“You’re in heat,” Angel stated matter-of-factly. “I can smell it. Any shifter could. That would be bad enough. But I caught his scent. I know he has feral cat fever. That will fuck any shifter up. No matter how strong and sane he seems to you, I promise you he is extremely vulnerable right now. For a seasoned hunter? He’s easy prey.”
Oh, God! What did she do? She had to think logically. “How do you know any of this?”
“I’m ‘the Angel’,” he replied. “It’s my job to know everything.” He paused for a moment. “You can trust me, Diane. Tah would want you to.”
Tah? He knew Tah? Why hadn’t he said so from the start? She jerked back the bolts and opened the door. The guy on the porch was huge. Not just in height or build, but his very presence. His hair was a shade of blond that made her think of burnished gold at first, until the sun caught it. Then she could see the streaks of reddish orange and a pale shade that almost looked white. It hung to his shoulders in soft waves. A lion’s mane. That’s what it made her think of. Yet, it was more than that.
He pushed open the door and shut it behind him, shaking his head at her. “That was very foolish. All I had to do to get you to open the door was tell you Tah wanted you to?”
She backed away from him. His eyes glowed a deep shade of aqua as if they couldn’t decide if they were blue or green. It made her think of Caribbean waters.
“You said—”
“A seasoned hunter would say anything to get to you,” he scolded. He reached out and jerked the broom from her nerveless fingers as if it were nothing. “Do you have any idea how important you are? You could have just placed yourself in a situation sure to get not only yourself killed, but everyone in that pride you belong to killed, as well. I expected better from you. I expected logic.”
She flicked her glance nervously around, searching for something else, anything else she might be able to use to protect herself.
“You should never go anywhere without a gun,” he said and reached behind him. He pulled out a deadly looking black handgun. “This is Beretta nine-millimeter. Great handgun. Each magazine holds fifteen rounds.” He met her gaze. “You should learn to protect yourself. Not only do you live with the pride, you’re their doctor and now the full mate of one of their shifters.”
“What do you plan to do?” Diane asked, lifting her chin and feigning bravado she didn’t have.
“Exactly what I said. We’re going to head to your mate. It may not seem like it right now, but I am one of the good guys.” He tucked away his gun. “I’ve been tracking this group of hunters since they left Montana. Your mate’s walking into a full party. I know of your man. Normally, I wouldn’t worry. But right now, he’s off his game.”
“He went looking for someone else,” Diane said.
“There’s someone else out there?” Angel demanded, then inhaled deeply again. “I’m not picking up a fresh scent here other than yours and Zane’s.”
“She didn’t come here with us.”
“She? Fuck! Shifter or human?” he asked gruffly.
“Shifter.” Sort of, but Diane wasn’t going into details on Kenzie with him. “Zane thought she must have smelled the scents he did and took off.”
Angel gave her a shrewd look. “I’m guessing she was your escort to find your mate.”
“What makes you think I came to find my mate?”
He grinned. “Feral cat fever sends shifters into a primal state. Your man wouldn’t have been able to leave your side if you’d already been mated. You’d still be holed up in a bedroom, fucking like animals.” He took great amusement in that comment, but Diane said nothing.
“I’m guessing you weren’t mated. He left to protect you from what the fever was doing to him. You came after him. Good for you, by the way. He’s lucky to have a mate like you. Some women would be terrified to go after their mate knowing he was locked inside the beast.”
“I’m not afraid of him. He’s mine,” she said simply.
“He is,” Angel agreed. “Smart choice on Tah’s part to send a female shifter in. Males aren’t as aggressive toward them. Most are inclined to feel protective. As your escort, she wouldn’t have bailed on you. So I’m guessing she stayed separate, giving you space to bring your mate to you. Did she warn you about the hunting party?”
Diane shook her head.
“She would have. She would have taken the time to get to you and warn you, especially with the condition you’re both in right now. He’s right to go after her. He probably told you otherwise so you wouldn’t worry. Is she a friend?”