Prowl (Pride Riders Book 3) (5 page)

Aristotle snatched up his jeans and rammed his legs into the clothing. He zipped, but left the button free. After jamming his feet in his boots, he moved toward her. Bane kept her gaze on him as she backed over the threshold. He snatched up his vest off the table and shoved his arms through the holes “Sugar, we may need to find a thrift store and buy us some cheap clothes. Interested in breakfast?”

“Seriously, what don’t you understand about me getting the hell up out of here? I have an appointment to make,” she grumbled.

“I have a degree in computer technology and logistics. Trust me when I tell you I heard you clearly. I choose to ignore the statements I don’t agree with.” He shrugged as he marched past her, slamming the door shut behind him.

“That’s just asinine,” she muttered, as she followed him.

He climbed on his bike and peered over his shoulder at her.

His heated gaze warmed her and butterflies fluttered in her belly. She gripped his shoulder and mounted the seat behind him. He turned the key and the cycle roared to life. Bane wrapped her arms around his waist and dropped her forehead against the back of his neck. What the hell happened? Instead of following through with getting away from the cheetah, she’d willingly joined him. The honey badger at the back of her mind sniggered.

“Shut up,” she mumbled.

Aristotle stopped at the edge of the parking lot. He tossed over his shoulder. “I’m going out on a limb here, but are you always this cranky in the morning?”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” she curtly responded. As if on cue, her belly rumbled again.

“Oh, this must be one of those ‘I’m female and hungry’ things. My sister-in-law Shay is always munching on something. Do I need to make a stop to grab you a snack pack and a juice box?”

She narrowed her eyes.

He took his hands off the handlebars and half twisted to face her. “What’s that look for?”

“I bet you didn’t know I can call you an idiot in five different languages.” She kept her tone even.

“I’ve been called worse by my brothers.” He turned around. “Breakfast first, then. I want you happy.” He pulled into morning traffic.

She rubbed her face on the leather to hide her smile.

Chapter Five

Ari steered his bike into the parking lot of an eatery with a street side chalkboard sign stating
Bikers Welcome
written on it in large block letters.

He was learning his mate could get surly if she didn’t eat. She emptied an entire container of honey on the pancakes they’d had for breakfast. In addition to the flapjacks, she’d consumed half a dozen scrambled eggs, and—to his shock—several slices of bacon and links of sausage. He was willing to bet his woman could put Shay to shame when it came to eating. Bane had a healthy appetite. He could devour food—all shifters could—but his honey badger was voracious. She threw herself into whatever she was doing wholeheartedly. He had the scratches on his back to prove it.

He parked and waited. Bane pressed flush against his back and he relished the weight of her lush curves pressed to his body. The phone in the inside pocket of his vest had been consistently vibrating every half hour. He would have to deal with his family soon. First, he wanted to circle back to his place and hunker down for a little while. The Pride would never think to look for him within territory.

He wanted to make Bane comfortable, allow her to get used to the area without the added pressure of his family interfering in his mating. He had no doubt El and Trace would enjoy his discomfort at their teasing. La’s relentless questions shot at him would be mild compared to the interrogation they put Bane through. Goddess help them, but all he wanted was to be alone with his woman for as long as he could, and he knew how obnoxious he’d been during their claiming.

Ari hitched his shoulders and whispered softly. “Sugar.”

She pulled away from him and instantly he missed the feel of her against him. “You pick the strangest places to dine at.”

“I liked the sign.” He turned the key to shut off his bike and the constant vibrations of his motorcycle ceased. “If you’re not hungry, then we can keep riding. We’ll be home by the end of the day.”

“No, this is fine.” She slid off the cycle. “I’m going to go find the ladies room in this
establishment
.”

He didn’t miss her emphasis on the last word. Her dry sarcasm tickled him. “Yeah, you do that.” He rose up and cracked his neck.

They approached the restaurant’s heavy wooden door. It swung open, almost hitting Bane, but she skipped back to avoid being hurt. A woman stepped from the dark interior and into the sunlight. Her short mass of red curls framed her face like a mane and her amber-colored eyes widened. “Oh, excuse me.” Her tone was low, accentuated by a seductive accent.

Bane cocked her head. “Hmm,” she muttered as she moved past the redhead without another word.

Ari held the door and nodded. He released the doorknob to walk past her, but she hovered in the entrance blocking his path. He stopped short and peered down at her. “Something I can help you with?”

“Is that your motorcycle?” She tipped her chin toward Greta.

“It is.” He looked over his shoulder before returning his gaze to the stranger.

“That is a beautiful piece of machinery.” She sauntered over to the bike and skimmed her fingers over the leather seat.

He stepped out of the entryway, allowing the door to swing shut. His curiosity was piqued; a beautiful woman like her usually didn’t notice him. He was a nerd. When he was with El or Trace, the opposite sex gravitated toward his brothers.

Suddenly, he was mated and now he was being hit on; interesting. Her scent carried on the breeze. She wasn’t human; he caught the distinct aroma of cat. It was comparable to several women in his Pride, almost exactly like Zima’s lioness. He studied the female.

She looked nothing like Zima. This lioness was a redhead with a spattering of freckles across her nose standing out vibrantly against her creamy peanut-butter complexion. On the other hand, Zima was a blonde with pale alabaster coloring. They did share a similar build. The parallels ended there.

“Thank you. Where you’re from?” Ari ambled closer. Her accent reminded him of Gunter’s.

“Here and there. I’m a bit of a gypsy and never spend much time in one place. Currently I am enthralled by all the lovely sites in the US.” She rounded the back of his ride, stopping to rest her hips on the seat. “I bet rolling through the countryside on this is absolutely invigorating.”

“It’s my preferred mode of transportation. How are you getting around?” Ari kept space between them.

The vibes coming off the woman were off. There was a slight squeak and the faint scent of honey reached him a moment before his mate come to stand behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at Bane. Her expression was unreadable. Although she’d didn’t say anything, he didn’t doubt Bane was bat-shit crazy. He knew how he would feel if he found another shifter flirting with his mate. Would his honey badger behave the same way?

The chick briefly looked at Bane, and scowled before turning her attention to Ari. She smiled and flashed extended sharp canines. “You’re a cat, but I can’t get a sense of which genus.”

“Where are your manners, kitty? It’s not nice to ask shifters about their animals.” Bane inched up next to him and angled her head his way. She fixed him with an unwavering stare as she continued. “I thought we were going to have lunch?”

“I was chatting with…” he lifted his head, grinning wide. “I missed your name.” He directed his question to the lioness sitting unrepentant against his bike.

“Leoane,” she purred.

Bane growled deep in her throat and prowled forward.

With a thin brow cocked, Leoane peered at her rival. “I would hate to kill you, little animal.” Her tone was cutting and a slow half-smile lifted the corner of her mouth. “A badger, right? Your odor is distinctive.” She wrinkled her nose.

Tension tightened the muscles in Ari’s shoulders. He reached for Bane’s arm a split second too late. She was on the move. Without a sound and in the blink of an eye, she’d crossed the short space and grabbed the shifter by the throat.

Leoane gripped the honey badger’s wrists and threw her head forward to slam it against Bane’s.

“Babe, I get you have a point to make, but could you swing her away from Greta?” Ari circled them, watching in horror as Bane dragged Leoane by the hair and banged her head into the gas tank. Ari cringed when his bike wobbled on the kickstand.

The lioness stumbled back. She opened her mouth and snarled. Thick claws erupted from her fingertips. Slicing them across Bane’s chest, the lioness leaped up onto the bike’s seat and used it as a springboard. The cycle crashed over.

On her way down, Leoane slashed at the honey badger’s shoulders and shoved her forward, bulldogging her into the asphalt. Bane slid a few feet across the hard rocky blacktop.

Ari’s cheetah rose within him, jerking on the chains binding it. He moved to grip Leoane by the collar and Bane twisted. She glared at him and growled, “Mine!” His mate got to her knees and pushed off the hard top.

Leoane rolled her shoulders, circling his companion. “You want some, come get some.”

Crimson blood colored the three parallel tears in Bane’s shirt. She pursed her lips and stood still. Her gaze never left Leoane. “It’s been a while. I’m a bit rusty, but on my worst day, I can kick your ass.” She wiped at the blood dribbling from her nose with the back of her hand.

“Not only are you’re an odd creature, but you’re delusional as well.” Leoane flexed her fingers. “I will take so much pleasure in disemboweling you.”

“Like most lions, you are all talk.” Bane lifted her arm and pressed her fingertips together, mimicking a talking motion. “Yada, yada, yada.”

Leoane’s lips pulled back to expose a row of sharp teeth. Her nose spread and fur sprouted over her cheekbones. Bane dropped on to her palms and charged the lioness.

His cat studied Bane through his eyes; the animal liked her stubborn attitude.
Yeah, for how
long
, he fired at his beast.
It won’t be cute once she turns that insolence on us
.

Chatter drew Ari’s attention away from the dueling women. He glanced around. A small crowd had drifted out of the restaurant and stood in the parking lot watching the action. One guy lifted a bottle to his lips and took a deep swig of the beverage before yelling out, “Hell, yeah, my money is on the black chick.”

Ari studied both of them. If he wasn’t wrong, both of the women were African-American. He needed to get them under control before they completely shifted and gave the humans a shock. He had two choices: get them apart, or draw the attention to him.

Bane backhanded Leoane. Her head snapped back before she crouched and plowed her shoulder into his mate’s belly. The honey badger banged her fists on the cat’s back. Leoane dropped to her knees and Bane kicked her in the ribs. Feral sounds and deep growls escaped them. The lioness shifter fell to her side and tried to sweep Bane’s feet out from under her. She stumbled back and Leoane rose up. She formed a fist and punched Bane in the groin. His mate bent over and dropped her head.

An audible gasp rose from the group surrounding them.

“Bitch, my balls are in the inside.” Bane raised her head. Her irises had completely changed, overshadowing the amber color of her eyes. The muscles along her back bulked up to split her T-shirt at the seams.

That was Ari’s cue. He spun on his heel and pushed through the mass of people, moving toward the guy who called out earlier. The man turned his way and Ari threw his fist, connecting with the side of the fella’s face. His bottle slipped from his fingers as he lifted his chin.

“Now why’d you have to go and hit me?” the guy slowly drawled.

Ari narrowed his eyes.

The man straightened up, and wrinkled his nose. He combed stringy hair out of his face with his fingers and sighed. “Damn cats, think they own every-fucking-place.” He jammed his fist into Ari’s ribs.

Ari took the hit and raised an arm to block the blow aimed at his face. A myriad of scents hit him like body blows. He should have gone into the bar. Different animal odors blended together. It was a damn shifter bar, and he was too busy watching the women to pay attention to his surroundings.

Fuck
. His beast reared its head and growled. Too many men were around and his animal wanted to piss on every bike to leave a scent mark. Maybe Gunter was right and all his senses were screwed up.

The attention shifted to him and the big biker. The guy’s jaw stretched, and his lips thinned, lifting away from his teeth. He bellowed. His breath, ripe with stale alcohol, blew over Ari’s face.

Ari groaned. Just his luck; he had antagonized a freaking bear. “This could be a problem.”

“Ya think?” Bane appeared in his peripheral vision.

He glanced over his shoulder. “I thought you were busy?”

“You needed me more.” She shrugged. “Duck!”

****

Bane spun, swung up her leg and planted her booted foot in the lioness’s chest.

The shifter hit the concrete with a thud. Bane stalked forward and a bear’s roar slowed her steps. People shifted around her, moving toward the two men.

Bane turned her head in the direction folks were facing. Aristotle stood in front of a huge biker. She twisted around, just in time to see her opponent regain her feet. Leoane had got in some good licks and she needed to return the favor, but seeing Aristotle facing off with the big beast reminded her of a David and Goliath situation. She walked away from her fight and took a deep whiff of the air.

Why the hell would he challenge a bear?

She pushed through the shifters and stopped, standing next to Aristotle in time to hear him mutter to himself. She responded to his whispers and yelled out a warning just as the big guy raised a meaty arm.

At least Aristotle’s reflexes were quick.

He dipped, swiftly sidled up next to the biker and buried a fist in his belly. Then he rammed another punch into the guy’s ribs in a quick one-two jab before dancing away. Aristotle’s jabs weren’t having the desired effect, as the bear lumbered toward him with his arms spread wide.

Bane scanned the crowd. She had to help the cheetah.

Why?
Slowly she eased back. This was her opportunity to leave. With Aristotle otherwise occupied, she could disappear.

There was still the possibility she could save the job she was on. Once the Colonel calmed down, she might be able to renegotiate the deal. It was just a matter of agreeing to and collecting her fee. Then she could make her way to an island paradise far away from the cat.

She glanced in the direction she’d come from. People stood in her path and she could just make out the top of Aristotle’s head. He would vanish and reappear in another spot. The burly man wheezed as he lunged and the crowd gasped. She turned and walked away, ignoring the niggling feeling of despair working its way through her mind.

He was a cheetah, for Goddess’ sake, one of the big cats. Aristotle could take care of himself.

Bane wrapped her fingers around the bike’s handlebars. Her muscled strained as she heaved it up and climbed on. She sat there and made no move to fire up the engine. Leaving Aristotle was wrong. Her beast chittered loudly in her mind. She shook her head to clear her head. Hot-wire the motorcycle, that’s what she needed to be doing.