Once he was clear of the cluster of chatty guests, he trotted back onto the path to emerge on the beach.Colored lamps lit the sand, but the illumination didn’t penetrate as far as the water.A night bird called from the trees, and Leo huffed out a sigh of contentment as he listened to the rush and tumble of the waves.
He ambled along the sand, heading away from the lit area, unconcerned about the inky darkness.His night vision was excellent.He, his brothers and their employees sometimes wandered the resort in feline form.Their guests thought they were pets, and after initial concern, seemed to become used to them.
A foreign sound jerked him to a halt.He cast out his senses, lifted his head to scent the air.
A woman.
Alone in the darkness, she was crying, her long brown hair a curtain hiding her face.He started to retreat, but something about the despondency of her sobs drew him closer.His nostrils flared, and he stilled again, eyeing her hunched form in confusion.Her scent—it was familiar.
He rifled his memory and stopped at a file he kept hidden, never dragged out and refused to speak of to his brothers.No.He inhaled again, a tremor sliding along his side.No, it couldn’t be.
His feline wanted to run, wanted to hide, wanted to stay safe and secure.
The human part of him refused to flee.He had to know, had to discover if his senses were playing him false.His heart thumped, tripped, increased in speed as he slinked nearer.
A protest, a huff of breath emerged as truth gave him a swift kick at the glimpse of her profile.
He knew this woman.
Anger, pure and white, roared along his veins while he remained frozen in place.Wasn’t it enough that she seduced him in his dreams?Oh no.Now she came to terrorize in person.
She hadn’t heard him, was too wrapped up in her misery.He could be on her in seconds, his teeth biting, tearing, breaking her neck.She’d be dead before he got a good taste of her blood.
He stole one step closer, two steps, the urge to kill, to obliterate her from existence a siren song thundering in his brain.He trembled with the need to pounce, yet something held him back.
The repercussions for his family, plus he wanted—needed—to know why she’d lured him in with promises of easy money.Answers to make sense of her actions.
He sank onto the sand and pondered his options.He’d have to shift to speak with her, but instinct told him to hide his dual nature.He couldn’t have explained why, yet he went with his gut.The longer he spent in feline form the better he felt.Besides, she wouldn’t recognize him, which was an advantage.
Leo let out a growl of warning to expose his presence.
The woman’s head jerked up, her brown eyes widened with a flash of fear.Then she relaxed on seeing the black cat and brushed her hair from her face.Her calmness spoke of close contact with one of his brothers or friends, and the knowledge had a snarl building in his chest.No.He forced away the unwelcome emotion and concentrated on his end goal.
Answers.
Payback.
Revenge.
While the scar on his stomach would never fade, at least he’d achieve peace of mind.Leo sucked in a careful breath and waited.
The back of her hand swiped over one eye as she knuckled away excess moisture.
Leo padded closer, senses watchful.Some of the women disliked the big cats, feared them, and if she ran after all, his feline nature would entice him to chase.
“Hey, kitty-cat,” she murmured, her voice thick with sorrow.She held out her hand.
Leo considered biting, but again possible consequences for the resort had him obediently sniffing instead.
Every one of his muscles clenched when she dared to trail her fingers across his shoulder.His growl of protest stilled her hand.
“I’m not gonna hurt you, kitty-cat.”
Too late.She’d already hurt him.
Betrys Torin.
Here at the resort.
