The Pack or the Panther Read online

  “Unlikely.” Lindsey knocked back the rest of the martini. “It seems to me your having all that pure alpha blood ought to have some advantages. All I ever see you make are sacrifices.” He laid a hand on Cole’s arm and squeezed. “And I can’t even come to your charade party tomorrow. I have to travel for the family.” Lindsey handled marketing for a number of his family’s companies.

  “Damn. I sure would like you there for moral support.”

  “Sorry, darling. I hate the idea of seeing you led to the slaughter in the name of some wolfy mystique, but you know I’d be there for you if I could and—” His mouth fell open and he closed it slowly. “Holy fucking shit. Who, or maybe I should say what, is that?”

  Cole turned toward the door as Alf and Jim looked up. Alf shrugged. “Those are Marketo wolves.”

  Lindsey grinned. “That ain’t like no Marketo wolf I ever saw.”

  Cole faced the entrance to the club. Three big males and—oh my God. Standing in the middle of the protective circle was a creature, a male. A wolf? Like Lindsey said, not like any he’d seen. This male was maybe six feet tall—the height of a short wolf. But wolves were muscular. This creature was sinuous, lean, and graceful even standing still. He had long legs, narrow hips, and a slim chest, though his shoulders were wide. The black jeans and pale-green leather jacket he wore accentuated the long V of his body.

  But most amazing was his face. “Exotic” barely described him. Fair skin set off black shining hair that fell below his shoulders, although the section around his face seemed shorter, like a frame. The hair caressed his high cheekbones, slim cheeks, and lips too large for his narrow jaw. And his eyes? Even from halfway across the room, Cole knew they were weird. Like his own but maybe more so.

  What the hell was this guy? Cole wanted to smell him. Heat flashed up his spine in waves, and he shifted in his chair. Shit, he wanted to fuck him.

  Lindsey laughed low. “I think you like that.”

  “What is it?”

  “No idea. But whatever it is, it must be precious the way those big Marketos are guarding it.”

  One of the Marketo wolves speared Cole with his gaze, and Cole turned back to the table. “I wonder if this has something to do with the betrothal.”

  Lindsey laughed. “What? You think the guy is a priest?”

  Jim frowned. “You want me to try and find out something?”

  Cole shook his head. “No. It doesn’t matter. The creature doesn’t look dangerous.” That was a lie. The guy might be very dangerous to Cole’s libido.

  He drank the rest of his beers and tried to think about something else.

  Lindsey leaned over. “I think I’m done for tonight. If you’re ready, I’ll walk you out. We could make a pass by the Marketo table.” He grinned, his dimples flashing.

  “Okay. I’m game.” Cole glanced back to where the Marketo wolves sat with their unusual treasure. “But their table’s not exactly on the way to the front door.”

  “Ah, I have a plan, my dear. We have to pee and, like true girlfriends, we have to go together. Coming out of the men’s room to the entrance will lead us right past the pretty creature.”

  Cole grinned. “Excellent plan.”

  Cole said good-bye to Alf and Jim and followed Lindsey to the men’s room. He did a quick stop at the urinal, washed, and waited for his friend to fish hand lotion from his pocket and use it. Cole held his nose. “The smell of that stuff may cover up their scents.”

  “Not likely, darling. You can smell a tadpole at the bottom of a river.”

  That was true. Another gift of his pure alpha werewolf genes.

  “Of course, to my inferior nose, this stuff smells divine.” Linds waved the lotion toward Cole, who jumped back against the sink. “My human DNA may make me a poor wolf, but it does have its pleasantries.” He grinned and put the lotion back in his pocket. “Though I would love to be able to shift anytime I wanted instead of waiting for the moon.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s a mixed blessing.” Cole pushed away from the sink. “Let’s go see what this thing is.”

  Lindsey led the way out of the men’s room. They threaded through the tables, and just as they got to the Marketos, Lindsey oh-so-casually stopped to greet a woman at an adjoining table. “Darling Clarisse, how are you doing? How’s the family?”

  Cole stopped behind Lindsey, who was madly air kissing. Trying for long-suffering, he leaned against an empty table.

  He breathed deeply. What?

  Another deep breath. Holy shit. No. It couldn’t be.

  Again. He sorted the strains of scent coming from the table. Powerful wolf smells. Those males must be top Marketo enforcers. But under that smell. Potent, acrid.

  Wow.

  “Well, kiss-kiss, darling. So good to see you.” Lindsey hugged the woman and headed toward the door.

  Cole followed to the entrance. How could it be? He glanced over his shoulder and froze as eyes met his—golden eyes that gleamed like someone was holding a light on them. A yank on his arm pulled him away and into the cool night air.

  Lindsey turned him around on the porch. “I thought I’d lost you for a minute there, darling. What, pray tell, did you learn?”

  Cole leaned against the pillar in front of the club. “It’s hard to believe. I must be wrong.”

  “What? Tell me.”

  “He’s got wolf all right.”

  “He sure doesn’t look it.”

  “That’s because he’s not all wolf.”

  “Oh, so what kind of human produces a creature that looks like that?”

  Cole shook his head. “No human at all.”

  “But you said he’s only part wolf.”

  “Right.” Cole stared at Lindsey. “I think he’s at least half panther.”

  Lindsey’s blue eyes widened. “Holy shit.”

  “Yeah. And they say dogs and cats can’t live together.” He could joke, but this was one hell of a mystery.

  Linds shook his head. “Seriously, I’ve always been told that shifters can mate but they don’t produce offspring.”

  “Yep. That’s what I’ve been told too.”

  “So how did this guy happen? I mean, if you’re right, and that nose is seldom wrong.”

  “I don’t know. It’s pretty amazing to think about….” He sniffed the air. What the hell? Tingling in his spine usually meant danger. Was there danger here? He turned slowly and glanced across the street. If he hadn’t been an alphanta werewolf, he never would have seen the two men ducked down low in the nondescript gray car parked on the other side of the road from the club. He inhaled deeply. Humans.

  Lindsey stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”

  “Humans with guns.” He stared directly at the car. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, and he knew the streetlights might give his eyes an eerie glare. Good. Scare those assholes.

  “Shall I go in and get the Marketo enforcers?”

  “No. Not yet.”

  The car engine started and the gray coupe moved slowly down the road. A hundred yards away, the headlights finally came on.

  Lindsey sounded a little breathless. He didn’t fight a lot in the rarified air of Connecticut society. “What do you suppose that was about?”

  “No idea. But I don’t like the weapons.”

  “Maybe they’re just crazy human gun fanatics.”

  Cole stared down the road. “Maybe.”

  Maybe not.

  Chapter Two

  Cole paced outside his father’s study. The crisp gray suit and blue tie chafed his spirit more than his body. He wore suits to work a lot, but this one felt like a straightjacket. Yeah, and he should be committed for agreeing to this wedding.

  He leaned against the wall. How important was the whole panther thing? What did it mean for the alliance and the pack? When he’d come home last night, Landon had already retired, and Cole didn’t think it was enough of an emergency to bother him. But now he was antsy.

  The door opened and Landon leaned out. “Come on i
n, son.”

  Cole walked in and stopped. Crystal Harker sat on the couch opposite Landon’s desk, looking fiery and elegant at the same time, with her red hair smoothly arranged. “Good morning, Cole.”

  He smiled. “Good morning.” His mother always made him warm, fuzzy, and nervous. His pack called her the Queen of the Werewolves, and that was no understatement. Tall, beautiful, and fierce, she’d battle for pack and litter more powerfully than any alpha male. She could easily have been the leader of her own pack, but she loved Landon and was content being his alpha female. She also loved her single pup, but no one expected more of him than his mother.

  Landon sat behind the desk. “Sit. What’s up?”

  He glanced at his mother. Technically, he didn’t need her permission to speak, but everyone knew it was wise to get her approval. She nodded slightly.

  “Something odd happened last night. I went to the Way Station. Three big Marketo enforcers came in.”

  Landon nodded. “It’s mutual territory.”

  “Yes, sir. That’s not the unusual part. They were escorting another male. A really different guy. He looked, I don’t know, unique. Not like a typical wolf male. Slim and real pretty. They were guarding him like he was made of gold, so I wanted to get a whiff. We passed their table and—I know this will sound weird, but I could swear the guy was part feline.”

  “Feline?”

  “Yeah, like he was half wolf and half panther.”

  Landon turned his head slowly toward Crystal. Talk about your significant looks.

  Cole looked back and forth between them. “What?”

  His mother leaned back on the couch. “We’ve heard stories about a liaison between Merced Marketo and a panther female back in the day.”

  Landon nodded. “But since he married Trixie in that alliance he made twenty years ago, and they had Analiese, we thought it was just a wild fable.”

  Cole nodded. “Most say wolves can’t produce offspring with felines at all. I don’t see how this guy could be half and half.”

  His mother frowned. “There are known cases of mixed shifter offspring, though it’s rare. I’ve never seen a feline/canine mix, however.”

  “I probably made a mistake. Maybe he’s just from some remote pack that eats differently or something, so I mixed up his smell.”

  “Maybe.”

  Landon nodded. “But if he’s Marketo, chances are we’ll see him today.”

  He could gag thinking about the day.

  He didn’t hide his feelings very well. His mother leaned forward. “Cole, I want you to know that I’m truly sorry. I would spare you this marriage if there was any other way. But Merced believes in marriage alliances. Most wolves do. And he demands this ceremony in return for their support. We might hold out against Eliazer on our own—”

  He blew out breath. “But not without war, and we’d lose a lot of pack.”

  “And run the risk of attracting human attention.” She got up and walked over to his chair and brushed his forehead. “You’re a fine male and a smart one. You’ve always done what the pack needed. I’m sorry we must ask this of you. But you’re our only child.”

  God, he wanted to bury his head in her skirt and cry. All he could manage was a headshake.

  Landon leaned in. “And it’ll all go very fast. The betrothal tonight and then a bachelor party—”

  Crystal shook her head. “Actually a bachelor and bachelorette party together. I guess it’s the new thing. Very progressive.” She shrugged elegantly.

  Landon nodded. “And then the wedding will happen Sunday.”

  Oh God. Breathe.

  His mother rubbed small circles on his shoulder. “It’s probably better than stringing it out. Besides, I’m sad to say this alliance must be set up immediately. Our spies tell us the Eliazers are infiltrating into the Stony Ridge area. Setting up camps. We need patrols, and we can’t spread our people too thin.”

  He swallowed hard. “I understand.”

  She nodded at Landon. “We should go. We want to give Cole and Analiese time together before the betrothal ceremony.”

  Landon rose from his desk.

  Cole shuffled his feet. God, he felt like he weighed a thousand pounds and his legs wouldn’t hold him. Finally, he managed to stand. His mother patted his tie and smiled. But her eyes were sad.

  He took a step toward the door, then turned back. “I forgot something that might be important. Outside the club last night when Lindsey and I left, there were two humans in a car parked across the street. I smelled weapons. Guns. And the whole thing looked professional.”

  “Professional?”

  “Yeah. Like human professional.”

  Landon frowned. “What in the hell would humans with guns want in this town?”

  His mother looked at the alpha. “Could it be Eliazer?”

  “They’re gangsters but very suspicious of humans. I doubt it, unless they’ve changed their methods a lot.”

  Cole shrugged. “Maybe a little wolf hunting?”

  * * *

  “Where is my dancer? Do you have word of Anthony?” Nikel Eliazer paced the living room of his high-rise condominium. He pulled the rose from his buttonhole and started picking the petals. “Everything is ready. I need the boy.”

  Karl, his second in command, shook his head. “I don’t know about that, sir. I wanted to finalize plans for the invasion of Harker Pack territory.”

  He threw the rose at Karl’s feet. “What do I care about the takeover of some rural woodland, for God’s sake? You’re my second. You should care about what I care about.”

  “I do, sir.” His military posture got more pronounced. “But I know the Harker takeover is just the beginning of your plan to rule the Connecticut packs and later all of New England. As I understand your vision, Harker is a key. Sir!”

  Eliazer stared at the handsome enforcer. He’d made him second because he had more brains than most of them and the other pack members respected him. Right now the wolf was talking sense. Nikel was thinking with his cock, not his wallet. And he needed a big wallet if he was going to keep his pack of mercenary wolves loyal. He’d promised them land and running space and the chance to loot smaller packs. He had to deliver. Still, he didn’t want to think about it. He wanted Anthony.

  He took a deep breath. Control. “Excellent. I’m glad to see you so attuned to what I’ve taught you.” If Karl knew he was being had, he didn’t twitch a whisker.

  “Then we should move in?”

  Eliazer shook his head. “Keep sending small parties into the territory. First we’ll set up camps. If we can claim it without losing any soldiers, all the better.”

  A slight crease appeared between the light brows. “Harker has deeds to the land and a good lawyer looking out for their claims.”

  Nikel smiled. “I didn’t say there’d be no blood. Eventually, we’ll kill all their key pack members and the rest will join us, bringing the land with them.” He’d gotten to be an alpha by being more ruthless than other wolves and by rewarding ruthlessness in others. The formula worked.

  “I see.”

  He waved a hand. “So continue the incursions.”

  “Yes, sir.” He turned and moved toward the door.

  “And Karl.”

  The enforcer stopped but didn’t turn.

  “As soon as you contact those humans who are looking for Anthony, tell me. Immediately, do you understand?”

  Karl almost hid his sigh of disgust. “Yes, sir.”

  Perhaps Nikel would rethink Karl’s position.

  * * *

  If there’d been a firing squad on the other side of that door, Cole wouldn’t have felt this awful. Hell, he might feel pretty good about the firing squad. His escort was certainly somber enough for one.

  Merced Marketo and his wife, Trixie, flanked Cole on one side, with Landon and Crystal on the other. The Marketo alpha was imposing. Almost as tall as Landon, and broader, Merced looked as powerful as his reputation. His wife, not an alpha fe
male, was small for a werewolf, blonde and delicate. Merced seemed very protective of her. She kept glancing at Cole with what looked like accusation. Shit, he hadn’t asked to be here. She should talk to her husband.

  At the door to the back lounge in the meeting hall, the whole honor guard stopped. Marketo pulled a folder from a case he carried and handed it to Cole with great solemnity. This whole thing felt so strange.

  Trixie opened the door and held it while he walked into the room. Once he took a step inside, the door closed emphatically, like he shouldn’t let it hit him in the ass while he left their august company.

  But after all the buildup, the room was empty. No female werewolf.

  He walked over to the faux-leather couch on the far wall and sat, setting the folder on the glass coffee table in front of the sofa. He flipped open the cover.

  It was a resume. A rundown on the Marketo female. Weird. And she was probably looking at a similar document on him right now. Even weirder.

  Oh well. He had it, so he’d better look and not be at a disadvantage.

  It only took a glance to appreciate that he was about to get engaged to one prime piece of werewolf real estate. Analiese Marketo was an alphanta like he was. That meant she had the bloodlines, power, and promise to be alpha. Of course, it didn’t guarantee it would happen, but it gave her a big leg up. Eight out of ten alphas elected by packs were alphanta, and in the independent packs like Harker and Marketo, it was nine out of ten. So Analiese could run her own pack much like Crystal could. Putting her with Cole, another alphanta, gave a pack power. Plus, this female had a degree in political science. With his law degree, the alphas must figure they had a dynamite combination. And they would be right, except for a few details—all of which were that he was gay.

  He looked down at the page. Born in Connecticut. Graduated from Yale. Siblings. One half brother. What?

  A side door to the room opened. Cole looked up. My, oh my. Analiese Marketo clearly got the best of both worlds—her father’s height and power, her mother’s delicate blonde beauty.

  He stood. “Hello.”