by L. L. Raand
“Weapons?”
“None that we could see—they might be concealed.”
“They would be foolish to come onto our land armed.” Max leapt up onto the barricade where Callan, the captain of the guards, stood peering toward the forest with a pair of high-powered binocs. Callan handed them to Max. “Only one vehicle. We decided to let them come close enough to attempt identification. They’re strangers.”
Max focused on the approaching Jeep. A male and female sat in the front, the male driving. Two figures were visible behind them, but he couldn’t make out their features. “Post a unit by the gate, keep them hidden. No one fires unless the humans make a move first.”
“Yes, Centuri.”
Max swung over the rampart and dropped to the ground as the Jeep slowed in front of the closed stockade gates. He walked forward as the driver’s window came down. “You’re trespassing on Pack land.”
The male behind the steering wheel, a bearded Asian with sharp dark eyes and heavy brows said, “We came to—” He swung his head sharply toward the passenger side as that door opened. “Andrea, you can’t g—”
A woman stepped out and closed the door, facing Max across the hood of the Jeep. “We’re not trespassing. We’re on a recovery mission.”
“And what is it you wish to recover?” Max asked. The woman looked to be about thirty, with auburn hair and sable eyes. Her jaw was strong, matching the rest of her sharp, bold features. She was a foot shorter than Max, with medium breasts beneath her khaki camo shirt, a narrow waist, and the slightest flare of hips leading to long, tight thighs. Feminine, but nothing soft about her. This woman was a soldier. Max drew a breath, sampled her scent. A bit of the sea, crisp and cool, a touch of spring leaves, rich and new. His cock hardened and his wolf raised his head in interest.
She’d been watching him, and her eyes widened slightly as if she’d read his response. A faint flush rose up her throat. Her voice was still cool and calm. “You have a prisoner, Martin Hoffstetter. I came for him.”
“And who might you be?”
“I’m his commander.”
*
Sylvan wrapped her arms around Drake’s waist and fit her body against Drake’s back. She burrowed her face in the curve of Drake’s neck, her cheek against Drake’s shoulder, her crotch pressed tight to Drake’s ass. “You should get some sleep.”
Drake clasped Sylvan’s hand and drew it up between her breasts. She was satisfied and content, but her blood still stirred. “This is one of those times I can’t get enough of you.”
Pleased, Sylvan kissed Drake’s shoulder. “Is there ever a time you can?”
Drake laughed softly. “Actually, not yet.”
“I can sense them more now,” Sylvan said, brushing her hand over the swell of Drake’s abdomen. “They’re strong and alert.”
“They’re getting impatient.” Drake pressed Sylvan’s fingers to her side. One of them kicked right at that moment, and she felt Sylvan jolt. Very little surprised Sylvan, nothing caught her off guard, but this had. And knowing that she could bring something new and wonderful into Sylvan’s life filled her with joy. “I love you.”
Sylvan pressed her face harder to Drake’s neck. She feared nothing, except losing Drake. “I love you.”
Drake turned enough so Sylvan could see her face. “I know you want to protect me, protect all three of us. I want to protect you every bit as much.”
“Yes,” Sylvan growled, “but I—”
Drake pressed her fingers to Sylvan’s mouth. “Yes, I know you’re the Alpha.”
Sylvan bit her forefinger. “I was going to say, I’m not pregnant.”
“Mmm. I stand corrected.” Drake kissed her. “And I was going to say I won’t insist on joining you in an active engagement. I don’t want your concentration split. But not every battle is fought with teeth and claws.”
Sylvan frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It’s important that your enemies know you are a formidable adversary. And a mated Alpha is a strong foe.”
Sylvan couldn’t argue. She rubbed her cheek on Drake’s shoulder. “You’re right. But nowhere outside our territory is safe.”
“Then we’ll be careful.” Drake shifted onto her back and pulled Sylvan on top of her. She arched beneath Sylvan’s body, absorbing her power, exalting in her strength. “I need you again.”
Sylvan kissed the mate bite on Drake’s shoulder. “I was going to let you sleep, but…” She lowered her head, caught Drake’s nipple in her mouth, and sucked.
Drake cried out. “I’m close.”
“Wait,” Sylvan murmured, kissing her way to Drake’s other breast. “I want to taste you everywhere.”
“Then you’d best hurry,” Drake gasped.
Sylvan pushed down on the bed, kissing her way lower until she could take Drake’s swollen clitoris into her mouth. Drake’s hands came into her hair, pulling her close as she pushed herself deeper. Sylvan teased with her lips and her tongue, stroking and circling, dipping lower to torment and excite.
“You’ll make me come in your mouth,” Drake warned. Her blunt claws pressed into Sylvan’s scalp. “I want to.”
Sylvan growled and lifted Drake to her mouth, taking her deeper still. The taste of her unique essence aroused and completed her. Drake thrust against her mouth, and when she came, the explosion triggered Sylvan’s release. When Drake finally relaxed, Sylvan nestled with her cheek against Drake’s stomach, listening to the heartbeats of her mate and their young. Her heart pounded in her chest, a symphony of love and wonder.
Drake’s hand tightened in her hair. “Sylvan, we have visitors. Whatever they want, tell them to go away.”
Sylvan sighed. She’d heard the centuri approaching and waited for them to cross the porch to the door. She rolled over and said, before Andrew knocked, “Can it wait?”
“No, Alpha.”
“Come in.” She pushed to the side of the bed and sat up as Andrew entered.
“We have a situation, Alpha. Four humans arrived at the Compound, insisting we release the human prisoner to them.”
“Any show of force?”
Andrew shook his head. “No, Alpha. Max is with them now outside the west gate.”
Sylvan rose, stretched, and ran a hand through her hair. “Have Max take them to headquarters. Tell him I’ll be right there.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Be sure Callan posts extra patrols outside the gates. Those of you on guard here won’t be needed for an hour or so.”
Andrew ducked his head. “Thank you, Alpha.”
As Sylvan pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, Drake said, “It’s not really fair to subject them to our coupling on such a constant basis.”
Sylvan leaned down and kissed her. “I don’t believe any of them are complaining. They just need time to tangle.”
Drake grinned. “Perks of the job, I guess.”
Sylvan kissed her again. “Get some sleep. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“I’m actually going to follow your advice. If you need me, I’m here.”
“I know.”
Sylvan walked barefoot out to the porch. Andrew waited by the steps. “Make sure the next shift is in place here before any of you leave. The Prima will be inside.”
“I’ll stay until Jonathan arrives, Alpha.”
She studied him for a long moment. “Then I expect you to do what needs to be done.”
He averted his gaze. “Yes, Alpha.”
She strode down the stairs and wrapped an arm around his neck, tugging him close. With her mouth against his ear, she said, “We are what we are, Andrew. And denying what you feel will weaken you. I know, I’ve tried. And I need you strong.”
He shuddered in her grip, submitting to her wolf while drawing strength from her. “I’m sorry about losing control earlier.”
Sylvan stepped back, keeping a grip on his shoulder. “You didn’t. You protected Katya, which is what you should have done. But your rage might not have
been just for her. Don’t let the past rule you.”
Andrew’s jaw clenched but he nodded.
She ruffled his hair. “Good. Now, let’s see to these humans.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Sylvan leapt up the stairs to her office, pushed through the door, and strode to her desk. The human facing her at parade rest had thick shoulder-length red-brown hair, intense deep brown eyes, and an unmistakable military bearing. Her expression fell somewhere between respectful and aggressive. Were she a wolf, Sylvan would have put her near the top of the order—not yet seasoned enough to assume Alpha command, but headed in that direction. An Alpha who had crossed into another’s territory uninvited and making demands would have been 100 percent aggression. Posture was as important as action in the first moments of confrontation.
The air was rife with pheromones. Callan was mated, but the other two males in the room were not. The presence of a very potent unmated female had those two on alert. Max leaned against the stone fireplace, his face emotionless, his massive arms folded across his chest, his gaze riveted to the human female. A second human, a male with curly black hair, a crisp camo shirt, khaki pants, and combat boots, stood on the left side of the room, his jaw tense and his eyes angry. His focus was also the female. Callan, shirtless in faded jeans, stood next to him, his pose deceptively relaxed. His eyes, though, flickered with strands of gold as his wolf eagerly watched his prey.
“I am Sylvan Mir,” Sylvan said to the female. “Alpha of the Timberwolves. We usually expect a request to cross our territory before we allow strangers on Pack land.”
“And do you always imprison humans without due process?”
Sylvan smiled. There was the aggression she expected. The female was obviously angry, but her voice was cool, her posture controlled. Her scent, however, carried undertones of rage and something Sylvan doubted the human was even aware of. Arousal. Max’s wolf paced, agitated and unhappy with the other males so close. Sylvan growled quietly, and Max’s wolf backed reluctantly away. She regarded the female. “Due process is what I declare it to be, Ms.…?”
The female’s expression never changed, but a muscle in her jaw twitched. “Andrea Hoffstetter.”
Across the room, Max stiffened.
“The prisoner’s mate?” Sylvan asked.
“His sister, but I am here as his unit commander. You have no grounds to hold him.”
“I have every reason.” Sylvan gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “Why don’t you sit down.”
Andrea hesitated, obviously not wanting to sit in Sylvan’s presence and thus acknowledge her dominance. Sylvan waited. Finally, Andrea sat. Once she had, Sylvan edged a hip onto her desk. She noticed that Andrea, while keeping her head up and her gaze forward, did not lock eyes with her. She had some understanding of how to deal with a Were, at least. Her trespass, then, was an intentional show of belligerence—or strength.
“Your brother was part of a team that held my wolves captive so they could be tortured,” Sylvan said quietly. “Tell me, Ms. Hoffstetter, what would you do with an enemy who treated one of your members in the same way?”
“Martin was not responsible for those experiments. He would’ve told you that by now. He was there gathering information.”
Sylvan leaned forward. “Why and for whom?”
The male across the room said sharply, “We’re not obligated to tell you anything. You’re holding a human against his will, and you have no authority—”
Sylvan cleared her desk and the length of the room in one leap and landed in front of him, her hand on his throat. She took one step forward and lifted him until his back was against the wall and his feet were off the floor. She pressed close until the length of her body covered his, her face an inch away from his startled eyes. She bared her canines and he trembled, fear hormones drenching his skin. “I have the authority to protect my wolves, against any enemy, in any place.” She tightened her grip and he wheezed. His face darkened and his eyes watered. “And this is how I handle those who challenge me in my own territory.”
“Please.” Behind her a chair pushed back, scraping the floor. Andrea’s voice was steady but tight with strain. “Alpha, please forgive his outburst. We did not come here to challenge your authority, but to protect our team member, as you would protect one of yours.”
Sylvan didn’t relinquish her grip or loosen her hold. She didn’t turn her head, but her voice filled the room. “Tell me quickly why I should not kill this intruder.”
“Because he is not your enemy, nor am I. Our group wishes to see all of us live in peace.”
Sylvan leaned her pelvis into the human’s crotch until he winced from the pressure on his flaccid penis. Her voice dropped low, her words little more than a snarl. “Then you should choose your soldiers with greater care, or learn to discipline them.”
“Paul,” Andrea snapped. “Apologize to the Alpha.”
Sylvan slowly relaxed her arm, and the human slid down the wall until his feet touched the floor. His thighs trembled against hers.
“I’m…” He swallowed, his voice rusty, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time. “I’m sorry. I meant no challenge.”
“No?” Sylvan said softly. “I think you’re lying.” She stepped back. “But your commander has spoken for you—this time. Callan, escort this human outside the Compound walls and keep him under guard.”
Paul’s eyes widened. “I’m not leaving—”
“Paul,” Andrea said sharply, “go with them. That’s an order. We don’t need bloodshed.”
Sylvan smiled. “You should listen to your commander. She’s wiser than you are.”
Callan gripped Paul’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Sylvan returned to her desk and waited until the door had closed again. “If you wish to secure your brother’s freedom, this is what I require—the number and location of the other installations, the identity of those in charge, and information about any other Weres in captivity.”
“And if I can provide this information, you’ll free Martin?”
“I have no wish to imprison him, but I cannot take the word of someone who has been identified as participating in the abuse and torture of my young. I’ll need proof. You can start by telling me who is in charge of your organization.”
“I can’t.” Andrea shrugged, impatience showing for the first time. “We don’t know the identity of those in charge. Our cells are separate for exactly that reason. Our instructions arrive by coded message. We exchange intelligence in the same way.”
“How did your organization form?”
Andrea glanced at Max as if he were her second instead of the absent Paul.
“If you care enough to risk your life in support of the Praeterns,” Max said conversationally, “then you should be willing to trust us.”
Andrea sighed and nodded. “I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. After the Exodus, certain groups, mostly clandestine, formed to block Praeterns from gaining recognition as citizens. Some of those groups went further than wanting to deny your civil rights—they advocated violent extermination.”
“We know.”
“Not all humans feel the same way. Other groups organized to counter these radical factions—men and women infiltrated some cells while others went undercover in the labs and paramilitary camps. It took almost a year for us to get people like Martin into position. We can’t jeopardize their identities. First of all, they’d be killed if they were discovered. Secondly, the information they’re able to pass on is vital.”
Sylvan was beginning to see why Andrea struck her as more than a civil rights activist. She was a professional. “How is the human government involved?”
Andrea smiled. “Let’s just say certain federal organizations have taken an interest in both sides.”
“Your group is civilian, but you’re not, are you?”
Andrea was quiet for a long moment. “You asked me to trust you. This information could cost me my life.”
�
��One thing you need to learn about Weres,” Sylvan said, “is we respect strength above all else. There is no strength without honor. We will not betray you. If you need to be killed, I will do it myself and you will see who takes your life.”
“That’s encouraging news,” Andrea muttered. “Even my brother doesn’t know this about me.”
Sylvan waited.
“I’m a federal agent. I’ve been undercover since before the Exodus, when we saw this backlash coming. Your father and the others didn’t suddenly decide to bring all of you into the light without preparation.”
“You knew my father? He was involved?”
Andrea nodded. “I knew of him, but I was very junior at the time. I don’t know the extent of his involvement in organizing the opposition to the humans-first movement.”
“He never mentioned working with human law enforcement.”
“I can’t explain that.”
“Maybe he never had the chance,” Sylvan murmured. Maybe he had been killed first. But what Andrea Hoffstetter said rang true. “Max. Take Agent Hoffstetter to see her brother. Twenty minutes, supervised.”
Max pushed away from the wall. “Yes, Alpha.”
“Thank you,” Andrea said.
“We’ll see if there’s reason to,” Sylvan said.
*
Sylvan hadn’t slept, but her time with Drake had replenished her. She could hunt for days at a time, running without stopping, so a night or two with no sleep didn’t affect her, especially when she had her mate’s strength to help restore her. She used the time while Andrea spoke with Martin to call her colleagues on the Praetern Coalition, advising them that she and her Pack were stable after the recent attacks. Even among those Praetern leaders in favor of working with human governments toward peaceful coexistence, suspicions remained. Anything that threatened to destabilize the Coalition could effectively derail negotiations. Several important bills were upcoming, and if she were to be eliminated, the largest Were population in the world would be thrown into chaos, and all progress would come to a halt. She was not only the most visible of the Coalition representatives, she was the most powerful. So she reassured her Vampire, Fae, Psi, and Mage colleagues, and they all affirmed their continuing support.