by Meg Ripley
Hudson watched her as she joined them, but it was Garrison who spoke. “This is a relatively simple ceremony, but you must understand that it’s not only extremely important to the SOS Force, but to my people as well. We no longer dabble in magic as our ancestors did, but if word of what’s about to happen here were to leave this circle of people, there would be consequences.”
“I understand.” Leona had no interest in outing these men to the rest of the world. She needed them if they were truly going to provide her with the type of lifestyle she craved so badly.
“Good. Flint?” Garrison looked to the weapons specialist.
Flint pulled a slim knife with a curved blade from a sheath at the back of his belt. It glinted even in the starlight as he hefted it in his palm. “They just don’t make them like this anymore. I want to borrow this from you sometime, Gar. I need to try my hand at replicating it.”
“Unless you can find a dragon willing to sacrifice his claw for the handle, you’re out of luck.” Garrison took the knife from him and looked back at Leona. “The first task is for each of us to make a small cut, one on each forearm, big enough to flow but not so much that it’ll kill you.” He grinned as he used the knife to easily slash the thin skin just above his wrists and then pass the weapon to Drake.
Leona was last, and by the time she received the knife, it was already dark with blood. The handle was curved in the opposite direction of the blade, smooth and conical, made of a dragon’s claw as Garrison had indicated. She didn’t hesitate, knowing they were watching, and made the required lines before handing the knife back to Garrison.
He nodded as he accepted it. “And now, we shift.” Garrison was already transforming as he spoke, his shoulders rolling as massive wings unfurled from his back and formed a silhouette against the stars.
Leona didn’t make a habit of shifting in front of strangers. She felt her cheeks burn slightly as her spine elongated and her tail swished in the darkness. Her fingers thickened and shortened as her palms became tough and dark. A short coat of gleaming gold fur erupted all over her body, and she felt the familiar pain of her face changing into a muzzle. Soon enough, she stood in the field not with four men but with a dragon, a bear, a wolf, and a lion. Garrison puffed up his reptilian chest and sent out a stream of flame that ignited the wood in the center of the clearing with ease.
Leona couldn’t help looking up at Hudson who stood proudly next to her in his animal form. His mane was gloriously long and thick, dark against the paler fur on the rest of his body. He returned the gaze, the fire flickering in his eyes. Her true form had been demanding to come out, but now that it had, Leona didn’t know how well she’d be able to control it. He still had that power over her, that power that made her stomach twist into knots.
“Your wounds must touch, so that the blood flows through each of us.” Garrison’s voice had changed now that he spoke with such a long tongue and sharp teeth.
They did as they were told. Leona reached out with her right paw so that her leg crossed that of the dragon’s and their lacerations touched. She felt the heat of Hudson on her left as he did the same, and a spark jolted through her as soon as their bloodstreams coalesced. She pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth to keep from gasping.
Garrison was speaking now in a rasping language that she didn’t understand. His eyes were closed, the fire dancing on his emerald scales, and it was as though they were the only creatures in the universe. He then repeated the words, translating them into English. “Our blood becomes one, flowing within each other. Bonded as brothers, our nexus strong.”
A ripple of energy shot up Leona’s left arm, across her chest, and down her right arm. It pulsed and throbbed, repeating until she wondered if she was having a heart attack. Her limbs grew weak between the surges, but she felt new strength flowing into her as they returned. Then they were gone altogether, and when Garrison withdrew his arm slowly from hers, she felt a distinct chill in his absence. Hudson did the same, breaking the circuit on that side, and the coldness he left was almost enough to send her to her knees.
It is done, the dragon intoned.
It took Leona a moment to realize that he’d spoken inside her head. That was it? It seemed like such a simple rite.
I admit some of the meaning is lost in translation. She could hear Garrison’s laugh inside her head as easily as her words.
You all right? This was from Drake, his bear eyes a shade darker than the thick fur of his face.
Yeah. I think so.
Good. Like I said, we leave in the morning. Hudson turned and left the circle, his tail swishing as he melted into the woods.
4
Hudson flicked his finger across the touchscreen of his computer, checking that everything urgent was taken care of before he left town. He had very capable people working for him, and he knew he could rely on them to make the right decisions in his absence, but he didn’t believe in leaving any more work for them to handle than was absolutely necessary. He would do better on this mission if he knew Taylor Communications was taken care of.
He’d left early in the afternoon that day to make sure he was at headquarters on time. He and the guys needed to make sure they were in concurrence about the mission, and Hudson wanted to come back to the office to make sure everything was buttoned up before he left.
And hell, what kind of mission would it be? Pretending to be the mate of a woman who drove him absolutely crazy? He could see the stubbornness in Leona’s eyes, her willfulness. She was clearly the type of woman who was used to being independent. Hudson was a successful man who was well-known. There were plenty of women who fawned over him, wanting him to take them out on elaborate dates. He was used to being the one in charge when it came to relationships, but Sergeant Kirk wasn’t going to just fall at his feet.
And seeing her as a lioness? That had nearly undone him. Even with only the firelight, Hudson could see just how glorious she was. Her coat was the color of caramelized butter, with a few darker lines that dripped down her back and between her ears. Her muscles were sleek and strong under that fur, her muzzle proud and her ears attentive.
That had been difficult enough, but then he’d actually touched her. Hudson faced his computer screen, but he didn’t actually see what was in front of him. He could only see the side of Sergeant Kirk’s face as his arm had touched hers, the way her ear had twitched as that electrical spark ignited between them. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. Even the first time he’d done that ritual with Garrison, Drake, and Flint, there had only been the subsequent pulses of energy once the words were spoken. There was definitely something going on between himself and Leona.
Of course, now she was part of the Force. Hudson had agreed immediately that none of them should get involved with her. Should he have admitted they were fated? The idea had seemed so strange, but he’d known it was true.
The gentle knock on his door made him refocus his eyes, and he blinked in the light of the screen. Looking up, he found Drake standing in his doorway. “Hey, what are you doing here? It’s late.”
The doctor smiled. “I know. That’s exactly why I came to check on you. You seemed a little…off today. When I drove by and saw that you’d left all the lights on, I thought we might need to have a little chat.”
Hudson knew that Drake’s visit couldn’t be completely innocent. His office was out of the way, and his friend would’ve had to have come here on purpose. “I’m fine. Just one of those days.”
“If you say so. I guess I wanted to make sure it didn’t have anything to do with me moving to California. I know we all settled in this area, thinking it would be a good way to still live our own lives while being able to have a centralized headquarters.” Drake lowered himself into the chair in front of Hudson’s desk, looking solemn.
Hudson was grateful for the chance to turn his thoughts away from his own concerns. He felt warm appreciation for his friend. They’d served together, both while enlisted and while disc
harged, and that had created just as much of a bond between them as Garrison’s ancient ceremony had. “No, man. Nothing like that. We never made a pact to live within a mile radius of each other or anything, and if nothing else, your move has pushed me to advance some technology I might’ve set to the side otherwise. You’ve found something really good in Nikita; you can’t just deny that.”
Drake smiled at the mention of his mate. She was a gorgeous blonde, and all the guys knew just how smitten the two of them were. “You’re right. She’s really something else. Lindy’s crazy about her, too. And that’s all I really need to know that I made the right decision.”
“You did.” Hudson glanced at his computer screen again. The next item on the To Do list from his secretary was a missed phone call that afternoon from Belinda Cates. An executive with a small finance company, the two of them had shared a business lunch the week before. Apparently, she was wanting to have dinner with him sometime soon. He couldn’t make himself feel flattered, knowing from just the short time he’d spent with her that she was only looking for money and status. Hudson swiped the message to the side.
“If you have a moment, I wouldn’t mind talking about Sergeant Kirk,” Drake said, shifting a little in his seat. “I have a few doubts.”
“I can understand that,” Hudson replied slowly. He was having plenty of his own doubts, but probably not for the same reasons.
Drake leaned his elbows against the arms of the chair and crossed one ankle over his knee. “I think we need to keep an eye on Kirk.”
Hudson lifted his brow. “I’m a little surprised to hear you say that, if I’m honest. You seemed all for her joining.”
The doctor nodded. “I was, and I still am. As the others said, she might have a lot to contribute. But we’ve been such a small team all this time, and I worry that we might’ve made the wrong decision.”
It was difficult to envision Kirk as anything other than what she’d presented to them: a wounded veteran looking for a way to continue the life path she’d started. And fucking hot.
“I’m just asking you to keep an eye on her, that’s all. Don’t let her try to complete this mission alone. We have no reason to mistrust her, but neither do we have any reason to just hand over the reins. Does that make sense?”
“Of course. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Hudson forced a smile. “Any other last-minute advice?”
Drake rose from his seat. “Just be careful. I’ll be in touch.” He walked out, leaving Hudson to contemplate just what he was getting himself into.
5
Leona glanced around as Hudson glided the rented vehicle through the suburbs of Edwardsville, Illinois. It was a mix of historic-looking brick buildings and modern constructions. The streets were busy but clean, and the sun shone too brightly on all of it. “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
Hudson glanced at her from the driver’s seat, dressed in a pale blue polo and jeans. Somehow, he looked completely relaxed in this strange car in this strange place. “What do you mean?”
She sighed, already feeling frustrated with this mission even though it had hardly begun. “You said we’re investigating a pride that’s distributing illegal weapons. I fully expected some gritty, inner-city scenario with gangs and graffiti and violence in the streets. This looks like something out of a magazine.” Leona watched a driver pause and wave a pedestrian through an intersection.
One corner of his mouth lifted. “You should know things aren’t always as they seem.”
“Oh, you mean like the two of us posing as mates?” She’d resisted saying anything about it during their flight, but she couldn’t hold it in anymore. It irritated her on a deep level, like an itch she couldn’t reach. “This better not be some ploy on your behalf to get in my pants.” Leona folded her arms across her chest.
“Nothing like that,” he assured her in that calm, smooth voice of his. “It’s just a good cover. Oh, here’s the turn.” He headed to the left, entering a neighborhood full of sprawling ranch homes on massive lots, each with concrete driveways and two-car garages that faced that road.
“But there are plenty of other options for us,” she countered. “Hell, we could even stay in two different houses on different sides of town and cover more territory.”
“The cover we’ve established is the easiest and most likely scenario. From our research, this area is full of humans as well as shifters. To those like us, we’re mates. To any humans, we’re a married couple. Either way, we moved to the area for my job. It’s simple, and that means it’s more likely to be successful.”
“It just seemed old-fashioned. And sexist.” She wasn’t going to change a thing. It was far too late, and Leona knew perfectly well that she’d have to cooperate if she wanted this job with the SOS Force. Just because they’d agreed to send her on this mission and allowed her to have a mental link with them didn’t mean they couldn’t kick her out anytime they wanted to. This was a probationary period, a test. She needed to pass, and then maybe she could avoid going on any future assignments with just Hudson. She’d been incredibly aware of him as they’d waited in line at the airport, as he’d sat in the seat immediately next to her on the plane with their arms unavoidably touching, and as he’d opened the door of the rental car for her.
“You’re thinking about it too much. Ah, here we go.” Hudson turned into a driveway and parked in front of the garage. He shut off the ignition and steadied those light brown eyes on her. “Ready to see your new home?”
She gave him a sour look but got out of the car. “Whoa.” The place was gorgeous. The brick home had a spacious front yard with carefully maintained landscaping. The covered front porch looked like the perfect place to come out in the early morning for a cup of coffee. This looked more like a vacation home than a temporary place to stay in the field.
Hudson grinned, which only made his features even more striking. “Yeah, not too bad, huh? I can’t say anything about how you’ll like the inside, though. You never know what you get when you have a local designer fill it with furniture and wall hangings.”
Leona started to question him on going to so much trouble for a place they would only be in for a short while, but she clamped her mouth shut. He was a tenured member of the Force, and she’d already been questioning him enough. She followed him inside to find a wide living room with hardwood floors. The place had an open floor plan that lead into the kitchen, allowing people in the two rooms to converse easily. As Hudson had promised, someone had come in and decorated the place with dark leather furniture, a thick rug, and a gleaming dining table. “It’s…beautiful.”
He closed the door behind them. “I’ve seen it all online, but we might as well explore the place before we start unloading everything.”
Leona nodded, and they headed down the hallway. It held two guest bedrooms on the left, each already equipped with a simple twin bed and basic furniture. “This one will be perfect for setting up the surveillance equipment,” she commented. “Big windows, no trees. If we push the bed over to the side, we could even fit an extra worktable in here.”
He nodded his approval before they continued on. The guest bathroom was relatively large, and it was right next to the master suite. The hired designer had arranged a massive four-poster bed, the comforter as elaborate as a tapestry. The dresser and mirror were of higher quality than the other bedrooms, made of a beautiful mahogany.
Leona didn’t bother peeking into the walk-in closet or the bathroom. She’d seen enough, and she didn’t want to make things any more awkward than they already were.
A stairway off the kitchen served as the access to the finished, walkout basement. The backyard was even bigger than the front, and the vinyl fence abutted a wooded area. “This is really nice,” she breathed.
Hudson stood next to her on the back porch. The sun was just beginning to set, and the rays gleamed in his hair. “We won’t exactly be roughing it, will we?”
His smile was kind. He’d been trying to get along with her
, and Leona knew she’d made it a bit difficult. There was no point in arguing with something that couldn’t be changed. “No, not really. Let’s get our stuff.”
Hudson pulled the car into the garage and shut the overhead door before they dared bring in the surveillance equipment—which Leona had been told was all secretly developed by Taylor Communications. Their own bags followed as well. Leona hesitated behind him, letting him claim which room he wanted first. When he’d headed into the master, she turned left into a guest room.
She’d always been low maintenance, so it didn’t take long to fill the drawers with her neatly folded clothes and a few simple hygiene items. Leona looked around, knowing she could deal with this. It wasn’t what she expected, but that didn’t mean it was bad. She had to give this the best chance to succeed, because if she couldn’t be a part of the SOS Force, she’d be forced to find something else, something that probably didn’t exist. Plus, she’d have to listen to Tracy blather on about backup plans and settling down. Pfft.
She was just sliding her suitcase under the bed when she heard Hudson cursing softly to himself. Leona poked her head out in the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing really,” came a slightly impatient answer. “I just forgot my hair gel.”
It was difficult not to laugh at him. “Think you’ll survive? Or should we call D.C. for backup?”
He cast a derisive glance over his shoulder. “It’s a close call, but I think I can handle it.”
Once they’d gotten the monitoring equipment set up, Hudson sat down in the living room and picked up the remote control. But Leona wasn’t ready to just relax. She paced the house, studying the way the neighborhood looked from every window, from every angle. She measured the perimeter of both the front and back yards from with her strides, watching the neighbor’s houses and taking note of which vehicles went to which houses.