Read Panther Magic Online

Authors: Doris O'Connor

Panther Magic (10 page)

BOOK: Panther Magic
7.69Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads


I’m sure your situation will work out all right,
too. The council can’t afford to lose mated shifters, can they, Cole?”

Cole’s tense features
relaxed,
and he nodded.


No, they certainly can’t. I would suggest we don’t
talk about this tonight, though. I don’t want either of you to worry. There’s
plenty enough time for that tomorrow, and—”

The ring of the doorbell
interrupted him, and extricating himself out from under
Emmi
,
he stood up.


That’ll be the food. I ordered Chinese.
Hope that’s okay with you, Kate?”
He grinned at her quick
nod, and stalked from the room. Kate couldn’t help but stare at his ass, and
her cheeks heated at
Emmi’s
conspiratorial whisper.


He does have the best ass, doesn’t he?”

Kate grinned and to hide her
embarrassment at having been caught ogling the other woman’s husband shrugged
her shoulders.


Can I ask you one last thing? I don’t want to bring
up old wounds or anything.” She glanced nervously into the direction of the
kitchen, where a now humming Cole seemed to be setting out their meal.


What happened to the one who did that to you?” She
gestured to
Emmi’s
face, and the other woman sobered.
Her expressive eyes turned into steel, and Kate swallowed nervously.


Cole killed the bitch, of course, and all of her
minions.”

Kate nodded in agreement, and
hope flared in her heart anew.


And he didn’t get into trouble for it?” she asked.


Of course not.
She was trying to kill his mate and his unborn son. There can only be
one retribution
for that,”
Emmi
said.


So why are Arran and Zeb in so much trouble over
protecting me?”

Emmi
sighed and drew Kate into an impromptu hug.


I’m not entirely sure. A large part of it is that they
killed humans. Not only that, they did so in full view of God only knows how
many potential human witnesses, and of course at the time they weren’t mated to
you. I can see that they are now.” She pulled back to study Kate’s bite marks
with a grin. “So all things considering, my guess is they will be let off with
a stern warning. Perhaps be exiled from the UK, at least.”

Kate gasped at that, and
Emmi
hugged her again.


Hey, that’s by no means certain. I’ve just been
overhearing Cole on the phone, that’s all, and we best join him, before he
makes good on his promise and tans my ass. Have you ever tried to breastfeed
when your bum is sore, and you’re still floating after a scene?”

When Kate shook her head with a
smile,
Emmi
rolled her eyes, and laughed.


Well, of course you haven’t, but let me tell you,
it’s not an experience I want to repeat. Most odd sensation, I tell you.”

Emmi
winked at her and interlinking her arm with Kate’s dragged her along to the
kitchen.

Cole had indeed set out an array
of Chinese dishes, and the delicious aromas made Kate’s mouth water. She hadn’t
eaten in hours, and what’s more everything smelled
so
good. Much better
than she remembered Chinese cooking to smell, but then again, she hadn’t had
enhanced vision and smell then.

Cole had explained how she would
have the superior abilities of a shifter now. Sight, hearing, smell, speed, yet
she was and would always remain human, much like
Emmi
.
Hearing him say that had scared her witless at the time, but having met
Emmi
now, and seeing how utterly normal she was, had done a
lot to reassure her.

Besides, as she bit into her
first mouthful of food and the flavors exploded on her tongue, she decided
there were definite advantages to those enhanced senses. Food had never tasted
this good before.

The rest of the meal and the
evening passed far too quickly. Gabe was utterly adorable when he joined them
all too soon for what
Emmi
called his marathon fill
up his tummy for nighttime
nursath
on
.


Not that he’ll sleep through, heaven forbid, but he
acts as though he won’t feed for centuries.”

The love for her son had shone
through those grumbling words, however, and by the time Kate finally fell into
the bed in the guest room, Kate almost wished she was carrying her men’s
babies.

She shook her head at her thought
processes, but she went to sleep with a smile on her face and hope in her
heart. They simply had to come back to her.

Chapter
Ten

 

Hands chained behind his back,
Arran stared at the heavy door in front of him and willed his panther to stand
down. He couldn’t scent Kate, thanks to the court room’s tight vacuum seal, but
both he and Zeb had felt their mate’s presence in their mind ever since she
entered the building.

She’s here.

Zeb’s snarl in his head had made
Arran laugh.

Of course she’s here. Did you
expect her not to come?

I wasn’t sure. I wouldn’t
blame her if she wanted nothing to do with us, and she’s human and these
proceedings…

Arran’s inner animal had growled
his disgust at his brother’s stupidity. They’d been in touch mentally ever since
Arran had entered the mansion. A grim smile kicked up his lips at that thought.
It had been mostly Zeb calling him names and cussing him out royally for
leaving their girl on their own. Once he’d exhausted himself berating Arran,
and Arran could actually get two thoughts in edgeways, and had explained that
Kate was under Cole Jackson’s protection, his volatile older brother had calmed
down. They had hashed out a plan of sorts, and got their stories straight, and
had spent a relatively peaceful night, or as relative as it could be,
considering they might well face execution in the morning.

A lot was riding on Kate. There
could be no doubt that she was indeed their true mate, but despite his
protestations to the contrary in front of his brother, Arran hadn’t felt as
certain that she would come today. Mates or not, they had spent such little
actual time together, and their mating had occurred with her in distress,
still, from the attack.

Would she have accepted him as
willingly, had it not been for that? It was a niggling thought he hadn’t been
able to shake off, so he couldn’t entirely blame his brother for his
insecurities. In Zeb’s case it had been even worse. Yes, she had chosen to come
and see him, but their mating had been forced upon her. Without it Zeb would
have faced certain execution, and Kate had known that.

Their mate was a compassionate
and peace loving soul. She would have done anything to keep them both safe,
proven by the fact that she was here.

Arran shook his head, closed his
eyes and concentrated. Her fear for both of them hit him straight in the gut,
coupled as it was with a grim determination to see them set free.

Can she hear us if we talk to
her, do you think, Arran?

His brother’s mental question
gave him pause for thought.

I don’t think so, bro.
Perhaps, if we both concentrate on her at the same time.

Fine, let’s try that.

The connection between his
brother and him intensified to an almost palpable level until they became one
and felt Kate’s gasp in their minds.

Arran, Zeb, is that you? How
can I feel you, hear you?

The awe in Kate’s voice made
Arran smile, and he let Zeb reply for them both.

It’s the mating bond, my
little wildcat. We weren’t sure if it would work, with you not having any
shifter blood, but it seems if we pool together we can reach you.

The sound of her tears made Arran
want to tear something apart, and Zeb’s anger, too, coursed through his veins.
It made his panther prowl under his skin, and the guards either side of him
stepped closer, hands on their stun guns.


Don’t even think about it, pussy cat.”

The hyena shifters snarled at
him, and Arran tried his best to ignore them, but it broke his mental
concentration and the connection to Kate was lost. Not before he heard her
whispered reply in his mind, however.

I love you, both of you. Just
wanted to say that again, before…

Zeb cursed in his head, but
before Arran could do anything else, the door sprang open and his guards shoved
him forward and into the crowded room. Directly opposite a snarling Zeb was led
in stun gun to his throat, and Cole Jackson shot to his feet with a growl of
his own, while Kate paled. Arran’s chest tightened seeing the tears in her eyes
and the way she stepped forward as though to go to Zeb, before Cole’s hand on
her shoulder stopped her. She looked up at him briefly, and then glanced toward
Arran. He forced a smile on his lips for her, even as he stumbled, due to
another vicious punch into the small of his back.

Pain shot through him, and he
pulled himself upright, not wishing to give the sadistic guards the
satisfaction of seeing him react.


Appointed judge and members of the council, is this
mistreatment of the accused really necessary? They are chained. Surely that is
enough, without adding to their discomfort, especially in front of their mate?”

Cole Jackson’s voice carried the
deep growl of his bear, and Arran wasn’t entirely surprised to see his claws
emerging as he spoke.


So-called mate.
I still can’t see why you’ve brought this human to these proceedings. She’s
what caused all this in the first place, but then again, what can we expect
from you, Jackson? An original mated to a human. It’s a disgrace.”

Draco
Tavlov
,
an original tiger shifter, still firmly entrenched in the now defunct ways of
the mating project looked Kate over with such a look of disgust on his face
that it took all of Arran’s willpower to not shift there and then, and take the
silver haired shifter out. Stun guns or not, the hyenas would be no match for
his enraged panther. It was only the certain knowledge that it would cause
another bloodbath that stopped him.

He couldn’t kill the fucker here
in front of witnesses, no matter how much he wanted to.

Zeb, of course, would have no
such compunctions, and sure enough his panther roared as his chains snapped.
Had it not been for his guards stunning him repeatedly, he’d have ripped their
heads off, already. As it was, half shifted with his lower body still human,
Zeb writhed on the floor in agony, and the council chambers erupted into a
cacophony of noise as everyone started shouting.

Gunnar Anderson, the appointed
judge shouted for order, and Cole issued commands to his security team, who
surrounded both Arran and Zeb in a protective circle. In all the commotion Kate
slipped under the men’s legs and before anyone could stop her, had slid to her
feet in front of Zeb.

Pride at their fearless mate
surged through Arran, and a stunned silence fell on the room, as she buried her
hands in Zeb’s fur, and whispered to him. The actual words were inaudible over
the furious growls of Zeb’s inner animal, but whatever she said had the desired
effect. Slowly Zeb shifted back to human, and when his eyes had bled back to
their usual brown, she released her hold on his head. Zeb pulled her back in
for a lingering kiss that made Arran’s panther whine, and when Zeb finally
allowed her to pull her away, Kate was blinking away tears.

She smiled up at Arran, and he
nodded his approval. The hardened shifters parted to let her through, and head
held high she slowly walked back to her place on the podium next to a grinning
Cole.

Gunnar Anderson regarded her with
a thoughtful expression, whereas Draco almost foamed at the mouth.


That’s it right there. She ought to be thrown out.
She—”


Enough.” Gunnar’s booming voice shut the other man
up, and Kate jumped and inched closer to Cole. He put a hand on her shoulder
and murmured something to her while guiding her back down to her seat, and Kate
nodded. The ice cold look she threw at Draco, however… Arran smirked, and his
brother’s grim amusement echoed in his brain.

If looks
could kill.

Too right.
You’re back in control now, bro?

Yes, thanks to our mate.

Good, now don’t blow it.

Zeb mentally flipped him the
finger, and Arran suppressed a smile.


Do you find the situation you’ve created amusing,
Arran Harris?”

Gunnar Anderson’s voice held an
edge of steel, and Arran’s amusement fled instantly.


No, sir,” he said, and Anderson
nodded.


Good, because I’d
hate to have to remind you that the automatic penalty for killing humans is
execution, without the right to appeal, or even a trial.”

Kate gasped, and Cole cleared his
throat.


Alas, we are having a trial, because Arran and Zeb
were defending their mate.”

The bear shifter shook his head
at Arran, and Arran took the hint and kept his mouth shut. Even Zeb, for once,
remained silent. An unmoving statue, his eyes were the only movement in his
stony façade. They vacillated among Kate, Cole, and the semicircle of the
council’s elders, with his panther’s low growls a constant background to
proceedings.


So they say,” Draco spat the words into the room.


Are you calling the brothers liars?” Cole asked. His
deceptively quiet voice cut through the heavy stillness surrounding them all,
and Draco blanched when Cole stepped off the podium and approached the other
man. His long legs ate up the short distance between them, and arms crossed
over his massive chest the bear shifter stared the smaller man down.


Cole…” Gunnar’s warning made Cole’s head swing round
to face the judge, and some of the aggression that poured off his large frame
dissipated.


I am sure Draco meant no offense with that
statement.”


Good, because if he did he would also call
me
a liar, as both brothers and their mate are under my protection.
 
I would hate to have to call Draco out for a
fight to settle this.”

The way his eyes gleamed and he
grew taller as he growled that promise … threat …
 
put the lie to his statement, and Gunnar
seemed to know that, too, because he raised an eyebrow and the ghost of a smile
kicked up his lips.

Draco spluttered and mumbled
something, but he sat back down and studied the papers in front of him.


I’m sure there will be no need for any of that,
Cole,” Gunnar said, and Cole nodded.


No, I’m sure you’re right.” The bear shifter
returned to the podium, smiled at an astonished looking Kate, and held up a set
of pictures.

Zeb growled low in his throat,
and Kate turned a delightful shade of pink when she caught sight of them. They
were the pictures Cole had taken off her injuries the night of the attack, and
Arran winced. It was clear from her flawless complexion now that she had
healed. Zeb had told him of the way her wounds had faded right in front of his
eyes after his brother had mated with Kate, too.

This could either work in their
favor or against them, and Arran gave thanks to Cole’s foresight in taking
those pictures. Without them there would be no evidence of the severity of the
attack on Kate.


I refer you to the picture evidence, taken by myself
on the night Kate was attacked. You can see how extensive her injuries are. As
a human female under attack from eight human males, there can be no doubt that
she was in mortal danger. Thus, as her mates Arran and Zeb took it upon
themselves to eliminate that danger. The way they set upon doing so was
perhaps, unfortunate, but—”


Unfortunate?”
Draco’s snort of derision
interrupted Cole, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath
as though to calm his bear. A collective gasp went through the varied audience
of shifters, which had been allowed to witness the proceedings. Cole Jackson was
not known for his patience, and as an Original and head of Council security not
many dared to interrupt him—ever.


They ripped those humans to shreds. I grant you, the
elephant shifter’s kills were clean, which is why he’s been set free already,
and there can be no doubt that he himself was under attack, thanks to this
human.

He shot a venomous glance toward Kate. One she returned tenfold, and Arran had
never been prouder of his mate than right now. Head held high, shoulders
straight she stared the old shifter down. A small smile played around her lips,
when he was the first to break eye contact.

Draco cleared his throat, studied
the pictures in front of him with a frown, and then continued.


The Harris brothers should have kept their female
under a tighter leash. If she hadn’t
walked
about by
herself like this, none of this would have happened.”

Zeb surged forward, snarling.
Arran’s panther, too, rose violently to the surface, and Draco’s confidence
faltered as Kate shot to her feet.


Of all the chauvinistic things to say, how fucking
dare you make this my fault?” She shrugged Cole’s restraining hand off her and
glared at the bear shifter. Fire sparked from her eyes, and with her pale face
flushed in anger she had never looked more beautiful to Arran. It calmed his
beast somewhat, and he had to agree with Zeb’s silent assessment in his head.

Hot fucking
damn.
That’s our girl.


I grant you, I’m just a poor little
human.”
She mimed quotation marks around the word, and Cole took a step back and put
his hands up in mock surrender. “And you big all-seeing, all-knowing shifter
types are no doubt looking down your noses at me, but I will not sit here and
listen to you insult my choices. I always walk back from the office. Why the
fuck wouldn’t I? And for your information, I’m perfectly able to defend myself,
but on this occasion…” Her words trailed off, and she shivered and hugged
herself, as no doubt memories invaded her mind. Arran wanted to cross the
distance and hug her, and his panther whined low in his throat at the distress
he was witnessing. Zeb looked once again on the verge of shifting, but Kate
shook her head at him, and they both heard her in their minds.

BOOK: Panther Magic
7.69Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

The Cases That Haunt Us by Douglas, John, Olshaker, Mark
[Hurog 01] - Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs
Mother Tongue by Demetria Martinez
Desire in the Sun by Karen Robards
Tempting the Cowboy by Elizabeth Otto
Darkness First by James Hayman