Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(24)

How much of the man still remained inside of the beast? Marna crept slowly down the stairs, the end of the sheet trailing behind her like a bride’s wedding dress.

Her hand slid down the wooden banister.

He roared again.

Her panther was very, very angry.

But he wasn’t attacking her. Wasn’t even trying to come close. Instead, as she neared the bottom of the steps, he spun away and lunged toward the back of the house.

“Tanner, wait!” She rushed after him, but the panther leapt through a picture window. Glass shattered, raining down, and the panther hurtled toward the woods that waited just behind the old house.

He didn’t look back.

She didn’t call out to him again.





He was an idiot. Tanner ran through the woods until his beast had settled down. Until the wild hunger for Marna eased. Until he could breathe without tasting her.

Fucking. Idiot.

He shifted back into the form of a man and his hands dug into the earth. He’d had her beneath him. Been ready to thrust deep into her silken core, and he’d stopped.

Pulling back hadn’t been the panther’s plan. The beast had snarled and fought him, desperate for more of Marna. He’d never had a shift come on him so suddenly.

The panther didn’t like being denied what was his.

And the beast definitely thought of Marna that way.

Mine.

He’d tried to warn her. Once he’d realized—her first, her only—he’d tried to let her know the danger that faced her. Tanner wasn’t the sharing sort, and if he had that silken body, no one else would get near her.

Was she ready for the full force of his lust? The dark needs that he had? Could an angel even begin to understand what he’d want from her?

Tanner rose to his feet and began to stalk back through the woods. He owned over fifteen acres here. Plenty of room for the panther to run without worrying about prying eyes.

He’d been gentle before. Did she realize the battle he’d fought? He’d shown her only the softest of touches. Given her only a glimpse of what could be.

All the while, the panther had clawed and fought inside of him. Take. Take.

The beast recognized Marna for what she was. Oh, it wasn’t some predestined, our-souls-are-meant-as-one bullshit. He didn’t believe in that crap.

It was chemical. Physical. The panther scenting a female that could be a genetic match for him. A female strong enough to carry his offspring.

An angel and a shifter? Insane. The last blend like that had ended up producing his f*cked-up brother Brandt.

But . . .

He wanted Marna. He ached for her. He dreamed of her at night.

He hungered for her.

Mate.

If he took her, the panther would claim her as a mate. Then there’d be no turning back, not for either of them.

He reached the shed he’d built in the middle of his property and found the backup clothes he kept when he needed to run. He yanked up the jeans and jerked on the shirt, covering his scars.

She’d actually kissed a scar on his back. He’d carried the wounds for so long. He didn’t think about them much anymore.

His father had been a sadistic bastard.

I won’t be like him.

Tanner left the shed. He’d taken just a few steps when the scent hit him. Then he realized just what a fatal mistake he’d made.

No, no. He broke into a run as he raced back for the main house.

There was no mistaking the scent in the air—male, human, familiar. This was the last thing he needed. With Marna alone there . . .

Fucking disastrous.

His legs burned as he raced faster, faster—

He could see the house.

And he could see the human who was climbing into his broken window.

What. The. Hell.

“Jonathan!” His voice rang out, sending birds scattering from the nearby trees.

His partner froze, then glanced slowly back over his shoulder. Jonathan’s eyes were narrowed, and he had his gun in his hand.

Tanner hoped the guy didn’t get trigger happy again this time. Tanner lifted his hands, showing he was unarmed. “Easy there, partner.”

Jonathan lowered his weapon. “You’ve had a breakin.”

No. A breakout. The guy should have noticed that the glass had fallen the wrong way. Shoddy investigative work. “No.” Tanner offered him a slightly embarrassed grin. “Just a little accident.” He hoped the man hadn’t called for backup. Talk about having to deal with a pain in his ass.

“Your front door . . . it looked damaged, too.” Jonathan had lowered the gun, but he hadn’t holstered the weapon. Interesting. “That’s why I came around back.”

Tanner shrugged. “I’m doing some home repairs.” He put his hands on his hips. “Sometimes, they don’t go as well as I’d like.” He couldn’t hear anything from inside the house. Good. As long as Marna stayed quiet, they were golden.

But if his angel decided to come out . . .

I don’t want to hurt him.

Too bad he’d spent his life doing things that he didn’t really want to do.

Jonathan gave a low laugh. “Yeah, man, I guess they don’t.” Finally, finally, the guy holstered his weapon. “Look, I came by ’cause we need to talk.” His partner folded his arms over his chest. “I know you think I overreacted—”