Van, Becca - Alpha Panthers [Terra-form 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (13 page)

“Sore, but good.”

“You’re one hell of a woman, honey,” Ben whispered then kissed her lips, as well.

“I love you, baby,” Saxon stated then kissed her, too.

“Come on. Up and at ’em, lazy bones. We have things to do,” Gage said as he tapped April’s ass.

“Like what?” April asked then covered her mouth as she yawned.

“It’s a surprise. Come on, time’s wasting,” Saxon replied.

“Let me have a quick wash. Oh, what am I going to wear? You guys ruined my clothes.”

Gage didn’t say anything. He just grabbed her hand and led her toward a closet. He opened the door and swept his hand along the feminine clothes hanging from a metal bar. She reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders, pulling him down to her, and kissed him with gratitude, then gave him a smile and wink.

“Oh, thanks. I’m glad I won’t have to walk around naked,” April said, then headed to the bathing chamber.

She was back in moments, clean and dry. The only problem she had was her damp hair. Since she didn’t know if they had any hair dryers and really couldn’t be bothered drying it, she got dressed, then braided her hair to keep it back off her face. She pulled at the soft material her men had used to tie her up with last night and turned toward Gage.

“Do you have any more of this material?”

“Yes, why do you want it?”

“I need to tie my hair up. It helps to keep me cooler with it off my neck. I thought I could tear a bit of this material to use.”

Gage walked to April, took the material from her, pushed one of his claws out from the tip of his finger, and ripped the material. He took her braid from her hand and tied the material at the end of her hair.

“Thank you,” April said.

“You’re welcome. Come on, let’s go and eat, then we will take you to your surprise,” Gage commanded.

Since April was hungry, as well as thirsty, she didn’t quibble over the fact he had ordered her. She let her men lead her back to the banquet dining room, where everyone was gathered for mid-sun meal.

Once they’d all eaten their fill and satisfied their thirst, Saxon helped April from her seat and led her out into the gardens. They led her to her favorite spot near the fish pond. April looked at them quizzically when she didn’t notice any difference. Ben placed his hands on April’s shoulders and gently turned her around to the bench. Except the bench was gone. In its place was a low-slung hammock wide enough for three or more people. Pillows were strewn along the top and bottom of the hammock, obviously placed there for comfort. April felt tears fill her eyes. No one had ever done anything for her or given her anything just because they could. She felt love for her mates fill her up with warmth and joy and knew even though she would miss Olivia terribly, she could never live without her mates at her side. April grabbed her mates and pulled them in close to her. She tried to hug them all at once, but of course, that was an impossibility. She ended up kissing and hugging them one at a time as she thanked them for their generosity.

“We didn’t do this for you, April. Our people did this for you, in appreciation of the love, respect, and acceptance you have shown them and us,” Saxon said.

April looked up as she heard clapping to her left. She couldn’t see everyone and knew she still had a lot of names to learn, but on the smiling faces of her new family, she saw pride, love, and acceptance. By the time the clapping finally ceased, April once again had tears in her eyes. She was too choked up to speak very much, so all she said was, “Thank you.”

April couldn’t believe how much she had cried since she’d met her mates. She had never been one of those females who cried at the drop of a hat. Maybe because her life had been turned upside down and out of her control, then finally right side up again, she’d needed to release all the stress from the upheaval and uncertainty she had endured. She vowed not to cry anymore. She would live, laugh, and be happy instead.

As the members of the panther clan took their leave, they all bowed to their Alphas, smiled, and left the newly mated leaders alone. When everyone was gone, Saxon swooped in, swept April from her feet, and lowered her to the large hammock. April let her body relax into the molding, stretchy material hugging her body. She felt very decadent lying on the hammock as her mates looked down at her, smiling indulgently.

“I love this spot. It’s the most peaceful place in the whole gardens. Your people shouldn’t have done this for me. It will only encourage me to become lazy. I could spend hours out here, reading, daydreaming, and just being lazy.”

“That’s the whole idea, honey, and they’re our people, not just Gage and Saxon’s. They’re ours, they belong to you, as well,” Ben stated, helping April out of the hammock when she tried to rise.

April ignored his comment regarding the members of the panther clan. Instead she laughed as Ben scooped her up and out of the hammock. “I think I’ll need to practice getting in and out of that thing.”

“Someone will always be within calling distance, sweetheart. If you have trouble, all you have to do is ask for help,” Gage replied.

“Hm,” April said, not really commenting. “What happened to Vanessa?”

“She is being held in the dungeons until we decide what her punishment is to be,” Saxon answered.

“I thought you’d already punished her by banishing her from the clan. What more can you do?” April asked.

“It is up to the elders and us to decide what is to become of her. We will have a trial of sorts and decide from there,” Saxon replied through clenched teeth.

“What are your usual punishments?” April asked, a sinking feeling in her gut. She was afraid to hear the answer, but for her own sanity, she wanted to know.

“I don’t think we should discuss this right now,” Gage stated as he turned away from her.

“Please don’t tell me someone will kill her. Please, you can’t kill another human being. It’s not right.”

“Was it right when she nearly killed you? How can you not want to reciprocate in kind?” Gage asked April as he turned to face her.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right. Why can’t you just banish her from the pack? What gives you the right to play God? What gives you the right to decide when someone dies? Please don’t, Gage. I couldn’t live with myself, knowing it was my fault she was killed. I can’t and won’t live with that guilt on my conscience.”

April heard Gage sigh, and he looked from Saxon to Ben and back again. She could see he didn’t want to relent on his decision, but she knew he would now she had voiced her opinion. Their rocky relationship was too new to be put under the strain of that type of guilt, and she could see Gage was going to relent to her wishes.

“All right. See to it, Saxon. But let her know, if she comes anywhere near our land or our mate again, she will die,” Gage commanded as he looked at April.

“Thank you, Gage. You won’t regret it,” April said and smiled with relief.

“I hope not,” Gage muttered under his breath.

* * * *

The next few weeks were the best of April’s life. She worked with the members of the panther clan, learning names and tasks and generally enjoying life. She felt free to be herself, not having to measure up to anyone else’s expectations. Her mates spent each night loving her into oblivion, making sure she reached her own pleasure several times before they even made love to her. She was becoming more confident and carefree. She thought of Olivia often and hoped her friend was all right. She wished there was some way she could get word to her, to let her know that she was safe. But it would be even better if Olivia could come to this place and be with her.

April had just finished with Layla in the kitchen, discussing the evening meal with her and her loyal kitchen hands. She was feeling rather hot and bothered. In fact, she was feeling downright dreadful. Her skin felt clammy, her stomach was nauseous, and she was feeling rather light headed. April thought maybe the heat of the kitchen was getting to her, and she was also a little dehydrated. She grabbed a large glass of water and made her way out of the kitchen, toward the gardens outside. April was feeling decidedly shaky when she reached her hammock. She slid into the hammock and laid her head back on the pillows as she sipped at the water. The breeze on her sweaty skin helped her to feel a little better, as did the water. The nausea in her stomach began to pass, and with it, so did the trembling feeling. She finished her water, placed the glass down onto the ground, and closed her eyes. She had no idea how long she lay in the hammock dozing, but the next time she opened her eyes was to see the leering face of Vanessa leaning over her.

April opened her mouth to call for help, but the feel of an elongated claw at her throat stopped her. She knew one swipe of that claw would be enough to kill her. She lay there staring at the crazed woman, not daring to move or make a sound.

“You should have let them kill me, you stupid bitch. They are going to want me back once I take care of you. They won’t want to leave me again. They will ask me back into their beds with open arms once you’re dead.”

“I feel really sorry for you, Vanessa. Especially if you believe that rubbish you’re spouting. Those three men love me and will never ask you back into their bed. They are my mates, and I am theirs. You won’t live five minutes when they find out you’ve killed me,” April stated.

“That’s what you think, you stupid human. They’ve been coming to my bed in the dungeons every night, spending themselves in my body, pumping me full of their seed. They want me to have their babies. Babies that will be able to change form and not be a half-breed human,” Vanessa spat.

“You’re delusional, Vanessa. Those three men have spent every minute of every night in my bed. I don’t know who you’ve been fucking, but it definitely wasn’t my mates.”

Vanessa’s scream of rage echoed throughout the gardens, alerting the seasoned warriors nearby to her presence. April watched as the woman’s face began to contort, fur springing up all over her skin, her body shifting, her bones cracking and popping, conforming to her new shape. April watched as Vanessa backed up slowly on her four paws and hunkered down, ready to pounce on her and rip her throat out. April didn’t move. She knew she didn’t stand a chance against the crazy panther woman, so she closed her eyes and waited for her own death.

April’s eyes snapped open when she heard a thud and loud growls. She was surrounded by large black panthers, their muscles tense as they waited to protect their Alpha female. Only one panther was fighting the smaller, female panther, and April knew Vanessa didn’t stand a chance. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the sounds of the fight between the two large cats. The sounds were terrifying and vicious, but April knew Vanessa only had herself to blame. The noise was gone, and not a sound could be heard. No birds chirped, no small animals rustling beneath leaves, foraging for food. Only the harsh sound of her own breathing. Vanessa was dead. Cedric, the lead warrior, second in command to her mates, had killed her.

Chapter Twelve

Gage needed to take a run in his beast form and knew his friend and brother were suffering the same urges. He, Saxon, and Ben kissed their mate good-bye, with the promise to be back in a couple of hours. His mate was becoming more demanding as her belly swelled with their child. None of them knew which of them was the father, but to him, it didn’t matter. Any child April had would be loved and cared for. As far as he was concerned, they were all the fathers, regardless of whose sperm had actually joined with their mate’s egg. He didn’t mind her demanding them to make love to her throughout the hours of the day. In fact, he was thankful there were three of them so they could each take a turn at keeping their mate satisfied. He had no idea if their mate’s sex drive was because of her pregnancy or just the plain fact she loved her mates and couldn’t keep her hands off of them. Not that he was complaining. He loved it that their mate was so insatiable, needing them to touch her and love her all the time, but their beasts were feeling a little restless and they needed to let them free for a couple of hours.

Gage and his brother changed and took off, leaving Ben to lumber behind them. His and his brother’s panthers were a lot faster than Ben’s bear, so he and Saxon found themselves in the forest near the tree where they had first found their mate. Gage and his brother waited languorously on the large branches as they waited for Ben to catch up. Ben was just lumbering up the track toward him when Gage saw the air around him shimmer. He saw Ben freeze in his tracks as he sniffed the air. Gage and his brother sniffed the strange scent on their air, as well. The scent they caught on the breeze was familiar yet different. Gage kept still when he heard footsteps heading their way.

* * * *

April had felt the need to follow her mates into the forest. She didn’t usually, but today, for some reason, she just knew she had to be near them. She knew she was probably going to get into trouble from her men, especially her demandingly arrogant Gage, but she wasn’t worried. She only ended up feeling pleasure when he, Saxon, and Ben punished her. She wasn’t silly, though. She had found Cedric and asked him to come along with her so she would be safe as she walked along the forest trail. Of course, since Cedric was second in command to her mates and in charge of the warriors, he had decided to bring along his brother Hugh and five other warriors. She thought that was just a tad paranoid, but she hadn’t argued with him.