bold as to defy his orders.
âI better go pay for that axe before someone puts out an APB on my mate,â he said to Ash, Cas, and Simi.
But as he got up and headed down to the dealersâ room, he couldnât squelch the need he felt to find Pandora and bring her back.
He wouldnât do that to her.
Dante was nothing if not a panther of his word.
5
Pandora spent two days in La Costa with her sister and the other females while Leo and Mike tutored them well on how to use their powers. They also tutored some of the unmated females on things she didnât even want to think about.
But none of her newfound freedom made her happy.
In fact, the longer she stayed here, the more her heart ached. Every time her gaze fell to her marked hand, she thought about the panther sheâd left behind.
No, she thought about the man. The one who had given her so much.
âHowâs Dante doing?â
She paused outside the sliding glass door that led to Mike and Leoâs room. The two panthers were in there alone and she wasnât sure which one was which. One of them was resting in a blue recliner, while the other appeared to have just ended a phone call.
That one tossed a cell phone to the dresser before he shrugged. âRomeo said heâs still screwed up.â
The one in the chair sighed heavily. âYeah. I canât believe he didnât tell Pandora about his phobia.â
âWhat phobia?â Pandora asked as she came through the door to confront them.
The twins looked at her sheepishly.
âItâs not nice to eavesdrop,â the one in front of the dresser said in a reprimanding tone.
She was in no mood to take that from him. âAnd itâs not nice to talk about people either, but since youâre talking about my mate, Iâd like to know what you mean.â
The twins exchanged a pained look.
âWhat do you think, Mike?â Leo was the one whoâd had the cell phone.
Mike leaned back in his recliner as he silently debated for a few seconds more. âMight as well tell her, I guess. I donât see what it would hurt.â
Leo let out a loud breath before he spoke again.
He looked at her. âWhen Dante was a cub, he and his litter and a group of our cousins escaped their babysitter and went out prowling on their own. After a few hours, they got lost and one of the females with them got really scared because it was getting dark. She didnât want to try and find her way back until morning so Dante agreed to stay with her and keep her safe. Our brother Sal told Dante heâd be back with help and then led the others off.â
Pandora frowned at his story. âWhy would that make him phobic?â
âBecause it was a cruel prank,â Mike said bitterly. âAs soon as Dante went to sleep, Tyla snuck out and they all headed back home without him. Dante woke up alone and had no idea what had happened to her or how to get home. He was terrified.â
Pandora was appalled at how mean his siblings and cousins had been to leave him behind. A cub on its own could be picked up by humans and put in a zoo or, worse, killed by any adult wild animal that came across it.
âThey left him there by himself for a solid week,â Leo continued with the story. âEvery time someone asked about Dante, they made up some lie about where he was. When Donatello found out what theyâd done, he went back to the woods to get him. He found Dante practically starved to death. Heâd been living off scraps and having to keep predators away with no help. He was weak from exposure, but still heâd kept searching for Tyla, afraid something had happened to her.â
His face sad, Mike shook his head. âRomeo has always said that that was what made Dante so damned selfish. After they returned, Dante was freaky about ever running out of food or trying to help someone. He started hoarding things and turning on anyone who threatened
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley