The smell of so many humans packed into such a small space was giving her a headache. Their energy hummed around her, vibrating against her nerves. Of course, in the mood she was in, just about anything would be enough to wind her tighter. God, she needed a drink. And if she didn’t need all her wits about her when she came face to face with her family, she’d be sucking down the little bottles of booze the flight attendant had offered her.

“Ms. Cruz?” A light male voice sounded to her right.

She jolted and opened her eyes to see a slender man in his mid-twenties crouching in the airplane’s aisle next to her seat. “Yes?”

He beamed. “I thought that was you.”

Arching a brow, she pushed away her anxiety and tried to hide a grin. It wasn’t often that she was recognized anymore. She’d quit modeling almost four years ago to start her own clothing company, Pantheras Designs. “What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to say that I love your new men’s line.” He rolled his wide blue eyes dramatically. “My boyfriend and I spend way too much buying your clothes.”

She chuckled quietly, relieved that he wasn’t going to make a sad attempt at hitting on her like men who’d spent their teen years staring at glossy photos of her in a bikini. “I’m flattered. Thank you.”

He gave her a sheepish smile. “My boyfriend will never believe I met you. Would you mind taking a picture with me?”

“Not at all.” Anything that distracted her from the dread that coiled tighter and tighter inside her with every passing moment.

“Let me grab my phone.” The young man pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and flicked it open to push a few buttons. Turning on his heels he leaned back toward her and lifted the phone to just above his face and tilted it down. She angled her head so that she was next to him, conscious after so many years in front of a camera of just how to position her body, her neck, her face to show off her features best. He snapped the picture and then flipped the phone around so he could see the image. “This is awesome. You look phenomenal.”

“Thank you.” Her gaze slid over the picture. Yep, she still had it. She grinned.

“Excuse me, but you’re not supposed to be in the first-class cabin. You’ll need to go back to economy.” A flight attendant hurried up to scold the young man.

He flushed a dark red, jerked to his feet, and fumbled with his cell. “Oh, right. I’m sorry.”

Andrea caught his wrist before he scurried back to his seat. He looked down at her, embarrassment reflecting in his blue eyes. She squeezed his arm. “It was very nice meeting you. You made my day.”

“Thanks for the picture.” Huffing a laugh, he stuffed his phone into his pocket. “I bet you have somewhere glamorous to go tonight, so I doubt this could make your day.”

“Trust me, it could.” She smiled and let him go. The kid had no idea. But, then, most humans couldn’t guess at the life she led. Secrets, lies, and hiding her true nature were something she’d done every day for the last fourteen years. No human could ever know about her kind, so since she’d left the Pride at eighteen, it was the rare occasion that she’d been able to let her feral side loose and change forms.

She’d stayed away as long as possible, avoiding her brother’s summons by claiming she had contractual obligations to fulfill before she could return to San Francisco.

Eighteen more months of freedom.

But her brother and his mate, Solana, were having their first child and she was required to take a loyalty oath to the new heir of the North American Panther Pride. There was no more escape for her. She knew once she returned, her brother would never let her leave again. A low moan caught in her throat. That was the last thing she wanted—to be trapped forever, a showpiece for her Pride and nothing more. They’d parade her around to all the other Prides until she found her mate and then the only point to her life would be to breed.

It still blew her mind that her brother had mated to Solana Perez—a former outcast from their Pride. When Andrea had last seen her, Solana was a non-shifter. A Panther who couldn’t assume animal form. Such people were second-class citizens in the Panther Prides because only in Panther form could their kind breed, and the population was so scarce that they had to consciously work on making sure enough children were born each generation. Or they would die out. Extinction was an ugly prospect for everyone.

While Andrea could understand why non-shifters were seen as “less than” she disagreed with the idea that breeding was the most important function a person could perform. Her father had believed it though—his archaic attitudes had caused so many arguments between them that she’d given up ever co-existing peacefully with him and left to make her way in the human world when she came of age. She hadn’t seen her brother since she was sixteen and he was a cocky twenty-year-old on his way to serve as the South American Panther Pride leader’s second in command. Would he be as conservative—as stifling—as their father?

Nausea pitched in her stomach. She wanted to tell herself it was the mild turbulence as the plane circled to land at SFO, but she knew it was a lie.

Time seemed to speed, blurring as it whipped past. The next thing she knew, she was standing by the luggage carousel to collect her bag. There it was. She reached for the handle when a large male hand curved around her and lifted it for her.

“Andrea Cruz?” His breath moved the hair at the back of her neck.

A ripple of awareness went up her spine at the controlled voice behind her. She had to see the man attached to it. Some instinct went off in her head as she spun to face him. Her nipples tightened, thrusting against her lace bra. Gooseflesh broke down her arms, and her skin flushed with heat. Her pussy dampened, clenching with the ache of sudden want.

And then she knew.

Mate.

“Who are you?” Her voice came out a harsher demand than she’d intended, but the foundations of her world had just crumbled beneath her. She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. Unusual for a woman as tall as she was. He was gorgeous, eyes richer than dark chocolate and long ebony hair secured at the nape of his neck. Her fingers itched to rip the tie away and bury themselves in the long strands. Would they be rough silk or satin soft? She wanted to know with a desperation that scared her.

His brows lifted and he almost smiled. Almost. “I’m your brother’s Second, Miguel Montoya.”

Second. The shock of that announcement, the horrifying memories of her father’s Second and what he’d done to her, made her stomach lurch. Oh, Christ. What the hell was she doing here? Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run, to get away from all the changes ripping through her life. She jolted when he took her elbow, and a frisson of heat she didn’t want to feel slithered through her body.

“This way.” His grip was gentle, but she doubted she’d be able to escape unless he wanted her to. She felt herded while he ushered her out to a waiting limousine.

Her senses reeled, panic and passion spinning through her so fast she couldn’t keep up. His scent filled her nostrils, his fingers rasped against her skin, and the power of it threatened to drag her under. He gave her bag to the driver and handed her down into the open door. The leather creaked under her as she slid across the wide seat.

A gasp jerked from her when he sat beside her, plastering her against his side from shoulder to thigh. He shut the door behind him, shutting the rest of the world away to cocoon them inside the limo. Her gaze snapped to his, awareness flashing through his brown eyes. He knew. He sensed it as well. Mates. Her body heated to a boiling point, need sharper than she’d ever experienced slicing through her. Her instincts drew her to him like a moth to flame…and she wanted to be burned.

“Andrea.”

A shudder ran through her at the sound of her name on his lips. His hand curved over her leg just above her bare knee. Her fingers clamped around his wrist, stilling his movement. “We can’t.”

“I want you.” His gaze locked with hers, refusing to let her deny what was happening. They flickered to a deep gold, the color of a Panther, of change.

It was too much to resist.

When one of the men grabbed for her, a roar ripped from his throat. Everyone froze, turning in slow motion to stare at the newcomer. A Panther. He bared his teeth and watched the man closest to him turn ghostly pale. He could smell their fear, taste the tang of it on his tongue, and he took a small amount of satisfaction in that.

This close, even his rage couldn’t cloud the fact that the men weren’t human. They were Panthers, like him. Worse, they were from his Pride. The Ruiz brothers—Javier, Felipe, and Roberto. His own people, under his rule. Why would they hunt a Panther female? If she belonged to another Pride and was visiting his territory, then her Pride leader would hold him responsible for any harm his people caused her. Not to mention she was his mate and he would shred them alive for hunting her in the first place.

She screamed, and the frozen tableau broke into chaos. Antonio lunged forward, slicing his claws into Roberto’s calf. He went down with a spray of blood and saliva, squealing and clutching his leg.

Antonio leaped over the fallen man to sprint forward, intent on reaching his mate. Felipe shifted to Panther form, hissing a warning, but it meant nothing to Antonio. They were past the point of warnings. A single leap forward and the two of them clashed midair, claws and fangs tearing into each other. Antonio slashed across the young Panther’s face and he rolled away with a whimper, his black fur matted with dark crimson blood.

Antonio’s tail whipped around as he sprang for Javier. The man tried to climb the wall, but he had no more chance of escape than Antonio’s mate had. Antonio dragged him down to the ground, his fangs digging into the man’s jeans. Both front paws planted on the younger man’s chest, making him wheeze, and Antonio shoved his face into Marco’s. A growl vibrated his vocal cords, and what little blood was left in the man’s face fled. His bloodshot eyes went wide with horror.

His mate’s soft cry reached Antonio’s ears, jerking him back from the edge of feral. He shuddered, fighting the instincts of his Panther nature. He turned toward her, wanting to comfort her and soothe her fear.

But she wasn’t looking at him—she snarled at Felipe, bracing her back against the wall as she hissed deep in her throat. A purr rumbled his chest at her courage.

Javier took the opportunity to speak. “Please, sir. Listen to me. She doesn’t deserve protection. She’s a—”

A roar ripped free from Antonio’s throat as he transformed into his human form. He hoisted the shorter man up by his T-shirt until they were nose to nose. “Silence! The three of you will be in my study when I return to the mansion. Is that clear?”

“But how long until—”

“Obey me. You won’t enjoy the consequences if you don’t. But I will.” He dropped Javier to his feet. The younger man scrambled away and ran. His brothers had already disappeared.

He turned back to his mate. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. You?” She shoved her dark hair out of her face, her fingers sifting through the streaks of blond that shot through the long strands. He soaked in the details of her, taking in every curve of her face and body. Her chocolate-brown eyes searched him and they went wide when she saw the straining erection jutting between his thighs. Shifting back had left him naked. A wry smile pulled at his lips. He was going to have to figure out where he’d dropped his clothes and hope some vagrant didn’t steal them before he got there. For the moment, he focused on his mate.

She sucked in a quick breath when he took a step toward her. Swaying on her feet, she stared at him for long moments. The silence stretched to a fine breaking point. She shook her head, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. “It can’t be.”

She’d finally sensed it—that they were mates.

“Oh, but it can be. It is.” Stalking forward, he backed her up against the brick wall. His nostrils flared to catch her sweet scent, the one he would become addicted to. He had no doubt she had the same adrenaline humming through her as he did, and it morphed into something hotter, more carnal. Anger and fear still pumped through his system. His shaking fingers fisted at his sides. His eyes narrowed at her and a dart of excitement flashed through her gaze. The delicate smell of her wetness filled his nostrils. It was heady. She swallowed, her lids dropping to half-mast.

She released a breathy laugh, and naked want shone in her gaze. “I don’t believe it. We can’t be mates.”

“Let me prove it to you,” he growled.