by Lisa Kessler
He looked at me, and although I could see the worry in his eyes, his voice was rock solid and confident in planning our future. Probably the reporter in him projecting a calm, collected front. Whatever it was, I liked it.
“How about after the broadcast tomorrow night?” He hesitated and shook his head. “Wait. I’m busy then. The day after. We can go up first thing in the morning.”
Busy? It was none of my business, but I could admit to being curious. “Friday works for me.” I brushed a slow kiss to his lips, savoring the wave of desire reigniting inside me. I opened my eyes, eating up the passion on his face. His erection pulsed between us, and a smile crept up on me. I ran my hand down his side. “Not everything about being bitten sucks…”
He grinned, rolling over me and settling between my thighs. “Fast recovery is definitely a perk.”
I pulled him down to me and lost myself in his kiss. Tomorrow’s appointment faded from my consciousness. I could sleep tomorrow.
Chandler pushed a plate of scrambled eggs and a glass of orange juice toward me. “You should eat.”
Okay, it was sweet that he woke up early and cooked in his boxer shorts, but my stomach was tied in huge knots and the thought of eating made me want to throw up. I pulled the tie on my robe even tighter. “I don’t think I can.”
He raised a brow and held up a fork. “You’re going to need your strength today. Even if it’s just a couple bites, it’ll be better than nothing.”
God, his eyes were extra blue, and that five-o’clock shadow and bed head were working for him. I couldn’t say no. Taking the fork, I poked at the eggs and took a bite. My knotted stomach rumbled, suddenly famished. I lifted my gaze as I swallowed. “Did you hear that?”
He chuckled and brought over his plate from the stove. “Shifter metabolism is a beast of its own.”
“Truth!” I cleaned the plate and carried it around to his side of the island. “Thanks for breakfast. I didn’t realize I was hungry.”
He rinsed the plates, and I loaded them into the dishwasher. The monotony of the moment seemed like a gift. I was about to become a double agent for a werewolf pack, but right now, I was just a woman with a man who gave her multiple orgasms the night before. This was the life I wanted. But I’d have to fight for it.
Until now, I’d never really fought for anything. What if I didn’t have it in me?
He nudged me, jarring me out of my own head. “You’re not over there having second thoughts, are you?”
“About us? No.” I shook my head. “About my ten o’clock appointment with Deidra? Oh yeah. Big-time.”
He followed me back to my bedroom. “They have no reason not to trust you. You’ll be in and out, and I’ll get you far from there before they notice anything is wrong.” He caught my hand and waited for me to look at him. “You’re a badass, trained werewolf now. They should be afraid of you, not the other way around.”
I took his hand in both of mine, soaking up the confidence in his eyes. Yes, he was concerned, and he’d be ready to jump into the fire to help me, but there was no doubt he believed in me more than I did in myself. No one had ever looked at me like that.
“You’re right.” A smile curved my lips, surprising me. “And I think I’m in the mood to kick a little ass.”
He bent to kiss me. “There she is, my badass white wolf.”
I liked the sound of being his, but before I could say anything, he let go of me and picked up his jeans.
“We better get dressed and get out of here,” he said.
No more delays. Time to fix this mess with Evolution Defense. I was as ready as I’d ever be. I just hoped that would be enough.
CHAPTER 14
Chandler
The nondescript white industrial building that housed Evolution Defense was in the downtown area of Phoenix just a few blocks from the University of Arizona College of Medicine campus. Hidden in plain sight. No one passing by would ever guess they were experimenting on human beings, modifying their DNA to make them stronger, heal faster, and enhance their senses to make them even deadlier hunters.
I scanned the area as we got closer. There were plenty of busy streets and high-rise buildings to shield the pack members acting as Wendy’s backup today. This would work. It had to.
I parked on the corner at the end of the block as a text came in from Asher. I glanced at it, and then at Wendy in the passenger seat. “Looks like Vance is in the parking structure across the street with Kaya.”
Had anyone told Wendy that Kaya was a hybrid shifter? Since Kaya was a skin walker before being bitten by a werewolf, she shifted into a werewolf during the full moon, but she could also shift into a lynx at will as a skin walker. Her ability made her an asset to the pack in countless ways. If Wendy got into trouble, Kaya could shift and empty the building without firing a single bullet.
I glanced over at Wendy. “Did anyone tell you about Kaya?”
She nodded, glancing my way. “She showed me.”
“Wow.” I blinked. How much had I missed while I was dodging her? “I’ve run with her the last two new moons, but I’ve never seen her change.”
“It’s much faster and smoother than our shifts.” Wendy placed her hand over mine. Her palm was sweating. “Do I look as nervous as I feel?”
I looked her over, from her designer flats to her gorgeous eyes. Her hair was down, and she wore black slacks and a short-sleeved, cream-colored top with diamond earrings. “You look ready to lead the discussion at a board meeting. Not nervous.”
She smiled and squeezed my hand. “Then they’ll never suspect a thing, right?”
“Exactly.” I wished I felt as confident as I sounded.
She leaned over and kissed me. “See you in a little while.”
“Be careful.”
She got out of the car and walked away until she disappeared inside the four-story industrial building. I pulled out my phone, aching for a distraction. Waiting out here was going to drive me out of my mind. I checked my e-mail, sorted through the messages about the broadcast later tonight, and then refreshed again. A new e-mail popped up. The subject line chilled my blood.
Not tonight. Now.
It was the same e-mail address as the one the threats had come from. I opened the e-mail, but it was blank inside. What the hell?
I looked up, scanning the street, but nothing seemed suspicious. No one out of place or keeping watch on my car. Maybe the e-mail was just another empty threat.
But just in case, I killed the engine and got out of my car. The desert sun wrapped me in its tight, suffocating embrace. Dry heat didn’t make it any less hot. A gust of wind blew a Starbucks cup and a candy wrapper past me, and then the scent hit me.
Jaguar.
My head pivoted toward the parking structure. No sign of Vance. I sucked in another breath. No, this wasn’t Vance. Adrenaline laced my bloodstream. The only other jaguar shifters in the area were not friends of my pack.
Fuck. I wasn’t the best tracker, but the scent was strong. They were upwind, definitely not trying to hide from me. I sniffed, following the smell around the corner of the building. A tall woman with a long, blond braid down the front of her shoulder stood beside the gate to the employee parking lot.
I’d never seen her before, but her scent made her an enemy. She caught a wisp of her hair that has been pulled free by the wind and tucked it behind her ear, exposing a tattoo on the inside of her wrist. Vance had the same one.
A lion head with an N on its forehead. Nero.
This was not who I expected to be sending me threatening e-mails. I glanced at the busy street. We were in broad daylight. No way she was going to pull a gun and shoot me here. Just to be sure, I looked up at the security camera and back to her face. “Pretty public place for a meeting.”
She pushed her sunglasses up with a shrug. “I don’t care who sees us. It’s who can hear us that I’m worried about.”
I took my phone out of my pocket and tilted the screen in her direction. “Off the re
cord.”
Her lips quirked into a crooked smile. “I still can’t believe Severino’s son bit a journalist.” She shook her head. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”
“You’re a jaguar who used to work for the Nero Organization. Do I need to know anything else?” I kept my phone in my hand. If Wendy sent me a text, I’d be inside that building in a heartbeat.
With my other hand, I tucked in the back of my shirt. My fingertips brushed the handle of my gun, needing to reassure myself I was armed. Weapons were a new aspect of my life. It didn’t come naturally to me, but it was a dangerous world for a shifter so I’d adapted.
Her brow arched. “Are you threatening me?” She chuckled. “Please, if I wanted you dead, you would be. I could’ve killed you while you were reading my e-mail in your car.”
I brought my empty hand forward. “I’m not threatening anyone, but I am armed.” I stared her down. “Why are you sending me e-mails to stay away from Wendy?”
“Because your little wolf friend is part of the Transparency Collective.” She paused, searching my face for a reaction. Unlike weapons, putting on a brave neutral face in front of strangers was my specialty. She wasn’t going to get any reaction out of me. “You and your pack already know Wendy Cain makes frequent visits to my client. Interesting.” She tsked and shook her head. “Stay out of this. Consider this your only warning.”
“Wait.” I shook my head. “Last I heard, Nero was killing off members of the Transparency Collective. Now that Nero is dead, you work with them?”
It was a theory, that Brock had been bitten in order to silence him, but now seemed like a good time to float my idea. Questioning hostile sources was my specialty.
“They stole footage from Nero’s research, but after Severino was killed Duane rallied us together at the satellite facility. We needed money to survive.”
Duane Clarkson had been leading what was left of Nero’s trained assassins after Severino’s death, but when he came after Kaya, Vance eliminated him. We weren’t sure if the others had scattered, but I guess the woman standing in front of me answered that question.
The corner of her mouth twitched. “Duane made contact with the Transparency Collective and stuck a deal. We became part of the Four Emperors.”
I connected the dots and shook my head. “I get it. After Rome burned and Nero fell, it gave rise to the Four Emperors.”
It was starting to come together in my head. Vance had mentioned seeing a new logo at the satellite facility. It had the roman numeral four with a laurel wreath over it, signifying the new entity. I hadn’t heard they had a name, though. “Are you one of the emperors?”
“We were.” She flipped her braid back over her shoulder. “Duane was.”
Duane had believed the only way to save the last remaining jaguar assassins was to expose werewolves and that they’d be shielded in exchange for their cooperation. Vance had thought Duane’s judgment was miles off.
“Are you taking Duane’s place?” I glanced at my phone. Still no word from Wendy. I met the woman’s eyes again. “Or is it time for another name change?”
“We’re still four entities working together.” She came closer, narrowing her eyes. “And you’re getting in the way.”
“Is Evolution Defense one of the four? Duane mentioned Deidra Harlow’s name before he died.” I kept my attention on the front of the building, watching for Wendy.
She chuckled but there was no humor in it. “I know it’s your job to dig information out of people, but I didn’t come here for an interview.”
I didn’t either, but I wasn’t about to give up this chance to get more information for my pack. I tried another tactic. “You really think these people are going to honor any kind of agreement with you? They see us as monsters. Even if you believe the government will stop at exposing werewolves, you’re wrong.” I searched her eyes. “Once the story breaks, the press isn’t going to let up until we’re all out in the open.”
“I agree.”
Okay, that surprised me. I quashed my shock, keeping my expression pensive. I cleared my throat. “Then why are you here? We want the same thing.”
“Because you and your pack are going to fuck everything up.” She slid her glasses down, meeting my eyes. “Duane is gone. I’m in charge now.”
I let her jab about the pack slide off as I crossed my arms. “Should I know who you are?”
“Natasha. Vance can vouch for me.” She tipped her head toward the building. “For now, Evolution Defense thinks the jaguar shifters are still committed to the mission so we’re going to take them down from the inside. But your little wolf friend has been happily offering herself as their lab rat. Once they have all the data they need, they’ll let Brad Newport declassify the super soldier research, and we’ll all be hunted.”
Wendy would be coming out of the building any minute now. I didn’t have time to set Natasha straight, but I did need to know what she and her cohorts were planning. “Her name is Wendy, and she’s not part of the Collective. She’s a werewolf. If the Newport declassifies allt eh research, she’d be exposed too.”
“She thinks she’s getting a cure.”
Had Deidra told Natasha that? I didn’t like where this was headed. “What are you planning to do about it?”
“What I do best.” She pushed her glasses back up. “Eliminate her.”
CHAPTER 15
Wendy
I looked around the exam room, spotting a security camera mounted to the ceiling in the corner of the room. I’d never noticed it before. Shame washed through me. I’d been so desperate and naive. Shit. My tunnel vision had led to the death of soldiers, and if I didn’t destroy the research, Chandler, the pack, and my beautiful nephews would all be in danger. I stared at the computer terminal on wheels. I had thought I’d plug the thumb drive in and download files before anyone came in to take my vitals, but the camera would probably alert someone.
Getting into Deidra’s server was going to be harder than I’d thought.
I had to find a way to disable the camera.
My gaze tracked the wires coming out the back of the camera. I followed them around the top of the wall and down to the cabinets. I slid off the exam chair and wandered to the counter for a tissue. Hopefully I looked like I was poking around the cabinet searching for something benign. I kept tapping my toe in my shoe, reminding myself to keep my heart rate even in case any of the security team had been juiced up with the super soldier serum.
At the back of the cabinet, the wires disappeared through the wall. If I could cut them, it might buy me some time.
The door handle started to turn, and I closed the cabinet and was back in the chair with reflexes faster than any human could muster.
Deidra came in, her nose stuck in the files she was carrying. Her dark hair was pulled up into a bun today, accentuating the sliver streaks. I figured she had to be in her sixties, but she didn’t have the typical and wrinkles around her eyes. Maybe she lived in the lab.
She lifted her head and offered her usual tight smile. “Good to see you, Wendy.”
“Hi, Deidra.” I kept my toe tapping even with my pulse, heart rate steady. “I’m starting to think a cure isn’t possible.”
“Science takes time.” She laid the folder on the countertop and rolled the computer terminal over next to the exam chair. “We’ll figure this out.”
While she rattled on about data and control groups, my stomach twisted. This was all bullshit. I knew that now. All this time, I thought Deidra’s aloof demeanor was part of being a good scientist, but now I knew what this woman was secretly using my DNA for. Good men had died because of her. Did she even care?
“I think I’m finished here,” I said.
Deidra frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah.” I nodded slowly. “I’m done. No more tests or labs. I need to accept this is who I am now.”
Deidra rolled the computer aside, meeting my eyes for the first time today. “You can’t be serious.”
<
br /> I put my hands in my lap and lifted my chin. “I appreciate all your efforts, but I can’t keep doing this.”
“But you’re not human. You can’t just spend the rest of your life walking around like everyone else.” She pursed her lips. “We’re very close. Don’t give up now.”
“I’ve made up my mind.”
“Fine.” She put her hand up. “I have some paperwork for you to sign. Stay right here.”
Before I could reply, she left the room—and locked the door.
Even tapping my toe in my shoe couldn’t keep my pulse even anymore. I bolted from the exam table and hopped up onto the counter. Part of me was still shocked I could make the jump from a standstill. I was still wrapping my mind around all the training Naomi and the others in the pack had given me. Until Chandler had brought me to the ranch, I’d never really tested out my new abilities. If anything, I’d been repressing them.
Not anymore.
I stretched over the door, catching the cords at the back of the camera. With one jerk the wires snapped free and the bracket wobbled, bending with the force. I jumped down as a mental clock ticked in my ears. She could be back any minute. I needed to work fast. I took the flash drives out of my purse and popped the black one into the computer terminal. I had no clue what I was looking for, so I moved any folder that’s file name contained my initials. The status bar slid across the screen while I kept my eye on the door.
Come on, come on, come on.
Finally, it finished. I jerked the first flash drive free and stuffed it in my pocket, then plugged the red one in. This time I opened the file manager and double clicked on the single file.
The lock on the door disengaged. I glanced at the screen. It wasn’t done.
Shit.
I rolled the computer aside with the flash drive toward the wall, the screen facing me and got back on the exam table just as Deidra came in with a syringe, a man dressed in all black right behind her. There was a gun holstered on his hip. If I’d had any doubts about her motives, they were crystal clear now. I wasn’t “free” to go anywhere.