by Siobhan Muir
“Dial 911!” she gasped at the receptionist who looked at her in amazement. “Dial 911. I just got attacked by five guys out here. Call the police!”
The woman scrambled to do so as the other women cried out in dismay.
“Oh my God, Julianna, what happened to you?” Tawny demanded as she took a deep breath, taking in the scents of fear and men.
“I just got attacked by five guys out there in the parking lot!” she cried, pointing back at the doors. “I just managed to get away. Thank God I learned tai chi.”
“You got away by using tai chi?” Eloise asked skeptically, looking out the windows.
“It’s slow kung fu. I just sped it up. It’s still a martial art.”
“The cops are on the way,” the receptionist said then, and Julianna slumped down in a chair by a potted palm, well away from the windows.
“Thank God,” she murmured, closing her eyes.
“You didn’t kill anyone, did you?”
Julianna opened her eyes to look up at Tawny’s concerned face.
“No. I pulled my punches.”
“Oh, thank the Goddess for that!” She slumped down next to Julianna. “You would’ve been disqualified from the candidacy for that.”
“For killing someone bent on hurting me?”
“For killing a human. We’re so much stronger and faster than they are.”
Julianna shook her head. “I made sure they were hurting, but not dead.”
The Leland PD showed up a moment later, and Julianna wearily rose to meet them. They’d caught two men who were having trouble breathing, one of them because his throat was swollen. No one else remained. Each woman had to give a statement, and Julianna told her story four times before she met Detective Mark Caninus. He looked at her with knowledgeable, brown eyes and a very careful smile as he showed her his badge. Julianna smelled the wolf in him and tried to hide her knowledge of his difference.
“Can you describe your attackers, Ms. Morris?” Det. Caninus reiterated.
“It was too dark. I only got a good look at one of them,” she admitted, shaking her head. “He was taller than me, say about six feet in height, had blue eyes, a single silver ring in his right earlobe, and some sort of tribal or flame-like tattoo on the back of his bald head.”
“Did he have any facial hair?”
“No.”
“How much did he weigh, do you think?”
“Two hundred, two ten. He was strong and hard, not fat at all.”
“Can you describe any of the others?”
“One guy was shorter than me and smelled like burnt onions. He should have a limp ’cause I kicked him in the ankle pretty hard. Two of the others had goatees, and they all smelled like alcohol and cigarettes, like they were hard-core smokers.” She paused, searching her memory. “None of them moved with any sort of training like karate or kung fu. They were just used to smash-and-grab sorts of events, I think. Oh! Baldy Tattoo smelled like overly sweetened fruit, like apricots.”
When Det. Caninus raised an eyebrow, she retorted, “That’s what it smelled like.”
He nodded, a small smile quirking one corner of his mouth. “How many of them were there?”
“Five of them.”
“All male?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, Ms. Morris,” he told her then. “Here’s my card. If you remember anything else, please don’t hesitate to call me. You’re free to go home now.”
“Thanks…Uh, Detective Caninus?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Do you do any work with missing persons?”
“Missing persons, ma’am?”
“Yes. I’m looking for a very special missing person. She’s a little west of left field.”
He froze and looked at her a little more intently as if seeing something he hadn’t before. Understanding stiffened his body as he took a few steps closer to her.
“Come with me, ma’am.” He gently drew her outside to the parking lot, away from the other officers investigating the scene. “Are you one of the candidates for Luna in the Callowwood Pack?” He gestured to the wolf’s head token on her wrist.
Julianna studied his brown eyes, her gut churning. She couldn’t see or smell anyone near them who might overhear, but caution screamed through her mind. The conversation could easily get her into trouble.
“Did you come to Mr. Lightfoot’s selection party?” she countered.
“No, I was on duty that night and couldn’t get away.”
“Uh huh.” She shook her head slightly. “Too bad you missed it. It was quite a shindig. Perhaps you’ll make the next one.”
He grinned suddenly, his scent filling with his interest. “If you’re going to be there, I won’t miss it.”
Julianna raised her eyebrows at him, and stepped away when his scent intensified. Why was he hitting on her if he suspected she was a candidate? He sobered quickly.
“So, what’s this about a missing person?”
“Sorry, I must have misspoken. Thanks for all your help, Detective.”
His expression filled with chagrin. “Please, Ms. Morris. I apologize. Is there really someone west of left field missing?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he waited, his stillness supporting his earnestness. His scent changed to honesty and concern. He dropped his eyes to her chin in a gesture of respect, and she nodded slowly.
“Does Mr. Lightfoot know?”
She shook her head.
“He’s the man to talk to first, see what he suggests.” Caninus flipped his notebook closed and stuffed it in his jacket’s inner pocket. “He might contact me or someone like me to look into it.” His smile held a mixture of embarrassment and admiration. “I hope you can forgive my faux pas, Ms. Morris. If you remember anything else about tonight, please give me a call.”
“Of course.”
He nodded to her then backed away, only showing his back when he approached the rest of the cops still milling around. Before he turned, he winked and nodded again. Julianna stood there for a few moments, wondering if she’d passed one of the tests by talking to the detective. Exhaling explosively, she turned and collided with her car with a grunt. She leaned against the warm metal and glass, smiling a half smile. Sneaky bastard, he knew who I was from the beginning. Must have been a test.
Hiding her true nature from the humans was exhausting. She unlocked her car door and dropped into the seat, leaning her head back against the seat.
This is what it’s going to be like for the rest of my life if I’m chosen as Luna. God, I’m tired.
You’re always going to have to be careful what you say and to whom, her Sister offered.
“Shit!” She shoved the car into gear, her mind churning with the events of the night.
Who were those guys? Were they just out to cause trouble or did their assault have something to do with the Luna candidacy? There’d been enough of them to take down a normal woman. I’m probably just being paranoid.
Julianna hadn’t come to any useful conclusions about anything when she pulled into her driveway. A black Camaro rested to one side, and Jeff waited at the foot of the stairs, his feet braced shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed over his chest.
“Shit-oh-dear,” she said aloud. “Tawny must have called him.”
She got out of the car, locked it, and took a deep breath before advancing toward the stairs and the man waiting for her. He wore jeans, a T-shirt, and cowboy boots, and his hair hung loose around his head and shoulders. His eyes intently scanned Julianna’s body for injuries while his lips compressed into a flat line and his jaw bunched with tension. He took a few deep breaths, and she knew he was scenting her attackers as well as her own emotional state. She tried to keep calm, but his presence and his concern brought up the shock reaction she’d been fighting all night.
“Are you all right?” His rich voice opened the floodgates.
“Oh, God, Jeff!” she sobbed and threw herself into his arms.
“Sh
h, shh, it’s okay now,” he whispered soothingly as he wrapped his whole body around her. “You’re safe and home. It’s okay.”
The tears poured out of her as if someone had opened up a valve somewhere. He kissed her hair and held her as she wept against his chest. She wept out her fear and confusion over discovering her true species. She wept in relief she’d survived an attack by five men bigger than she was. And she wept for the frustration of having to stay away from the one man she wanted over everyone else–the one man to whom she wanted to give herself to completely but had to hold herself back. She never wanted him to let go.
At last the flood of emotion ebbed, and Jeff whispered, “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“No, but I hurt them a little.”
“Did you? Any of them dead?” He sounded amused.
“No!” Julianna barked indignantly. “I pulled my punches.”
“Good.” He squeezed her before he pushed her back to look into her eyes. “I don’t think I would’ve had the restraint. I would’ve killed them for attacking my Mate.” His seriousness made her shiver. “But you’re fine?”
“Yes, just a little wound up from the adrenaline rush.” Jeff wiped the remnants of her tears away. “Tawny called you, didn’t she?” When he nodded, she nodded as well. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Oh, my sweet Lupine, there’s no way I could’ve stayed away,” he rumbled in a smoky, sexy tone, reminding her of her dream. “I just wish I could be a little more here for you.” He smiled his wickedly sexy smile, and she knew she’d pass the tests just to see it directed at her each day.
You were ‘here’ for me the other night. Sigh.
“Can you walk me up and come in for some…coffee or something?” she pleaded, half afraid he’d turn her down, half afraid he wouldn’t.
He hesitated, his expression frozen but it quickly melted into a tender smile, and he nodded. He took her hand and drew her up the stairs, his attention razor sharp and watchful, as if he suspected someone might be waiting for her at the top. He allowed her to unlock the door, but he went in first, checking all the rooms in her small apartment, including the bathroom and the laundry room. When he returned to the living area, she dropped her purse on the table and switched on a light in her small kitchenette to fill the teakettle.
“No coffee?” he asked as he locked her front door and returned to her kitchen table.
“I decided it would keep me awake too late, and I’m already hyped up on adrenaline. I thought chamomile tea would work better for me.” She shrugged. “I can make something else for you if you’d like.”
“No, tea is good,” he replied, muttering something under his breath.
“Sorry?”
“Nothing. I just prefer coffee in the morning.” His smile looked a little strained as he sat down. “Tea’s fine.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So, are you going to tell your mom about tonight?”
Julianna sighed and shook her head. “No. It would just make her worry for no reason. I’m okay, physically, and if this has to do with being a Moon Singer, it’s best she doesn’t know.”
“Why do you say that?”
“What?”
“That it’s about you being a Moon Singer.”
Julianna paused, frowning. “I don’t know. Something about it made me think it was a setup, like those guys were supposed to take me out.”
“Sabotaging your tests?” Jeff didn’t look convinced.
“Yeah, that sounds pretty far-fetched, doesn’t it?” Julianna sighed and rubbed her eyes. “It’s probably just my adrenaline-crazed imagination.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re all right.” His jaw clenched as his anger rose in his scent. “I’d have killed them.”
Julianna leaned against her kitchen counter, and the reality of his presence, here in the light of her kitchen, hit her broadside. Jeff matched her perusal with his own, the anger giving way to arousal as his heated gaze slid over her body. She wanted him with all her heart and soul. She wanted to feel him on top of her, beneath her, pounding away at her body as his lust took over. Could she ever get him to completely lose control or did he have built-in safeguards against that kind of behavior? What would it be like to kiss his lips and feel his tongue tangle with hers?
No kissing, remember? Can’t start the mating bond this early.
Her Sister form ignored her thoughts because she found herself suddenly bending over him, her eyes locked with his. He hadn’t moved, but his hands on the arm of her kitchen chair were white knuckled, and his eyes blazed with hot molten gold.
“I–I’m s-sorry—”
She tried to pull back, but one of Jeff’s hands shot out and grabbed the back of her head, hauling her down to meet his kiss.
Holy First fucking Canid!
Jeff’s kiss was the most wonderful thing she’d ever experienced. It was soft and hard, sweet and sultry, gentle and demanding, and so damn sexy. Julianna let herself fall into it with a soft moan of relief, tilting her head to the side to fit her mouth with his a little better. He tasted of sweet desert rain and male lust, all scorching heat. His hot, slick tongue caressed her lips, and she opened her mouth to let him plunder her. The erotic drag of his tongue against hers drove heat straight to her pussy, and he gave his own moan of delight when her scent changed.
Hard arms closed around her as she dropped to her knees between his legs and he jerked her hard against his chest. She drowned in his kiss, his taste, his scent. She never wanted it to stop. This was what she’d been waiting eighteen years for. This was the taste and scent she’d dreamt of all the years away from Callowwood. Now that she’d gotten a sample, she’d be damned if she’d let it go. She desperately wanted him to go much, much further than “first base.”
“Oh, Goddess, Julianna, we have to stop,” he groaned, pushing her away from him. His face was flushed, and his eyes were dazed, his breath coming out in heaves as his hands kept her from getting back to his lips.
“What? Why?”
“Because I won’t be able to stop at kissing you.” He panted, shaking his head as if to clear it. “I should probably go.”
“Oh, God, Jeff. Please don’t go, not yet.” She begged him with her eyes. “I need you to stay a little while. Just till I fall asleep. I’m so wound up and spooked from what happened tonight that I really need you…just for a little while. Please?”
He stared at her a long time, his chest still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His jaw bunched, and he shook head again.
“Please, Jeff,” she pleaded, dropping her head onto his thigh. “I need someone to hold me and to tell me it’ll be all right. You’re the only one I can let near me these days. We’re both adults. I won’t let you go any further than just holding me, for both our sakes. But I really need someone to lean on.”
She ignored the voice warning her it was already too late after that kiss.
His hand settled on her hair and stroked it gently. Julianna didn’t care that she’d just had it styled at the salon. Feeling his gentle touches more than made up for the mess, and she closed her eyes. She wanted to be here forever, but she’d take tonight as a sample.
Jeff sighed. “You’re pushing my control, Julianna.”
“I know,” she agreed softly. “But this is the best excuse you can have to see me alone. Just tell everyone I’m distraught over the attack and I need someone to make sure I’m okay. I won’t let us have sex, Jeff, but I really do need you to stay for a little longer.” She raised her head to look at him.
He opened his mouth to reply, but the whistle of the teakettle sang shrilly into silence, and she rose to take it off the heat. He didn’t move as she poured hot water into a mug and put a teabag of chamomile into it. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, gesturing with the kettle, but he shook his head. Then he rolled to his feet.
Julianna steeled herself for his retreat.
“I really shouldn’t stay.” He sounded weary. “It’s a small town, and everyone will recognize
my car in your driveway.”
Julianna felt her heart drop into her feet, and disappointment crashed over her like a wall of falling bricks. She could barely breathe, but she nodded and dropped her gaze to her steaming cup of tea, seeking comfort in the fragrant heat.
“But you’re my Mate.” She looked up at him in surprise. “And I can’t walk away if you really need me to stay. It’s just not in me to leave you distressed.”
Julianna felt tears start in her eyes, and she whispered, “I need you, Jeff.”
He sighed wearily again then held out his hand to her. “Come on, then. Get your tea and we’ll put you to bed.”
“I don’t need the tea.”
She dumped the mug in the sink and grabbed his hand, allowing him to lead her to the bedroom, where he switched on the light. The sight of him in her room made her heart thunder against her ribs, and she recalled his visit in her dream. This time he’s really here. A delicious shiver cascaded down her back, but she firmly told herself to calm down.
That was damn near impossible when he seated himself on her bed, positioning the pillows behind him to prop himself up. Her mouth went completely dry, and she suddenly wished she still had her tea. He looked perfect against the white and purple comforter. She could imagine him lying there completely naked, waiting for her with a satisfied smile on his face. Right now, he looked stressed and tired, but he gave her an encouraging smile, and she shook herself back into reality.
“I’m going to change,” she choked out, clearing her throat. “I can’t stand the scent of those bastards on me.”
“I’ll be here.”
Thank God in heaven!
Julianna grabbed a tank top and light PJ pants and darted into the bathroom. She’d never stripped so quickly in her life, but tonight she couldn’t get out of her clothes fast enough. Though she removed her bra and panties, she made sure she was modestly covered when she returned to the bedroom.