It was another to become lost in the siren song of her mating heat.
A shudder shook his body as his cat savored the spicy arousal drenching the air.
Christ.
It’d been so long since any female had actually been fertile, let alone had broadcast her need with such potency, that it was like a kick in his gut.
Which was all the more reason he should get her to the Healers.
They needed to discover who she was, if her cat had been damaged, and how the hell she was able to project a mating heat when other females had tried and failed for years.
Yeah. That’s exactly what he should do.
But as he headed in pursuit of the female, he wasn’t reaching for his phone to make the call. His cat had been snared by the intoxicating scent of Reny Smith, and it was on the hunt.
Moving with lethal silence, he jogged down the stairs and out of the building.
Reny drew him on a level that was impossible to resist.
Stalking her through the darkness, he waited until she’d turned the corner before he was moving to stand directly in her path.
“Where are you going?”
“I assume you want the shirt so you can track Ms. Handler.” Her words were cool, controlled. But her eyes glowed with a raw need that made his gut twist. “It only makes sense for me to return to the office and start a trace on her finances.”
“That can wait.” He brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek, groaning at the dewy heat that dampened her skin. His cat roared, not understanding why he was waiting. It didn’t care they were on a city street where anyone could see them. It wanted what it wanted and it wanted Reny Smith. “We have something to take care of first.”
“What?”
He stepped closer, watching the pulse at the base of her throat flutter out of control. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He wanted to bite that soft flesh. Preferably while he was climaxing, deep inside her, filling her with his seed.
“Come with me.”
She licked her dry lips, no doubt seeing the cat glowing in his eyes. “Actually, I don’t feel well.”
He lowered his head, nuzzling a line of kisses down her stubborn jaw. “Trust me, I have the only cure.”
“How would you know?” she breathed, her body trembling beneath his light caress. “Did you infect me with something?”
He nipped the side of her throat, reveling in her soft gasp of pleasure. “Not exactly.”
Her hands landed against his chest, but she didn’t push him away. Instead, she gripped his shirt as if her knees were threatening to collapse.
“What is it?” she husked. “What have you done to me?”
His tongue traced the delicate vein that ran the length of her neck. “Not here.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you—” She hissed in outrage as he brought an end to the argument by the simple process of grasping her by the waist and tossing her over his shoulder. “Dammit.” She pounded her fists against his back, at the same time trying to kick him in his balls. Wildcat. “Put me down.”
A feral smile curved Sebastian’s lips as he headed toward a far more prosperous neighborhood north of town. He was a Diplomat who’d always preferred to use charm when it came to seducing his women, but he had to admit that the caveman approach did have its appeal.
“You’re going to thank me,” he assured her, his voice laced with a possession he didn’t bother to hide.
“Like hell.”
“Trust me,” he murmured, moving with a blinding speed humans could never hope to match.
“Never,” she snapped, aiming a kick that would have brought him to his knees if he hadn’t turned just enough for her blow to catch his upper thigh.
“Careful, sugar,” he purred, his tone oddly pleased. “I intend to use that before the night’s over.”
She tried to twist her upper body, hoping to reach the gun that was pressing painfully into her side. Not to shoot the aggravating beast. Well, at least not a killing shot. But a slug in his ass would teach him a little respect.
But as if reading her thoughts, he managed to kick up the pace another notch, making her bang and jerk against his back until she feared she was going to be knocked out. She hissed in frustration, her arms wrapping around his waist as the passing buildings became a mere blur.
He continued at the mind-numbing pace as he kept his attention locked on their surroundings, making sure there were no hidden enemies as the streets widened and the houses became mansions hidden behind the veil of Spanish moss.
The quicker he had answers, the better.
For both of them.
At last reaching a white, plantation-style home set well away from the street, Sebastian circled to the back entrance, forced to halt at the steps to place his hand on a scanner. The lock would only open to a Pantera.
With a small swoosh, the heavy metal door swung inward, and Sebastian stepped into the cramped entry, waiting to be electronically scanned by the security system.
A full minute passed before a hidden panel silently slid open, allowing Sebastian to enter the house.
A part of him wished he could lower Reny to her feet and escort her through the large rooms with the molded ceilings and sweeping staircases that captured the airy, graceful beauty of the old South. She deserved to be treated as a treasured guest, not a prisoner. But until he could convince her that he was only trying to help her, he didn’t have the luxury.
Regaining her breath, Reny loosened her grip on his waist and gave him another thump on the back.
“What the hell is this place?”
“A safe house for Pantera,” he said, using the servants’ stairs to reach the second floor.
“Why would you bring me here?”
Sebastian entered the first bedroom. With two long strides he had her dumped on the wide, ivory-canopied bed and had turned to head back out the door.
“Wait here.”
“No…don’t—”
He shut the door on her furious protest, touching the small lever that would trigger the lock.
The knowledge that he was damaging her trust in him was like a knife through his heart, but he grimly hurried down the stairs and toward the front of the house where he could sense one of his brothers.
Opening the door to what had once been the library, Sebastian stepped into a room that had been stripped of its original furnishings and fitted with the sort of high-tech equipment that could rival the Pentagon.
Pantera might be creatures who’d been born of mist and magic, but they lived in the modern world.
A dark-haired Hunter with whiskey-gold eyes turned away from the line of computer screens he’d been monitoring and rose to his feet.
Lian looked his typical badass self in a pair of faded black jeans and Metallica T-shirt, his long hair pulled into a braid that hung down to his waist.
“Troubles?”
“Here.” Sebastian moved forward to shove a long strand of hair into the startled Pantera’s hand. “Have this sent to the closest lab and tested.”
Lian frowned. “For what?”
“DNA. I want to know what family this comes from.”
The Hunter lifted his brows in surprise. “Okay. Anything else?”
“A full background check on Agent Reny Smith, FBI,” Sebastian said.
Lian turned to open a desk drawer, pulling out a small baggie to store the hair in. There were several Pantera who worked undercover in the local labs and could expedite the necessary tests.
“It will take at least twenty-four hours for the DNA. I can start the background check now.”
Sebastian nodded. “Contact me as soon as you have something.”
“You got it.”
Confident that he could trust Lian to take care of the search into Reny’s past, Sebastian retraced his steps, his body tensing as he reached to push open the door.
God. Damn.
He could physically feel the pulse of Reny’s arousal. It was like a fire in his gut.
But slipping into the room, concern was his overriding emotion.
Closing the door, he leaned against it as Reny launched herself at him, her face flushed and tendrils of dark curls that escaped her ponytail pasted to her damp skin.
“You rat bastard,” she snarled, slamming her fists against his chest.
Thankful she hadn’t shot him the minute he’d opened the door, Sebastian wrapped his arms around her trembling form, pulling her tight against him.
“Shh.” He lowered his head, brushing his lips over her temple. The mating heat shouldn’t be this intense. It was like a violent force that was pummeling the two of them, instead of the gentle temptation that used to be common among Pantera. “I have you.”
“God.” She collapsed against his chest, her breath a loud gasp. “What’s happening?”
His lips skimmed down her cheek, nuzzling the edge of her mouth. “It’s the mating heat.”
She pulled back her head to study him in confusion. “You’re in heat?”
“Not me.” His hand ran a soothing path up and down her back. “You.”
“Dammit.” Her brows snapped together. “I don’t have to listen to this.”
“You don’t.” His fingers cupped the back of her nape, his thumb stroking the pulse that beat at the base of her throat. “But denying the truth isn’t going to help either of us. You can feel it, sugar.” He peered deep into her gaze, glimpsing the frustrated cat who prowled just below the surface. “Burning deep inside you.”