Infinite Desire

by Gayle Donnelly, Robyn MacKenzie

  Tre squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, sugar. We’ll take care of it. The levee location will be the first one we hit once we confirm there aren’t any women there.” He lay back on the bed and threw his free arm above his head. “How many did you say he had room for at that location?”

  Alex lay back on the cool sheet next to Tre and stared at the ceiling. “About six, I think. When I was still in Belize, he told me he had already been working with volunteers in the area. At one time, two were with child, so I don’t know if they’re still there. Luca told me that if a pregnancy occurs they move the women to the third location I told Dev about. That’s where they supposedly house the OB/GYN and the labor and delivery equipment, but I was never allowed to go to either site once I arrived, so I can’t say with complete certainty how accurate that information is.”

  She looked over at him, watching for any reaction to her words. “To my knowledge and from everything Luca has told me, there hasn’t been a live birth yet in these facilities. They’ve had a few pregnancies but, from what I was told, around month four the fetus aborts. Luca would send me blood and tissue samples in Belize where I’ve been working on finding a commonality for the miscarriages in an effort to prevent them. He told me the women who can’t conceive or who miscarry go back home after that and are well compensated.” She let out a long sigh and looked back at the ceiling once again. “Now I know better, don’t I? God. I’ve been such a fucking idiot!”

  Tre rolled his body next to hers and trapped her legs with his thigh. His thumb brushed her lower lip and she felt her body immediately react to his touch. Her nipples tightened beneath the sheet she still had wrapped around her and she felt a rush of heat between her thighs. Even with the seriousness of the conversation, she wanted him. Again. She wanted to spend the day in bed with him, just talking and getting to know his body. His likes and dislikes. And mostly she just wanted to try to forget where she came from.

  “You’re not a fucking idiot, sugar. You simply trusted your family. And yeah, now you do know better. Don’t dwell on it. What matters is what you’re doing now. You’re fighting to stop Luca and your mother and that’s all that matters to me and to everyone here. Dev is extremely grateful for what you’ve done and I know Isla is too. She’s the one who put Dev in charge of finding any babies. Now we know there aren’t any, so we can concentrate on destroying the locations they have here in the South.”

  Alex froze at his last statement and her throat felt like sandpaper. “Tre,” she began timidly. “I didn’t say there weren’t any babies. I said there hadn’t been any live births in the facilities here.”

  She watched as Tre’s jaw flexed before he sprang into a sitting position. “What the fuck? Are you telling me there are Valta hybrids, Alex?”

  The heat and connection with Tre that Alex had been feeling mere moments ago suddenly died and was replaced with daunting apprehension. She sat up to face him and secured the sheet more tightly around her. “Yes. That’s what I’m telling you. There are two babies that I know of. One in Germany and another in the Midwest. I wasn’t told about them until after my arrival and I’ve never seen them or been allowed to run any tests on them. All I know is they’re both little girls.”

  Alex clung to her sheet with a white-knuckled grip, fear of Tre’s reaction to the news and what it would mean for their newly formed relationship twisting her insides in knots. “I never understood why Luca wouldn’t let me go to the children, given that their very existence could have accelerated my research by leaps and bounds.”

  She shook her head and looked down. “I didn’t mention it to any of you before because I have my doubts that these children even exist, or if they do, that they’re truly hybrids. That’s the only explanation I can come up with for Luca’s refusal to let me see them or at least study their genetics.”

  Alex lifted her gaze to his, hoping beyond hope that the news didn’t pull him away from her. “And Tre, I have no idea where the children are now. All I know is where they were when they were born.”

  Tre paced in front of the bed and covered his face with his hands. A muffled “Fuck” came from beneath his hands before he turned to face her once again.

  “I’m sorry, Alex, but we need to go let Dev in on this. We had no idea there were any successful births. Whether you believe in the validity of the information or not, we can’t take the chance of not following up. Now get dressed so you can fill everybody in on what you know.”

  Alex didn’t move, too afraid to meet his gaze and see the disappointment in his eyes. Oh God, was she ever going to be free of her past? Alex felt the bed dip before Tre lifted her chin with two fingers.

  “Hey, you’re one of us now, Alex. No more dwelling on the past. Focus on the future instead, remember?” He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Her heart melted. “Now get dressed, baby, because for damn sure none of my team is seeing your sexy ass covered in only a sheet.”

  Alex smiled as relief coursed through her. She dressed quickly and finger-combed her hair before moving with Tre toward the bedroom door. He stopped and turned to her, his hands coming up to cup her face before he leaned in. “You’re mine, Alex. And it’s time you started remembering that.” He brushed his lips to hers again in a quick kiss before opening the door and leading her out, providing her with the confidence she needed to begin facing her new life as a Coteri.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Mother fuck, it’s hot here!”

  Sean clasped hands with General Devereux as he walked through the door of the Royal Antique Shop. This was his first trip to the South, and if he had anything to say about it, it would be his last. He was the cold-and-snow type instead of the sweat-your-ass-off type. Sean had loved his time living in the Pacific Northwest, relished the brisk morning air when he could stand out on his deck, drink his coffee and watch his warm breath billow through the mixture of cold air as he experienced the sunrise over Mt. Rainer. That meant his move to Germany had been fantastic. The cold air, the majestic evergreens, the snow and ice…heaven.

  He’d really started to settle in and begin to love his new home, when Roderick called him in and asked him to go to New Orleans to assist with three women who had been recovered from one of the Valta’s compounds.

  Sean had jumped at the chance to take his first assignment. He wanted to prove himself to Roderick as well as to his brother, Talon. The assignment had sounded tailor-made for him. It was a way for him to help by using his human skills as a physician while also giving him an opportunity to learn more about his Coteri heritage. Besides, it was time for Sean to find his place in this new Coteri world he had been thrust into. And hey, to see Tre again would be an added bonus.

  The best friend of his newly discovered brother Talon, Tre had been good to Sean when all the shit had gone down in the Pacific Northwest with Chloe. But it was during the time Sean had spent with Tre when the warrior had come home to Germany for the birth of the king’s granddaughter that they had really become friends.

  Sean had spent a lot of time with both Tre and Talon during that visit and Sean had quickly found out that he respected them both and, more importantly, he liked them both. Not to mention that Tre cooked up some of the most mouthwatering red velvet cupcakes Sean had ever tasted, so it had been a given that they’d become buds.

  Devereux returned his handshake and drew him in for a chest hug. “It’s good to see you again, Sean. Glad you were able to come to my territory on such short notice. Believe me, we’ll get you used to the heat in no time and squeeze in enough R and R to show you a good time down here.”

  “The good time I’ll take, General. The heat…don’t see that happening,” Sean responded as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “It’s like the fifth level of Hades here. I don’t know how you stand it, General. Just walking from the car to the door, I broke a sweat.”

  Dev laughed and slapped Sean on the back before sliding easily into full-blown accent mode. “Now listen here, boy. Befor
e I’m through with you, you’ll be shuckin’ oysters and suckin’ crawfish like the locals.” He smiled before continuing in his normal cadence. “And call me Dev, kid. We’re a bit more informal down here in the South.”

  Sean laughed at Dev’s word choice and southern accent. “Suckin’ crawfish? We’ll see about that, Dev.” Sean put his bag by the door and looked around the shop. Vintage chandeliers, dark, ornate furniture, and statuary were everywhere. He imagined old money shopped in here and he didn’t want to be the unlucky schmuck who tripped over something and crashed into a fifty-thousand-dollar planter from the early 1800s.

  “Leave the bag, Sean, and come with me. I’ll have someone take it upstairs for you later. I want you in on the talk with Tre, Alexandria and the team before you see the three women we recovered.”

  “Alexandria?” Sean questioned.

  Dev looked back at Sean in amusement as he walked up the stairs to the second floor. “Long story. Just pay attention and I’m sure you’ll catch on.”

  Sean followed Dev up the narrow stairs to the second-floor landing. The look and décor were completely different from the first-floor retail space. Modern lighting and light-colored paint brightened up the area. There was a bank of computers and large, flat-screen televisions on the far wall and several doors to the left and right of the landing.

  Dev walked toward the computers and took a hard left to open a large white door. When Sean entered the room behind the general, he was met with several large, male faces staring at him with interest. Hoping to spot at least one familiar face, he scanned the room for Tre but came up empty.

  “Gentlemen,” Dev began, “this is Dr. Sean O’Conner. Under Roderick’s orders, he’s here to examine and speak with the women we rescued last night. His background in medicine and psychiatric evaluation, as well as his work with battered women, puts him number one on our list right now to help these women past their trauma and hopefully obtain information from them that may help us.”

  Dev moved to sit behind an ornate desk situated in front of a bank of windows on the far wall before he continued. “Oh, and in case you were wondering—yes, he’s one of us. A hybrid, like the king’s daughter Mina, and he’s new to our culture. He’s here to help and to learn so take it easy on him…at least for the first few hours of his stay with us.”

  Dev looked toward Sean, a devilish smile curving his mouth. “And by the way, he’s Talon’s little brother.”

  That little bit of information brought a unanimous groan from the room.

  Sean looked curiously back at Dev and cocked his head in question.

  Dev smiled. “They all know how Talon is, Sean. Mess with you and they mess with him. And trust me—nobody wants to mess with him. Which means I basically just saved your ass from weeks of hazing by these yahoos. You can thank me later.”

  Sean smiled and nodded his understanding. From the brief time he’d spent with his brother, both before and after learning the truth about his Coteri heritage, Sean could definitely understand everyone’s reaction. The man was a walking, talking, testosterone-filled beast, but after seeing Talon with Chloe and getting to know him better in Germany, Sean knew his brother was also loving and loyal to a fault. He would do anything for his mate as well as his Coteri family, which now included Sean. And Roderick had known it all along. After spending time with Roderick, Sean had quickly realized that not much got past his king.

  Sean watched as the men gave him nods and brief waves throughout the formal introductions. He nodded back and took the seat closest to him. Motion directed his attention back to the door as Tre stepped through.

  Sean stood and walked over. “Tre, how are you?”

  Tre smiled and extended his hand. “Been good, Sean. It’s been a while, so the more important question is how are you doing with all this? Getting the hang of it yet?”

  Sean vigorously shook Tre’s hand and released his grip. “Getting there, man. It’s good to see you again. Have you talked to Talon lately?”

  Tre looked behind him, then back at Sean. “Not recently. I thought I’d give him a call and let him know you’re here and fill him in on everything that’s happening. We’ll call him after the meeting.”

  Sean took his seat again and watched as Tre continued to look at the door behind him as though expecting someone else. Within a few seconds, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen walked through the door, turned and closed it behind her. When she turned back around, the look on her face was timorous but she appeared to hold her ground, although he noted she kept her eyes solely on Tre. Her thick dark hair flowed in waves down her back and her piercing blue eyes haunted him. Regardless of her choice of clothing, which consisted of baggy sweats and a T-shirt that appeared five times too big, she was captivating.

  He watched as Tre moved to her side, lacing his fingers with hers and pulling her close. No missing that statement. She belonged to Tre, which meant Sean had to quickly wipe any thoughts of her beauty out of his mind. No way would he go up against another of these guys over a woman. He’d learned his lesson the hard way with his brother and Chloe.

  Dev began the meeting by asking one of the warriors named Jude to review the night’s rescue efforts to bring Sean up to speed. Once Jude finished, Tre turned to the woman at his side.

  “Sean, this is Alexandria. She’s a scientist and has been working on the breeding process between human women and the Valta.”

  At the mention of Valta, Sean quickly stood. “What the hell, Tre? Did I hear you right?”

  Tre pulled the woman behind him and stood toe to toe with Sean. “I know what you’re thinking, Sean, but don’t. This female has been through hell and back and she knows the truth and where her loyalties now lie. I trust her, Sean, as do Dev and Isla. She’s the reason we were able to rescue the human women you’re about to see, so watch your judgments where she’s concerned. You of all people should understand how it feels to be wrongfully accused.”

  Sean stole a glance at Dev, now standing in the corner of the room, his oh-so-casual stance with his hands in the front pockets of his perfectly pressed khakis and his legs crossed at the ankles. Dev gave a slight nod and Sean felt like three pieces of shit for his outburst. Way to make a first impression, asshole, he chastised himself.

  Sean took a step to the side so he could look Alexandria in the eye. “I apologize, Alexandria.”

  She gave Sean a small smile in return. “Call me Alex, and its fine, really. I’m already used to it.”

  Tre turned quickly to face her. “Don’t be. It won’t happen again, Alex.” He turned his hard glare toward Sean.

  Sean gave a quick nod. Message received and definitely understood.

  So that was why Sean could feel the tension in the room like a thick blanket. She was Valta but she was working with the Coteri on how to keep the human women safe. She was obviously with Tre but apparently, based on her comments, not everyone was happy with that fact. He supposed he would be seeing more of her during his stay here, so he was sure to hear more of that story. But his focus needed to be on the women he’d been brought here to treat, not on the melodrama of Tre’s new girlfriend. He’d been brought in to help the women both medically and psychologically, which meant using his newly discovered gift of erasing memories in humans. He still hadn’t had much success with shifting, but if having the gift of removing vile memories from these innocent women was all he got, he was more than satisfied.

  Dev pulled out the maps and reviewed the coordinates for Luca’s levee location with the team. Then he went over the plan in detail, from approach, to capture, to possible rescue if there turned out to be humans being held, to destruction. The last part would be as tricky as hell given the location. If they didn’t hit their marks perfectly they could actually damage the levee system, and no one was willing to risk endangering countless human lives if that were to happen.

  Dev folded up the maps and told his warriors to be ready to head out at nine on the dot the following night. The team was set
to scout the area later that evening to gather any last-minute intel. Then he had Seth take Sean to the two human women located on the third floor so he could evaluate and treat any medical issues, then gather any pertinent information from them before scrubbing their memories. They needed to get those women back to their homes with no memory of what had happened to them.

  “What about the third woman?” Sean asked.

  Michael stepped forward to answer. “Nic is with her sister Thea, upstairs. You can check on her later but only in my presence.”

  Dev watched as Sean shook his head and a small grin reached his mouth. He was obviously becoming familiar with the tone of voice used by an attached male.

  Sean’s eyes widened in recognition. “Michael, right?”

  Michael stepped forward and held out his hand to shake. “Good to see you again, Doc. Just remember what I said. You only see Nic when I’m with you.”

  Once Sean and the team had filed out of the room, Dev shut the door and turned back toward Alex and Tre.

  “All right. Out with it. I can tell by the looks on your faces I’m not going to like this conversation. So what wonderful piece of news do the two of you have to share?” Dev hoped they didn’t miss his sarcasm.

  Tre stood but Alex grabbed his arm and pulled him back down onto the sofa they shared. She stood in his place and addressed Dev. “I didn’t realize or fully understand the extent of what you did and didn’t already know, Dev. I swear to you I wasn’t withholding information from you on purpose.” Her hands fidgeted in front of her and Dev knew she was struggling with what she about to tell him—which meant he wasn’t going to like hearing it one little bit.

  He was tired. He was anxious about the upcoming op and the safety of his men. He was worried about the females they had rescued and, more importantly, he wanted to go to Thea. Because now that Nic was safe, he didn’t want to waste another minute where Thea was concerned.