Cat of a Different Color: Halle Pumas, Book 3 by Dana Marie Bell Read Free Book Online Page B

building inside of him.
    “Do you have his scent?”
    “I got a whiff, yeah, but not enough of one to track well. I’ve got partial plates and a description of the vehicle that I’m running through channels.”
    “Then we wait.”
    Gabe nodded, accepting Adrian’s pronouncement without a fight.
    Max’s odd smile was still in place as he listened to the conversation between Gabe and Adrian. “Your mate’s starting to wake up.”
    Adrian turned, all of his attention focused once again on Sheri. He bent low over her so that she’d get a clear look at him. “Hey, princess.”
    She opened bleary blue eyes and stared up at him. “Sorry.”
    “For what? Nearly getting run over?” He forced his tone to be gentle when he felt anything but.
    “Scratched your jacket.”
    A slow grin crossed his face. “Fine. I’ll spank you for it later.”
    “Belle?”
    Her pained whisper was driving him insane. It was intolerable to him that she felt any discomfort. “She’ll be okay. Don’t you worry about her.”
    “Alive?”
    “Yeah, baby, she’s alive. She has a broken hip and arm, and a concussion, but she’s alive.”
    “Saved me.”
    “I know, baby. I know.” And she’d earned his undying loyalty with that one act of self-sacrifice.
    He couldn’t resist touching her for one more second, brushing her platinum blonde hair back from her face as gently, as lovingly as he could. “Sleep, sweetheart. I’m here. I’ll keep you safe.”
    When she nuzzled her cheek so trustingly into his hand and fell instantly asleep, two things happened. His heart broke in half, reforming with her as its core.
    And his resolve to kill Parker before he could lay another finger on her blossomed into something more. The man hadn’t just hurt his mate, he’d hurt his Pride. Looking into the dark blue eyes of the sheriff, Adrian finally understood what had driven his father to be a cop. Because the same fierce need to protect that haunted him burned in Gabe’s eyes, too.

Chapter Six
     
    Max had implemented every one of his safety suggestions. Surprisingly, Adrian had found he and Gabe made a good team, each one bouncing ideas off the other until they had working plans they both approved of. Gabe had managed to get the hospital’s agreement on the guards, the room changes, everything they’d wanted.
    And through it all Max had watched, silent, that odd smile on his face more often than not.
    “Will you fucking tell me what you’re smiling over?” Adrian finally demanded the next morning. It was just before they opened. Max had arrived at the practice with that damn smile on his face and it hadn’t left. It was driving Adrian nuts.
    For the first time ever Adrian felt Max’s full power. The golden haired man drew up to his full height, his power whipping about him, filling Adrian’s senses until he should have fallen to the ground, groveling. Why he didn’t surprised him. He should have been down on the floor kissing cheap carpet. Instead he was standing upright, eyes locked on Max, every sense alert to some unknown threat. He didn’t even realize he’d taken a battle stance until Max relented, the power withdrawing into him with a suddenness that sent Adrian stumbling, like he’d been leaning against a wall and that wall suddenly disappeared.
    “Do you understand what’s happening to you?”
    Max’s voice was gentle.
    “No,” Adrian said, horrified. Did I nearly challenge the Alpha ?
    Max grinned. “Knock it the hell off.”
    I nearly challenged the Alpha, and he’s smiling about it ? He bared throat in a submissive gesture that, despite his earlier posturing, felt perfectly natural.
    “Don’t bare your throat to me.”
    The command in Max’s voice, the near anger there, surprised him. His head snapped up. “Why not? I nearly challenged you, for fuck’s sake.”
    Max laughed. “Asshole.”
    Somehow, hearing his friend call him that made everything all right. “Fine, Lion-O, why don’t you tell me what’s going