by Eliza Gayle
Just in case.
Before getting out of her car, she reached for the glove compartment to grab her Glock for extra firepower. With her hand on the knob she stopped. Carrying a non-military issue weapon on a military base was borrowing trouble she couldn’t afford. Not to mention it screamed paranoid considering her military approved Sig was already strapped to her calf and concealed by her jeans.
Kira pushed open the car door and closed it gently, opening her senses as she moved. This close she should be able to pick something up. If someone was really there.
She approached the back of the Brig and immediately noticed dusty, dark windows boarded up tight. Layers of grime gave the building a depressed and worn out look. The facility appeared unused and abandoned, but she reached out anyway to try the rear door, and caught a glimpse of something from the corner of her eye. Bending down, she picked up a cigarette butt that didn’t look fifteen years old. She sniffed. Freshly burned tobacco.
Still doesn’t mean anything. Employees probably walked by here everyday while on their smoke break. The nagging sense of something off tingled across her scalp and a sense of unease crawled down her spine. Kira shook it off, checked the door and confirmed it was indeed locked tight.
Determined to find conclusive evidence, she crept around the side of the building headed in the direction of the front door. As she neared the front of the structure, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, stopping her dead in her tracks. Her senses screamed now, something wasn’t right here. She rubbed the base of her neck, rolling her head to loosen up the muscles. Her internal warnings were no joking matter and had saved her ass more than once. She inched forward with a lot more caution and in-depth observation, while surveying the area around the building. Still she saw and heard nothing, but her spidey sense was on high alert, and would not be ignored. With that in mind, she proceeded to the front door.
6
Lucas stiffened, his cat senses flaring to full alert. Someone new was approaching the area but he didn’t recognize the scent. He sat up on his cot and sifted through all the extraneous shit between him and the new person until he could narrow in on only him. Wait. Not him. Her. Female. Nervous. Strong. Not at all like his captors. The frenetic energy coming from her indicated she was more than human. No way.
He closed his eyes and concentrated inward, testing for a telepathic link. When he found what he was looking for, his eyes popped open and the cougar rumbled in warning. It should not be that easy. With little to lose at this point, he broached her security and wandered undetected through the stranger’s mind and searched for answers. When he found nothing, he smiled. Sneaky. So if he couldn't read her thoughts on his own there was only one thing left to do.
Hoping to catch her off guard, he whispered into her mind. Who are you and why are you here?
Her shock at his voice in her head reverberated through his mind like a short stab with a needle as she frantically searched for a reason someone had so easily slipped inside her shields. Her scattered thoughts froze seconds before she answered him. I could ask you the same question but more importantly, get out of my head.
He laughed at her anger. Despite his questions about her presence, her voice soothed and calmed his nerves like a natural balm to his restless nature. She on the other hand was not calm. The sudden rise of her heartbeat alarmed him.
Whoever she was, he'd found a new opportunity to fuck with these people. So he played along.
Who are you and what do you want?
I’m Captain Akira MacDonald, U.S. Marines. I’m here to look into the suspected unauthorized use of this facility.
Suspicious by nature and circumstance, Lucas assumed they had sent a new female soldier in yet another lame attempt at getting him to cooperate.
Sorry, sweetheart, but sending you in here isn’t going to change a thing. I’ll tell you the same thing I told the last one. Although... Her ability to communicate with him with her mind intrigued him enough to drag this out a few minutes more. There weren’t a ton of paranormals with that ability, much less humans. Maybe there was more he could learn from her. So he continued.
I could use a good fuck.
Lucas faltered when her violent anger washed over him like a crashing wave. It threatened to choke him with its sheer strength. Maybe he didn’t need to play with her after all. Bitter disappointment filled him before he backed down.
No use getting dragged down by someone new. What a waste of time. He closed the mind link between them and lay back down with a satisfied smirk directed at the cameras that watched his every move day and night.
The bastards should know better by now.
7
Fury surged through Kira. She had come out of her way to find out if someone from the clans had been kidnapped, and this was the thanks she got?
She had half a mind to turn around and leave him here, show him just where his arrogance would get him. But if he ended up being what she thought he was, they had bigger problems than just the two of them.
She sighed as resignation overrode her anger. She’d have to get him out of here and open an investigation.
Ready to continue, the familiar tingle of magic erupted in Kira’s ears as power surged through her mind, begging for release. When she finally succumbed to the call, her arms flung wide and the locked door burst open, taunting her to keep going.
In no mood to be discovered by a guard or suffer the consequences of using her power out in the open, she quickly ducked inside, and closed the door behind her.
Might have thought of that before you made all that racket with the door. His voice whispered along the edge of her mind, unsettling her further.
Shut up. I need to concentrate.
A low chuckle sounded in response. Don’t expect my cooperation, sweetheart. I don’t do nice.
She took a deep breath to fortify her shields and kick him out of her head before proceeding.
Steady enough to continue, she attempted to get her bearings in the darkened room while she listened for any telltale signs of where he might be, as well as any guards. With an ego like his, she expected him to continue taunting her, but he surprised her when he said nothing.
“I came here to investigate,” Kira whispered. No response. “Why are you being held? Have you committed a crime?” She waited and listened. “You can’t stay here, it’s too risky. I’ve got to take you back.” Still she heard nothing. No breathing, no movement. No signs of life within the room.
Now he was just toying with her.
“Fine. Be that way.” She crept forward, feeling her way in the darkened room. Her hand came in contact with the cold steel bars. She’d found a cell but had no idea which direction led to the door or where Lucas might be hiding within.
By instinct and touch, she located the cell door in minutes. She inhaled deeply. Entering the cell could be a big mistake, as exactly what waited inside for her remained a mystery. But a force stronger than her will compelled her forward. Again she concentrated on the lock, and her magic worked its way inside until the door slid open. Gripping the bars tightly, she started to move inside.
“Who are you and why are you here?” His menacing voice reached out to her, accompanied by a low growl that came from the opposite corner from where she stood.
“I already told you who I am and I’m not here to hurt you, only to find out information,” she assured him. Maybe this wasn’t such a hot idea after all.
“Darling, I’m not worried about YOU hurting me. I just don’t feel like playing your game.” His mocking tone grew stronger as he moved toward her.
When his big body moved through a sliver of light she had to bite back her gasp. Despite the snarl stamped across his face and the menacing muscles that flexed when he moved, the beautiful aura of a born leader nearly took her breath away.
Power radiated from him as he came closer, only to finally stop mere inches from her body. Though his closeness made her uncomfortable, she refused to back down and give him th
e satisfaction of thinking he scared her. To run from an Alpha, even one imprisoned in a cell, would weaken her position.
And if he gave chase…
With a brief thought to her weapon, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “I don’t play games with strange men, so you can back the fuck off with the macho alpha male crap. You’ve been in my mind, so get real. You know the deal.”
8
Her warm sweet breath skittered across his skin, making him temporarily lose focus while also forgetting for an instant she was his enemy.
Instead, he fought an almost uncontrollable urge to take her to the ground, pin her arms to the cold concrete floor, and fuck her into a frenzy. The animal screamed in his head, wanting to be free and the raging hard-on pressing painfully against his zipper made it damned difficult to control the beast.
Her scent invading his nostrils had a spicy tang with a definite musk of arousal undertone, reminding him of his recent dreams and something else, something from a long time ago. He tried to get a good look at her, but even his enhanced vision couldn’t see past her silly ball cap in the darkness.
While admiring her bitch-in-heat scent, he began to formulate a plan. She’d left the cell door unlocked with no guard in sight. And unlike him, she appeared to be having difficulty seeing in the dark, which made it ridiculously easy to grab her and use her as a hostage to get out of this godforsaken place.
Maybe too easy.
After allowing himself about fifteen seconds to decide a course of action, he flexed his forearms and his nails lengthened without a sound into lethally sharp weapons.
He grabbed her arms, spun her around and pulled her compact body flush up against his while placing his claws so precisely around her neck she couldn’t move without him slicing into her flesh.
Instinctually, she fought back until his claw pierced her skin and drew a single drop of blood. The metallic scent filled the dank air, igniting his hunger. His vision hazed for a few brief seconds while he fought the instinct to dip down and tongue the essence from her neck. He could already see his teeth sliding into her neck to…
Dammit to hell. Get a fucking grip.
Lucas shook his head, forcing himself to focus. The animal obviously couldn’t think straight. He was in control here.
She hissed through clenched teeth, “What the hell are you doing?”
He smiled into the darkness. “Sorry, hon, but it looks like you’re my ticket out of here.”
“Why? What have you done? Why are you being held here?”
The honey sweet smell of her fear mixed with the pungent odor of her anger permeated his senses. A momentary twinge of regret knotted in his stomach for having to involve her or hurt her, but this might be his only chance to escape.
“Nothing. In fact, the only thing I’m guilty of is trusting the wrong person. Let’s hope I’ve learned my lesson not to trust a liar.” And she’d certainly lied. He’d easily slid into her mind, but somehow she’d blocked him before he learned too much. Getting in, however, had been all too easy.
“Paranoid much? I don’t lie.”
“Whatever.” Her honesty at this point didn’t matter. He had one goal only. Gain his freedom and begin the hunt for his betrayer. “I only need to use you to get out of here, and then you can go back to wherever you came from.”
Her body tensed in his arms, and he suspected she was planning to make a move against him.
“Look babe, if you just cooperate, this will be quick and painless.” He paused, waiting for her response.
“I thought I was coming here to help you, asshole, but clearly you’re not the man I thought you were. And don’t ever call me babe again,” she seethed through clenched teeth.
Her response made no sense, but he suspected it was simply another ploy to confuse him. His captors had tried every method of torture and coercion to break him, but they had to be feeling seriously desperate when they’d sent this woman.
“Let’s go.” He prodded her forward in short steps.
While Lucas walked her out of the cell, Kira nudged the Tallan to scan the nearby area for guards or any other people. He foolishly thought he was taking her against her will, but she knew the truth, and she’d play along to see where it led them… for a while.
Her neck throbbed from the small slice of his claw, and delaying their departure with hand-to-hand combat wasn’t a smart tactical move at the moment. Truth be told, it wasn’t just the danger that had her worried—being this close to her dream walker lit her body like gas on dried kindling. It was unsettling to say the least. Shaking her head, she refocused on the task at hand. Their connection would have to wait until they were in the free and clear.
For some strange reason, she found no one around. That simple fact had her internal warning blaring for attention. Something was off, but she couldn’t take the time to analyze it now. They needed to get out before anyone returned, or worse, had time to attack. When they walked out the door of the facility, Kira noticed Lucas checking every detail around him for any sign of trouble. She’d bet anyone would be hard pressed to get anything by him.
Capturing him must have been a real bitch.
Despite her annoyance over his belief he could actually kidnap her, she couldn’t help but admire his physique. The muscles of his torso rippled against her back with every lithe move he made. When he pulled her down in a crouch to stay hidden, he appeared every inch a predator waiting for his prey.
He turned to her, his mouth open to say something, and he froze. His eyes narrowed, dilated, and for an instant, time stood still as she watched the awareness dawn in his gaze. Those dark eyes pinned her in place and sparks shot through her at the uncontrollable lust coursing in her veins. She licked her lips and bit her bottom lip as he continued his intense perusal.
“How is this possible?” he asked. Kira closed her eyes and took a steady breath.
Obviously her suspicions had been correct. Snarl or no snarl, she recognized him. They’d walked through their dreams together, and from the telling way he devoured her with his gaze, he remembered every sensual minute.
Her face flushed with heat as the memories of what they’d done every night this week became all too real.
She parted her lips to respond, but he covered them with his own. Her world tilted. The reality of his possession was even more intoxicating than she’d dreamed. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth, and the fervent pressure of his lips against hers started an insistent throbbing between her legs.
Her dream man pulled her across his lap where his rapidly growing arousal pressed into her buttocks. Despite the potential for danger, she melted into his arms.
His hands roamed everywhere—along her spine, caressing her shoulders before finally sinking into her thick hair where he gripped a handful and jerked her off his lips. She yelped from the shock and pain of his action.
“What the hell is going on here?” Anger and lust shone equally from his soulful eyes.
Before Kira could respond, she was startled by an alternate image forming in her mind. “Someone’s coming,” she murmured. He dropped her from his lap, leaping away from her into a defensive crouch to listen.
She grabbed his hand and wordlessly tried to pull him toward her hidden car. He didn’t budge.
“Look, pal, unless you want us both to get caught, something I definitely do NOT want, you need to trust me. I have a car nearby, but if we don’t go now, the well armed bitch you’re so fond of will be back and it’ll be too late.”
He stared at her for a moment, “I don’t trust anyone but myself, so don’t think for a second you can play me.”
She dropped his hand, pulled her handgun from the ankle holster and took off for her car. She’d leave the bastard behind if that’s the way he wanted to play it. More anger rolled from her in waves as she fled to the car.
9
From a quarter of a mile away, in the corporate offices of a local construction company, Malcolm felt a tingling down his spine
. It was a sure sign of trouble when the cat wanted out.
More tingling along his arms and the onslaught of excruciating pain racked his body. Sweat broke out across his torso. The all too familiar torment of needing to shift consumed him.
Except he couldn't shift.
His supposed family had set him on this course when they banished him and never looked back.
The energy build of his body trying to do what it had been designed to caused every muscle in his body to alternately cramp and convulse. Pain seared his blood as the darkness overrode his mind.
God dammit. What the hell had Lucas done now? Whatever it was it couldn’t be good.
Grappling with the sensation of thousands of needles stabbing into him, he reached across the desk to phone the guards. “What’s happening with our subject?” His voice came out harsh, like broken glass in a blender.
“There seems to be a problem, sir.”
Malcolm heard a slight tremble in the guard’s voice when he answered, and some shouting in the background.
“While Lara was taking a quick break, your prisoner disappeared.”
A white-hot rage erupted within him, the nature of his beast calling out to him from its prison as he savored the idea of killing the guard on the phone. A fresh wave of pain seized his gut when the animal hit the wall holding him in.
Malcolm took deep, calming breaths and temporarily banked down his angry desires. There would be time for that later. First he'd get the pain under control, then he'd take care of his useless guards.
“You and your team should begin reviewing the security tapes immediately, and send Lara to my office right now. I will deal with this breach myself.”
These days he had a new outlet for this kind of situation.