Sedona Scandal (Sedona Pack Book 3)

by Lisa Kessler

  I walked over to her side and smiled up at her. “Are you coming?”

  She grinned. “Did you seriously just jump down?”

  “Yeah.” I gestured for her to follow. “Your turn.”

  “I’ll break my leg.”

  “It’s not that far.” I scanned the empty airstrip before meeting her eyes again. “You’re a badass werewolf, remember. This is nothing. You can make it.”

  She didn’t look convinced, but she got out and hung onto the edge, laughing and kicking her feet. “It’s too far.”

  “You’re practically on the ground.” I grinned. “You’ve got this.”

  She let go and landed on both feet. I didn’t even need to steady her. She turned around with her eyes shining. “Made it.”

  God, I loved seeing her smile.

  I bottled it up and took out my phone. Asher, Vance, and Kaya wouldn’t be back from Phoenix for almost an hour so I sent a text to Cole to pick us up.

  Finishing up at a ranch call. Should be to the airport in about an hour.

  I thanked him and stuffed my phone in my pocket. “Want to hike to the vortex?”

  Sedona was the mecca for energy vortexes, places where ley lines deep in the Earth crossed. Tourists from around the world came to town searching for spiritual meaning, and the vortices were a big draw. The vortex near the airport was only a short hike along rocky, uneven terrain.

  Wendy peered down at her shiny black flats and sighed. “I wish I’d worn hiking shoes.”

  “No problem.” I turned around and crouched down. “Hop on.”

  “You’re going to carry me?” She laughed. “No. You’ll twist your ankle.”

  I looked over my shoulder, trying not to laugh. “I’m a jaguar, remember? Cat’s always land on their feet.”

  She rolled her eyes and hopped onto my back. I caught her knees, enjoying the feel of her breasts pressed against my back. Her lips brushed my ear as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “If you think I’m going to make out with you at the vortex…you’re right.”

  I started to run, making her squeak in surprise. Her laughter echoed off the rocks, and just as it did when flying in my plane, the rest of the world faded away.

  “You’re going to get heat stroke,” she cautioned.

  “Nah. I’m just desperate for another kiss.” I slowed my pace to a walk, keeping my eye on the rocky trail ahead. The elevation in Sedona made the temperature more moderate than the unforgiving desert of Phoenix.

  She rested her chin on my shoulder, her cheek against mine, and my fucking heart was in her hands. I never wanted to lose this closeness, this fun, this amazing, badass werewolf on my back. A selfish part of me hoped she’d never find her mate.

  CHAPTER 17

  Wendy

  The shadows were lengthening across the valley as Chandler lowered me to the ground at the vortex. From the edge of the plateau, we had a glorious view of the valley, the Red Rocks on the other side, and city of Sedona below. The expanse of open sky combined with the desolate mountains were a stark contrast to the bustling desert of Phoenix. Quiet, serenity, and peace seemed to radiate from the earth under my feet.

  Maybe that was the vortex talking.

  Chandler glanced over his shoulder, but I didn’t have to check to know we were alone. The only other scents on the wind were from animals and flowers. He and I were the only people in the vicinity.

  He took my hand and lifted a brow. “About that kiss?”

  “As I recall…” I nibbled on my lower lip, struggling to hold back a smile. “I believe the deal was making out. I expect tongue.”

  His grin widened as he slid his arms around me. “Happy to oblige.”

  He bent his head, his lips brushing mine and his tongue parting my lips to explore my mouth. My toes curled in my shoes as my fingers slid into in the back of his hair. Feeling his body against mine made my knees weak, and every second with him left me wanting more. My pulse matched his in a unified rhythm that seemed natural, as if we were two parts of one whole. His embrace tightened, and heat smoldered in my bloodstream until my body was aching for more.

  I broke the kiss, catching my breath as I stared up into his blue eyes. “Wow…”

  “Yeah.” He nodded slowly, loosening his hold on me. “Damn. Every day I’m grateful that I was the journalist you called with your story.”

  “Me too.” God, he was gorgeous with the sunlight shining in his eyes. “What were the chances?”

  “Fate was being kind, I guess.”

  Fate. One mate for life, chosen by fate, recognized by the wolf. Staring at Chandler I realized if he wasn’t the one, I didn’t want to find out.

  He straightened, casting his gaze out at the mountains. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.” I ran my fingertips down his taut bicep and along his forearm, then smiled as his hand caught mine and he laced our fingers together.

  This was my favorite part of Chandler, when he let his guard down and forgot about his emotional armor. These were the moments I could see the real man underneath. This was the guy who believed there was more to me than an entitled little rich girl. He pushed me, seeing the real me before I did. And today, alone inside Evolution Defense, I had taken a stand for people I cared about, supporting them without a checkbook. I had fought for them. Being near him made me want to be more than I thought I could be—and believe it was possible.

  I wished I could do the same for him.

  He glanced over at me. “What were you going to do once you found your cure?”

  Good question. As soon as I had recovered from the attack, the only things I had focused on were finding my brother and regaining my humanity. It had never occurred to me that I hadn’t really lost it, and I hadn’t given much thought to what I would do if they actually cured me.

  I shrugged. “I guess I’d still run the foundation. I’d start using my season tickets to the opera again for sure. I just didn’t want to be like the animal that attacked us.”

  He lifted our joined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of mine. “I still hear that lullaby you sang to Bart every time I try to sleep. You’ve got a beautiful voice.” He met my eyes. “You could’ve been on that stage during Carmen.”

  He touched my heart with his words, in a way no one had since I’d lost my mom. I stared out at the horizon. The sun was beginning its dip to the west, turning the fluffy clouds into pink cotton candy. “I was a music major in college when the explosion took my parents. I quit school and came home. After Brock and I formed the foundation, I thought about going back to school, but…” I glanced up at him. “My mom used to love listening to me sing. She came to every performance and always supported my dreams. I couldn’t face not seeing her in the audience. When she died, those dreams did, too.”

  He squeezed my hand. “Even though there’s no cure, you can still go after your dreams. I didn’t give up being a news anchor. You could be on that stage at the opera.”

  My head spun at the thought of singing again. Classical voice training had taught me to sing using my entire being, body and soul. There was a high from taking the music in and making it a part of you before sending it out in a pointed, pure tone clear enough to be heard at the back of a theater over an orchestra without a microphone.

  God, I hadn’t felt that rush in years. Just contemplating it had me blinking back hot tears.

  I cleared my throat and focused on the horizon again. “I guess I could go back to school. Maybe U of A. They’ve got a music program.”

  A single tear rolled slowly down my cheek. Standing here, hand in hand at the energy vortex, this man had once again returned a piece of my soul to me.

  The night we’d met, I’d been a broken victim. But he’d seen more to me. He kicked me in the ass until I embraced the strength of my wolf, and now he was encouraging me to keep chasing my dreams. My wolf howled and whined from the shadows of my spirit. He had to be my mate.

  We stood together in silence, but it didn’t feel awkward.
There was a comfort to it. I pulled my hand free of his and slid my arm around his waist. “I wish we could stay right here in Sedona and pretend none of the danger in Phoenix exists.”

  “Me too, but it’s not going to go away on its own.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, keeping me close. “There’s a storm brewing, and my gut is telling me we need to get ahead of this.” He met my eyes. “I mean the pack, not you. You did your part today. You don’t owe us anything.”

  “Wait.” I frowned. “I’m not going anywhere. Bart and Ben are family; my brother’s blood is in their veins. I’m in this, too.”

  “It’s dangerous.” He caressed my cheek. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I’m already in.” I thought about all the others who trained me over the past few days and added, “Actually, I’m hoping Asher will let me be a part of the pack…”

  “We’d be lucky to have you.” He stared out at the valley again, distant.

  I squeezed his waist. “What am I missing here?”

  He chuffed with a shrug. “My phone keeps buzzing in my pocket. I’m pretty sure it’s Madison, and I can’t deal with that right now.”

  “What happened between you and your dad?” I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t shut me out again.

  “He’s made it abundantly clear I’ve never been good enough or worked hard enough to earn his approval, and my mom doesn’t bother fighting with him, so her silence hurts too. I’m sick of being a disappointment, and after I was bitten, I guess I gave up on trying to please them. I found a new family.” He gave me a sideways glance. “My sister is my only contact with my old life.”

  “Does she know you’re going to be shifting into a jaguar during the new moon next week?”

  “No.” I scanned the valley. “She’s safer staying out of all this.”

  I rested my head against this chest, following his gaze. “If you decide to go see him, I’d be willing to be your wingman.”

  He chuckled. “Nice flying reference.”

  “I try.” I grinned. “But I’m serious about the offer.”

  “It would just bring more questions. The last time I introduced someone to my parents, I thought I was going to marry her.”

  My breath caught. He’d been engaged, or at least had proposed to someone.

  He cleared his throat. “I don’t want them to see us together and jump to conclusions.”

  “Is there something wrong with me?” It was stupid, but I couldn’t help it, and now that it was out, I couldn’t yank the words back.

  “No.” He frowned, pulling away so he could look into my eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He shook his head. “You’re amazing. I just…” His voice softened. “I’m trying so hard to enjoy the time I have with you without dreaming about a future. When you find your mate—”

  “Wait,” I interrupted him. “What if it’s you? What if it’s always been you?”

  “Don’t.” He shook his head. “It’s not me. We’ve touched already. You would’ve known.” His phone rang. He took it out of his pocket. “It’s Cole.” Chandler lifted it to his ear. “On your way?”

  “Be there in ten.”

  “Thanks, man.” He ended the call and met my eyes. “He’s—”

  “On his way. I heard.” I took a step back, sizing him up. “You didn’t answer my question. What if it is you?”

  “I’m not your mate.” Pain lined his eyes, like it hurt to say the words out loud. “We would have found out the first time we touched.”

  “But you said jaguars don’t have that instinct like wolves do, right?”

  He nodded slowly. “That’s true, but—”

  I held my hand up, cutting him off. “Until the night we met at the opera, no one ever told me about all these instincts. I got a quick rundown of shifting during the full moon and staying away from hospitals and Sedona. That’s it.” I lost myself in his eyes for a second. “How would I have known it was you?”

  A light flickered in his gaze. Hope? Or was that my own wishful thinking?

  His voice was rough, not the smooth journalist others saw on television. This was my Chandler. “It’s supposed to happen when you touch for the first time, skin to skin. The wolf howls. Kaya said her balance went off like the world tilted, and her pupils dilated, making everything fuzzy for a few seconds. A bond forms between them…”

  “And it gets stronger, like a web…” My breath hitched, thinking back to that night after the opera. “When I got up to leave Jake’s…”

  “I caught your arm and asked you not to go.” There was that flash of light in his eyes again, and the corner of his lips quirked up.

  “And I almost fell over.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Because my wolf howled.”

  He gripped my arms, facing me, but his expression was guarded. “What are you saying?”

  My mouth went dry. Suddenly fear twisted my stomach. If I was right, if he was my mate, that was it for me. He was it.

  What if he ran cold again? He could walk away. But I wasn’t sure I could.

  “I think my wolf knew. Maybe she knew the night you circled Lookout Mountain. Maybe that’s why I e-mailed you about my story.”

  Seconds ticked by. My pulse raced, and finally, Chandler whispered, “I’m afraid to believe it.”

  I caressed his cheek, wishing I could heal all the old wounds in his heart. “I am, too.”

  He raised a brow. “Why?”

  My vision blurred with a wave of unexpected tears. “Because you can walk out of my life anytime. You already did it once. You brought me to the pack, we kissed, and you left.”

  He shook his head and held my face in both hands. “Only because the thought of another man being your mate killed me. That night after you sang Bart to sleep, and I lay on the couch holding you—that’s all I’ve ever wanted. And I thought I couldn’t have it.”

  I tipped my head up, needing to kiss him, to taste him. We clung to each other as the sky darkened above us. I fed on his lips over and over again, aching to be even closer.

  He broke the kiss, whispering against my ear, “I don’t deserve you.”

  “Bullshit,” I said, and he laughed.

  His phone rang again, and his eyes widened as he grinned. “Shit. I forgot Cole.” He turned around and bent his knees. “Jump on.”

  I did, and he ran down the path. Screaming with laughter, I hung on to him for dear life. He was fast, strong, and smart, and best of all, he believed in me. I felt like a lovesick teen.

  Until now, I’d forgotten how amazing it felt to be someone’s favorite person.

  CHAPTER 18

  Chandler

  Cole did most of the talking on the drive, filling us in about the cattle ranch he’d just visited, but I was barely listening. Wendy was sitting on my lap in the cab of the veterinary truck, and between the emotional realization that maybe fate had chosen me to be her mate and the feel of her perfect ass pressed against me, my blood flow was far from my brain at the moment.

  When Cole pulled through the electric gate, I saw Naomi waiting on the porch with the twins. As Cole parked, the boys raced for the truck, and the second Wendy got out, they clamped onto her legs.

  “Auntie Wendy! You’re back!” Ben grinned at her. “We’re having mac and cheese! Will you eat with us?”

  “Yeah!” Bart peered up at Wendy. “Please? Will you stay?”

  She knelt and gave both boys a squeeze. “I’d love to stay if it’s okay with your mom.”

  Naomi came down and wrapped Wendy in a tight embrace. “Good to see you.” She stepped back, looking her over from head to toe. “Asher said things went well today.”

  Wendy glanced my way and then back to Naomi. “I got the data on the flash drive, but I don’t know if the virus finished uploading before I had to bolt.” She pulled the black flash drive from her pocket and handed it to Cole. “I hope there’s something on here that you can use.”

  Cole took it and tugged at the brim of his ballcap. “Well done.”
>
  “Exactly.” Naomi nodded. “You got back out without any injuries. I call that a win.” She herded the boys up to the house, Wendy in tow.

  I waited for Cole while he stowed the flash drive in the glove box of the truck. “I’ll check it out later and see if I can figure out what they are cooking up.” He grabbed my shoulder. “Are you flying back to Phoenix tonight?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I had taken the night off for a meeting with someone at the Wolf Pack Bar at eleven o’clock, but she ended up ambushing me at Evolution Defense instead.” I hadn’t mentioned Natasha to Wendy. Until I could talk to Vance about what she said, it didn’t seem worth worrying Wendy.

  Headlights came up the quiet street. Vance, Kaya, and Asher were back. We greeted everyone, and when I clasped Vance’s forearm, I said, “I met Natasha today.”

  Vance froze for a second before taking off his sunglasses. “And you’re still vertical. We trained you well, mate.”

  Kaya bumped him with her hip. “Play nice.” She gave him a knowing grin before looking at the rest of us. “Naomi sent me a text to help with lunch, so I better get up there.” Kaya was an amazing chef. We were lucky to have her in the pack. She tugged Vance down for a quick kiss. “See you soon.”

  Vance watched her go, a crooked smile on his face before shaking it off and glancing my way. “Sorry for jerking your chain, mate.” He sobered. “Natasha is deadly. You must not have been her target.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “She seemed pretty confident she’d have no trouble killing me if she wanted me dead. She said she’s leading the jaguars at the satellite facility in Flagstaff, and now that Duane is dead, she’s planning to take out the Transparency Collective from the inside.”

  He crossed his arms. “So what was she doing outside Evolution Defense, then?”