Cravings (Fierce Hearts)

by Crandall, Lynn

  She shook her head, her long locks splaying out around her head like a dark halo. “No.” Quietly she sobbed, rolling her head to his shoulder. “You made me feel things, good things I’ve never felt before. I’ve made love before. With Griffin. He was my first time, and it was nice. But this with you was so much more. It was a gift, Asher. One I’ll always treasure.”

  He stroked her hair, reverently. “You did the same for me, Kennedy. It means more to me than you could understand.” He didn’t know how he would go on from here, having now known the satisfaction of a true heart connection, if even for mere moments.

  But right now he had this moment. So he pulled his thoughts back to the present and wrapped an arm around Kennedy, pulling her close and breathing in her scent.

  She sighed. “I want to stay right here all afternoon.”

  Asher groaned. “Be careful what you say.” He ran his finger down the slope of her nose, then kissed the tip. “I just might make that happen.”

  Kennedy smiled up at him, a quiet growl rumbling in her throat. “Don’t you tempt me,” she teased, nuzzling close under his chin.

  In response, he kissed her softly. He could so easily lean into that warmth and intensity they’d just shared and let go of any caution in favor of more of her right now and promises for the future.

  But he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. Too many unknowns stood between them, and it would be wrong to bring her along too fast. She needed to know what he was capable of, and he wasn’t ready to share that part of his life with her yet.

  “We can just lie here all afternoon and talk.” Kennedy nestled beside him, wriggling closer under the sheet and blankets.

  His heart stuttered. Was she interested in getting to know him better or just playing a role, a pawn in plans of The Nexus Group?

  He shook his head. No, they’d hurt her. She had no loyalties to them. But the suspicion niggled at him.

  “Well, I guess that long pause is a no, huh?” She pursed her lips and eyed him warily.

  Time for happy-go-lucky Asher to pop in. “No, that sounds nice. But my stomach is saying it’s time for food.”

  She held his gaze, her lips a firm line as her eyes searched for something inside him. “Okay, sure. Let’s get lunch."

  Chapter Seven

  Kennedy stretched her legs in long, running strides, her nostrils flaring with the exhilaration of the brisk, fresh air and the mixture of scents filling her senses.

  The colony had a meeting to conduct, but they each opted first to shimmer into their cat form and take to the field and forest of Casey’s property. The shift and run was both a luxury for the colony, as they were urban shifters, and a necessity. The change into a cat kept them grounded in their animal form as well as human form by letting their natural state take over when possible. It cleansed them of jittery nerves and built-up frustration.

  Running beside bobcat Asher filled Kennedy’s soul with a kind of glee she’d never experienced before, as a human or lynx. Their lovemaking meant something deep and personal to her. She’d let down her defenses and placed her trust in him in a new and unfamiliar way. It had filled her with a shade of acceptance of who she was that glimmered inside her soul.

  The memory of afterward in his bed, his emotional withdrawal from her, tightened her stomach muscles. She shook her head, letting the action free her body of that moment when he detached emotionally, and veered away from him on a serpentine path. He chuffed, then followed until he caught up. He rubbed his head against her long midsection and let out a yelp. The others redirected their path to come running up to Asher and Kennedy. They never missed a step, running in synchrony.

  Kennedy pivoted and split off from the group, delighting in the play. Asher hung back and let the others—Asia Blue, with brown fur and white chest and belly; beige and white Tizzy Sands; bobcat Lara; golden-furred Casey and Conrad Pike; russet-furred Quinn Arons; and brown lynxes Booker and Shaun Chase—pass him by as they headed with earnestness toward Kennedy. Quinn tagged along behind Tizzy, nipping at her heels playfully until she pivoted and slapped him down into the snow.

  Asia zigzagged, leading Conrad in a game of catch me if you can. Kennedy chuffed, amused at Conrad’s tactic, which appeared to be: wear out Asia, then grab her by the scruff and yank her off her feet.

  From nowhere, Lara grabbed Kennedy by the scruff. They tousled in good fun until Kennedy managed to get out of Lara’s hold and sprinted a few feet away, adrenaline coursing through her. Suddenly, she caught a new scent on the wind and stopped short. She scanned the empty field and landed her gaze on two figures nearly hidden behind a small knoll about one-half mile away.

  The men were wearing masks and dark outerwear, but she recognized their scents. It was Thing One and Thing Two. A growl knotted in her throat. The figures were pointing guns in the direction of the colony cats, and their attention was distracted by the cats’ activity.

  She stood in the snow, frozen. The wrong move would elicit an action from the figures that could be deadly. Helplessness drained all her energy from her body. She’d learned there was no sense in resisting or hoping or asserting herself. It was futile. Always had been.

  Then she saw Asher standing still across the field. His eyes trained on her, he shook his head in the direction of the men. She chuffed, and he chuffed back. It wasn’t in their nature to run the other way. Besides, there would be no safety in that, either. She turned as Asher turned, and together they headed toward the figures.

  As the others caught the scent of strangers, they followed Kennedy and Asher. Fear bloomed in Kennedy’s chest. The obvious conclusion was that these people were from TNG. They had to be confronted. But her muscles cringed at the thought of another member of the colony getting hurt. Or worse. All because of her.

  It wasn’t smart to be seen in their lynx form by humans, especially those from TNG. How had these two found them?

  Panting as much from panic as exertion, Kennedy glanced away from the figures, taking in all the lynxes and bobcats racing toward the men, closing the gap, but the figures remained steady.

  A flash in her mind alerted her. They were waiting for the colony to get close. She stopped and let loose a loud snarling growl to get the others’ attention.

  But Kennedy was too late. Asia dropped to the ground, limp on her side. A yowl went up from Conrad, the sound cracking the night air, and he sprinted to her side.

  One of the figures had gotten off a shot in the moment Kennedy’s mind alerted. Both of them positioned to take shots from behind the knoll. Crazy determination sprang in her limbs, and she burst into a run that ended with a high leap into the air that landed her on top of one of them. She tore off the hood and bared her teeth at Gordon. Fury raged inside her as she stood on his chest, snarling and hissing. She had no doubt the other person was Patrick. The Nexus Group had found her again.

  Right behind her, Asher growled, a furious sound that echoed around the field. He knocked the gun out of the other man’s hand and knocked him down. He stood above him licking his lips.

  “Get off me, you freak!” Patrick flailed on the ground like a scared rabbit while Asher continued to rumble a low growl in his chest.

  A shot cracked in the forest a few yards away. Then another, closer this time, buzzed by Kennedy’s face. There were more of them.

  She didn’t have to think about the next move, she simply reacted. She swiped at Gordon’s face hard, her claws retracted so that he wouldn’t suffer a huge gash but would feel the weight of her oversized paws. His straining quieted and she presumed she’d knocked him unconscious. Then a quick glance at Asher told her he’d dispatched Patrick similarly, and they both took off toward the other cats.

  Asia limping alongside Conrad, the colony cats returned to Casey’s house before the TNG thugs could reach them.

  Kennedy reached the back door and turned her head to assess the situation. Six men stood on the knoll, holding their fire but watching. A sense of foreboding swept over her. The people of TNG w
ould never stop hunting her down. And because of that, her presence put all of the colony cats in jeopardy.

  Inside, the others had already shimmered and dressed. Casey, Asher, Conrad, and Quinn pulled on winter jackets, hats, and gloves, ready to go back out.

  Of course they were going out to confront the intruders. Kennedy sighed, watching Asher, wanting to touch him, get a look that only he could give her. But his attention was wholly on preparation for confrontation.

  She dripped uselessness. “I could go with you,” she offered. “I can fight.”

  “No, Kennedy.” Casey laid a hand to her shoulder. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s you they want. I’m not going to serve you up to them. You stay here and be prepared for anything. I’ve called Ben, so we’ll have reinforcements soon.”

  “I thought you didn’t want to involve the police.” She chewed at her bottom lip, fear tripping through her.

  “Ben will be discreet. The police element will have an effect on those people out there.” Casey lowered his eyes, demanding her attention. “They won’t want to fall into the cops’ radar.”

  He rubbed her back and led the others out the back door. Shaun closed the door behind them and stood at the window, her lips pursed. “I could help.” Her voice tart, it revealed her determination to take part and be by Booker’s side.

  Conrad stood next to Asia, rubbing her hair and studying her. “Are you all right?” His voice was low and intimate with Asia.

  “Yes. You be careful out there, Conrad. Don’t take chances.” Asia’s hazel eyes were grazed with worry.

  Conrad chuckled, a rumbling sound combining with his laughter. “Taking risks is something I’m good at. Trust me.” His honey brown eyes held hers. “I better get out there before the ruckus begins.”

  Kennedy looked away, feeling as though she were intruding on the two.

  She pressed her face to the window and listened as Casey yelled out to the people. Her breath caught in her lungs as she watched Asher approach the knoll and the advancing group, now numbering ten.

  “You’re trespassing on private property. You need to leave. Now.” His voice, deep and raspy, was a smitch away from a full-out growl.

  Kennedy sucked in her breath, watching, hoping no one out there pulled out a gun and shot one of the colony.

  Casey and the others kept marching closer to the knoll. One nervous, itchy finger from TNG was all it would take to end any one of their lives.

  “Put down your guns and raise your hands in the air.” It was Ben speaking through a megaphone. He and his men appeared out of the trees behind the intruders.

  Kennedy’s fingers flew to her lips. She didn’t dare make a move that might draw attention, but inside her body, she was pacing off steps back and forth, her nerves screaming.

  Tizzy slipped up beside her. “Scary, huh?”

  Kennedy nodded, words choked in her throat.

  “It looks like the cavalry has arrived.” Tizzy’s cognac brown eyes twinkled. “These Nexus Group people are seriously on your case, Kennedy. I’m so sorry. But you can breathe easier tonight, thanks to the Laurelwood Police Department.”

  The longer she was among Casey’s colony, the more she was coming to see them as individuals with likes, dislikes, and loves. Kennedy couldn’t think of anything but the danger everyone, especially Asher, was in because of her. She’d been with Casey’s colony for less than a month, and already her pursuers had come close three times. It stirred panic in her gut to a degree it felt like she was coming out of her skin.

  She turned back to the room, taking steady breaths. She hoped no one noticed. They’d automatically offer more advice, more sympathy. The steady pouring of well-intentioned help was becoming more familiar, less annoying. But it still pointed out to her that she was not normal. She was a pain in the neck, as her mother had frequently pointed out. She would wear out her welcome before she even knew if she wanted to stay with the colony. She needed more time to show them she wasn’t helpless, a nuisance. She wanted to spend more time with Asher.

  Her nerves settling, she noticed Lara and Booker, the healers, bent over Asia lying on the couch.

  “It’s nothing,” she protested. “The bullet just grazed my back leg. I’m fine.”

  Booker pressed around the place on her leg where blood was oozing from a gash.

  “Ouch! Don’t push there.” Asia rested her head against a pillow and closed her eyes. “Okay, so it does hurt a bit, but it’s not serious.”

  Lara laid her hands on Asia’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Kennedy contemplated them both, seeing Lara’s thoughts directed inward and Asia’s pained face relax. The bleeding stopped, but Lara continued her concentration.

  “I’m going to bandage your leg.” Booker’s voice was soft, gentle. “You just lie still and soak in Lara’s healing touch.”

  Asia sighed deeply, her muscles loosened. Clearly Lara’s touch was working.

  “I think your ability is wonderful.” Kennedy crouched beside Lara. “You can actually help others.”

  Lara glanced over at her, her eyes slits. Kennedy knew what Lara was thinking. That she’d failed to help Adrian. She’d heard the wistfulness in her own voice, too, to be a help to others.

  “Your ability is helpful, too, Kennedy. Just be patient.”

  The back door opened, letting in brisk air, and Casey and the others stomped off the snow and tossed their outdoor clothes to the floor.

  “Let’s get a fire going.” Casey blew on his hands. Quinn grabbed some large logs and laid them on the fire grate. In minutes, a hot fire blazed in the fireplace, sending warmth throughout the room. Comfortable ambiance danced in the shadows on the walls. Kennedy sat perched on the edge of the couch, her arms wrapped around her midsection. Reluctance heavied her heart. Dinner was over, the drama that transpired outside was over for now, and now the meeting would begin. It had been called to discuss her; she knew that. Insecurity grumbled in her belly. It seemed as if her life had been balancing on the edge of all things for her entire life.

  Casey carried in a mug of hot coffee and took a seat beside Michelle. Her eyes shone with their typical clarity, so Kennedy took that as a sign she had recuperated from being tranquilized. Across the room, Asia propped up her leg on the large ottoman in front of her chair and rested against the cushion beside her. Thanks to Lara and Booker’s healing work, she didn’t need a bandage, and the bullet wound looked nearly completely healed.

  “The meeting is going to feel anticlimactic after the run in with TNG people.” He relaxed into his chair and sipped his coffee.

  The room’s stuffiness congested Kennedy’s thoughts. She glanced at Asher, who sat on the floor at her feet, his legs crossed, his elbow propped on one knee. Maybe it was her defenses kicking in, but his body screamed detachment, and she didn’t know why. Then he spoke up, startling her.

  “This was the third encounter with those people in just a little more than two weeks.” He rubbed his hand through his hair impatiently. “I know we need things to go slowly for Kennedy’s sake. But I think we’ve either been lucky in our passiveness and our luck is going to run out, or they’re not trying very hard. Their agenda includes intruding on our lives. It’s part of the plan. I don’t know why. But soon they’ll take more aggressive action, and I’m nervous we won’t be ready.”

  Tizzy spoke up, her bright eyes eager. “What can you tell us, Kennedy? Are these people playing with us?” She pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around them, waiting.

  This was Kennedy’s chance to be useful, to prove she could be a contributor to the colony. The words floated out of her mind and scattered around her. She frowned while time stood still and everyone waited.

  Asher leaned back against her legs and smiled up at her. She knew it was an offer of his ability to loosen her memories and thoughts about the group that had programmed her for silence and unquestioning obedience.

  But during the brief time she’d been with the colony, and especially with Asher, she was c
oming into her own in a new way. She would awaken the beast inside her, she knew. But she was willing to face it in order prove to herself that she could.

  She nodded to Asher.

  The now familiar warmth of Asher’s nudging, like a summer breeze blowing across her, brought relaxed focus back to her thoughts. Images of her mother pounding into her the need for secrecy and excellence in the skills she was being taught. Images of her trainers demanding superior skills in the martial arts, weaponry, and technology. Words came back to her of plans she needed to be ready for.

  She drew in a deep breath then released it slowly. “I don’t know specifics of what they’re doing right now. I know my rescue disrupted their plans for me. I’d been readied for taking action, and the time for that was coming soon. I don’t know specifically when, but very soon.” She ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. “I’d been schooled and grilled on a job they’re positioning me for. Before they packed me away in a cage for experimentation I’d interviewed for an aide position with—”

  “Let me guess,” Asher interrupted. “Senator Daren Sage. He’s connected somehow to Phoenix Biosciences.”

  “What’s Phoenix Biosciences?” Quinn sat forward on the couch, his eyes on Asher now.

  “Before I answer your question, how about we give Kennedy a little more time to answer Tizzy’s question?”

  “What do you think, Kennedy? Are we on borrowed time?” Casey flashed his golden eyes.

  “Before you rescued me, the disruptions the colony created with its discovery of William Carter’s project set back their timetable. They made adjustments in their plans.” She glanced around the room and was met with serious, sober expressions. It gave her goose bumps.

  “Is that why they’d delivered you to the project?” Asia asked.

  “Of course, they didn’t tell me everything, but I heard more than I expect they intended. I knew I was to have the drug therapy. Now it appears they still have plans for me within the circle of the politician. I would guess they are simply trying to get me back, but also trying to let you know they know where you are and can reach you at any time.”