by Chant,Zoe
His voice held a small note of nervousness. Daphne followed him wordlessly to the elevators, letting him push the button to go down to a lower floor. When they stepped off, they came out into a corridor with four doors.
“This one should be free,” Heath said, using a keypad to unlock the room, gesturing for her to follow him in.
The room inside was just as modern as the rest of the Assured Security offices – only now, there was the extra added bonus of a wide, plush-looking bed piled high with cushions and pillows, as well as two armchairs that looked big enough for Daphne to curl up and sleep in.
“Take a seat,” Heath said.
“What did you want to tell me?” Daphne asked as she perched herself on the edge of the bed. It was just as soft and comfortable as it looked, and before she could stop herself, Daphne was imagining curling up next to Heath on it, feeling his strong arms around her, his heartbeat in her ears…
Heath sat down in one of the armchairs, leaning forward and looking her in the eye. “I already told you about what I am,” he started, sounding hesitant. “But there’s more to it than that.”
Daphne blinked. “All right.”
Taking a deep breath, Heath continued. “You must have felt the way we’ve been drawn to each other – from the very second we first laid eyes on each other at the bar. I mean, I knew it back then, but perhaps I didn’t want to face up to it right away. But when I saw that man trying to hurt you, there was no more denying it. I knew.”
Daphne held up a hand. “Wait, wait. You’re not making a lot of sense. Knew what? What are you saying?”
Leaning forward, Heath caught her fingers in his huge hands, looking her in the eye. “You’re my mate, Daphne. And for shifters, that’s a huge deal – once a bond has been made, it’s unbreakable. We mate for life.”
His mate…?
“A bonded mate means someone who’s made for you,” Heath continued, his words coming out in a rush. “Someone you can’t imagine living your life without. Some shifters have spent their entire lives searching for their mate. But we’ve found each other just by chance.”
Daphne stared down at him. At first, she thought she couldn’t possibly have heard correctly. But the moment her brain caught up with her ears, she knew it had to be true. It explained everything. She couldn’t deny she’d felt exactly the way Heath had described: she’d been drawn to him, immediately and irresistibly. Her heart had pounded every time he looked at her. She hadn’t been able to think straight whenever she’d looked at him.
Of course it was true.
“A bonded mate,” she said, voice soft.
Heath nodded, dropping his eyes. “I never really knew what it meant. It seemed weird to me, to think that all my happiness could be so bound up in another person.” Heath raised his head, holding her gaze steadily. “But then I met you.”
It all made sense now – the connection she’d felt with him from the first moment she’d seen him. How warm and safe and protected he made her feel whenever he was close by. How quickly she had come to trust him, and know that he would do anything to keep her safe. And how desperately she wanted him, with every fiber of her being.
“Oh, Heath…”
She leaned forward. Was this what he had been so nervous about telling her? Did he think she would get frightened and run away from him?
Her head was spinning too much to formulate any words of reassurance right now. The only thing she could think of to do was to press her lips against his, kissing him firmly and deeply. It was the best way she could think of to tell him she wasn’t going anywhere.
Not now, and not ever.
Heath groaned into the kiss, returning it fiercely. His hands came up to tangle in her hair, his tongue delving into every corner of her mouth.
Daphne let him ease her back onto the bed, wanting to feel the whole length of his body against hers.
His mate. I’m his mate.
There was something about the word that sent fire shooting through her belly. It sounded almost animalistic – and desperately hot. The idea that they were connected – they were made for each other – aroused her more than she could say.
Perhaps that was why the sex they had had earlier had been more mind-blowing than anything else she had ever experienced. They were made for each other – in every way.
Their kisses grew more fevered, Heath’s hands finding her breasts, his thumbs circling her nipples through the material of her shirt and bra. They were so sensitive that even this sent ripples of pleasure through her body, making her arch against him. Daphne could feel wetness gathering between her thighs, and Heath’s hardness pressing against her leg.
“Wait,” she managed to gasp as she broke away. “Aren’t you at work? Don’t you have somewhere you’re supposed to be?”
“The only place I’m supposed to be is right here with you,” Heath growled, his hand moving down her back to cup her ass, pulling her against him. “And even if there were, wild horses couldn’t drag me away just at this moment.”
Daphne groaned as his lips found hers again. The hand that had been caressing her through her shirt now pushed its way beneath it, shoving her bra aside and touching her sensitive skin.
Who am I to argue with nature? she thought, as she surrendered to her desires.
Every muscle in her body felt taut with need. She could feel her pulse pounding in her veins, her breath heaving in her lungs. She scrabbled at the zip of Heath’s pants, wanting to feel his length and hardness in her hand.
He groaned when she finally slipped her hand inside his underwear. Daphne gasped, the size and heat of him almost a surprise, despite the fact she was already intimately acquainted with him.
She ran her hand up and down his erection, tightening her fingers and hearing him groan against her.
“T-Tease…” he whispered, voice hoarse with lust.
Daphne laughed softly. “If you don’t like it, then do something about it.”
Heath’s lips found hers, drawing her into a deep kiss.
“I never said I didn’t like it,” he said when he drew back. “But still…”
Daphne gasped and then giggled as she felt herself lifted up, Heath’s hands on the back of her thighs, pressing her back against the bedhead.
He had lifted her as if she weighed nothing at all. She could feel his hard cock between her thighs, barely pressing against her opening. Heath was holding her up, preventing her from sliding down onto him. Shocks of pleasure made her tremble as he rubbed against her, coating the head of his erection with her wetness.
“Now who’s teasing,” she breathed as she squirmed against him, trying to escape his grip and feel him where she needed him most.
Heath only laughed, his breath hot against her cheek. “Only fair.”
His voice sounded strained, and Daphne smiled.
“Depends on how long you can hold out, I suppose,” she whispered, leaning forward to nibble the tip of his ear.
“Mmmm. You seem to have detected the flaw in my plan,” Heath said. “Which is that I can’t resist you.”
Daphne threw her head back, a moan escaping her lips as he thrust upwards, sliding into her easily. He was hard as steel inside her, the perfect size to fill her completely.
The sensation of him inside her was incredible – nothing had ever felt so perfect to her before. Heath began moving into her in shallow thrusts, pushing her back against the head of the bed every time he moved. Daphne wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close, encouraging him.
“More,” she whispered in his ear. “I want more. Please…”
She clutched at his shoulders as he groaned his reply, the snap of his hips speeding up. Daphne whimpered as he moved inside her, pleasure overtaking her. She squeezed herself around him and heard him cry out, his hips stuttering, but never once faltering in their rhythm.
At this angle, his hard abdominal muscles were grazing against her clit, sending waves of ecstasy through her. The pleasure was almost too much, and
Daphne let her eyes fall shut, letting herself be completely overtaken by the sensations roaring through her body.
“Oh God,” she heard herself whisper, as her vision began to white out, pleasure coiling like a spring in her belly, waiting to be released.
Heath thrust forward, relentless, until she heard his desperate groan in her ear, and felt his release inside her. She followed him over the threshold not a moment later, crying out, every part of her throbbing with pleasure. She could feel herself trembling with the aftershocks of her orgasm as Heath continued to move in her, slowly but steadily, drawing her down from the height of her bliss.
Daphne felt weak as a kitten when Heath released her legs and let her lie down beside him on the bed, taking her in his arms. She felt coated in sweat and she was sure both her clothes and his – which, in their haste, they hadn’t fully discarded – were totally ruined.
She didn’t care. Right now, the only thing she wanted to do was lie here listening to Heath’s heartbeat, and feeling his arms around her.
He dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead as she snuggled against him, sighing happily.
“We can stay here for a little while, can’t we?” she asked, closing her eyes.
She felt another kiss, as his hands stroked through her hair.
“For as long as you like.”
Chapter Ten
Daphne
Scraping the last of her breakfast from her plate, Daphne stifled a yawn.
The break room was already buzzing with activity – the men and women who worked for Assured Security all seemed to be early birds who came into work at the crack of dawn for an exercise session in the gym, followed by wholesome breakfasts in the break room.
All of them seemed to be busily chatting with each other or reading the news, Daphne noted with relief – none of them would have noticed her tiredness at all.
But in any case, it was only her guilty conscience that was making her nervous, Daphne thought to herself. Anyone who didn’t know what she and Heath had been up to most of yesterday afternoon and almost all evening would be none the wiser.
And it wasn’t as if sex had been the only thing they’d done – they’d also talked, told each other about their early lives, and their hopes for the future. Heath had explained more about what it meant to be a shifter, including the fact they had greater physical strength and stamina than any ordinary human. Something he’d then gone on to prove to her. Several times. In several different ways. A delicious shiver ran down Daphne’s spine at the memory.
As if reading her mind, Heath gave her a small, sly smile from across the table. It was a gesture that would have been missed by absolutely everyone else, but Daphne could read a world of meaning into it – and a world of promise.
“Is everyone who works here a shifter?” she asked quickly, before her mind could wander too far into just what that promise might entail.
“Most,” Heath replied. “We have some human staff too, but the majority are shifters. It’s good for us – we know we don’t have to hide.”
Daphne nodded. “But it goes the other way too, doesn’t it? You made it seem like it was too dangerous for me to be anywhere but here once you found out there might be shifters after me.” She swallowed. “Is it… I mean, is it really that bad? Does a human really stand no chance against a shifter?”
Heath’s brows drew together. “Well… yes and no. Shifters can be hurt, and of course they can die. The same injury that would hurt a human will also hurt a shifter. We’re hardly invulnerable. But in general we heal much faster, and we’re physically stronger. That’s why there’s so many shifters in physical or protective jobs. It suits us.”
That made sense, Daphne thought. “But I guess shifting means it’s easier to lie low, too – I mean, it’s not like the cops can put out an APB for, I don’t know, a musk ox or something.”
Heath laughed. “Well, you’re right there.” He sobered. “I’m not going to tell you that there aren’t a lot of shifters who use their abilities for crime. It’s unfortunate. But there it is. Being able to turn into an animal means you can get into places much more easily, evade the police, all sorts of things.”
“I’d never thought to take ‘cat burglar’ literally,” Daphne said. “This is going to take some getting used to.”
“Shifters have their problems, just the same as any group of people,” Heath said, shrugging. “There’s good ones and bad ones, and ones who think we shouldn’t have anything to do with humans at all. That last one is actually still a pretty big bone of contention for some.”
“Do you know any shifters like that?” Daphne asked.
Heath looked at her steadily. “Yes. But I’ve never felt that way. My family – my pride, I should say – has been that way in the past. But things are changing. My cousin Mason has a human mate. We wouldn’t be the first.”
Excitement raced through Daphne. Another woman she could talk to about this? The thought was a tempting one – although she knew she belonged with Heath and nothing would ever change that, she felt like she had a lot to learn. Someone who had been though it all before would be able to help her.
“I’d like to meet them, if I could,” she said. “What’s her name?”
“Charity,” Heath said. “And no fear of that – as soon as we have this mess sorted out, you’re definitely coming down to meet the pride. As soon as I knew I told Mason, and I’m sure he’s blabbed it all over by now.”
Daphne couldn’t help but laugh. Heath sounded exasperated, but his love for his family came through all the same. She had always wondered what it might be like to have a large, close-knit family. She’d felt so isolated growing up – this would be another unique experience.
“I can’t wait,” she said, sincerely. Sure, a whole pride of lion shifters could be a little daunting, she supposed, but who could blame her for being excited?
She inhaled deeply as she remembered that first, she had to make it through this kidnapping mess. “Can I call Terry and see if he’s okay?”
Heath nodded. “I’ll just need to check with Sandra. She’s in charge of that now, seeing as it’s become a little more complicated than we thought. But remember Terry has new security with him now – they’ll be taking good care of him. I promise you, he and your other friends are in good hands.”
“I know,” Daphne said. “Sometimes you just need to hear their voice for yourself, you know?”
“Of course,” Heath said instantly. “Let’s go talk to Sandra.”
They rose and left the break room, heading down the corridor to a closed door. Heath knocked, and waited for Sandra’s voice telling him to come in before he opened it.
“Ahh, Heath,” Sandra said, glancing up as they entered. “Good timing. I was just about to call for you.”
Daphne glanced around the room. It, like everything else at Assured Security, was high-tech. A row of computer monitors lined the wall, and Sandra herself was leaning over a gleaming black table, looking down over some sheets of paper.
“What’s up?” Heath asked.
“It’s about your suspicion that shifters might be involved in this kidnapping attempt,” Sandra said. “As you’re aware, I have some friends on the force I can speak to about this and give them a heads up that there might be some… well, let’s say ‘unique’ challenges ahead.” Sandra glanced across at Daphne, as if in askance about how much she knew.
“It’s fine,” Heath said in answer to the unstated question. “I’ve told Daphne about a few things. She understands.”
Sandra nodded. “All right. Yesterday, you told me you’d take the bet that what you saw was a shifter. But I have to ask you this, Heath. Could your judgment have been clouded by the fact that Daphne is your mate?”
Daphne glanced at Heath, surprised. She’d been with Heath since they’d arrived here, and he’d never mentioned the fact they were mates to Sandra. He didn’t seem at all surprised, however. Maybe it was a shifter thing. Perhaps Sandra could just tell what they wer
e to each other. She supposed that would make sense – and probably save a lot of trouble, seeing as Heath’s protective instincts seemed to go into overdrive around her.
Heath nodded slowly. “I know it might seem like that, but I’ve been in dangerous situations before – both with humans and other shifters. I know how to gauge these things. If anything, I’m even more sure today than I was yesterday.”
“But none of those situations involved your mate,” Sandra said bluntly. “I’m sorry if it seems like I’m questioning your judgment, but… well, that’s essentially what I am doing. I need to be sure.”
Heath’s expression grew serious. “I know. And I understand. But I’m sure. Have you received any conflicting reports?”
Sandra pursed her lips. “Not exactly. But I’ve been looking through the files, and there’s literally no indication of any shifter criminal groups moving into this area. Sure, it might be a one off, or just some cubs trying to make a name for themselves. But you know we would have noticed even that, and warned them off.”
“Who monitors that area?” Heath asked.
“Denny,” Sandra said. “I’m sorry if it seems like I’m giving preference to his word over yours, but he’s been with us a while. You’re new here, and your mate is involved. You know how shifters can get around their mates.”
“You and Hector work together,” Heath pointed out, his voice tinged with anger. Daphne shot a glance at him, telepathically trying to tell him to calm down. She realized it must be frustrating, but this wasn’t the time to start an argument with his boss.
“Hector and I have been together for twenty years, not two days,” Sandra pointed out calmly. “We’ve learned how to deal with these things. I know how hot shifters run in the early days of their mated bond. Everything is new. Don’t think I don’t understand. No one would blame you if you made a mistake.”
“But I didn’t,” Heath insisted. “I know I didn’t. If Denny says there aren’t any shifters around, then he’s wrong. It’s as simple as that.”
Sandra let out a long breath. “All right,” she said. “Fine. But at the moment, it’s your word against his. He tells me he’s just as sure there aren’t any shifters around. So what am I to make of that?”