by Jami Gray
“Okay.”
It amazed her how the human was seemingly oblivious to the lurking predator standing beside him. Warrick’s normally brown eyes held flickers of amber, and his skin was stretched thin. His wolf was too close and she didn’t know why. And unless he unlocked his end of the bond, she’d have to wait until they were alone to find out what had happened while she’d been outside chatting with Reynolds. Which had about as much chance happening as the humans dismissing tonight’s events.
“What’s your position with Taliesin Security?” Osborn asked.
“Personal Security.” Her answers were going to be short until she could figure out what he was fishing for.
“And that involves?”
“Protecting individuals from outside threats and pursuing investigative leads on missing persons.”
“So you’re a private investigator?” he clarified.
She nodded.
“Ms. Cade, before tonight had you ever met Neil Eilers?”
“No.”
“How did you know he would be here tonight?”
“I didn’t. I stumbled across his trail while following tips from various sources.” Some of those sources were now buried deep in pack territory.
Osborn canted his head. “Was one of those sources Sara Anders?”
She gave him a brief nod. “The ex-girlfriend’s family was concerned Mr. Eilers wouldn’t leave Sara alone. I knew she was out tonight with friends, so I thought I’d track her down and see if she could give me some more information on Mr. Eilers or his whereabouts.”
Osborn pulled a small notebook out of his pocket and consulted it. “I have your statement of what happened inside.” He looked up, the friendly agent from earlier now replaced by a grim, ruthless investigator. “Were you aware that our office has responded to four separate incidents of wild wolf attacks in the last two months?”
She shook her head as her hands clenched the blanket tighter. Four victims? Add in tonight’s body count and they were up to seven, possibly eight or nine if the two guys the med was working on didn’t make it. This wasn’t good. It was as if someone wanted to force the Kyn into the spotlight in the bloodiest way possible.
“How long has your pack been having control issues?”
It took every ounce of discipline to hide her flinch as the underlying accusation in Osborn’s question scraped against her skin. Instead of answering, she slid toward Warrick, placing her body between her alpha and the foolish human who unknowingly challenged him. With her back to Warrick, she rocked on her heels until her spine pressed against his chest. It was like sticking a finger in a dam, hoping to hold back the flood. If Warrick snapped, Osborn would get a very up close and personal answer to his question.
“Do you have proof of this said loss of control, Chief Osborn?” a new male voice asked.
Osborn spun on his heel to face the newcomer, eyes narrowing. “I have four dead bodies, not counting tonight’s little fiasco.”
“Can you link them definitively to actual pack members?”
Osborn’s expression soured as if he had sucked on a lemon. “Let me guess, you’re a lawyer?”
The young blond nodded, his pleasant expression never changing at the obvious distaste in the chief’s voice. “Ethan Cade, lawyer for Warrick Vidis and the Motoki Pack.”
Osborn slanted a look at Xander. “Brother?”
She gave him a wicked grin. “And a damn good lawyer.”
Ethan walked over to stand with Warrick and Xander. “Your four dead bodies—do you have proof that they were attacked by actual Motoki Pack members?”
Instead of responding with the expected anger Xander’s brother could generate, Osborn backed down. He paced a few feet away then came back and stopped to study the little group in front of him. “I spoke with the previous chief when the second victim turned up. He told me that in all the years he had served, he’d never had a problem with the Motoki Pack. They were, in his opinion, a well-disciplined, highly respected pack in the Kyn community.” He paused. “If that’s true, then what’s going on?”
Ethan turned to Warrick, raising an eyebrow. Warrick’s nod was slow in coming. Behind those actions, a wordless conversation was being held. Warrick, as the Northwest alpha, could speak telepathically to any of his wolves through their pack ties.
Tied as she was to him, she could feel the flare of power as they talked. Too damn bad she couldn’t actually hear what the hell they were saying.
She fought back the wave of resentment as the silent conversation continued. If Warrick kept shutting her out, there would be no way of finding some sort of middle ground for them. Which meant that whatever was between them would be over before it could even begin. She stiffened and went to step away from him, only to find herself anchored by his hands at her waist.
Conversation complete, Ethan turned back to Osborn. “Eilers was a maverick.”
Osborn folded his arms across his chest. “My understanding is that mavericks are wolves who exist outside of the pack, so they have no place within the pack structure.”
“Mavericks—” Warrick’s chest vibrated against her back as he spoke up, “—are lone wolves who choose not to be part of the pack. They prefer to roam and never settle too long in one place.”
“Are they subject to the same rules as pack members?” Osborn pressed.
This time it was Xander’s turn to answer. “No. The rules are more rigid for them.”
“How so?”
The flex of Warrick’s fingers on her waist warned her to pick her words carefully. “They’re required to make their presence known to the local alpha once they enter the territory. They’re allowed entry only if they agree to the alpha’s terms.”
“And those terms are?” Osborn wasn’t a sector chief for nothing.
“No killing, no hunting, no exposing themselves to the humans, and they’re restricted to a specific time limit for staying in a territory.” Ethan’s answer was smooth.
“What happens if they decide not to follow those rules?”
“Or kill someone,” muttered Reynolds, so low he probably didn’t expect to be heard. Unfortunately, for him, shifter hearing was phenomenal.
“They’re brought in front of a Tribunal,” Warrick said.
Osborn quirked an eyebrow. “Was that what you were going to do with Eilers?”
“If he hadn’t tried to rip my throat out, yeah,” Xander said.
Phantom pleas from another time and place echoed in her mind. Her jaw firmed and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Now wasn’t the time to revisit the past. It was just exhaustion, not guilt, she reassured herself. She understood better than most the necessity of taking down those who lost control and given into the beast that roamed under their skins. The damage and destruction they could leave in their wake reverberated for years.
The fickle bond she shared with the stubborn male behind her loosened. The feel of heavy fur and warm comfort surrounded her spirit. His unexpected gift brought a lump to her throat. Damn him! Warrick’s hold on her waist changed from restrictive to protective.
Osborn put his hands on his hips, watching them carefully. Silence stretched before he said, “Are you telling me Eilers was the one behind these attacks?”
“Yes,” Ethan answered.
If Osborn or Reynolds had been a shifter, they would have smelled the deception in his answer, but since all they had to go on was body language, they believed him.
Chapter Five
“I don’t know if I can do it,” Xander said softly. She stood next to Ryuu in a dark parking lot, blocks away from 88 Ivories, leaning against her modified Ducati motorcycle, watching her brother nod at something Warrick said.
“Do what?” Ryuu followed her lead, keeping his voice low.
The itchy blanket had been exchanged for her brother’s sweatshirt, procured from the back of his sedan. Avoiding Ryuu’s too-knowing gaze, she focused on meticulously folding the long sleeves back. “Accept the mating bond
.” The words emerged like shards of glass, ripping her throat raw.
Instead of the expected chastisement, Ryuu’s tone was thoughtful. “Do you know the main difference between a mated couple versus a bonded one?”
She shook her head.
“Someone once told me a mated couple connects at the heart level, and a bonded couple connects at a soul level.”
Her restless movements stilled as she thought it over. “There’s a difference?”
He gave a short nod. “A mated wolf loves their mate, so much so they’ll protect and shelter that mate until they die.”
There was a lump in her throat and the press of tears stung her eyes. Her parents were mated and watching them over the years left her yearning for the same kind of happiness. But what she shared with Warrick was something altogether different—had been even before this stupid bond snapped into place.
Oblivious to her turmoil, Ryuu kept going, “They can even develop the ability to track their mates through their bond, and I’ve heard some can even share feelings.”
Her stomach churned. Sharing wasn’t something her alpha did well. In fact, she tended to be the one offering her heart, not him. Over the last year, her relationship with Warrick had been far from easy. Before Arizona, she spent much of their time together trying to chip through his protective walls with little success. It was exhausting and discouraging.
“Bonded couples are connected beyond that,” Ryuu continued. “Probably because both human and wolf aspects are generally in harmony. They don’t survive the passing of each other and share a connection that strengthens and deepens until there are no barriers between either person or their wolves.”
Which was a beautiful concept. In theory. Reality could be far crueler. Say Warrick chose to never let her in, what then? At the dark thought, fear sank its teeth into her heart. Even scarier, what if the more dominant personality trampled the other until all that was left was a weak reflection? Was she strong enough to hold her own against someone as dominant as Warrick? And if so, for how long? Gods above and below knew the man’s picture was right next to the words Stubborn Ass in the dictionary.
She loved him, had loved him when she allowed him into her bed a year ago, but bonding? That was a commitment on a whole other level, one she wasn’t sure she was ready to tackle. An alpha’s mate had to be a partner. Hard to be an equal if your mate felt you needed to be protected from everything. She could bend if when needed, but if she gave herself entirely to him and he wouldn’t reciprocate, or couldn’t, would there be anything left but ashes when all was said and done?
“What triggers the bonding?” Warrick and Ethan finished their conversation. Her brother raised a hand to her, and she blew him a kiss. Warrick began to walk toward her.
“No one knows for sure.” Ryuu’s answer was low, probably trying not to let Warrick hear. “Most bonding stories I’ve heard involve a life threatening choice for one partner or the other.”
A flash of memory hit her—fighting off the evil invading tendrils of Lizbeth Chavez’s soul-destroying magic. An eternity passed before her struggles had begun to weaken, a clear signal she had run out of time. Desperate, she had reached out and touched a piece of amber lightning.
Recognizing Warrick’s magical imprint, she had grasped hold of what she had thought were the pack ties, too wounded to tell differently, and tried to apologize for not being able to hold on any longer. The magic had burned through her and seared its way to her soul. The power of it created a new bond while dragging her back to the land of the living. When she opened her eyes, she found herself irrevocably tied to the Northwest Alpha.
Warrick stopped in front of her, pulling her from her memories. He ignored Ryuu and reached out to gently trace the delicate markings on her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into his familiar touch. With a low rumble, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Needing the comfort of his touch as much as he obviously needed to touch her, she went pliant.
Above her head, he spoke to Ryuu. “Why don’t you go join up with Sebastian and make sure things are moving along?”
Ryuu straightened and stretched. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to have Xander take me to Taliesin’s offices.”
“Late night meeting?” Her voice was muffled against his chest.
“I need to follow up on something.”
“Oh, goody. Can’t wait,” she muttered drily.
Looked like her evening wasn’t over. With Ryuu off helping Sebastian, it was up to her to provide her alpha’s protection. She sighed and pulled back, putting some distance between her and Warrick.
The two men exchanged a few more words, then Ryuu took his leave.
Silence descended between her and Warrick, stretching until it played along her nerves. Slowly, like a door creaking open, he loosened his end of the bond. Her wolf began to settle as it sensed his. He studied her, and she could see both the wolf and man in his eyes. He reached out, but she stepped back and caught a fleeting sense of hurt and confusion. But she couldn’t allow his touch to weaken her resolve.
“Why are you running scared?” His question was stiff.
“Let me ask you something,” she said. When he gave a short nod, she continued. “Why did you bond us?”
“You were dying.” His voice was gruff, almost angry. “I—we need you.”
Need, not love. His choice of words scraped over her heart leaving her chest tight. “Need?”
“If we lost you, the pack would be devastated.”
“What about you, Warrick?” she whispered.
“An alpha can’t have a weakness, Xander.” Regret colored his voice, but he gave her the brutal truth.
It hurt, so much she almost rubbed her chest. “So you consider a mate a weakness?” This just got better and better. What made her think she could make this relationship work?
“Did you forget what happened with Chavez?” He rubbed the heel of his hand over his chest.
His movement made her realize she was projecting her pain through their bond. Furious with herself, and with him, she reeled in her emotions. “Chavez’s mate was crazy.”
“He covered for her because he loved her, and now his pack is in upheaval.”
She wanted to punch him. The urge was so powerful, she curled her hands into the leather of her bike’s seat behind her. “So it’s not a mate that you consider a weakness, but the emotion behind it?”
“No,” he denied. “You should never give an alpha wolf someone of his own.”
Confusion momentarily overrode her anger. “Wait. Why?”
His lips thinned and his jaw tightened. “An alpha is the ultimate protector. Protection of our packs is a natural directive. We will do whatever is needed to protect what is ours. Even if they don’t want to be protected.”
“Even a mate?” She kept her tone careful as an inkling to why he was so damned determined to keep his heart out of her reach formed.
“To protect a mate, some would burn the world,” Warrick answered in a curiously flat voice. “Even at the expense of our pack. Chavez is proof of that.”
“Warrick—” she started.
He snarled and ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. “My wolf recognizes you as our mate.” Possessiveness stormed down their bond confirming his words.
Mate. A deep thrill hummed through her at his claim, but her heart ached because there was more to it. Dreading his answer, she asked, “And the man?”
“Is torn.” He face was grim. “Claiming you protects and strengthens the pack, but increases the danger to you.” His ‘and me’ was left unsaid.
“You think you can claim me, but keep me at arm’s length? As if that will somehow keep me safe?”
He didn’t answer, but she could feel the belief in his screwed up logic.
She and her wolf took exception to his assumption, and there was no stifling her growl as feminine fury rose and burned against his male arrogance. “I don’t need you to keep
me safe, Warrick. I need you to accept me for who I am.”
Her challenge was the last straw and she practically heard his control break. Swearing, he trapped her between his body and the bike before she could blink.
Being caged brought her wolf snarling to the fore. Claws broke through and she swiped out, leaving thin bloody lines across one cheek before he captured her hands in his.
He snarled back and took her lips with savage intensity. Ravaging her mouth, he took sharp bites of her lower lip before laving the stings with his tongue.
Neither she nor her wolf wanted to calm, even as desire and deep-seated need rose in a wave. Riding the fine edge between anger and passion, she got her own nips in, refusing to back down.
He settled his body over hers, hot and demanding.
She jerked her arms against his hold, twisting her wrists until she was free. Then she raked her nails over his back, unsure if she wanted to mark him or hurt him. His hiss of indrawn breath was lost in the storm raging between them.
She continued to nip at his lips, his chin, determined to leave her mark on this stubborn male who couldn’t see what he held. She wasn’t a weakness, but a partner, the one person he should feel safe with, something both woman and wolf agreed upon. Until Warrick and his wolf acknowledged them as such, there would be no accepting the bond fully, regardless of the impact on the pack. But maybe—just maybe she could buy them some time to figure this out. If he could answer her questions.
Decision made, her body softened. Her hands relaxed, sharp rakes turning into long, petting strokes. Biting kisses gentled into a soothing tangle of tongue and lips. Her acquiescence quieted both the man and the wolf so determined to make their point.
“Warrick,” she gasped as he released her lips and made his seductive way down her neck. “We have to stop.” There was nothing wrong with making out in a poorly lit parking lot, but her alpha was a bit more private than most. This unrestrained passion masquerading as dominance play revealed another mark of his fraying discipline.
He lifted his head, sexual hunger flushing his skin. Those amber eyes, so at home on his wolf but so startling in his human face, smoldered. “Mine.” The word came out on a growl.