When Antonio Cruz, the powerful new leader of San Francisco's Panther shifters, meets outcast Solana Perez in a dark alley, their passion lights up the night.
He senses that she is his mate, but her position as a non-shifter—a Panther who cannot change forms—means he can never claim her. Rejected by the Pride long ago, Solana knows she's untouchable for a Pride leader, knows that she has no place among her kind. She tries to resist her craving for him, but their chemistry is undeniable, challenging Pride laws and Antonio's leadership.
As rival Panthers sense weakness, Antonio faces an impossible choice: reject Solana to maintain order, or risk everything for a love that defies shifter tradition. In a world where passion clashes with duty and shifter politics turn deadly, Antonio and Solana's forbidden romance could be their salvation—or their downfall.
Note: this story was originally published as part of the On the Prowl anthology.
Antonio watched the men circle his mate from atop a building far above the alley they’d cornered her in. A few nimble leaps brought him to the end of the shadowed corridor. He jerked his clothes off and dropped them as he ran, shifted into his Panther form to let his black fur blend into the night, and stalked the men as they had stalked her.
The predators became the prey.
He ran his tongue down a long fang, anticipation and rage boiling hot in his veins. They would pay for scaring her. God and all the saints couldn’t save them if they harmed her.
It had taken two days to track her scent after he’d sensed her in the city. And now he’d found her. Nothing compared to the ice that froze the blood in his veins when he heard her first scream, the terror of seeing men hunt her. Yes, these men would beg for his mercy before the night was through. A growl rumbled from his chest as he moved down the alley, his claws clicking on the pavement.
READ MOREWhen one of the men grabbed for her, a roar ripped from his throat. Everyone froze, turning in slow motion to stare at the newcomer. A Panther. He bared his teeth and watched the man closest to him turn ghostly pale. He could smell their fear, taste the tang of it on his tongue, and he took a small amount of satisfaction in that.
This close, even his rage couldn’t cloud the fact that the men weren’t human. They were Panthers, like him. Worse, they were from his Pride. The Ruiz brothers—Javier, Felipe, and Roberto. His own people, under his rule. Why would they hunt a Panther female? If she belonged to another Pride and was visiting his territory, then her Pride leader would hold him responsible for any harm his people caused her. Not to mention she was his mate and he would shred them alive for hunting her in the first place.
She screamed, and the frozen tableau broke into chaos. Antonio lunged forward, slicing his claws into Roberto’s calf. He went down with a spray of blood and saliva, squealing and clutching his leg.
Antonio leaped over the fallen man to sprint forward, intent on reaching his mate. Felipe shifted to Panther form, hissing a warning, but it meant nothing to Antonio. They were past the point of warnings. A single leap forward and the two of them clashed midair, claws and fangs tearing into each other. Antonio slashed across the young Panther’s face and he rolled away with a whimper, his black fur matted with dark crimson blood.
Antonio’s tail whipped around as he sprang for Javier. The man tried to climb the wall, but he had no more chance of escape than Antonio’s mate had. Antonio dragged him down to the ground, his fangs digging into the man’s jeans. Both front paws planted on the younger man’s chest, making him wheeze, and Antonio shoved his face into Marco’s. A growl vibrated his vocal cords, and what little blood was left in the man’s face fled. His bloodshot eyes went wide with horror.
His mate’s soft cry reached Antonio’s ears, jerking him back from the edge of feral. He shuddered, fighting the instincts of his Panther nature. He turned toward her, wanting to comfort her and soothe her fear.
But she wasn’t looking at him—she snarled at Felipe, bracing her back against the wall as she hissed deep in her throat. A purr rumbled his chest at her courage.
Javier took the opportunity to speak. “Please, sir. Listen to me. She doesn’t deserve protection. She’s a—”
A roar ripped free from Antonio’s throat as he transformed into his human form. He hoisted the shorter man up by his T-shirt until they were nose to nose. “Silence! The three of you will be in my study when I return to the mansion. Is that clear?”
“But how long until—”
“Obey me. You won’t enjoy the consequences if you don’t. But I will.” He dropped Javier to his feet. The younger man scrambled away and ran. His brothers had already disappeared.
He turned back to his mate. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. You?” She shoved her dark hair out of her face, her fingers sifting through the streaks of blond that shot through the long strands. He soaked in the details of her, taking in every curve of her face and body. Her chocolate-brown eyes searched him and they went wide when she saw the straining erection jutting between his thighs. Shifting back had left him naked. A wry smile pulled at his lips. He was going to have to figure out where he’d dropped his clothes and hope some vagrant didn’t steal them before he got there. For the moment, he focused on his mate.
She sucked in a quick breath when he took a step toward her. Swaying on her feet, she stared at him for long moments. The silence stretched to a fine breaking point. She shook her head, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. “It can’t be.”
She’d finally sensed it—that they were mates.
“Oh, but it can be. It is.” Stalking forward, he backed her up against the brick wall. His nostrils flared to catch her sweet scent, the one he would become addicted to. He had no doubt she had the same adrenaline humming through her as he did, and it morphed into something hotter, more carnal. Anger and fear still pumped through his system. His shaking fingers fisted at his sides. His eyes narrowed at her and a dart of excitement flashed through her gaze. The delicate smell of her wetness filled his nostrils. It was heady. She swallowed, her lids dropping to half-mast.
She released a breathy laugh, and naked want shone in her gaze. “I don’t believe it. We can’t be mates.”
“Let me prove it to you,” he growled.
COLLAPSE