Leopard's Run (Leopard People 10)

Temnyy leapt after her as if shot from a gun. Ashe glanced over her shoulder, saw the large leopard, and her laughter and small squeal of alarm floated back to him. She had to stop to shift. She hadn’t practiced enough yet and Timur made a mental note to make certain she did so as soon as possible. Sometimes the difference between life and death was just a few seconds.

The big male raced after his mate and caught up with her at the first edge of the trees. It was cool and quiet in the small grove and she was already exploring, running from tree to tree to rub her scent everywhere. Temnyy found Godiva just as tempting as Timur found Ashe. He paced beside her, scent-marking over every place she rubbed to tell the other males he was there, and she belonged to him.

They found several puddles, but mostly there were leaves and the occasional downed limb. She crouched, and he covered her, over and over, every fifteen minutes or so, throughout the night. They rested side by side. Sometimes Temnyy lay beside Godiva and other times he paced around her, restless and a little edgy, as if he’d caught the scent of trouble but could never quite tell where it was coming from. Then Godiva would be up again, and he would forget everything but his female in need.

Hours later, morning light began to streak through darkness, and Timur nudged at Temnyy, telling him it was time to return to the estate. He had left Gorya in charge of Fyodor’s security, and there was a part of him that was a little anxious. He hadn’t liked having Evangeline’s family there while he was gone, but there was no way to tell Godiva her heat was coming at an inconvenient time.

The two leopards walked beside each other toward the outer edges of the grove. Tree branches overhead formed a cool canopy in the very early morning hours. Birds flitted from branch to branch and squirrels chattered. Temnyy bent his head to sniff at a lizard as it crossed his path. Something hit the bark of a tree in front of the leopard, slicing through fur right between his ears. The sound was just behind it, a distinct report that was unmistakable. At once the leopard reacted, jerking to one side, slamming into the smaller female, knocking her back toward the center of the grove.

Godiva didn’t need another warning. She ran, staying low, moving into the shadows, and finding grass where she could blend much easier. Temnyy stayed close to her and he too dropped to the ground.

The shot came from the east, Timur told his cat, falling into his calm resolve. Leave Godiva here and work your way around so we can get the shooter.

Temnyy relayed his impressions to his female. She stubbornly refused to remain hidden in the brush while he took chances. She was adamant that she could help.

Timur swore under his breath. Of course, Ashe would refuse to hide from danger. Persuade her, Temnyy.

He didn’t have to tell the male cat twice. The leopard swiped his paw at his mate, a warning few female leopards would ignore. Then the big cat began to belly crawl through the grass. Twice more the high-powered rifle spit bullets, but the shooter was fishing, hoping the cats would break and run. Once, the bullet hit close to Godiva, but she didn’t so much as flinch. The second bullet was farther away from both leopards.

Temnyy had plenty of experience moving in short grass without being seen. He had endless patience. He used the freeze-stalk method that was so successful, moving inches and coming to a complete halt. His eyes might be blue, but at that distance, they would be lost in a sea of spots. The cat had the perfect camouflage and he used it to his utmost advantage.

Timur had an idea where the shooter was and directed Temnyy toward that spot. It was a good distance away, almost to the other side of the grove. The male leopard took his time, unhurried by the sun coming up and light filtering through the grove. Fifteen minutes later, the cat heard a vehicle start up and then the sounds faded as if it had driven off.

Still, the leopard was careful, making his way to the blind in the tree where the shooter had been. Timur swore again. There was no scent. That pointed the finger at Evangeline’s family, but there could have been a member of the hit squad they missed. He let Temnyy take his time, sniffing everywhere, following the tracks back to the place where a vehicle had been parked. The trail ended there. The SUV had driven off on the main road leading to the grove.

Timur shifted and tracked back to the tree where the shooter had been, closely examining the ground and then the tree itself. There were no shells left behind, but he found fur caught in the bark where a leopard had gone up the tree. That leopard had been Amur. He held the fur to his nose and inhaled. The scent-blocker had faded enough that he caught an elusive scent. He stiffened and took a long look around.