One Down: Bayou Heat (Pantera Security League Book 1) by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright

scent of rich pine needles, the crisp frost that coated the rocks in a slick shimmer of crystals. And a nearby den of chipmunks.
    No indication that any humans had passed through the area.
    Resisting the urge to keep her hand in his, Cerviel took the lead as they headed up the narrow pathway. There might not be the scent of humans, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any dangers ahead of them. He wanted to be prepared to fight if necessary.
    They moved in silence, climbing over the boulders that blocked their path and weaving their way through the towering pine trees. At last they reached a trail that led over the ridge and down toward a shallow valley.
    A pinkish glow was painting the edges of the sky as the trail widened and the forest thinned. The ground became treacherous as the loose dirt that was covered by tiny pebbles slipped beneath their feet.
    Concentrating on his footing, Cerviel abruptly halted as the breeze stirred and he caught a familiar scent.
    Two human males.
    His nose wrinkled. Two unwashed human males. Did Donaldson’s employees not understand basic hygiene? Or was the ex-congressman too cheap to offer them soap and water?
    It wasn’t the body odor, however, that made a growl rumble through his chest. It was the distinct metallic smell that warned the humans were heavily armed.
    Glancing around, he sought a means to continue down the steep slope without using the main pathway.
    “There,” he at last murmured, pointing through the shadows toward a huge boulder that looked like it had been picked up and dropped by a giant to crack in two pieces. “Do you think you can squeeze through there?”
    She gave a sharp nod. “Yes.”
    “Good. Head through and take the path to the bottom of the hill. The chopper should be arriving within fifteen or twenty minutes.”
    She frowned. “What about you?”
    “There’s at least one guard watching the trail. I’m going to provide a distraction.”
    She reached to grasp his arm, giving a shake of her head. “No, Cerviel.”
    He tossed her a quick smile. “Don’t worry.” He gently tugged free of her grasp, stepping back. This was what he did. Divert. Attack. Destroy. Simple as pie. “They can’t catch me.”
    Her lips thinned. “Not even you can outrun a bullet.”
    A slow, smug smile curved his lips. “Don’t bet on that, kitten,” he warned, reaching out to give her a small push. “Go.”
    Her hands clenched, but she at last accepted that he would continue to put himself in danger until she was safely on the chopper. She sent him a glare that he assumed meant she was going to do bodily damage if he did anything stupid, then headed directly toward the boulder.
    She moved with a silent elegance that revealed she had even more Pantera blood in her than he’d originally suspected.
    Glorious female.
    His female.
    Waiting until she’d disappeared from view, Cerviel took a second to clear his thoughts, then with a lethal focus he melted into the lingering shadows.
    There wasn’t a sound to mark his passing. He might have been a ghost as he skimmed along the rim of the foothill, pausing as he reached the spot where the guards were stationed to keep watch on the trail.
    Climbing onto a perch directly above the human, he studied his enemies.
    The closest human male was thin, with long, greasy hair. He was clearly bored as he studied a spot on the sleeve of his too-large uniform. No doubt a token from his dinner the night before. The second male was much larger, with the bulk of a man who gained his muscles from steroids. He was staring into the distance as if he was a computer who’d powered down and was waiting for instructions.
    Creepy as fuck.
    Cerviel slowly straightened, allowing the first rays of dawn to outline his body.
    He waited for the men to notice him. And waited. And waited.
    With a roll of his eyes, Cerviel kicked a small rock, aiming it directly between the two men. As it clattered onto the ground, they at last glanced up. A momentary