by Zara Chase
“That’s it, babe, you’ve got me now.” Zayd moved his hips, thrusting himself deeper into her tight mouth. “I’m gonna come for you. Suck it harder, darlin’. I’m almost there.”
Talia flicked her tongue across his glans and Zayd exploded. Gasping and swearing, he shot his load deep into the back of her throat, an endless stream of seed he could never risk implanting inside her. When he stopped pulsating and she’d swallowed it all down, he pulled out of her mouth and kissed her, tasting himself on her lips.
“Thanks, sweet thing. You’re damned good at that.”
“Isn’t she just.”
They turned to see Vadim leaning against the doorjamb, watching them.
“How long have you been there?” Zayd asked.
“Long enough to enjoy the show.”
“You should have joined us.”
Vadim’s smile faded. “Now that I have your attention, I have news to impart,” he said.
Chapter Eight
Vadim watched Talia as she athletically pushed herself to her feet and pulled her top back over her head.
“What have you found out?” she asked anxiously.
“Do you know a guy called Chuck Wilson?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “He’s a karate brown belt and came to the gym for a few private bouts.”
“With you?”
“Yes. He said he was out of practice—”
“But?” Vadim prompted when she paused.
“I don’t know, really, but I never took to him. There was just something about him. He was very superior, thought he knew it all, even though he didn’t. Well, not about karate anyway. I landed him on his ass on more than one occasion.”
“But there’s more to it than that?” Vadim suggested.
Zayd frowned. “He hit on you?”
“I guess you could call it that. He kept asking me out for a drink, said there was something he needed to talk to me about. But I never mix business with pleasure, didn’t like him much anyway, and so I turned him down.”
“How did he take that?” Vadim asked.
“Not well.” She wrinkled her nose. “He had this way of looking at me that gave me the creeps. He had these really intense eyes and it was like they could see right inside my head and read my thoughts. He actually said to me once that he knew more about me than I knew about myself. It really freaked me out.”
“Did he quit harassing you when you blew him off?”
Vadim strode about the room as he asked the question, propelled by the tide of his own seething emotions. Seeing Talia servicing Zayd had affected Vadim in a negative way, reinforcing the way he’d reacted to her since first setting eyes on her, which was anything but negative. The natural draw he’d felt toward her probably explained why he’d been so devastated when he thought she was dead. He’d found the mate he’d spent all these years searching for—he knew that in his human soul and its jaguar equivalent—but there were unacceptable conditions attached. He couldn’t have her unless he gave up everything he’d striven to achieve these past decades. That included trying to make up for his father’s one mistake.
But this wasn’t just about him. The entire colony relied upon Vadim to keep a tight hold on security. To do that he needed to find a human mate who would rejuvenate his powers, but no one said anything about having to love her. There were plenty of candidates out there who’d fit the bill if only Vadim could muster enough enthusiasm to charm the right one into mating with him for life.
The only problem was that Vadim was a one-woman guy, and he’d found that woman. She was standing in front of him right now, looking endearingly concerned about the disgruntled state of mind he wasn’t doing much to conceal. Now all he had to do was keep her at arm’s length. It was the only way he could be sure that he wouldn’t yield to temptation at a time when Impulse needed him the most—just like his father had before him. Never had history been in more danger of repeating itself.
“Are you okay, Vadim?” Talia asked. “You look kind of stressed.”
Much you know.
“Yeah, I’m good, but we don’t have a lot of time to waste. You were telling me about Wilson.”
“Is he the guy who was behind my abduction?”
“Looks that way. Kane traced the names behind the bank account that pays Odyssey’s mooring fees. It’s an offshore account that hides behind a dummy corporation, but Kane managed to follow the trail back to Wilson.”
“Is he a shifter?”
“Yeah,” Zayd said, grinding his teeth. “He’s an alpha wolf with a pack that hangs out near Venice. We’ve had run-ins with them before, but not since Wilson became alpha. We have a file on him and we’ve always been concerned about him one day flexing his muscles. He’s more intelligent than his predecessors and obviously not above resorting to devious means to get what he wants.”
“His son Brad came for lessons after his dad quit,” Talia said. “He tried real hard to get me to go out on a date with him. He even followed me home a couple of times and got quite nasty when I told him to take a hike.”
“Did he hurt you?” Zayd snarled.
She smiled. “I can take care of myself, remember.”
“Just as well,” Vadim said. “Because his type don’t fight fair. Still, when the chips are down that works both ways and the wolves might just have taken on more than they bargained for.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“Not sure yet. We’d best get across to the Cat’s Whiskers and tell Rafe what we’ve learned. We’ll decide after that.”
“You think the wolves are going to attack?” Talia asked.
“I’m sure of it,” Vadim replied. “That’s why they tried to take Zayd and me out first. The fact that they’ve failed will slow them down, but it won’t stop them. Come on.”
“We should go round in the boat,” Zayd said. “Talia won’t be able to breathe our air.”
“What’s the Cat’s Whiskers?” Talia asked as they made their way down the floating dock.
“It’s the hub of Impulse,” Zayd told her. “It’s owned by Rafe and Vilas, our alpha panthers and leaders of Impulse. They live there with their human mate, Chantal. You’ll like her. She’s a lot of fun.”
Talia stepped onto the boat. Vadim took the helm and fired up the engines while Zayd remained on the dock and let the lines go.
“Er, you’ve drifted a long way from the dock,” Talia said to Vadim. “Zayd can’t jump that far.”
Vadim laughed, aware that Zayd probably wanted to show off. He took the boat a little farther away and Zayd leapt across the widening gap, landing beside Talia in the cockpit with barely a thump. His feline grace and lithe coordination clearly impressed Talia, who watched him with hungry eyes as he tidied the lines away. Zayd caught her checking out his ass and winked at her.
Vadim groaned, aware that the situation was slipping out of the control of them both. He offered up a silent prayer to the goddess of jaguars, pleading with her to show them an acceptable way out of this mess. It was clear that Zayd wasn’t taking nearly as much trouble to protect himself against Talia’s compelling intrusion into their lives as Vadim himself was. Vadim loved Zayd like no one else on this earth and hated the fact that it could only end in tears if his buddy didn’t get a grip.
Vadim gave more concentration to maneuvering the boat through the shallow waters than was strictly necessary. He’d been navigating them since he was a boy and knew them like the back of his hand. Still, better that than look at Zayd and Talia acting the fool in the cockpit, bouncing on the sprung sun-bed mattress, probably so that Zayd could watch Talia’s unfettered tits bouncing. He was fixated on that stuff.
“Is this where you found me in the water?”
Vadim’s body jerked. He hadn’t heard her approach, nor had he picked up on her provocative scent, which told him just how preoccupied he must be. That wasn’t good. Never had he needed to be more alert. Instead he was pouting because he’d found a woman he cou
ldn’t have.
“Yes,” he said, looking at the ocean rather than at her. “It doesn’t look dangerous, but the currents round this headland fight against each other, creating an undertow. That’s what you got caught up in, and it’s why you ran out of strength.”
“I see.”
Vadim said nothing more, hoping she’d take the hint and leave him alone.
“Have I done something to upset you?”
Shit, she wants to talk about it. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“Then why are you being so distant with me?”
“Don’t take it personally.” Vadim took a quick glance over his shoulder and as quickly looked away again. He couldn’t risk making eye contact with her. She’d see through the partial lie he was about to tell in seconds if he did that. “I have responsibilities for the colony. We need to figure out what Wilson’s gonna do and how we’re going to stop him. I can’t afford to lose focus.”
“Of course. I’m sorry, I’m being selfish.”
“We’re here,” Vadim said.
He edged the boat toward a floating dock in front of the waterside bar and restaurant that was the social center of Impulse. Zayd leapt ashore and attached the lines to bollards and Vadim cut the engines. He absolutely didn’t want to touch Talia but had no choice. She’d never make the leap ashore alone. It was only a couple of feet but…shit, she was almost as agile as they were and disembarked without anyone’s help. All that karate, he supposed.
Vadim followed her ashore and they made their way into the bar. It was full, even though it was only midmorning. A pheromone had been sent out, warning the colony of an impending attack. Everyone who wasn’t on patrol or sleeping would be here to find out what was going on and await further orders. The atmosphere was tense and all heads turned in their direction when they walked in.
Zayd pushed through the crowd, greeting people and introducing Talia to them as he went. Vadim brought up the rear, saying nothing until Rafe materialized at his side. He could be taciturn with anyone he damn well chose, even Zayd, but Rafe wouldn’t stand for being blanked. He was an easygoing guy, but he was also the overall alpha who had earned the respect of every member of the colony.
“Talia,” Vadim said. “Let me introduce you to Rafe Landon. Rafe, Talia Regan.”
Talia turned back and smiled at Rafe, a sultry smile that went straight to Vadim’s cock. Rafe and Talia had barely shaken hands before Rafe’s partner Vilas joined them, hand in hand with their mate Chantal. Vilas and Chantal looked as though they’d just gotten out of bed and were laughing at some private joke that made Vadim long for the sort of intimacy that Rafe and Vilas had with Chantal. The sort of intimacy that he and Zayd could have with Talia—he sensed it with every receptor in his jaguar body. He’d known her for five minutes and already she’d turned his well-disciplined life on its ass, making him forget his responsibilities, causing him to think the previously unthinkable.
Hell, don’t go there!
Vadim had long ago learned that life didn’t play fair, especially for shifters. He’d get over his obsession with Talia just as soon as he could put some distance between them and she was no longer around to tempt him with that cute smile of hers. With a body designed for mortal sin, with her air of fierce independence that disguised a nagging vulnerability…shit, he was obsessing and that definitely wasn’t good.
Duty done on the introduction front, Vadim stepped back and let the others chat. He could see that Talia and Chantal were getting along just fine already, like women did when they took an immediate liking to one another. Vadim wanted to warn Chantal not to get too friendly because Talia wouldn’t be staying. Instead he leaned against a pillar, folded his arms across his chest, and brooded.
“What is it, buddy?” Rafe asked, joining Vadim on the periphery of the chatting group.
Vadim kicked moodily at the leg of a stool. “It’s fucking unfair, is what it is.”
“She’s only a quarter shifter. She doesn’t have shifter tendencies and can’t breathe our air. That probably makes it all right.”
Vadim scowled. “You want me to take a chance on probably being all right when the security of Impulse rests on my shoulders.”
“You’ve served your time. If this is more important, which it obviously is, then step aside and let others take your place.”
“None of the others are up to taking control yet. You know that as well as I do.”
“Yeah, perhaps, but what I don’t know is whether anyone’s ever mated with a quarter shifter before. I’ll ask around. If anyone has, it’ll be interesting to know how they were affected.”
“Unless they were alphas, the results won’t mean anything. Alphas have different physicality, you know that.”
“True, but—”
“Leave it, Rafe. I know you want to help, but it looks like I’m gonna have to fight this bastard Wilson. I’m depleted enough as it is, but I’m within a whisker’s width of blowing the rest of my strength by fucking Talia. Can’t seem to think about much else.”
Rafe touched his shoulder. “I know how you feel. Believe me, I know. I’ve been there.”
“Yeah, you probably have, but you didn’t have the same problem with Chantal. You knew she was the one for you and Vilas, just like I feel Talia’s the mate Zayd and I have been waiting for decades to find. Only difference is, there was nothing stopping you going after Chantal. If I lose control with Talia and drain any more of my power, I’ll be a dog’s dinner.” He rolled his eyes. “Or should that be wolves’ meat.”
Rafe looked like he wanted to say something more. Vadim held out a hand to prevent him. “Leave it,” he said curtly. “There’s nothing more to be said.”
“Come on then,” Rafe said, sighing. “Let’s go upstairs and talk it through. Bring Talia. We need to know everything she does before we decide what to do about this mess.”
Kane and Tyrone were already in the meeting room, laptop open in front of them. They were joined by Mikael and Philo from the medical institute just as Vadim, Zayd, and Talia entered the room behind Rafe and Vilas. Zayd and Talia sat at the foot of the table, but Vadim made a point of joining Rafe at its head, twisting his chair so that Talia wasn’t in his direct line of vision. He was being petty, and he could tell that his behavior was confusing the hell out of Zayd, but it was the only way he could get through this shit. His feelings were too strong for it to be any other way.
Rafe called the meeting to order and Vadim gave a succinct outline of what they’d discovered and surmised so far.
“Do you know if this Wilson guy contacted your mother, Talia?” Rafe asked.
“I doubt it. She’s half shifter and reckons she can detect a shifter at fifty paces with the wind in the wrong direction.”
“She probably can.” Rafe looked round the table. “That must mean that Ed Finch, who was skippering the boat you were pushed from, Talia, isn’t a shifter. He got close to your mom and, as you say, she’d have known if he was a shifter.”
“You think the wolves had something on him and got him to do their dirty work?” Zayd asked.
“Yep, that’s the way it looks,” Rafe said. “I’m betting the two guys with him were shifters and one of them pushed you over the side, Talia. Finch’s memory will have been wiped, so he won’t be able to tell your mother what happened.”
Talia rolled her eyes. “Charming.”
“Wilson senior and junior both failed in getting tight with you, Talia,” Rafe continued. “They probably hoped to get you to come to Impulse voluntarily and have a crack at Vadim and Zayd. When that didn’t happen, they had to devise a way to get you here and control your actions. It was crazy risky, but it almost worked.”
“Okay,” Kane said. “We know who, and we know why. The reason is always the same. They want control of Impulse and they’re going to try and attack.”
“Why can’t your enemies just walk in in two and threes, combine forces once they’re here, and stage an attack from within?” Talia asked.
“Well, I’m for sitting back and waiting,” Mikael said. “There’s been enough bloodshed around here over recent months. Besides, forewarned is forearmed.”
“I disagree,” Vadim said. “We know it’ll be hard for them to take us unawares, but if they’re desperate enough—and they must be, given the mad stunt they pulled with Talia—we know from our history that they’ll try it anyway. And even if they don’t succeed, there’ll still be a bunch of casualties.”
“You have a plan, Vadim?” Rafe asked.
Vadim had straddled his chair backward and draped one arm and leg over its ladder back. “I think we need to draw Wilson out,” he said. “He wants a fight, so we’ll give him one. But we’ll take a leaf out of your book, Rafe, when you fought the lions. You could have had the colony take on the entire pride, but it was just you against the alpha.”
“No!” Zayd cried, leaping from his chair. “You’re not strong enough to take on an alpha wolf.”
Talia was on her feet as well. “Don’t—”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Vadim said drolly.
“He’s right,” Rafe said quietly. “There are several of us alphas now mated and with our powers fully restored. Any one of us would have a better chance.”
“Perhaps, but it’s my fight.” He glanced at Talia and, for the first time that day, locked gazes with her. “And personal. It’s me they want because it’s me they set out to kill. Well, now they’ll get their chance.”