Panther's Claim (2 page)

Lyssa didn't know whether she should
be flattered or insulted at his demanding tone, but still she did as he had
asked.

“Perfect.” His broad smile produced
the most adorable dimple in his chin. A gush of heat pooled in her core, making
Lyssa want to lick him from head to toe and back again.

“Is there anything I can do to help
with dinner?” She glanced toward the kitchen as nerves clawed at her. Ren was
still staring at her, and though the attention was flattering, it unnerved her.

“You've done everything you need to.”
He held his hand out toward her. Accepting his guidance, Lyssa walked at his
side into a breathtaking dining room. Evidently, they went all out for
Halloween. The table was set with black china. Ruby colored goblets and candles
gave the room both an eerie and romantic atmosphere. Noticing there were only
three places set, Lyssa smiled. Another question answered.

“Please have a seat.” He pulled out
a chair. “I will go give Trey a hand and be right back.” She watched as Ren
left her alone at the elegantly set table and took decided to take a better
look at her immediate surroundings. The house appeared to be a great deal
larger than it looked from the outside and easily three times the size of her
own. The furnishings where a mixture of Baroque and
Renaissance
styles with the mere size of some of the pieces leaving her to wonder
how the two brothers were ever able to move them.

Taking a deep breath, Lyssa shifted nervously
in her seat.
What are you thinking? Look
at this place. These men are way out of your league.
She disparaged herself
yet again for the reckless behavior.
You
should just yell out that something has come up and get out of here before it's
too late
. She'd just decided to act on the thought when she heard footsteps
approaching across the hardwood floor.

“I hope you like steak.” A male appeared
who resembled Ren so closely he could only be his brother. He sat a platter
heaped with thick slabs of the meat at the table's center and gave her a bright
smile. “Ren and I are definite carnivores,” he added with a glance that left
her hot. Damn, if she didn't get a handle on her sex drive, she would melt into
a puddle before dinner was even over.

“I'm Trey by the way.” He offered
his hand. Lyssa's thighs burst into flames when instead of shaking her hand,
Trey raised it to his mouth and kissed it slowly and seductively. “We are so
happy to have you tonight.”

“Slow down, bro. Lyssa needs a
chance to adjust to things before you go trying to woo her to your bed,” Ren
told his sibling as he stepped into the room carrying a tray of hot rolls and
bowl of what smelled like green beans. She would have commented on how good it
all looked if she hadn't been dumbstruck from the entire exchange. Instead, she
stared from one brother to the other until they both took a seat.

The idea these were two of the area's
most socially elite disappeared. It vanished the minute Lyssa watched both
spear their forks into several large, medium rare cuts of steak. As they began
devouring the beef, as if they had not eaten in weeks, she took one of the remaining
steaks from the plate and began to cut and eat slowly.

She'd eaten about a third of her
meal in silence when Lyssa looked up to find both men watching her, their plates
empty. She wiped her mouth with the soft linen napkin which had been wrapped around
her silverware. “I guess you were both hungry.”

“Still are.” Trey's slow grin made
his meaning obvious.

“Trey.” Ren glanced cautiously at
her.

“The moon is full, Ren. You know
that.” Trey seemed almost desperate. “If we don't claim our mate by tomorrow
night, we wait for another seven years.”

“Whoa!” Lyssa screeched and jumped
up from her seat so fast her chair tumbled over. “I don't even know either of
you, and you don't know me.”

Both men gazed at her, their eyes
twinkling with a calmness, which told her they knew something she didn't.

Ren held both his hands out in from
of him. “Just sit back down and let's talk.”

“I just want to go home. Thanks for
dinner, but I really need to go.” It took every bit of control she possessed for
Lyssa not to bolt for the door at a dead run.
Always trust your instincts,
she chided to herself as she walked
through the room and headed toward the entry. She intended to get her ass out
the door and back home before they could talk any more madness. Unfortunately,
the Lehner men had something different in mind. Ren managed to get into the
room before her and now stood blocking her retreat. Coming to a stop a few feet
from him, Lyssa put both her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“Get out of my way,” she growled
while contemplating what she could do to get him the hell out of her way. When
he refused to budge, she dropped her head and shot him the glare that usually sent
folks running. “If you want to keep your nuts hanging between your legs rather
than in your throat you'd better get out of my way.”

Only a deep chuckle warned Trey stood
behind her before he seized her. He held her with both arms pinned tight
against her sides; her body pulled so tight against his she could feel the
bulge of his erection pressing into her lower back. “I guess she does have some
fire,” he said as Ren moved forward to join them.

“Now just relax, Lyssa. We just want
to talk to you. There are things you don't know yet about yourself and about
us.”

“Yeah sure, said the dog to the bone,”
she said.

“I am not a dog.” Trey's irritated
voice rumbled in her ear. The feel of his breath against her hair brought about
an involuntary shiver of excitement.

“Look, I promise. If after we talk
you still want to leave, I will personally see you to the door,” Ren offered as
he reached out to run his hand along her shoulder. She didn't want to believe
him, but something deep inside her, and the sincerity she saw in his eyes, made
her nod in agreement.

Trey released her but did not step
away until she moved forward to give herself some space. She hated that his
body felt so good pressed against her. Looking at the two men, she tried to
rein in the desire she felt for both. Angry with herself, she cracked the
knuckles on her left hand and grumbled under her breath as both men took a seat
on the large couch. She should not be all hot and bothered by the idea of being
with both of them, and she most definitely should not have become excited by
the idea of Trey restraining her.

Lyssa continued to grumble as Ren
tapped the space between Trey and him on the couch and smiled, waiting for her
to join them. When she finally walked over and took a seat, both men breathed sighs
which she found amusing despite the situation.

Evidently, they'd been holding their
breath, expecting her to run or at least refuse to sit.

Ren took her hand. “How much do you
know about the Pantera?”

“Pantera?” Lyssa stared at him wide-eyed,
her entire body trembling at the thought. She'd heard the stories as a child
but always dismissed them as her grandmother's way of frightening her to
behave. They were supposedly the reason her grandmother picked her up and moved
at least two dozen times while she'd been growing up. She remembered the old
woman slipping into the room to wake her, whispering in a panic for her to grab
the bag she had to keep packed. They would sneak out and leave everything
behind, their home, clothes, toys and friends.

“Judging from your expression, you
have heard of them.” Trey took her other hand so they both held onto her as he
spoke.

“Fairy Tales.” She shook her head,
all the while knowing deep inside they were not.

“Do we feel like fairy tales?” Ren
asked as he took the hand he held and brought it to his chest so she could feel
the steady pounding of his heart.

“Are you planning to kill me?” she
asked when her voice returned. She hated the weakness in her tone.

Both men laughed as they moved
closer against her, each using their free hand to stroke her shoulders and
face. “We would never hurt you, Lyssa. Don't you know who you are?” Trey leaned
forward and brushed his lips across her shoulder. He looked pleased as goose
bumps sprung across her skin.

“What do you mean? Of course I know
who I am.” Though, in all honesty she was questioning everything she thought
she knew. “I'm Lyssa Saintlier. My grandmother raised me.”

“Margret Shrive.” Ren completed her
statement as he raised his brows and smiled.

“How did you know that? Did you know
her?” Her voice registered panic again as she stared at him.

“Let's just say we've known your
family for a long time.” Trey again leaned toward her, this time to nuzzle his
face into her hair.

“I am just going to come right out
and tell you everything. No more secrets or lies,” Ren released her so he could
run both his hand through this dark hair.

“Trey and I are Pantera, as were your
father and his twin. The males are always born as twins. Your dad Robert and
his brother Raymond joined the army during the Vietnam War. Your dad came back,
but Raymond never did. Pantera don't have the same life spans as regular humans,
but even we die if we step on a land mine.”

“I think I need a drink,” Lyssa
squeaked out as he stopped to take a breath. She could not believe what she was
hearing no matter how genuine he sounded. He had to be a head case, him and his
brother. She had no memory of either of her parents, but her grandmother would
certainly have told her about this, wouldn't she?

After pressing a kiss to her palm, Trey
released her hand and grabbed the wine they'd left chilling in the dining room
before this all began.

“Your father met your mom Katy soon
after he came back, and she accepted him for who and what he was. They were
both thrilled when her mark appeared. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said
about her mother Margret. She even went as far as to forbid your mother from
seeing Robert. I don't have any idea what happened when she found out Katy was
already pregnant, other than she and your dad moved in together right after.”
Ren stopped as Trey returned and handed them each a glass of wine, which Lyssa downed
in two large gulps.

“To make a long story short, your
mother died giving birth to you, but even though it was a terrible loss, our
parents were elated because we all shared the same mark. Meaning you're our
mate. Your dad adored you, but the loss of both his brother and your mom was
just too much for him. He took his own life, thinking our parents would raise
you. No one even thought twice when your grandmother showed up wanting to see
you. We all thought she just wanted closure on your mother's death. Instead,
she stole you, saying she would be damned if her granddaughter was going to
grow up as a beast.”

Lyssa suddenly couldn't breathe.
Margret Shrive had always been very strict, sometimes violently so. Her
grandmother always demanded that she never bring up either of her parents.
Lyssa thought it was because it hurt her grandmother to think about them, but
now she wondered if it was because they'd chosen to love one another without
her blessing. It explained why, when she was angry, she would always call Lyssa
that horrible name,
half-breed
abomination
.

“You are part Pantera, That's what
called you back here.” Trey took the glass from her hands and set it on the
small end table. He then sat down beside her, once again brushing his lips over
the curve of her bare shoulder. “When Caroline called and said Katy's ghost was
sitting in her office looking for a place in town to rent, we knew it had to be
you.” He turned her face toward him so he could look deep into her eyes as he
spoke.

“I don't believe you,” she retorted,
trying to convince herself it was all false.

“Then kiss me.” Ren moved to the
floor and kneeled in front of her. “If I'm telling the truth and you are our
mate, you'll feel the power of our bond.” He reached up to wrap one large hand
around the back of her neck and brought her face so close that their lips
brushed as he spoke. “Unless you're scared that I am telling the truth.”

Lyssa started to open her mouth to
respond, bent on telling both of them to go to hell, only to have Ren take
advantage of the situation and push his tongue deep into her mouth. The instant
his mouth dominated her, a jolt of energy surged through her body. It was as if
a lightning strike started in her head and came to an abrupt stop in the folds
of her sex. The energy pulsated through her until she found her cunt wet with
need.

She met his kiss, their tongues
dueling for dominance as Lyssa felt Trey press kisses across her neck and along
her shoulder. “Do you feel that, Lyssa? Do you feel the need to have us both
fill that tight little cunt of yours?”

She was still drunk from his kiss
and the connection she couldn't deny when Trey turned her face toward him and
picked up where his brother left off. He kissed her more forcefully than Ren,
demanding control of the pace. His desire to dominate was obvious, and she
wondered what that would translate to in bed. Would he simply be rough and
forceful, or would he restrain her so she couldn't resist anything he chose to
do? Though the idea of bondage and submission should have appalled her, she
discovered it had the opposite effect. In fact, the very thought made her
panties wet.