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The one thing he’d always had while his body failed him was his intellect. Being the clueless one in the room didn’t suit him.
    After quickly drying, he tied a towel around his waist and headed for the living room.
    “Well, look what I’ve found.”
    James’ heart froze. Melinda stood in the middle of Lou’s living room with two large men holding guns.
    “Melinda. What are you doing here?” He was afraid he knew but he hoped to buy time for his lover to escape.
    She gave him a cold smile. It didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve wanted to study you for years. Unfortunately my relationship with your father prevented that. Now, however, we’re through, which makes you fair game.”
    “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Lou’s growly voice sounded behind James.
    Shit!
    He needed to get these psychos away from his man.
    “Let me go and get some clothes on.”
    Melinda’s eyes traced over James’ body in an expression so lustful he now knew what people meant when they said their skin crawled.
    “Go get dressed,” one of the men said. “We’ll keep your man until you do.” James fled the room, clenching his teeth as his legs threatened to buckle. His hands shook as he rifled through his lover’s clothing. An oversized shirt fell to his thighs and he rolled up the legs of a pair of sweats, pulling the drawstring in tight. He looked like a homeless orphan, but he was covered.
    Hobbling back into the room he searched for his cane only to see his lover unconscious on the floor.
    “What the fuck did you do?” he screamed, falling to his knees beside his mate.
    “You didn’t think we’d get out of here safely with your lover awake. Don’t worry, he’s only tranquilised. If you come with us quietly I won’t kill him.” She used the same tone as if she were discussing the weather or a trip to the park.
    James had never wanted to kill someone so badly in his life. His beast growled beneath his skin. He limped over to his cane, ignoring the trio watching his every step.
    “Let’s go.”
    A PRIDELESS MAN
    Amber Kell
    50

Chapter Five
    After twenty-three years, James thought he’d experienced all the possible shades of pain. The slivers of agony stabbing into his skull when the medication ran out, the dull aching pain when he was fully loaded up on meds, and the aching, deep in his bones, when he first woke up.
    He was wrong.
    This pain reached entire new levels. Levels he hoped to never reach again. Ants crawled through his veins in an irritating buzz, little bites of pain and annoyance, covering his entire body. The sound filled his ears, reverberated his bones and sent bits of fire through his body like a billion fire ants covering his skin. Unable to keep it inside he let out his inner suffering with a scream.
    It came out as a roar.
    Opening his eyes, he looked down at the furry white paws before him.
    He’d shifted. Whether from the separation from Lou or the lack of medication, he was now a cat.
    “Look at you. I can’t believe Andrew deprived you of this for so long.” He narrowed his eyes at the female sitting beside him.
    “You might not believe me but I’ve wanted to help you for a long time, to free you of the medication locking up your inner beast. There are buyers who’ll pay a lot for a rare shifter such as yourself. I’ve never got my hands on a white lion before.” He could almost taste her jugular as he yearned to rip out her throat.
    “Oooh, the pretty kitty is upset. I’m doing you a favour. I’m freeing you from your human form. All I have to do is purge your body of those nasty drugs and you’ll be the perfect shifter. What good are you as a limpy human when you can be a powerful cat? I have some mercenaries who are looking for new shifters to join—they pay top dollar. They might even enjoy that bear of yours.”
    James gave a low growl. The beast hungered to kill. To maim the woman who dared to speak of his mate, much less harm him.
    They had his bear.
    They would die.
    A