Danger had sneaked onto his compound, onto his territory, and he’d almost been killed in the blast.She might have been had she been scheduled to leave the compound with him today.
Anger and rage entwined, some aimed at himself, part aimed at the culprit who wouldn’t be unknown for long.Those emotions helped him surge forward, had him staggering toward the wreckage of what had been six very expensive SUVs and a limo.
His Pride stared at the bomb blast, their horror and rage focused there as the females stood back out of the way, letting the males quench the fire and drag the injured out of the cars to safety.Their terror and anger were almost palpable, and he could taste the united fury over the scorched air he was inhaling.But when they saw him, they screamed.
A big cat’s scream.
Joy and anger, rage and defiance—not at him, but whoever had dared to do this to him.To them.To their people.
They strengthened him with their support and bolstered his shaking legs as he made it to the still smoking cars.
In the distance, the sounds of sirens made themselves known.He winced, grimacing at the knowledge the human authorities were coming.He was in no fit state to handle them, either.
Marc would have to step up.Either him or Adam.
Marc was the brother the Goddess had chosen for him.They shared no blood, but shared a mate.
Adam was his litter brother.They shared heritage, and were close—he was Ryan’s PA.
As his brain flickered through the carnage that was a blown out SUV that near as dammit glowed with heat, and the bodies on the floor, two things happened.
One, he saw Trip on the ground.His eyes closed, his mouth slack.
Two, he heard the piercing, rage-filled roar of a devastated Panther.
Marc watchedin awe as the Panther slipped through the crowds to her destination, Trip.
The Lions who saw her immediately thought her a threat.The Pantera were their foe, after all.With a bomb having just exploded on Pride territory, it wasn’t that much of a leap to figure the Pantera could have been involved in this attack.
Unlike the Pride, the Pantera were...well, they weren’t exactly legal and above board.
The Pride existed solely in a guise of respectability.They were wealthy as a result.They had businesses all over the nation, but many housed within the state of California.They owned restaurants and properties.Had staff on the pay roll that numbered the thousands.
The Pantera had...very little that wasn’t earned through begging, stealing, or borrowing.Well, borrowing if that meant not giving the shit back you were loaned.
When she reached Trip’s side, the stasis into which he’d fallen shimmered away.Her rage and terror clawed at Marc’s insides, jerked him to attention, and he rushed to her, knowing that her focus on Trip would only exacerbate the Pride’s fear that she was an enemy.
On this compound, there were four people who the Pride would die to protect.
Ryan, Marc, El, and Trip.
Trip was one of the most powerful men in their world, and a Panther was snuffling at his side, sniffing and licking him, trying to clean him up.
He hadn’t been hurt in the blast, but as Marc rushed toward her, he had to stagger.His legs weren’t working as well as they should be.Shock?Maybe even repercussions of the blast.He knew his damn ears were ringing, so why wouldn’t his bones feel like they’d been whizzed up in a blender, too?
“She’s safe!”he roared when he approached.His roar was loud enough that it went over the ruckus and chaos surrounding them.
Men were still hosing down the burned out cars, others were trying to grab the few bodies that were left in vehicles.
His people had reacted faster than he himself had, which would forever be to Marc’s shame, however, he could have lost...
He swallowed.
Maybe he had.
Trip was so still.So burned up.
Was he breathing?
