The Panther's Surrogate: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance by Angela Foxxe Page A

on Josie. She had the idea that Jonathan was the kind of pervert who was thinking about what he would do to Josie in a cheerleader costume, chained up in his basement, begging for him to let her go.
    He had the look of a demented freak and it made her dislike him all the more. Everyone had heard rumors about Jonathan and the women he’d taken, but Josie tried to take as little stock in rumors as possible. But, she was only human in that aspect.
    “Where is the child now?” King Ronald asked her.
    “She’s with my friend Karen,” Jose answered.
    “Wahir, I want eyes on the child,” King Ronald said sternly.
    “Already on it,” Wahir answered. He tilted his head at the surprise that must have bloomed across Josie and Kheem’s faces. “You really think that we would leave a child and a human woman defenseless against the Hyena Clan?” He shook his head. “I’m surprised the two of you aren’t dead already.”
    “As am I,” King Ronald exhaled. “Go, and keep the peace.”
    As they left the room, Josie couldn’t help but feel grateful for the fact that they both still had their heads. There was something about this that made her feel so alive and made her guilty. It was said that there was something very strong deep down inside of Shifters that roared to life when blood was spilled. It was the first time Josie had actually been a participant in a war and she understood why her kind was so eager to get involved in such things.
    It was intoxicating, like ecstasy. She wanted to rip her clothes of and ravage Kheem and then go hunting for a victim to destroy. She could feel her heart beat quickening and knew she needed to keep it under control. She had to stay strong.
    Walking down the hallway, for the first time in their relationship’s history, Josie reached out and took Kheem’s hand in her own. It was an electric moment, not because it was the first time they had held hands before—they had held hands often after making wild, fierce love together—but because it was the first time out in the open that they were allowed to or free to.
    Maybe it was childish of her, but she couldn’t think of anything sexier than having their love proclaimed to everyone around her. Kheem looked at her, his eyes focusing on hers and they stared at each other for a moment, their pace slowing down and eventually stopping as his warm hand held hers, his gaze keeping her in sway, melting away everything that had happened.
    He was so sexy with his dark skin and his black eyes, staring into her soul with the kind of force and magnetism that she would associate with a cosmic event. He was a black hole pulling her deeper and deeper into him, stretching out time and space so that all she could think about was Kheem and that was all she needed with him, one prolonged moment for the rest of her life.
    The way his lip curled at the edge and his smile filled her with warmth and luminous energy. She could feel everything roiling inside of her. She wanted to kiss him and never open her eyes as she felt his lips on hers. It was something that she couldn’t contain, but it wasn’t long until she realized that the real world had come for them and that she couldn’t waste her time thinking about how badly she wanted to kiss him. No, her eyes drifted to something far more insidious and terrible for her to stomach.
    Kheem turned his eyes and followed her gaze, watching as they both stared at the scene that neither of them were supposed to witness. In the auditorium, there were many people standing around, clustered together that should never have been allowed to stand near each other. The sight of them together was enough to send a chill down Josie’s spin as she stared at them, trying to comprehend what it was that she was witnessing.
    The Jaguar Clan and the Hyena Clan were mobilized and standing with one another, talking in hushed voices about the most obvious plot that they had yet. There was no doubt in her mind that they were whispering