scene, from Cerviel, from her guilt and shame and all the other feelings she’d never allowed herself, and headed around the back of the house. She wanted a second alone. To stare into the wetlands and just breathe in the moist air.

  But Cerviel was on the warpath.

  “Shouldn’t you be with your mate?” she ground out, whirling around to face him. “And not bothering people.”

  He was completely unfazed by her vitriol. “She’s sleeping, and you know how much I enjoy bothering you. Especially when you so royally fucked up.”

  In more ways than you can know. She glared at him. “You did the same thing.”

  “And you reamed me out for it.”

  “It’s a bonehead move. On both our parts.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to muster up some frostiness. “We should be kicked out of the PSL. Raphael would have every right.”

  “Of course he would,” Cerviel agreed, his black eyes annoyingly clever. “Then you’d leave for parts unknown and lover boy over there would stay here.”

  “I’m going to shave that goatee off of your smug face with my claws,” she threatened, shaking her head.

  “You’ll have to shift first. And to do that, you need to get closer to the Wildlands. And if what you predict comes true, you’ll be going bye bye.” His lips curved into an arrogant grin. “Maybe you should say your goodbyes now. Before he’s called in for his examination. Which, by the way, is being done by Monique today. Remember her? Petite redhead with the gigantic—”

  She had him against the back door of the safehouse in seconds.

  He laughed. “It was the Monique thing, right? Sent you over the edge.”

  “I hate you,” she ground out.

  “No, you don’t. You hate that I’m telling the truth. If that male is yours, claim him. To Raphael, to everyone. And let the chips fall where they may.”

  She groaned and released him. “Ram is going to kill us.”

  He snorted. “Probably. But what’s the alternative? Be without them? No fucking way.” He studied her for a moment, then shook his head. “You love this guy.”

  Yes. “He’s not a guy. He’s a male. And my feelings are my own.”

  “Sure they are.”

  There was a long silence, where they both just stared out at the cypress as the breeze blew around them.

  “Cerviel?” she said.

  “Yeah?”

  “I don’t even know what it is, or what it means.”

  “Love?”

  “I’ve never felt it. For anyone.”

  He sniffed and turned to face her. “Does the idea of being without him, even for a day, make your insides bleed?”

  “Try an hour.”

  He smiled gently. “Then you know what it is, Ely.”

  “What does Elyon know?” came a male voice she and her cat knew soul-deep.

  Elyon turned to see that male she couldn’t be away from standing there, all six feet six inches of him. Her gorgeous male warrior. He looked tired, and a bit beat up from their roof jumps, but a good kind of tired. Like maybe he could finally release a breath after so many years of holding it tight inside his lungs.

  “Wow,” Cerviel observed. “He’s a big one.”

  She grinned.

  Mine.

  “I am,” Max said, then added, “And don’t you forget it.” Though the warning lacked heat.

  Coming to his feet, Cerviel replied good-naturedly, “I’m no threat, buddy. Ely’s like a sister. So, you know, gross.”

  She rolled her eyes and flipped him the bird.

  He laughed as he started away. “I’m going to go check on my sleeping beauty. Wake her up with a kiss. Etcetera.”

  “Okay,” Elyon called after him, “now it’s my turn to say gross.”

  When she glanced back, Max was in front of her, offering her his hand. “Want to go for a walk? Show me this place? Or the outskirts, at any rate.”

  Happily, eagerly, she took it, and let him help her to her feet. “What about your parents?”

  “Raphael found them a cottage down the way. They’re exhausted. Going to let them rest for a bit.”

  “Sounds like a good idea for all of you. I’m sure you’re tired too.”

  His eyes were warm; so was his hand. “Come, Ely.”

  She smiled at him and chided, “Is this your first demand of me, male?”

  “No, baby,” he replied, leading around the side of the house and toward the swampy woods. “My first promise.”

  ***

  Max didn’t know where she’d taken him, and didn’t care. They were alone, he could scent it. And that was all that mattered. He just wanted to be with her.

  Share what he believed to be his newfound talents.

  From the moment he’d stepped out of the car in the bayou, he’d felt a surge of power ripple through him. Not the kind he used in the ring, and not the kind he’d used in Benson’s clinics during his torture sessions to keep himself from going mad. This was something else all together.

  Something primal.

  Something ancient.

  He k
new it in his bones.

  He was what they were. Pantera. And his cat had awakened.

  His gaze slid to the edge of the bayou. Elyon was standing there, her feet in just a few inches of water. As he watched, under the bright morning sky, she started to remove her clothing. Tight black pants. Gone. Jacket. Gone. Spandex top. Bye bye. Until she stood there completely naked.

  Every inch of him hardened.

  She was absolutely exquisite. A work of art. Long and lean, curvy ass, and a proper handful of breasts. And all his.

  As he continued to stare, she turned to look him. Her blue eyes glistened and her short blond hair sparkled. And she smiled, welcomingly, hungrily.

  “What are you waiting for, male?” she called out to him before diving beneath the slow moving current.

  What was he waiting for? Nothing. Everything.

  Eyes pinned to her shadow beneath the water, he started forward. But as he moved, a sudden dizzy sensation assaulted him. What the hell? He blinked, kept going. But the feeling only intensified. Hands fisted at his sides, mouth dry, it felt like his skin was melting, being pulled inward. He gritted his teeth and snarled a dark curse.

  “Holy shit!” he heard Elyon call out.

  But the sound was far away and slightly muffled. What was happening? His throat closed and for a blink of an eye it was like he was caught in a raging tornado. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear. Couldn’t breathe. His blood was boiling, churning.

  And then…

  It was over.

  He was at the water’s edge, his feet in the water…no. He looked down, his heart slamming against his ribs. No feet. Fur.

  Paws.

  Fuck.

  He glanced up, found Elyon in the water. She was staring at him, eyes wide, lips curved into a beautiful smile.

  “Max,” she called. “You’re gorgeous.” She laughed. “I knew you would be. Black fur, amber eyes, white teeth. The water, it’s on the border of the Wildlands. That’s why you can shift.”

  He opened his mouth and tried to speak but only a growl escaped. He tried again, this time with his gaze pinned to Ely.

  “Oh yeah,” she said in return on another laugh. “Your mate’s right here, baby.”

  He was his puma. How…?

  Confused, but hungry for Elyon, he started toward her. But as soon as he was belly deep, the water repelled him. He snarled at it and backed up a foot.

  “Just will it away, Max,” she instructed gently. “As you walk toward me, force your male side forward. Your cat will listen. Especially now that you’ve released him. He wants you to mate with me. Just as my cat wants to mate with you.”

  His head filling with primal thoughts, Max did as she said. Forcing his cat back into the deeper water. And as the feline recoiled, the male pushed forward. Away. Out. Dizzy.

  Skin.

  Clothes.

  Male.

  Breathless, he looked around himself, chest deep in water.

  “There it is,” Elyon said, sounding proud and hungry and ready. “Don’t worry, you’ll have him back again soon. But for now, get over here. Your mate grows impatient.”

  A surge of animal heat remained inside of him and he growled at her. “We can’t have that.”

  Pulling off his hoodie and shorts, leaving them to the bayou’s slow current, he swam out to her. Instantly, he wrapped his arms around her and she in turn encircled his waist with her thighs.

  For several seconds, they just clung to one another, gazing into each other’s eyes, smiling like fools. Then Max asked, “So, what were you and your brother talking about when I walked up?”

  “He’s not my brother,” she corrected. “But he is the only family I have.”

  Max shook his head slowly, brushing her nose with his. “Not true. You have me, baby.”

  She smiled and squeezed him tighter with her thighs. “You know what I mean.”

  “And you have Peter and Catherine Kudrow,” he added with a soft kiss to her mouth. “If you want them.”

  She stilled.

  Just as he’d expected her to.

  “Ely…” he began.

  She shook her head. “They’re your parents.”

  “They want you, too.”

  “No…” Her voice broke.

  “They do,” he insisted, pulling her even tighter to him. He looked over her beautiful face, her wet eyelashes. “You are the daughter they never had. The one who not only rescued their son, but brought their family back together. You are their angel of life.”

  Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak.

  “They can’t wait to get to know you, spoil you.” He smiled broadly. “Mom even mentioned something about teaching you how to make the secret family cookie recipe.”

  Her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she turned away. She was touched, and it nearly killed him with happiness. The walls were coming down.

  “Just think about it,” he said gently. “We have all the time in the world now.”

  She nodded, turning back, wrapping her arms around his neck. “We have a lifetime, male. No matter what. It’s you and me forever.”

  With a possessive growl, he leaned in and kissed her, hard and deep.

  “After all, you’ve marked me,” she whispered against his lips. “I’m yours, remember?”

  His hands slipped beneath her and palmed her ass. “Oh, I remember.”

  “To do with as you will,” she continued as the water lapped around them and sun heated their exposed skin. “For as long as you will.”

  “Baby…” he growled.

  Her eyes closed and she purred. “Mark me again?”

  He grinned, his body humming with a need he was just beginning to know. In time, he would learn who he was, what he was, as he put his old life behind him and embraced this new one with Elyon, his parents, and the Pantera.

  One big happy family?

  Ignoring the thread of worry that curled in his gut, he lifted his female up and set her down on his shaft. With a soft moan of appreciation, she settled in. Clinging to him, pressing her breasts against his chest, his tat, his wings. Reminding him, that no matter what happened, what was coming his way, she was his. She would be by his side, above him, and beneath him.

  His love.

  His mate.

  His angel.

  CHAPTER 10

  The sky was taking on twilight as Raphael waited at the edge of the Wildlands for the young Healer to step into view. When she did, he moved like lightning, coming to stand in front of her in seconds, not at all surprised when she jumped back in alarm. Even for a Pantera he could move with uncanny silence. When he used it to play hide and seek with his daughter, she found it hilariously funny.

  “Well?” he demanded.

  The female heaved a faint sigh, her wide golden eyes troubled as she pushed back the silky red hair that had come loose from her ponytail.

  “It’s the same as it was with Hallie,” she said.

  Raphael scowled. “What does that mean?”

  She gave a lift of her hands. “He’s a human who was given Pantera blood. And for the most part he seems healthy.”

  Raphael latched onto the pertinent words. “For the most part?” he repeated.

  She considered for a long moment. “This is going to sound impossible. But it’s like there’s something inside him—and her—that’s not human or Pantera.”

  A thread of deep unease moved through Raphael. “What else could it be?”

  The Healer shook her head. “I truly don’t know. We’ve had many humans who’ve been given our blood, but this is different. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

  “Is he dangerous?”

  “No,” she swiftly replied. “Whatever it is, it’s dormant. There’s no activity to it.”

  Raphael wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “And what if it stops being dormant?”

  The Healer lifted her chin and fixed him with a grave stare. “Just make sure none of these assets sets foot in the Wildlands.”
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  As Raphael stood there, warm sunshine above, a shiver of deadly premonition inched down his spine. What the hell were they in for now?

  Coming soon the next book in the Pantera Security League series, THREE TO GET READY. Click here for more information.

  Enjoy a Sneak Peak of Alexandra's Ivy's newest suspense novel, KILL WITHOUT SHAME (Release Date: December 27)

  KILL WITHOUT SHAME

  (ARES SECURITY)

  BY ALEXANDRA IVY

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Saloon was the sort of bar that catered to the locals in the quiet Houston neighborhood.

  It was small, with lots of wood and polished brass. Overhead there was an open beam ceiling, with muted lights that provided a cozy atmosphere, and on the weekends they invited a jazz band to play quietly on the narrow stage.

  Lucas spent most Friday evenings at the table tucked in a back corner. It was unofficially reserved for the five men who ran ARES Security.

  The men liked the peaceful ambiance, the communal agreement that everyone should mind their own business, and the fact that the table was situated so no one could sneak up from behind.

  Trained soldiers didn’t want surprises.

  At the moment, the bar was nearly empty. Not only was it a gray, wet Wednesday evening, but it was the first week of December. That meant Christmas madness was in full swing.

  Perfectly normal people were now in crazy-mode as they scurried from store to store, battling one another for the latest, have-to-have gift. It was like Thunderdome without Tina Turner.

  Currently Lucas and Teagan shared the bar with a young couple seated near the bay window at the front of the bar. Those two were oblivious to everything but each other. And closer to the empty stage was a table of college girls. Already at the giggly stage of drunk, they were all blatantly checking him out. At least when they weren’t gawking at Teagan.

  No biggie.

  Both men were accustomed to female attention.

  Teagan was a large, heavily muscled man with dark caramel skin, and golden eyes that he’d inherited from his Polynesian mother. He kept his hair shaved close to his skull, and as usual was dressed in a pair of camo pants and shit-kickers. He had an aggressive vibe that was only emphasized by the tight T-shirt that left his arms bare to reveal the numerous tattoos.