by Meg Ripley
“So, overall, we can sum up that everything went as well as it possibly could,” Drake concluded, closing out the report.
They were all seated in SOS HQ back in D.C., reviewing the mission. “How do you two feel about it?”
“It definitely wasn’t what I expected,” Leona admitted, “and I’d probably change a few things if I could go back and do it again. But we got things taken care of, so I really can’t complain.”
Drake nodded. “I’d ask Hudson this next question privately, but I think it’s only fair that you hear what the rest of us think. Hudson, how was it? Is she worthy of her position here on the Force?” His eyes flicked between the two of them expectantly.
Leona stiffened. This was it. This was the moment she’d lose the one thing that she’d thought would keep her life going after the military. She’d be stuck looking for satisfying work in the form of a desk job or a retail position, something that would make her completely miserable.
Hudson cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, I do believe she’s worthy of the position. She’s dedicated, determined, and thorough. She doesn’t back down from risk or danger, and she’s good at blending in to make friends with the potential enemy.”
Drake smiled. “Sounds like just what we need around here.”
“There’s one more thing.” Hudson looked at Leona apologetically. She gave him the slightest nod. “She’s also fated to me. I mean, we’re fated to each other.”
The doctor’s lips tightened into a hard line, and he tapped his fingers at the table as he glanced at the other Force members and then back at Hudson and Leona. “You know, Hud, we discussed this. Getting involved with another member of the Force is strictly forbidden.”
“I know that. We both do.”
Leona could feel every muscle in her body filling with tension. She wanted to throw up. It was so unfair to lose her position with the Army just from one wrong step, and now she was losing her position with the Force over something she had absolutely no control over. “I know this is going to create a problem, Sir, so I’ll turn in my resignation.”
“Hold on a second.” Drake’s tone was a warning as he stared down his communications officer. “Hudson, I take it this means you’ve been involved with Sergeant Kirk. We discussed this, and you knew what the rules were. You chose to break them, and that’s grounds for immediate dismissal.”
“You can’t do that!” Leona shot to her feet. “I already said I’d quit, and believe me, that’s one of the last things in the world I want to do. I love being on the Force, but it’s only been part of my life for a short time. It’s not the same for him!”
“Leona, stop,” Hudson said gently as he pulled her back into her seat. “He’s right. I knew this was possible. It’ll be all right.”
But it didn’t seem all right to her at all. It was bad enough that she should be denied her dream, but to do that to both of them? Leona could feel the anger and resentment building inside her and tried to figure out just what she was going to do with it. “Listen, Drake—”
“Hold on.” He held out his hand, waving at her to calm down. “Before you get too bent out of shape, I should tell you that the three of us had a feeling there was something going on between the two of you, even before you left town.”
“You did?” Hudson leaned forward, his face brooding.
“You didn’t hide it all that well,” Garrison commented with a smile.
“Yeah. You’re still not. It’s disgusting.” Flint shook his head. “Every time you’re together, you look like you can’t wait to pounce on each other. Makes me wanna puke butterflies and rainbows.”
Leona blinked. Was this some sort of nightmare? It didn’t make sense. “But if you knew…” she began helplessly.
“We did, or at least we had a damn good hunch. That’s why, as soon as you left, we decided that we’d have to make a special exception. I mean, fate is fate, after all.”
Hudson threw back his head and laughed, then launched himself out of his chair to slap Drake on the arm. “You really had me going there, you bastard!”
“Sorry, but you know I couldn’t just let that go without giving you some sort of hell.”
“If it were me, I would’ve stretched out the torture a lot longer,” Flint added, grinning.
“So, now that we’ve covered that and considering I’ve got a plane to catch, this meeting is adjourned.”
Leona left the conference room with emotions swirling around her head. She knew this meant they could both keep their jobs, but she didn’t quite know how Hudson was feeling. It was strange to realize just how much weight she was now giving to someone else’s thoughts and emotions instead of just her own.
She and Hudson were the last to leave the conference room, and as the rest of them made their way to the garage, she headed toward the door at the front of the building. But Hudson wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Can I give you a ride?”
She looked up at him, noting the passion in his eyes. “I don’t quite know where I’m going,” she admitted. There hadn’t been much time to think about it, and the last thing she wanted to do was return to Tracy’s apartment.
“How about my place?” He turned her around, keeping his grip on her as they headed for the garage.
She giggled, feeling like a teenager. Or maybe, more like how she imagined teenagers felt when they were with someone they were crazy about. She liked the way Hudson’s strong arm felt around her waist, and she liked how he was possessive of her, even when it was annoying. “Sounds like a plan.”
“You know, you didn’t have to stick up for me back there.” He opened the passenger door and let her in, coming around to the driver’s seat.
“Sure I did. It made sense for me to get fired; I’m new. But I never imagined they’d let both of us go, or at least try to make us think that way.” At the time, she’d been so pissed off at their little joke, but knowing it was all in good fun, she could laugh about it now.
“Maybe I was going to stick up for you and let you keep the job instead of me. I mean, I’ve still got my company.” He pulled out of the garage and slid the windows down. The evening was cool for the season, and the setting sun threw a pink and purple backdrop behind the skyline.
“Don’t you think you’ve already done me enough favors?” she asked. “I mean, I saw what happened back there at the clubhouse. You killed for me.”
His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel at the memory. “And I’d do it again. I couldn’t stand the thought of someone hurting you. But that doesn’t mean I’ve done you enough favors. I’m definitely not done.”
By the time they reached his apartment building and rode the private elevator to the penthouse, Leona could feel the desire rolling off of him. It met her own and continued to build. As soon as they stepped into the living room, he had his arms around her. Leona melted as his lips pressed against hers, demanding, exploring, his tongue like electric velvet as it slipped against hers. His hands promised to fulfill her every desire as they roved over her, pulling at the clothes that had felt like simple necessities until they became a barrier that kept their skin from touching.
Her own body surged with need. She knew exactly what he was capable of, and she trembled merely at the thought. Her blood sizzled in her veins as she let him bring her through the living room and to the master bedroom, a massive affair with a bed so high, he had to lift her onto it.
“Leona,” he breathed as he slid his hands inside the waistband of her jeans, cupping her backside as he used his forearms to push away the denim.
She was breathless to the point of being lightheaded, and when he kissed her between the legs and she felt his heated tongue through the silk of her panties, she thought she might pass out. Her back arched as he moved the material aside and caressed her soft folds with his tongue. “Yes?”
“I want you to stay here with me.” Hudson stopped his ministrations only long enough to remove the rest of her clothing
, his hands running in luxurious and appreciative lines up and down her body before bringing his mouth back to her core. “I want you to be here every night.”
She braced one foot on his broad shoulder as she clutched at the sheets. They’d hardly been in the door a minute and he was already working her into a frenzy, but she wasn’t complaining. “You do?”
“God, yes.” He proved it with his efforts, using the body of his tongue and alternating it with the tip to bring her into a turmoil. “I’ve got you now, and I don’t want to ever let you go.”
Leona’s thighs clenched around his neck as her abdominal muscles grew taut and the inside of her body broke into heated waves that rushed through her body. His words were turning her on as much as his actions. “Then don’t,” she panted. “Don’t ever let me go.”
“Anything you say.” Hudson brought his body over hers, hovering over her.
Leona bit her lip as she studied him. He was pure perfection and she knew just how gorgeous he was in his other form as well. She’d never be tired of looking at him, and definitely never tired of touching him. Her hands spread across his chest, down his rippling stomach and to the arousal that waited for her. She wrapped her fingers around it, feeling the desire welling inside her once again.
“I love you,” he whispered, leaning forward so that his mouth was near her ear. He kissed the top of her neck just below her lobe, sending a shiver down her spine. “Like I’ve never loved anyone else in my entire life.”
She kissed him then as she wrapped her legs around him, demanding that he plunge inside her where he belonged. Her nerves were alive with wonder as they moved like a symphony, fitting so perfectly together. She felt as though she could never get enough of him, like every time was still something new. Leona commanded him at the same time that she surrendered to him, and she felt them climbing higher together until they both fell over the edge.
Her muscles relaxed as they lay together afterward, and Hudson trailed his fingers languidly over her skin. They didn’t need to speak. They simply knew that this was right. She kicked herself for ever thinking she could give this up.
14
Hudson sat at the desk in his office, working away. He’d hired the country’s top scientists and technology masterminds to work for Taylor Communications, but he knew he’d always want to get involved in the work himself. He wasn’t the type of CEO to just sit back and let everyone else do the work while he got the credit for it. Besides, there was always plenty to do.
But today, he felt himself getting distracted. He could get easily lost in algorithms and coding, but his mind constantly wandered to something else he’d rather be doing. He sighed and pushed himself back from the desk, picking up his phone and dialing the number at the top of his list.
Leona picked up after several rings, sounding excited. “Hey! How did you know I was thinking about you?”
“Just hoping, I guess.” He smiled naturally simply at hearing her voice. “I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“You’re not sick of me yet?” she teased.
They lived together in his apartment, which had made Hudson realize just how empty it’d been before she’d come along. They worked together on the SOS Force, of course, so they saw each other plenty. But he couldn’t get enough of her. “Never.”
“Well, I’m really glad you called.” The exhilaration in her voice was coming through even more now, and Hudson could tell that she was barely containing herself. “I was going to tell you in person, but I can’t wait. You know how I said I wanted something to do in between missions?”
The two of them had talked quite a bit about that, actually. Leona felt edgy and bored when Hudson was at work and wanted to find a satisfying way to spend her time. “I do.”
“Well, I found something that should work perfectly. I’m going to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity right here in D.C. They need people to build homes for veterans. I couldn’t resist!”
Hudson felt warm and calm when speaking to her, and genuinely happy. He knew she needed something to keep her busy and make her feel useful, and he understood that. It was the same thing he needed from his own life, and he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. “That’s wonderful, baby.”
“I know! I looked at some other opportunities, but they were going to be much longer commitments out of the country, ones that would keep me from really being on the Force. This way, I can serve both veterans and shifters. I don’t think my life could get any better.” She laughed happily.
“I know that feeling. Speaking of the Force, Drake called me a few minutes ago. He’s got a mission that he says will be perfect for us. We’re to go to HQ tonight to get all the details.”
“I don’t suppose we’ll get to pose as suburban honeymooners again, will we? I’m sure in the mood for a block party and some of your cowboy caviar.”
“I don’t know yet,” Hudson replied, “but I do know I can’t wait to go on another mission with you. I’ll see you then. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Bye.”
He hung up, looking at the phone for a long minute. Leona wasn’t even in the same room with him, and yet he felt the most comforting sense of peace settling over him. He was about to head out on another mission with the woman of his dreams, a woman he knew he was bound to forever with the most fierce loyalty in the universe.
And he couldn’t wait.
Alex’s Mate
Shifter Nation: Werebears of Big Bend
1
Alex
I squinted at my computer screen, my eyes aching. I was on a roll, though, and couldn’t stop until I had an answer.
I’d been working on my project for weeks, gathering data and deciding which measurements were significant enough to include. I’d done all the research I could, had my data ready, and was plugging it into the spreadsheet I’d designed to tell me when and where I should meet my fated mate.
My mind was still blown at the reality of what was happening within our clan. Fated mates were always said to be rare. Most people never encountered anyone who was fated, yet in our little clan, three of four single men of marrying age had found their fated mates. No doubt that our younger male member, Benjamin, would find his when he came of age. The only one who hadn’t yet found his true love? Me.
So, like any problem worth solving, I got to work figuring out ways to identify the common data points of the various fated relationships around me. With three relationships to work with, my numbers wouldn’t be great, but since I was dealing with something so rare, three was more than anyone could hope for.
I flipped through my pages of notes, looking for the proper information. First, I entered the distance that the two fated lived prior to meeting. Then figured in the number of previous relationships each had, along with the length of time it took each to realize they were fated and the length of time they knew each other before meeting for the first time. I ran my custom data alongside other, more diverse statistics like the number of females living in Big Bend, the number who were of age and single, and so on. All in all, I’d used fourteen different variables.
I punched in the final piece of data, took a deep breath, and hit enter. Results poured down my screen. I read through them frantically, looking for something that would satisfy my growing longing. I wanted to find her. I was sick of going to weddings and baby celebrations alone, then going home to an empty house. I saw how happy my clan mates were, and I wanted what they had.
When could I hope to meet her? After scanning the results on timing, I frowned. I went back, checked and rechecked, calculated again and again, yet the result came back the same each time.
I should have met my mate four years ago.
I sat back, trying to picture what was going on in my life at that time. It was before anyone was paired with his fated mate, and soon after I came to Big Bend.
Rubbing my forehead, I moved onto the next key piece of data: the ‘where.’ She lives near me. Within 15 miles. For a place as sprea
d-out but tight-knit as Big Bend was, I surely would have met her by now.
My heart sank. It didn’t make any sense. If she lived so close, how had I not encountered her in the last four years? All of my clan mates said they’d experienced a magnetic pull toward their mates, but I hadn’t felt a pull at all. I thought back, hard. The last time I’d felt seriously drawn to do anything, it was when I moved to Big Bend in the first place.
Wait a minute… I checked my dates and my heart sank even deeper. Four years ago, I wasn’t in Big Bend just yet; I was still living in California. Both of my parents were involved in the computer industry, so I’d grown up in Silicon Valley. But I always hated the big-city feel; I wanted room to breathe. When I looked at the numbers, Big Bend had made the most sense when it came to its distance from a city, availability and pricing of housing, and job prospects. Since Big Bend had a huge national park and I’d decided to pursue an environmentally-oriented career, it made perfect sense for me to move to Texas and attend Ranger school.
But four years ago, I’d still been in California, making my plans to move. I’d felt drawn to Big Bend as soon as I’d found it. But then, I’d also been drawn to stay in California just a little longer. When I’d planned to join the Ranger class that started in the fall, I’d discovered that it was statistically better to find cheaper housing in the winter, when fewer people move. So, I’d felt compelled to stay in California to start Ranger school in the spring semester instead.
So, if I was in Silicon Valley four years ago when I should have met my mate and then moved, that meant I’d missed my chance. She was back in California and I was there in Texas. How in the world would I find her?
Maybe I shouldn’t have moved to Big Bend. Maybe my life should have happened all right where it started. My heart raced and my head felt light. Resting my glasses on the desk, I put my head in my hands and breathed deeply and slowly. The panicky feeling lessened, but didn’t fade. Had I lost my one and only chance at true love?