Strange Lake Falls Panther (Strange Lake Falls Series Book 4) (9 page)

“How did he get his hands on my mate?” Connor shoved Lucas into the wall. “Where were you?”

“I just went down to the lobby to get some food for the girls. I wasn’t gone that long. There was no signs of struggle and I didn’t know anything was wrong until I heard Diana scream,” Lucas said.

“It’s true, Connor. Roxanne didn’t fight Mors,” Diana said as she drank orange juice that Lucas had been bringing her.

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“I’m sure he threatened her. Probably used me, since I was in my dream state and pretty much defenseless. He could have threatened you too. All I know for sure is that she wouldn’t have left with him without a fight unless he threatened someone she loved.”

“Can you find them again?” Connor ran a hand through his hair.

“I think so. I have a connection now and I also have a deep connection with Roxanne. He won’t get away, I promise. But I’ll need quiet and someone to watch over me while I’m out.”

“I’ll watch over her and call you as soon as she finds something,” Lucas offered.

Connor nodded at Lucas but turned his attention back to Diana. “Where should I start looking?”

“I saw him getting into an old, beat up tan minivan.” She closed her eyes, trying to remember every detail of the van. “There was something hanging from the rearview mirror, like a sign or a pass. There was a symbol on it for . . . parks and recreation. I would try searching in a recreation area where they let people camp. The van looked lived in.”

Connor perked up. “There’s only one park big enough for camping in Strange Lake Falls. It’s spread out over fifty acres, but if I ask the person running it if they have a camper with a tan van he might remember seeing it.”

“That’s the best lead we have right now. I’ll send out a few more of our pack members and Adrian called to say he’s sending some of his vamps to help the search as soon as it starts to turn dark,” Ric’s said over the speaker on Connor’s cell phone. “I could leave the others to guard Mary while I help you search.”

“No, you need to stay with my mom. Mors knew about Roxanne, he didn’t take just anyone. He’s been watching me for a while and I’m sure he knows about Mom and the baby. He could go after them next. We’ll keep you updated on what’s happening.” Connor hung up his cell phone and looked at Diana. “I won’t shift until I get to the campsite. I have a string and will wear my phone around my neck when I do shift. As soon as you find them, call me.”

Diana nodded. “I will. I am so sorry, Connor. If I hadn’t gone into the deep sleep to find Mors, I would have been awake enough to help Roxanne fight him off.”

Connor shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault you weren’t able to help her. No, I lay the blame for this on Lucas. He should have known better than to leave you two unprotected.” He glared again at Lucas, then stormed out of the hotel room, followed by the wolf twins.

*****

Lucas didn’t argue with him. He knew he had messed up. He turned to Diana. “What do you need me to do?”

“Turn off the lights completely. Sit in a the chair next to the phone and be ready to call Connor as soon as I say something that might help.”

“How does this work exactly? Do you go completely asleep and then wake up? Do I have to wake you up?”

“This is a different type of sleep. Once I get connected to the target, I’ll begin to speak out loud about what I’m seeing. As soon as you hear something that helps locate them, make the call. Don’t try to wake me. A sudden jolt to my body could be . . . dangerous.”

“I’ll watch over you, I swear. I’ll protect you with my life.”

Diana lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. “I know you will. Mors taking Roxanne was not your fault. He was sneaky about it. He could have fought you, killed you, and then still taken Roxanne. He would have found a way to get his hands on someone Connor loved. He was determined. This were is very dangerous.” Diana laid her head down on the pillow and began her breathing exercises.

Lucas watched in surprise at how quickly Diana was able to enter her dream state. She started talking out loud, but it was about the past, telling him how Mors had gotten into the hotel and what happened. She said Mors’ parts and then Roxanne’s responses. It was true, Mors had threatened to go after Mary. He had someone watching her.

Lucas wasn’t sure if Diana could hear him in her state. She had said not to touch her but hadn’t mentioned anything about talking.

“Diana, can you hear me?”

“Lucas? I can hear you.”

“Good, try to focus on the man that Mors has watching the packhouse. We need to find him first. Can you do that?”

“I can do that. He shares a connection with Mors. I will find him.”

Lucas reached for the phone and dialed Ric. “Ric, Mors has someone watching Mary. He threatened her, that’s how he got Roxanne to come with him.”

“Where is he?”

“Diana is trying to locate him now.”

“Panther . . . the man is hiding in panther form. But he can’t control his shifting. He is newly made, a month or two old. There are other animals around him, he wants to eat them. But he can’t, he was ordered not to draw attention. I smell hay. He can see the packhouse. The woman is inside. It’s a barn, I think.”

Lucas repeated what Diana said to Ric. He could hear Ric growling orders to check the barn out back. “Be careful, Ric. This guy is newly made and can’t control his shifting.”

“We’ve got this guy, now find Roxanne,” Ric ordered before hanging up.

Diana sounded weak. “I am having trouble connecting with Mors.”

“Diana, focus on Roxanne. You have stronger connection with her, right?”

“She’s my sister. I can find her anywhere.”

“Focus on her.”

“She’s scared. She’s never been so scared before,” Diana said.

“What does she see? What’s around her?”

“Water, lots of water. It’s everywhere and it is falling down from over her head.”

“A waterfall?”

“I think so. She hurts and there’s something dripping in her eyes. I think she was hit.”

“Does Roxanne recognize the place? Is it far?”

“They didn’t drive too far, they are still in Strange Lake Falls. She had been blindfolded most of the trip. She feels sick to her stomach but it was from all the rocking . . . they had put her on a small boat. Roxanne was never good on boats, she gets seasick.”

Lucas dialed Connor. “They took her someplace with a waterfall. They used a boat to cross over to it. That’s probably why we haven’t been able to track him. We lose the scent at the water.”

“There are several waterfalls. I need more direction,” Connor said with frustration.

Lucas kept the phone at his ear as he spoke to Diana. “Diana, does Roxanne know which waterfall she’s near?”

“Not near, inside. She went through the waterfall. The cave beyond has huge stalactites hanging from the ceiling. If one fell it would impale her. Oh God. We got to get to her soon, Mors wants to . . .”

“What does he want to do, Diana?”

“He wants to impregnate Roxanne.”

Oh fuck!
“Connor, did you hear that? Do you know where there is a waterfall with a cave behind it?”

Connor had to pause before he could speak. It came out as a growl. “I know it.” Then he hung up.

Lucas looked over at Diana. There was a fine sheen of sweat all over her body and her arms were trembling. “Diana, you need to wake up now. Connor is on his way to rescue Roxanne. Come back.”

Diana’s voice was shaky. “No, I want to stay with her in case Mors tries to move her.”

“Honey, you're shaking really bad. You need to let the connection go.”

“I won’t leave her.”

Damn it!
Lucas ran a hand through his hair. He knew she was right about the possibility of Mors moving Roxanne if he sensed that Connor was getting close. But he didn’t want Diana connected to Roxanne if Mors did rape her, or worse, killed her. He knew that would devastate Diana. He had to protect the small woman. His wolf was demanding they take her, claim her, protect her. What the hell was going on with his wolf?

He ignored his wolf as best he could and moved to sit on the bed next to Diana, who was now shaking uncontrollably. He reached out with gentle fingers and caressed her lips.

“Wake up, Diana. You’ve done enough. Connor is on his way.”

“No . . .”

“Wake, Diana, come back to me.” He leaned forward and kissed her softly. He knew it was the right move because she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Of course, the moment she realized what was really happening, she let go of him and slapped his face.

“Don’t ever touch me without my approval. Damn you, I lost the connection.”

Lucas couldn’t take his eyes off her soft lips. Nothing had ever tastes so sweet to him. He wanted to taste them again and again. Reality hit when she slapped his other cheek.

“What the hell! Stop hitting me!”

“No, not until you stop looking at me that way. Let me up so I can get dressed and help search for her.” Diana swayed as she got to her feet and would have fallen if Lucas hadn’t caught her in his arms.

God, she felt so right, there against his chest, against his heart. His wolf was happy.
Damn him
. Of course, Diana was furious.

“Put me down, Lucas!”

“Sorry, honey. You’re too weak to help anyone right now. The best thing you could do for Roxanne is rest, in case you have to use your powers to find her again.”

She grumbled something that sounded like
jerk
. “I’m sorry, honey, what are you saying?”

“I said . . . fine. Put me back on the bed and I promise I’ll rest. Do you have anything for me to eat?”

He smiled at her with a glint in his eyes. “What are you hungry for?” He looked her body over and licked his lips.

She smacked him again. He should have expected that. “Stop hitting me or I won’t share the food I got earlier.”

“Then stop saying insulting things to me.”

He could see she was still shaking. She needed to eat. “Sorry, you’re so easy to rile up. I’ll get the food.” He laid her down and went over to the table where he had put the food. Most of it was cold now.

“Do you think Connor will get to her in time?”

“I hope so, honey. I really hope he does.”

Connor didn’t wait for the twins and the others to catch up to him. He knew which waterfall Mors had taken Roxanne to. It was Tucker Falls, where there was a cave that all the high school boys took their girlfriends. Connor had gone there a few times himself. It was secluded and the only way to get to the cave was under the waterfall.

He paused at the edge of the water. The sun was starting to set. A feeling of anxiousness nearly overwhelmed him. Soon Adrian’s vamps would arrive to help. But he couldn’t wait for them, not if he wanted to stop Mors for touching Roxanne. He had to get to her now. He stripped his clothes off and dove into the water. It was cool but his panther genes kept him warm.

He knew this lake better than anyone. He knew where every underwater boulder hid, every deep crevice. He also knew where to dive to get underneath the curtain of water falling down the tall cliff.

Connor swam and the closer he came to the waterfall, the more a need to get there faster pressed on him. He prayed he wasn’t too late.

*****

“Why are you doing this?” Roxanne asked. She was trying to bide her time. She knew that Diana would locate her and that Connor would come for her. She didn’t doubt that for one minute.

Mors had her tied down on the floor of the cave with chains, unfortunately on both her wrists and ankles. No chance to strike out at him, not even to kick. Mors paced around her. He had his long grey-black hair pulled back in a braid. He wasn’t bad looking, but his dark eyes seemed more animal than human and he had a hard time keeping his fangs from springing forward. It was like his animal was trying to break free of him and he was fighting to keep it inside.

“I wasn’t planning to turn Connor. I wanted to turn a female to make her my mate. But none of the humans I tried to turn were strong enough. Connor was unexpected. I took a lot from him. When I stopped, I figured if he survived, then it was destiny that he be my second. He was supposed to help me find a way to turn women to be our mates and produce more werepanthers. But all he has done is follow me around and try to keep me from fulfilling my mission.” He knelt down and caressed Roxanne’s cheek. She jerked away from him, but he just chuckled at her.

“Imagine my surprise when I followed Connor back here and found he had mated a wolf. At first I thought it was disgusting. It went against nature. But then I remembered.” He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

“Remembered what?” She needed to keep him talking.

“Babies born from were parents are born basically human. They can be bitten and changed to another species if it’s early enough.”

Roxanne felt sick to her stomach. “Have you bitten babies?”

“Human babies are too weak and won’t survive the bite or the turn. My previous clan kicked me out because of this. They didn’t understand that I was trying to save our species. But now I think this will work. You can have my child and I will turn him into a panther.”

“No.” Roxanne shook her head in disgust and tried to pull free of the chains. But they were too strong and her efforts made them cut into her flesh.

Mors laughed. “Struggle all you like. You won’t be able to break free of those chains. I had a witch infuse them with a magic that keeps a shifter from changing. I planned to use them on Connor, but you are a more fitting test for them.”

Mors reached for her dress and ripped it off. She wasn’t wearing underwear after her tryst with Connor. She shivered, but it wasn’t because it was cold in the cave; it was from the revulsion she felt at the way Mors looked her over from head to toe, as if she were a thing, not a person. He licked his lips and it was clear to her that Mors was going to rape her.

She had never felt so helpless in all her life. She turned her head to the side and tried to make her mind think of something, anything other than the feeling of Mors touching her breasts. “Connor will kill you for touching me.”

Mors leaned down and bit her nipple hard.

She growled at him and snapped her teeth. If she could get loose, she would kill him.

Mors chuckled at her attempts to stop him. “Connor is useless. He has failed to stop me in the past and will continue to fail. He won’t be able to save you. It’s time for Connor to meet his end.”

“I thought you wanted Connor to help you build your clan.”

“I have another to help me rebuild my clan now. And once we have each taken a turn impregnating you and turning our children, we’ll search for other were-women and use them the same as you.”

“What will you do with me then?”

He smiled evilly at her as he paused over her knees. He gripped each knee and pulled them apart. She squeezed as hard as she could to try to keep him out. “You will be disposed of.”

Roxanne couldn’t fight the fear any longer. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping and praying that someone would be able to hear her over the waterfall.

Mors growled at her to stop right and slapped her hard. Her head hit the floor and she felt dizzy. She heard a loud roar and assumed it was Mors. But his body was suddenly lifted off of her. She turned her head to the side and looked over to see two black panthers circling each other. The black one with grey spots she could tell was Mors. The other was . . .

“Connor.” That was all she saw before blackness overtook her.

*****

Connor glanced over to where Roxanne was tied down naked on the floor. The moment he had emerged from beneath the waterfall, he could smell her fear and blood. Then he heard her scream. He had leaped out of the water and immediately shifted to his panther.

He ran at Mors, who was kneeling between Roxanne’s knees, charging into him and shoving him back across the cave floor. Mors shifted to his own panther form. They growled and snapped at each other, then circled.

Mors tried to bite at Connor’s paws, but Connor blocked with his shoulder and shoved him away. The teeth were dangerous. He had to keep Mors from biting his neck or his legs. Connor dove at Mors. Their big bodies rolled but neither was able to gain a top position. They used their claws. Mors swiped Connor’s side and Connor managed to leave bloody marks down Mor’s face.

They sprang apart. Mors roared at him and Connor answered. Mors was panting hard. He wasn’t stable mentally and he was probably straining to maintain control over his form now that he was hurt. He could see it in Mors’ eyes. He was about to shift.

Connor watched as Mors finally shifted back to his human form. He was still bleeding and he looked wild.

“You think you can finally take me, cub?”

Connor could have stayed in his animal form and taken him out easily. Mors in human form was no match for a panther protecting his mate. His panther wanted the vengeance for what Mors had put Roxanne through. Connor wanted that too, but he was better than Mors. He was not a psychotic killer. He was in control.

Connor shifted to his human form. He too was still bleeding from his side. “I know I can take you. I’m not a defenseless woman that you have to tie down just to force himself on her.”

“She was loving my attentions. You must not have given her much to work with.”

Connor knew Mors was baiting him, trying to get him to act rashly. That was typical Mors, and normally in the past, it had worked. Not this time. Mors wasn’t going to get away with hurting his mate.

“Shift back to your panther, Mors, or die human.” Connor didn’t take his eyes off Mors, but he could hear that others had arrived and were helping Roxanne. He had to keep track of Mors or he might escape. Again.

Mors let his claws release on one hand as he rushed Connor. Connor sidestepped him, whirled quickly around, and used his own claws to stab Mors in the back. Mors stumbled around to face Connor and Connor reached out again, slicing his throat. It was ugly and gruesome, but as he watched the killer that had tormented him for the past eighteen months finally fade to nothing, he felt a sense of relief. He was free.

“Roxanne,” he whispered as he stumbled in her direction. She was gone. “Roxanne!”

“Easy, Connor, she’s alive and safe.” One of Adrian’s vamps, Brock, was standing by the waterfall.

“Where is she?” he demanded, not caring that he was completely naked.

“The twins and my partner got her out of here. They’re going to take her to the local doctor, the one that knows about paranormals. She was really weak. I think she might have a concussion.”

“I need to get to her.” Connor glanced back at Mors’ body. He was dead but his body couldn’t be left there.

“I’ll stay and burn the body. There are a few of the other werewolves waiting for you in a boat so you don’t have to swim back.”

“Thanks.” Connor dove under the waterfall and swam until he could safely reemerge on the other side. Two of the older pack males were sitting in a boat. They helped pulled him up and gave him a spare set of clothes.

“What happened to the crazy panther?”

“I killed him. Did you find the other panther that was watching my mom?”

“Yeah, he’s dead. We’ve got a car waiting to take you to the hospital.”

Connor didn’t say anything else. All his thoughts were focused on Roxanne. Was she okay? Had he been too late? Would she forgive him for bringing Mors here?