Claimed by Her Panthers (5 page)

Owen
nodded. She was wearing heels, so she couldn’t have gotten far. Surely he’d
find her wondering around. Owen tried her mobile, but it said it was switched
off. Getting dressed he then went searching.

Half
an hour later he met Stephan back home. They were both worried and hoped she hadn’t
done anything stupid. “Have you tried ringing her home?”

Owen
sighed. “No. I called her mobile, but it was switched off.”

Stephan
pulled his mobile out and called Angelica’s home phone. It rang to voicemail,
and he didn’t bother leaving a message.

“I
say we go to her house and wait.
Jenika
probably came
and picked Angelica up.”

Owen
growled because he knew that Stephan was right. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

Jenika’s
car was parked
in Joel’s and Angelica’s driveway. Stephan sent a smirk his way, preening at
being right. Owen just prayed that
Jenika
wouldn’t cause
trouble.
 
He got out, and instead of
letting himself in he knocked on the door.

Angelica
answered the door, in black tracksuit pants and a grey top with no bra. She
looked shocked at first before she schooled her features into a fake
smile.
 
“Owen, Stephan, can I help you?”
Angelica wouldn’t look at them.

He
pushed past her. “Yes. What the fuck is going on? You just left this morning.”

Angelica’s
head shot up to meet his eyes, and he knew they flashed panther. Angelica’s
widened, and she took a step back from him, which just pissed him off. Owen
stalked her.

Owen
ignored
Jenika’s
words. “Um … I think it’s best if I
go. Call me later.” Out of the corner of his eyes he saw her run around Stephan
and out the door.

Angelica’s
eyes followed her friend, and then her eyes narrowed on him. “Stay back, Owen.
I don’t know what happened last night, argh, I do, but it won’t happen again.”

She
squealed as he pulled her to him and lifted her so his lips hovered over hers.
“Sweetheart, it’s happening again. You’re mine, ours.” Owen took her mouth in a
possessive kiss showing her just whose she was.

Owen
slid Angelica’s top straps down and cupped her breast. He pulled away from her
lips, and she panted, “Owen, you have to stop. We can’t do this. Stephan, help
please.”

Angelica
wrapped her legs around him, and her fingers ran through his hair.

“I
can
help,
cupcake. Where do you want me?”

 
“No. We have to stop. This is bad. I’m bad. I
can’t do this. We can’t.”
 
Angelica
moaned.

 
Stephan came up to them and nibbled on her
ear. “Why can’t we?”

“Oh,
please you have to stop.” She leaned back closer to Stephan as he sucked on her
neck.

Owen
snarled because he knew he would regret it if he kept going no matter what her or
his body wanted. Pulling away he carried her to the sofa and sat holding her
close to him on his lap. “Okay, tell me why we can’t.”

Angelica’s
breathing was heavy, and her breast rose and fell making it hard for him to
focus. “You’re my brother’s best friends. That’s just the start. I’ve known you
two all my life. There is a decent age difference. And … and … well, that’s
three major reasons.”

Stephan
turned her head so Angelica looked at him. “I haven’t heard one reason why you
couldn’t be with us. We can still be friends with your brother, and with you
knowing us all your life you know you’re safe with us and you don’t have to
spend months and years getting to know us.” Stephan leaned over and brushed his
lips against hers. “Are we really that old?”

Angelica
cuddled into his chest for a moment before she pushed away and out of his arms
and lap. She stood and paced before Stephan and him. Angelica ran her fingers
through her long wavy hair. “You two haven’t shown sexual interest in me
before. What has changed? Until last night I hadn’t even thought of you in any
other way than as my brother’s best friends.” She groaned. “Joel will be pissed
if he finds out what happened last night.”

Owen
got off the sofa and stopped her pacing. He didn’t want her focusing on things
they could worry about later. “Sweetheart, Joel will come around. He may not be
as upset as you think.”

Angelica
pushed on his chest and moved away from him. “It’s not just that. I want to
know why last night
was the first time
you two showed
feelings for me. Well, any sexual feelings. I want to know why right now
anytime you touch me my body comes alive and I feel like I’m in heat. My body
has never reacted to anyone like you two before.”

Stephan
turned her and hugged her to him. “It won’t react to anyone else, cupcake,
because you’re ours.”

Angelica
snorted. “I’m not. Last night was the first time I’ve ever seen you two as more
than just close friends. Last night your eyes did funny things, and I thought
I’d drunk to much alcohol, but now…” She pushed herself away from Stephan and
shook her head. “Something strange is going on, and I want to know what it is
now.” She placed her hands on her hips and glared at both of them.

Owen
couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped past his lips. Angelica looked so cute.
“We’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to say anything or react until we
have finished.”

Angelica
narrowed her eyes on him.
“Fine.”

Stephan
held her hand. “Sit and we’ll tell and show you.”

Angelica
sat with her back straight and her body rigid as she focused on the both of
them. Owen looked over at Stephan. He’d go first. “Since the day we met you
when you were a day old we knew you were something special, something important
to us, we just didn’t know what. We are not human. We are panther Shifters.”

“Ha, ha, very funny.”
Angelica rolled
her eyes. “Be serious.”

Stephan
stepped closer to her. “We are.
Owen, change.
Show
her.”

Owen
took his shirt and unbuckled his jeans.

“Really,
this isn’t just another reason for you to take your clothes off.”

Owen
shook his head and stepped out of his jeans and boxers. He stared at his mate
as he let the shift take over. Bright lights slashed around him, and his body
stretched, his bones changed, and he meowed as he came down on all fours.
 

A
scream resonated around the room, and his cat hissed at the high pitch, which
caused Angelica to scream louder and climbed up and behind the sofa. Stephan
went to her and covered Angelica’s mouth with one hand and held her body to his,
but she fought to get away.

“Cupcake,
you need to stop. Owen would never hurt you. Angelica, you have to stop
screaming.”

He
sat himself on the floor and tried to look as harmless as possible. Owen
wondered if he should change back but thought it might make it worse for her to
see the change again so soon.

Angelica
slowly calmed and stopped clawing at Stephan’s hand that covered her mouth. Her
eyes were wide, and tears slid down her cheek. His heartbeat picked up, and he
felt like a monster. Angelica was terrified. He could smell it coming off her
in waves. Owen knew Stephan would be able to smell it, too.

“Cupcake,
I promise you have nothing to be afraid of. Neither I nor Owen will ever hurt
you. We are panther Shifters. You’re our mate. Owen and I may have taken a
while to figure it out, but we know now.”

“Let
me go.” Angelica pushed at Stephan. “Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me
again.”

Stephan
dropped his hands and backed away with his hands up. Even in his panther form
Owen could see the hurt on Stephan’s face at Angelica’s words. He himself felt
his heart sink.

“Cupcake,
w—”

“Don’t
cupcake me. You two are animals.
Literally.
How could
you have hidden this from me? Oh, God, I had sex with you two.
Unprotected sex.
What if I catch some animal disease? Does
that mean I have a thing for animals?
 
You both bit me. I won’t get rabies or catch something? Please tell me I
won’t change into a pussy cat, too. I’ve never been fans of cats. I like dogs
better. Do I still have to worry about pregnancy? What if I have mutant
babies?”

Owen’s
cat hissed at her last comment. They wouldn’t have mutant children. Angelica
was overreacting. It was time to change back since Stephan seemed happy for her
to go on like a loon. Letting the magic take over he let the change come over
him transforming himself from panther into human. Angelica screamed the whole
time.

Standing
naked, Owen stalked Angelica. She backed up until she hit the lounge room wall.
“Stay back, Owen. Don’t come any closer.”

Owen
didn’t listen and pulled her to him and held her tight. Angelica fought him,
and he waited her out until she calmed. “I’m not letting go until you let us
answer some of your questions and let us explain some things to you. You’re
overreacting. You need to calm down.”

“Calm
down you
say
! The two men I’ve known all my life and
are my brother’s friends turn into animals. Shit, does Joel know about you
two?”

Owen
turned her around so she faced him. “We are still the same people you have
known all your life. Nothing has changed. You just now know we are Shifters.
And yes, your brother knows about us.”
 

Angelica
looked up at him with wide eyes and her mouth open. “Joel knows? Who else
knows?”

Did
he tell her she was the only one in her family who didn’t know? That her
cousins were Shifters? Pain, anger, and betrayal radiated off Angelica.
 
Owen couldn’t imagine how it felt to learn
that Shifters existed and your friends were Shifters and your family knew but
you didn’t. He thought it was best to tell her everything so they had no more
secrets.

Owen
guided her over to the sofa, and he sat. Stephan, who’d stayed quiet, sat on
the other side of the sofa and yanked Angelica to sit between them.

“Sweetheart,
let me tell you first there are rules, and we have a council that decides on
matters.”

Angelica
bit her bottom lip and picked at her fingernails.

“Your
Aunt Stacey knows. She is mated to one of us. Your cousins are Shifters.”

“Oh God.”
Angelica
started sobbing. “Why didn’t they tell me? Why am I only learning now?” Her
body shook, and she hiccupped as tears ran down her cheeks.

Owen
felt like a douche. Angelica was devastated. “Joel moved you from the mountain
not long after your mother passed away, and he and the council thought it best
you didn’t know.”

Stephan
wiped Angelica’s tears and hugged her to him rubbing her back. Owen debated for
a moment if he should continue, but he knew he didn’t want her later finding
out anything that he and Stephan had kept more from her.

“The
only reason you know now is because you’re our mate. You are special. Angelica,
you’re the one woman who both human and animal can love. You’re our soul mate.
The woman who can give us children.
You are our other half.”

Angelica
moved from Stephan’s hold, took a deep breath, wiped her face, and studied both
of them. Then her hand went straight to her neck, and she rubbed his and
Stephan’s mate marks. “You both bit me. Will I change into a cat now?” She
narrowed her accusing gaze on him.

 
“No. Shifters are born. You can’t become a Shifter.”

Angelica
nodded. “Why did you two bite me then?”

Stephan
reached for her hand and moved her attention to him. “Didn’t you like it?”

Owen
held back his chuckle as a wave of lust wafted off her and the smell of her as
she remembered last night become strong and filled the room. He loved that
strong smell of peaches and mango.

Angelica
fidgeted in her seat. “I … I … you know I did.”

Stephan
smirked. “We bit you to warn off other Shifters. You now smell like us,
cupcake. Any Shifter will know you’re mated. The bite also transfers some
magic. You’ll age slower, heal quicker,
have
better
eyesight and hearing.”

“Oh.
My.
God.”
Angelica scrubbed her face. “This is a lot
to take in. You two have to give me some time to let it all settle in. My whole
world just changed in twenty-four hours.” She closed her eyes and let her head
fall back to rest on the sofa.

Owen
wanted to stay, but he knew he needed to give her time. Standing he walked
around and gathered his clothes and dressed. He came back to Angelica and
pressed his lips to hers. “Call us when you’re ready. We’ll be waiting for you.
Please remember we are still the same people, and your aunt and cousins had no
choice.”

He
watched as Stephan kissed Angelica and murmured, “Don’t keep us waiting too
long. I loved sleeping with you in my arms. I want to wake up to that every morning.”