by Bianca D'Arc
“Kate and I will take my rental and check the desert. We might still be able to pick up the trail by either magical or mundane means,” Slade announced.
“I’m going with you before I go hunting cars.” Grif’s tone brooked no argument. Slade could see the Alpha’s mind was made up.
“All right,” Slade answered slowly. He needed the Alpha to know that while he respected Grif’s authority, the search was Slade’s purview. A hard look passed between the men and Slade knew the message had been received. Not well, but it had been received. “Then we’re all set,” Slade said to the group at large as everyone started preparing to leave. “Check-ins every hour. When you complete your task, meet back here. Keith, can you or Valerie man the phone, coordinate and keep track of everyone while guarding the child?”
“Can do,” Valerie chimed in from the entry to the living room. She walked over to her mate and smiled softly up at him.
Keith Redstone nodded, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders. Their magical skills were best suited to keeping the homestead and the traumatized girl safe. Slade might need their help later, but for now, this was the best place for them.
“I’ll keep a roster, gather data, if any, and pass it along to you every hour or sooner, if there’s need,” Valerie confirmed. It sounded like she was more than capable of lending a hand to this effort.
Slade nodded his thanks and the impromptu meeting broke up, everyone heading out in different directions. This was a lot more help than he usually had on his missions and he was glad of it, even if not all of the cougars could be trusted to keep a lid on their tempers. He’d have to watch them all closely—especially as they drew closer to their prey.
He didn’t want anyone else dying on his watch. Or worse.
Chapter Three
Grif sat up front with Slade in the rented SUV. Kate took the back seat as they pulled away from the cougar homestead. Slade wasn’t sure why the Alpha had decided to tag along rather than get his part of the vehicle hunt under way as soon as possible, but there had to be a reason. This Alpha was a good one. Very deliberate and very powerful. He didn’t have dominion over just his family or just his Clan, but over a far-reaching collection of shifters of all kinds who worked for his company and followed his leadership.
Next to the Lords, Griffon Redstone was probably the most powerful Alpha in the States.
“You carry yourself like a Teams guy, but somehow I doubt that was your path.” There it was. The reason Grif had wanted to talk to him. The Alpha wanted to know where Slade had come from—his background and qualifications.
“Nah, I’m not a Navy cat,” Slade admitted. He didn’t mind talking about his past in the military to Grif. Slade had read his file. He knew Griffon Redstone and his brother Steve had been Special Operators. Army Green Berets, in fact. It was a small community and Grif probably knew every shifter in the Berets and quite a few of those who had been SEALs, but he couldn’t place Slade yet and that probably bothered him. Slade understood. “Marine Force Recon.” Slade solved the mystery. “Mostly I served in Asia because of my talent with the languages of that region and my ancestry. My great-grandmother was born and raised in Tibet and I picked up a lot from her.”
Grif looked over at him. Slade could feel the other man’s scrutiny but he was concentrating on the road. He’d already told the Alpha more than most people knew. That was as far as he was willing to go at the moment.
No doubt Grif had his suspicions. All shifters had heard about the weirdness in Tibet and the strange tales that originated there. It was an exotic land full of mystery and intrigue, both in the human world and in the world of the were.
“Recon, eh?” Grif said after a while, no doubt getting the message that Slade would go only so far in revealing his past to a relative stranger—even one as highly placed as Griffon Redstone. “You were tapped by the Company, weren’t you? That’s why you’re off the grid and still connected to the game.”
“You’re no fool, Alpha,” Slade said by way of answer.
He wouldn’t come straight out and say he still occasionally did work for the CIA, but if Grif figured it out on his own, he wasn’t going to try to mislead the man either. The Lords knew and the fact that he worked for Uncle Sam when called, wasn’t something he needed to hide from Grif or the Lords. It wouldn’t be good if it became public knowledge, but certain people in the were hierarchy probably needed to know. Slade had just decided Grif was part of that select group.
Kate too, though Slade didn’t have a good reason to let her in on his secrets other than the belief that she could be trusted and he wanted her to know more about him. His attraction to the priestess was making him incautious, but he was following his instincts where she was concerned. All he could do was pray to the Lady they both served that his instincts wouldn’t lead him astray in the case of the all-too-attractive priestess.
Slade lapsed into silence as he concentrated on driving. Grif had apparently been satisfied by his revelations and let the matter drop for now.
Slade lowered the window as they approached the area where the trail had gone cold. Grif followed suit. Both took a deep breath, but it was Slade who picked up on the magical probes coming from the backseat. He caught Kate’s eye in the rearview mirror and winked. The cats would look for scent. The mages would look for magic. Only Slade could do both simultaneously.
It was a trick that had stood him well in the past. Hopefully the combination would be enough to sniff out the trail this time too.
Kate was a distraction, to be sure, but he was glad she was along on this particular op. She had skills in addition to being the prettiest partner he’d ever had on a mission.
“Stop the car.” Kate’s voice sounded strained and only then did Slade stop thinking about the woman and start concentrating on the task at hand.
He should’ve noticed it before she did. There was magic afoot here. Very close. And very dark.
“What?” Grif asked, scenting the wind with a scowl on his face even as Slade pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and parked.
“Magic,” Slade answered, already sending his senses outward, trying to figure out how best to approach. The magical indicators were growing weaker, but they were definitely there.
All three of them got out of the SUV. Kate and Slade took the lead as Grif brought up the rear. Kate did her thing and the scene lit dramatically with a few waves of her hands and a low-voiced chant.
“I see it,” Slade murmured, knowing his companions would hear him. He moved off in the direction of the trail.
He could see now where the trail had been masked at the point they lost it earlier. Very nearby, it crossed the road and began again, much more faintly. Apparently the killers could hide completely on the asphalt of the road, but something about the desert held the last little glimmers of dark power that had traversed it.
“The land didn’t like them,” Kate whispered, almost as if to herself. “We’re seeing the trace of its rejection of their attempts to hide themselves.” She looked over at Slade and they shared a moment of silent communication.
It was almost as if he could hear what she was thinking. This land was sacred. Kate, as a priestess, had probably done ceremonies in and around the shifter housing development, including this patch of desert, to consecrate the lands to the Lady. It was a form of protection she probably did as a matter of course whenever she moved to a new place.
That simple act had allowed them to follow the trail that otherwise probably would have remained hidden.
Grif cleared his throat behind them, breaking the spell. Kate jumped a bit but Slade hid his reaction better, merely turning to nod at the impatient Alpha who was following them. Grif would have been within his rights to voice his objection to the delay a little more vocally, but he was being polite.
“Sorry,” Kate murmured. She fell back to explain what was going on to the cougar as Slade forged ahead, walking carefully to avoid disturbing the fragile trail.
&nbs
p; He followed it for some time, more than a hundred yards from where they’d found it again. He thought they might really be on to something when the trail just… petered out.
“That’s it.” Slade said after his third loop around, looking for the remnants of the trail. He threw his hands up in disgust. “Kate, do you see anything more?”
She shook her head. “No, sorry.”
“What are you saying?” Grif asked in a quiet voice as if he was trying really hard to keep himself calm.
“The trail ends here.” Slade faced the cougar Alpha, not backing down from Grif’s very obvious, frustrated anger.
“Ends?” Grif growled.
“Yes, Alpha.” Slade spoke firmly, but respectfully, acknowledging their respective ranks. “I will try to find it again, but it could take quite a while and I can’t promise I’ll find the scent again. For now, this is as far as I can take you.”
The growl continued as Grif paced away, clearly upset. A moment later, he turned on his heel and strode back, appearing to come to a decision.
“All right then. You keep working on this. Call in when you have something to report. Kate, you want to come back with me or stay here?”
“I’ll stay and work with Slade. Maybe together we can find it again.” Something indefinable made her want to stay with the mysterious shifter. They all walked quickly back to the SUV. They’d need it to resume their work farther up the road.
“I’ll run back,” Grif decided swiftly and began to strip as they neared the vehicle.
In deference to Kate, no doubt, he moved behind the rental car to get completely naked. He made a ball of his clothing and chucked it into the back of the rented SUV before shifting to his cougar form and taking off at a fast lope, straight across the scrubby desert. He’d be back to his family home in no time.
“So what now?” Kate turned to face Slade.
He held her gaze for a beat too long before replying and she wondered what was going through his mind. “Normally, I’d prowl, but not with you in tow. Two feet aren’t as fast as four.”
“Are you saying I slow you down?” She shifted her weight to one side and crossed her arms in challenge.
“You can’t deny that you do, but I need your skills.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” His tone annoyed her.
Perversely, she wanted him to want her around for more than just her magical skills. She’d only known him for a few hours and already her mind was running to places it was better off not straying. They had a job to do. That was all. It was unlikely a guy like him would be interested in her. Better to not even think in that direction.
“Simple truth.” He shrugged. “I don’t expect you’re the kind of woman who tolerates lies, even polite ones.” Now he was challenging her. It felt like banter and there was a definite light of attraction in his eyes. Maybe she wasn’t the only one thinking in dangerous directions.
Rawr.
“You’re very blunt.”
“Nature of the beast, I’m afraid.” He smiled to soften his words as he began moving slowly toward the vehicle. She followed his lead, curious. “We’ll take the SUV and sniff around magically. Cover more ground that way. We might have a shot at finding something.”
“But you don’t really think so, do you?”
“Frankly, no. These guys are too good. I’m surprised we even got this far.”
So was she, but she wasn’t going to say it out loud. They needed a break. They needed to find the trail again. She would not rest until they found something and she didn’t want to say anything negative that might jinx their path.
“We’ll find it. I know we will.” Kate sent up a silent prayer as she walked beside Slade to the SUV.
He opened the passenger door for her and she tried to enter the vehicle, but he blocked her path, caging her between the open door, the vehicle and his big, hard body. Kate looked up into his eyes, surprised by his sudden move.
“What?” she whispered, unsure of his motives. Could he really be as attracted to her as she was to him?
A rumble of sound, barely perceptible from his throat was her only answer as his head dipped. His lips drew close to hers, passing over once, twice, touching lightly at first, as if testing the texture and shape of her mouth.
She needed more. Oh, so much more.
Kate lifted upward, millimeter by millimeter, closer to his warm body, his surprisingly gentle kiss. Moment by moment, she increased the pressure between their lips. She was surprised he was allowing her to control the kiss. He’d seemed more the type to take what he wanted than to seek permission.
Although… he wasn’t exactly asking permission. It was more like he was seducing her into her own downfall. By making her seek his kiss, he brought her to him, a willing victim, giving up all control to the master.
And there was nothing she wanted more at this moment than to have him deepen the kiss. She wanted to taste his essence and learn the pleasure she suspected only he could bring her. She thought she might not ever be the same.
Then he really kissed her. He turned the tables, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He deepened the connection, running his tongue along her lips until she surrendered and opened to him.
It was divine. Her temperature soared as his body enveloped hers and he took total control of the kiss and her pleasure. He was the master of her fate for those stolen moments that burned hotter than the desert sun.
And it was only a kiss. As devastating as it was, he kept it simple and to his credit, he didn’t try to push her beyond a kiss into something even more dangerous. Not at first, anyway.
She moaned a little as his arms tightened around her. She felt motion and then the hard panel of the back door of the SUV up against her back. His arms formed a cage around her, keeping her in place, but to be honest, she wouldn’t have moved away from him if given the chance. Wild horses couldn’t drag her away from Slade’s arms. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Her leg rose almost involuntarily, sliding along the outside of his as he stepped closer. He fit perfectly against her, even though he was so much taller than she. Somehow it worked. Masculine hardness to feminine yielding. She slid her hands upward, over his chest, loving the feel of him against her palms.
She wanted more. So much more.
The kiss went on and when he finally dragged his mouth from hers, she was gasping for air. Her body trembled as his lips trailed down her neck, biting gently on the skin just under her ear. It was the most delicious sensation she’d ever felt. She wanted it to go on forever.
And then the phone rang.
Actually, it beeped. Slade’s cell phone beeped incessantly, demanding attention.
He cursed under his breath, his head dipped over hers, bent as he drew in deep breaths. She was mollified to see he’d been as lost in the moment as she.
“I’ve got to take this,” he whispered, reaching for the phone clipped to his belt.
Slade eased away from her, touching the screen of the small phone and answering with a single, impatient word. He walked a few feet away, moving slowly as she just leaned against the SUV and tried to catch her breath.
Damn. The guy was potent. She’d forgotten everything in his embrace. The matriarch. The sorrow of the family. The dire situation. Their mission to find the trail.
Everything had become unimportant when Slade held her in his arms. The only thing that had mattered was the taste and feel of him. The way he touched her and seduced her senses. The way he made her feel.
Thinking had been beyond her for those stolen moments, but she couldn’t let it happen again. At least not until they’d solved the problem facing the cougars. She was sworn to aid the shifter community that had adopted her and she would do all in her power to help find the matriarch’s killers. She couldn’t let Slade—scrumptious as he was—distract her from her task.
After they’d found the killers and the crisis had been dealt with… maybe then there might be time for her desires. If Slade stuck around. For a
ll she knew, he’d do his job and leave, never to be seen again.
That thought finally made her move. She straightened from her boneless lean against the car and sat down in the front passenger seat. She buckled in as Slade talked in short, brisk sentences to whoever had interrupted their moment alone.
She should be thankful they’d been interrupted. She’d been that close to ripping his clothes off and having her way with him right there in the desert. Not normally the kind of behavior she engaged in, but this man was proving special in many different and exciting ways.
She watched him move, her eyes undeniably drawn to his tall, lanky form. He was without doubt one of the most impressive men she’d ever come across—and that included all her recent exposure to the amazingly handsome shifters that worked for Redstone Construction.
If she’d simply wanted a bed partner, she could’ve given the signal to any one of the good looking studs who lived in the housing development, but she hadn’t been interested. Not in any of them. They were fun to look at, of course, but she hadn’t felt a spark from any of the men she’d met in the past few months. Heck, not even in the past few years.
Not only did she feel sparks from the mysterious Slade, she’d felt outright lightning bolts of the most delicious kind when he’d taken her in his arms and taken control of that kiss. He knew what he was doing when it came to women, of that she was certain. But was she just a passing flirtation while he was in town? Or had he felt the same instant attraction when they’d first met?
Was she the only one drawn against their better judgment into a situation that she neither had the time, nor the courage for? He was scheduled to leave once he’d finished his work here. His life was elsewhere. He worked for the Lords and probably lived up in Montana, near them.
She just didn’t see how this situation could end well if she took that irrevocable step and gave into the attraction any more than she already had. She’d wind up with a broken heart. And would the mysterious cat shifter even think of her after he was gone? Sadly, she thought not.