Vision Revealed (12 page)

flesh covering her body any more than he did the musky perfume she’d sprayed over

herself before leaving the room. Something told him she wore it exactly for that reason.

Not because of him in particular, but because leopards in general wouldn’t like it. The

snug-fitting black pants and large coat distracted anyone who spoke to her from seeing

the real Jin. And ever since they’d left the motel to go with Dover, the real Jin was

nowhere around.

The door opened and warmth from inside spilled out around them.

“Dover,” a female leopard said, smiling cheerfully at him until she shifted her attention

to Kane and Jin. Her expression sobered and the happy scent he’d immediately picked up

on disappeared and was replaced with concern and possibly trepidation. “Welcome to our

den,” she offered, stepping to the side and nodding her head slightly.

“Let Tore know Jin Rose is here.” Dover stood just inside the door, allowing Kane and

Jin to enter farther into the home. “Then I’ll take you on that run I promised you.”

The female nodded once, her eyes glowing and showing her excitement over the

invitation before she hurried out of the room and up a flight of stairs.

“Is that the youngest Sheridan female?” Jin asked.

Dover nodded.

“I thought she was younger than that.”

“She’s grown up,” Dover said, although not offering a scent or even twitch of the mouth

to indicate whether he cared or not.

Jin barely made a show of acknowledging his comment, apparently done with the trivial

conversation, and strolled into the middle of the living room, leaving him and the owl

closer to the door. She made a show of taking in the pictures on the walls, the strong,

well-built matching furniture and the huge hearth at the end of the room. A decent fire

kept the room warm, the crackling and snapping of firewood offering a serene touch. All

indications offered this was a happy, content den. Although Kane knew little about such

places.

He stiffened, taking a step forward before stopping himself when footsteps sounded on

the stairs. Several leopards approached and Kane wanted to reach for Jin, pull her back

against him and growl at anyone who didn’t honor her with the respect she deserved.

The female who answered the door reappeared, all grins as she ignored the two of them

and walked up to Dover. “I’m ready to go,” she announced.

Another female, very similar in appearance although easily ten years older, entered the

living room and also ignored Jin and Kane. “Where are you taking her?” she demanded to

know.

The female in question grabbed Dover’s arm and pushed him toward the door. Kane had

no problem stepping out of the way. He took advantage of the moment and moved in on

Jin, slipping his arm around her waist and keeping her tucked in next to him. He credited

her with enough sense not to fight him off in front of the other leopards.

“Darla is safe with Dover.” Tore’s booming baritone bounced off the walls when he

entered the living room. He was the first to acknowledge Kane and pinned his gaze on his

arm around Jin before focusing on the matters with his den. “He will protect her.”

“It would be more like me protecting his feathered ass,” Darla grumbled, but then

laughed as she opened the front door and allowed cold air to spill in around them.

Tore reached for his mate, ignoring her concerned expression, and nodded to Dover,

releasing the younger leopard into his care. When the door closed behind them, a short-

lived silence hung around them.

“I’ll get coffee,” Tore’s mate decided, pushing away from him.

“You don’t need to entertain Jin Rose,” Tore growled.

Kane shot him a warning glance, letting him know with a look he didn’t care whose den

they were in. The male would honor Jin or deal with his wrath.

“They were honored by being invited into my den,” his mate snarled, shoving him in the

chest and then stepping backward, her spicy-smelling temper filling the room with its

pungent odor. “They will know this is a den with manners and good breeding.”

She stormed out of the room while Tore growled, obviously fighting to not show off how

good that breeding actually was.

Tore still looked more than put out when he turned his hostile glare on them. “So, Jin

Rose, you return from the dead.”

“Do I smell dead to you?” she asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

She hadn’t complained at all about her ankle this morning, but Kane watched her,

making it clear to her as well as Tore he’d defend her in a second if the situation

demanded it.

“Not yet. But you will. The mark on your head hasn’t disappeared. You’re a bigger fool

than you smell to return here.”

Jin held up her hand without looking at Kane, as if she knew he wouldn’t appreciate

Tore’s words. “You knew I’d come back. I had unfinished business.”

“What unfinished business is that?” Tore asked as his mate returned to the room with a

tray in her hands. Tore took a plate of meat and cheese from her and set it on the coffee

table next to the coffee and mugs she set down. “It seems I remember you were quite

finished here.”

Kane swore Tore’s mate shot Jin a cutting glance, her lip curling slightly before looking

away in the next moment and busying herself pouring coffee.

He turned to Jin, her eyes glowing a metallic green and her black hair reflecting the glow

from the fireplace. She accepted the cup of coffee from Tore’s mate with a small smile

that possibly held a bit of humor. There was some history here he didn’t know about, and

if he wasn’t paying as close attention as he was, he might have missed the glint of

amusement that barely drifted through the air before Jin successfully masked all her

emotions once again.

“At the time I was finished.” Jin didn’t move when Tore and his mate moved to the

couch. “Are any other hunters showing up today?”

“No,” Tore announced. “Tell me what you want, Jin. I’ll decide if it merits pulling the

other hunters in on this.”

She didn’t like his answer. It was apparent the way she stared at him over her mug,

gathering whatever strength she needed to continue and say what she needed. Kane

remained positioned where he was, standing to the side when the two leopards grew

comfortable on the couch.

“It merits it. I wouldn’t howl for all of you otherwise.”

“What is this about?” he demanded.

“Leo Pard.” Jin said the two words without inflection, but even the fire seemed to quit

crackling when she uttered them.

Tore stared at her a long moment. “Your sire,” he growled.

His mate growled too and her eyes turned silver as she glared at Jin. Kane moved,

grabbing her, and Tore’s attention when he moved in front of Jin.

“It’s okay.” Jin’s tone was softer than normal, the only indication she offered that she

might be afraid.

Kane shifted his weight, unwilling not to protect her. She placed her hand on his chest,

those damn green eyes radiant when she looked up at him. He put his hand over hers and

felt her trembling, as well as the dampness of her flesh. Like hell it was okay.

Jin held her head high when she shifted her attention to the leopards on the couch. “Yes,

my sire.”

“How dare you claim the hunter title when his blood ran through you,” Tore’s mate

screamed as she lunged off the couch.

Apparently Tore wasn’t going to allow a female fight any more than Kane was.

“Maurie!” Tore roared, wrapping his arm around his mate’s waist and yanking her back

against his chest when she would have leapt at Jin.

Kane held on to Jin, pushing her behind him in spite of her effort to stand and take her

fight. Ignoring her growls, and Tore’s mate, whose incisors pressed down against her

lower lip while she continued snarling in her mate’s arms, he focused on Tore.

“Jin wouldn’t howl for you and the other hunters if what she needed to share with you

didn’t hold merit.” He spoke calmly, willing to honor the hunter and his den by keeping

his temper at bay. It wasn’t his nature to snap at a mated female anyway.

Mated or unmated, female leopards were a nasty lot when their tempers soared. Kane

had no problem accepting Tore would keep his mate in line.

“What do you want to tell me about Pard?” Tore growled. His arms were wrapped

around Maurie, his mate, but his attention was on Jin.

Again the sensation there was history between this small group Kane didn’t know

prickled up his spine.

“Choose your words carefully, Jin,” Tore warned. “Remember, I was there too.”

“For a long time I did everything I could to forget the entire nightmare.” Jin didn’t try

pushing away from Kane. She trembled slightly, but if it was because of fear or nerves

simply on overload from the intensity of what she howled about, Kane couldn’t tell. That

damn dead flesh she adorned herself with made it impossible to sniff her out. The fact she

remained in his arms was the only proof he had she wasn’t as strong as she tried to sound

when she continued speaking in her calm, flat tone. “Over the past few months, however,

it became overwhelmingly important to me to restore honor, if not for my litter, then

possibly for myself.”

“How do you propose to do that, Jin?” Tore tilted his head, studying her and appearing

to choose his words carefully as he shot Kane a side glance. “Much of what was howled

about you was more…unscrupulous behavior.” An odd scent, not quite embarrassment

but possibly close, filled the air. Maurie looked over her shoulder, frowning at her mate,

but he didn’t return her attention. “Often times the only way to repair the way leopards

view a rogue is for that leopard simply to run down a better path. Giving a speech to

hunters won’t fix your past.”

Jin’s laughter sounded melodic, relaxed and easily humored by his words. Kane also

knew it wasn’t her natural laugh. He was starting to see this female had mastered living a

dual life, one every leopard saw and sniffed her out as, and the other the female Kane

first met in the field and chased down. He accepted Jin didn’t plan for him to meet the

real female hiding behind leather, human perfume, wigs and contact lenses, but Kane

trusted and honored the elements that guided him through life and along the better path.

Jin came to him in visions for a reason and ran across his path for the same reason.

“I’ve had some incredible adventures over the years,” Jin offered, still chuckling,

although she didn’t smell happy. All she smelled of was leather and musky perfume he

planned on throwing away the first chance he got. She shifted in his arms. “I admit my

younger years were wilder than some, but I’m sure not as wild as others. I know I don’t

have to tell you leopards love howling about others and often the stories grow grossly out

of proportion before they’re done.”

Kane didn’t release her when she started trying to ease away from him. Instead,

tightening his grip, he gave her a quick squeeze, which apparently proved enough. Jin

stilled, not relaxing but not struggling to move away either.

“I’m not concerned about confirming or denying what’s been howled about me in the

past,” Jin said. “You’re right, Tore. Only different behavior would change anyone’s

opinion of me, and honestly, I won’t be around long enough to do that.”

Kane stiffened, feeling Tore’s attention shift to him and the male’s speculative gaze burn

his flesh. Focusing on Jin’s shiny black hair and its thick, smooth sheen, he paid attention

to how it bordered her smooth, creamy complexion. Her tongue darted over her lips,

moistening them. And as if she guessed her words affected him, she looked up, those

bright green eyes searching his face. There was no emotion, no compassion or reassuring

look. Not one muscle twitched in her face. If he had a moment alone with her, he’d give

her a good solid shake, anything to wake up the real Jin he was starting to believe had

gone dormant while this superficial female, who was too cocky and confident in her

manner, continued parading around in her body.

“What I have to say is about each of you, information that will allow smells from the

past few years to make more sense. All of us fought tooth and claw to bring down Leo

Pard.”

“Like hell,” Tore growled.

Once again Maurie snarled, moving toward Jin before her mate could grab her. “When I

first met Tore and the other hunters, I believed all of them worked for Pard. I quickly

sniffed out the truth, but you…” she snarled, coming within inches of Jin and glaring at

her with a venomous scent that bordered on hostile. “Tell me you didn’t work with Pard

in that mansion in Arizona. But wait, take off that leather you use to hide your scent and

then I dare you to let me smell the truth on you when you say you fought for your own

kind. You ran hard to destroy all of us. I don’t see a god-damn reason why my mate or

any of the other hunters should do anything other than rip your throat out.”

Jin pushed away from Kane. He let her go, knowing if Maurie attacked, he would be

better with his hands free. It wouldn’t be hard to prevent the two females from going at it,

but Jin deserved the right to defend herself after such a severe insult to her honor.

“I know in my heart and in my soul I’m doing the right thing coming here to share what I