Feral Claws (The Midnight Panther Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  He cleared his throat, and I noticed I had been staring. I quickly looked away and grabbed another fist full of clothes, shoving them into my bag. I faced away from him to zip my bag and hide my blushing. Who knew two weeks of celibacy would turn me into a horny mess?

  “Are you sure I can’t talk you out of going?” He asked.

  His voice sounded huskier than normal, and the animal side in me wanted to jump him right then and there. However, my human side prevailed.

  “Nope.” I replied.

  He crossed his arms across his chest, stretching the gray material of his wife beater across his muscles. I gulped and looked back down to my suitcase.

  “This is something I need to do. Alone.” I locked eyes with River’s then, making sure he understood what I meant.

  He raised both hands in surrender.

  “I understand. Can I know where you’re going?” He asked.

  It hadn’t been the first time he asked, and I had avoided answering every time. I hesitated, choosing my words carefully.

  If he didn’t have at least a sliver of an idea about where I was going, he might follow me. My only option was to lie and hope that he didn’t suspect me. I decided to play it safe and mix in part of the truth.

  “I’m going to see the ocean, maybe Myrtle Beach.” I shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal.

  River’s arms fell to his side, but he gave no indication about whether he believed me.

  “Do you have enough money?” He asked, changing the subject.

  Part of leaving River meant leaving my job. I knew that even if we were permanently separated, he would still let me work with him, but it didn’t seem right to me. So, I had quit- at least temporarily.

  Mine and River’s finances were always separate, and he never made me pay any of the bills. This left me with over ten thousand dollars saved in my bank account, plenty enough for what I needed to do.

  River knew this, he was just stalling.

  I sighed. “Yes.”

  I shoved the rest of my clothes into the suitcase before tucking in my phone charger, an extra pair of boots, my toiletries, and my mother’s old locket. I hadn’t touched the gold chain in years, but placing it onto the pile now gave me a final sense of determination.

  I zipped up my bag and turned back to face River.

  “I guess it’s time for me to split…”

  My words sounded forced. I didn’t want to end our conversation with a goodbye. I wasn’t given the opportunity though, because River rushed forward and my eyes opened wide.

  Before I could think about what he was doing he had his hands on my face, and his lips on mine. I was shocked at first, but then I melted in his arms. I don’t know why I did it, but I continued the kiss. I was cocooned in a blanket of comfort. My mate, my love.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He took my response as an invitation to deepen the kiss, and I almost let him before my mind caught up with me.

  Oh, shit! No, no, no.

  “Stop.” I pushed him away.

  My breathing was ragged with a mix of excitement and fear. I didn’t want to give him false hope, and I didn’t know how things would go after this.

  But... I also still loved him more than any man I have ever met, and even though he had severed the trust I once had in him, I couldn’t wish away my feelings.

  “Just go, please. I need a moment alone before I leave.” I said, avoiding his eyes.

  “I just couldn’t let you go without one more kiss… I’m sorry.” He said.

  And then he was gone, leaving me alone with a whirlpool of feelings.

  I sat on my bed and sighed.

  I didn’t want to leave, but I knew that if I didn’t do this now, the memories and flashbacks would haunt me forever.

  I grabbed the freshly printed paper off of my dresser and read the listing one last time.

  “Adriel Mathew- Last known Address: 2342 Laurel Lane, Robbins, NC 27325”

  The article was from a county jail website, which was the only webpage where I could find the name of the person my mother had addressed the letter to back when I was a child. A picture was listed beside the article, and I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance between the man in the photo and myself. Same tanned skin and dark hair, and same vivid green eyes, which could only mean one thing. He was a werecat, just like me and my mother. He was also apparently a thief in 1998, with an extra charge for resisting arrest.

  I don’t know why I had never thought to look him up before, but the flashback from when I was in the hospital brought back more hope than I had in years. I couldn’t- wouldn’t- avoid this any longer.

  I wanted to know who I was, who my mom was, and why my parents had died so tragically. Why had my mother kept me in the dark about my werecat heritage? I had so many questions, and I couldn’t find peace until they were answered.

  That’s why I made the toughest decision of my life. I was going to find out what happened, and I had to do it alone. I wanted to prove to myself that I didn’t need a protector, I can fend for myself. The images of Sam’s bleak, lifeless eyes provided proof enough.

  I had the address programmed in my phone GPS already, and I would track down this man even if it killed me in the process. I couldn’t keep pretending like everything was okay. It wasn’t. Nothing would be okay until I found out the truth.

  River’s footsteps rang from the kitchen. Another sigh escaped my lips. I had to walk away from him now, or it would never happen. It would be tough, but I knew I had to do it.

  Maybe this trip would be good for me, maybe I would find this man and he could answer all of my questions, and then I could come home to River and heal our broken relationship.

  I hoped that’s how it would go, but the pit in my stomach seemed to think otherwise.

  I grabbed my suitcase off of the floor and swung it over my shoulder. With one last look at the bedroom we had shared for years, I turned off the lights and shut the door.

  “River? I’m leaving.”

  I walked down the hallway and into the kitchen where I had heard him last. He was leaning against the counter with a brown paper bag in one hand. When I approached him, he thrust the bag towards me.

  “In case you get hungry on the way.”

  I smiled. I peeked inside the bag and took a whiff. He had made my favorite sandwich, a New York style sub on flatbread.

  “Thanks.”

  We stood there for a moment too long, just looking at each other in silence. I dropped my bag to the ground beside me and shoved myself against River, smashing him with a surprise hug. It wasn’t another kiss, I couldn’t do that again, but I also couldn’t leave without one last embrace.

  After a few seconds, I peeled myself off of him and bent to pick up my bag. River moved fast around me, picking it up before I could reach it.

  “I’ll walk you out.” He said.

  I nodded and led the way out to my car.

  River pushed my overfilled bag into the trunk as I got comfortable in the front seat. I had already filled up my tank, and the engine purred to life as I turned the ignition.

  After River shut my trunk, he walked over to my window and tapped on the glass. I rolled the window down and he leaned inside.

  “Are you sure you will be okay?” He asked.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Yes.” I replied.

  He paused, as if thinking about what he would say next.

  “You know, my instincts are telling me not to let you go. I can’t control the urge to keep you safe. My feline part still knows you as my mate.”

  He waited for me to reply, but I didn’t know what to say. As a female, mating was different for me. I knew his nature was territorial, but I still wasn’t sure what he was trying to tell me. Was he going to go crazy without me here? Surely he could manage. I had already promised to come back, after all.

  “I just want you to be safe, and I know I can’t do that without you by my side, so I want you to have this.”
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  He lifted up his shirt and pulled out a bundle of leather. After examining it, I realized it was a hunting knife, tucked into a leather sheath. It was fastened onto a leather belt with my initials engraved into the side and a diamond-encrusted belt buckle on the front. He must have gotten it custom made without me knowing. It was beautiful.

  I pulled out the blade halfway to examine it and could tell the serrated edges would do some serious damage if needed.

  “Thank you, River. Really, I love it.”

  I smiled. My eyes were blurred with tears, but I quickly swiped a hand across them before he could see.

  “You’re welcome. Now, be safe. And be sure to call me every once in a while.” He replied.

  I nodded.

  I rolled up my window then, avoiding telling him goodbye. This wasn’t the end of us, not yet.

  I just had to take care of myself first.

  The rest would work itself out.

  I looked back through my rear-view mirror as I pulled out of the driveway.

  River stood alone, watching me as I left.

  The End…

  But not really!

  About the Author

  Brooke Saylor loves nothing more than to sit with a warm cup of coffee on an autumn day, with a horror movie on the television and a good book in her hand. She lives somewhere in Georgia, with her partner and daughter.

  The life of this Author is never dull, whether it be chasing her toddler around the pumpkin patch or spending all day doing Pinterest crafts. She loves to cook, decorate, and is a bit of a thrift store shopaholic.

  If she could choose one paranormal being to transform into, she would be a cross between a werecat and a druid. Paranormal and Urban Fantasy have always been a loved obsession, and she enjoys diving head first into their worlds. Writing is Brooke’s utopia, and she plans to continue producing the best novels she can for her readers.

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  Release Schedule

  Yule Be Sorry … Dec. 2019

  Almost Cursed … April 2020

  The Midnight Panther Chronicles #2 … July 2020

  Alice in Zombieland … Oct. 2020

  Recondite Rituals … Jan 2021

  The Midnight Panther Chronicles #3 … May 2021

  Endless River (tmpc prequel) … Aug 2021