Page 12 of Fated to the Panther

“Mother, wait, take us….”

“For once, I agree with your mother. We’ll have a sit-down once Gavin’s mate is discovered, and by then, hopefully, you’ll forgive our interruption.” Between one blink and the next, Tiegh too disappeared.

Kara wore a stunned expression on her beautiful face. “What…how did they do that?”

Instead of answering, I cupped her shoulders and aimed her toward the bathroom.

“But, but…” Her confusion stabbed me in the heart.

There would be no picking up where Kara and I had left off, as hoped. From the lines around her mouth and drooping of her shoulders, I now saw that the encounter with my parents had sucked the last bit of energy from my mate.

“Grab a shower, I’ll leave a t-shirt on the bed for you that you can sleep in. It’s late and when we do make love for the first time, I want you refreshed and with no doubts about me. I’ll be back soon.”

She needed sleep and I needed to return below. Especially now that my parents had left us here instead of flashing us to the home base in Scotland.

Now was not the time to pick a fight with Athena and Tiegh. I needed to make sure the demon threat had passed now that I had a mate to protect.

Chapter

Nine

ROANE

Once down on the forest floor, I debated shifting. My panther wanted out and yet for the first time in recent memory, I wanted to remain in human form as I hunted. Any hint of sulfur had vanished, however there was one being this did not currently apply to.

As if my unspoken thoughts willed his presence, the cause of my unease and urgency to protect my mate appeared in front of me.

Dante, looked like shit. The demon had often been mistaken for a movie star when he moved among the humans, when he’d still be able to walk the earth in corporeal form. Back then, he relied on his ability to project his will into the minds of both men and women, controlling their actions and thoughts. Now, not so much.

When Dante had attempted to take my oldest brother’s mate, for the first time in centuries, he was injured. The plasma blast he took from the combined efforts of Quinn and Britt had damaged half his face and a good part of his upper body.

Unfortunately, it had also heightened his madness. Lucifer had locked him down full time, so no more hall passes. All Dante could do now was send the lesser demons, his soldiers to the earthly plane, to do his dirty work. Thankfully, they were inept and failed miserably. Our mates remained safe.

“So, what brings you here, Dante? Your sick attachment to the Brethren’s Prophecy, our mates has turned you more pathetic with every appearance.”

“That’s one thing about being a demon. We thrive on pain and torture. Even if it’s our own.” His form flickered for a split second. Proof that he hadn’t managed to break free yet from the underworld.

Too bad. My panther was begging me to let him out so he could rip out Dante’s jugular. Perhaps one day, I’d get to have that chance. “Still relying on astral projection, I see. Good doctors hard to come by in hell, are they?”

“What is it with you brethren and your sarcasm. Perhaps what you should all be focusing on is how I came by this.” Dante lifted the arm that hadn’t been damaged. Clutched in his clawed hand was a tablet. Not one of the human’s electronic devices, but one made from a green material and stardust, forged on our father’s home world. One of the Emerald Tablets we’d been searching for, along with our mates.

Tiegh had three with him when he arrived. Combined, they contained all the secrets of the universe. We had retrieved one, now in Tiegh’s possession, and the other two had remained elusive. They had been long thought a myth, and written into prehistory attached to other gods, but what the humans never truly grasped was that they were indeed real.

The shock of Dante having one stole my breath. “How?”

“A close ally presented it in exchange for…well, let’s just say it seems even archeologists can be corrupted.” His laugh,unironically, was demonic. Its sinister ring had me seeing red. Or rather black. Black demon blood needed to be spilled.

“I had almost thought Quinn’s mate was close to discovering this one like she did the first, but it seems her pregnancy may have hindered her ability, hmm? Any insights on that, Roane? No. Oh well, it seems like a moot point, so I’ll leave you with this offer. I’d be willing to make a trade. To prevent me from sharing this,” Dante waved the tablet, “with another of my…allies…an American government official who I’ve been besties with. So sad that Tiegh foolishly lost them to begin with. Anyway, I’d be happy to trade mine for Gavin’s mate. I can’t imagine being the last brother to find his mate, only to lose her to me, but that’s life, right?”

“Enough! I don’t need to hear any more of your rantings. We willnever, and I speak for Gavin in this—none of us willever—forsake a mate.” Vibrating with barely contained rage, the shift happened in a blink and my panther launched toward the vile demon.

Dante’s projection blinked out as I pounced, but the demon’s laughter rang so loud, the nesting birds took off, squawking their displeasure at having their sleep disturbed.

“Tell Gavin, to expect a visit. Soon.” The demon’s final threat was nearly lost in the thundering noise of the jungle.

I shifted back and returned to Kara. Time, more than ever, was now our greatest enemy, and claiming my mate had never been more urgent.

Chapter

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