The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 1

IZZY

I step off the bus as the sun beats down on me; the weather here is boiling. There is no breeze. I wish I was back home or the many places I have been calling home lately. I collected my suitcase from the driver, who had been staring at me for the last few minutes with a hint of glumness that he had more important things to do. I gave him my best smile, grabbed my suitcase, and turned away.

I walk along and head into the bus station; it's smaller than I remember. I start to look into the crowds for my auntie.

I moved around a lot, and I mean a lot. Whether it was with my mother, who was for the first part of my life, or when my mother passed away, I moved around more with my auntie, who took me in with her mate and daughter. I moved around mainly to get away from whoever was after me.

Looking around the station for my auntie, who was adamant about me coming back here.

I wish I knew why as this town always brings bad memories back to me, especially when HE is here. I never speak his name. He ditched my mother and me when I was ten years old. I had to watch her heart break every single day. He never once bothered to be there for me; he was too busy being in love and involved in his pack stuff to remember the daughter he had.

I am seriously wondering why my aunt wanted me to come back here, but I know she has settled here with Alice, my cousin. I did state to her that it had to be life or death for me to be back in this town, closer to him. And this town is going to be my living hell; I know it.

“IZZY, OVER HERE” I hear my auntie shout, I look to my left, and there she is jumping up and down trying to get my attention. I smile up at her and start walking over to her.

I walk over to her slowly as my senses are up. I can tell many people at the station are looking at me, wondering who or what I am. The town my auntie has moved to is a werewolf town. There are a few humans here, and my auntie told me they know about them. At least two packs live on the outskirts here on opposite sides. One being HIS pack. They seem to roam around the town freely. This is going to be interesting being a cat shifter here.

“Auntie,” I say, smiling as I step closer to her. I know she hates me calling her that as her face changes as soon as she hears me say it “Izzy, you know I hate that word so much,” she says, but I know she is happy to see me. “I’m sorry, Kat,” I say, smiling and pulling her into a hug.

“How was the journey?” She asks as she takes my bag from me while I drag my suitcase behind us as we walk toward the exit.

“It was ok; I had to take a plane ride first and then onto the bus for the last 12 hours. There were a few stops along the way where I could stretch my legs, but I didn't mind it; I’m used to it, and also I double-checked that no one was following me.” I say, but I notice the bus driver, exchanging keys with another driver but both of them are looking straight at me.

I sigh.

“If one more person keeps looking at us, I swear I will rip their throats out,” says Puna, my cat counterpart. We are panther shifters; my mum was one, and so are Alice and Kat too.

“Why is everyone staring at me?” I say, feeling uneasy about it, which makes Puna step forward to look around at everyone.

Kat looks around and looks up at me with a smirk. “Well, it's not every day a stunning gorgeous 20-year-old comes to this town.”

I giggle. “Yeah, right, there must be more girls here, but you know what I mean,” I say as I notice two old ladies staring, but once they realize that I am looking directly at them, they move their eyes somewhere else. One looks like they are mind-linking someone.

“I bet it is to tell their Alpha that someone new is here,” Puna says, stretching out and laying back down in my head with a yawn.

Kat looks at me with curiosity. “You should be careful when Puna comes closer; your eyes change color slightly,” she says in a whisper, trying to ensure that no one can hear her. “We will talk more in the car,” she says as she leads me out to the car park.

We leave the bus station and head to the door of the car park.

We are heading through the car park to her little Honda waiting for us when BMW pulls right in front of her car. Kat looks at the car and sighs. “One Alpha too many. Be nice, Izzy,” she murmurs through gritted teeth as a man steps out of the car; he looks at us and then goes to open the back car door, and out steps two young men who look around the same age as me.

One of them comes closer, and his scent hits me straight away; the scent is familiar to me. Where have I...then I realize where I let slip a little growl.

I know that scent.

He is not my father, but he has a similar scent to him; this must be his son.