Savage Sanctuary 2: Panther Moon (8 page)

heart.”

“I knew your folks,” Titus said. “Brant was a good man but stubborn. Years ago, I

pleaded with him to stay here with the Turquoise Moon tribe and live among us but he

was determined that he and Celia would manage on their own.”

“I’m sorry Dad didn’t listen to you,” Trea whispered. “They might be alive now.”

“I talked with Hudson last night, shortly after your arrival. He filled me in and I

need to know more but you need to know that late in the night I dispatched members of our security team. They are now in the process of loading up your family possessions

and will be bringing them here.”

“What about my parents?”

Titus’ expression softened. “They will be brought here for burial. I hope that is all right with you.”

Trea nodded. “That’s very kind.”

Titus blew out a breath. “Early this morning, I contacted your brother Max.”

“Max!”

“I hated like hell to deliver this news over the phone. He took the news hard but

that was to be expected.” Titus leaned back and Mahara instantly leaned against him.

The king sent an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Maxwell is tough and his first

concern was for you. You had a close call.” He glanced at Hudson. “I have assured him you are well cared for. He should be here sometime in the next few days. He must deal with a few things in Houston.”

“Do you think he’ll stay?”

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Hudson sensed her need for family, for her brother, and settled his hand over her

arm to comfort.

Titus frowned and shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. He’s as stubborn as

your father was but I also believe he can be convinced to stay here and make his home with us. Maybe you can persuade him, hm?”

“I’ll try, my king.”

“Titus, please. There’s no need to be formal. After all, we’re your family now and I

promise that as long as you are with us, you will be protected.” Titus speared Hudson with a sharp glance then smiled slightly. “However, I suspect you have the best of all protectors at your side now. You’ll have little need for the rest of us. Hudson is my top man in the security division of Declan Technologies, he’s a warrior from way back and I trust him with my life and with the lives of those I hold most dear. You will be safe with him.”

Hudson felt Trea go still and then a slow smile bloomed on her face. “I think I’ve

figured that out, my ki—Titus.” Then she went serious. “What about the house? What

will happen to it?”

“Ah that. I’ll be taking care of everything within the week,” he said. “Technology is a mighty fine tool and I’m pretty good using it for my investigations. Your dad had

already quit his job and I suspect had plans to list the cabin with a realtor but never got around to it. For all intents and purposes, it will be abandoned.”

“I don’t think anyone will suspect a thing.” Trea nodded. “We kept to ourselves

and the place is small. It will just appear as though we packed up and left.”

“My thinking exactly. It will simply appear to any casual observer that your family

made arrangements. They have already loaded the bodies of your parents.”

A tense silence swept the room. Mahara finally stood and walked over to the small

red bag she’d set on the floor. “I took the liberty of packing a few things for you. We look to be about the same size. I’ve packed some cosmetics, a hair brush, and a few

clothes. Nothing fancy.”

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Trea got up to reach for the bag. “Thanks, Mahara. You don’t know how

embarrassing it is to have arrived with only the clothes on my back.”

“No need to be embarrassed, honey. Really. I’m just glad you got out of there and

came to us. Tomorrow, why don’t you come to the house for lunch and we’ll raid my

closet. See if there’s anything else you can use until your things get here.”

“I couldn’t.”

Mahara smiled kindly. “Sure you can. Believe me, honey, you need more than those

borrowed sweats of Hudson’s.”

Trea smiled shyly and slanted a gaze at Hudson. “They are a little roomy.”

Hudson stood, facing Titus. “There is one detail we haven’t discussed. The men

who did this, the men who followed Trea here know who she is. They also know
what
she is and I doubt they will stop coming for her. She is too big a prize.”

Titus turned to Trea. “Did you recognize them?”

She nodded. “One of them was called Walt and I didn’t know him but I sure as hell

knew the other man. His name is Tom Hawkins. A local guy, a thug. We went to school

together. It was he and this Walt guy who killed Mom and Dad and came after me.”

Hudson felt the rage that swept through her. She practically vibrated with it. In an

act of solidarity, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. “They’ll never get you, Trea. Not as long as there is breath in my body. I promise you that. And if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make the bastards pay.”

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Panther Moon

“Brought you some coffee. Looks like you could use it.” Rio Santana halted briefly

in the doorway of Hudson’s office at Declan Technologies and narrowed his blacker-

than-sin eyes before carrying two mugs to his desk and setting them down with a snap.

Today might have been like any other workday in the security wing of the giant

corporation but they both knew it wasn’t. Rio had just returned from a grisly task and they hadn’t talked in several days. Both security specialists with a background in

violence, they were closer than brothers.

Hudson eyed the steam rolling from the dark liquid and then glanced at his friend

of more years than he could recall. “Did you make this?”

“Hell no.” Rio sprawled his long, sturdy frame into one of two big, leather chairs

that set in front of his chest and stretched out his denim-clad legs. An ever-present scowl graced lips that a woman might call beautiful. The Latino panther was moody

and dangerous but possessed of a sharp and surprising wit that was as lethal as the

blade he carried in the top of his battered, ostrich cowboy boots. Today he wore his

long, black hair tied back at the nape of his neck.

Hudson picked up the cup, inhaled the pungent fragrance and took a sip. “Good

thing. Your coffee tastes like piss.” They sat in comfortable silence for a minute or two, old friends who knew each other well, then finally he asked what was uppermost in his mind. “How did it go in east Texas?”

Rio shifted in his chair and stared into the depths of his cup before meeting his

eyes. He shrugged. “Loading the contents of the house wasn’t a big deal. After a call from Titus, we went looking for the two men but there was no sign of them. I have a

feeling they are hiding out around here somewhere. We’ll find them. Count on it.”

Silence fell. “How is your mate? Is she holding up okay?”

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Regina Carlysle

Hudson expelled a breath. “She’s having a hard time. I took a few days off to watch

over her. Our queen has been a daily visitor and today, she finally talked her into

heading out to the mall to pick up some things. Most of Trea’s things are packed away in cartons and she just hasn’t had the energy to dig through everything. So yeah, they are shopping.”

“Women and malls. Sounds like a plan. They love those things.”

Hudson recalled the way she’d looked this morning in her borrowed clothes and

was glad Mahara was taking care of the pesky little detail of clothing and other female whatnots. “I’m just glad she’s getting out of the house. They said something about

having lunch on the Riverwalk.” The Riverwalk was San Antonio’s premier tourist

destination. The twisting man-made river stretched through an expanse of the historic downtown area like a translucent, green ribbon nestled near The Alamo. Giant cypress

trees stretched across the narrow body of water and quaint restaurants and shops lined either side. Colorful barges motored over the river’s tranquil surface carrying throngs of tourists, eager to hear of the famous battle for Texas independence.

Rio cleared his throat. “I reckon congratulations are in order, my brother. Are you

happy with her?”

Happy? With Chantrea?

What man wouldn’t be happy upon finding that his mate was not only beautiful

but intelligent? The fact that she was responsive in bed was a definite plus too. With each day that passed, he felt her knew her better but in many ways they were strangers to each other. He hadn’t touched her physically since that morning several days ago,

believing she needed to reserve her strength for the ordeal to come. Keeping his hands off her was killing him, yet that tiny bit of distance yet to cross would end when she came into her time. Then he would make her his mate in every way. They would be

truly one. “She’s incredible,” he said finally. “She is just getting used to everything that has happened to her and she’s faced with a lot of changes but I have to say, she seems to be adapting well.”

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“Any signs?”

Grunting, Hudson leaned forward in his chair and crossed his forearms on his big,

walnut desk. Rio spoke of the time when sexual heat would take her over just before

she claimed her animal form. He focused his gaze on Rio. “A few. It won’t be long now.

I have a favor, brother.”

“Name it.”

“Will you act as my second when the time comes?”

Silence fell between them then Rio graced him with a rare smile. “I would be

honored. Anything I can do to make your path smoother you know I will do it, amigo.”

“It’s not as if we haven’t shared women before, but you know this is different.”

“Solemn. Si. I know, Hudson.” Rio reached across the desk and gripped his hand.

“It is a great honor to be your second. I’ll do everything in my power to help with her transition. And gods forbid, should anything ever take you from her, I will protect her with my life. You have my promise.”

“You know I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t trust you more than any man I know.”

“As I trust you, Hudson. Perhaps you should introduce us before the time comes?”

Hudson realized Rio was right and he nodded his consent. “How about next week?

Come for dinner and drinks.”

“Done. Name the time and I’ll be there.”

* * * * *

Mahara Declan had done everything in her power to make her day wonderful. Trea

knew that without a doubt and she appreciated it. They’d had a nice girls’ lunch at a Mexican place on the Riverwalk and then they’d done some shopping. Topics of

conversation remained on the casual side and she knew Mahara had kept things light

purposely. Smart woman, her queen. She hadn’t been shopping in a very long time and

considering her unemployed, basically broke state, she hadn’t planned to buy anything but after some argument, Mahara had forced a “loan” on her. The plan was to pay the

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money back once she landed a job somewhere. Trea knew Mahara wanted to give her

the money outright but Trea hadn’t been brought up to take charity.

Charity.

Something she’d never imagined she’d have to grapple with.

She was home now and night had fallen. Along with it came a sense of melancholy

she couldn’t seem to shake. Hudson had called several hours ago to tell her he was

catching up on the work he’d missed and would be late.

Guilt.

Charity and guilt.

She accepted that she was at the mercy of the folks here at the Turquoise Moon

compound. Her clothes were borrowed and every luxury provided, along with comfort

and protection. Throughout her life she’d been sheltered and protected by her parents.

Never once had she managed on her own and this was all beginning to look like a

trend. Trea didn’t like it one bit.

With a heavy sigh, she wandered into the kitchen and leaning against the

doorframe, looked out over Hudson’s spacious backyard. It was beautiful. Far different from the rustic wilderness she knew at home. Sadness seeped into her pores threatening her composure but she held on if only by a thread. Tomorrow she would attend services for her parents at the cemetery a short distance from the main house. A part of her had already said goodbye to her parents but that other part? The part that was lost, lonely, and afraid held on to the childish hope that this was all some horrific nightmare from which she would awaken in her own bed to the sounds of her mother cooking breakfast

in the kitchen.

From the moment this had unfolded and her life had turned to crap, Hudson had

been there. Every moment of every day, he’d been the single constant in her life and

now she was left wondering what had happened. After Mahara and Titus’ visit, he’d

promptly moved into the guest room. Remaining attentive, affectionate even, he

refused to lie beside her in bed. There’d been no kisses, no touches, none of the hot 58

Panther Moon

sweat of passion she’d discovered with him on that first night. Of course she was too damn proud to ask him why he’d had such a dramatic turnabout.

Doubts filled her mind as she stared out at the beautiful backyard pool. Eager to

shake the cobwebs from her brain, she slid open the glass doors and stepped barefoot

onto the patio. Trea trailed her fingers over the edge of a double-wide chaise, taking in the patio furniture along with a tile-topped table big enough to seat at least six people.

A cast-iron barbecue grill occupied a spot nearby. There was no typical backyard fence and she realized it was all a part of the sense of family Titus Declan had built for his people. Privacy but protection. No other homes could be seen but she knew they were

out there, filled with panther shifter families who only wanted to live in peace.