Van, Becca - Alpha Panthers [Terra-form 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  April vowed she was going to befriend these kind warriors and totally ignore her own mates. They were going to have to do some big-time groveling before she would let them back into her good graces. She had been really hurt when Gage had immediately thought the scuffle between her and Vanessa was all her fault. She had been defending herself and not instigating the fight as Gage had believed, and it hurt her to be on the end of his anger without him asking her side of the story. She pushed those thoughts aside when one of Gage and Saxon’s seasoned warriors called her name, bringing her out of her speculation.

  April was kept occupied by the warriors as they made their way back to the palace. It was dark by the time they arrived, and she was surprised to find herself in a great banquet hall. There were people everywhere, and she was feeling hurt and angry. She wondered why her mates hadn’t brought her to the dining hall before, instead of leaving it to their warriors to do so for the first time. Two of the warriors escorted April to a long table on a raised dais at the front of the room. She thanked the warriors she thought were named Tam and Stephan and asked them to join her at the large table. She didn’t want to be the only person sitting under the gaze of the curious people here. The two men sat down at the table, leaving gaps between them. She assumed the empty chairs were intended for her so-called mates. She felt very uncomfortable being under the scrutiny of so many people and couldn’t help but wish her mates would hurry up and arrive. No sooner had that thought entered her head than her three mates entered the dining banquet room. All noise ceased as Gage, Saxon, and Ben took their places, standing behind the empty chairs on the raised dais.

  April kept her head bent down, her eyes firmly fixed on the pristine white tablecloth in front of her. She hoped the people’s eyes were now diverted to her mates rather than herself. The crowd of people below began to fidget as the silence stretched on. April raised her head and looked from Gage to Saxon then Ben. They were standing still, staring out over the crowd, watching the doors on the far side of the room. A commotion could be heard from behind the closed doors, which drew all eyes toward them. The doors were pushed open so hard they slammed against the wall behind them. There were three tall, strong warriors entering the room. The first one had his hands free, and April realized he must have been the one to open the double doors with such force. The other two tall, brawny warriors were pulling a beautiful, screaming shrew along with them as they entered.

  April couldn’t believe the filth coming out of Vanessa’s mouth. She would have put a sailor to shame. She screamed at the warriors, but they seemed to be totally oblivious to her fury. They dragged her kicking and screaming until they were mere feet away from the raised table. Then to Vanessa’s humiliation and April’s shock, they stripped the woman until she was naked in front of the entire congregation and pushed her down onto her knees. Vanessa must have realized the futility of her struggles and finally gave up trying to escape. Vanessa raised her head to look at April, giving her a look so full of hate and maliciousness it shocked her. April tried to keep her expression blank, hoping she looked far more serene than she actually felt.

  April watched Gage walk along the dais to the end, step down, and move around to stand a foot away from the furious woman. He totally ignored her as he stared into the crowded room.

  “This woman has disrespected our mate by coming into our bedchamber, maligning her position in our household, and then spitting in her face. She has just been stripped of all her possessions and will be stripped of her position in this clan. She is to be banished as soon as I have finished speaking. It is also my shame that I castigated my mate when she defended herself against this bitch,” Gage stated to the crowd.

  April couldn’t believe what she had just heard. She had to bite her tongue to keep her gasp of surprise contained as Gage turned his back on the woman at his feet and then proceeded to kneel in supplication to her.

  “April, I give you my humblest apologies at the way you have been treated in this house. I hope you will find it within your heart to forgive a fool of a man blind to the sly, vicious wiles of the insignificant woman behind me,” Gage stated, then bowed his head to her.

  April was too surprised, then humbled, as her proud warrior subjugated himself to her. She felt a lump of emotion clogging her chest, making it impossible to reply, so she bowed her head to Gage with acceptance. April watched as Gage released a sigh then rose to his feet and headed back to the steps at the end of the dais.

  April watched as Saxon walked down the steps and stood in front of the humiliated Vanessa. He stood side-on to the table, and she saw him look out over the crowd, ignoring the woman at his feet. Then he slowly looked down at her upturned face, and even April blanched at the fury on his face.

  “Vanessa, you have been stripped of your clothes and also your position within the panther clan. You are banished for the rest of your life. If you are found on panther-clan land, you will be killed. If you come near our mate or try to harm her in any way, I will personally rip your head from your fucking shoulders,” Saxon roared at the woman cowering at his feet. April saw him turn to the two warriors a little behind and to the sides of the horrible woman. “Make sure you escort this woman from panther land. Take some of the young warriors with you. Maybe they will also learn from this incident on how to keep track of a woman.”

  April couldn’t believe they were banishing Vanessa from their clan. The woman had more right to be here than she did. Maybe she could plead with Saxon to stop the punishment they had chosen for the jealous woman. April stood up and quickly walked to the opposite end of the raised table, down the two steps, and over toward Saxon. As she moved, she saw Vanessa pull one of her arms out of the grip of the warrior holding it. April saw a flash of silver just before Vanessa turned and flung something at Saxon. April didn’t even think about what she was doing. She was already moving quickly and leapt the last couple of feet in front of her mate. She gave a gasp as she felt pain radiate from her shoulder, across her back, and down her arm. She stumbled, her knees feeling weak all of a sudden, and knew she was going to disgrace herself by falling flat on her face.

  April covered her ears as Saxon let out a roar full of anguish and anger as he caught her in his arms. April whimpered at the sight of a silver knife protruding from her shoulder and felt sick to her stomach. Saxon gently took her down to the floor with him and cradled her over his lap, on her side, as he stared down at her.

  * * * *

  Gage leapt across the room at Vanessa then knocked her down. He was still so furious he wanted to pick her up and knock her down again. He had never done anything like that before in his life. He ordered his warriors to remove Vanessa from his presence and lock her in the dungeon below. He turned and stared in anguish at the knife stuck in his mate’s shoulder and the blood running from the wound.

  Gage saw Ben was at Saxon and April’s side. He bellowed for their healer, which was totally unnecessary as he was already in the room and had witnessed the incident.

  Gage realized April had fainted and was thankful as the healer quickly pulled the knife from her shoulder. He grabbed a tablecloth from a nearby table, ripped it into strips, and handed it over to the healer, and the man began to bind the wound tightly, trying to stem the flow of blood.

  “Saxon, we need to get your mate to bed, so I may tend her wound. Please, Sire, pick your mate up and carry her to your bedchamber,” the healer demanded of his Alpha. Gage heard the healer give a sigh of relief as his friend, Ben, took his mate from Saxon and carried her from the room. Gage followed Ben and knew his brother and the healer were close at his heels.

  Chapter Seven

  April raged with fever over the next several days. The healer had done all he could to stop infection from setting into her wound. He had cleaned her shoulder with pure alcohol then added a poultice of herbs over the stitching holding her wound together and wrapped it with strips of cloth. One of her mates stayed with her at all times. Saxon vowed to not leave her alone at all until she
was fully recovered, as she had taken the blade meant for him. He felt guilty, because he knew the knife blade would never have reached its mark. He was able to move a hell of a lot faster than his small mate had, but he had not seen her coming toward him. He had kept his eyes on the vicious bitch being led from the room. Even though he had seen her pull her arm from one of the guards, he was chiding himself for not seeing her pick up the knife.

  Ben was just as determined as he was not to leave their mate. Since Saxon was riddled with guilt, he demanded that Ben leave him to care for their mate. The two ended up scuffling around the floor of the bedchamber, which is where Gage found them. Gage walked over to him and Ben, grabbed them by their shoulders, and pulled them apart. Saxon turned to see April watching them from the bed. She was sitting up against a mound of pillows, her eyes glazed with fever and her skin flushed red. He saw her push the covers aside, and she was on her feet before he could stop her. She stood naked before him, swaying on her feet as she stared at them. Saxon, his brother, and Ben rushed over to her side but halted when she began to speak.

  “How could you do this to me? You’ve taken me away from the only best friend I have. You’ve made choices without asking me if I wanted what you’ve decided. You’ve treated me like I was a criminal, when I was only defending myself. I want to go home,” April wailed. She was obviously out of her mind with pain and fever. She probably had no idea she was shouting every word. Saxon reached for her and gently picked her up. He set her back on the bed, but didn’t leave her side. She was so hot to touch, she practically burned his hands.

  April was delirious with her fever and her rantings each day and night. But what hurt Saxon most of all was when she yelled she didn’t belong in their world and wanted to go home. He knew it was their fault she didn’t feel liked she belonged. He was going to do his best to make sure she felt differently from now on. She was the most precious thing to him, and he loved her more than his own life.

  * * * *

  April’s fever finally broke on the fifth night after her injury. She woke up to find an elderly man leaning over her shoulder, inspecting her wound. She gave a small start and tried to move away from the man. He soothed her fear with his deep, melodious voice.

  “It’s all right, April. I am only inspecting your wound. I should be able to take the stitches out of your shoulder in a couple of days. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I’ve been hit by a truck,” she answered, then wondered why her throat was so sore. “What’s your name? I’ve never met you before, have I?”

  “Well, not officially, no. My name is Reece. I am the clan healer. I have been taking care of your injury. You’ve been quite ill. It’s no surprise you’re feeling ragged.”

  “Thanks for looking after me. I really would like to take a bath. I feel like something the cat dragged in,” April muttered.

  Reece looked appalled at her statement, which made April wonder what she had said to upset the man. When she realized what she had said and what type of shifters she was living with, she couldn’t contain herself. She burst out laughing. She laughed harder at the sight of Reece’s shocked expression, until she had tears pouring down her face. She finally exhausted herself and was too tired to laugh anymore. She was feeling as weak as a kitten. She didn’t stop smiling, though. Reece left the room, giving her a look over his shoulder. He smiled and winked at her, and she knew the healer had only pretended to be appalled by her statement and humor.

  April waited until Reece had closed the door behind him and flung the covers away from her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed then sat waiting for the dizziness to pass and her strength to return. Once she was able, she slowly walked toward the bathroom, sat down on the side of the large bathing pool, and slid down the step until she was surrounded by the warm, fragrant water. She swam over to the other side of the pool, grabbed some shampoo, and washed her hair. Then she started on her body. When she finished, she was so tired she barely had the strength to lift her arms. She knew she had to get out and dry herself off, but didn’t know if she would be able to find the energy.

  She had just made it to the steps leading out of the pool as Ben walked in. She looked at him then quickly looked away again. She wanted him to leave her alone so she could dry off and get back into bed, but she knew she was going to need his help.

  “What are you doing out of bed, April? You shouldn’t be taking a bath by yourself,” Ben said firmly.

  April didn’t respond. She just looked away with frustration. She really did need help, but was not going to ask Ben for it. She stubbornly stood, swaying on her feet as she dried herself then headed back into the bedroom. April didn’t quite make it. She was mere feet from the bed when her knees gave out. Her legs buckled beneath her body. She hadn’t heard Ben come up behind her, but she was thankful she didn’t land on the cold, hard marble floor. He scooped her up into his arms and laid her down on the bed, covered her with the blankets and comforter, then kissed her cheek and left the room.

  April felt much better the next day. Most of her strength had returned, so after she bathed and dressed, she began to wander throughout the palatial mansion. She hadn’t had enough time or much of an interest to get her bearings when she had first been forced to come to her new home. She had finally resigned herself to the fact she would probably never be able to get back to her own home, and to be honest with herself, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to. Besides Olivia, there was nothing for her to get back home for. She just didn’t know if there was anything for her to make her want to stay here either.

  April wandered the palace and the grounds until she knew where everything was. All the while, she was followed around by at least two of the seasoned warriors. She had first thought they were assigned to her to protect her, but her self-confidence had waned since she had arrived in this strange new land, and she was beginning to wonder if the guards were assigned to protect others from her, especially after the incident with Vanessa.

  Over the next few days, April only seemed to see her supposed mates at meal times in the large banquet dining room. She had no idea why they seemed so distant with her. She had taken to sitting away from them at the back of one of the lower tables, and when they didn’t try to demand she sit up on the raised dais with them, she knew then they didn’t care what she did. As much as it broke her heart, April made up her mind to try and find her way home. She felt like she had no friends in this place and was really missing Olivia. She was sick and tired of being treated like a leper. April began to lose weight rapidly as she picked at her meals without really consuming any food. She spent more and more of her time in the garden, ignoring everyone and everything. She spent most of her time sitting in the shade on the bench near the large fish pond, staring into space.

  One night when the evening meal was over and her mates were sitting at the head table deep in discussion, April left the room. She couldn’t bear to see them, to be in the same room as them and not have them touch her or be able to touch them in return. She missed the feel of their arms around her. She missed her cuddles with Ben, her conversations with Saxon, and believe it or not, she even missed butting heads with Gage.

  * * * *

  Gage, Saxon, and Ben began to plan to woo their mate back to them. They had been giving April her space lately, but Gage didn’t want to lose the one and only woman he loved from the bad decisions and actions he had made. Even though he had apologized, Gage still knew he was the one fully responsible for the dissension between the three of them and April, but he had no idea how to go about making things right between them.

  Gage, Saxon, and Ben followed April into the gardens the following morning after their breakfast. They kept their distance from her until she had settled herself down onto the bench in the shade, and then they approached her. Gage came at her from one side, indicated to Saxon to come from the other side, and told Ben to take an arc on the other side of the garden, blocking her in from the front He didn’t want his mate to have a chan
ce to leave before he spoke to her. Gage took a seat beside April, took her hand in his own, and began to make light circles on the sensitive skin of her inner wrist. He was heartened when she didn’t immediately pull away from him. He began speaking to her in a calm, quiet voice.

  “I know my apology can never make up for my actions toward you, but I would like to, again, apologize for the way I have treated you. I knew what Vanessa was like, and I know I jumped to conclusions when I saw you defending yourself from that she-bitch. I would turn the clock back and change what I said to you if I could. Please, will you give me, Saxon, and Ben another chance? If you are willing to let Saxon and Ben back into your life and you can’t find it in your heart to forgive me, I will understand. It is me you should be directing your anger to, not Saxon, and especially not Ben. Ben has done nothing to you that you have not let him. He asked you if he could claim you before he did so. He gave you a choice, April, not like me, when I commanded Saxon to claim you the same way I did. Please don’t hate me, April. You have to realize there is only ever one mate for our kind. We thought we would never have the chance to mate with a female. When we found you asleep in the forest, I caught your scent and knew right away you were Saxon’s and my mate. I think I went a little crazy. I didn’t want you to have the chance to leave us before we got to know you. I know it’s hard for you to comprehend what I am trying to explain, because you aren’t a shifter. But bear in mind, we are also half animal, and it is natural for an animal to want to claim their mate as soon as they find her. I only want you to be happy, April,” Gage finished. He raised April’s hand to his mouth, kissed her knuckles, placed her hand back in her lap, and left.

  Gage watched from the cover of the bushes as Saxon moved in and took the place he had just vacated. Saxon took April’s had in his own and sat quietly, just holding her hand. Gage could hear her elevated breathing and then heard her trying to stifle a sniffle. His brother moved his other hand beneath April’s chin, gently raised her face to his, and stared into her moisture-filled eyes. Gage’s heart was aching as he watched his mate cry silently beside his brother.