Protector Panther (Protection, Inc 3)

As the scan continued, she cooled off enough to think, But Shane can bite their heads off, too. Sure, they can hold him at gunpoint. But how do they make him work for them? Do they have guards go with him when they send him out to kill people?

The scanner slid her out, ending that train of thought. Catalina sat up. “Now what?”

“Now for a very important meeting,” said Dr. Elihu. “We’re going to introduce you to someone who went through 2.0, just like you will. But we’re hoping you won’t have the same problems he does.”

“What problems?”

“His animal took him over,” replied the doctor. “Oh, he’s still intelligent. He can follow orders. But otherwise, he’s a wild beast in human form. When he comes in, don’t make any sudden movements. And whatever you do, don’t speak. The guards will stand ready, but he can move very quickly. They might not be able to tranquilize him before he rips out your throat with his teeth.”

Catalina snorted in disbelief. “You’re just trying to scare me.”

“I don’t advise that you attempt to test that hypothesis.”

“And why am I meeting this guy?”

“So he can get your scent and track you down if you attempt to desert,” Dr. Elihu replied coolly. “Now, remember what I said. Don’t move, and don’t talk.”

Catalina was still trying to decide if it was all an elaborate mind game when the doctor picked up a remote control and hit a button. A door slid open, and a man walked in.

The moment she saw him, she knew that the doctor hadn’t lied. The man moved with a predatory grace, like Shane’s panther trapped in a human body. He didn’t walk, he stalked, his gaze fixed on her.

Catalina froze instinctively, knowing in her gut that he was a predator and she was prey. She’d never felt anything like that in her life, not even when Shane had used his fear power on her. That fear had been a weapon Shane deliberately deployed; this fear was the natural effect of what this man was.

Her palms prickled with sweat as he approached her. Then she forced herself to

be calm and observe. The man was tall and muscular, with black hair and eyes so dark that she couldn’t see the difference between his iris and his pupils. His skin was startlingly pale in contrast.

She held her breath as he reached out to her, but all he did was touch her hand.

“Got it,” he said.

Catalina almost jumped out of her skin when he spoke. From what Dr. Elihu had said, she hadn’t thought the man could speak. His words hadn’t come out in a growl or snarl or any animal-like noise, but had simply been a man’s matter-of-fact report.

He turned around and walked out. Catalina didn’t move until the door slid shut behind him. Then the air whooshed out of her lungs, leaving all her muscles feeling like jelly.

“He can find you anywhere now,” said Dr. Elihu. “Don’t try to run away, unless you want him to come after you.”

“I won’t,” Catalina assured him.

But her mind was racing ahead, imagining being that predator. It was at once horrifying and weirdly tempting. She didn’t want to terrify people— she liked people. But she’d always wondered what it would be like to be a cat, like the trio of adorable, fluffy predators that shared her apartment. She loved watching them leap to the tops of her bookcases. That dark-eyed man could jump like a cat, she bet.

What would it be like...?

***

It was evening when Dr. Elihu dispatched guards to escort Catalina back to her room. She knew that by checking her watch; she hadn’t seen a single window to the outside. The entire walk there, her mind spun with thoughts of escape, of ultimate predators, of shapeshifters, and of Shane. Had they really locked him alone in the room all day?

When the guards opened the door, Shane was sitting on the floor, stretching. His long legs were spread wide, nearly in a split, and he was bent over at the waist with his chest touching the floor. Other than professional athletes, she’d never seen a man his size with that much flexibility.

Unhurriedly, he raised his head. His gaze locked on the guards. They all flinched, and several stumbled back. The others pushed Catalina inside, then quickly slammed the door.

She laughed. “Good one.”

“I couldn’t resist,” Shane said.

His legs were still spread out, giving her a perfect view of his package. She’d already seen it— the real thing, not just the outline— but there was something differently hot about seeing the fabric of his blue jeans stretched tight against his cock. It made her want to sit on his lap with her own jeans on, and rub against him until they had to rip each other’s clothes off or come in their pants.

Catalina shook her head fiercely, trying to knock out the fantasies. No sense adding unbearable sexual frustration to her situation. “Feeling better?”