Vision Revealed (22 page)

remain with him was impossible to miss. “Right after it happened there was a mark put

on my head. A coyote den captured me and locked me up in their garage until Tore came

to get me. I resigned as a hunter to him and I’m not sure he wouldn’t have turned me over

to the werewolves anyway.”

“Why didn’t he?”

Jin sliced a chunk of meat with her knife and then stabbed it with her fork. Her cocky

expression was back on her face when she looked up at him. “He took me to his cabin

after the coyotes turned me over to him. He wasn’t mated at the time but the female who

is his mate today showed up while I was there and wasn’t too happy to sniff out another

female in her male’s den. She growled for me to run before she tore out my throat and I

obliged.”

“You ran.”

“I did.” She popped the meat into her mouth and chewed, glancing past him at the busy

diner and watching everyone around them until she swallowed. “I ran because I do have

honor. He was her male and I wasn’t going to come between them.”

“Plus it gave you opportunity to free yourself from Tore’s claws when he might have

turned you over to the werewolves.”

“I can spend the rest of my life regretting my actions, or I can put closure on them so

they no longer smell.” Jin focused on her food, stabbing her meat with her fork.

She looked up the same time Kane picked up on the rich smell of another male. Race

approached the table, his expression neutral, as was his scent.

“Care if I join you?” He held a coffee mug in his hand and stood still, not taking his

attention from Kane.

Denying a hunter his request wouldn’t look good. The leopards in this territory respected

and relied on these males to ensure their safety from other species and from themselves.

“You honor us,” Kane mumbled, nodding to the bench on the other side of the table.

Race slid his large frame into the booth across from them. “So this is the real Jin Rose,”

he mused, his deep growl the only indication he didn’t approve of her having misled him

over the years.

Kane slid his hand over her legs, pulling her closer while watching the male closely. Jin

honored the male more than he knew by showing him her true nature. He doubted Race

was perceptive enough to see that.

“You’re a white leopard,” he continued when Jin didn’t say anything.

“What do you want, Race?” she asked, the snarl in her voice enough to say she wasn’t

going to take him sitting with them and insulting her.

Damn good thing. Hunter or not, Kane wouldn’t tolerate a moment of the male

dishonoring her.

“Is this why you’ve returned and are so eager to sniff out all of the hunters?” Race

continued, ignoring her question. “Do you wish to prance in front of all of us and show

how you managed to pull the wool over our eyes and hide the smell of the truth about

you?”

Kane growled, not giving a damn if he made a scene. He would teach the pompous ass

sitting across from them a few manners. Jin shifted quickly, thrusting her hand out to

block him. The coffee cups rattled on the table and a fork slid off its plate, but Kane

ignored it, as well as the curious onlookers who were now sniffing the air and wondering

if they’d be fortunate to watch a good fight.

“That is not why I’m here,” Jin snapped, her tone turning vicious. “You’re justified in

feeling dishonored, and one thing I will say when all hunters are present is that I’m sorry

for doing that.”

“And you bring your male thinking he can replace you?” Race wasn’t daunted by

anything she said or Kane’s growing outrage. He remained sitting calmly on his side of

the table. “He’s already showing how unstable your breed is.”

“Bring your mate in here for me to insult and see how calm you remain,” Kane snarled.

That got a rise out of the leopard. His eyes narrowed into slits as he growled under his

breath. “Watch yourself, male,” he warned.

“I would suggest you do the same,” Kane retorted.

“Enough! Both of you!” Jin ordered, slapping the table with her hand. “Kane runs the

path he chooses, Race. I haven’t said a word to him about him becoming a hunter. Now

you can ignore the many times I saved a leopard’s ass and simply focus on the many

mistakes I’ve made. Or you can remain true to your title and let me know the status of

meeting with all the hunters. Everyone is in the area. It can’t be that hard to set up.”

“You know as well as anyone there are hunters who don’t get along with each other,”

Race said under his breath. His scent and expression relaxed, although he never appeared

ready to leap. If anything, his roguish appearance gave the impression he took very little

seriously.

Kane knew well enough not to pay a lot of attention to a leopard’s appearance. It was

how they smelled and behaved that mattered.

Jin nodded as if what Race said was something she anticipated. “Take a message to Josh

for me, please.” Her soft tone as she relaxed against Kane grabbed more than Race’s

attention. “Tell him I have information he may or may not want to hear. Either way, he

would honor me if he allowed me the attempt to restore my honor by clearing the air

between all of you.”

Race didn’t answer. He sipped his coffee, looking away from the two of them at the

leopards at surrounding tables. The general feel around them was wariness and unrest. It

seemed stronger since Race sat down with them. Kane worried there was more in the air

than simply the issue of Jin being present among them again.

“I could guess what you’re here to howl.” Race returned his attention to her, his thick,

golden curls, which almost fell to his shoulders, adding to his derelict appearance.

Kane knew Race had been a hunter longer than the others. In spite of his appearance, he

was a mated leopard with a solid reputation. From what Kane sniffed out on all the males

holding the title right now, none of them had a disreputable past. Maybe he could

appreciate their hesitation in taking on a new male to share the rank they held, but they

would have to allow someone to take the title. Kane knew he was a better candidate than

most.

“Maybe you could sniff out part of it.” Jin shrugged and rubbed her leg against Kane’s

under the table. “There are things none of you know, Race. But for Josh, it will be the

hardest.”

“Why is that?” Race asked.

Jin took a drink of her coffee and then sniffed the air, meeting Kane’s gaze as she did.

“Trouble is growing,” she whispered, although it was obvious Race heard her. Instead of

allowing him to comment on her speculation, she shifted her attention to him. “Please

take my message to Josh. I know he’s the one holding up the meeting. If you honor me in

howling my message for me, I will do the same and honor you and the other hunters with

truth and awareness none of you have had up until now.”

Race blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his long hair. Then growling, he

stared at Kane, his expression far from hostile. If anything, he almost smelled apologetic.

“No matter what she looks like, leopard, you deserve to be honored for your willingness

to try to tame this one. I’ve never known a wilder female.”

“Fuck you, Race,” Jin snarled.

He shot Jin a quick look, his eyes suddenly glowing with amusement. Jin cleared her

throat and Race looked at those sitting around them, not saying anything. Kane didn’t

miss the silent threat just tossed across the table. If there was a past between these two, he

would learn later if it posed a threat to him. He gave Jin’s leg a hard squeeze to let her

know as much.

“Why are the werewolves here?” Jin asked, her quick change of subject proof enough

there were words she wouldn’t exchange with the male.

Race was mated, and he did approach the table asking Kane for an audience. Kane

acknowledged he and Jin had a past filled with things they would rather forget. He shifted

gears quickly before he created a stench from jealous emotions and focused on Race.

“They’re waiting to stir up trouble,” he offered.

Race nodded, holding his coffee cup up for the waitress to refill. She arrived at their

table quickly, topping off all cups, and then disappeared without a word about them not

touching their food. Kane spotted Tore at the other side of the diner, sitting with several

males and talking to them quietly. The leopard didn’t look at Kane but instead had a hard,

almost angry look on his face as he stared at the werewolves sitting at a far table.

“They have a few concerns,” Race began.

“Not because of me, right?” Jin asked quickly, her words smelling strongly of worry.

Race raised an eyebrow, studying her for a moment. “Maybe shedding your disguise has

made you a different female. The Jin Rose I knew wouldn’t give a rat’s ass if she was the

cause of trouble.”

“I care today,” she informed him. “What’s going on?”

“The leopard community has grown significantly in these parts over the past couple

years,” Race told her. “The pack of werewolves who’ve been here for quite a while now

are concerned we might be taking over their hunting ground.”

“Are we?” Jin asked before Kane could comment.

Race shrugged. “It’s inevitable to some extent. The leopard count in Kenora alone is

twice as many as it was a year ago.”

“So many ran here to restart their lives and escape Leo Pard.” Jin brought her full cup of

coffee to her lips and sipped.

“Have you met with their pack leader?” Kane asked.

“Several times. He is always civil and honors us when we visit,” Race began. “But he

won’t stop his pack from coming to Kenora. The werewolves are here right now making

a statement that if we can run on their land, they can eat our kill in our diners.”

“As long as all they do is eat,” Kane growled.

“Exactly.”

“There will be leopards who don’t want them eating our kill,” Jin speculated.

“We need to honor our neighbors though,” Kane pointed out. “They held the land first.”

“And now you see the arguments we’re facing with our growing community here,” Race

said.

Kane nodded. “With the fight down at the docks and then the three males running in the

woods last night.”

“You were rather lucky to be at the docks when that fight started,” Race pointed out.

“According to the litter you helped, they said you appeared out of nowhere and saved

their cub.”

“Jin saved their cub,” Kane offered, not willing to take credit for something he didn’t do.

“And I don’t believe in luck.”

“You attacked without questions, as if you knew the outcome,” Race pressed. “Or maybe

you just needed an outlet to release the rage that runs through your breed.”

“Are you going to sit here as a hunter and openly spit out bigoted comments?” Jin

hissed, growling fiercely. “When I became a hunter the time wasn’t right for our kind to

accept all breeds. But we’ve survived one of the worst ordeals known to our species.

Now we need to show all leopards that we’re strong, powerful and unwilling to destroy

ourselves. I think the time is perfect now for a white leopard to be announced as your

new hunter.”

Race stared at Jin, not answering right away. She stabbed at his pride. Kane saw it and

honored her even more for her insight and timing with her words.

“I’ll give your message to Josh,” Race said, sliding to the edge of the booth and then

standing.

“You honor me, Race,” Jin said humbly.

“Good hunting,” Kane offered.

“And good hunting to both of you. As well, watch your tails.” He turned and left them.

Kane stared after the leopard, knowing the male offered sound advice. Shit would hit the

fan soon and it would stink like hell when it did.

Jin watched her breath create clouds in front of her face as she stood outside the car.

Kane’s boots crunched on the gravel when he walked around to the passenger side. She’d

waited for this moment for days since arriving in Kenora. Now that it was upon her, she

wasn’t sure what she’d say when she confronted the hunters.

“This isn’t a bad vehicle.” He hit the hood with his gloved hand.

Jin turned, taking in the black car. “I still can’t believe you went out and bought a car.”

“Life is different here in the city than it is in the mountains back home.” He was serious

when he stared down into her face. “As much as I don’t mind traveling in my fur, there

are times, like tonight, when we’re better off driving.”

“So you’ll take the car back with you to the mountains?” She didn’t miss his comment

about buying the car because it better suited their needs. And as good as it felt hearing the

words, it was wrong to think of anything long-term with this leopard. “Wouldn’t it be

rather difficult getting it up the mountain?”

Jin never asked him which mountain he lived on, but most of them weren’t well

developed. Leopards in the Canadian Rockies lived there because it was reclusive, free of

humans and allowed them to exist the way many believed their kind was meant to live, in

the wild instead of cities.

“I’m meant to be the fifth hunter, Jin.” His voice was gravelly, rough, when he reached

for her face and stroked her cheek with his hand. “It sounds like that means being here in

Kenora for a bit. My heart is in the mountains, so I’m sure I’ll end up back there. But for