A Leopard's Path by Lia Davis Page B

nowhere, Brenna hit his side, tackling him to the ground.
    Give up, cat. You are no match for telepathic twins.
    Jared rose to his paws and shook off the leaves. You two think you’re so smart .
    Normally, the juveniles didn’t have the ability to mindlink with Jared, the enforcers, or sentries, but Brenna and Bryce were different. They didn’t need a connection with Keegan to use telepathy to communicate with the officials.
    Are you children done? Alec spoke to them telepathically.
    Jared glanced up to see the large leopard relaxed on a tree limb. His usual hangout when not on a hunt. Before he could send a thought back to Alec, a slight tug on his subconscious drew his attention to Nigel a few feet away.
    The kid stood on all fours, his back rod-straight as he stared off into the distance. Advancing to him, Jared picked up on Sable’s scent. Odd. It’d been a couple of days since she was abducted.
    In a flash of gold and black, Nigel shifted to human, straightened, and walked to a bush to pick up a piece of cloth. “This is so the rebels know where to find her.”
    Jared and Alec shifted at the same time. It was Alec who spoke. “As well as mutants. And Felix.”
    “That’s how Sable operates, secretive and unpredictable. Felix would have thought it was a trick to throw him off. Although having Savannah with him, it wouldn’t matter.” Jared looked ahead and frowned. Small cabins were scattered throughout the trees. Some of them were destroyed.
    Bryce, still in wolf form, moved forward and sniffed the air. His sister paced to the right, parallel to him. Bryce was the first to pick up on a scent. He howled a moment before taking off toward the north.
    Jared and Alec shifted and took off after the twins with Nigel. Damn they were quick. Either that, or Jared was too damn old.
    When the twins slowed down and finally stopped, they laid on the ground at the edge of a small overhang. Jared did the same and glanced down at what he thought was a ravine. It was, but with a large metal building in the middle and several smaller ones around it. Mutants moved from place to place, each doing a different task.
    Jared shifted so he could speak where Nigel could hear what was going on. “She’s down there.”
    Nigel lifted and lowered his head in agreement.
    “We need a few enforcers to go in.” Nigel didn’t move back with the rest of them, and Jared let out a growl. “Nigel, now. We’ll get your mother out of there, but not without backup and a plan.”
    A long moment later, Nigel turned and ran toward Ashwood. Jared snarled low to himself before shifting back to his jaguar and chasing after his son.
     

Chapter Fifteen
     
     
    “He’s so small.” Amazement and happiness swirled within Ana’s heart as she ever so gently caressed Wesley’s cheek.
    Cam rested her chin on Ana’s shoulder. “He’s perfect, just as long as he shifts into a tiger.” She paused to giggle, then laughed out an “ouch.”
    Ana glanced to Shay, who had reached over the cradle and pulled Cam’s hair, a playful gleam in her eyes. Glancing at Wesley, Shay rubbed his back then bent down to kiss his head. “My son is perfect even if he doesn’t shift.”
    Shay turned on the baby monitor and motioned to the door. Even though none of them needed it due to their supernatural hearing, Shay had wanted them. Ana could understand the tiger’s need to listen to her son sleep.
    When Nigel was a baby, Ana hadn’t left his side. Neither had Sable. He was a very spoiled and loved baby, and still was as the young man he was becoming. A sense of sadness washed over her.
    “You okay?” Shay asked from behind her as they walked down the hall to the living room.
    Ana shrugged. “Just thinking of Nigel and Sable.”
    “From what I hear, Sable is a survivor. Plus, Jared will go after her,” Cameron stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
    When they sat on the sofa, Ana studied the Alpha female. “How can you be so sure?”
    It was Shay who answered.