Scorch: A Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (The Tribe Series) (2 page)

S
he was gorgeous
. I knew as soon as she rolled down her window and I saw those green eyes that she was a shifter. For some fucking reason, I thought she could be my shifter. But I didn’t know who she was or what kind of shifting she did, only that I wanted her.

I waited for her on the steps. Didn’t mean I couldn’t have her, it just meant she wasn’t the one I was looking for.

She fumbled with the keys, trying to let us in the house. I could almost smell the pheromones coming off of her. I smiled, holding back from brushing the dark hair from her shoulder.

Nothing in the rules said I couldn’t have fun on my journey. Nothing said I couldn’t admire a sexy woman if she landed in my arms for the night.

She jostled the door open and turned on the light. “You can put your stuff over there.” She pointed next to the couch. “There’s a bathroom down the hall and towels and stuff.”

The kitchen table was covered in books. Stacks of them everywhere. I picked up the one closest to me and read the cover. “
Mrs. Dalloway
?”

She snatched it from my hand. “Yes, I’m doing a paper on Virginia Woolf.”

“Smart and beautiful,” I commented.

She spun to face me. “What did you just say?”

“I said you’re beautiful.”

“You met me five minutes ago.”

I grinned. “And?”

“And, that’s… Why would you say that?” Her shoulders were pulled back. I recognized that stance. But I still didn’t know what kind of shifter she was.

“Why don’t you tell me what you are?” I put it out there.

“Excuse me?” She stepped back.

“Let’s not play this game, darlin’. I know. You know. We’re both different. No point in hiding it.” It was pulsing through my veins. The need. The want. I’d been on the road too long, searching for the damn mate I was supposed to have, when I had a beautiful woman right in front of me.

She wouldn’t look at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I walked around the table. “If you’re not supernatural, then that snow out there isn’t white.”

Her eyes flared brilliant green. “You go first.” She crossed her arms.

“I like this little game.” I pulled out one of the chairs, making room for my elbows by sliding a stack of classics out of the way.

“Who said anything about a game? If you’re saying what I think you’re saying, this is serious.”

“True.”

“Then you go. What are you?”

I strummed my fingers on the wide planks of the table. “If I tell you, you’ll be honest with me?”

She nodded. “I will.”

“All right then.” I paused. “I’m a jaguar. From the Maddox line.”

Her eyes widened. “There’s a line?”

“Of course, darlin’, there’s always a line. Now you tell me.”

She slumped into the seat across from me. “Panther.”

“And what else?”

Her eyes dropped to the novels lining the table. “That’s it. That’s all I know.”

“You don’t know your line?”

“Just drop it.” She shoved away, standing quickly.

“Drop it?”

She spun on her heels. “Unless you have answers.”

“What kind of answers?” I was curious.

“I’ll take any. Why am I a shifter? How did I end up adopted? How many others are like us? Where is my family? How many lines are there?”

I stood up, holding my hands out. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. You’ve got more than a few questions.”

She folded her arms and glared. “I do. I have nothing but questions.”

For a split second, I remembered why I was here. Why my truck was broken down on the side of the road. I was supposed to be looking for my mate. For the one the council said was betrothed to me. The one Case said I needed to find first.

But one look at this girl, and I couldn’t think about that. I wanted to help her. I wanted to answer her questions. I needed to, and I didn’t know why.

M
aybe it wasn’t
the most honest approach, but I wanted answers, and this was the first shifter who might be able to give them to me.

He didn’t need my real name. He only needed to give me enough information that I could start the journey myself.

My brain was clouded with cramming for exams, writing the paper, and turning over the fact that there was a chance I could find out what shifter line I came from. It was enough to make me feel drunk.

I sat to face him again, ignoring the way his T-shirt clung to his chest. He was sexy and way too distracting, but I needed his help. I could dismiss the irresistible eyes and arms.

“Does that mean you want to help?” I asked. I could ignore a lot of things, but the way he was looking at me wasn’t one of them.

His eyes were intense, as if they could penetrate the air between us. Penetrate through my lies. Penetrate to my secrets.

He nodded. “Sure, I can help, Penny.”

Relief washed over me. Finally, I might know where I came from.

“Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you. You’re the one who picked me up, remember?”

I smiled. “I guess that’s right.”

I knew we both should get some sleep. It was way past midnight. I walked to the hall closet and pulled down a blanket and a couple of pillows. I returned to the living room and tossed them on the center of the couch.

As I arranged the blanket at the foot of the sofa, I wanted to bombard him with questions. They had been piling up for years.

I turned to face him. “Here you go. It’s all ready.”

“Thanks.” He stepped closer to me, and I felt the air around us charge. I didn’t know if it was the shifter magic we shared, but there was an instant spark as if the closer he walked toward me, the stronger it grew.

I inhaled strongly. It felt overpowering this close to him. His hand floated near my cheek. I jerked at his touch, but he didn’t stop. He stroked the side of my face, cupping my chin with his firm fingers.

“I think I should tell you something, Penny.”

I couldn’t help but look in his emerald green eyes. They were full of promises. And lust. I could see it and feel it dripping off of him.

“What is it?” I whispered. I’d never been attracted to someone so quickly.

“I can’t stay in town. Maybe only a night or two.”

“Oh.” I tried to lower my eyes, but he held my chin.

“And I sort of have this life motto.”

“What’s that?” I whispered.

“Never let an opportunity slip through my hands.”

I swallowed, knowing what was coming next. His mouth lowered to mine and the sudden need for him consumed me. It shocked my entire body into an energy I’d never felt. I wrapped my arms around him, as he dipped his tongue inside my mouth. The kiss was electric and heated. Full of passion. Full of warmth and primal need. I’d never kissed another shifter before, and the difference was undeniable.

A growl escaped my throat as he nipped my bottom lip. The panther in me was turned on. She was awake. She was alive.

I didn’t know kisses could taste like this. As if our breath was meant to mingle as one. I inhaled him, feasting on the dessert that was his tongue.

“Ohh,” I purred, feeling the desire sweep through me.

I had a stranger’s arms wrapped around me. His mouth devouring mine. His body eliciting an animalistic pull I’d never felt. And as magnetic as it was, I had to stop. This wasn’t me.

I untangled my arms from his and took a deep breath. I pressed on the hard planes of his chest, feeling the rugged contours of his muscles through his shirt. “We have to slow down.”

His lips twisted into a smile. “Did you hear what I said? I only have one or two nights?”

I nodded. And it sucked. But I wasn’t going to suddenly become a one-night stand kind of girl. Not even a hot as hell jaguar shifter was going to make that happen.

S
he was
like fire in my hands. Lightning I couldn’t hold. My breath was ragged and my jaguar was about to jump out of my skin with primal want for her.

I scanned her face, the rapid movement of her chest, the roundness of her hips. I tugged her closer, keeping a tight hold on her waist.

“Something this intense shouldn’t go to waste.” I leaned down for another earth-shattering kiss. And she didn’t disappoint me. She purred louder this time as I sucked the corners of her mouth and feathered my tongue over her lips.

My hands coasted over her body, needing to drag her clothes off, but she gripped my wrists with surprising strength.

“We need to get to bed,” she whispered, her breath out of control.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” I waggled my eyebrows, but she scowled.

She wiggled backward, escaping my grasp. “Maybe in the morning we can talk about the shifter lines.” She straightened her shirt and smoothed her hair.

“Shifter lines?”

“Yes. You said you’d help. Unless that was just a way to get in my pants.”

I chuckled. “No, that wasn’t it. But it’s still a place I want to be.” I wasn’t the kind of guy to play games. I wanted her. She might as well know it.

“We don’t know each other,” she stated. “As in, I literally picked you up off the side of the road.” She stepped away from the couch and I could feel the intensity between us fade. There was something there. Some kind of connection.

“So?”

“So, I need help finding answers. I don’t need a notch on my bedpost. There’s a difference.”

I considered what she was saying. “I don’t see why they need to be mutually exclusive.”

Her folded arms made me think she didn’t agree. This wasn’t the kind of panther who hooked up. She had a serious streak. The books themselves told me how studious and dedicated she was.

She didn’t spend Friday nights in bars. She wasn’t the kind of girl trying to live out her wild fantasies before she turned twenty-two. She wasn’t looking for her mate. Hell, she might not even know she had one.

“Tonight they are.”

“Huh.” I pulled the shirt off over my head, reveling in how her eyes widened.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Getting ready for bed, darlin’. You don’t think I sleep fully dressed, do you?”

I loved the look on her face. She was trying to take her eyes off me, but she couldn’t. My body did something for her.

“Good night.” She backed out of the room.

“Good night,” I called after her, settling onto the pillows she had arranged for me. I crossed my arms under my head and stared at the ceiling.

This was one more detour from finding my mate, but for the first time since I started out two weeks ago, it was one I didn’t mind. I liked Penny. And after that kiss, I knew she liked me too.

I
stared at the ceiling
, running through the alphabet A through Z, naming my favorite authors, but once I hit Jane Austen, it was pointless. There was a hot-as-shit jaguar sleeping on my couch. One with muscles that rippled and glowed just from every exhalation he took. I’d never seen skin like his.

I wanted to touch it. Touch him. Feel the bronze contours under my fingertips. Memorize where bone touched skin. Trace where muscle met muscle.

But none of it made sense. I just met the guy. Was this how shifter attraction always was? I’d never met a cat before. I’d had a few run-ins with witches, or a wolf shifter, but there wasn’t a mind-numbing attraction trying to possess every nerve ending in my body.

I tried to move from A to B to C to put myself to sleep, but all I could think about was Drew’s tongue and how it moved in my mouth. How it made me make deep purring sounds I didn’t know I could make.

I realized I had an unusual opportunity. The guy was passing through town. I could do something I’d never done and have a fling like nothing on this planet. And at the same time, I could learn about the shifter lines.

I tossed under the covers, feeling guilty for even thinking about the fling. I’d never done that before. But it was hard to ignore the tension between us. The air was tangible when he was near me. My hands sliced through it, feeling the thickness and the magic threading us together.

I turned to my right shoulder. My pillow suddenly felt lumpy and the covers were too hot. I kicked them off, knowing sleep was impossible tonight. All I could think about was Drew and what it meant that he was under my roof. Under my roof with answers. Under my roof with a body I couldn’t resist.

* * *

T
he next morning
, I started a pot of coffee under Drew’s watchful eyes. I could feel them following all my moves. It was as if his stare burned a hole in my ass or my breasts. It made me blush. It made me want to smack him. It made me want to shred his clothes off.

“Coffee?” I asked, bustling around the kitchen. It wasn’t like I was prepared for guests.

“Sure.”

He sat at the table, bringing his elbows to the hard wood surface.

I filled two steaming cups and sat across from him. “So, tell me about the lines.”

“You don’t waste any time.” His eyebrows rose over the mug.

“You said you wouldn’t be around long. I thought it was obvious I need a crash course.”

“True. I have somewhere I need to be.”

“And that’s not here?”

“For now, it is.” He smiled.

I felt warmth stir in my stomach. “I’m glad you said you’d help me.”

“Pretty panther like you should know where’s she from. Besides, your mate is going to be looking for you.”

I practically spit the coffee across the table. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

He pulled his shoulders back. “Maybe we shouldn’t start there. You’re right. We should start with the lines.”

“But you just—”

“Never mind.” He waved me off. “There are seven main cat lines. I’m from the Maddox line. A royalty line.”

“Royalty? Like a king or something?”

He chuckled. “I’m the king’s younger brother. Technically, prince of the Maddox line, but I don’t take the title seriously. It’s my brother who gets wrapped up in semantics.”

“And what exactly is he king of?” I’d never heard of royal shifters. Suddenly, Drew was ten times hotter, if that was even possible. I was having breakfast with a prince.

“He has his own territory. And the Tribe.”

“Tribe?”

“Yeah, the jags he rules. I’m part of that group by default, younger brother and all.”

“Oh.” There was so much to ask. So much to learn.

He took another sip of coffee. “Since I know everyone on my royal side of the family, we can rule out that you’re a Maddox.”

I hadn’t even thought of that scenario, but it was good to know. “I guess that leaves six possibilities?”

“Yep. Six different lines you could have descended from.”

“And how do we figure this out? I was adopted by humans. They know nothing about my birth parents. They were as surprised as I was the first time I shifted. Let’s say it didn’t go well for any of us.”

“Shit.” He stared at me. “They had no idea?”

I shook my head. “No clue. Neither did I.” I paused telling my story. “I think they hated me for it. Thought I was strange and unpredictable. I wasn’t their little girl any more. I was some kind of dark monster. Something evil that had invaded their home.”

Drew’s hand instantly landed on mine. “You’re not a monster.”

I pulled back, the heat from his hand feeling too intimate. “No, I’m not, but they think I am, and that’s all that matters.”

“And so what was your plan? Blend in like a regular college girl? Live a normal life? Ignore your panther?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Sort of. It didn’t go well when the only people who loved me found out, so it never made sense to share my secret again.”

“Hey, it doesn’t have to be like that for you, Penny.”

“About that…”

My cell started to ring and we both stared at it lighting up on the counter.

“Hold on.” I reached for it, as I saw Alexa’s name pop up on the screen. “Hey. Yes, I’m headed to campus soon.” I listened to my study partner rambling about trying to get to campus early.

I looked at Drew, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me while he drank his coffee.

“Okay, sounds good. See you then.” I hung up and returned to my seat. “Study partner,” I explained.

“So you’re not totally alone in the world?” he teased.

“I’m not a complete recluse, if that’s what you’re asking. But I’m careful. It’s why I like living up here. I’m close to campus but not all the way up the mountain. It makes it easy when I want to take a run.”

He knew the hidden meaning in my words. Campus was no place for a panther to live.

“You do live pretty far away from the rest of the students,” he observed.

“It’s better this way. I don’t have to worry about being seen, and I don’t have to worry about anyone getting too close.”

“Too close to the panther or the girl?” His voice was serious and the deep sound almost made me sigh. What in the hell was happening to me?

I ignored him. It might as well be one and the same.

“I have to meet Alexa on campus in an hour. I can drop you off at the service station and then meet up later?” I placed my empty mug next to the sink.

“Later? So I get another invite?”

“We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the cat lines.” I spun to face him. “If you leave now, I may never know where I came from.” I knew how frantic I must have sounded to him. “That is, if you will.”

He smiled. “Of course. I can stay another night. The couch wasn’t that bad.” He laughed, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing I was—neither one of us wanted him sleeping on that couch tonight.