Catherine snuck a glance back through the crowd, hoping against hope she’d catch a glimpse of Meredith. It was impossible to imagine that she might. With luck, the girl was a mile away and still running.

“Jealous, Red?” Angela knocked against Catherine’s shoulder as she moved off toward Daniel.

She hadn’t been. But now, scenting the woman’s arousal, Catherine’s rage flared. A low rumble lifted from her throat as the pretty blonde presented herself to Daniel. “Wait,” Catherine called, recalling the vials at her feet. “The elixir. You want to make it through the change.”

Angela pursed her lips, then stalked back and snatched up the bag. “I don’t know, John,” she said, throwing Catherine a hateful glance. “Maybe we should try it without it.”

Catherine sucked in a breath. Their whole plan hinged on them drinking the damned elixir.

John frowned.

“It’s not like you’re weak,” Angela reasoned. “In fact, you’re one of the strongest men I’ve ever met…easily as strong as Daniel. You don’t need this potion to survive the change. Are you gonna let them tell you you’re not as strong as Daniel?”

“Only the strongest survive,” Daniel put in. “Do you want to take that chance, John?”

All around, the men shifted and murmured. Catherine’s body tensed, and she had to remind herself to breathe.

“Think of Julie. Think of your boys,” Daniel cautioned. “Don’t let this woman play on your ego.”

John flicked a derisive glance at Angela, then held out his hand. “Give me one of those vials. You take one, too.”

Angela shrugged, then fished one from the bag and tossed it John’s way. He uncapped it and tossed it back, then spat the tiger’s eye stone into his palm. He tucked it into his pocket, then began unbuttoning his shirt. Angela finished the contents of her vial a few seconds later, shuddering as she sipped. “It tastes like ass,” she complained.

“I wouldn’t know,” Catherine said coolly. “I’ve never licked someone’s ass before.”

Snickers sounded around them. Angela glared, then dropped the vial and pulled her blouse over her head. “You and I are gonna have a talk in a few minutes, Red.”

“I look forward to it. Will I still be cuffed, or are you going to face me like a real tigress?”

Danger flashed in Angela’s eyes. “Uncuff her,” she ordered in a hard voice. One hand dove into her pocket to retrieve a set of keys, which she threw at one of the men standing near Catherine. He wasted no time in removing her cuffs, then hesitated before asking if Daniel should be uncuffed, as well.

“Do it,” John said shortly. He flexed his hands. “I think I feel stronger already. Whatever’s in that stuff, it’s good.”

“You’ll feel even better in a minute,” Daniel promised as John’s guy uncuffed him and backed away. “Ready?”

Angela strode forward. She’d used the last moment to undress the rest of the way, leaving her clothing in a heap and showing off a body that looked too perfect to be unaltered. Catherine stared, then looked away quickly when Angela flashed her a triumphant grin. The woman enjoyed making a spectacle of herself.

Like a heroine in a romance novel, she wound her arms around Daniel’s neck, laying her head against his shoulder and exposing her jugular. “Bite me,” she breathed.

Catherine rolled her eyes.

The corners of Daniel’s mouth rose, just slightly. He caught Catherine’s look, the amused sparkle in his eyes doing heaps to improve her mood. Relief spread through her like a drug…he remained immune to Angela’s supposed charms, though every other male seemed riveted.

Daniel’s teeth lengthened, his cat flashing in his eyes. Claws leapt from his fingertips, his knuckles growing fur and his muscles bulging beneath his jacket. Wrapping an arm around Angela’s waist, he sank his teeth into her neck, a vicious snarl rising between them. Angela moaned, the sound half pain, half intense enjoyment.

John’s eyes were glued, his actions stopped mid-unbuttoning, as Daniel dropped a series of bites along Angela’s neck and shoulder. He looked…efficient. Angela practically writhed against him, but Daniel focused on his duty. Catherine’s reassurance rose further.

“Christ,” John muttered. “It’s practically sexual. I don’t know how I feel about Daniel doing that to me.”

“It’s all for show,” Catherine said in a low voice. “She’s the only one enjoying it. Daniel could bite your arms if you prefer.”

“Yeah. I think I would.” John hesitated, then said, “Or, you could do it?”

Catherine’s mind raced. “I can’t,” she said. “For a few reasons—my pride leader has to approve all who want to join, and I’d be in major trouble if I turned you. Also, the elixir you took is tuned to tigers, not lions. You’d be risking a lot if someone else turned you right now.”

John nodded. “Makes sense. Whereas, Daniel’s not tied to a pride, I guess?”

“Nope.” Not yet, she thought.

“I guess…I’ll be the leader of my own pride,” John commented. “Because I’ll be the one turning all of these men.”

Catherine nodded, though her heart twisted. Why did the man have to go and get all human on her? He had a wife, children. Was it right to take him from them? He seemed to genuinely care about his employees. “Why are you doing this, John?”

He cocked his head, his eyes straying back to Angela. “I want to help my guys. I want them safe.”

“You’re hitmen,” Catherine said slowly. “Doesn’t danger come with the territory?”

John shrugged. “I don’t hate the people we kill. I don’t love them either. Our clients pay a fortune for our services, because we risk everything to do this. We had a hand in taking out Saddam, you know. It isn’t always greedy people wanting someone dead for the hell of it. Sometimes there’s justice.”

“But only if there’s enough money involved,” Catherine countered. “You didn’t kill an evil dictator because it was the right thing to do. You did it because someone offered you a hell of a lot of money.”

“True. That’s life, though. This is a good business decision. My guys stay alive, I don’t have to train new ones as often.” John grinned at her. “Daniel was my star employee for years. And now, we can all get away without leaving human footprints.”

Catherine’s momentary sympathies faded. “Good luck,” she whispered.

“Thanks.” John started to slide his pants to the ground, then cleared his throat and turned away. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Nudity is normal for us.”

Daniel had finished with Angela, and laid her gently on the ground. The woman barely breathed, her neck and shoulders a canvas of bleeding bites. He turned to John. “Ready?”

John nodded, and held out his arms.

As with Angela, Daniel was efficient. His teeth scraped John’s arms, leaving long gashes that bled profusely. John winced, but didn’t make a sound. A few bites, and it was done.

Looking dazed, John stared at his wounds. “How long?”

Daniel shrugged, his teeth shrinking back to human proportions. “A few hours?”

“You stay until it’s done,” John said. “If it doesn’t work, I don’t want to have to hunt you down. And it would be a shame if anything happened to Meredith.”

Catherine walked forward to slip her hand into Daniel’s. “It’ll work,” she told John. “I want to go find Meredith. You don’t need me to stay, John. Daniel is here.”

John looked at them for a moment, then nodded. “Go ahead. When you find her, bring her back here, and I’ll have one of my men drive you home.”

“We’ll just make our own way home,” Catherine said, keeping her voice diplomatic. “Honestly, I’d rather just get her as far from here as possible. I know you treated her well.” I hope. “But she’s probably scared witless right now.”

“It’s a long way,” John protested. “We’re probably seventy miles from town.”

It occurred to Catherine how ridiculous it was that they were calmly discussing this, extending courtesies and refuting them like trusted associates. “It’s fine,” she said. “Meredith will probably need some time to calm down, anyway, and she might not want to get back into one of your vehicles.”

John gave a thoughtful nod. “True enough. Okay. We’ll bring Daniel back to Windham later, and it’ll be the last you’ll ever hear from us.”

Catherine squeezed Daniel’s hand, then stepped from her jeans and pulled her blouse over her head. “I’ll see you soon,” she murmured.

He gave a tight nod. “Find my daughter,” he whispered.

No point in hiding what she was. Catherine closed her eyes, then felt her human half slough away. Mutters and gasps sounded from the gathered crowd, then they backed away quickly as she padded through, heading for the path Meredith had taken. A broken branch was her first clue to the girl’s direction, and Catherine loped off into the forest, trying not to think about what might happen if Maisie’s potion didn’t work the way the witch had promised.

* * *

Daniel squinted up at the sun, wishing he knew what its position meant. Time dragged, and he grew more worried, bored, and restless by the minute. Though most of the crowd had dispersed, a few had stayed, most of them watching Angela’s comatose form. John remained conscious, a towel from one of the motel’s bathrooms wrapped around his hips as he slowly paced the dirt lot. No one suggested covering Angela up, and after thinking about it, Daniel decided she probably would have been dismayed if they had. It was June. It wasn’t like she would get cold.

“Should she still be out?” John glanced at his receptionist. “She’s been like that for a while.”

Daniel shrugged. They’d cuffed him again, but they’d brought him and John each a chair, so at least he got to sit. “I didn’t wake up until the next morning.”

John nodded.

Another bleak timespan dragged by. More pacing from John. The remaining bystanders eventually grew bored, and began discussing TV shows. Daniel listened passively as they talked about a popular crime drama, then his attention jerked to Angela when she rolled over and groaned.

“Something’s happening.” John looked excited as he jogged to the woman and knelt beside her. “Angela? How do you feel? Are you awake?”

For answer, she groaned again, her arms wrapping around her middle. “Don’t ask.”

John put a hand on her forehead. “She’s hot,” he stated.

“Probably normal,” Daniel offered, hoping he sounded reassuring.

“You don’t know dick about what’s normal. You’ve never changed anyone before.” John glared at Daniel. “She’d better come through this.”

“She will.” Daniel’s stomach churned. She wouldn’t.

Angela panted, clutching her stomach. Her eyes opened wide. To Daniel’s shock, they were blood-red, the irises lost in a pool of crimson. “It’s like I’m on fire!”

“Daniel, what the hell’s going on?” John looked visibly panicked now, his eyes swinging from Daniel to Angela. “What the fuck was in that shit you made us drink?”

Before Daniel could answer, John seized, his body contorting. A choked yell came from his throat, and he toppled, hitting the ground and succumbing to violent convulsions. His eyelids flew wide, revealing the same frighteningly ruby orbs.

“What the fuck!” Daniel heard weapons cocking, shouts for backup. The barrel of a gun poked into neck. “What’s happening to them?”

With a wild snarl, Daniel ducked away from the gun and began his shift. White-hot pain sliced through him as his expanding body fought the metal, then blessed relief as the cuffs snapped and fell away. With a mighty roar, he jumped, landing atop the minion who’d aimed the rifle at him.

The yard dissolved into chaos. With a quick bite, Daniel broke the neck of the first man, then leapt for a second. Shots sounded, and Daniel felt a sharp pain in one shoulder.

“There’s more of them!”

Daniel swung his gaze toward the forest, his heart leaping as at least a dozen lions poured from the trees. The pride had come! Catherine had told him they would in the final text message, but still, the sight was miraculous. Snarls and roars filled the air, the screams of men a satisfying harmony. Daniel returned to the man he’d tackled, taking grim pleasure in ripping out his throat.

Then a smaller form caught his attention; a blur of white fur. Meredith?

The young tigress jumped, catching a guard by surprise. He screamed, the butt of his gun swinging wildly and knocking Meredith on the jaw. Daniel wove through the melee, determined to get to his daughter before…

A lioness leapt through the fray. Her teeth clamped the guard’s neck, and a froth of blood spurted, staining Meredith’s white pelt. Daniel slowed in amazement, taking in the sight of his mate protecting his daughter. Catherine dispatched the man with easy efficiency, then butted her head against Meredith’s. Meredith’s eyes closed, her tail arching as Catherine licked the blood from her muzzle. The love between them was clear to see.

He loped over, receiving his own share of nuzzles and growls. Meredith batted at him, her eyes sparkling with fun, and he crouched, feeling the urge to play. The scene of destruction and mayhem around them was winding down, the rest of the pride picking off the few who’d managed to run. All seemed well.

Until a boom thundered in Daniel’s ears.

Meredith’s eyes widened, and her jaw fell open as a yowl of pain rent the air. Catherine screamed. Daniel turned his head and spotted a gunman with a rifle tucked into his shoulder. Everything slowed, time itself stretching out.

Meredith collapsed, her body falling like discarded stuffed toy. Dust rose around her in little whirls, a shroud that obscured Daniel’s view.

A wash of red filmed his vision. He turned, spotting the enemy who’d dared to shoot his little girl. An infuriated roar sounded, seeming far away. He sprinted, his legs eating up the ground.

The gunman lifted his weapon again, his eyes big and his hands shaking. He cocked his weapon and aimed, the barrel pointing straight at Daniel.

Thunder. And then darkness.