The sound of a rifle firing and the ugly splat of a bullet sending leaves and vines whirling in the air before they settled to the ground urged her to greater speeds. She managed to make it unscathed to the trees and ran just beyond them before stumbling to a halt, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe. Dymka came to a stop as well, standing close to her, protectively, using his rough tongue to gently lap at the stinging right hip. Then a deeper sound announced a second weapon into the mix.
Sevastyan, Mitya said with confidence. He’ll take out the shooter.
Ania wanted to ask all sorts of questions. She wasn’t certain how to get her body back in order to ask them, or whether if she pushed images into Jewel’s mind, Dymka could read them. She tried.
Do you think Alessandro followed us? She used the image of the oldest Caruso brother and an image of him trailing after them.
We’ll know soon enough. He’ll be dead. Vikenti, Zinoviy, Miron and Sevastyan will hunt down whoever did this if they haven’t already killed him. There was a grimness to the images he was conveying, so she knew it was Mitya providing the information. He sounded like he would personally hunt down anyone who had shot at them.
You have to shift. I need to check the wound.
Jewel needed Dymka desperately. There was nothing to be done about the shooter now. Sevastyan would take care of that. She knew Mitya’s cousin enough to know no one would escape him once he set on their path. Her female deserved her time. She was burning up, almost as if she was running a fever, and that fire had started, the one only her mate could put out.
Jewel is fine. It is a surface scratch only. Fortunately, she had just leapt away from Dymka and the bullet just grazed her. She wants her time with her mate. I say give her this night. You can look at it in the morning.
Ania found herself waiting for the verdict. They all did. Jewel. Dymka. Her. That told her, more than anything else ever could have, that it was Mitya in command of them all. He had the control. She hoped he would always use it wisely, because she wouldn’t always blindly follow him. She wasn’t built that way.
I don’t like not taking care of my woman, but I trust that you would say so if either of you was hurt badly.
There was both reluctance and warning in his tone. Triumph burst through her. He had listened to her. More and more she was beginning to believe he would do that, listen carefully and take into consideration what she said.
You know the way home, little Jewel, she whispered to her female. Take your time with Dymka. Don’t let him push you into anything until you’re ready.
Jewel gave a little sniff. The sniper had thrown her for a moment, but now that she was assured by Ania and Mitya that it was being taken care of, she was back to her most alluring. She had her mate close and her body was driving her, needing his attention—just not yet. It couldn’t be that easy for him. She wanted him to earn it. He was a big cat, and sadly, there weren’t challenges to him. She would have liked that. Male cats vying for her attention.
You little hussy.
It is good that he knows others want me. I am more valuable to him.
I think you’re valuable enough.
Jewel began to move away from Dymka, throwing him coquettish looks and rubbing along the tree trunks to spread her alluring scent. She became quite vocal, calling out as she wandered through the trees, rolling on the ground to spread her pheromones everywhere. She rubbed along the trees and rocks and called out continually.
Dymka paced along behind her, showing patience Ania hadn’t thought he was capable of. He didn’t try to approach Jewel until she began to run, playfully throwing up pawfuls of leaves and swiping her claws along thin tree trunks. Every few yards she slowed to allow Dymka to circle her, coming close when she crouched. If he got too close, she rebuffed him with a swipe of her paw. He leapt away, far too fast to get caught.
Jewel liked the attention, and not quite ready for the male, she took advantage, leading him across two streams, playing in the water, throwing the liquid into the air and dancing around for a few minutes before running again toward Mitya’s estate. It was several miles away. They had to cut across Eli Perez’s property. It bordered the enormous Bannaconni estate.
The two leopards had gotten deep into the Perez property, heading toward a grove of trees, Jewel vocalizing repeatedly, her call becoming more amorous and urgent with each passing mile. It had grown very dark and more than once she had rested, Dymka guarding her, careful to stay a small distance away. She continued to rebuff his advances, but he was persistent, staying just close enough to let her know he wasn’t going anywhere.