Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  He turned his face to her, eyes filled with fire. “It’d be the thing to do. Everything in my training is screaming for me to name you a suspect.” He wrapped her in a fierce embrace, crushing her to his chest. “But I can’t. I have no control around you.” His lips descended upon her, raw with untamed passion. He kissed a trail along her neck, her cheeks, her eyes, until crashing with a hot urgency on her mouth.

  She opened to his unyielding demands. Her arms wound around his neck, their tongues dancing together in harmony. He titled her back, one arm wrapped around her waist for support. His free hand tangled in her amber strands, loosening the thick mane from its binding. She wrapped her leg around his strong thigh and ground her hips against the bulge in his jeans. He groaned. Sanity took a backseat as the madness ignited between them.

  Liquid heat shot through her like a tidal wave. She ran her hands over his hard chest, down his ripped abdomen to the hem of his shirt. Yanking up, she tried to pull it over his head, but couldn’t quite manage the extra inches. She huffed her frustration.

  His laughter rolled over her like a caress. He leaned back far enough to wrench his shirt free, barring his chest. The firelight kissed his skin, emphasizing the rich olive coloring of his Mediterranean background. He eyed her from head to toe, a predator’s gaze. His muscles tightened, a wolf ready to devour her. He snapped his belt free and opened the button on his jeans. Gruffness coated his voice. “We’re wearing too many clothes.”

  Heat kissed her cheeks. Sera prided herself on being open and outgoing despite the secrets she needed to keep hidden. Unfortunately, the past taught her to stay clear of men and she had heeded that lesson all too well. Now with Talon’s blatant masculinity in front of her and the roaring fire behind her, she wished she possessed some experience to guide her. Swallowing hard, she lost her bravado. A squeak escaped. “Are we?”

  “Yes,” he said, the breath warming her face. He eyed her tattered sweater with an animal hunger.

  She sidestepped him and smacked into the arm of the couch. The pain ricocheted down her leg and she stumbled onto the cushions. She rubbed at the sore spot on her hip. Talon sat down beside her.

  “Sera, are you alright?” He brushed a hand over her thigh.

  Her heart squeezed, locked in a vice grip. “No,” she said, choking back a sob.

  He gripped her shoulders lightly and spun her to face him. “What is it? Did I hurt you?”

  Something between a laugh and a cry broke from her. “No. It’s not you at all. It’s me. You’re right about me. I deserve to be a suspect.”

  A grip made of solid steel locked around her. He hugged her tight as if he’d never let go. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I know you wouldn’t hurt innocent people.”

  “No. You were right,” she cried. The tears stained her cheeks. “I’ve hurt someone.” She wrung her hands against her sweater. “Oh God, Talon. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started this with you. It’s just I’ve never had this connection with anyone before. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  Swift fingers ran through her hair, soothing, comforting. “It’s okay. It’s my fault. I pushed this too far.” He planted a soft kiss at her temple. “I wanted you from the beginning, from that first damn phone call. I knew nothing but the sound of your voice, and yet, I wanted you.” His face hardened while his eyes softened. “Even when you were lying in the hospital asleep, even though you’re a part of our case, even though I know its wrong, I can’t stop myself from wanting you.”

  She pushed against the iron wall of his chest, far from his intoxicating words. “You don’t understand. I can’t be with anyone.” A ragged breath rocked her soul. “Even if I want it to be different.”

  His eyes narrowed into slits. “Is this about your past? About that kid from high school?”

  “How?” She shook her head. “How do you know about it?”

  “I’m a government agent. Part detective here.” A mischievous glint brightened his eyes, but soon faded as a hard line traced his lips. “Tell me what happened.”

  His hand splayed across the nape of her neck, massaging the tension away. She found herself leaning into his touch. Her mind spun in an array of thoughts, steering without a map. What do you have to lose? He’s already seen your fire. She stifled the fear, trying to remain calm and neutral under the storm of memories.

  “Matt and I had been friends since seventh grade. Our junior year of high school, he asked me out. I didn’t think of him that way, but I figured it was better to be with a friend than alone.” She bit her lip and gave Talon her back. It’d be easier to tell him this way. She couldn’t bear to see disgust in his eyes.

  He allowed her to face away from him, but moved closer to encircle her waist. He whispered in her ear, “Go on. It’s okay.”

  “Every year, there’d be a dance at school, a sort of Spring Fling. He invited me to go. I didn’t want to disappoint him, so I said yes. But, when we got there, I couldn’t stand it. The room felt so hot with all those people.” Her heart sped up. “From the day of my sixteenth birthday and on, I had a hard time around people, a hard time controlling...things.”

  “The fire?” Talon said, pulling her back to rest against him.

  “Yes.” Goosebumps prickled along her skin. A low simmer spread over her. Reclining in his arms felt so right. He provided a steady anchor as she sailed through her nightmarish past. “Matt saw I was uncomfortable. He took me outside, said we could go for a ride instead. We got into his car and took off.” She paused for a heartbeat. Her shoulders slumped forward. “He pulled into a lookout area all the kids used to hookup. I didn’t want to. We’d kissed a couple of times, but I felt terrible after pulling him away from the dance.” She couldn’t hold the tears at bay any longer. They streamed down her face as she tried to tell the rest.

  “I’m right here, Sera. It’s okay.” He shifted on the couch to allow her to lean sideways against him.

  She rested her cheek on his chest and gripped his shirt like a lifeline. “I didn’t want to upset him. He was so nice to me. He was my friend. So I-I let him do what he wanted.” She wiped her face and steadied her voice. “I tried to like it. I really did. But I kept feeling nauseous and hot. Then, he went too far. I told him no, but he kept going. It hurt. It was like I was on fire.”

  Talon’s body tightened beside her. His muscles locked rigid, but he stayed quiet. His silence allowed her to continue.

  “That’s when I heard it. A voice in my head. It whispered to me.” Plunged in the memory Sera recalled the words she’d never been able to remember before. The first time she’d heard Guy. “It said ‘Let go’. I was so scared and hurt. So I-I did. I let go. Then, I blacked out.”

  “What happened after?”

  “I woke up in the hospital. They told me the car caught fire. Matt had been burned…badly. He’d fallen into a coma. The doctors couldn’t figure out why. And there I was without even a scratch. It looked bad for me.” She mustered her courage and looked Talon in the eyes. A deep blue like a winter storm in the dead of night stared back at her. “I started that fire. I know it now. I blamed it on the voice. But that voice is a part of me. It was my fault.”

  A blaze burned in his icy blue depths. “Listen to me now. You were young and frightened. That moron took advantage of you.” When she tried to protest, he pulled her closer. “No arguments. You were in pain. You said no and that should have been the end of it. You were protecting yourself. Just as you did against those creatures.”

  “I could have killed him.”

  “But you didn’t.” He tucked her head under his chin and stroked her back. The sensation sent a rush of pleasure down her spine. “When I was sixteen, I’d shift at the smallest provocation. I always feared hurting someone. Sometimes I did.” He titled back. Their eyes met. “It took me years to control the urge. You’ll learn to handle your power.” He flashed a devilish grin as the firelight licked along the wall. “You already seem to be doing quite well.”

  �
��I’m more confident,” she admitted with a shrug. “I mean it’s like the fire flows through me and makes me feel stronger. I can control it better.”

  “That’s good.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

  “But I can’t take that chance with your life, Talon.” She sat up. “What if I hurt you?”

  He laughed low. “I’d happily be burned by your fire, Sera.” He pulled her into his arms. “In fact, I think I already am.”

  The fear faded as he left a trail of kisses across her neck. His hands grazed her skin, leaving a tingling sensation wherever they touched. Her pulse quickened. Sizzling heat whipped through her.

  “Talon,” she said. Her heart smacked against her ribs. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Finally, she’d be with a man she wanted. Consequences be damned.

  As their hands tore at each other and desire raced to a fever pitch, a siren whined from the house’s sound system.

  Chapter 15

  SAFE HOUSE BETA, SECRET LOCATION

  “Seven hells.” Talon jumped from the couch and sped to a console on the far wall, swearing six ways from Sunday. He punched in the code to retrieve the alarm’s message.

  The security system’s computerized feminine voice rang through the house. “Incoming call from Special Agent Megan Foster. Identity code P S 1 4 3.”

  “Accept.” Talon crossed his arms over his bare chest, trying to tramp down the lust burning his body. His blood churned like a windstorm. He didn’t dare look at Sera. A primal ache coated his words. “Meg, what’s the situation?”

  A computer monitor emerged from the wall. It displayed a still picture of Meg and her badge number along with a voice recorder showing the incoming call. The house’s speakers played the transmission in the living room while a hidden microphone picked up Talon’s responses.

  “Well, hello there. You live. It’s a miracle.” Meg’s chiding taunts touched on his raw nerves. “Enjoying the splendors of Beta House?”

  “Not now. Do me a favor and save the reprimands for another day.” He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the long black strands from his face. “What do you have for me?”

  “Okay. Well, you know of my unsurpassed skills on the tech hunt.” Meg’s bubbly personality returned to the forefront.

  Talon grinned despite his frustration. “Yes. You going to give me the lowdown or a report about your genius?”

  “Ha ha. Very funny.” Newspaper clippings appeared on the screen, highlighting two murder cases in Buckhorn, and a car accident in Phoenix. “See all these. First one is a couple killed in Buckhorn days before the murder spree. Second is the code black. Third is the attempted kidnapping of our witness.”

  “Yeah. The witness is in the room by the way.” Talon kept his attention glued to the monitor, but he could hear Sera’s sharp intake of breath as she came up behind him and stared at the screen.

  “Hi there, Ms. Benenati.” Meg’s voice brightened. “Glad you’re okay. And nice to meet you in digitized form.” She broadcast a quick pixilated image of herself on the screen, then flipped it back.

  Sera cleared her throat. “You too.” When the articles reappeared, she moved closer, studying them with narrowed eyes. “The first clipping with the couple from Buckhorn is the one I was researching.” She fingered the screen, scanning the article. “I’d gotten a call from someone who claimed to be a family friend. She encouraged me to interview the victim’s sister.” Her skin paled. Sadness washed over her face. “I hunted down some information from the coroner’s office and I tried to interview the sister. I used my connection with the Arizona Hornet, but I was hoping to sell the story to a real paper.”

  “Ms. Benenati,” Meg said over the intercom. “I have some news that might upset you. Are you sitting down?”

  “Meg, don’t reveal anything our witness shouldn’t know.” An underlining threat turned Talon’s words cold. The hair on his neck stood like hackles on an animal’s fur.

  “I’m not a child, Talon.” Sera spun on him. The heel of her hand smacked him in the chest. “I may not be a special agent, but I am a reporter. I’m good at getting to the bottom of things and I can handle a helluva lot. So, since this obviously has to do with me, I’d like to hear what Agent Foster has to say.”

  Talon looked her over. A fire of determination crossed her face. Fear for her safety tore at him, but the strength in her eyes caused a sense of pride to boil to the surface. How long since he’d felt anything for anyone other than his team? He’d have to show some courage too. He crossed the room without a word and pulled one of the large chairs close to the computer screen. “Sit.”

  Open-mouthed shock crossed her features, but she clamped it down. A small smile softened her fiery resolve. She sat without protest.

  “Okay, Meg,” Talon said as he sat on the arm of the chair and held onto Sera’s shoulders. “We’re ready. Lay it on us.”

  “So here’s the scoop. The cases are all connected. The common denominator is Sera.” New articles about a senator popped up. Sera winced. “I was correct about the recommendation. It came from Senator Marsh’s office as a safety precaution.”

  “Wait a second.” Sera hopped off the chair. “Reginald Marsh is not winning any Father of the Year Awards.” Her hands clenched into fists at her side. “We’ve talked on the phone a few times, but we don’t have a real relationship. So why the hell would he send you anything about me? What could he send? He doesn’t even know me.”

  Meg coughed. “Ms. Benenati, someone broke into your sealed police file from the incident in high school. I believe they tried to use the information to blackmail your father, and he sent us the file on you so we could protect you.”

  “The damn voicemails.” Sera swore. “He wanted me to call him. Claimed it was important.” She curled her fingers into fists. “I figured it was more of his bullshit. I ignored him.”

  An awkward silence filled the air. After a moment, Meg said, “Well, I don’t know how to say this, but I think the person blackmailing your father is responsible for leading you to that first case and for the murders. The crimes were an attempt to get to you. The first murder was meant to draw you out. The suspect killed the couple, then called you as a family friend of the victim to draw you to a specific location.” A map of Buckhorn appeared on the screen.

  Talon kept a firm hand at the nape of Sera’s neck, easing the muscles there as she stiffened under his touch.

  Meg continued, “Then, the suspect used his puppets. The second murders were probably meant as a kidnapping, but went wrong.”

  “They weren’t trying to kidnap me. They were trying to kill me.” Sera’s voice cracked. “Besides isn’t that a little far-fetched? Why would they want me?”

  Talon slid behind her, dwarfing her petite frame with his larger body. He forced her to relax into him. “Shh. Easy.”

  “I’m so sorry. I know this is hard.” Meg’s voice echoed through the line, shaking. She pulled up a call log from the senator’s office. “I have some possible addresses for the blackmailer. I traced all the calls from the senator’s office and private phone. One unregistered number kept popping up, so no firm address, but the calls bounced along the cell towers. I triangulated the position within a five miles radius.”

  “Good work. Where’s the central location?”

  “It’s not far from the Senator’s office in Calgary.” A local map of the city flipped onto the screen. A red dot marked the office building. Within a few miles, a black triangle denoted the investigation area. “It’s in District 8’s jurisdiction. I’ve informed Val. She’s got her team staking out the addresses.”

  “I’m sending our guys too. Tell Valkyrie if her team finds even a hint of trouble, they’re to wait for us.” His body rippled with tension.

  “Valkyrie?” Sera shifted to face him.

  “Agent Valencia Nunez. Tag name’s Valkyrie. She’s team leader for District 8 and a stubborn pain in the ass,” he said to Sera. His concentration shifted back to the computer
. “You tell the hardhead it isn’t her call.”

  “I already told her you’re heading up the investigation.” Meg bounced the damnable smiley face across the outer edges of the screen. “She knows not to step on any toes.”

  “Good. I’m going to have Bull haul Drake’s ass up there too. I want the bastard under heavy guard. Preferably in one of District 8’s holding cells.” He grabbed the chair’s arms in an iron grip. Sera fidgeted further from him, but remained silent. “I don’t like bringing him, but we can’t afford to leave anyone behind. This area is too wide and we need our whole team on it.”

  “Of course.” Meg laughed. “It has nothing to do with territorial posturing.”

  He tapped his fingers over his jeans, ignoring her remark. “Text all the intel through an encrypted message to my cell.”

  “You got it, but,” her voice lost all its cheeriness, “Talon, there’s something else.” She chewed on her lip and the sound traveled over the line. “I have an idea of why the murders have so many perps.”

  Sera’s leg touched the inside of his thigh. She trembled, but kept her chin held high. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. His heart beat loud, thumping inside his chest and against her back. He felt her relax into his arms. He placed his lips at her ear and whispered, “You okay?” She nodded once. He dropped his tone an octave lower. “Alright Meg, tell us.”

  “Well, the blackmailer may be the puppet master behind all of this, but the murderers might be just that, puppets.” The screen flickered, revealing a new article from a scientific journal on newbie vampires. Next to it, a paper marked CONFIDENTIAL appeared about newbie phage. “Newly made vampires and these phage creatures have some common characteristics.”

  Scanning the articles with a quick eye, Talon said, “Brief us on your findings.”

  “Okay, so new vampires and new phage can’t endure sunlight for the first fifty to sixty years or so of their lives. And all of the attacks took place at night like Sera said.” Meg switched the screen back to the three original articles. This time a yellow highlighter showed the times of the attacks. “New vampires are under direct supervision from their makers. They have complete brain function, but they have to follow orders. If they don’t, they suffer physical pain.”