Tane's Mate: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Shifter's on the Run Book 1) (24 page)

She kicked the gun away to give herself a fighting chance. Placing her hand on his shoulders felt like she was locked into a private prison with him. His pain was real and it came out to capture her, threatening to never let her go.

He looked up at her with haunted eyes.

“Sorry,” the word was so low that she almost didn’t hear it. “The guards are close. You and your crew, they need to leave now if you want to make it out alive.”

“What about you and your crew?” she asked him rubbing his shoulder.

He shook his head but didn’t say anything.

“Are you crazy? Why would you just roll belly up and die.”

“What else can we do? Look at us. We’re so messed up none of us knows what to do.”

“Well here’s a start, live. Live! Rim, you owe it to yourself and your crew.”

She flashed him a small smile before she backed away. He was still on his knees when she climbed into the SUV.

“So we’re a crew now,” Jay said teasing her.

“Sounded good at the time,” she flashed her teeth at him.

They laughed while she looked out the window at Rath.

“Who are you?”

He gave her a huge smile. “I’m Rath, could have sworn I introduced myself earlier.”

She shook her head and then turned her attention back to Rim. “What’s going to happen to him?”

“In roughly three minutes I’m going to give him a memory that will drive him crazy. It will also force him off his knees and make him run like the devil is chasing him. His crew will follow and they will get the chance at a life they all feel they don’t deserve.”

“Why do you care?”

“Why do you?”

She opened her mouth to reply but Rath was gone. Rim screamed, stood up and ran. His crew was right there with him following him.

Tane turned the key and took off in the opposite direction gunning his way through the wild field.

*~*~*~*

Two days later…

Everything had changed. Leza took a look in the mirror of the hotel room they were in. Their destination was still a secret although Tane did tell her they were coming closer to it. The heaviness that was riding her shoulders disappeared. She no longer thought they were being followed. As far as being top of the most wanted list that probably changed when Rim and his crew made a run for it. Soon the government would be running thin, pulling its agents in so many different directions.

The red dress looked incredible on her. She couldn’t wait to dance the night away in Tane’s arms. He promised to take her to the hottest club in town.

It was funny to think about her old life. The life where she didn’t go out to parties or clubs. She was too consumed by her job and doing it well to really think about going out. Then there was the fact that she used to be a loner, but now she had Tane and his family had become hers.

There was a time she was so insecure about her body. Too small she used to think. Who wants someone who looks like her? Too much back pain. There were a thousand things she thought were wrong with her until she met Tane. He showed her there were a thousand and one things right with her.

“You ready?” Tane walked behind her so she could see him in the mirror.

He was wearing a sexy purple shirt. It hugged his chest giving her just enough of a view to let her and the rest of the world know his chest was hard and defined. The desire to strip it off of him was real. The shirt was tucked into a pair of beautiful grey pants that were cuffed. Cuffed. She had a secret fetish for cuffed pants. What she wanted to do on her hands and knees wouldn’t get them anywhere except to a bed.

“I’m ready.” She turned around and walked into his arms kissing him. He took her hand and walked her outside. They commandeered the SUV for the night.

He opened the door for her before jogging around to the driver’s side and getting in.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I’ve run into a few advertisements for this new underground night club that’s supposed to be nice. Dress to impress is what I keep hearing about it. I thought you might like something like that.”

“Shouldn’t we go get something to eat first?”

“I heard the place has a kitchen with the best food in town. If you want we can go somewhere else first.”

“No, I want to give this a shot.”

“Perfect.” He shot her a smile as he drove a little faster. The city feel passed by giving way to suburbia. Somewhere between suburbia and rural he stopped.

Before them was a glitzy night club with a parking lot full of cars. Tane circled around finding the only spot opened that was almost in front of the front door.

“That’s a good sign.” He parked the SUV and got out to open her door.

“Or they’re expecting us,” Leza said after he left the vehicle. She slid into his arms when he opened the door like a gentleman. They walked to the club hand in hand.

“ID,” the man at the front door said.

“I don’t have any,” Leza said.

“No worries, hands. Yours too,” he said to Tane.

A small electric current shot through her hand making her look at the bouncer with worry in her eyes.

“You passed. Welcome.”

Leza’s eyes went wide when they walked in. It wasn’t what she expected after having been to the first Other club she was in. This one came with all the bells and whistles. It was sleek on the inside, giving you just enough light to see, but not enough to be harsh.

If a human walked in they would complain about it being dark but she could see perfectly in the dim lighting. The bar sat high on a platform and seemed to be stocked with every type of alcohol known to mankind or maybe she should say shifter-kind.

Tane showed her to a table before he went to the bar. He came back with a peach daiquiri easy on the alcohol for her and a beer for himself. She took a small sip not wanting to get brain freeze.

With a smile he took her to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms slow dancing with her. She could feel his obvious need as he ground into her.

When they got back to the table, the male from the first Other bar was sitting in a seat.

“I took the liberty of ordering dinner for the two of you.”

Tane’s eyes darkened. She placed her hand on his chest.

“Thanks. The name is Leza and this is Tane.”

“Your mate,” the male stated.

“Your name is…?”

“You may call me Talon.”

“How did we end up at an Other club, Talon?” Tane held out Leza’s chair before he took a seat.

“It seems you’re to be welcomed into the family.”

“The family?” Leza inquired.

“We’ve been watching the shifters the government has been making for a while now. Do they live or do they die has been the question?” Rath spoke standing beside Talon.

Leza shook her head because he hadn’t been there a minute ago. He placed the chair in his hand at the table and sat. A waitress came out with four plates of food before giving them a smile and walking off.

“It looks good.” She looked at the food with appreciation.

“Wait till you try it.” Talon lifted a bite to his lips.

“As Rath was saying. Your fate was up in the air. The two of you became the test. Either you would pass or fail.”

Tane ate in silence before turning to Leza with a casual look. “Love, did you take some internet course and forget to tell me about it?”

“I meant to tell you I had my fortune read. It said something about fighting for my life and possibly killing anyone that annoyed me.”

Tane nodded thoughtfully. “I do like the last part.”

Talon and Rath laughed low and deadly.

“The test was an easy one.” Rath took over. “What would happen when you were put in a situation that threatened your life.”

“Rim was going to kill me. I didn’t find that situation easy.”

“Still you were willing to sacrifice your life for your mate. Your mate was willing to allow you your own choices even though all he wanted to do was stand in front of you.”

“So what does any of this mean?” She took a deep breath because her panther was telling her to claw them.

“It means you’ll live.” Both males stood up.

Rath smiled sending chills up her spine. “You’ll see us again.”

They flashed out of sight without even turning around.

She looked down at her empty plate. The food was good, the dance was even better, but all she wanted to do was leave this place.

They were on a journey to the place they would call home and she wanted to get there. Decorate the house. Scream at the males about taking off their shoes. Spend endless nights in Tane’s arms. She could do without dealing with Others who had more power than they needed.

Tane took her hand and they left the nightclub to find the parking lot empty.

“Let’s make a pact,” Tane said as Leza climbed into the SUV.

“Tell me.”

“We stay as far away from Talon and Rath as possible. We avoid Other night clubs. We go to our new home and forget the rest of the world exists.”

Leza reached over and shook his free hand. “Let’s not forget the part where you love me forever.”

Now it was time to find their new place in the world and live the life that had been denied them. She reached over and placed her hand on his leg.

“Forever, Love.”

I loved writing this story. The characters got in my head and wouldn’t let me go. Even now they are whispering to me, telling me there is more to come. If you love these characters the way I do, please let me know!

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