Burning Secrets (The Snake River Prison Camp Series Book 1)

by Jules Tyler

  Adrian watched as both of the blonde titans nodded to McKinzy in acknowledgement before he gestured for her to take the empty seat to his left. As she sat, it became apparent that she had taken his advice and showered, but the arousal had been replaced with a silent fury and he wasn’t sure which scent he preferred. One thing was certain -- this firecracker would be the one to make or break him.

  Chapter Three

  McKinzy stretched out on her bed reflecting over the previous night’s festivities. Despite her reservations, she actually kind of liked it here. The crew of men she met last night made her feel right at home. Even Adrian seemed okay with her being there with everyone. He definitely seemed to keep to himself though. He was going to be one tough shell to crack. What was his problem, anyways? He seemed to have such an issue with her being there, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. The way he had introduced her made her question if he really was sexist or if his issue was more along the lines of her being an unmated woman in the presence of a group of bachelors. It was weird that he had been growling like some wild animal too when she was talking to Duke. Truth be told, if it weren’t for the power inside of her, she might be intimidated about it, too.

  A knock on her front door brought her back to the present. Checking her alarm, she headed for the door. She wasn’t even fully dressed yet. What did they need at five o’clock in the morning that couldn’t wait one more hour for the staff meeting she had called?

  Cracking open the door, she could see Adrian with his back to the door, “Can I help you, Sergeant Brenton?”

  Adrian turned to face her and cleared his throat nervously, “I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday when you arrived. Would you like to join me for breakfast before the meeting?”

  “Um…” McKinzy trailed off, this wasn’t exactly what she had expected this morning, and definitely not from him.

  “Never mind, it was a stupid idea anyways,’ he huffed as he turned to leave.

  Trying to mask her excitement that she might be wearing him down already, she called after him, “Hey, you didn’t give me the chance to respond. Just let me grab the rest of my gear.”

  Stopping in his tracks, he turned and looked at her in surprise, “Oh…uh…okay then.”

  The steamy sergeant wanted to have her for breakfast! No wait, that wasn’t right. He wanted to have her come over for breakfast, not have her for breakfast. Either way, she could feel her inner goddess purring. The attraction to him was dangerous, but it was nice to let her guard down a smidge for the first time in who knows how long. McKinzy shook her head. He was human, and technically she was his boss! She couldn’t be thinking about him that way. It was incredibly unprofessional. But as she grabbed her utility belt, she couldn’t help but notice the nagging in the back of her head that said there was something else at play between them, something big. Maybe not big, but perhaps something dangerous?

  “So what’s for breakfast?” She smiled as she reentered the front room, trying to tuck her inappropriate thoughts away for later.

  “French toast, hashbrowns, and eggs.” He grinned, “Oh, and a whole lot of sausage.”

  What kind of sausage? McKinzy giggled to herself about the thought as they fell into stride, “It’s like you knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  “What my favorite breakfast foods are.”

  “Ha, no. I just happened to overhear you telling Duke last night at the fire,” he laughed, running a hand over his slick head.

  “Technically, that means you knew,” she teased, bumping his shoulder with hers, giving herself an excuse to give into her desire to touch him. McKinzy could see a ghost of a smile on Adrian’s face, “Oh, so he does smile!”

  He tensed and pulled away. His rejection stung, way more than it should have. No one else’s rejection had ever affected her this way. Normally she could just brush it off and move past it like it hadn’t affected her; clearly this went much deeper than she realized. Following him up the steps of cabin number one, she braced herself for what she would see on the other side of the door.

  Stepping over the threshold as Adrian flicked on the entryway light, she was impressed to find his home spotless, “Most bachelors don’t keep a tidy home.”

  “Most bachelors aren’t like me,” he mumbled, gesturing towards the table full of food in his kitchen. “Help yourself. There’s enough food for maybe six of me here.”

  “Thank you for the nice surprise. I was beginning to think you didn’t like me.”

  “It’s not that I don’t like you, Regan. I’m just wary of strangers, especially women. The way we run things here is different from the usual, so it’s hard for people to comprehend it. We don’t need any trouble. We just need to have our secrets and run things the way we choose,” he explained.

  “I can respect that. I’m just having a hard time understanding why I seem to rub you the wrong way,” McKinzy shrugged as she scooped a spoonful of the crispy potatoes onto her plate.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” He raised an eyebrow as he set down his plate on the table and crossing the kitchen to her.

  Turning towards him, McKinzy also set her plate down, “No, that’s why I’m asking.”

  Before she could so much as blink, Adrian grabbed her hand as he stepped dangerously close to her and pressed her hand to the bulge in the front of his pants. She felt his cock throb against her touch, “This. This is what you do to me. It’s not that you rub me the wrong way. It’s that you’re the first woman in a long time I’ve found remotely attractive and it bothers me.”

  “Oh…” She managed to whisper, resisting the urge to allow her hand to roam.

  “Does that bother you?” He canted his head, stepping forward even more, something feral in his tone.

  Talk to me like that and it won’t. God, that was sexy. McKinzy struggled to find her voice and, instead, tilted her head back to meet his gaze with hers and shook her head. Adrian lowered his mouth to hers, and it felt as though a spark had ignited into a flame between them. She pressed up against him and breathed him in as his hands roamed all over her body. McKinzy felt as though she were melting in his hands. They hadn’t even known each other for twenty four hours yet, but something about this felt right. Maybe it was the act of living in the moment. He felt as though he had been made for her. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, and she could feel the pull from deep inside of her. She was putty in his hands as he stroked over her body. It was thrilling to feel the way her body was responding to his every touch.

  A rumble in Adrian’s chest brought her back to the surface, “What was that? Were you...purring?”

  Stepping back, he looked shocked, his face going pale, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh no you don’t. You don’t get to kiss me like that and then pretend nothing happened. Secrets don’t work for me. Secrets can get people hurt…or worse,” she felt the heat from her temper riding in her cheeks.

  “I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you at the meeting.” Keeping his eyes trained on the floor as he turned to leave, Adrian rushed out the door.

  Feeling ashamed for letting him get the better of her without truly knowing him, McKinzy sighed. There was a pit in her stomach as though she had eaten some bad sushi. Why was it so difficult for him to share one minor detail about himself? That sound had been sexy as fuck, she just had never heard it from human before. She should’ve kept her mouth shut. She could be doing god knows what right now rather than sitting alone in Adrian’s kitchen feeling like the town whore. McKinzy hurried and finished filling her plate, then set off back to her cabin to lay out her notes for the staff meeting. Maybe someday this confusing man with all of his secrets would open up to her, because it was infuriating as hell trying to figure him out on her own.

  Chapter Four

  Adrian could feel his beast shredding him from the inside for what he had just done. This stranger walked into his life and turned everything upside down for him. He wanted her. No, it wasn’t just want. It
was pure, undiluted, uncensored need. Something about her just made him lose control. This was aggravating. Not even Abby, his mate, had been able to tear him up like this. With a snarl, he jogged for the woods. He needed to calm his inner animal. Faster and faster he ran, until he felt he was far enough away not to cause a problem with McKinzy or any of the territorial inmates behind him.

  Coming to a stop, he shrugged out of his clothes and folded them neatly to stash in his hiding place in the tree, thankful he had managed to leave his boots and gear behind. Taking a breath, he allowed the pissed off animal within to have his body. There was an explosion of golden fur before Adrian slammed down on four gigantic paws. His lion was free. Letting the beast have his mind, he let out a wounded roar. Abby had taken everything from him. She had destroyed everything that made him who he was. He hadn’t been with another woman since her. He had vowed to never take another mate to bed with him, and the first thing he had done when a single woman had shown up here was trying to take her to bed. What the hell was wrong with him?

  There was a cracking sound behind him that caught his attention and let off a warning snarl. It was likely that Duke had heard him and came looking for him, the loyal bastard. Duke had never been very good about leaving Adrian to lick his wounds in peace. When another stick cracked behind him, he turned to find a giant polar bear instead of Duke’s gorilla.

  Jasper wore a look of concern on his face as he backed away from the alpha lion. Without giving Adrian his back, he tucked his massive bear away and cast his eyes downward to show Adrian’s more dominant lion the respect he deserved.

  “We were worried about you. The crew all heard your call, but it sounded off. I chose to come because I could see you from the watchtower running in this direction. Haven’t heard you make a sound quite like that since…” Jasper trailed off.

  Adrian sat back on his haunches and growled a warning. Jasper had been there to see the mess that Abby had left behind in her wake. He knew how Adrian felt about anyone bringing her up.

  “I know, I know. You probably just need time to work through whatever the hell you’re having issues with. But just know we’re here for you, okay? That’s what crew does; they protect each other.”

  Adrian grimaced as he shifted back to normal, “I know ya’ll mean well. There’s just a lot to work through still.”

  “It’s been three years. Don’t you think it’s time to let her go? Move on? Maybe try something new?” Jasper frowned.

  Adrian shook his head, “No. I’ll never take a mate again after what happened last time. That’s why she did what she did. She wanted to ensure she ruined me forever. She wanted to haunt my dreams and ruin any chance of happiness.”

  “If you say so, boss. I have a feeling there was a lot more to it than that, but it is what it is. Let’s head back. The meeting is probably already over and McKinzy’s gonna have your hide for missing her first staff meeting.”

  Groaning as he slipped back into his pants, Adrian said, “Let’s just see her try.”

  “Be careful with that one, boss. She may seem sweet, but I’m willing to bet that she’s got something scary lurking in that closet of hers. She feels dangerous,” Jasper taunted, slapping Adrian on the back.

  “Yeah, that’s how I’d put it too,” Adrian chuckled, shaking his head. This woman was terrifying to say the least. He just wasn’t sure as to why he felt like she was so dangerous. “Hey Jas, make sure you put some clothes back on before you get to camp, k?”

  Jasper grinned a wicked grin and swung his partially hard member back and forth, “What you don’t think she’d like what she sees?”

  Trying to hide his protectiveness of McKinzy, Adrian quipped, “You saw how badly she was going to put the beat down on Elijah last night, right? We might not be able to find your body if you show up to camp that way.”

  Jasper’s eyes went round with shock, “You’re probably right. I’d best go get dressed. I can’t help it if my bear gets excited about a cool breeze over my junk.”

  “Yeah, you do that. You’re a different breed of special. You know that, right?”

  “Sure do, but it’s why you love me.” Jasper winked.

  Chapter Five

  Adrian paced the porch of McKinzy’s cabin, trying to gather his thoughts before knocking on her door for the second time that day. Why was this so hard? Why was she even able to get under his skin? He shouldn’t be struggling like this and yet, here he was, having difficulty finding the words to explain to her what had happened this morning. He had hurt her; he knew he had, at least that much was clear. But he wasn’t sure why he had done what he had. His plan had been simple. He was going to invite her to breakfast, so they could discuss how things are handled here. She needed to know what she was dealing with. Then she had bumped into him, and it was like pouring gasoline on a flame. The fire had grown out of his control. It was too much to handle; he needed release. His lion craved her touch. He was not pleased with his human counterpart for what he had done to her. But why? He had already had a mate. His lion had been so content without a bedmate all this time. Why was she the one to make that any different? He had too many questions to answer, but no way to gain the answers he needed.

  He padded back down the steps and headed up the path towards the chow hall. Even though he was the Sergeant, and it wasn’t required of him to do much other than oversee the operations and report to McKinzy. He just preferred to work side by side with his men. The inmates out here were because they had caused too much of a problem being rogue shifters in the free world, so the government put them here to rehabilitate them. It was their job to show these men how to live together and form relationships with other shifters. The logic was if they could reset their animals, so to speak, and learn how to live in a family-like setting again, they would be less trouble to handle. Or at least, that’s what the government liked to say about them.

  Adrian shook his head as he thought about the reasons these men were here. These men weren’t really trouble; they were just hard to understand. They had refused the government’s demands to be apart of the task force and were framed one way or another for a dangerous crime that warranted sending them away. Still, being here was better than other options the government used as punishment. Honestly, most of the men were real jackasses and a pain to deal with, but they weren’t much of a danger to anyone.

  Car tires coming up the dirt road caught Adrian’s attention so he turned his head to see a black SUV coming over the hill. Must be a new arrival. Odd, didn’t think we would be getting anyone new this close to McKinzy’s arrival. As he walked towards the approaching vehicle he studied the plates to confirm his suspicions, it was a government rig.

  McKinzy poked her head out her door as the car slowed to a stop in front of Adrian, then closed the door behind her as she crossed the yard towards them. As the car slowed to a stop in front of Adrian, McKinzy poked her head out her door to watch. She closed the door behind her as she crossed the yard towards them.

  The driver, a man in a black suit and aviators, rolled down the window as she approached. Wearing a hardened expression, Adrian felt his animal tense. This wasn’t their typical transportation officer. Something didn’t smell right.

  “Can I help you with something?” McKinzy asked, giving a polite smile to the driver.

  “Just here to drop off a new one for you,” he nodded towards the passenger in the backseat.

  “I wasn’t aware we were expecting anyone new. Why wasn’t I notified of this?” She shot a look at Adrian, as though maybe he had forgotten to mention it to her.

  “Didn’t know anything about a new arrival.” he shrugged, turning his attention back towards the driver. Something about this asshole was putting him on edge.

  The driver spat at Adrian, “I just follow orders. Don’t shoot the messenger, Simba.”

  Adrian’s lion roared inside of him. How did this douche canoe know what he was? And why was he insulting him? If he had half a mind, he would know you don’t mess with
the king of beasts. “So get on with it then. Who do you have for us?”

  The driver smiled. He had obviously gotten what he had wanted out of Adrian, “I’m afraid our friend here is under the influence of a tranquilizer. We couldn’t have him causing problems on the drive up here.”

  McKinzy grabbed her radio, “Duke, could you come help Adrian and I get our new arrival out of the car?”

  “Copy that,” Duke responded.

  “So what’s he in for?” McKinzy probed.

  “Disobeying direct orders and abandoning his post,” He responded. “Here’s all of his intake paperwork.

  McKinzy plucked the folder from the driver’s outstretched hand and skimmed through the information sheet. “You mean to tell me you brought him all the way up here for us to babysit because he disobeyed some orders from the military? Why not let the court marshals deal with him?” McKinzy sounded annoyed at this point.

  “We did let the marshal deal with him. This was his punishment. Live out a life sentence here, or he could face the firing squad,” the driver’s mouth curled into a sickening smirk.

  “Fuck,” she muttered as Duke came jogging up next to them. “Unlock the doors so my men can get him out.”

  The locks clicked and Duke yanked open the door and unbuckled his seatbelt. The new arrival was tall and muscular, like the other men up here, but he was lean too. He was different from any of the shifter men Adrian had ever met. Adrian inhaled his scent as Duke hefted the stranger over his shoulder and hauled him towards McKinzy’s cabin. The man smelled human. Strange.

  Adrian turned to dismiss the driver, “We’ll take it from here; now kindly get the fuck off our land.”

  “Easy, Simba, don’t forget your place now. Or do we need to remind you of what can happen when you mess with the wrong people?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” McKinzy raised an eyebrow at both of them.

  “Just saying, mind your place and we’ll mind ours. You folks have a good day now.” Still wearing that same disgusting smirk, he nodded and rolled up the window as he turned the car back in the direction he had come from.