Page 3 of Wedding the Werepanther

“Of course it isn’t.” He pats the wallpaper. “Though who could blame anyone for wanting to linger in such a fine home.”

The feeling of a giggle ripples through the air, and I swear if a house could blush, Victoria’s purple paint would turn bright pink with pleasure.

“Okay, no.” I can’t. I just can’t. I willnotbe able to handle Shadow being charming and sexy and irritating all the damned time. My poor girl parts can’t take it. I march toward the door, which slams shut before I reach it. I grab the knob, ready to fling the door wide while making a dramatic statement about him leaving.

It doesn’t open.

I twist the knob so hard the skin on my fingers starts to burn from friction, but it’s no use. “Victoria! Open the door.”

When it doesn’t budge, I glance over my shoulder.

The pictures form:“No.”

I sputter.

“Let me.” Shadow steps close enough that I feel him as a pressure all down my back. One large hand wraps over mine. He gives an experimental twist, his skin sliding over the backs of my fingers when the knob refuses to turn. He tugs my hand from the door in order to grip it more firmly, and the muscles in his forearm cord and bunch as he strains. His breath puffs hot against my ear, and it’s seriously distracting until the low groan of stressed wood jerks me out of a daze.

“Stop! Don’t break the door!” No way in hell I can afford to fix it. As soon as he lets go and steps away, I spin around and jab a finger at the photo wall. “Victoria, what are you doing? You can’t lock me in with him.”

“I can.”Smugness fills the air.

“If you want me gone that badly, I’ll oblige, if only to make you happy.” Shadow loses his grin, a new emotion flickering through his eyes too quickly for me to make out. He takes astep to the side like he’s doing his disappearing trick, but he doesn’t go anywhere. With a growl, he sidesteps again, then a third time, remaining visible. Spinning slowly in place, his hands pat at the air. “I can’t access the shadow roads. That should be impossible.”

“Clearly not,”Victoria spells out.

A bark of laughter escapes him as he meets my eyes, his thumb hooking toward the photo wall. “I like your house. She reminds me of you.”

“Sarcastic?”

He shakes his head. “Strong and intelligent and knowing her own mind.”

I fight to keep my mouth from dropping open as my heart gives a little skip. It’s one of the nicest things a guy’s ever said about me. Okay, scratch that—it’s hands down the nicest. I’m socially awkward and use a lot of sarcasm. Sassy is the mildest thing I’m usually called. The thought that Shadow likes that about me…

Donotget distracted by the sexy werepanther, Kayla, I remind myself. There’s a puzzle to solve. I love puzzles—it’s part of what drew me to video games to begin with—I can totally solve this one. I just need to figure out the parameters. “We need to check every window and door in the house. One will let us out.”

A series of clicks echoes from all around me, and without looking, I know Victoria locked every single way out of the house.

Shadow sidles close again, the heat of his presence distracting as he leans over to whisper in my ear. “What do you think she wants?”

The pictures slide.“I can hear you.”

“Then what he said.” I gesture toward the grinning werepanther. “What’s it going to take for you to set us free?”

“Simple. A wedding.”

Then the photos on the wall swirl into a new configuration.

“Your wedding.”

CHAPTER TWO

Shadow

A chuckle of delight rumbles through my chest, growing as Kayla’s expression flickers through a complex mix of shock and confusion before landing on wide-eyed horror.

“Our wedding? You expect me tomarryhim?” she sputters, jabbing a finger toward me. “I barely know him!”

“And whose fault is that?” The teasing words slip from my lips. I’ve been pursuing my witchy beauty for a year, subtly stalking her around town every chance I get. Humans have strange ideas about such things, but it’s normal cat sith behavior used to better know one’s prey and the first move in the game of courtship.