by Dana Archer
Without making me come.
He wiped away every memory of being with other men without making me come. Just the promise of finding heaven in Uri’s arms was enough to ruin me for other men. And that’s what’s happened tonight.
Uri made sure I really do belong to him.
I grab his wrist before he touches my breast. “Why did you stop?”
Uri shakes off my hold. Without looking at me, he snatches my discarded shirt and returns to where I’m sitting half-naked and panting and nearly crazed with unmet needs.
“Can you do it?” He holds out my shirt to me. “Or should I?”
I stare at him, unable to utter anything that won’t make this worse because all I want to do is curse him out for leaving me on the edge of need.
“Fine.” Uri shrugs. “I’ll do it.”
I sit there unmoving—unhelping—while Uri dresses me, but I can’t deny the needs building within me even as anger flushes my skin. The commanding way he touches me—the way he’s controlled this entire encounter from his leading conversation to this moment where he’s adjusting my clothes and finger combing my hair makes me feel…
Owned.
I snatch Uri’s wrist as he tucks my hair behind my ear and wait until he looks at me. “Beloved human. You said that’s the official term for what I am to you now, but it’s not how you view me. So how do you view me?”
Uri shakes off my hold, tosses my jacket over my legs, then turns his back on me and walks to the door.
“Uri.” I hop off the pool table, my jacket falling to the floor. “Answer me.”
“Mine.” With his hand on the door handle, Uri finally glances at me. “That’s how I view you. That’s how other shifters will view you. You’re mine. To the humans, however, you will use the socially accepted term of beloved human as there are special legal allowances made for such relationships. You can look them up if you’re interested, but what happened here tonight was perfectly acceptable and legal for me to do. My possession was hurt, so I made sure you no longer experienced pain. It had nothing to do with pleasing you sexually. If you found what I did pleasurable, that’s on you, not me.”
I storm forward, but Uri holds out an arm stopping me from getting closer to him. I walk into that outstretched arm and press my breasts against his palm. “Nothing to do with pleasing me sexually? That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard. You want me. Don’t—”
“I want you to live a healthy and safe life for as long as your God intends for you to be on this earth. Blame that desire on Ella. She did insist I act as your mentor, and since I’ve slacked so badly in this regard, I’ve taken the necessary steps to ensure I can complete the assignment forced upon me.” Uri opens the door and steps out. “Until the day you die. No matter what you do or who you do it with in the meantime.”
Lifting my finger-combed hair away from my flushed cheeks, I lean against the doorjamb and follow Uri’s tight backside with my gaze as he strides away from me. Smiling, I cross my arms. Tonight wasn’t a total loss. Uri ensured I belong to him in a way neither the shifter world or the human one can deny. Now all that’s left is securing my claim on him.
Ten
Uri
With the sealed envelope in hand, I open the door to Ella’s office, then stop dead in my tracks. A growl slips from my lips at the sight of the man sitting on the other side of Ella’s desk. “What are you doing here?”
Kade glances over his shoulder. “Don’t you believe in knocking?”
I jerk my gaze from Kade’s amused expression to the pen poised above the legal-sized stack of documents on the desk in front of him. The light blue paper folded over the top edge gives the paperwork an official look. I signed my Shifter Affairs contract on a similar paper a couple of months ago.
“Ella has an open-door policy for her agents.” My lion’s growl echoes in my head and lends a threatening tone to my words.
“Good to know.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. Saves me the trouble of asking Ella about her office hours.”
“Why do you need to…” I slide my focused glare from Kade to the paper in front of him. “What are you doing, my alpha?”
Chuckling, Kade turns back to the paperwork, flips a page and signs his name before flipping another and initialing something. “Well, dear cousin, I’m following through with my promise to you. What are you doing here?”
On a rough shove, I slam the door, rattling the pictures on the wall, and stride forward. I snatch the pen as Kade signs his name on another page. Ella yanks the documents out from under Kade’s hand and walks toward the other side of the room. She steps out of my vision, but the sound of a filing cabinet drawer opening paints the picture of where she’s gone: to file Kade’s agreement with Shifter Affairs.
I kick the edge of Kade’s seat, spinning him to me. His smug smile turns into a shit-eating grin. I glare at him, ignoring the cockiness stamped on his expression and my lion’s desire to wipe it off his face with my claws. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“That’s a little overdramatic, don’t you think? All I did was scribble my name a few times.”
“To sign on with Shifter Affairs.” I glower, uncaring if my stance is challenging. Kade won’t call me on it. He’d be all too happy if I did oust him from his position.
“As an agent on retainer, yes.” Kade drops his elbows to his knees and leans forward. “But I’m calling it my side hustle since I’m still alpha and have all those duties too.”
“Exactly. You’re alpha of the Alexander pride, and as such, you’re relatively safe on our lands. There are enough of our members living there to act as a first defense if your life is threatened.” I motion to the door instead of ramming my fist into my cousin’s head to knock some sense into him. “This office is not on Alexander pride lands.”
“You are correct.” Kade leans back in the reclining padded desk chair and props his calf on his other knee. “Technically, we’re on Kagan pack lands, but the Kagan alpha has signed a contract leasing the land this building is on to the human government for a dollar a year for the next century, at which time, the contract can be renewed or—”
“I don’t care about the deal the wolf shifter made with the humans.”
“You should.” Kade tilts his head, a seriousness slipping into his expression.
“Why’s that?”
“Because the contract Nic Kagan signed with the human government is ripe with conditions and protections, not only for his pack, but for everyone he invites to opt into it.” Ella leans against the desk on the other side of Kade. “And as of this morning, Nic’s extended an invitation to those shifter groups neighboring his pack lands.”
“Which conveniently includes the Alexander pride.” Kade crosses his arms, his smile once again revealing a smugness only my cousin has ever been able to pull off without looking like a total conceited ass. “And it even more conveniently makes my new side-hustle job a perfect fit for my alpha-type duties.”
“Explain.” One word. That’s all I can manage. My patience is shot and has been ever since dealing with Lyla last night. Or maybe it’s because she hasn’t returned the texts I sent her this morning. Or it could be knowing this stuff Kade’s sprung on me is stopping me from hunting down the stubborn, foolish woman. Again.
“By opting in, I’ve entered into a reciprocal protection agreement extended to any agent from this office when they’re on my pride’s lands, and the…” Kade pulls his phone out and glances at the screen before typing a reply to the text he just got. “And the same applies to when agents from the Alexander pride are on the other signing shifters’ lands. As of now, that includes the Kagan pack, the Jager pack, and, of course, the Winchester pack’s lands, but honestly, our Winchester Royal neighbors have always had our back.”
“Few single shifters will protect you with the same instinctual drive a member of our pride would.” I take a step closer to my alpha. “We’d die for you.”
Kade dips
his head, all signs of amusement and smugness gone. “As I would for you. The pride bond is stronger than any slip of paper.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, then—”
“Which is why I’ll also be partnered with a member of our pride while I’m here on Shifter Affairs business.” Kade stands and makes his way to the door. “Surely, that’s something you and our pride mates would approve of, don’t you think?”
I take in Kade’s posture and the way he’s cocked his head as if listening for something or someone in the hallway. My shoulders tense, and my cats push at my psyche with a warning. “What are you up to?”
Kade grins at the same time as a faint ding reaches me: the elevator.
“Who are you partnering with?” I let my demand bleed into my voice. It won’t compel Kade to answer me any more than his orders yesterday persuaded me, but it’s all I can do. Fisting Kade’s shirt and shoving him up against the wall wouldn’t end well. We’d both end up bloody messes and Ella’s office would be trashed. And we’d both get dings on our records for destroying Shifter Affairs property.
Kade opens the door instead of responding. My twin’s scent reaches me, but the tall, muscular human with a military buzz cut and camouflage pants blocks my view of him. He scans the room, nodding first to Kade, skipping over me, and focuses on Ella. “I was right. Odin’s a perfect match for your agent.”
“Odin?” I cross the room as another scent reaches me. And it’s not another human or a shifter. I stop and address the human. “Who is Odin?”
The human moves to the side, allowing a large dog fitted with a harness to lead Ezra into the room. “Ezra’s service dog. Odin’s obstinate and is going to need to build a trust bond with his new owner, but he doesn’t have an ounce of fear of him. Walked right up to Ezra and nudged his hand.”
A denial and an argument sit on the tip of my tongue. Both would anger Ezra and ruin his confidence. For over two centuries, it’s been my goal to help Ezra live independently. I should not sour this for him, but… “A dog will never—”
“A seeing eye dog is the condition I insisted on for Ezra to sign on as an agent on retainer.” Ella crouches next to the big, wide-shouldered dog, but she doesn’t pet it. She adjusts the harness, then stands. “And Ezra agreed.”
The human male glances at Kade. “You’ll need to train with Ezra too. As his partner, Odin will need to learn to follow your commands as well.”
“When do we start?”
Kade’s easy answer should’ve been mine. So should’ve the suggestion Ezra get a seeing eye dog. I did promise my twin I’d do anything—try anything—to give Ezra the independence he’s sought since we were kids.
“Today.” The human motions Kade into the hall. “We can use one of the fight rooms in the gym.”
Kade steps out and follows the human down the hall. Neither Ezra nor Odin move, though.
Gaze straight ahead, Ezra stands taller. “Say it, Uri. Give me your reason why this won’t work. Say it and get it over with.”
Ella casts me a side-look. I don’t need her warning. My lion’s caution settles over me. “No comment. I’m surprised. That’s all.”
“Surprised by what? That a dominant would allow a dog to be his eyes?” Ezra turns his head, but he doesn’t quite focus on me. “I’m not sure why. By now, you should expect me to rely on others. I did allow you to coddle me for centuries, treating me like a victim. What does it matter if it’s you or a dog that’s leading me?”
My body warms on a surge of anger. So much for Ella’s and my cats’ warnings. “I never saw you as a victim, and I never treated you as one.” At Ezra’s mocking laugh, I lift my chin. “At least not intentionally. I wanted to help you.”
“Do you still want to help me, brother?”
Something in Ezra’s tone stills my body. I study him, looking for whatever it is that’s set me on edge. Nothing in his expression gives me any indication of the danger looming in front of me, but it’s there. I swear to it.
I crack my jaw and give Ezra the only answer possible. “Any way I can.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“Yes.” Anything else would be a lie.
“Great.” Ezra bares his teeth in what I presume is supposed to be a smile. “Live your own life, and let me live mine.”
The tightness radiating down my jaw spreads an ache through my head. I ease the firm press of my teeth. “Have Kade or the trainer text me a list of supplies we’ll need for Odin. I’ll stop on my way home to pick them up.”
After a long heartbeat, Ezra nods, then pulls back slightly on the handle attached to Odin’s chest. The dog backs up and walks with Ezra down the hall to where Kade’s holding the elevator open.
My twin and his seeing eye dog get on, and then they’re gone. I grip the doorframe. “You could’ve warned me.”
“And given you time to think up a reason why this is a bad idea?”
I look at Ella. “It is a bad idea.”
“Giving Ezra confidence? Or granting Kade the inside resources he needs to find his beloved human?” Ella’s challenging glare dares me to agree to either of her statements.
“I thought Shifter Affairs is doing everything in its power to find Zoe Conway.” At least that’s what Kade’s response has been whenever he’s asked about any new leads on tracking down his runaway beloved human who took off in his car last summer.
Ella sighs and shuts the door to the hallway. She makes her way back to her desk and slides the chair Kade sat in back to the spot it’s always in, forty-five degrees to the edge of the desk to match the chair on the other end. “And how much time have you spent on those low-priority cases I assigned to you the first week you signed on? Because that’s the same priority that’s been given to Zoe Conway’s case.”
“The ones I haven’t even looked at?” Eyes closed, I nod. “Point made.”
“This way he can access all the databases and records you can. In fact, I’ve transferred Zoe’s case to Kade and Ezra, giving them the right to pursue leads Kade couldn’t as merely an alpha.”
“While giving Ezra the confidence, I…” I shake my head. Voicing my regret makes me sound weak. Though, in this, I am. “I never once considered a seeing eye dog. Thank you for that suggestion.”
Ella offers me a small smile, then sits at her desk. “Why are you here? Last update I got from Rick said he was interviewing everyone who lives or works in the alley where our last murdered shifter was found. I’d assumed you were with him.”
“Lyla got injured on the job last night, and I was forced to lick her wounds closed.” I drop the crunched envelope on the blotter in front of Ella. “I spent the morning filling out the official paperwork claiming Lyla as my beloved human.”
Brow raised, Ella studies me, not the mangled envelope I must’ve crushed in my fist sometime from the moment I stepped into this office until Ezra got on the elevator with the dog that’ll replace me if my twin has anything to say about it.
Finally, she smooths out the envelope and centers it on the blotter but doesn’t open it. “Does Lyla know what you licking her wounds means?”
“I told her.” Afterward, but I still told her.
Ella steeples her hands, resting her chin on her thumbs, and presses her index fingers together in front of her nose. Her attempt at hiding her grin fails miserably.
“I can still see your smile. Why is it so amusing that I’ve claimed Lyla? The woman needs a keeper. She’s a magnet for trouble.”
“Lyla would agree with that statement. In fact, she said something similar to me this morning.”
“Did she?” Lyla’s expression after I ordered her not to go out alone didn’t lend me much confidence she’d obey. In this, I don’t mind being wrong.
“Yes.” Ella drops her hands and folds them on the blotter. “But Lyla also feels as if she has more to offer our office than simply cataloging causes of death, especially in these murders with the altered Elixir. Considering her background, I think she’s ri
ght. As of this morning, she’ll be taking on a more active role and—”
“Absolutely not. There’s plenty for her to do safely—”
“—will now be working as a street agent in her downtime between cadavers.” Ella raises her voice and speaks over me. “It’s a done deal. Reassignments have already been filed. Colin Lynch will now officially be Lyla’s partner. He’ll be helping her in the lab and accompanying her on the streets. Unfortunately, it makes your claim on Lyla awkward to say the least.”
“Colin already has a partner.” Though if Sam’s outburst I overheard the other day at the gym is any indication, it’s not a completely amiable one.
“Not any longer. It was a mutual request. Sam has been reassigned to a special ops case with an undercover agent already in the area.” Ella places the envelope I dropped on her desk on top of the papers stacked in the in-box. “Though, I have to admit, I’m surprised Lyla didn’t speak up about your claim. I wouldn’t have approved of Colin and Sam ending their partnership so abruptly. Sam’s assignment hits a little close to home. It’d be better, psychologically, to have a strong support network on hand.”
Shoulders tense, I let my unease show. “What kind of assignment?”
“A secret one that’s been decades in the making.” Ella shrugs. “That’s all I can say.”
And that won’t be enough to soothe Lyla once she realizes the potential danger her sister will be in. Messing with her mind will hurt Sam as easily as a bullet.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to revoke the new assignments you made today.” I rip open the envelope, unfold the typed letter, and hand it to Ella. “The status of a beloved human has been recognized by both your government and mine. I have the right to ensure Lyla’s safety any way I see fit, and I can’t in good conscience allow another male to protect her. If she wants to play field agent, she’ll do so by my side when the mood strikes her. Colin can return to Sam where he belongs.”