“It’s okay.” He tried to comfort Shannon. “I ordered you to take off, Jerry. You’re scaring her.”

The wolf lowered his head and changed form. It irritated Anton but he couldn’t stop the other man from what he’d already started to do. When Jerry pushed up to his feet as a man, he gawked at Anton and the woman in astonishment.

“What the hell are you doing with a cat wrapped around you?”

A cat? Anton inhaled deeply, through his nose, trying to filter the scent of her blood from the scent of the cloying cologne that hindered his usually acute sense of smell. The scents coming off her nearly overwhelmed him. Vanilla mixed with pure terror, woman, strawberries, and…

“Fuck,” he groaned, tensing. “You’re a shifter. No wonder they hunted you.”

She quaked harder, clung more frantically, and he realized something important. She wasn’t hurting him. No teeth tore into his exposed jugular where her lips pressed against his neck. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders but they weren’t claws. Even her strength wasn’t nearly what it should be as a shifter. He had no doubt she held on to him as tightly as she could while her adrenaline pumped but he could throw her off him with minimal effort.

Anton’s instincts started to kick in while he inhaled more of her scent, the identity of her shifter blood becoming known, and his wolf didn’t enjoy it. He growled but didn’t toss her away or crush the life from her inside the cage of his arms. He could have done either.

“Puma,” Jerry whispered. “Weak though. I barely picked up her smell when I got close. I came to investigate who would be stupid enough to trespass into our territory. I guess you get to kill her instead of me.”

Shannon whimpered in his arms and Anton softly growled. He’d promised her safety, swore to protect her, and he always kept his word. For some reason, she trusted him to do so. He took a few steadying breaths and used every trick he’d ever learned to get a grip on his wolf so it didn’t hurt the woman he held. He finally relaxed.

“I’m not going to kill her,” he stated clearly. “Go get me some clothes and I need my truck to drive her home.”

Jerry’s jaw dropped and then he growled. Anger tightened his features and the wolf flashed in his eyes. “Kill her. She’s our enemy.”

Anton snarled back, glaring. “I gave you an order. Go or you’re going to be the one to die.”

Chapter Two

Shannon calmed but it took time. It embarrassed her that she couldn’t seem to control her reactions. Big, warm hands rubbed her from shoulder to waist, up and down, over and over, gently. It helped her fear recede until she finally loosened her death grip on him.

“That’s it,” Anton whispered. “Easy, kitten. Nobody is going to hurt you.”

She trembled again and finally lifted her face away from his neck. He turned his head and their gazes met. He stopped petting her and took a deep breath, pushing firmly against her body when his lungs expanded.

“You’re not a teenager.”

She shook her head.

That drew a frown from him. “I’m trying to understand why you didn’t shift when they hunted you or when you could have attacked me.”

She just stared into his dark gaze. Her fear returned and her body tensed.

“Easy.” His tone lowered. “I’m not going to hurt you and you’re not going to hurt me.”

She couldn’t wound him if she tried and that was the problem. She finally looked away from his intense dark eyes to study his strong, masculine features—wide cheekbones, straight nose, and generous lips. He needed to shave, a little bit of dark beard shadowed his jawline and upper lip. It could have been a lingering effect after his transformation since he appeared to have more than a little Native American ancestry. His silky, black hair fell to his shoulders, all one length, parted down the center. Her gaze returned to his.

“You could have gotten away. I’ve gone after your kind before and I know how fast you can run. Why didn’t you? Toying with a bunch of wolves isn’t overly bright and you look old enough to know better.”

Shannon had to clear the lump in her throat before she could speak. “I can’t,” she whispered.

He frowned, deep lines marring the area around his mouth. “You can’t what?”

Fear of sharing the truth with him made her pause. She didn’t know werewolf customs or beliefs. She had been assured that her father’s family would consider her an abomination, something that shouldn’t be. Had his family known about her, and had they been given the chance, they’d have killed her at birth.

“You can’t what? Be intelligent?” His eyebrow rose.

“Shift,” she admitted to him.

He blinked, his frown melted away, and surprise registered on his features. “Are you that injured?” He sniffed. “I smell blood on you but not a lot.”

“Do you still promise not to hurt me?”

“I always keep my word.”

Again, he seemed sincere. Her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips. His gaze followed the movement before lifting back to meet her eyes. “My mother is human and my father was only half puma from having a human father.”

The handsome man backed up slightly while he studied her carefully.

“Shit. You’re more human than puma. You really can’t shift?”

She shook her head.

“No claws or teeth?”

She released him with one arm and held up her hand, showed him her fingernails, and then pulled back her upper lip to display her normal teeth. “I’m terrified,” she admitted, lowering her arm to curl her fingers around the hot skin at the curve of his shoulder. “If I could, I’d have done it by now.”

“You scent of shifter but it’s very faint.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Your father didn’t tell you?”

Shannon hesitated again, wondered what he’d do if he realized she had no one to protect her, and no one to avenge her if he broke his word. She had no shifter family to avenge her or even care if he dumped her dead body into the nearest ravine. Her mother was all she had. A human, who could do nothing.

“I asked you a question and I expect an answer.” He adjusted his hold on her, one arm sliding under her ass to lift her a little higher until their faces were level while he peered into her eyes. “He didn’t warn you that other shifters could detect you’re part puma?”

“No.” That is the truth, she mentally admitted.

“He should watch out for you better. I’ve heard your males are really protective of their women. I’m not picking up a male scent on you so I assume you don’t have a mate?”

“No, I don’t have a mate.”

“You’re sure old enough for one. Is it because you’re defective?”

Some of her fear left to be replaced by anger. A lifetime of being deemed a freak haunted her and made her on the defensive. “Are you mated?”

“No.”

“You’re sure old enough. Are you defective too?”

The arm tightened around her waist and a soft growl rumbled from his parted lips. “Careful, kitten. Don’t insult me.”

Fear flashed inside her and it cooled her temper. She wasn’t lipping off to just some random guy. This was a real werewolf. “You insulted me first. You should have seen the look on your face, the disbelief, and you smirked.”

“Did I?” His mouth twitched and humor lit his dark gaze. “It surprised me.” His attention lingered on her mouth, slid to her hair, and then returned to stare deeply into her eyes. “You’re attractive as hell.”

Mute again, she had no idea how to respond to that, never expecting a compliment from him. He took another deep breath, watched her, and then cocked his head.

“Someone is coming. Are you calm enough now for me to put you down without you trying to climb the nearest tree, or me, again?”

“I don’t know. My instincts kind of take over when I’m super scared and then it’s a blur until I find myself in bad places like at the top of a tree.” She glanced down at his broad chest. “You’re the first man I ever climbed, if that helps any. But, in my defense, you wouldn’t let me go. Something inside me wanted off the ground.”

“Instincts can be a bitch.” He turned his head slightly to peer into the woods. “Hang on to me then. You’re about to be terrified. Four of my pack mates are approaching.”

He moved when she buried her face against his skin again, closed her eyes, and wrapped both arms around his neck to hold on to him tightly once more. Her back gently brushed the trunk of the tree she’d abandoned and he pinned her there inside his embrace. She heard leaves crunch nearby and sucked in Anton’s masculine scent. For some strange reason it helped her not freak out when the first growl of alarm sounded once his pack mates saw or smelled her.

“That’s far enough.” Anton’s voice came out deep and commanding, harsh. “Go home.”

“Cat,” a male snarled. He growled louder. “Toss her this way. I want a bite. She smells sweet.”

Anton’s entire body stiffened. He felt similar to the tree trunk pressed against her backside. The terrifying snarl of rage near her left ear had her holding back a whimper. Instincts flared to life again and it took every bit of concentration not to struggle to get out of his arms. She wanted to run or climb a tree but definitely not be in that clearing near a werewolf who wanted to make a snack of her.

“Back off,” Anton roared. “She’s mine.”

“Fuck,” another voice grumbled. “What happened to sharing a fresh kill?”

“Whoa,” another male gasped. “I don’t think that’s what he’s got in mind for her. Shit. Sorry, man. I know you like pu**y, but hell, that’s as literal as it gets.”

One of the werewolves snorted. “You’re going to f**k her and then kill her? I’m an admitted ass**le but that’s harsh even for me.”

“Leave,” Anton snarled, his voice a terrifying sound.

“Okay,” one of them muttered. “Tell me how it is later. You’re the man, Anton. Really. I wouldn’t let one of them near me. Watch her teeth and claws or she’s going to tear you apart.”

They retreated and Shannon’s fear eased when the man pinning her relaxed and stepped away from the tree until her back wasn’t touching it any longer. She lifted her head and saw anger still etched on his features. He breathed a little heavily but then his gaze softened when he stared at her.

“Jerry will bring me clothes and he’ll drive my truck closer. He’ll park it not too far from here. I’ll get dressed and take you home.”

She hesitated. “They stole my purse. My keys, identification, and money are inside it.”

Irritation flashed on his handsome face. “I’ll get it back and make sure they didn’t take a dime from you.”

“Thank you.” She meant it.

“I’m going to have to call your father and smooth things out with him. I don’t want this starting a war between our people.”

A new sliver of fear sliced through her. “That’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I won’t tell him what happened.”

“He’s going to know the second you walk in the door. He’ll smell me all over you and your terror is really strong. I take it you didn’t inherit a keen sense of smell? You reek of it.”

“I live alone.”

His dark eyes narrowed and he studied her. “You do?”

“Yes. I’ll shower when I get home and clean my clothes.” She paused. “I’m sorry I smell.” The guy was hot, he said she stank, and she hated that he had to be the best-looking guy she’d ever been that close to. She inwardly winced at that little bit of life’s irony.