All Chapters of Panther: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

"Cleo?" I walk up slowly behind her. I feel an ache in my chest when her whole body tenses at my hand resting on her shoulder. Why, Cleo, why? Why are you so cautious around me? "Why do I feel like you're upset with me?" I ask carefully. She gives me a bitter laugh and a head shake before walking towards the kitchen away from me."Why would I be upset with you, Ike? You're the reason I was saved from Charlie. You've been nothing but good to me." I watch as she grabs the kettle off the stove and starts filling it with water to keep her attention focused away from me.My heart aches in my chest. "And yet I've spent almost every night since alone." I feel sadness rolling off of her. I feel guilty for making her feel this way, but I can't keep avoiding this conversation. It'll tear us apart if I do. I walk up closer to her, slowly, like I'm approaching a wild animal. "Tell me, Cleo, what have I done to make you resent me so much?"She sighs, and sets the kettle down in the sink, leaning a

I crashed onto the bed Cleo and I had been sharing for the past few months, laying back with my arms behind my head and with my eyes closed. I laid there, not moving for a while before my ears prickle at sounds coming from next door.I could already hear them making up. Horny animals.I sigh, settling in for a nap.I had been able to tell since pretty much from the first day we saved Cleo, she was avoiding Ike. I imagine she felt guilt over the deaths of his pack members, Matt, Willow, and the other twenty-two who died in the fight. I wasn't going to force them together or anything, especially since it meant she was spending a lot more time with me.But I could tell she was missing a piece of herself without Ike. She had been withdrawn these past few months, quiet. She hadn't gone to train with any of the guards, she'd barely left the house except to follow after me into the woods every once in a while.Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen her shift.I'd let her wallow for a while,

"I'm sorry I have to leave." I smile at Ike, who is staring at me with a very worried look on his face."Don't be silly. Important people are coming to visit soon. You have to get ready." He sighs and scratches the back of his neck."Yeah, but we just made up. And I don't want-" I roll my eyes and lean forward and press my lips against his. He grunts, and grabs my lower back, pulling me closer to him. "Now I really don't want to leave." His eyes are filled with lust now when I pull back to look at him.I laugh and push him away. "No, you said you were going to help the construction so you could have new houses to put them up. I'm holding you to it." I jab him in the chest, but I'm smiling at him, so he knows I'm only teasing.

"Did you like that?" He asks. I laugh, my chest heaving."Yeah, yeah I liked that." I feel him move up to the bed and pull the blanket to cover my chest as he lays beside me. He props himself up on his elbow and stares down at me as I catch my breath, like I'd been the one doing all the hard work. "Who taught you that?" I ask, watching his face for a reaction. He laughs, grinning down at me. My heart skips a beat at its sight. Fuck, I loved that smile of his. Have I told him that yet?"Not another woman, if that's what you're thinking. Actually, I learned that from your favorite trio of idiots." My brows shoot up at those words."You... talk to them about stuff like that?" I feel a little embarrassed, to be honest. They were like little brothers to me; I didn't know how I felt about them giving Nate advice on how to make

"Come on, Luna. Don't let me down." Connor leans over me, smiling. I growl and grab the front of his hair, pulling his head down into my own. It wasn't as hard as I had done in my fight with Adan, but it was hard enough to crack his nose and throw him off balance so I could shove him off. I don't stand up though, I crawl onto his back and wrap my arm around his throat, grabbing my elbow with my other hand and squeezing as tight as I could.He stands, albeit slowly and with shaky legs. I squeeze my eyes shut but keep my grip on his throat when he falls back against the ground with me as his cushion. I cough, and choke for oxygen at the weight of him against me.But seconds later, I feel his hand tapping my arm for mercy, and I let go of my grip on his throat to roll away and stare up at Thomas, who is shaking his head and pinc