Trip answered for her, “They’re powerful Shifters, strong, and as they’re native to this land unlike us, they can slip through the cracks.”
“Wolves and Bears can too,” Ryan murmured softly.“We’re at a disadvantage in that regard.But also, the Pantera are strong because they have close links to their members.Remember, the boys all change their name as a rite of passage.They’re all loyal to the Council, even if they don’t agree with their dictates—they tend to follow them.”
“They sound a bit like a gang.Especially when I remember you saying they were into abductions and the like.”
“Yeah.In a big way.Lots of Pantera in human prisons,” Marc confirmed.“Not a good place for any Shifter to be, but they chose their lot.They went the bad route, and most of them are bitter over that.Even if it is their own damn fault.”
“What do you mean?”
“They see us with our fancy businesses, wearing our fancy suits, and driving our fancy cars and are bitter.”Trip shrugged.“Doesn’t have to make sense for them to feel that way.”
“That makes zero sense,” she confirmed.“And is stupid as hell.They could work hard, too.It’s their choice to go the illegal route rather than the legal one.”
“Bitterness makes even wise men blind,” Marc intoned piously, making Ryan snicker.
“You sounded like Old Man Ledger then.”
“Who’s Old Man Ledger?”El asked.
“One of our oldest.He stays pretty much to himself nowadays.He’s our version of Hugh Heff.”
“Complete with bunny rabbits?”she teased.
“Yeah.Complete with bunny rabbits,” Trip confirmed.
“Well, he sounds way more philosophical than Hugh Hefner.Especially if he's saying shit like that.”
Trip snorted.“Just because the man likes sex doesn't mean he isn't a smart cookie.”
“In fact, it means he's got his shit together,” Marc said with a grin.
Ryan chuckled.“Yeah, I have to admit, that old bastard has got some smarts.
“He literally has all the pussy he wants, plus he's a clever bastard as well.”
“Pussy?You mean like, what humans consider pussy, right?Or, do you mean he has honest-to-god Lionesses sniffing around him?”
She sounded so astonished that Trip had to hide a smile.Turning back, Trip shot his Triad brothers a look, then staying po-faced, asked, “Exactly how old do you think old man Ledger is?”
She blinked, then shrugged.“I don't know.You said he’s one of ‘our oldest’.That has to mean he’s pretty goddamn old.“
Trip wouldn’t deny; her including that one word, ‘our’, made him feel the Lion equivalent of warm and cozy inside.
Amazing how the possessive pronoun could relax him even when they were about to head into a situation that could only really go one way:
Badly.
Her scowl was so damn cute that he wanted to kiss her, even as he wanted to fuck her.His Lion raged at him to take her, to make her his, but then, the damn animal always raged at him where she was concerned.
The creature wanted its mate, always, and he was relieved, truth be told, that she was a Shifter.
Being a Shifter meant her appetites were more voracious than even their own.
Only since she’d been in heat had he been denied access to her.Today was supposed to be his day, but they’d had to leave early for the secret meeting with the Pantera.
He’d have some time with her later, but the Lion was greedy.
Hell, Trip couldn’t blame the beast.He was, too.
