by Faye Avalon
Caleb’s head snapped up. “We need to find out what the hell went on in that room. You need to speak to Naomi. And don’t take any fucking shit for an answer.”
Since Caleb looked straight at him, Tynan shifted in his chair. He feared he’d get a better response from the wallpaper he currently stared at than he would from questioning Naomi again. She’d been taciturn last night when he’d made casual inquiries, so why the hell would she loosen her tongue now if he went in all guns blazing, demanding to know the facts?
“There’s something else.” Tynan hadn’t even wanted to consider the possibility, but it was too coincidental to be random. “Clerk said one of them was sporting a gash from his eye to his cheekbone. When he asked if he was all right, the guy said he wasn’t, but he soon planned to be.”
“Shit.” Caleb rubbed a hand across his jaw, then looked at Tynan. “Naomi?”
“Said she shoved him across the room.”
Tynan knew what was going through his leader’s mind right then. Beneath the concern for Naomi, the granddaughter of one of their elders, rode a grave concern for the pack and its security. The last thing they needed was a couple of humans sniffing around and questioning a local woman’s unusual strength. Rumors of large cats roaming the moor raised enough curiosity from the public as it was.
The pack integrated with the human community, just as they had for hundreds of years. It was what kept them safe from detection. Caleb was a strong proponent of integration, although until Talia came along and cut him off at the knees, he wasn’t a believer in humans infiltrating the pack itself. Things had changed since then, but the pack still kept their contacts circumspect. Most members had regular jobs among the human contingency and blended in well.
“Shit,” Caleb said again and sank into his chair. “Like I said, Ty. Get her to tell you what the hell happened. We need to know exactly what we’re dealing with.”
Nathan cleared his throat. “Maybe I’d have a better chance of getting the intel. We’ve…hooked up a few times.”
The stone in Tynan’s gut sank lower, helped on its journey by a savage resentment.
Caleb shot him a look before moving his dark gaze across to meet Nathan’s. “So I heard. But since Tynan was with her last night, maybe she’ll open up more to him.”
In a fucking pig’s ear, Tynan wanted to say, but he nodded.
“Can’t think why there should be any link between Seth’s security concerns and what happened to Naomi,” Caleb mused, “but it won’t hurt to play it safe. Find out what you can about these two guys. Put a fucking tracker on them if you need to.”
Which basically confirmed what Tynan was already planning, which included putting a tracker on Naomi too.
“Maybe we need to make the Council aware of this.”
Tynan scowled over at Nathan. No way did he want Naomi’s sex life discussed among the Council of Principals, one of whom included her own grandfather. “Right now we need to protect Naomi, and that means keeping her private life private.”
“Protecting Naomi is what I have in mind, friend.” Nathan returned Tynan’s glare. “So get that stick out of your ass.”
“We’ll keep the Council out of it for now,” Caleb said. “But if we need to act on this further, I’ll have to call a meeting of the Principals. Just make sure you talk to Naomi tonight. And don’t take no for an answer.”
* * * * *
While lasagna heated in the microwave, Naomi tossed a green salad. Hanging out with Talia invariably left her feeling relaxed. In the relatively short time they’d known each other, they had become close. Naomi had provided a sounding board for Talia when she was going through the mill with Caleb, and someday soon Naomi knew she’d need to spill about her own past. Talia had once noticed the tension between her and Tynan, and fastened on to the fact there was history between them.
In true friend fashion, Talia hadn’t pushed, but Naomi had come close to telling her friend about her past. It might be good to have someone to talk to. The only people who knew about it were now dead: her parents and her aunt.
For the most part, she could put it all away and focus on her work. But there were times, unexpected and unguarded, when the reality of her loss hit her with full and devastating force. Lately, those times had been increasing.
Before she could slide into memories, the doorbell sounded. She hurried over to the intercom, a tad annoyed at the intrusion. Already in her T-shirt and sweats, she’d been intent on spending the remainder of the evening in front of the television.
“Hi. Got a minute?”
Tynan. What the hell was he doing here? About to tell him to get lost, Naomi hesitated. There was something in his tone. “Come on up.”
Her place was on the second floor of the small apartment block, which meant she didn’t have time to change or fancy herself up. She spent what little time she had plumping cushions and tidying magazines and papers.
He must have taken those stairs in record speed, because she jolted at the sharp tap on the door. Why in hell was her stomach jumping around like a box of frogs? And what the heck was wrong with her pulse?
With a steadying breath, she opened the door. He stood there, all big and masculine, looking tantalizingly good in a black corduroy jacket over a dark gray polo shirt, unbuttoned, and tailored jeans that fit snugly around his hips.
Her mouth watered with something other than the promise of lasagna cooking. Which made her an idiot.
“Come in.”
He smiled and walked past her, glancing around her living room. Since he’d never been here before, Naomi let him survey her place. It wasn’t as swanky as the large house he’d inherited from his parents on the outskirts of town, but she loved it.
The microwave pinged, and he glanced over to her small breakfast nook. “You’re about to have dinner?”
Naomi shrugged, then folded her arms across her chest. “It needs to cool a little. What did you want?”
He hesitated, screwing up his mouth in that way he had when faced with a dilemma. Strange that she should remember that about him. She also remembered that while he was powerfully built, deliciously fierce, he had a big gooey center that could bring her to her knees at the oddest of times. She remembered other things too. Which was why she intended to keep him so far beyond arm’s length, she would barely be able to see him. Then he couldn’t affect her. Then he would never need to know.
He glanced toward the nook again. “Why don’t you dish up? We can talk while you eat.”
“Considering the look on your face, and the way you’re acting, I get the feeling you might be about to ruin my appetite. Spit it out, Tynan.”
“It’s about those guys you were with last night.”
Guys? He knows?
With her arms still crossed, she cocked her hip. There was no way in hell she was going to be forced into defending herself or her choices. “I told you. That was none of your business.”
“I’m making it my business.”
“Oh really? And why is that exactly?”
“I checked out those guys. Nathan and I—”
“Nathan? The two of you have been discussing my personal life?”
“Hard not to when you run out of a hotel room in the early hours half-naked.”
It was easier to simply ignore the realization that he had a point. “And why are you checking them out?” She huffed and threw her arms into the air. “You just can’t help yourself, can you? Interfering in people’s business. All that covert government agency shit has turned you into some ball-breaker who thinks he can stick his nose exactly where he sees fit.”
“Why don’t you sit the fuck down and listen.”
His sharp tone had her staring at him. Tynan rarely raised his voice. He didn’t need to. He commanded authority and respect simply because of the man he was. Nevertheless, she’d be damned if she was taking
his bullshit.
“You don’t get to come into my home and talk to me that way.”
Tynan shook his head, then took matters into his own hands. He grabbed her arm and marched her over to the nearest of her two sofas, where he all but shoved her down. He knocked the wind out of her. That was the only reason she stayed put. At least that was what she told herself. She didn’t want to consider that there was a reason to be worried about the purpose of his visit.
While a chill rippled down her arms, she watched Tynan pacing back and forth in front of her. With his hands tucked in the back pockets of his jeans, shoulders hunched and chin down to his chest, she imagined him in full panther form. That first time—the only time—she’d seen him in his elemental state, he’d been magnificent. Back then he had just gone through his transition, yet he’d been a prime specimen among the young males.
Remembering, something sweet and incredibly painful trembled through her. Back then she’d thought—hoped—that they might have a future together. Which just went to prove how naïve she’d been. Believing in fairy tales and happy-ever-afters, she hadn’t yet had the chance to experience life at its cruelest.
Tynan came to a halt and towered over her. “Seth had a feeling something was off and asked me to check out his security. Seemed someone tried to breach his computer system. Not that they got anywhere.”
She just bet they didn’t, because Tynan had set up the system in the first place. He’d done the same for most large organizations in the area, having a reputation as the best. She wasn’t exactly sure what made him the best, but since he’d worked for the government—still did, if the rumors were to be believed—she would never be surprised if he employed less than legitimate means to keep everyone safe. She would also bet that if he hadn’t been the one responsible for Seth’s security, the hotel would be looking at a major breach right now.
“What has this got to do with the men I met last night? Do you think they had something to do with it?”
“Anything’s possible.”
“They said they were here on business.” She racked her brains, trying to remember the conversation she’d shared with them in the bar. “Merchandising, I think. Shops. That doesn’t sound like it would affect Seth in any way.”
“I’m just checking out all angles. Seth’s gut feelings are usually spot-on.”
A shifter’s surreal instincts were what helped keep the packs safe from discovery, and there’d been many a crisis averted due to that particular gift.
Tynan tapped the toe of his boot against the leg of the small coffee table. “I have to ask you this because I need to know, not to stick my nose in where it isn’t wanted, and not to make you feel uncomfortable.”
Despite his words, discomfort sat in her stomach. “Ask me what?”
He brought his gaze to hers. “Those men. How did you meet them? Did they pick you up, or…”
The implication was apparent in his eyes, shining dark and foreboding. “Or did I throw myself at them?”
Tynan’s lack of response made her blood heat. Why was it that her one time of being even remotely reckless had blown up and smacked her full in the face? This feeling of Seth’s couldn’t have come at a less opportune time. Now she had been pushed into the limelight, front and center of pack investigations regarding security issues.
She leaned forward, clasping her hands together. “I can’t see how what happened to me last night has anything to do with Seth’s security issues.”
“Come on, Naomi. You know we have to investigate if there’s even the slightest threat to our wellbeing as a community.” He inhaled, his chest expanding. “Right now I need to connect the dots. Cover all the bases. So just tell me what the fuck happened.”
She swallowed, knowing that he was right. They had to be careful, of course they did. But the knowledge didn’t exactly make her feel any easier about spilling her intensely personal business to him.
She sensed his growing impatience, but it was hard to find the words to explain without seeming like she’d deliberately been on the trawl for casual sex. Which, of course, she had.
Damn. Devil and the deep blue sea.
“You said you’d spoken to Nathan. You told him about what happened?”
His jaw went tight, but he gave a sharp nod.
She fought back the resentment at having her personal life discussed and dissected, but if she didn’t talk to Tynan, she might have to answer to Caleb or, heaven forbid, the Council of Principals. Considering her grandfather, Enoch, was a pack elder, she didn’t relish that one bit.
Double damn and blast it. She couldn’t think of anything quite so embarrassing as having to spill details of her private life to the Council while her grandfather looked on.
She stood, brushing past him and heading to the nook, where she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of chardonnay. Without saying anything, she got a glass from the shelf and poured herself a very large drink.
When she held up the bottle, Tynan shook his head.
Opening the refrigerator door again, she pulled out a can of beer. She kept a supply for when Nathan stopped by, not that she was about to admit that to Tynan. That definitely wasn’t anyone else’s business. But when she noticed Tynan’s expression darken, she knew he had already started joining those particular dots.
He all but scowled at the beer. “I’ll pass.”
While he headed for the nearest sofa, Naomi took the lasagna from the microwave and popped it on the counter. Her appetite was well and truly ruined now.
She chose the opposite sofa from him, holding the glass between her hands while she stared down into the alcohol. “The men were there when I arrived, sitting at the bar. I found a table, and the waiter came to take my order. A few minutes after that, they came over.”
“What made you notice them when you arrived?”
They were both hot as Hades. “Most of the people there were older, I suppose.”
“What did they say? When they came over?”
“Asked me if I was waiting for a friend. I said I wasn’t. That I’d had a long day at work, which was true, and just wanted to unwind.”
“And then?”
They started undressing me with their eyes.
“Then we started chatting.” She rolled the glass between her hands. “They told me their names—Derek and Malcolm—said they were in town on business.”
“What else did you talk about?”
“They asked me what I did for a living. Did I live locally. That kind of thing. Small talk. I told them details like that were off the menu for the evening. Repeated that I just wanted to kick back for a while.”
“Did they tell you anything about where they lived? Where they were based?”
“All I know was that they were down from London on business.”
Tynan leaned forward, his eyes hard. “Did they ask any questions that made you feel uncomfortable? Anything that had your antenna buzzing? Think, Naomi, even if it doesn’t seem like much. Was there anything off about them?”
She thought for a moment and shook her head. “They just seemed regular. I knew they were humans, of course, but there wasn’t anything that made me feel uneasy. Except…”
His eyes turned positively flinty, and he leaned forward. “Except what?”
It was hard to put into words. “One of them, Derek, was quite intense, not laid back like the other one.”
“Intense how?”
She shrugged. “It was something about the way he looked at me, I suppose. But it really wasn’t even that. More of a feeling. He had this energy that was…extreme.”
“Shit, Naomi.” He scrubbed his hand through his hair, making the dark mass of it even more unkempt than usual. “What the fuck were you thinking? Didn’t that send out any warning signals?”
She rolled back her shoulders. “No, actually it did
n’t.” And it should have, she realized, but she didn’t need him and his hard-ass chastisements highlighting her stupidity.
He squeezed his eyes shut, his nostrils flaring when he sucked in a breath, the signs of a man tempering his frustration. “Okay. Then what happened?”
She kept her eyes on his, determined not to be made to feel stupid, uncomfortable or in any way ashamed of what she’d done. She was the only one who had permission to do that. “They asked me if I wanted to party.”
Again those nostrils flared.
For some reason, it annoyed her. “As it happens, that’s exactly what I wanted. So we went up to their room. We had a couple of drinks, Malcolm told some jokes. Then… Derek started coming on a bit strong.” She fought to keep her voice steady, but there was no disguising the tremble in it. “It unnerved me, and I panicked. That’s when I decided to leave.”
“And they let you?” The low tone was more ominous than if he’d barked at her. “Just like that?”
“They didn’t like it. Tried to…change my mind, but I pushed Derek back really hard, and he fell against the wall. I think he hit his face, because I saw blood, but I didn’t stick around to find out.”
“Shit,” Tynan repeated. He stood and began pacing again. “Where the hell did you put your brains last night?”
“Don’t start on me again. You can’t tell me you haven’t tried things. Made mistakes.”
“That’s not the same, and you know it.”
“Do I? Really? Okay, maybe it’s different for women, I get that. But it shouldn’t be. We should be able to enjoy sex for its own sake without having to defend our decisions, or be made to feel guilty about them.”
“It doesn’t work like that. It’s about keeping safe. You didn’t know those guys, and as it turned out, things could have been damn dangerous. What if you hadn’t been able to fight them off? What then? Thank God you’ve got more physical strength than most women. At least that gave you the chance to get away. Likely the asshole was too busy nursing the damage to his face to take off after you.”