by VA Dold
Damn, Mr. Black smelled incredible. Like her favorite perfume, Amber, warm, earthy, sweet, and spicy. Sara was momentarily taken aback. Why on earth had she leaned closer? Quickly, she took a step back and frowned.
Did he just sniff me?
“How may I be of service, Mr. —” She let the sentence trail off, hoping he would take the hint and introduce himself.
Offering his hand, Mr. Black said, “Le Beau. Seth Le Beau.”
Sara quirked a brow at the James Bond impression. “Detective Sara Adams.”
There was something compelling about his velvet voice. Sara didn’t trust compelling. She hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. She expected him to shake it. Instead, he raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Then he brushed the pads of his fingers across her palm.
Sara snatched her hand back and wiped it on her pant leg. That much too intimate touch left energy tingles on her skin, something that had never happened before.
Seth’s lips twitched against a suppressed grin. He would allow his mate to wipe away their kisses for now.
Fang’s eyes lowered to half-mast, and he rumbled softly. She’s perfect.
I agree.
Her voice transformed their world. They savored the moment as the mating magic drifted over them with her soft, sultry, musical tones. The notes enveloped them and branded her name onto their heart and soul. Their mate held immense power. Seth replayed the cadence of her voice in his mind. Yes, she had an enormous gift, but her voice wasn’t where it lay.
The moment they set foot in the station, they’d felt currents of magic. They just hadn’t expected the source to be their mate. Pride filled them. She had stood her ground and refused to drop her gaze when they’d stalked across the office. That little slip of a woman wasn’t afraid of them. Not one iota. They were unaccustomed to being challenged in such a way unless facing a rogue.
There was no denying the mate attraction. She felt the pull of one mate to the other as well. Her pupil’s dilated and her breathing had changed. Merely for a breath or two. But they’d noted the tiny gasp and indrawn breath. The intense chemistry between them was palpable. They could feel her tamping down her attraction to them. He and Fang would allow it, although not for long.
Mine, they growled in unison.
Seth studied her face. Even though she was a homicide detective and had assuredly seen a fair share of violence and depravity, she looked far too innocent for a man such as he. It didn’t matter if she was twenty or forty. Something as minor as age meant little to a shifter that lived fourteen hundred years. Rather, it had to do with what life had turned him into. If given the option, he would walk away and leave Sara to live her life without his baggage.
Fang snarled. Never! We experienced all three of the signs, and that sealed our fates.
Seth sighed. He had believed he would never find a mate and long ago resigned himself to never having a family of his own. Now that she stood before them, Fang was right. They wouldn’t let her slip through their fingers, even though that would be best for her.
He was trained to be a cold-blooded and brutal killer. He would be that and so much more if anyone harmed their mate or took her from them.
He was an assassin, lethal as hell, and there was no changing that. In this situation, the ability to kill was an asset. Hunters didn’t get a do-over, so he would do as Fang had long ago. He would own his past with his head held high.
He may not deserve Sara, and they didn’t know the first thing about one another. None of that mattered. The fact was Miss Adams belonged to him. She was the one woman who could complete him. His soul was full of ugly gaping holes, with no way to repair it. But he would willingly share what remained with her.
Seth roiled with fury yet cupped Sara's cheek with utter gentleness. She had covered the evidence with makeup. Still, the discolored shadow on her cheek caught his attention. “Who did this?” he demanded, his voice deceptively soft, but there was an underlying rumble of a growl that divulged his level of anger.
She pressed her lips together and scowled, though didn’t answer.
“I can take the information from your memories, but I don’t care to invade your privacy. Please, mon amour, answer the question.”
A flash of fear shown in her lovely gaze. Then her eyes narrowed. In that moment, he knew she’d seen his true colors. They frightened humans with the exception of a scant few. Richie’s mate Piper being one of those few. Hell, they scared most shifters spitless. Regardless Sara was their mate, and the last thing he and Fang wanted was to frighten her.
She gave him a stare that surely destroyed lesser men. Then glanced away. “My face had a disagreement with a perp’s fist. I repaid the asshole with very tight handcuffs and assault charges.”
“Sara. Please look at me,” he requested gently, keeping his voice low so only she heard. He wasn’t a man to ask. Demands produced results much more quickly, but somehow, she unearthed the gentle, loving man he had once been in his youth.
Fang nudged Seth’s mind and grinned in approval. You have this. I’m going to take a nap. Wake me if you need back up.
Her gaze jumped to his.
“Hold absolutely still for a moment.” Warmth flowed from his hand to the contusion. In seconds the swelling and discoloration disappeared. Then he brushed a thumb across her once more perfect complexion.
Seth let his hand fall to his side. “There. That’s better.”
Sara raised a palm to her face and frowned. “What did you do?”
Seth shrugged but didn’t answer. “Is there a place we can speak?”
“That depends. Are you here to report a murder?”
“No. My reason involves you, and your brother's passing.” With a glance around the wide-open bullpen, he continued, “Perhaps we should take this discussion someplace more private? Where ears won’t hear.”
“Shh!” Sara glanced around the room. Sure enough, all eyes were on her. “There’s a coffee shop down the street. I’ll get my purse.” She took advantage of the few minutes away from Seth’s sphere of influence to catch her breath and clear her mind. She needed to get him out of the station quickly. Already, a few of the men were showing signs of curiosity.
She used the short reprieve to examine her reaction to Seth. Her analytical mind sorted and filed each damning fact away. She wanted—no needed, him. She wasn’t a stranger to attraction, but no man had ever had the effect Mr. Le Beau did. Her body had heated when he drew near. Sara tucked that information into a file in her mind
She had smelled her favorite fragrance, and she doubted he wore women’s perfume. She tucked that into the file as well. Finally, and most incriminating, she’d heard him telepathically. Terrified by what the evidence corroborated, she slammed the file shut and locked it away.
Sara inhaled sharply. One shaking hand flew to her throat and covered the crook of her neck protectively. She was horrified by her conclusion. Oh, hell no! Sara snatched her purse from the hook behind the office door and stomped past him toward the exit. She swore she could feel his breath on the back of her neck as he followed hard on her heels.
He grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him the instant they hit the sidewalk. “What’s wrong?” he hissed.
“We can’t be overheard discussing the case. As a family member of the victim, I’m not allowed to be involved in the investigation. If I’m caught working it, the chief will suspend me.”
His eyes narrowed. “That was not a full truth. Why are you so angry?”
She paced away from him, shaking with her fury. Then turned to glare into his eyes and stepped closer to him again to jab her finger hard into his chest. “You and I will never happen, Le Beau,” she declared with a snarl.
Seth’s brows rose. His gaze drifted over her face. Damn, she was even more beautiful when she was angry. He forced his expression to remain blank. Now was not the time to provoke her further.
Sara spun on her heel and
stomped away from him, leaving him to trail behind like a scolded child. He grinned, loving the challenge. Winning his woman’s heart and commitment was going to be fun. He had forgotten what fun was. His mate was bringing that back into his life as well.
They ordered their drinks and waited as the barista made them. Coffee in hand, she led the way to a table in the back corner of the shop, away from the other patrons. Determination evident by Sara's tight expression. Her chin was up, and her olive eyes were blazing. She was about to blast him again.
Lust surged through his body, harsh and painful. He had been semi-erect since the first inhale of her vanilla caramel fragrance at the station. Now he was so hard he was sure he would limp when they returned to her office. Seth closed his eyes and pulled in a lungful of her sweet scent. Sara was a personal miracle he never expected.
“Stop that,” she hissed.
Silently, Seth sent a prayer of thanks to Luperca and opened his eyes. “Stop what?”
Sara glared at him. In a tone, she scoffed, “Seriously? You’re going to play the ignorant card? I know what you are and it’s never going to happen. I mean it. This,” she waved a hand between them, “can’t happen. I refuse to have my life taken over by a man. I’m not like my sister, Dianne.”
Seth sipped his coffee and cocked his head. “I’m not following the conversation. What are you going on about?” He knew exactly what she was referring to. Well, all except the sister comment. But he pretended to be oblivious because he wanted her to admit they were mates out loud.
Sara sat back and folded her arms. Her nostrils flared in annoyance. “You can’t tell me you haven’t recognized the signs.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Signs?” he asked his voice thickening with a Cajun drawl.
“Yes, signs,” she hissed. “The attraction, special scent, and telepathy that indicates a shifter found his mate. I—will—never—be—your—mate!” She emphasized each word with a finger stab to the tabletop.
He leaned forward and cupped her stubborn chin. The pad of his thumb slid along her clenched jaw to ease the tension. He needed to touch her. The man craved the woman, and his wolf demanded the contact. Quietly he drawled, “Never say never, cher.”
Seth dropped his hand to her arm. Then lightly ran his palm down her forearm to her tiny hand. The move was so smooth Sara automatically responded without a thought and wrapped her fingers around his. His large hand encompassed hers. He knew that later when she was alone, she would question her reactions to him when she’d been so angry.
If he had continued to touch her face, he would have pulled her across the table, held her captive with his hands buried in that wealth of blonde hair, and kissed her senseless. She wasn’t ready for that. “How do you know the signs?” he asked with more calm than he felt.
She sighed, soft as a summer breeze, lowered her head, and pushed the fingers of her free hand wearily through her hair. “My sister was claimed ten years ago. She educated me on everything shifter. I learned more than I ever wanted to know.”
Seth restrained his chuckle as relief poured through him. “I see.” He glanced out the window beside their table, admiring the autumn hues setting the trees and bushes ablaze with color. “Minnesota is a beautiful state.”
“I think so,” Sara agreed. “Though it gets cold as hell in the winter.”
CHAPTER THREE
Seth sipped his coffee and pondered how to broach the subject of the rogue once known as Paul Johnson. Where to begin? He approached the dilemma as he did all things. Rationally. Logically. Studied from every angle. Preparation was key. Earning Sara’s trust and cooperation would be difficult at best, and yet crucial to their survival. He licked his dry lips and wracked his brain. Winning the heart of his mate and convincing her to work with him was the greatest and, he prayed, most rewarding challenge he would ever face. The danger was real, and both of them could die.
Fang yawned and moved forward in Seth’s mind. We’ve got this. Stop stressing out.
Stop stressing out! You know, as well as I, just how dangerous this is.
And yet we’ve never lost a battle. We won’t lose this one either.
If you don’t have anything constructive to say, go back to sleep.
Sara’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “You’re thinking very hard about something. Care to share?” She cleared her throat after the words came out with a husky, sexy tone she obviously hadn’t intended.
Seth grinned. His mate was a spitfire. “To be honest, I’m trying to decide my next move. I should warn you. I haven’t spent this much time with a human being in over a hundred years.”
She drew in a deep, uneven breath, and flicked her tongue out to moisten her lips.
His body responded eagerly, and Fang whined as they followed the movement.
Sara cocked her head. “You don’t like people much. Do you?”
“Perhaps not. I distanced myself for protective reasons. I found it difficult to dispatch those I cared for. But you’re different. I like being around you. You make me happy to be alive,” he admitted as his mind drifted into the past.
Sara pulled him from his thoughts when her hand yanked from his, and she pressed her lips together. Her narrowed cool eyes pinned him in place. “I never ask you to spend time with me, Mr. Le Beau.”
“See?” He chuckled, grinning at the annoyed woman across from him. “I totally suck at simple interaction. I wasn’t always so socially inept. Once upon a time, I was quite charming.”
Sara quirked a brow. “Really. Charming?” Her lips twitched with her suppressed grin. “Excuse me if I find it hard to believe you were ever charming.”
“Very charming, cher. I’ll have to excavate that man of romance and unleash him to lavish attention on you until you’re a believer.”
Sara gifted him with an impish smile and then said a little sarcastically, “I can hardly wait.” Then her brows grew tight. “Why did you bury your charming side?”
“Charisma and niceties are ineffective weapons against a rogue. I’ve been an Elite hunter for a very long time, and the position takes a toll. After a hundred years of killing, I was no longer the most companionable person.” He shrugged. “I took to living alone on a mountain. It was easier and safer for all involved.”
Sara smiled, though her lovely eyes were shadowed with concern “Wow. That sucks.” A moment later, one brow lifted and she grinned mischievously. “To assist you in unearthing Mr. Charming, I challenge you to perform one act of romance within a week.”
Fang sat at attention and yipped.
“Challenge accepted.” Seth smiled at her and brought her knuckles to his mouth, all the while holding her gaze. Her heart jumped beneath his lips, beating a harsh, driving pulse through her veins.
He watched her throat work to swallow, desire lighting the pale green of her eyes for a heartbeat as her soft tongue flicked out to wet her lips. Then just as quickly, the burgeoning embers vanished.
She lowered her eyes and peeked at him through her lashes.
He was tall, well over six feet, wide-shouldered, and physically spectacular. She knew from having a shifter in the family, his lean, sinewy body was deceptive. Shifters were enormously strong.
His face was a masterpiece to behold, his eyes stunning. They were the richest dark chocolate she had ever seen. The heavy fringe of black lashes darkened their color until they appeared black. But Seth’s sexiest attribute was his thick glossy hair, slicked back into a tight ponytail tied at the base of his neck with a leather thong. Her fingers itched to pull the tie free and run her fingers through it.
Curious about the man who had sauntered into her life, claiming to have information about her brother, she asked, “What’s an Elite hunter?”
“Luperca has a team of trained hunters with extra gifts. Even more than an average shifter, which are considerable. Which she uses to remove the scourge of rogues from the world.”
She rubbed her hands up and down her
arms. The smooth as melted butter timbre of his voice sent ripples of energy along her skin, through her body, to finally settle in her heart. “Really? My brother-in-law has never mentioned rogues or hunters for that matter.”
Seth gave her a crooked smile that sent another surge of energy to her chest. “Really.”
Sara cocked her head and nibbled her fingernail. “You mentioned additional gifts. I know shifters live for like fourteen hundred years. Dianne also told me you can think clothing on and off. Plus, you have super speed and healing, telepathy, and can send touch or emotions to the other mate. What more can there be?”
“I have all of those, but hunters need a few others. Each shifter is born with one additional gift. That ability manifests during childhood. As for human mates, they always have a gift and when they are claimed their gift is enhanced.”
“What’s your additional gift?” she asked.
“I can make anything into a tattoo on my body. As an example, I’m wearing my sword on my back. When I want to use it, I reach behind my neck and lift it from my skin.”
“No way!”
He laughed at her response. “As for the hunter gifts, I received, I can control another’s mind to an extent, and manipulate the weather. I’ll be able to see more deeply into my mate’s mind and she into mine. I’m also a master healer.”
“That’s a lot of power for one person to wield. Why all of the extra gifts?”
“It’s often necessary to control a rogue during the stalk and execution to prevent humans from knowing we exist. On occasion, a human will see a rogue and must have his mind wiped. Thus, the mind control. As for the weather, it can be a useful tool for driving a rogue to the location of my choosing or to clear an area of humans.”
Sara searched his face. “Those two make sense, but I don’t understand why you would need to see deeper into your mate’s mind.”
“I think the ability to do that, and vice versa is due to the fact that convincing a woman to accept a hunter is more difficult than it is for an average shifter. We tend to be harder and much rougher around the edges.”