the rogue parent and reveal our secret community.”
Her stomach knotted. What the hell had she gotten herself into? None of this could be true. She needed to go to the police to report this lunatic. But what if they were just as crazy as he was? She had to leave. To get the hell out of Dodge.
“You can’t leave, Jaclyn. Because we’ve mated, bonded in a way that you don’t yet understand. And like your mother, the panther in you will die without me, your true mate, at your side.”
She decided to humor him for another moment. “You mean mates die when they’re not together?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Then uncomplicate it for me.”
“Like Tallie, females can gain strength from their alpha. The longer mates are together, the stronger the female becomes, and upon prolonged separation, such as death, she can absorb his strength through their life bond and live on, should she so choose. But if the male dies, most females choose death, not wanting to live on without their partner.”
Jaclyn shook her head. “That’s one hell of a bond.”
“Yes, it is. And that bond empowers each mate. Someday you’ll understand.”
“Like my mother understood?”
Slyck pitched his voice low. “Jaclyn, your mother probably didn’t understand any of this. And she wouldn’t have chosen death over her daughter. She just hadn’t been together with your father long enough to have gained his strength to live on without him.”
Jaclyn gave a heavy sigh. “Why are you telling me this, Slyck?”
“To protect you.”
“So you’re telling me I’m a shape-shifting panther, and you’re my mate, and if anyone in the town finds out what I am, they will kill me, and I can’t leave because my panther will die?”
“Yes.”
Her entire body stiffened. “That’s some pretty fucked-up shit, Slyck.”
His green eyes darkened. “I know you can feel it.”
“I don’t feel anything,” she said, angling her chin in defiance.
The air around them charged as his head descended and his sensuous lips came down on hers. Her entire body melted against him. No longer able to ignore the sensations, everything inside her screamed for more. For him to ravish her, for her to give herself over to him.
That he was her mate.
Oh hell!
“Tell me you feel it, Jaclyn,” he whispered into her mouth.
Breathless, she said, “I feel nothing.”
Their tongues played and tangled. Fire licked over her thighs. Pulled by a strange commanding force, she pressed harder against
him, unable to help herself because what he did to her was both frightening and exhilarating.
Slyck inched back and caught her glance. If she wasn’t so goddamn hot for him, she would have smacked that “told you so” look off his face.
“Your words say one thing, Jaclyn, but your body says another.”
Chapter Seven
Five days had passed since Slyck had last set eyes—or hands—on Jaclyn, and the separation was damn near killing him. But he knew he had to back off, to give her the time and space she needed to sort matters through. After all, it wasn’t every day one was told she was a were-cat. And truthfully, he couldn’t blame her for thinking he was a psychopath. Hell, he’d have reacted the same way.
Sure she was dubious, fearful even of what he’d told her. And, sure he could have presented her with his panther as proof. But he suspected it would have been far too much for her to handle, especially seeing the way she’d stood there staring up at him with those big disbelieving eyes of hers. Not only would it have frightened her, but showing one’s true self to an outsider before a council ruling was strictly forbidden as it risked exposing their colony. He scoffed at that last thought. Not that he’d been abiding by any rules lately anyway. Even though he’d always been levelheaded and analytical, in a matter of a few short days, Jaclyn had drawn him
into a place where emotions ruled his actions, and because he was an alpha leader who needed to
Her stomach knotted. What the hell had she gotten herself into? None of this could be true. She needed to go to the police to report this lunatic. But what if they were just as crazy as he was? She had to leave. To get the hell out of Dodge.
“You can’t leave, Jaclyn. Because we’ve mated, bonded in a way that you don’t yet understand. And like your mother, the panther in you will die without me, your true mate, at your side.”
She decided to humor him for another moment. “You mean mates die when they’re not together?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Then uncomplicate it for me.”
“Like Tallie, females can gain strength from their alpha. The longer mates are together, the stronger the female becomes, and upon prolonged separation, such as death, she can absorb his strength through their life bond and live on, should she so choose. But if the male dies, most females choose death, not wanting to live on without their partner.”
Jaclyn shook her head. “That’s one hell of a bond.”
“Yes, it is. And that bond empowers each mate. Someday you’ll understand.”
“Like my mother understood?”
Slyck pitched his voice low. “Jaclyn, your mother probably didn’t understand any of this. And she wouldn’t have chosen death over her daughter. She just hadn’t been together with your father long enough to have gained his strength to live on without him.”
Jaclyn gave a heavy sigh. “Why are you telling me this, Slyck?”
“To protect you.”
“So you’re telling me I’m a shape-shifting panther, and you’re my mate, and if anyone in the town finds out what I am, they will kill me, and I can’t leave because my panther will die?”
“Yes.”
Her entire body stiffened. “That’s some pretty fucked-up shit, Slyck.”
His green eyes darkened. “I know you can feel it.”
“I don’t feel anything,” she said, angling her chin in defiance.
The air around them charged as his head descended and his sensuous lips came down on hers. Her entire body melted against him. No longer able to ignore the sensations, everything inside her screamed for more. For him to ravish her, for her to give herself over to him.
That he was her mate.
Oh hell!
“Tell me you feel it, Jaclyn,” he whispered into her mouth.
Breathless, she said, “I feel nothing.”
Their tongues played and tangled. Fire licked over her thighs. Pulled by a strange commanding force, she pressed harder against
him, unable to help herself because what he did to her was both frightening and exhilarating.
Slyck inched back and caught her glance. If she wasn’t so goddamn hot for him, she would have smacked that “told you so” look off his face.
“Your words say one thing, Jaclyn, but your body says another.”
Chapter Seven
Five days had passed since Slyck had last set eyes—or hands—on Jaclyn, and the separation was damn near killing him. But he knew he had to back off, to give her the time and space she needed to sort matters through. After all, it wasn’t every day one was told she was a were-cat. And truthfully, he couldn’t blame her for thinking he was a psychopath. Hell, he’d have reacted the same way.
Sure she was dubious, fearful even of what he’d told her. And, sure he could have presented her with his panther as proof. But he suspected it would have been far too much for her to handle, especially seeing the way she’d stood there staring up at him with those big disbelieving eyes of hers. Not only would it have frightened her, but showing one’s true self to an outsider before a council ruling was strictly forbidden as it risked exposing their colony. He scoffed at that last thought. Not that he’d been abiding by any rules lately anyway. Even though he’d always been levelheaded and analytical, in a matter of a few short days, Jaclyn had drawn him
into a place where emotions ruled his actions, and because he was an alpha leader who needed to
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