by Lisa Kessler
I nodded. “Yeah, actually, I am.”
“You’ll never make it to the ranch in time to shift.” She shook her head. “He’s setting you up. What if—”
“I shift on live television?” The thought sent a chill down my spine. “I won’t let that happen.” She stared at me as if another head had sprung out of my shoulders. I sighed. “Let’s get a room, and then I’ll explain everything.”
I grabbed her hand and marched through the lobby. We booked a room, and a few minutes later, we headed up to the tenth floor. When the door closed behind us, I drank in the silence like an addict. Finally, I could hear myself think.
Wendy flopped onto the king-size bed with a happy sigh. “This was a good idea. I didn’t realize I was on sensory overload until now.”
I nodded from where I stood at the window overlooking the busy streets. I took my phone out of my pocket and started to answer Jamie’s text.
Wendy sighed. “Can’t you put Newport off for another day?”
I glanced over at her, and my heart skipped a beat. She was sprawled on her back, her hair fanned out on the white comforter, and so damned sexy without even trying. It took a second to remember her question. “No. This is a test.” She didn’t look convinced so I added, “He asked for me even though I’ve already interviewed him before.”
“And that’s a big deal because…?”
“Because he only knows about the existence of werewolves. Or at least we thought that’s all he knew. He’s got your sense of smell, though, so he would’ve picked up that I don’t have the same scent as other humans or other werewolves, and if he’s got Evolution Defense paying him to keep quiet about their research, it’s not a big leap to think he’s crossed paths with the jaguar assassins that used to work for Nero.”
“You think Brad Newport suspects you’re a shifter, too.”
I nodded. “And if he knows about the jaguar assassins, I bet he’s also heard rumors that we change during the new moon. He’s probably testing the theory if he connected my scent to theirs.”
She sat up, worry lining her eyes. “You have to turn him down.”
“If I refuse, I’m basically telling him his hunch is right.” Scenarios started spinning through my head as I paced by the window. “I won’t have time to get to Sedona after the interview, but if you could drive me up to Lookout Mountain and keep the cat away from humans—” I turned to face her “—I could prove his theory wrong.”
“Or you could shift on television.” She shook her head. “Have someone else interview him.”
“It’s not that simple. He’s got me in a corner.” I rubbed my forehead. “If he suspects jaguar shifters exist and I could be one, he’s been to the ranch before. He knows where the pack lives, and if I don’t accept the interview, he’ll be free tomorrow night to ambush us during the new moon.” I crossed to her and sat on the edge of the bed. “I can do this. It’ll protect the pack.”
She scooted over to me, resting her hand on my thigh as her gaze locked on mine. “I don’t like this.”
“I’ll set the interview for the five o’clock broadcast. I’ll be punchy with the cat that close to the surface, but I won’t shift. I’m sure he expects me to refuse the interview. He’ll be surprised when I book it, and once I finish it, his theory will be proven wrong. I’ll drop my mic, and you can drive us up to Lookout Mountain.” I brought her hand to my lips. “It’s the only way to throw him off. I can do this.”
She blew out a breath, shaking her head. “This is risky.”
“But it will work.” I searched her eyes, steeling my resolve.
Finally, she nodded. “Okay. But I’m bringing my gun, just in case.”
“We have to be careful. Getting arrested will out us just as fast as going to a hospital.” I caressed her cheek. “Besides Newport is too high profile. Vance wanted to take him out a few months ago, but Asher wouldn’t let him go through with it. He doesn’t want the Feds searching the state to find the person who killed a Senate candidate.”
“Fine.” She pressed her lips together with resolve in her eyes. “I’ll help whisk you out of the station to shift, and I’ll leave Brad Newport alone.”
I kissed her forehead, reveling in the emotion she stirred in me. “Thank you.”
She bumped me with her shoulder. “Make the arrangements and then you can thank me appropriately.”
I raised a brow. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” She brushed her lips to mine and stood up before I could pull her to me. “I’m going to grab a shower.”
“I’ll be ready to show you my appreciation when you’re done.” I adjusted my jeans. Parts of me were already prepared. Damn, she was sexy.
She walked to the bathroom, her hips swaying with each step. She glanced back at me from the door. “Don’t wear anything too…complicated.”
I laughed as she closed the door. This connection with her was so much more than I ever dreamed I deserved.
The water turned on in the bathroom, and I got up. I sent a text to Jamie to confirm the interview at five o’clock tomorrow. Then I scrolled through my contacts and called Asher.
“Hey, Chandler. How’s your dad?”
“Still an asshole, but I guess that’s…expected.” I cleared my throat. “I’m not going to be able to shift with Vance at the ranch during the new moon tomorrow.” I stared out the window, waiting.
After a pregnant pause, Asher finally replied. “You can’t shift in San Francisco. There are too many people.”
“No, not here. I’ll be back in Phoenix tomorrow morning.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t know if Newport talked to Deidra or maybe Natasha, but he reached out to the station and requested an interview with me tomorrow night.”
“Let someone else to do it.”
“I can’t. I think he suspects I’m a shifter. I’ve interviewed him before, and I’m sure he’s noticed I don’t have the same scent as other humans. But if I do this and I don’t shift in front of him, I think it’ll squash his theory. It’ll also keep him away from Sedona while Vance is shifting.”
“How so?”
“If he thinks I’m a shifter, then he expects me to be out in Sedona shifting with my pack, not holding an interview on television in Phoenix.” I looked up at the ceiling, waiting for him to reply.
He chuffed on the other end of the line. “You shifting on television isn’t a good option, either.”
I explained my idea about letting the jaguar run on Lookout Mountain where I’d spotted Wendy’s lone white wolf. “It’s remote, and she’ll make sure the cat stays away from the city. This will work.”
“I don’t like it,” he growled.
“I don’t either, but I think it’s our best option.” I clasped the back of my neck. “I can control this story and protect the pack. If another reporter does it, who knows what will happen.”
Another long pause. “You’re going to be aggressive and edgy that close to your shift.”
“Hard-hitting journalism at its finest.” I dropped my hand and went to the window, staring at the cars below. “That’s all the world will see.”
“Cole and I could come to Phoenix, just as backup.”
I rested against my arm over the window frame. “You should watch over the ranch. Wendy’s got my back.”
“She’s never seen a jaguar shifter during the new moon.”
I clenched my jaw. “I’m her mate. I won’t hurt her, even in cat form.”
“This is reckless.” He cursed under his breath. “I don’t like it.”
“It’s risky, but it’s calculated. I can do this.”
He was silent. I started to think I lost the signal when he said, “I’ll be watching the interview. Have Wendy call me from the mountain so I know it worked out.”
“I will.” I ended the call and smiled. I was going to enjoy calling out Newport’s conspiracy theory crap tomorrow night.
But first, I was going to enjoy the woman I loved. It still seemed surreal. I’d
thought I had understood what love was. I’d seen it as two people with similar goals, something that made sense. Now I realized I’d never known about real love until the night I heard the pain in that lone wolf’s cry. I had no idea as I flew over her that my destiny had been forever changed. And I was so fucking grateful.
I stripped off my clothes, hungry to hold her in my arms again, to feel her skin against mine. As if she could hear the fantasies playing through my head, she opened the bathroom door and stepped into the room in a white terrycloth robe and a towel wrapped around her wet hair. I walked over to her, enjoying the way her eyes wandered over my naked body. Seeing the desire on her face, knowing she wanted me, was so damned hot.
She slid the towel free from her hair as I stopped in front of her. The lavender from the hotel shampoo didn’t mask the scent of her arousal. I pulled the tie at her waist, opening the robe.
“You take my breath away,” I whispered as I pushed it off her shoulders.
It pooled at her feet as she ran her hands up my chest. She traced her finger along the scar on my shoulder. I used to loathe the mark, but ever since I’d found my pack, it had started to signify something new. It made me a part of something bigger.
She kissed the center of my chest and looked up at me from beneath her lashes. “I don’t know how to explain it, but these words need to be said. It’s like they’re etched into my spirit somehow.” She tipped her chin up, wetting her lips until I ached to taste them. “I give you my heart, my protection, and my life. You’re the other half of my soul.”
I claimed her mouth, my tongue caressing hers as I lifted her. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and my erection brushed her opening, already wet for me. I gripped her ass in both hands, feeding on her as the rest of the world faded away. No pack to protect, no new moon, no shifters, no defense contractors or Senate candidates, only Wendy and the way her body fit with mine.
“I love you,” I growled as I sank into the heat of her body.
She caught my lower lip in her teeth, her gaze locked on mine. “You were made for me.”
“You feel so damn good,” I growled as I thrust up into her.
I couldn’t get enough of her. Couldn’t get close enough. I carried her to the bed and laid her down on the edge. Standing, I gripped the back of her knees and pumped my hips into her, aching to get even deeper. The way she looked up at me, her cheeks flushed with color, her lips swollen from my kisses, her nipples taut and bouncing with each thrust, was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I never wanted this moment to end.
She grabbed my wrist and guided my hand between us until we found the spot that made her back arch. I was going to lose it. Not yet. I struggled to hold back the inevitable, pumping my hips faster as her fingernails dug into my forearm. “Let go, baby,” I gasped. “Come with me.”
Her lips parted, and my name had never sounded so fucking amazing. I exploded deep inside her, every muscle in my body contracting. I don’t know how long time stopped while we caught our breath, but it did. She pulled my hand out from between us and tugged me down to her. We shared breathless kisses, laughing as I struggled maneuver us so I could lie on the bed with her.
When I finally settled beside her, she rested her head on my chest with the best afterglow grin. I ran my hand down her back. “I want to make you smile like that forever.”
She giggled, shaking her head. “I might need a few minutes to recover first.”
I laughed, smoothing her wet hair back from her forehead. “You’re magic.”
“How so?” She kissed my chin.
“I didn’t know I could be this happy. Tomorrow is going to be tough, but right now, I don’t even care. I don’t know how you do it.”
She ran her finger along my chest, watching its progress. “I wish we could stay here.”
“Me shifting into a giant black jaguar in the middle of San Francisco probably isn’t a good idea.”
“I know.” She met my eyes. “It won’t be good if it’s on television in Phoenix, either.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“I’m a shifter, too. When the moon calls, I can’t fight it.” She rested her hand over my heart. “I’m worried.”
I covered her hand with mine, my gaze locked on hers. “I’m going to get through this. Trust me.”
“I do.” She bit her lower lip. “But it’s going to be harder than you think.”
“Maybe.” I cupped her cheek, struggling for words. “Brad Newport drove out to the ranch a few months ago, threatening Naomi and the boys, and I can keep that from happening again. If I keep him busy during the new moon, it’ll kill his theory that there might be more than just werewolf shifters out there. It’ll also mean he stays away from Sedona while Vance is shifting.” A sad smile curved my lips. “You’ve met my parents. There’s no love there. The pack is my family. I have to protect them.”
She turned to press a kiss to my palm. “And I’ll protect you.”
CHAPTER 23
Wendy
We made love again and ordered room service. I wandered into the bathroom on rubbery legs. I looked in the mirror over the sink, finding my cheeks flushed with color and incredible bed head. I turned on the water and froze. As blood flow returned to my brain, so did the realization that Chandler had rocked my world multiple times tonight…and we hadn’t used a condom.
I stared at my reflection, waiting for panic or anger or fear, but none of it appeared. A knock on the door jarred me from my introspection. I opened it, and Chandler stood there, naked with mussed hair and holding his phone. He was equally sexy and adorable all at once.
“Madison just sent a text. My dad is awake and alert.” Although their relationship was complicated, the relief was plain in his eyes.
I wrapped my arms around him, breathing him in. “Good news.”
He nodded and kissed the top of my head. “Yeah.”
I peered up at him. “There’s something else, too.”
He raised a brow and bent to kiss my lips. “What’s that?”
“We forgot a condom.” I searched his eyes for a reaction.
Color drained from his face for a second. “I’m sorry. I… Shit… I’ve never forgotten before. I—” He stopped, his gaze wandering over my face. “You’re not upset.”
“No.” I shrugged with a sheepish smile. “At least not yet.”
He caressed my cheek. “This is all new, but I’ll be there for you whatever happens.”
“I know.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I guess that’s why I’m not freaking out. I…” My voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m not alone anymore.”
He held me tightly, resting his head on top of mine. His voice rumbled in his chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”
We talked about everything and nothing over our room service dinner. I don’t know when we finally fell asleep, but my cell phone alarm hurt when it chimed at six o’clock in the morning.
I winced and silenced it. Chandler’s arm hooked around my waist, pulling me back in close. “Not ready to leave this bed,” he grumbled.
A drowsy grin tugged at my mouth. “You were the one whole told me we needed to get an early start.”
He pressed his lips to my shoulder. “I could get used to waking up with you in my arms.”
“Me too.” I peered back at him. “But we still need to get back to Phoenix.”
He grunted and lifted his arm, freeing me. I got up and stretched before grabbing my phone and stealing the bathroom. Inside, a text glowed on my screen. It was from Deidra.
Your virus caused a data breach. Call me.
By the time we landed in Phoenix, my head was pounding with tension. According to Deidra, the virus I had planted in their network had taken down their entire firewall. Although it had corrupted most of their data, her techs had found some of the files missing, including mine.
Did I believe her? That was the root of my headache. Maybe it didn’t matter. If the files were corrupted, there was a good chance the
y didn’t have any idea what research she’d done using my DNA anyway.
I glanced over at Chandler as he closed the hangar door behind us. “How are you feeling?”
“Not great. I’m trying to focus on the Newport interview and not the fact that another station could be running a story with your name in it.” A muscle jumped in his cheek. “She could have leaked your file herself. Easy to blame it on the virus you planted. She’s probably hoping you’ll think the pack is responsible, that maybe you’ll be worried about someone discovering you’re not human anymore and start looking for a cure again.”
My stomach twisted at the thought of my name splashed all over the news. “Couldn’t she get in trouble with the government for exposing top-secret defense research?”
“She has plausible deniability because of the computer virus.” He shook his head. “I need to concentrate on one problem at a time. Newport interview, then shift. Asher and Naomi are tracking the missing digital files. We have to focus on Newport.”
He was right. I did my best to push the doomsday scenarios out of my head. Right here, right now was what mattered.
After stopping at our houses to change clothes, we made it to the station an hour before the interview was scheduled to air live. Chandler had been uncharacteristically quiet, but I understood. During the day of the full moon, I was usually punchy and uncomfortable. The animal part of us was so close to the surface that the aggression and jumpiness were difficult to control. For me, it also made me feel less “human,” which freaked me out a little.
Chandler parked and let out a frustrated sigh. “Let’s get this over with.”
I resisted the urge to ask him if he was all right. From the sweat on his forehead and the tightness in his jaw, I already knew the answer. He was barely holding it together.
When we walked into the television station, a petite woman with short, dark-brown hair wearing gray slacks and a black blouse hustled toward him. “Hey, Chandler. You looked tired. Are you sick?”
“No, I’m fine.” He turned my way. “Wendy, this is my producer, Jamie Alexander.”