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Chapter Eight-Cleo
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Panther Chapter Nine
I can't fucking do this.I had pulled into the state park parking lot at six forty-two. I caught almost every red light on my way out of town, of course. Ike had been standing outside, leaning against his big black SUV with his arms crossed, staring off into the forest with an annoyed expression on his face.He hadn't even said anything when I got out of my car, just walked to the passenger side and opened the door for me. He's shot me a half smile when we made eye contact, but honestly, I didn't know him well enough yet to be able to read him. I couldn't even tell if it was a real smile or a forced one.Now we were just sitting here, him driving silently. I sneaked a side glance at him. He didn't look mad... I guess. He just had a blank expression, staring at the road."So, uh... how are you doing?" I asked carefully. He didn't say anything for so long that I had begun to think he wasn't going to respond.Finally, he sighs and says, "I'm sorry. I'm worried about pack stuff, I guess.
Panther Chapter Ten
The man I was currently staring at had all the telltale signs of being an Alpha. I didn't know for sure, but assumed it was the friend Ike was talking about before. He was tall and strong looking, with piercing grey eyes. He had a "no bullshit" look about him. Physically, he looked to be in his fifties, with salt and pepper hair accompanied with a matching beard. Knowing how wolves aged though, he was probably... hundred eighty? Two hundred, tops. They stopped aging somewhere in their twenties, then start back up when they get to be around a hundred. Then they loosely age a year physically for every actual ten. It's a rough math, and has been known to vary, but it's a good base to go off of when trying to judge a wolves actual age."It's good to finally see you again, shit head." I watched in awe as the man walked to Ike and ruffled his hair. I would be willing to bet he's the only one allowed to touch Ike like that. I can't see him being okay with a random pack member coming up and d
Panther Chapter Eleven
After a moment of enduring the awkward silence radiating between us, I finally muster the courage to ask, "Are you angry?" My eyes flick over his blank face. It didn't look angry per se, but it certainly didn't look like the face of a man who was on a date with his mate. "No, I'm just nervous." I'm taken aback by this."Why?""Because I want to be your mate very badly, and I'm trying really hard to not mess anything up. I'm worried Carla gave you the wrong idea." I find myself smiling at the sidewalk. He wasn't angry with me; he was just nervous. I never thought I'd have an Alpha of a pack nervous over me. It made me feel... funny.We walk in silence again for a moment. It looks like we're coming up on the center of downtown. "Where are we going? And what food did you get? You don't even know what I like.""Don't worry." Is all Ike says. It's clearly too late for that. "So. Cleo." He grabs my hand again, intertwining our fingers together. I look up at him, waiting for him to continue
Panther Chapter Twelve-Ike
How did I fuck up?She didn't act like this when we went to the bar, though she didn't look happy. And she didn't act like this when meeting Parker. She reacted well to him, I thought. I was happy she wanted to spend more time with him. And she didn't even react like this when Carla butted her obnoxious ass in.So, what happened? Why did she look like she was about to start running?"Tell me." I say, facing her now. Her face furrowed when I said that, and she finally made eye contact with me. Her heart rate was slowing down. Did she feel... guilty?"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make you worry. I was just feeling nervous too. I'm okay now." She smiled and turned around and looked okay. She really did. But when I grabbed her hand, I could feel it shaking."You can trust me." I say. I wanted her to open up to me. I wanted to explore this insane spark with her I felt. But I couldn't do it without her aid.She looks up at me with a more soft, real smile on her face. "You have no idea how
Panther Chapter Thirteen
"Do you have any siblings? Can I know that?" She rolls her eyes at my continued questioning but has a smile on her face."I have one, a brother.""Where is he?"She shrugs, picking up her grilled cheese again. "Dunno. I haven't seen him in a very long time. I hope he's okay though.""Younger or older?""Older. By six years.""What is his name?""Charlie." She smiles at the memory of him. "He was a warrior in my old pack. I always remember thinking he was so tough.""Was he a panther?""No. I was the only one blessed with that gene." Her tone is dry and sarcastic, and she rolls her eyes."I think you look at it in the wrong light.""What?" She raises a brow at me, and I shake my head at how clear it is that she truley hates what she is."You, being a panther. You see it as such a bad thing. Why? I think it's interesting, to say the very least. I've met a couple panthers before, but never got the chance to ask them anything. I've heard panthers are different from wolves and I would love
Panther Chapter Fourteen-Cleo
I hadn't really planned on talking about that with him, to be honest. He was just so easy to talk to. And I wanted him to understand how I was feeling. Why these things scared me. Why these things made me feel self conscious."I guess that explains some things. I truly do understand where you're coming from. It's hard to have such godly role models to try and live up to. When I took over the pack from Parker, I didn't have a ton of supporters. I was tense all the time for almost two whole years. I was nervous I was saying the wrong things and worried about what people thought of me. But finally, I realized that I had to try. I refused to be the guy who quit being the Alpha of his pack because a few people didn't like him. You have to try, Cleo.""How cliche." I say with a smirk. We're approaching his car now. I wonder if our date is done."That doesn't mean it isn't true." He shrugs, and I see him pulling his keys from his pocket. My heart sinks a little, but I keep a straight face. T
Panther Chapter Fifteen
"I don't know what he's thinking, giving her that many clients, she'll only..." My cubicle neighbor Amanda is droning on about some new girl that the boss likes more than her, definitely because of her ass and not because she went to business school and actually shows up to work on time. We're sitting at one of the round plastic tables in the break room, both of us relaxing for a moment after eating our lunch and before returning to our desks. I'm barely listening to her though. I'm stuck on Ike's Instagram again, just like I had been since our date. "Holy shit, are you smiling?" I hear Amanda exclaim suddenly. I look away from my phone then to meet her bright blue eyes. I think for a moment. Amanda and I aren't exactly bff's, but we eat lunch together every once in a while, and sometimes go to the gym together. She was nice to me from the very beginning, showing me where the "good" coffee pods were when I first started here and telling me who not to trust in the office. She's human
Panther Chapter Sixteen
I can't believe you got fired.I could feel my face heating up with embarrassment and shame as I shoved the small box of my personal belongings in the back seat of my car. I could feel my stomach churning with anxiety and the back of my throat burning with the threat of tears. What am I going to do? This was not how I thought my day was going to go when I woke up this morning.I collapsed into my front seat, hesitating a moment before I drove home. I pull out my phone and check my bank app. I have enough in my savings to pay my bills for the next three months. Other than that, I have the paycheck I got last week, and will have one more coming in a couple weeks. I breathe out a shaky breath. It's okay. I've got this. I've been in worse situations before.I think back to when I first decided to leave my foster family.I was seventeen, no money, no idea what I was doing. I had just bought my first car, the one I still had today. I had been saving up cash from my job I had after school as
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