Panther Protection (5 page)

“Morning,” he said. He watched her turn and for once she smiled at him.

“Morning, Axel. Have a seat, I’m almost done with the pancakes, and then we can eat. Help yourself to some coffee, I don’t remember if you guys get headaches, but I put the pain meds next to it also.” She turned and went back to flipping pancakes, and then over to the stove with some sausage. His stomach growled as the smell woke his hunger as well. He grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down nodding to Gage, who turned to him and smiled a shit eating grin. Yep, the bastard was up to something, or maybe it was the fact he watched Millie and him kiss last night. Either way, it could wait until after he ate and could think with a clear head.

Millie put a large platter of food in the middle of the small table and it was the first time he noticed she didn’t use the dining room, and she didn’t have a table their either. It was an empty space that held various boxes of God knows what. He would have to ask her what was in them and maybe with them eating this much, a real table would be better.

“Dig in, boys, I promise I didn’t do anything to them.” He smirked at her. “I pinky promise, shit, Gage watched me make everything. You would think I didn’t know how to cook or something. I do know how to cook, bake, and a whole lot more. It was just me and my Gran, and she taught me a lot. I just don’t do it very much, because, well, it reminds me too much of her.” The room seemed to draw in silence as no one said or did anything. His heart was breaking, and granted she still had a mother, but the woman who raised her was gone, and she was hurting. He could feel her pain like a knife in his chest. Unable to stop himself he reached out and grasped her hand.

“I’m sorry, Millie. I know you loved her a lot, and by all the pictures and things around the house, she loved you and she was proud of you.” She looked at him and offered a small smile before she took it away and started dishing up the food.

“Thanks, Axel, but I’ll be okay. So what’s on the agenda today? I start work on Monday, and Becky mentioned that you guys might want to work. Did you think about working for a shop? I think there might still be one, but to be honest it’s not very good, I normally take my car over to the next town because the guy here charges so much. They might be hiring,” she said between bites.

“Na, can’t work for someone. After owning a shop for so long, I couldn’t answer to some piss nosed wanna be telling me what to do. We have a couple ideas, but I need to ask you a question first.” This seemed to get her attention as she set her fork down.

“Okay, what’s your question?” she asked bracing her shoulders back, ready for whatever he had to say.

“Okay, well, I was thinking about a lot of things, but I need to know something first. Is there ever a chance you would move?”

“Move? Like away from here, um…that’s a negative, ghost writer.”

“Okay, that works for us. We want to open another shop, and figured since we can’t get out of this mating, we might as well do something.” He continued to eat, not really looking at her since he got his answer, but what he didn’t expect was for his coffee to suddenly to be dumped on his head. He jumped up as the hot liquid burned his skin, looking up to see what happened, he saw a very pissed off Millie holding his cup.

“Since you can’t get out of the mating. Seriously, you’re such an asshole. You think I wanted this? You think I wanted any of this shit. No, I had dreams, I wanted to be on stage, and I wanted my Gran to see me starring in something big under the lights. But no, I don’t have her, and I am stuck with an ass, a guy who says only a few words, and a mother who is a fairy queen, making me a fucking fairy princess. And to top it off, I can’t fucking sleep. I am so sick of this shit. Oh, and let's add to the pile that keeps growing, something bad is coming, and we have only seen the start of it. What the hell? So you can take your egotistical ass out of my house and leave me the hell alone, I want nothing to do with you—either of you!”

He suddenly realized what he had said, and it wasn’t what he meant, but she had taken it the way it came out. He went to calm her and even Gage went to make her stop as she started to throw things at them. The glass mug hit the wall behind him, shattering, and then the food went next. He was happy the syrup bottle was closed as she too chucked that at his head.

Millie had had enough of their shit. She wanted them out, she wanted things normal, she wanted, she wanted, hell, she wanted something she didn’t even know. Before she realized it, she was in Axel’s arms as Gage was looking at her with panicked eyes. Why was he panicking? She could feel the walls start to close in on her as Axel held her tighter, rubbing her arm. She struggled from his hold, trying to tell him to let go, to stop the wall from getting closer. He was crushing her, her chest started to hurt. He was holding her to tight, she pushed and screamed but it seemed nothing came out. She needed to breathe, why couldn’t she breathe, shit, was she being drugged again, no she couldn’t. The last time she did, he did things to her, to her body. He touched her, no he couldn’t do that. She would rather die than have him touch her again. She screamed for him not to touch her, telling him to stop. Why couldn’t he let her go? The smell of cigarettes, dirty unwashed skin, and alcohol filled her senses.
Please, help me, please help me, please help me.
She cried over and over again, but no one came this time, except for darkness. She needed to go into the darkness, she felt nothing there. The darkness could take her and this time she would welcome it.

*****

Gage watched in horror as Millie started to crumble. He didn’t know what to do, but he knew the signs of a panic attack. He used to get them as a kid, but learned how to deal with them until he outgrew them. He wished there was a doctor close by. Axel held her and didn’t let go afraid she might slip and fall. He never expected her to act that way, maybe yell or something, but never break down. She started to gasp for air and he went to find a phone, but just as he put his hand on it a bright light flashed before him leaving Xandria standing there looking past him.

“Oh my Goodness, what happened? Here let me see if I can help.” She ran, well more or less floated, over to where Axel was holding a struggling Millie. Her face was so pale and sweat was dripping down off her as her eyes seem to be sweeping back and forth looking for something, but unable to focus. She was now hyperventilating as if she was unable to catch a breath.

Xandria knelt down next to Millie and placed her hands on her forehead and soon Millie stopped struggling and went limp.

“What the hell did you do to her?” Axel yelled at her, moving Millie out of her reach.

“I put her to sleep. Her body is shutting down from lack of sleep. With her powers now coming into light, she will need her mates touch to calm her and balance her. If she is not claimed soon, she will fall into a state of insanity, lost in her fears.”

“We won’t claim her until she wants us to, hell, we can barely stay in the same room without fighting. How the hell do you suggest we make this happen?” Axel growled, cradling Millie close to his chest.

“Tell her, tell her your past, she needs to know all your secrets so she can open up about hers. Trust is something you both need to work on, you have to trust each other. Your true mates, and I feel something will be happening soon. She will need you both to survive what is coming for her.” With that she left in a small circle of light.

“She needs her bed,” Gage said as he watched Axel hold Millie as she lay limp. He had never seen his cousin so up in arms about what happened. He was the one who always had the answers and could control any given situation, expect this one. He couldn’t seem to get a hold of himself to filter what he said around Millie.

“Yeah, I think your right. Can you take her? I need to think, and clean up this mess before someone comes over.” Gage nodded and picked up his mate. She was so small laying in his arms and her breathing seemed normal. Walking up the stairs and to her bedroom, slowly he set her down on the bed, but instead of leaving her alone, he pulled down the covers and cradled her to his chest, allowing his warmth to hopefully draw comfort for her.

Her breathing was even and for once, she was sleeping. She slept some last night, but not like she should have, even with all the alcohol she consumed. She still tossed and turned, waking up screaming before she jumped in the shower. Maybe Xandria was right and he needed to tell her about his past, about their past. But would it hurt her more, make her look at him in a different light than what she had before. He didn’t want her to feel sorry for him, but rather understand him more. He didn’t talk much, but maybe for her he could. She was worth the risk, worth his heart, and worth so much more.

Closing his eyes, he breathed in her sweet honeysuckle smell and his panther purred in response to her closeness. She was really his, or would be. He didn’t know about Axel, but he planned to claim her as soon as she let him. She deserved to be happy, and for the first time in his life, he would be happy too.

Chapter Six

Axel finished picking up the last of the broken glass and food, then swept and mopped the floor. After it was all done he only had a few things to repair. He was still stirring over what Xandria had said about Millie going insane. He wasn’t helping, and he needed not to be an ass, he needed to try his hardest for her. He never meant what he said, well yeah he did, but not the way it came out. He had spoken without thinking about how it sounded. It was now noon and the sun was in full force and Gage didn’t come down after putting Millie to bed. He just assumed his younger cousin was laying down with her. Not sure what else to do, he went and started cleaning some things around the house. He wanted to apologize to Millie, which was something he rarely did, but in this case he needed to. He had broken her down to the point of a panic attack and he didn’t know what else to do. Did she have those a lot, was she still thinking about what happened to her, was the lack of sleep effecting her more than normal. So many questions, and not a fucking answer in sight. Shit, he hated waiting. He needed to eat and go for a run. His panther was clawing at his insides, terrified to losing his mate. She was exactly that—his mate—and after the kiss he had with her last night, he couldn’t deny it any more.

Opening the back door, he shifted into his panther and took off in a full run, hoping to burn off the frustration he was feeling. He allowed his panther to take over and run. The crisp wind blew over his black fur as his paws hit the ground in a steady pace.

*****

Millie felt so light, so safe. She wasn’t used to this feeling, and for once she felt nothing. She didn’t fear anyone, or anything, she didn’t feel tired, and she couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. “Oh great, I’m dead. I finally died from lack of sleep. I heard it happens. But damn, Becky and Cece are going to be pissed this time,” she mumbled as she stood and walked around.

“No, Amelia, you’re not dead, sweet child. You are very much alive, just in a deep sleep.” She turned to see Xandria sitting on an old rocking chair. This was the first time she realized she was at her house. Okay, so maybe she was dreaming. It would be the first time she was having a nice dream and not a nightmare.

“Okay, so now what. Not dead, but dreaming. Is something wrong with me?”

Xandria laughed and then stood walking over to her. “Oh, honey, you really are having a hard time with everything aren’t you. I wish you would have told me you couldn’t sleep sooner. Maybe you could have avoided all this. Your mind is starting to shut down and you need to act fast before it is too late.”

“To late for what? You are making no sense right now. What do I have to do?”

“Amelia, I would have thought that would have been obvious. You need to be claimed by your mates. They need to balance you, and I fear that if it is not done soon, all may be lost with you, my dear child. You need to tell them what happened and let them tell you about their past and soon the three of you will be joined. It is destined to be. You must feel that something is off with you?”

“I have but to be honest, with no sleep, and needing money to fix the house, I didn’t have time to sit and think about it,” she responded.

“Amelia, please just open your heart and trust them, it is the only way.”

“I don’t think I can. I don’t want to lose anyone else. I lost Gran, and almost lost Becky, and then myself. I don’t know what I would do if I lost a love. Hell, I see the pain Mike is in and she wasn't his true mate, I don’t know what I would do if that happened to me.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. They are your true mates, the only one whom your powers won’t work on. As for your friend, Mike, his time will come. He will find love again, but it won’t be for a while. So go now, you have been asleep for a while and they are starting to worry. Trust them, Amelia, they would never let you fall.” And with that she was gone. The only thing that was left was the feeling of warmth. Not exactly sure what to do she sat down on the chair and closed her eyes.

*****

Gage didn’t know how long he laid there just holding Millie as she slept. She started to stir and he pushed a stray hair off her face that had fallen. She was starting to wake up some and suddenly sleepy green eyes looked up at him. She was a vision as she blinked to bring him into focus. Her once pale skin seemed to give way to some color.

“Hi,” she said half groggy. Smiling back at her, he ran his fingers along her cheek bone feeling her soft skin.

“Better?” he asked her quietly. It seemed to make her blush and she nodded.

“Yeah, a little better. Look, Gage, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, well whatever the hell happened. I will try harder next time to watch my temper.”

“You’re fine. Hungry?”

“Yeah, some. Oh my God, the mess, I have to go clean it up. I need to get up and get that taken care of.” He shook his head letting her know not to move or worry about it.

“Gage, it has to be a huge mess, I need to clean it up.”

“It’s done. Rest.” He kissed her softly on her lips and went to get up and head downstairs to check on Axel and the mess. While he was laying down he heard him cleaning up and wondered if he needed to help with anything. As soon as he reached the kitchen, he saw Axel standing over the stove stirring a pot of something. It smelled good.