Protecting Their Mate [Panther Cove 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

“Are you kidding me?” He sat back. “You do want this job, right?”

  She wasn’t sure if he wanted her to respond to the rhetorical question.

  “Ms. Anderson. Newspaper jobs are scarce. We have to compete with a lot of sources for news. If you could get some information on these men, it would do a lot to enhance your career.”

  And pay my bills, and help out my family.

  “From what you’ve said, they don’t seem like the type of men who give interviews or would be fooled by a little seduction.”

  “I bet they would if you asked real nice.” His grin bordered on being lecherous. “You got the curves in all the right places. I bet if you offer, they’d be willing to bite.”

  Her heart stopped for a second. There are no such things as shape-shifters. She tried to come up with a way to ask for the interview while acting professional. If the men turned her down, how mad would Mr. Diggers get? Sources often failed to deliver. “They’ve never been arrested or anything, right?”

  He leaned back as if he’d been slapped. “Of course not. I’d never send you into danger. Why, the Blacks run a philanthropic organization to help people create a better world. They’re perfectly safe.”

  If they were that noble, they wouldn’t take advantage of her—if she didn’t want them to. She wasn’t a prude by any means, but she’d been so busy that she hadn’t allowed herself to explore her more sensual side. Getting to talk with handsome men might be just the thing to break her into the Delight culture.

  She could handle this job. “Sure. No problem.”

  Her pussy clenched, and her stomach flipped.

  * * * *

  Hunter slid into the booth across from Derek. “I see Jeremiah and Mario finally got a chance to talk with our snitch.” Last night, Carmen had been a no-show.

  “Want to join them?” Derek nodded to those three. “I was waiting for you.”

  Hunter pushed out again. “Let’s ask Julia to keep this table reserved.”

  Derek flagged her down and she agreed to put a sign on the table. The Black Cat Bar filled up quickly on a Friday night, and he wanted to spend the evening relaxing and enjoying a few beers with friends.

  When they reached the booth, they slid in. Carmen wiggled in his seat as if he thought someone was watching him.

  Hunter placed a hand the guy’s arm. “Take it easy.”

  Carmen looked right and left. “What if one of the guys sees me?”

  Hunter laughed. “Tell them you’re interested in antiques.”

  “Right. Like I look like someone who could afford one of your pieces.”

  Since most of the antiques they sold had been owned by one family or another from Panther Cove, their furniture elicited interest from all over the country and commanded a high price.

  Jeremiah leaned forward. “Tell Hunter and Derek what you told me.”

  They’d caught Carmen trying to break into their antique store. Instead of prosecuting, he agreed to ask questions for them.

  “Joe, over at the hardware store, sees these two guys come in who buy a lot of wire, batteries, pipes, and other stuff. He hears them talking about doing a job.”

  “What kind of job?” Jeremiah glanced to Hunter then to him.

  “Don’t know.”

  He wasn’t much help. “Did Joe give you a description?”

  Carmen had no idea panther shifters or tiger shifters even existed, and everyone at Panther Cove planned to keep it that way.

  “One was a good six feet tall, light brown hair, and had a scar from his ear down to his neck.”

  Fuck. That was Phillipo—a member of The Sword.

  Hunter nodded to Jeremiah. “Thanks.”

  Carmen’s eyes shone. “That help?”

  The poor guy probably thought that his debt would be paid.

  “Sure.”

  They decided to let Jeremiah and Mario finish the investigation while he and Hunter returned to their reserved booth. As soon as they sat, Julia came over and took their order. She’d no sooner stepped away, when Derek nodded to the booth where Jeremiah, Mario, and Carmen sat. “What do you think they’re up to?”

  Hunter leaned back. The Sword could be buying supplies for the alleged attack on the courthouse or be providing bombs for some other territory.

  Using telepathy in this setting was often the best in case there were listening devices, but because a member of The Shield, Alexandre Dragith, owned the bar, he doubted something as invasive as a bug would have gotten by him.

  “That sucks. What do you think we should do?”

  “I say we contact Sheriff King and tell him of the possible threat.” The Sword usually has kept its terrorist activities to large cities, but maybe they’re changing focus.

  The two of them couldn’t sit there staring at each other without occasionally saying something. “To throw us off?”

  “Maybe.”

  Derek leaned back and inhaled deeply. He wrinkled his nose at the musky beer scent. Suddenly, a viselike grip clamped onto his head, making him a little light-headed. “Holy fuck. Are they here?” The Sword had never been able to affect his brain like this. You feel it, too, don’t you?

  His brother was clutching the edge of the table, his eyes were closed, and his respiration rapid. Yes to your second question, but I doubt it’s The Sword.

  Then what’s going on?

  Hunter glanced around as if he thought perhaps someone in the bar was sending off vibes. Shit if I know.

  * * * *

  You can do this. You can do this. We’re talking my future here. Jennifer had been saying the mantra for the last ten minutes until Madelyn, the elderly woman at the paper, came into the restroom and told her the men were here.

  She took one last look at her image in the mirror, thankful she’d run into Kendis Leigh, the woman who lived in the other end unit in her triplex. Kendis, who was a real doll, had stopped by to welcome her to Delight. When she’d found out about Jen’s sexy assignment, she’d rushed back to her place and brought over this almost see-through blouse and said she just had to wear it. Kendis had convinced her to wear her thinnest bra because it would accentuate her nipples instead of hiding them. The fairly translucent blouse would make it very clear she was willing to go to any length to get what she wanted.

  The image of her bills surfaced. Go. If the men didn’t make her toes tingle, she might have to admit defeat.

  Inhaling, she pushed open the restroom door on her way to seduce these two mystery men and extract useful information. At first she wasn’t going to tell them she worked at the paper, but she saw no other way to pick them up but to tell the truth. Besides, she’d always sucked at lying.

  Madelyn had told her the two targets were sitting in the first booth by the entrance. Jen drew in a deep breath and stepped out from the safety of the hallway. Trying not to appear too obvious, she let her gaze travel to the entrance. She spotted them, and her confidence plummeted.

  Holy mother of God. She’d never seen two larger men or more gorgeous creatures. They were seated, but judging by their long legs, they had to be close to seven feet tall. Hell, maybe shifters did exist.

  Nah. Panthers were small, so her men should have been, too. The one whose back was to the door had long black hair tied behind his neck. He was neatly shaven, but between his strong Roman nose and powerful jaw, he commanded a sense of authority. The other man had lighter hair that was cut short. His white, button-down shirt was open at the throat, exposing more muscles than any man should possess. However, his essence bordered more on sex appeal than domination.

  Her damn pussy dripped just thinking about having sex with them. Them? This was so not good. She needed a clear head. Sure, if they turned her on, that would be one thing, but if they were jerks, she wouldn’t be able to go through with it.

  The two men seemed really focused on what they were saying to each other, so maybe she shouldn’t interrupt. Would it be better if she sashayed up to them and asked to join them? Or should she walk by, drop he
r small purse, and hope one of them picked it up?

  Aargh. Why did she agree to this? She had no experience with subterfuge. Had this not been an assignment with a deadline, she might have asked Kendis to come with her and pray the two men would hit on her.

  Move.

  She better figure something out in the next ten seconds, or else she could kiss this job good-bye.

  Chapter Two

  Derek and Hunter both swiveled their heads at the same time and latched onto the vision coming from the restroom.

  Holy fuck. You see that? Derek blinked a few times to make sure the amazing, heart-stopping woman wasn’t some mirage or tiger shifter trickery.

  Hunter’s eyes had nearly bugged out. His brother’s nails had elongated and the hair on the back of his hand was starting to sprout. “Hunter!”

  His brother ripped his gaze off the woman and looked back at him. Derek pinched his brows and nodded to his hand.

  Hunter’s face flushed as he slipped his hands under the table. Derek returned his gaze to the stunning beauty. In the encampment, long blonde locks were unheard of. She was tall and thin but had hips made for fucking.

  Look at those nipples, will ya? His mouth salivated at the thought of sucking on her tits.

  Hunter kicked him under the table. By the demons below, she’s the one.

  He catalogued this unusual reaction to the woman. Damn. You’re right. She is the one!

  Derek’s blood pressure soared. That, in and of itself, was a rarity. Since their kind only mated once in their life, he’d only heard what happened when their mate got near. If he wasn’t careful, he’d shift just from being so excited. That would ruin hundreds of years of silence all because he couldn’t keep his cock in his pants.

  She’s coming right at us. Excitement buzzed through him.

  Hunter glared at him like he was some fucking idiot for freaking out.

  What?

  Your fangs!

  Shit. His teeth were getting longer. This can’t be happening. Not in public like this.

  Drops of blood dripped down his chin. Hunter kicked him again, and Derek swiped a moderately hairy hand across his chin. To make matters even worse, his cock was pressing against his zipper so hard he feared it might break through the material.

  He mentally rehearsed his childhood lessons to distract himself from the overwhelming urge to claim her right then and there. Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen-ninety-two. He kept repeating it until the gorgeous blonde slowed as she neared their table and his mind blanked.

  Somehow he managed to find his voice before she walked by. “Howdy, pretty lady.” While that might have sounded real corny to this outsider, it was the best he was capable of right now without having his voice crack.

  He and Hunter had waited over a hundred years for a mate, and now that the time had come, he was practically falling apart.

  She stopped and checked them out. Indecision flashed across her face. No way could they let her leave. Before he offered his hand, he rubbed his thumb over the back of his hand and thankfully only felt skin. His mental rhyme had worked. He held out his hand, and her shoulders relaxed. “I’m Derek Black.”

  Her smile nearly toppled him. “Hello back. My name’s Jennifer Anderson.”

  “I haven’t seen you here before.” Christ. That sounded like such a pickup line.

  “I just arrived in town yesterday.”

  That explained a lot. “Care to join us?”

  Her smile sent his hormones zigzagging through his veins about ten times. Why was she hesitating? Did he have traces of blood still on his face?

  “We’re friendly, ma’am. We don’t bite.” Hunter held out his hand, acting all cool. “I’m Derek’s older brother, Hunter Black.”

  With his free arm, Hunter stretched his arms across the back of the seat, acting as if their mate waltzed up to the table every day of the year.

  She looked behind her. “I guess it would be okay.”

  She slid in next to Derek and smiled at him. Her thigh touched his leg and set the skin under the jeans on fire. His whole body thrummed with need, but he wanted to prove to himself and to his brother he was capable of handling being near this delicious human. He leaned closer to her, testing his resolve.

  Her perfume edged its way into his nose and ignited every cell in his body. If every panther shifter went through this, he almost felt sorry for him. Thank goodness this only happened once in a lifetime.

  He peered deep into her eyes. Can you read my thoughts as I can read yours?

  Her outer being exuded self-confidence, but a layer of doubt was manifesting itself inside her. Never had he been able to read a non-shifter like this before. In all honesty, he’d never believed all the lore about what it would be like when he found his mate, but now he knew it to be true.

  Hunter slid a palm over the back of Jennifer’s hand. “What brings you to Delight?”

  When she hesitated, Derek sat up straighter, and wondered what had caused that reaction.

  “I’m a journalist and have just started working for the Delight Sentinel.

  A huge defensive wall slid across Hunter even though he kept his smile in place. Derek, do you know if we can return a mate and try for another?

  This time he nudged his brother. No, you shithead. She’s our mate. This is our only chance. Don’t fuck it up.

  Derek rubbed her thigh, and his stupid cock got harder. That had been a dumb move, and he returned his hand to his lap. “Can we get you something to drink?”

  He waved to Alexandre, who was tending bar. He could have telepathed his request for him to send someone over, but that would only have made her suspicious. Julia, who was one of his prettiest servers, returned.

  While he had found her attractive in the past, now nothing could drag his gaze from Jennifer, the woman he planned on spending the next three hundred years loving. That was assuming he could convince her to fall in love with them and accept the fact that they were panther shifters. They definitely had their work cut out for them.

  Be careful what you say, little brother.

  Hunter’s warning pissed him off. He understood the need for discretion. If they didn’t want Jennifer learning any secrets, then she wouldn’t learn any secrets. All he could think of right now was getting her in bed and fucking her until she screamed his name.

  Blood dripped into his mouth at the excitement. He tightened his jaw to keep his urges under control. It was damn hard not to think about sinking his teeth into her delicate neck and letting the other shifters know she was theirs.

  “I’d love a glass of wine.”

  He nearly winced. The rotgut they served here wouldn’t be good enough for her fine palate. “You like beer? The wine here is a little tart.”

  “Oh. Sure then.”

  Julia came over again and tugged down her shirt. Since the whole town surmised he and Hunter were filthy rich, which they were, the locals were always trying to get a piece of the pie for free. It didn’t matter that her two daddies were shifters, too, and also wealthy. “A beer for the lady.”

  Without a word, Julia swiveled and returned to the bar. He and Hunter had almost-full glasses in front of them. He guzzled half the contents, hoping to gain some composure.

  “So what do you two do?” She puffed out her chest, clearly trying to entrap them into telling her about Panther Cove.

  As a reporter, her boss would have filled her in. If she knew they could sense what their mate was feeling, she’d get the hell not only out of the bar but the town, too.

  Her eye contact focused on him, so he answered. “We’re antique dealers.”

  “Really? How fascinating. I’m more of a modern girl myself, but I’m always interested in learning about things that are really old.”

  Hunter nudged him again. She knows, bro.

  Chill. She’s a goddamn reporter. She’s heard rumors, that’s all.

  Julia interrupted them and placed the beer on the table. Normally they ran up a tab, but Hunt
er pulled out a twenty and gave it to her. “Keep the change.”

  That brightened her face. “Thanks, Hunter.” She stressed the first syllable.

  Poor woman was going to be so disappointed when she learned the Black brothers were about to go off the market.

  Jennifer clasped the beer as if she needed to hold on to something. He wasn’t sure what she thought was going to happen when she sat with them, but them spilling their secrets wasn’t on the agenda.

  Hunter ran a finger up and down the glass in a slow, seductive manner as if he wanted to see if he could get her hot and bothered. “So where are you staying?”

  Her face heated up. “There’s a triplex a few blocks from here. Mrs. Randall owns it.”

  Derek fisted his hand. “That place is a sty. You can’t stay there.” Our woman should live in luxury.

  “It is pretty bad, but I cleaned it real well, and the pullout sofa is surprisingly comfortable for that kind of bed.”

  “She rips off everyone.” They would have booted the old bitch out of town a long time ago, but they’d made a promise not to interfere in the dynamics of the town.

  She grimaced. “It’s all I could afford. If I get a raise, I plan on moving out.”

  If Derek wasn’t certain it would freak her out, he’d have given her the money for a better place on the spot.

  “Good.” Hunter wet his lips.

  She twirled the beer glass, but she had yet to take a sip. “So where do you guys live?”

  He had to hand it to her. She was good. “Northwest of here.”

  “I’ve not got a chance to see that part of Delight. Maybe you two could show me around.”

  Hunter’s eyes narrowed. She knows.

  Derek grinned back at her. She only thinks she knows.

  Let’s hope.

  “Jennifer, it’s close to dinnertime. Do you want to stop on by for dinner? Hunter and I were just leaving.”

  Hunter shot him the evil eye. What the fuck are you doing?

  Getting to know our mate.

  Her charade disappeared as she practically jumped up. “I’d love to.”

  You better be right about this.