Naya had impressed him with not only her cunning actions, but also the fact that despite what he’d told her about his past, she trusted him. Wheeler had thought for sure his wolf would kill her on sight once he shifted uncontrollably, but his wolf tapped into his own emotions about Naya. A Shifter’s animal was usually respectful of close bonds, but even so, she was a panther, for Christ’s sake! He should have attacked. Wheeler’s wolf was calculating and methodical—almost to the point where some had once compared his mind to that of a human.
When he’d lunged at Naya, Wheeler had tried to shift before it was too late, but his wolf refused to give up control of his body. Wheeler had felt his canines latch around her tender throat—her pulse beating furiously against the soft flesh. Yet he’d seen something in her eyes that stilled him.
Trust. Not acquiescence like he’d seen in the eyes of so many he’d killed, but absolute trust that she would somehow survive this. His wolf had put on a ruse so the spectators would think the match was over.
Usually when both fighters were in animal form only one survived, but a match officially ended when one fell unconscious. Wheeler’s wolf had thrashed until Naya quit fighting.
In a span of three hours—from the time Naya was placed in her cell until the moment she’d shifted in the cage—everything he’d known about trust had changed. Wheeler feared trust, because it had always led to grave consequences. Naya had tangled herself around his heart and made him feel like a free man—able to talk about the demons that haunted him without fearing judgment. She shared his cynical view on love, and he felt an undeniable chemistry with her. Until the moment he saw the guards carrying her in front of his cell, he hadn’t known how deep his devotion ran and how ruthlessly he was willing to fight for her.
When Naya had searched his eyes after he shifted, it was with absolute faith that he’d do the right thing. Christ, it made him want to fight for her even harder. This wasn’t infatuation, curiosity, or even about his past. He loved that woman with every breath in him.
Wheeler loved the smoky look in her eyes when she’d flirt, the tender way she spoke of her family, and the fire that burned on her tongue when anyone threatened her friends. He loved her imperfections—not that she had any on that voluptuous body of hers, but the ones inside her head and heart. The hidden insecurities, her temper, and even the way she loved that damn cat. Wheeler hated cats, and somehow that made this whole situation even more insane.
Of all people, he fell in love with a fucking cat.
As the guard approached Naya to drag her lifeless body from the cage, Wheeler waited to see if she had understood his suggestion for her to shift and attack.
Fucking hell, she was a sight to behold. Her panther sprang at the guard and crushed his throat within her powerful jaws. Wheeler ran after the second man and a fight ensued outside the cage. They threw chairs, punches, and Wheeler found a discarded cigar and burned the guard’s face before taking him out.
Naya’s panther leapt through the open door, her body moving like black silk. He’d never beheld a panther so agile and muscular. She approached him and rubbed against his side.
Wheeler patted her shoulder. “You ready to take care of business?”
Delgado’s voice sounded from the hall beyond the open door. “Dammit, Manny. I told you to bring them back to the…”
Wheeler smiled with all teeth when Delgado appeared in the doorway. “Nice little party you put together,” he said condescendingly as he stroked his beard. “You know what I love about men like you? How smart you think you are, but how dumb you really are. Did you think a man who escaped all those years ago wouldn’t know how to do it again? I know all the flaws and weaknesses of men like you.”
“It’s impossible. Your wolf—”
“Killed her?”
Wheeler patted Naya’s side and her panther growled. The sound was acoustic and deep, rattling the bones of anyone within ten feet.
Delgado backed up a step.
“Wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Wheeler said. “You know what’ll happen if you run from a predator, and don’t think your puny little door will hold her back. If you were smart, you’d have steel doors with guards inside and out. But you send in Beavis and Butt-head to clean up your mess?” Wheeler clucked his tongue. “Not the brightest marker in the box, are you?”
“You want your freedom? Fine,” Delgado began, trying to smooth out the nerves that were shaking up his voice. “I’ve made a substantial profit tonight. I offered Naya a chance to work with me, and she was foolish enough to screw me over. I hope you have more intelligence than a stripper. There’s enough money to go around if you choose to fight for me. I can set you up with your own room, your own bank account, and we can partner in on this.”
Wheeler kept his eyes on Delgado, savoring how easily a man could be broken without a whip or cage. Naya’s cat rubbed her head against his side and he stroked her face, feeling the length of her canines when his fingers grazed over her mouth.