panthers poised over him, paused on his chest, then without further hesitation, sank his teeth into Leo’s throat and ripped away the skin.
They all backed away, chests heaving, as they watched the life drain from the body. Kendall lay on the floor, pain shooting through her head.
“Seth?” she finally managed.
The air shimmered and in seconds a naked Seth stood before her. Bending down, he lifted her gently into his arms.
“We’re good,” he told the others. As soon as the last cat was out the door, taking Leo’s body with them, he closed and locked it, then carried Kendall to her bedroom. “I’m so sorry.” He kissed her sore, bruised face. “I’m just so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she told him through puffy lips. “You got here before he could do anything. But how did you figure out it was him?”
“Let me get you some ice and I’ll tell you.”
He propped her head on the pillows, hurried to the kitchen and returned with ice in two plastic bags. While he held them on the places that were rapidly swelling, he told her about the conversation with Max and Nat at The Litter Box.
“I never would have suspected him.” Her voice sounded funny and she figured it was because her mouth was so sore and swollen.
“Neither would we, without Nat.” He bent down and brushed kisses on the parts of her face that weren’t bruised. “God, Kendall, if anything had happened to you…”
“But it didn’t.” She wrapped her fingers around one of his wrists. “You got here in time and that’s what you have to remember. Where did the other cats come from?”
“Nat. He called some of the pack members and told them they were needed.”
“Do we know why he did it?”
“You mean other than being genetically flawed? No. But Nat’s going to try and find out.” He took one of her hands and placed it on one of the ice packs. “Hold this here. I’ve got to call this in. It’s a good thing I have extra clothes here.”
“How will you explain this?”
He winked. “I’ll think of something. And we’ll need to get your story straight because they’ll want a statement. But not tonight,” he assured her. “Definitely not tonight. I’m getting you some aspirin and then taking care of this.” He kissed her forehead again. “I may never let you out of my sight again. I nearly had a damn heart attack.”
“Promises, promises,” she teased, then winced.
“Pain meds.” He headed for the bathroom. “Then I’ll call the station. And Nat and Max.”
* * * *
Kendall thought a three-ring circus might have been less stressful during the activity of the days following. Seth was at her side nearly every minute, waiting on her, packing ice on her face, bathing her to ease the sore places on her body where she’d fallen or been hit, coaxing her to eat.
“You’re worse than an old woman,” she complained at one point.
“Call me names as long as you do what I say.”
When he’d had to leave, Aisha took personal time from work and came to sit with her. And on the third night Nat had arrived, Max and Aisha right behind him, with a story that was almost sad.
He had finally found the alpha of the pack Leo had been born into. His father was a leopard, his mother a panther—one who had been rescued from a place where she’d been abused. She was filled with a lot of rage because of that and she’d passed that anger along to Leo.
“Apparently his parents were aware of that,” Nat had explained. “It became evident when he had his first adult shift, but they worked with him to keep it under control. Then he met a woman and fell in love. Unfortunately, she mated with another.”
He went on to explain about Maria, the woman who’d turned away from him, and the explosive rage that had been behind his first kill.
“And they let him get away?” Kendall was aghast.
“His parents pleaded on his behalf, so the alpha banished him. He ended up here.”
“Our luck,” Aisha commented. “But what set
They all backed away, chests heaving, as they watched the life drain from the body. Kendall lay on the floor, pain shooting through her head.
“Seth?” she finally managed.
The air shimmered and in seconds a naked Seth stood before her. Bending down, he lifted her gently into his arms.
“We’re good,” he told the others. As soon as the last cat was out the door, taking Leo’s body with them, he closed and locked it, then carried Kendall to her bedroom. “I’m so sorry.” He kissed her sore, bruised face. “I’m just so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she told him through puffy lips. “You got here before he could do anything. But how did you figure out it was him?”
“Let me get you some ice and I’ll tell you.”
He propped her head on the pillows, hurried to the kitchen and returned with ice in two plastic bags. While he held them on the places that were rapidly swelling, he told her about the conversation with Max and Nat at The Litter Box.
“I never would have suspected him.” Her voice sounded funny and she figured it was because her mouth was so sore and swollen.
“Neither would we, without Nat.” He bent down and brushed kisses on the parts of her face that weren’t bruised. “God, Kendall, if anything had happened to you…”
“But it didn’t.” She wrapped her fingers around one of his wrists. “You got here in time and that’s what you have to remember. Where did the other cats come from?”
“Nat. He called some of the pack members and told them they were needed.”
“Do we know why he did it?”
“You mean other than being genetically flawed? No. But Nat’s going to try and find out.” He took one of her hands and placed it on one of the ice packs. “Hold this here. I’ve got to call this in. It’s a good thing I have extra clothes here.”
“How will you explain this?”
He winked. “I’ll think of something. And we’ll need to get your story straight because they’ll want a statement. But not tonight,” he assured her. “Definitely not tonight. I’m getting you some aspirin and then taking care of this.” He kissed her forehead again. “I may never let you out of my sight again. I nearly had a damn heart attack.”
“Promises, promises,” she teased, then winced.
“Pain meds.” He headed for the bathroom. “Then I’ll call the station. And Nat and Max.”
* * * *
Kendall thought a three-ring circus might have been less stressful during the activity of the days following. Seth was at her side nearly every minute, waiting on her, packing ice on her face, bathing her to ease the sore places on her body where she’d fallen or been hit, coaxing her to eat.
“You’re worse than an old woman,” she complained at one point.
“Call me names as long as you do what I say.”
When he’d had to leave, Aisha took personal time from work and came to sit with her. And on the third night Nat had arrived, Max and Aisha right behind him, with a story that was almost sad.
He had finally found the alpha of the pack Leo had been born into. His father was a leopard, his mother a panther—one who had been rescued from a place where she’d been abused. She was filled with a lot of rage because of that and she’d passed that anger along to Leo.
“Apparently his parents were aware of that,” Nat had explained. “It became evident when he had his first adult shift, but they worked with him to keep it under control. Then he met a woman and fell in love. Unfortunately, she mated with another.”
He went on to explain about Maria, the woman who’d turned away from him, and the explosive rage that had been behind his first kill.
“And they let him get away?” Kendall was aghast.
“His parents pleaded on his behalf, so the alpha banished him. He ended up here.”
“Our luck,” Aisha commented. “But what set
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