Cat of a Different Color: Halle Pumas, Book 3 by Dana Marie Bell Page A

approval. He now had the authority necessary to ensure not only the safety of his mate, but that of his Alphas and his Pride. Although he knew it was still incomplete; they had no Omega, but unless he missed his guess Max already knew who it was and was just waiting for the right moment to clue the person in.
    “Can I ask you something?”
    Max shrugged. “Sure.”
    “Why didn’t I feel this when Becky was attacked?”
    Max raised one eyebrow and waited.
    And it hit him. “She wasn’t Pride yet.” And because Livia hadn’t endangered a Pride member, his “spider sense” hadn’t tingled.
    “And since she challenged Emma rather than just attacking her, it wouldn’t have set you off, either.”
    “But Emma was in danger, wasn’t she?”
    Max shrugged. “Not really. It was a dominance challenge. Trust me, if Livia had gone after Emma without challenge, you would have activated.”
    “Okay, now you make me sound like a Wonder Twin.” Adrian shuddered.
    Max huffed out a laugh and leaned forward. “Yeah, I can just see you in purple tights. Do you want to know how this works or not?”
    “I suppose I’d better. I wouldn’t want to be so lame I could be beaten by a mop.”
    Max grinned. “Okay, relax. Think about the Pride as a whole. Who’s in pain right now, and is it natural or something inflicted?”
    He frowned. How the hell was he supposed to know that?
    Only, he did know. Becky had a toothache; he’d have to let Simon know. Sarah Parker had cut her finger, probably trying to cook. She was a bit clumsy with the kitchen knives, and just about anything else she laid her hands on. Marie Howard had a skinned knee from a fall. Emma also had a cut finger…and she was…
    He turned to Max, horrified. “Emma!”
    Max was up and out the door before he’d finished. Adrian was right behind him. It was only a few blocks to Wallflowers but they both ran the whole way, jackets left behind in their hurry to get to Emma.
    Max stopped outside the door. “Mother fucker.”
    Adrian growled low in his throat at what had been the glass front of the store. Emma held up a piece of the glass that had been her picture window, some of the old-fashioned gold lettering still visible, blood dripping down her hand from where she’d cut herself. Her eyes glistened with tears as she stared at it. “Max?”
    Max was through the door and holding his mate before the first tear fell.
    The gold eyes that locked on Adrian’s were fierce. “Find him.”
    Unspoken were the words, kill him .
     
    Sheri woke up with the worst headache she’d ever felt in her life. Her head pounded in time to her heartbeat, and nausea danced a tango in her stomach. It felt like something was trying to pry its way out of the top of her head using a jackhammer. “Kill me,” she whispered, groaning.
    Even that slight sound made her skin crawl.
    “Hey, princess. Head hurt?”
    She opened her eyes. Adrian leaned down, nose to nose so she could see him clearly. His deep brown eyes were full of concern.
    “Owie,” she whimpered.
    He kissed her forehead, reaching above her to press the call button. “I’ll get you some medicine for the pain. Okay?”
    She would have nodded but that might have made the top of her head fall off. So she chose not to. She closed her eyes against the minute glare coming through the windows. Adrian must have shut the curtains. Bless the man.
    “Okay, sweetheart, the nurse is coming.”
    She could hear the squeaky shoes of the nurse in the overly waxed hallways before he did, but she didn’t say anything. Speaking hurt too much. Even grunting was beyond her at the moment.
    If he’d just kill her the pain would stop. She’d be forever grateful to him.
    She closed her eyes as he began stroking her hair, careful of the large lump on the side of her head. She heard the nurse enter quietly, and Adrian explaining what was wrong. A few minutes later the nurse injected something into her IV.
    “You’ll feel better in a few