7. DEVRIM

“This is a bad idea.”

I rolled my eyes at him as I continued to make my way down the hall towards Vanya’s bedroom. Obsidian followed closely behind me. I sometimes wished that I had his ability to move so silently, but then again, there were a lot of things Obsidian could do that I wished I could too.

Amusement filled me when I pushed the bedroom door open. Vanya’s apartment was spotless, all except her bedroom. What was that saying humans used? It looked like it had been hit by a tornado.

Obsidian suddenly groaned, making my eyes dart over to him. I followed his gaze to a scrap of what the human women called underwear, hanging over the back of the chair by the desk.

My lips twitched when he walked over and picked it up. I thought he only wanted a closer look, but to my surprise, Obsidian held it against his nose and sucked in a deep breath.

The sound he made shot straight to my shaft. “What does she smell like?” I asked huskily.

His eyes locked with mine. “Sweet.”

“You want her,” I said in realization.

His eyes instantly dropped and his hands curled into fists. “She’s human.”

“So?” I took a step towards him, but froze when he growled.

“She can’t handle the things I want to do to her.”

I studied him silently. “Something else happened on your last trip, didn’t it?” I took another step closer. “It’s why you went back to spending most of your time in the basement again.”

His lips parted to reveal the sharp tips of his canines. He only ever reacted the way he was when someone pissed him off. Obsidian was unpredictable, and that was the reason for my caution. One wrong move and he could snap.

“Obsidian—”

“She won’t be able to handle it.”

I frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

He raised the hand that was gripping the underwear to his nose again and took another deep breath, making his chest rumble.

After hesitating for a few seconds, I moved towards him and closed the few feet that separated us. I kept my movement slow as I reached out. Obsidian’s body jerked when my fingers wrapped around his wrist and his eyes snapped open.

Keeping my eyes locked with his, I pulled his hand towards me and sniffed at the material still clutched in his hand.

He was right; she smelled sweet.

My mouth watered as I sucked in another deep breath. I wondered if she tasted as good as she smelled.

“It’s a bad idea,” he rasped.

I blinked, but before I could say anything, he pulled his wrist from my hold and walked out of the room. My brows dipped into a frown. What is he talking about?

***

“Let me get this straight,” Mayor Reeves shouted. “You want me to give you permission to take my daughter with you into the forest?”

I ran a hand through my hair and tried to keep my temper in check. I wanted to beat some sense into the man. Why are humans so damn stupid?

“Do you have any idea what people will think?”

My eyes darted over to Vanya. She sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs with her hands clutched together on her lap and her eyes focused on the wall, but I knew she was listening.

It was hard not to when the man was shouting, I was sure that everybody else in the house could hear his words.

My eyes darted over to Ezra when he moved. He nodded towards the door—a sign that he wanted to speak to me privately. I shook my head and turned my attention back to the Mayor.

“Your daughter’s safety is our main concern,” I told him. “The killer got away, and he thinks that Vanya saw him. He’s scared that she can… what’s the word?” I made a gesture as I tried to find the right word.

“Identify,” Vanya supplied.

She gave me a small smile when our eyes locked. Giving her a nod, I looked back at her father.

“The killer thinks that she will identify him. If she’s dead, he would be able to continue whatever he has been doing without our knowledge.”

Mayor Reeves stood and walked around his desk with his arms around his back and his head bowed slightly.

“Are you sure that it wasn’t one of your kind?”

I growled at him.

“Why would they kill someone?” Vanya asked before I could answer. “They live in the forest and barely venture into town, unless it’s for a supply run.”

My eyes widened slightly in surprise. I didn’t know that she was paying close attention to us.

“We stay close to home for a reason,” Ezra muttered. “We have what you humans call a system. If one of the members were being harassed by a human or seeing one, they would have talked to Devrim about it.”

“What if they didn’t?” Mayor Reeves asked.

“They would have,” I told him.

“We are only part human, Mayor”—Ezra flashed his canines at the man—“but that doesn’t mean we live like you. Us panthers, we stick together. If one of us are in trouble, we all step up to help. We—”

“Enough, Ezra.”

The last thing I wanted was for humans to know more about us than what they already knew. “Apologies,” Ezra muttered, bowing his head.

I could almost feel Vanya’s curiosity. Her eyes were burning holes into me. She had questions, a lot of them, but I wasn’t going to risk answering any of them. I knew she wouldn’t tell a soul if I asked her not to, but humans were weak. These things could easily be tortured from them. 

“I don’t believe someone is out to get my daughter,” Mayor Reeves said. “The first incident was just bad luck on her side and the gas leak at the library was just poor maintenance.” He looked up at me. “I thank you for your concern, but I will take care of things on my own.”

“I’m not moving back here.” Vanya jumped up and stomped over to her father. “I moved out for a reason!”

“It’s not up for debate, honey. I think it will be a good idea for you to stay here while you recover.” Mayor Reeves turned stern eyes towards his daughter. “I will not tolerate a hissy-fit.”

Hissy-fit? My eyes darted over to Ezra in question. He shrugged, looking just as confused as I felt.

“Dad—”

“I’ve spoken, Vanya!” He glared at her. “You will not go anywhere without informing me. Starting tonight, you will not set foot out of this house until your stitches are removed and the gas leak at the library has been fixed. Am I clear?”

Vanya crossed her arms with a huff. “Perfectly.”

“Good. I’ll have one of the men escort you to your apartment to pack your things.”

“I’ll do it,” Ezra said, stepping forward. “I can smell if anyone was inside her apartment after the police left.”

I almost told him that Obsidian and I had already done that, but stopped myself just in time.

The police didn’t find anything in her apartment, the building, or her car. Neither one of us believed that the gas leak was just bad maintenance, like everyone claimed. It was a serious matter and one I needed her father to see.

“It’s a good idea,” I said. “What is it you humans say? Rather be safe than sorry?”

Vanya laughed. “You nailed it.”

I smiled at her before turning back towards her father. “If anything happens, Ezra will protect her.”

  Mayor Reeves still hesitated. “So would my men.”

“Reeves, I mean no disrespect, but your men wouldn’t react fast enough. Ezra would be able to smell the danger and get Vanya to safety before she gets hurt or killed.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “You take her to her apartment and bring her right back. Some of my men will follow you for backup if you need it.”

I made a gesture with my hand to Ezra. He nodded and followed Vanya out of the room. I should go with them; two were always better than one, but I needed to stay and try to talk some sense into the Mayor.