Warriors of Poseidon 01.5 - Wild Hearts in Atlantis

laps down the middle. He raised one eyebrow at the sight. "I didn't know panthers even liked water."
     
    Ethan shrugged. "We like it well enough as cats, but I've found that most of us love it in our human form. And the benefits of being the man who owns the pool are obvious." He jerked his chin toward the edge of the pool nearest them, where a nude woman stood Wild Hearts In Atlantis – Warriors of Poseidon 1.5
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    up in the water, lifted her head, and shook droplets from her hair. Her eyes sharpened when she saw them.
     
    "Ah, it's Kat," she said. Her voice dripped menace even as her hair dripped chlorinated water. "I heard about Nicky. He was a friend of yours, wasn't he?"
     
    Beside him, Kat had noticeably flinched at the sight of the woman, but answered in a quiet tone. "Yes, Fallon. He was."
     
    So this was Fallon. Bastien found himself wanting to unsheathe his daggers again.
    Anubisa, the evil goddess of the vampires, had taught him that females could be far more deadly than males—of any species.
     
    Kat abruptly turned to Ethan and positioned her back to the pool. Bastien wondered if it were deliberate. He kept an eye on the female in the water and noticed that Fallon's lips curled back from a mouthful of sharp-looking teeth as she silently hissed at Kat.
     
    Deadly, indeed.
     
    "Ethan, Nicky told us that Terminus did this to him. Before he died—" Kat's voice broke.
     
    Bastien touched her arm, then gently pulled her back against him. "He did say that, but he was wrong. We destroyed Terminus several weeks ago. He is permanently dead this time."
     
    Ethan's attention snapped to Bastien. "You destroyed one of the most powerful vampires in the United States? You said `we.' Who is `we'?"
     
    "Prince Conlan of Atlantis and those of us who form his elite guard. Terminus and several of his minions attacked us. Trust me, Terminus is no more. And not one of the Wild Hearts In Atlantis – Warriors of Poseidon 1.5
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    most powerful, but two, are now permanently dead. We also watched Anubisa slay Barrabas, her servant, and then our prince and his betrothed destroyed Anubisa."
     
    A splashing noise from the pool alerted Bastien. He jerked his head around to gauge the threat from Fallon and was surprised by the sight of her very naked, very female form climbing out of the pool. Part of him enjoyed the show. Another, much larger, part of him wondered why he didn't enjoy it more than he did.
     
    The feel of the woman almost imperceptibly trembling in his arms answered his question. Something about Kat made him think of dangerous words. Words like protect.
    Comfort. Cherish.
     
    Fallon stalked across the floor, arrogantly flaunting her nudity. Clearly putting on a show for Kat. When she reached Ethan, she draped herself around him.
     
    "He claims to have destroyed Terminus, but what do we know of him? Terminus was more powerful even than Organos," she sneered. "We would be foolish to believe this so-called Atlantis man."
     
    Ethan pushed her away, and Fallon snarled at him. Bastien watched the interchange and wondered how much of it was a display presented solely for his benefit. Or, he amended silently, for Kat's benefit. The sorrow that had radiated from Kat darkened and soured into an almost-helpless rage, but even as he felt her emotions slicing through him, they changed. Dampened back to calm. Her gift was at work again.
     
    "I am a Warrior of Poseidon. I am here to offer alliance to the East Coast shapeshifters, beginning with your panthers, on the advice of one who knows you," Bastien said. "I offer my help in the investigation of your dead colleague. We have much experience in these matters."
     
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    "Experience in what matters? Killing shapeshifters?" Fallon spat the words at him.
    "We've heard of you. Learned that the Atlanteans of legend have been walking the earth for millennia, killing our kind on behalf of the pathetic single-natured humans. We don't need or want help from the likes of you."
     
    Before Bastien could respond, Ethan roared. It was the full, throaty roar of a male panther in his prime, and the force of it sent Fallon cringing to her knees before him. Kat bowed her head, as well, and Bastien hated the submissive gesture.
     
    Hated the idea that Kat would submit to Ethan for even a single second—in any possible way. He stepped around her to face Ethan. To the nine hells with politics.