“Nice to meet you, but like I said, I’m not here on—”
“A social call. Got it.” She dropped her hand. “So why are you here?”
He stared at her for a moment, then shoved the flash drive back into his pocket. “They didn’t tell you?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, but details don’t always get passed along the way they should. Red tape and all that. Your file is still being processed.” She motioned toward the door. “Ronnie had stopped back and asked if I could speak to you, that you were growing impatient. I got your name and species. That’s it.”
He took a slow breath, but it did nothing to calm him. The tips of his fingers burned from the press of his sharpened nails underneath his skin. The human female didn’t deserve his anger. He knew that. Damn if he could leash it.
“Time is of the essence.” He pushed from his seat. “If you can’t help me, I need to look elsewhere. My brother’s life is at stake.”
She leaned forward, all warmth gone from her expression. A hardened one replaced it. “Then tell me what you know. I’ll do my best to help you. I promise.”
He dropped his palms on the desk and matched her intent gaze. Up close, her feline’s scent-marking was nearly nauseating, to him at least. He doubted she even knew it clung to her. He ignored it as best he could and lowered his voice. “Unless you’re familiar with shifter trafficking, you can’t.”
She glanced at where her fingers were wrapped tightly around her coffee mug, the first sign of weakness he’d seen from the bold female who’d held his gaze from the moment he’d entered.
“I’m intimately familiar with it, Ethan.” She focused on him. Rage burned in her eyes. “I spent the last six years of my life in an undercover role that allowed me to infiltrate the largest network in North America. I collected more information than any other human agent. At least I did until a bear shifter decided I’d make a better sex toy than secretary.”
Her nostrils flared. She closed her eyes, then worked her jaw back and forth. He watched her struggle with her memories a moment more before gentling his voice. “You were raped?”
“Yes, but my owner didn’t find me too cooperative or submissive once he got his hands on me. He sold me after a week of hell to a group that specialized in…”
She opened her eyes. A haunted look mixed with one of hatred, making her appear crazed or at least unstable. “A group that specialized in hunts where women are the game.”
Silence dropped between them, but she never broke their gaze.
“You escaped.” He stated the obvious.
She shook her head. “No. I lasted two out of the three days without being cornered. Luckily, the guy who got his hands on me was an undercover agent also. He ended up paying the organizers an ungodly amount to buy me, claiming I was his true mate or some bullshit.”
“What type of feline shifter is your male?” Because he still couldn’t tell. Not only had he never met one, he avoided the purely animal varieties in zoos. His presence set the animals on edge.
She shrugged. “No clue, but he’s not my anything. I spent one night with him in his human form before he dropped my ass on a plane and walked out of my life.”
The slight cracking to her voice on the last part of her statement tugged at him. Sympathy rose. As a human, she wouldn’t understand the pull of true mates or what the separation from one could do to a person.
She probably also didn’t realize her mate hadn’t just rubbed his scent on her skin, which would’ve washed off with her next shower. He’d added it to her body by licking a deep wound, much like what a male did after he bit his mate to help the mark heal. Only, her shifter hadn’t tied them together. He’d simply left her with a permanent reminder of him. Or a warning to all other shifters to stay away from her.
He sighed. “How long has it been since you saw him?”
She ran her finger over the tiger’s image on her cup. “A little over a year.”
“What’s his name?” He might not know any feline shifters, but he could ask around. Some wolf packs shared their territory with them, out of necessity rather than willingness. Often the felines simply moved in without caring if they were on pack lands or not. To avoid fights, they were often left alone.
She shoved from her chair, grabbed her mug and walked to the coffeepot on the opposite side of the room. She poured a cup and added creamer before facing him.
“He never gave me one. In fact, he barely spoke to me other than to tell me he hated the fact that he’d been cursed with a weak-ass, scrawny human for a mate, and that if he ever saw me again, it’d be too soon.”
He inwardly flinched. “I see.”
She made her way back to the desk and sat, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “Well, now that I shared my life’s story with you, although I’m not really sure why I did, tell me about your shifter trafficking problem.”
He dropped the thumb drive on the blotter in front of her. “That contains about twenty years of financial transactions I suspect correspond to the disappearances of shifters from my pack. I want them all back, but the one I know is in immediate danger is my brother, Owen.”
She glanced from the desk to him. “Where did you get this?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Then tell me who has been selling your pack mates. We need to bring them in for questioning and possible imprison—”
“That can’t happen.”
Her brows pinched. “And why not? This person might have valuable information that will help us shut down this trafficking ring once and for all.”
“I’m sure he does.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, my alpha will take it to the grave with him. I can’t risk him finding out that his secret has been exposed. He’ll retaliate against my loved ones.”
She gave a single nod. “Understood, but what about after you take over? Let us take him into custody. We’ll interrogate him and—”
His earlier thought returned. He tilted his head and studied her through narrowed eyes. “How much do you know about wolf shifters, Agent Montgomery?”
She sighed. “Not much, I’m afraid. I did receive some basic training when I started working as an agent, but nothing in depth.”
“And they haven’t given you more because…?”
She ran her finger around the rim of her mug. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
He swept his gaze over her, then made a choice. “Well, I don’t have time to tell you everything, but I can share the one truth about shifters that will help you understand my dilemma.”
“And that is?”
“The role of alpha is only secured through death or transfer, and I can guarantee you Michael Tanner will never willingly pass on the role of alpha to me. That leaves death. His or mine.”
A considering expression passed over her face. Finally, she inclined her head. “Okay, but what about the hours between now and the full moon? We’ll arrest Michael, get what knowledge out of him we can, then you can have him back. Kill him. Whatever.”
The viciousness of her suggestion tore a chuckle from him, but the reality of his situation stopped him from allowing her idea to take root. “I can’t take the chance. The lives of my pack mates are at stake.”
“If we bring in agents and—”
“No. I claim exemption from human interference in this case.” He hated the idea of pulling the trump card guaranteed to shifters from the historic papers signed over a century ago, but he had no choice. Pack law had to rule. That insisted on death—Michael’s or Ethan’s in a formal challenge under the influence of the full moon.
“Are you making an official claim?”
Which stated that he, as a shifter, was above human law. The lawyer side of him scoffed at the idea. It was unethical. He was going to commit murder. Leave a female widowed and children fatherless. It’s for the good of my pack, a
nd I’ll do all I can for Michael’s family. He brought this on himself.
He ignored the uneasy feeling settling in his gut and nodded. “Yes, but I will hand over those shifters I suspect have been helping him. It’s the best I can do.”
Lip caught between her teeth, she stared at the small computer drive. “I want access to his computers, at least.”
“Done. You can look at any of my pack mate’s belongings. We have nothing to hide.”
She sighed. “I can’t say I’m happy about it, but I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
“No. I’m afraid not. Neither do I.” Though he wished he did.
Close to a minute passed before her shoulders slumped. “All right, then. So…your brother”—she picked up the drive and curled her fingers around it—“how long has he been missing?”
“Twenty years.” He’d disappeared days after Mindy had died.
“You do realize he’s probably either dead or has gone feral by now, right?”
Feral.
The word landed hard in his gut. Shifters who embraced their animal side were labeled feral and considered a danger. They were either killed or caged for the rest of their lives.
Owen’s smiling face flashed across Ethan’s mind. Maturity hadn’t dimmed Owen’s boyish looks. His hazel eyes, which had always held a spark of humor, and his mop of unruly dark brown hair added to the image. It was the memory Ethan held close. The anger in Owen’s expression once he realized Ethan wasn’t his blood brother offered another side, one Ethan hoped Owen had embraced, even if it had left him feral. He’d still be alive. The pack could help him heal his broken mind. They couldn’t bring him back from death.
“My brother is strong, but I also have reason to believe he’s been kept alive as a deterrent to stop me from challenging our alpha. I was told if I do, an order will be carried out to end his life.”
She gave a small nod. “Okay, then. That’s good news, I guess. I’ll go through this and start pulling some strings. Hopefully, we’ll get a lead on him in a few weeks.”
“That’s not good enough. I need to know he’s safe by midnight tomorrow.”
“There’s no way I’ll find him in”—she glanced at the clock on the wall behind her—“thirty-three hours.”
“Then Owen will die.”
A murderous look on her face, she stood and planted her palms on the desk. “You’re asking the impossible. I can’t—”
He dug out a wrinkled picture of Owen, one of the few he had, and tossed it beside her lion mug. “Then his death can rest on both of us. I can’t wait to make sure he’s safe. Do you understand me?”
She inclined her head. “Absolutely. I understand. You’re a coward.”
“No. I’m just a male who’s forced to make the hard decisions for the good of his pack. I can’t risk my pack mates’ safety on the slim possibility I’ll be able to find my brother, a male who may or may not be alive. Just like I can’t risk their lives so you can interrogate Michael.” He snorted. “Yes, it sucks, and my failure will haunt me for the rest of my fucking life, but that makes me an alpha, not a coward. If you don’t understand the difference, you don’t know what a real coward is.”
“Sure I do, Mr. Lyons. The goddamn bastard who claims to be my true mate is one.”
And Ethan had to agree with her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything for the human. If her shifter refused the gift he’d been given, there wasn’t a thing anyone could do change his mind.
Chapter Fifteen
Ethan scanned Hannah’s property before pulling into her garage. He’d taken a risk coming out to her place. Not because he worried about being seen by a Kagan pack member. He didn’t care if her family found out he’d been in her bed. Noah’s involvement in their life complicated things, however. Ethan was confident her family would come to accept their arrangement out of love for her. Noah had agreed. They’d want her happiness above all else.
What he didn’t want was for Mindy’s Aunt Nona to find out. Ethan had insisted the older woman would need to learn the truth. Noah couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet. For the time being, they’d agreed not to broadcast his connection to Ethan and Hannah, and that meant making sure the Kagan Pack protectors, who watched the main road leading into their territory, didn’t see Noah enter.
But if word got back to Nona? Well, Ethan figured it would save him the arguments.
The garage door rumbled and creaked, then clunked closed. He slipped from the driver’s seat, shoving his phone and keys in his pocket, and settled his gaze on where Hannah stood leaning against the doorjamb in a short black robe. Affection and lust burned in her eyes. He let the same flare in his, then turned his back on her and tugged the blanket off the male hiding in the backseat of his car.
A wicked grin spread across Noah’s face. “Hello, lover. Funny meeting you here.”
“Damn lucky, you mean. I need you.” Ethan fisted Noah’s shirt and yanked him from the car, kicking the door shut behind him. Noah let out an oomph Ethan swallowed on a hard kiss. He led the other male in a passionate melding of their mouths they hadn’t shared in months.
Noah linked his arms around Ethan’s chest, accepting his demands, and allowed Ethan to support him. The moment Noah arched into him, Ethan lost what little control he had. He pushed Noah against the car, caging him in with his legs locked on either side of Noah’s thighs, and devoured him as completely as Ethan had taken Hannah’s mouth the night before.
It felt good to hold the strong dominant in his arms, knowing Noah would let Ethan do anything he wanted to him, over and over, until Ethan was spent and too weak to move. He slid his hands under Noah’s shirt and dragged his fingers over his muscles. The dips and grooves of his perfect body set Ethan on fire.
His. The male was his.
Ethan broke their kiss and stared into the face of his lover, the one he’d neglected for too many months. Noah panted softly, and his wet, slightly swollen lips tempted Ethan to dip his head and taste Noah again, but Ethan only had a few moments before Hannah worked up the courage to approach them.
He slipped his hand to the back of Noah’s neck and bent close, holding him in place. “I love you. Don’t fucking forget that, no matter how much of a possessive, domineering asshole I might act toward you tonight. I need to be in charge. To show my wolf you’re mine too, and you’re not trying to steal Hannah. That you want to please her. Please me. You understand?”
Noah grabbed Ethan’s ass hard with one hand and skimmed the fingers of his other in a gentle caress over Ethan’s back. The two extremes tore a shaky breath from him. He dropped his head against Noah’s shoulder. Deep inhales filled Ethan’s lungs with Noah’s scent while the small licks of his lover’s tongue over Ethan’s throat skipped sparks of awareness down his spine.
“I want that, Ethan. Actually, I need the reminder that you desire me too. That you’re not just going to replace me.”
“No.” Ethan turned his head and nipped at Noah’s neck, biting hard enough to leave the imprint of his teeth on Noah’s skin. It was the most Ethan dared do in order to show Noah who he belonged to. Noah’s pleased sigh rewarded Ethan. “Never. Hannah’s a gift to both of us. We’ll treasure her, not use her as a substitute.”
Noah nodded and squeezed Ethan tight once more before dropping his arms. Ethan sensed why too. Hannah had taken a couple of steps into the garage but hadn’t closed the distance between them, probably unsure of her welcome. She still didn’t grasp the power she held over them, something Ethan planned to change before the night was over.
He stepped away from Noah and went to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her as deeply as he had Noah. She curled her fingers around Ethan’s neck and went limp in his embrace. He grinned against her lips and broke their kiss by swinging her into his arms. He carried her into the kitchen but paused near the table to steal another kiss from his female.
>
Noah stepped behind him and grabbed the waistband of Ethan’s sweats, brushing his knuckles against Ethan’s skin. The first low growl of his wolf echoed in his body, but not as aggressively as it had radiated within him yesterday. He tightened his control over the animal, demanding its obedience, but the effort left him tense.
He ground his teeth, annoyed by the primitive animal he housed. He had so little time to love Noah and Hannah before Ethan became alpha. He needed to make sure his wolf accepted their arrangement before then. They didn’t have the opportunity to work through their issues slowly.
Hannah ran her hands over his chest. “Ethan, kiss me again. I want your lips on mine.”
So did he, but it wouldn’t prove anything to his wolf. It already knew he desired her. “In a minute. I wasn’t done kissing Noah. I want more of his moans before I take yours.”
Noah stepped around them, not needing any direction as to where he was supposed to go. The knowledge that he understood what Ethan wanted pleased him. Noah slid his hands under Hannah’s body, placing his arms next to Ethan’s so their skin touched. Ethan’s wolf went silent. Either from the familiarity of Noah’s body or the presence of Hannah’s, Ethan couldn’t pinpoint the reason for its peace. He was glad, though. The slow swipe of Noah’s tongue along his bottom lip made Ethan’s mouth water.
“Well?” Noah cocked a brow. “Are you going to kiss me or not?”
“Come closer, and I will.”
Noah leaned over Hannah’s body. Eyes closed and mouth opened slightly, he looked inviting and eager. The small sign of submission only cranked up Ethan’s hungers.
He tilted his head and dragged his flattened tongue over Noah’s lips before slipping inside and claiming Noah’s mouth with deep strokes.
Hannah released a shuddering breath and squirmed in their arms. They both took a small step closer to each other, locking Hannah firmly between them, and continued to kiss, deeper and more sensually than they had in a long time.
Shared for Love: Kagan Wolves, Book 2 Page 15