Tucker blinked. Was the older male joking? Sinclair couldn’t actually believe that the Pack hadn’t noticed Mira’s growing fascination with their Alpha.
“That woman would make up any excuse to spend time with you,” he said.
Sinclair gave a low snarl of warning. “You don’t know anything about her.”
Tucker stilled. Well, well. He hadn’t seen that coming.
“I know when a woman wants in a man’s pants,” he deliberately taunted. “Why else would she risk everything for you?”
Sinclair turned away, staring into the shadows of the nearby trees. He rarely spoke of how he’d met the human, or the risks she was taking for all of them.
“She believes in our cause.”
“Bullshit.” Tucker kept his tone pitched low. They tried to keep the area protected, but it wasn’t nearly as secluded as their usual campsite. It was only because the SAU headquarters was nearby that they’d chosen the area. “She’s in lust with you. Which is exactly why you chose her to help us.”
Genuine anger flared in Sinclair’s eyes, his wolf prowling close to the surface.
“I asked her to help because she’s a fucking genius.”
Tucker smiled. He had to accept Sinclair’s assurance that the woman was a genius. After all, the Alpha rarely let anyone near her.
He’d always assumed Sinclair kept Mira isolated because he didn’t want to frighten the human. Although they did their best to avoid attracting unwanted attention, the Unseen Pack was made up of a group of predators.
Cats, wolves, and bears.
There were times when their animal natures could frighten off the natives.
“And she wants you,” he mocked.
“Enough,” Sinclair snapped. “I’ll deal with Mira.”
Tucker lifted his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m just glad you found her. If she’s even half as good as you claim, then she should have some actual proof of who started the Verona Virus.”
Sinclair made a visible effort to ease the tension in his shoulders.
“That’s the plan.”
Tucker leashed his impulse to press the older male about his relationship with Mira. It was clearly a sensitive subject.
Instead, he turned his attention to the question that’d been nagging at him since he’d heard the story of how Jonah Wilder managed to force the SAU to back down from their determination to capture an Alpha so they could create their own shifter.
“Did you ask her how Wilder managed to get his hands on those old reports?”
Sinclair gave a decisive shake of his head. “No. And I don’t intend to.”
Tucker was genuinely caught off guard. “Why not?”
“Because she’s putting herself in enough danger. I’m not going to have her asking awkward questions that might attract the attention of our enemies.”
“What the hell is the point of having a mole on the inside if we can’t have her ask awkward questions?”
Sinclair bared his fangs, and Tucker instantly regretted the impulsive question. Not because he feared that his Alpha would attack. Sinclair might be the leader of the Unseen, but no one was stupid enough to take on a bear shifter. Not unless they had a death wish.
But he’d clearly rubbed against a raw nerve.
Something that Sinclair didn’t need, especially when there was so much riding on what happened over the next few months.
“Screw you,” the older man snapped, clearly done with the entire conversation.
“Fine. You do your thing with the human, and I’ll do a sweep of the border.”
“No, I’ll get Sonny to replace you on guard duty,” Sinclair surprisingly offered. “I want you to follow the shifter.”
It was Tucker’s turn to stiffen. His bear was once again stirred into awareness at Sinclair’s command.
With an inner growl, his animal pressed toward the surface. Hunt down the little she-wolf with the sweet scent and tart mouth? Oh, yeah. His bear was ready and willing. In fact, he was so willing, it was starting to scare the shit out of him.
Which meant that it was the last thing he should do.
“Why?”
Sinclair’s hard features tightened, revealing the frustration that smoldered just below his brittle composure.
“I sent word to Holden, asking him not to interfere with our plans, but he’s an arrogant bastard,” he growled. “He might decide to ignore my request.”
The Unseen had deliberately remained hidden from the world, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t kept careful watch on both the humans and their fellow shifters.
Especially the various Alphas. Which was how they’d known that Holden was a fair but tough wolf leader who didn’t lack for confidence in his ability to rule his wolves.
Now that Holden knew about the Unseen, he’d been trying to contact Sinclair, clearly feeling the need for a face-to-face meeting. Sinclair, however, wasn’t about to run the risk of exposing their position to the SAU. Not after they’d spent the past ten years plotting and sacrificing to get to this point.
“What do you want me to do with the female?” Tucker forced himself to ask.
A sly glint entered the Alpha’s icy blue eyes. “Anything you want. Just don’t let her near the camp.” Sinclair jerked his head toward the distant lights that glowed over the tops of the trees. “Or the SAU headquarters.”
Shit. Tucker’s cock was once again hard and aching. He scowled, trying to pretend that he wasn’t itching with the need to charge down the path in pursuit of the female.
“Holden may not be happy if we detain one of his people,” he pointed out.
“Too damned bad,” Sinclair said, his eyes glowing in the moonlight. “This is my territory.”
Chapter 2
Director George Markham, a large man with short, iron-gray hair, sat behind his heavy walnut desk. As head of the Denver division of the SAU, he was responsible for the most recent clusterfuck.
Not that it was his fault that the two shifters had been allowed to escape from this building. Or that his lead scientist had gone AWOL with their most sensitive research. Or that the damned shifters had threatened him with information they shouldn’t have.
Still, he’d been in the military before joining the SAU. When he took the job of Director, he understood that it meant he would take the blame for any screw-ups. Period.
Which was why he was in his office at this hour, instead of home with a good bottle of bourbon and his dogs.
He tapped an impatient finger on the top of his desk, watching as Richard Grant entered the room. The head of security came to a halt just inside the door.
Dressed in camo, the man had a square face that was emphasized by his buzz haircut. He had a handgun in a holster strapped around his waist, and no doubt several more weapons hidden on various parts of his body.
“Have you located Talbot?” Markham demanded, not bothering to offer the man a seat.
His office was like the Director himself. Large. Meticulous. Without any unwelcome clutter.
It was designed to be functional, not inviting to guests.
“No.” Grant grimaced. “It’s like he fell off the grid. No cell phone calls, no texts, no bank transactions, no activity on his computer.”
“Damn.”
When Markham had fired Dr. Frank Talbot, his head of research, he hadn’t anticipated that the bastard would be able to use the chaos during the prisoners’ escape to sneak away. Like the damned coward he was.
And, in truth, Markham wouldn’t give a shit what happened to the traitor if it weren’t for the fact that he’d taken information that could potentially destroy the SAU if it fell into the wrong hands.
“I think we should work under the assumption that the shifters have him and that he’s been compromised,” Grant said, clasping his hands behind his back and standing at attention as he waited for Markham’s orders.
A perfect soldier.
Markham gave a sharp nod. He’d held out hope that they would be able t
o track Talbot down and quietly dispose of him. Now, time was running out.
They had to take action before disaster hit.
“Have all the locks on the building changed and back up all the computers to a secure location. Once you’re sure we have the files copied, I want the computers in this building wiped clean,” he said in decisive tones. “I don’t want a damned government oversight committee coming in here to try and claim animal abuse or some other bullshit.”
Grant nodded. Everyone who worked at the SAU knew that they weren’t universally loved. In fact, there were several congressmen who hoped to earn the votes of the bleeding hearts by shutting the SAU down.
They’d use any excuse to nail his ass to the wall.
“You got it,” Grant said.
“Oh, and tell the nerd herd to scale back on our testing until we can be sure we aren’t being watched,” he continued.
Grant made a sound of frustration. “We’re going to lose weeks of research.”
Markham narrowed his gaze. “Do you want to be hauled before Congress and interrogated?”
“Hell, no.” The man shuddered in horror. “What I want is to know how the hell those shifters got their hands on those files.”
Grant wasn’t the only one who wanted answers. Markham, however, wasn’t going to share the fact that he’d been contacted by someone who might be able to provide the information he needed.
“You just worry about-” Markham’s words were cut short by a shrill beeping sound that abruptly reverberated through the room. “What the hell?”
Grant pulled out his cell phone to glance at the screen that was flashing.
“Our perimeter alarm has been triggered.”
“Shit.” Markham shoved himself to his feet. What now? “Get a team and check it out.”
Grant pulled out his gun, turning toward the open door. “I’ll report back when we locate the intruder.”
“Grant.” Markham halted the man’s exit. “If it’s one of the animals, make sure you take them alive,” he commanded. “I have questions I want answered.”
Grant offered a grim nod then headed out of the office and jogged down the hall.
Left alone, Markham dropped back into his chair. Then, yanking open his bottom drawer, he pulled out a bottle of bourbon and a small glass.
It was going to be another long night.
****
Nicole hunkered in the thick brush, watching the humans as they scurried toward the back gate where she’d deliberately tripped the alarm.
Silently, she counted each guard and noted which exit they used to leave the building. At the same time, she kept a close eye on the spots that were left unattended as they rushed to the unseen threat.
A narrow side gate was the most obvious hole in their security, but she couldn’t be sure there weren’t cameras keeping watch on it. There was also a small shed built outside the grounds that was close enough for a wolf to use to leap over the barbed wire that protected the top of the high fence.
Intent on determining the best means of entering the headquarters, she once again failed to catch the scent of the man who she’d encountered just an hour ago. Not until he was squatting directly in front of her.
“What the fuck?” he snarled in low tones, his beautiful face tight with fury.
Nicole froze. For a horrified moment, she thought she’d made a terrible mistake. Obviously this man was a part of the SAU. A strange, painful regret sliced through her heart. As if she were somehow…disappointed he was her enemy.
But when he made no effort to reveal her presence to the guards who were searching through the woods just to the south, her fear began to fade. Instead, a surge of annoyance raced through her.
Digging her claws in the soft ground, she gave a warning growl, her lips peeling back to reveal her lethal fangs.
The man should have run in terror. Instead, he leaned forward until their noses were nearly touching.
“Don’t flash those teeth at me. My bite is much worse.”
Nicole froze. Was he insane? Had all that testosterone rotted his brain?
That could be the only reasonable excuse for his lack of fear.
Dammit. Nicole might have fantasized about giving him a nip on the ass, but she didn’t actually want to hurt the gorgeous, aggravating man.
Still, she needed to get rid of him before he revealed her presence to the guards. Darting forward, she snapped her teeth directly at his face.
“Shit,” he jerked back, his eyes narrowed. “You wanna play, baby?” Without warning, he reached out to wrap his fingers around her muzzle, forcing her teeth together. “You’re coming with me.”
In disbelief, Nicole felt an arm being wrapped around her torso, and with a massive display of strength, he was tossing her over his shoulder.
Her shock lasted long enough for him to push himself upright and jog deeper into the thick woods. Then, realizing her best opportunity to sneak into the SAU headquarters was quickly slipping away, she dug her claws into his back and gave a sharp jerk.
“Stop fighting me,” he snapped, his arm tightening around her until she feared he might crack a rib. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
Nicole gave a last, frustrated growl, grudgingly accepting that she wasn’t going to able to escape. At least not by force. Which meant there was no point in staying a wolf.
With a burst of magic that was more agony than ecstasy at shifting again so soon, Nicole changed back to her human form. For a few minutes, he continued to hold her over his shoulder, heading up a steep hill. But when she began to kick her feet dangerously close to his most vulnerable spot, he gave a low grunt and turned her so she was cradled against his broad chest.
Nicole felt her breath lodge in her lungs. This was better than being carried like a sack of potatoes, but…damn.
She’d never been so aware of her nudity. No doubt because she’d never before felt the intense excitement that was currently dancing over her bare skin like lightning.
Not that he seemed to be paying attention to her body that was shivering with excitement. Hell, he didn’t even give a furtive glance at her breasts that were pressed against his hoodie.
Instead, he moved through the trees with strength and grace that proved he was no ordinary human. As if the heat pumping off his hard body weren’t enough to give him away.
“Who are you?”
“Tucker Stone,” he said, his gaze scanning the darkness as if searching for potential enemies.
“You’re a shifter. But-” She bit off her words. Soren had told her that a shifter had helped him escape with Cora. He’d said that the wolf shifter wasn’t wearing a collar and he hadn’t been branded. He’d also said that the wolf was capable of disguising his scent. “You’re an Unseen,” she breathed, angered that he hadn’t been honest from the start.
“I am.”
“Wolf?”
“Bear.”
Tucker the bear. Shit. She should have known. He was as big as a house.
“Put me down.”
At last, he allowed his gaze to lower, his expression one of disbelief.
“Do I look stupid?”
“You don’t want me to answer that,” she snapped.
He gave a slow shake of his head. “I don’t know whether to spank you or tie you to my bed.”
She widened her eyes, squashing the vivid image of being tied to this male’s bed with him posed above her. Dammit. She was supposed to be pissed. Not aroused.
“Try either and I’ll rip out your throat.”
His lips twitched. Could he read her thoughts?
“You don’t lack for courage, female,” he drawled, angling toward a narrow path. “Only brains.”
“My name is Nicole, not female,” she informed him with as much dignity as possible considering she was butt-naked and he was carrying her in his arms.
Then she sucked in a shocked breath as he stepped through the tree line and directly onto a narrow ledge that protruded from a sheer rock f
ace. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how high they’d climbed. Now her stomach dropped to her toes as she gazed down the long, long distance to the bottom of the ravine.
“Dammit, where are you taking me?” she croaked.
He arched a mocking brow, moving with a speed that assured her that he’d traveled the narrow ledge several times.
“Worried?”
“Angry,” she corrected, squeezing her eyes shut as he hopped from the ledge toward a flat rock just below them. “You just ruined everything.”
“Ruined?” he protested in disbelief. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I just saved your ass.”
Turning to the side, he inched his way through a narrow crevice, at last stepping into a small valley that was protected by a circle of towering hills. She had a brief glimpse of several cabins and a long, wooden building that she assumed must be the community center for the Unseen before Tucker was carrying her into one of the cabins that were nearly hidden in a copse of pine trees.
Opening the door, he stepped inside. Then, slowly lowering her to her feet, he flicked on the lights.
Surprise raced through her. How were they getting electricity? A generator? Solar? Bootlegging it from the SAU?
With a shake of her head, she took in the comfortable space. There was an open living room filled with large, overstuffed furniture and an attached kitchen with the bare necessities. Across the wooden floor was a dining table with two chairs set next to a large window, and a cabinet filled with dishes. At the back, there were two doors leading into separate rooms. She assumed that one was where Tucker slept, and the other was potentially a bathroom.
It was basic but nicer than most of the homes the shifters were forced to live in at the compounds.
“You might as well make yourself at home,” he told her in his low, husky voice.
She stiffened, turning to meet his stubborn expression. “Don’t be an idiot.”
The gorgeous black eyes narrowed. “Babe, you’re wearing on my last nerve.”
She blinked, unable to believe his arrogance. “Are you kidding me? I was just fine until you stuck your ugly nose in my business.”
Abandoned and Unseen Page 12