ONESSA’S HEAD HURT, and her ankle was on fire. But that wasn’t what first caught her attention. She was lying in a bed soaked in the scent of man and Gain fabric softener. Moonlight Breeze to be exact. It was what she used back home. When she tried to sit up, a warm hand touched her shoulder and gently pushed.

“You need your rest.” Cyr’s voice rumbled into the darkened room.

Her mind was fuzzy, but she remembered running from Ed and Eddy, getting her foot caught and falling down and twisting her ankle. But she also remembered seeing a panther and two wolves. No, you saw a panther, and then you saw Ed and Eddy turn into wolves. That couldn’t be right. Could it?

“There was a...a panther and two wolves. The wolves were Ed and Eddy,” Onessa stammered before the crazy thought could leave her mind. She’d hoped that Cyr would say it was all in her head, but he said nothing. Not one word. “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Yes, I heard you.”

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“What do you want me to say?”

Her heart sped up because it didn’t look as if he were going to refute her claim. If anything, he looked guilty. Oh, my God. The panther sitting on the limb outside of her bathroom window the other night. That had happened. It was real, and the beast had eyes like Cyr’s.

“It was you,” she accused.

“You were never supposed to find out.”

“What? That I’m crazy...that this is crazy?”

“You’re not crazy, Onessa.”

“Then what, Rod Sterling is going to make an appearance and welcome me to the Twilight Zone?”

The corners of his mouth tip up at her reference to the show.

“You’re handling this a lot better than I expected.”

“Who’s gonna believe me, huh? I don’t believe me.” Onessa slapped her hand over her head and gasped in pain. “Ow, that fucking hurt.”

“You have a dirty mouth.”

“Yeah, well, you’re a peeping Tom.” Cyr had nothing to say to that. “It was you staring in my window the other night!”

“The windows were fogged. I didn’t see shit.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that?”

She was arguing with a man who could turn into a panther. A very large panther if her memory was right.

“It’s true. Do you have any questions you’d like to ask?”

She had a ton. But there was only one question she needed answered now.

“Are you gonna kill me?”

“Why the fuck would I do that?”

“Because I know your secret.”

Cyr was quiet for a long time before he said, “You do, but like you said, who’s gonna believe you. You’re not a prisoner, and you’re free to leave. But if you do go and say something to others, we’ll know.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Honey, if I were threatening you, you’d know.” His voice deepened, and the beginnings of a growl rumbled in his chest. She watched as he made his way over to a nightstand and picked up a hot bowl of soup. Chicken broth, spice and baked chicken with celery and carrots wafted into her senses. He brought it over to her. Homemade chicken soup. “I made this for you to eat. Until you can get back on your feet, you can stay here. I’ll be in the room across the hall. If you need anything, just call.”

“I’m calling right now.” Did he think she’d just let him walk out without a real explanation? Yeah, right.

Cyr sighed. “What do you want to know?” he grumped.

“Everything,” Onessa insisted.

“I’m a werecat.”

“Werecat, like a werewolf? Only you’re a panther?”

“Correct.”

“Beau and his people are all werewolves, then?”

“Yeah, although he’s known to take in strays.”

“Strays?”

“Half-breeds.”

“Sounds like you discriminate.” She assumed, but what else could she call it?

“No, I don’t. But it’s harder for us to get along with outsiders.”

“Is that why you were a giant dick when we first met, and an even bigger dick earlier today?”

“No, my dick is giant all by itself.”

She did not need to know that.

You so wanted to know that.

No, she didn’t. Onessa wasn’t going that route. She and Cyr were in a professional relationship, and as much as him telling her that he could shift into a black panther should have frightened her away, it didn’t. And she didn’t mention her recurring dreams of the cat. But the more and more she thought about, the more it made sense. Kind of. Not wanting to pester him too much, she yawned.

“I think I’m good for now. I’m sure more questions will pop up here and there.

Cyr nodded before he propped up her pillows and helped her to sit. “I’ll be back.”

He returned a few minutes later with a woman old enough to be Onessa’s grandmother.

“I’m Delia. I’m a doctor of sorts. Cyriaque asked me to look at your head and ankle. Do I have permission to touch you?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Cyr left the room as the woman went about checking Onessa from head to toe.

“I can see why you two are perfect for each other.”

“Excuse me?”

“You and Cyriaque. You’re his mate. You know nothing of our kind, yet you already have a kinship with us. Alaric told me about what the panthers and cherry blossoms mean to you. You’re also attracted to Cyriaque.”

“How can you tell?” Was she giving him the eyes? Shit. If Delia were astute enough to notice, Cyr would have picked up on it, too.

“I have a good inkling about people. But as a shifter, we can all pick up on a lot of things. Especially during matings.”

“I thought panthers were solitary in nature. Only joining up to procreate?”

“For our ancestors, that would be true. But we’re not only panther, we’re also human. The drive to socialize is something we need. We crave it. Touch, affection. We hold a tender spot towards one another.”

Could have fooled me.

“But how?”

“Some would call it a curse. Me, I call it a blessing. Werecats come in different cat forms. But for us panthers, it’s our birthright. The story goes that a traveler came upon three little cubs who would have been eaten by a giant snake if he hadn’t rescued them. He took them in, and when the mother cat returned to find her cubs missing, she was angry. But when she came across the stranger, who explained that he’d saved her cubs, she was grateful. And as such, rewarded him with her strength and powers. The man didn’t know she was the goddess, Bast.”

“You’re descendants of Bast?”

“Yes.”

“But it doesn’t explain why you think Cyr and I are perfect for one another.”

Delia gently touched Onessa’s bare shoulder, revealing a panther’s paw. Then she pointed to her hip where one of the branches of the cherry tree rested. Her tattoos. Whoa.

“WHEN DO YOU PLAN ON pulling your head out of your ass, Cyr?”

Alaric was trying to convince him that there was more to Onessa. He’d gotten protective of her, but not for the reasons Alaric thought. You sure about that? He’d made a mistake. She wasn’t his mate. Destiny wouldn’t try and fuck him over twice. Who says this time will be fucked up?

“She’s pretty, sure. But that’s where the attraction stops.”

“Then why were you trying to bite my head off back at the swamp when I touched her?”

“You were holding her,” he rushed on to say, and Alaric raised a brow at his words. Fuck. He was so screwed. “It doesn’t matter. She’s probably going to run first chance she gets once her ankle heals. Ed and Eddy changing in front of her practically scared the shit out of her. I don’t care about her. I don’t like her.” Liar.

He liked her too much.