The sun was high in the sky as Mal sprinted along the west border, every so often opening her mouth to taste the air.
It remained.
Always remained.
The sour stench of human intruders. Problem was she couldn't find the source. She and her partner had been patrolling for six hours straight-and nothing.
Hiss came to an abrupt halt near the footbridge that curved over the small stream that jutted out from the bayou. With a shake of his auburn pelt, he shifted from cat to human male.
Coming up beside him, Mal shifted too. "What? Did you scent something?"
The rugged male Hunter, who wore his dark hair back in a leather thong, shook his head. "It's the same everywhere we go. Dying land, sour stench, but no clues. No intruders. I don't get it."
"They'll be back. Both human, and any more traitors we harbor." She gave him a tight grin. "Damn, I'd love to be the one who catches that prey."
Hiss's grey eyes flashed. "You and me both."
"I wonder if they're camping far enough outside the border to keep their scent quiet." Releasing a heavy breath, Mal shaded her eyes and looked out over the quiet bayou water. "Maybe we should go take a look."
A wide grin split the male's handsome features. "Go hunting across the border?"
"Maybe."
"Those aren't our orders."
She matched his grin and shrugged. "So?"
He laughed. "I like patrolling with you, Mal. Taking risks is important for a Hunter. Keeps us sharp. Keeps our instincts-"
"Oh my god!" Mal exclaimed, cutting him off, her attention suddenly diverted by something she saw out of the corner of her eye.
"What?" Hiss said, alert now. "What is it? Humans?"
Her eyes nearly bugging out of her head, Mal ran to the edge of bayou and waded a foot into the water. "Look."
Hiss followed her, shading his eyes as he searched the calm surface for whatever she was indicating. When his breath caught in his throat, Mal knew he'd seen it, too.
"I...I didn't think..." Hiss stumbled over his words. "Merde...with everything that's happened. With Ashe's sister, and her strange effects on the land...I didn't think we'd see it this year. I didn't think we'd see it ever again. What a miracle."
Her face growing warm with happiness and pleasure, Mal waded in deeper until she was forced to swim. Her clothes felt heavy in the water, but she didn't care. She couldn't believe it. She had to touch it.
"Mon dieu, do you scent it?" Hiss called from the bank.
Mal didn't answer. She was upon it now, its heady fragrance slamming into her nostrils. It made her insides vibrate, and her outsides, too. She reached out, palmed the large water lily that had only a moment ago been as white as the clouds overhead. Now, it was pale lavender, the color growing deeper and more vibrant with every moment that passed. She couldn't speak, she was smiling too hard.
The most perfect Dyesse Lily she had ever seen.
Even though they knew it was the time of year for the Dyesse Fete, they had all been secretly praying the celebration of the birth of the Pantera-and the most important holiday in the Wildlands-would actually come to pass. With the land's magic deteriorating at such a rapid rate, they'd wondered if any would remain.
Especially something so powerful and rare as the Dyesse.
She released the lily, and as she did, the two bracketing it started to change. By tonight, even the moon would turn a shockingly beautiful shade of violet. Laughing with unabashed happiness, she turned back to Hiss on the shore, and a silent understanding passed between them.
"I'm going right now," he called. "I'll tell Parish."
She swam toward him with fast, powerful strokes, hit the shore just as he shifted into his puma and growled his excitement. She did the same, shaking off the excess water that had transferred from her skin to the fur of her puma.
Hiss spoke inside her head. You want to go with me?
She looked up, growled. To the fete?
His puma nodded, smoky-grey eyes flashing with enthusiasm. Good food, music, sparring matches. We were the first to spot the change. It's only right we celebrate together.
Hiss was a friend, nothing more, but she liked him, felt comfortable with him, and god, it felt good to be asked. And, she thought with wicked intent, maybe good for Xavier to see. A grown male, a Hunter, wanted to take her to the most important night of the year for the Pantera-the night when unbridled mating was encouraged.
She grinned at the auburn cat. Okay.
Great! I'll pick you up around seven.
He turned and darted off into the forest, and Mal glanced over her shoulder, crying out into the fragrant air as she saw yards of Dyesse lilies turn purple on the calm surface of the bayou.
"I don't want to see him, Jax," Xavier said with an irritated growl. "I just want to talk to him."
The male guarding the door leading to the quarantine barracks shook his head. "Sorry, mon ami."
"Look, the male's a good friend. I'm watching his house, his sister." A soft snarl accompanied that last word. Xavier ignored it. "I need a word."
"Can't help you. There's no outside communication unless this is an emergency." The male raised a pale blond brow. "Is this an emergency?"
Fuck. "No. It's not." He released a frustrated breath. "Fine. I'll see him in a couple of days."
"That's only an estimate," Jax said with a thin-lipped smile. "Could be a week. We just don't know."
Perfect. The news just got better and better, Xavier thought darkly. And more problematic. Three days under the same roof as that towel-wearing puma temptress was bad enough. How the hell was he going to last a week?
He gave the guard a curt nod, then turned and headed back down the hall. Maybe he could get someone else to watch her? One of the grandmothers... A low chuckle exited his throat. Yeah, that would go over well. She barely tolerated him. She'd make quick work of some sweet, old Pantera female.
"Hey, X."
Lost in thought, Xavier turned to see Raphael a few feet away. The leader of the Suits looked pretty shredded, like he hadn't slept in weeks, and was standing outside his mate, Ashe's, room, with a small group: Hunter leader Parish, Nurturer Jean-Baptiste and his mate, Genevieve, who Xavier knew from her momentary blip with the Geeks. They all turned to acknowledge him.
"Checking in on Aristide?" Jean-Baptiste asked. Being from the same faction, the Nurturer knew that Xavier and Aristide were tight.
"Something like that," Xavier said. Not keen on giving out details about his problem with Amalie, he quickly turned from the heavily tatted male to Raphael and changed the subject. "How is she? Your mate?"
The Suit's jaw went tight and he slid his green gaze toward the closed door. "She was better when her sister was around."
"The quarantine?" Xavier asked.
Raphael nodded.
Yeah, that thing was fucking with everyone's lives.
"But I'm hoping I can take her out for awhile," the Suit said. "Take her to the fete tonight."
"The fete?" Xavier repeated, momentarily stunned. He looked from Raphael to Parish. "Has there been a sighting?"
Parish nodded, his gold eyes flashing, his face splitting into a wide grin. "Two of my Hunters spotted a bayou of purple lilies about thirty minutes ago."
Amazing, Xavier mused. And wonderful. He'd been wondering if the Dyesse would occur this year. It had been a hope on everyone's mind.
"Can't wait to take Julia," Parish said with a growl. "Celebrate our fertility right."
Leaning against Jean-Baptiste's side, Genevieve laughed. "I'd be careful. Females, even humans ones I imagine, can be overly demanding on the Dyesse Eve."
Parish grinned wickedly. "I look forward to being chased and caught by my Doc."
"Are you ready to run, my love?" Genevieve asked her male with a teasing grin.
Growling, pulling the blond female closer to his side, Jean-Baptiste nuzzled her cheek. "I will never run from you, Genny. It's time wasted when you could be ravishing the shit out of me."
Everyone laughed, even Raphael. It was good to see, Xavier mused. The ghost of a male letting down his guard. But it didn't last long. He turned his weary gaze back on Xavier.
"I know you met with the PI. Did she have something of interest? How are things progressing with Chayton? Any leads?"
Though most of the Pantera knew about their search for Ashe and Isi's father, it was the Suit leader who Xavier was reporting to. The male had become the reluctant go-between for the elders.
"I went through a shitload of sales records today from several different camera shops," he said with a snarl of frustration. "I want to figure out where this camera came from and who put it there. I don't think it was our enemies or human tattoo artist, Derek." He shook his head. "But you know me, whoever it is, I'll get them."
Raphael cuffed him on the arm. "I know you will. And hopefully it will lead us to Chayton."
Just then, the door beside Raphael opened and Parish's mate, Dr. Julia, poked her head out. "She's asking for you, Raphael."
Instantly alert, Raphael gave them a quick nod. "See you later. We should all take the night off and celebrate our birth, and the magic that continues within us despite those who are trying to destroy it." He eyed Xavier. "Even you, X."
As Raphael disappeared inside the room of his mate, Xavier and the rest of the group offered quick goodbyes before disbanding. Walking down the hall toward the front doors, Xavier thought about the Suit's words. A night off to celebrate the birth of his kind. He wanted that. Wanted to be a part of that. But time was ticking away. He had to find out who had placed that camera, and he had to find Chayton before those assholes did. Before they found him and used him to wake Shakpi.
If Xavier did his job right, there would be many more purple moons to celebrate.