Ranger Knox (Shifter Nation: Werebears Of Acadia Book 1)

by Meg Ripley

  "Why do I have the sudden feeling that I'm making a terrible mistake?" she asked Dominic.

  Dominic chuckled, low and deep. "I have that effect on people."

  The car was spacious, comfortable, and the divider between the front and back seat afforded plenty of privacy.

  As Dominic settled into the seat next to her, she felt like his presence consumed the back compartment despite the substantial space between them.

  The car started to move and Miriam had the feeling, once again, that she was making a mistake. She chose to ignore that feeling for the time being and turned towards her enigmatic companion.

  "I had asked for you to contact me if you found anything resembling the medallion I’ve been looking for. You must have something to tell me if you’re here."

  "I–" she began before cutting herself off. She wasn't ready to give that information quite yet. "Why would you think that I might potentially know something?" she evaded.

  "By that gleam in your eye," he teased.

  It caught Miriam off guard. Despite his intensity, he had this gentle side about him that seemed so uncharacteristic. She raised her eyebrow as her curiosity grew. She attempted to beat him at his own game by throwing him a mystery.

  "I dreamt about you last night," she confessed. As she spoke, she searched his face for clues.

  His brow furrowed as he concentrated. "And what did you see?" he asked her with complete detachment.

  "I, um," she tried to start a few times, but the whole surrealism of the moment kept throwing her off. "I saw you in another time," she explained. "I saw you talking to Queen Elizabeth. It felt so real, as if it hadn’t been a dream at all; I felt like I was actually there."

  "I see," he mused. "And what makes you think that it wasn't just your imagination?"

  "Because of this." She pulled the medallion from her pocket and held it up to him, waving the piece in the air. "Because I'd never seen you before this showed up on our doorstep yesterday evening."

  "May I see it?" he asked, holding out his large palm.

  Miriam placed it in his hand, but the moment that the medallion touched his skin, a burst of hot energy shot through her.

  She saw Dominic with a feral look: lips curled, nostrils flaring, eyes blazing red. She knew that he couldn't be human. Yet, despite this revelation, she didn't fear him.

  "Are you ok?" He broke her out of the trance that had suddenly come over her.

  "I—" she stuttered. "Yes, I'm fine." Miriam eyed him with new understanding and growing curiosity, feeling herself drawn to him in ways that she couldn't explain. She knew, now, that he wasn't telling her the whole truth. She also knew that he was, in fact, the man from her dream.

  "I think you may have a gift, Ms–" he caught himself. "I believe we have never been formally introduced. Dominic Kane." He spoke without extending his hand to touch hers; he knew something had happened the first time their hands touched and didn't wish for it to be repeated.

  "Miriam," she breathed.

  "Miriam," he echoed. The way he spoke her name sent shivers down her spine and caused something sensual within her to stir.

  "Yes?" she whispered, suddenly very aware of the close proximity of their bodies.

  "I believe you possess the ability to see the previous lives of objects," he explained. "This particular object," he suddenly held up the medallion and twirled it around his fingers, "has belonged to my family for several generations." Just as quickly, he put it away in a blur of motion that Miriam was barely able to detect. "You saw my ancestor in a moment when he was carrying it with him."

  Miriam knew he was lying. She saw him, not his great-great grandfather. Why would he attempt to conceal that fact?

  "Oh, really?" She acted as if this was news to her. She already knew that she had a rare, uncanny ability for sensing the history of objects. No special "gifts" are needed in order to have a bullshit radar, though.

  "I wonder… Can you see who had the object right before it came to you?" As he spoke, he closed the distance between them.

  Miriam could feel her heart racing with the awareness of their bodies and a strange energy crackled between them

  Just then, the car came to a stop. "Would you like to come up?" he asked in that sensual voice again. His gaze was level with hers, intense and heated.

  Miriam knew that her luck was running out. She had already made two mistakes—showing up at his office and then getting into his car—and she wasn't sure if she had enough lives to survive a third.

  She shot him a heated look of her own from under her thick lashes. "I think I can be persuaded," she answered teasingly.

  His sensual lips rose at the edges and curved into a subtle smile. "I take that as a challenge."

  Miriam leaned forward, aching to close the distance between them. Not only did she want to touch him in order to reveal more of his secrets, but she also wanted to see what would happen if they let the energy between them loose.

  "I would like to see your efforts," she spoke as her own lips revealed a teasing smile.

  "Good then." He abruptly pulled back and reached for the handle of his door, the spell of the moment broken by his sudden movement.

  Miriam was taken aback by the intensity of her own response. She had never been bold like this—especially not with a man as intense and dangerous as the one before her. Yes, she’d had flings with a few boys in college, but those were boys.

  Dominic was most certainly a grown man, and this, whatever it was, was certainly not a fling.

  She felt desire pool deep within her belly, but tried to ignore how wildly attractive she found him. It was more than just his handsome looks; something about his dark energy pulled her in and made him absolutely irresistible.

  She knew that if she chose to follow him, she would be going down a dangerous road.

  She chose to go anyway.

  ****

  Dominic watched her intensely as she surveyed the view from his penthouse apartment.

  He knew he was right to trust his instinct.

  She was incredible. Not only was she beautiful, but she possessed a valuable talent that very few humans were ever gifted with: she could read into objects, discover their pasts and reveal their hidden secrets. He knew that could be incredibly useful in guiding him towards the individual that had attempted to separate him from his Anima.

  Usually, individuals with this sense are only able to learn a few things from the objects they read. His medallion, however, was no ordinary object; it possessed his soul. That would explain her vivid dream of him, he thought, hoping again that he’d convinced her that her dream had been of his ancestor and not of him.

  "Would you like a drink?" he asked with a casual air. He moved to join her as she stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows. She had a strong energy about her and his body responded to it. He ached to close the shallow distance between them, to touch her and explore every inch of her supple body. He knew that doing so would just open the door for her to gain insight into his psyche, however, which he didn't want at the moment.

  "If you’re having one." Miriam spoke without looking away from the view of the skyline.

  Dominic smiled darkly. Although he enjoyed the flavor of a well-aged drink, he usually preferred something a bit different.

  He didn't need human blood to survive—he had his Anima to make sure of that—but if he ever turned into the darker version of himself, his bloodlust would be unquenchable. He only ever tasted human blood on certain occasions, like during sex, as a way of elevating the pleasure. He wondered what Miriam would taste like; his lips curled with the seductive thought.

  They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat behind them. Dominic turned, a snarl emitting from the back of his throat.

  "Am I interrupting?" Rogan asked in his usual sardonic tone.

  "What are you doing here, Rogan?" Dominic leveled an intimidating look at his brother.

  "I thought I would stop by and see if you—" he turned his
attention towards Miriam as he spoke, "—and your guest had changed your minds about attending tonight's festivities." He ran his gaze down the length of Miriam's body, his eyes gleaming.

  Dominic's blood ran hot with anger. He knew that Rogan was toying with him, like a sadistic cat with a mouse. Dominic would never bring a human into a house of vampires. Although his family was civilized and none had yet lost their humanity, he knew that they viewed humans as a lower class—something he could never quite agree with. The fact that Rogan had extended his invitation meant that something was up. Dominic didn't trust him for a second.

  "Festivities?" Miriam's questioning gaze turned towards Dominic's.

  "Why, yes." Rogan moved towards her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Rogan Kane." He made a formal bow.

  Dominic stepped in front of Rogan's path to Miriam before he could reach her. "Brother."

  "Ahh," Rogan's eyes gleamed. "I can see I'm unwanted here."

  "Dominic?" Miriam questioned. She tried to sidestep around him, but Dominic just cut her off.

  "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Rogan directed his sentiments towards Miriam, "I hope to do it again sometime."

  "Not a chance," Dominic snarled.

  "So, that's a ‘no’ for the dinner party then?" Rogan threw the last question out there mockingly.

  Dominic's eyes flared; Rogan took the hint.

  Once the door shut behind Rogan, Dominic turned to Miriam and was shocked to see apprehension and rage play out across her face.

  "Excuse me, but what was that?"

  "My brother?" Dominic began, confused by her sudden change in demeanor. He had just protected her from one of the most notorious Kane vampires...and she was angry?

  "Not that," she sputtered. "But how you treated me."

  "How so?" Dominic questioned.

  "I am not your possession," she declared angrily. She pushed past him, but as her fingers grazed the front of his shirt, she paused. She gave him another one of her curious looks before continuing towards the door.

  "In your world, of course, but it's a bit different when it comes to Rogan and I." How could he explain that vampires were incredibly territorial, without using the word ‘vampire’? If he had not sent Rogan a clear 'hands-off' signal, her life would be in danger right now.

  She snorted with disdain and reached for the door.

  Dominic stopped her before she left. "How will you get home?" he pressed.

  "None of your damn business," she shot back.

  "Miriam, I apologize for that untimely scene. Please allow me to have my car take you home, or wherever you need to go. It will be my apology to you." He didn't want her outside, especially now that it was getting dark and Rogan may still be in the neighborhood.

  Miriam paused, as if she was debating whether or not to accept his offer. “Alright," she said stiffly.

  Once she had turned away from him, Dominic breathed a sigh of relief.

  ****

  The nerve of that man! Miriam fumed silently in the back of his plush car. She had accepted his ride home, but only because the buses to her part of town stopped running late at night and she preferred to not walk home. Thank God he hadn’t insisted on accompanying her in the car; she would have walked through hell just to avoid him.

  She’d had her adventure for the day, but now she was ready to go home. Things seemed to be going well until his brother showed up, then everything felt strange. She suspected there was a lot more going on than she knew, and she wasn't sure she wanted to stick around long enough to find out what the real story was.

  She knew that he was lying about her vision of him being his ancestor; she could sense that he was, in fact, the individual in her dream.

  Miriam was still trying to decipher the odd series of events when the car came to a complete stop. She thought it was still a bit early to have arrived at her grandfather's shop so quickly.

  She called up to the driver at the front, but heard nothing. Shaking her head, she grabbed her bag and reached for the door, pushing it open and stepping out into the cool evening air.

  She quickly realized that she most certainly was not in her part of town, but rather in the driveway of a lavish house.

  "Welcome to the Kane Estate," spoke a familiar voice.

  Miriam swung around to her right. Rogan Kane stood surveying her.

  "I'm sorry?" Her senses were on high alert and her mind raced with uncertainty.

  "You are just in time for dinner," he smiled. And this time, Miriam noticed a set of fangs.

  She felt someone grab her from behind and screamed right before her world went dark.

  ****

  "Is she awake yet?" a woman’s voice asked, brimming with boredom.

  "I prefer it when they are not," a male voice answered her. "Fear gives a bitter taste; something I'm not quite partial to."

  Miriam felt herself slowly coming out of a dark haze. Her head throbbed from where she had been struck, her throat felt dry and her heart beat irregularly as she slowly came to.

  "Water?" she whispered through parched lips.

  "Oh, it speaks," stated another male voice.

  "Unfortunately," mused the first.

  "Well give her something to drink," commanded an older, female voice. "And all you of be quiet; she is not yours."

  Miriam felt a cup lifted to her lips and drank desperately. The cool water allowed her to regain her senses and, slowly, she opened her eyes, horrified by the sights before her.

  She was sitting on a raised platform, staring down into a sea of people, much like a royal court. Although everyone was dressed in lavish, modern gowns and suits, the resemblance to historical courtiers was striking. She noticed the string quartet playing classical music in the corner, while the group of 'courtiers' watched the person to her right, expectantly.

  Miriam turned towards the throne situated next to her. A woman, decked in opulent jewels and wearing a silk gown, commanded her court with the air of a Queen. It was both a mesmerizing and terrifying site.

  Just then, Miriam had the sudden realization that she was not there as a member, but for something far more sinister. The "Queen's" face was pulled back in a smile, revealing large, white fangs.

  "So pretty," the Queen tilted her head as she spoke. She flashed another one of those appalling smiles.

  Miriam tried her best to swallow her fear and keep her face as still as possible, which was not an easy task, considering that she felt as if she was the prey for a den of lions.

  "So, you are the little human that has stolen Dominic away from us?" She spoke with a death-like calmness about her and in a whispery tone that curdled Miriam's blood.

  "Pardon?" Miriam stuttered. So much for keeping herself calm.

  "Well, Rogan was telling us all about it," she motioned towards the only familiar face in the room. Rogan nodded, but didn't make a move towards them. "He mentioned that our dear Dominic would not be able to attend my dinner party because he was busy with some girl." She turned her frightening, hollow gaze back to Miriam.

  The orchestra continued to play an eerily slow, baroque song; it gave Miriam chills.

  "I'm sorry, but I only just met Dominic yesterday," she tried to explain. She thought she sounded calm and assured, but her voice came out in a pitch similar to a violin's squeal.

  "Oh?" The Queen raised an arched eyebrow. "Then you must be quite special to have made such an impression in such a short amount of time." She turned back towards her court for validation, they all nodded in agreement.

  Shit, Miriam thought. That wasn't the reaction she was hoping for. Her heart began to beat more rapidly, her thoughts raced for ideas of how to leave this place alive.

  She came up empty.

  Miriam decided to ask the one question she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to: "What do you want from me?"

  "Oh," the Queen chuckled in a way that sounded like a thousand broken bells clanging together. "What a strange question." She gave Miriam another one of her curiou
s looks.

  "I believe that Dominic kept her in the dark, Mother," Rogan interrupted.

  Miriam gasped. So, this was Dominic's mother? The thought wasn't comforting. Although she wasn't tied to the chair, she knew that there was no way she would be able to get out of this situation unless they let her—and at the moment, it didn't look like that was happening any time soon.

  "Look," Miriam desperately tried to reason with her. "I have no idea what is going on here, but I am nothing to Dominic Kane. I just work at a local antique shop and was simply delivering an item to him today. Nothing more." She gave her little speech everything she had.

  The orchestra stopped playing as a disconcerting hush descended over the room. There was a long silence as every eye fixated on Miriam. She squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with the prolonged attention.

  The Queen was the first to break the silence. "That's too bad," she cooed. "If you do not belong to Dominic, then you are fair game." Her mouth stretched wide, her fangs gleamed, and her demeanor grew more menacing and otherworldly.

  The door to the room swung open with a loud bang. All eyes turned towards the figure standing in the entrance. The Queen's face once again became a mask of impassivity.

  "Dominic!" She exclaimed joyfully, clapping her hands together like a child. "How good of you to join us," she beamed. Gone was the cool, haunting expression.

  Dominic's eyes roamed over the crowd for just a moment before coming to settle on Miriam. He shot her an indecipherable look before he turned his attention back to the women next to her.

  "Mother," his voice dripped with disdain.

  The Queen's face dropped and her beaming facade disappeared altogether. "Be careful, Dominic," she threatened coolly.

  Dominic advanced forward and the crowd of people around him quickly moved out of the way. His determined strides and intimidating demeanor discouraged anyone from crossing him.

  Miriam wasn't sure if she was relieved to see Dominic arrive, as she wasn't sure where he stood on the equation and what his arrival meant. After all, it was his driver that had brought her here.