Shifter Mate Series Three Book Box Set - BBW Paranormal Romance: Includes Bear Boss's Mate, Werebear's Mate, Purrfect Mate (Shifter Series)

by Rayne Reilly

  She grabbed her clothes and pulled them on, recalling that when she'd gone looking for Max during the night, she had noticed Jake checking out her breasts. She felt a flush of heat in her lady parts when she thought of how he had looked at her with his lips slightly open.

  He was a very sexy man and any woman would feel lucky to have his attention. It was just a shame that she didn't have time for romance. With Axel and who knows who else hunting her down, she didn't know what was going to happen from one moment to the next. Then when it was all settled she would be moving back to her FBI job in up-state New York... Still, she wouldn't say no to just one more kiss. She sighed at the very thought.

  Smoothing her hair, she headed out of the bedroom and down the hall toward the bathroom. Max is obviously with his new best friend, she chuckled to herself. Max would be heartbroken to leave Jake; clearly, he liked him very much too.

  A few minutes later Dayna headed to the kitchen to find Jake seated at a small kitchen table looking into his cup of coffee. On seeing that he was deep in thought, she frowned.

  "Good morning," she said as she approached him. He turned in her direction, a huge smile spreading across his face. She was happy to be the one making him smile. He stood and walked to the kitchen counter where an empty cup sat in front of the coffee pot.

  "Want a cup?" he asked, nodding toward the pot.

  "Sure, thanks," she said.

  He poured the coffee and offered it to her. His thoughtfulness was touching.

  She was a little self-conscious after the way things had gone last night. Their incredible kiss had awakened so much desire in her, yet shortly thereafter, she made an excuse to go to bed. There was no denying the attraction between them, but there were other things that needed to take priority right now. She wondered if he would feel any differently toward her, since she had halted the intimacy that had been developing over pizza and that incredible kiss... But watching his face now, she could see that he was fine with how things had unfolded.

  She noticed the cream on the counter and added some to her coffee. Jake went back to his chair and sat with his hand wrapped around his coffee mug. She sat in a chair diagonally to him and took a sip of coffee, taking a moment to carefully choose the right words.

  Appearing to have a lot on his mind, she hoped she wasn't adding undo stress to his life.

  "I hope I'm not putting you out too much by being here?" she asked, hoping he would respond positively.

  "I love having you here....Did you sleep well?" he asked, without missing a beat.

  "Yes, thank you. Did you? It can't be all that comfortable on the couch," she said.

  "I've fallen asleep there plenty of times watching TV; it's fine.” He paused a moment and his face became a little more serious. He looked directly at her and spoke. "I thought I heard your cell phone a while ago. Is everything okay?"

  Dayna drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily. She wasn't surprised that he heard her phone. With his shifter hearing abilities, he could likely hear what Tim had said as well. She began to tell him what the call had been about.

  "My colleague called. He said that our phones and maybe his office are being tapped or bugged. We can't have any more contact until he gets here," she grimaced and looked down at the cup in front of her. Folding her arms on the table, she looked at Jake. "It would appear that Axel is not the only person that wants me dead."

  Jake's face flashed with anger and she thought she'd heard a low rumble from deep in his chest but she wasn't sure.

  "It's a good thing you're here with me then,” Jake replied, a furrow in his brow. “No one knows you are here and I won't be telling anyone...Maybe he's right in having no more contact."

  Pausing for a moment he spoke again.

  "What does he think he can do here anyway?" he asked somewhat sarcastically.

  Dayna clenched her teeth. She wished she hadn't told Jake about Tim not being great with shifters.

  "I think he will want to interrogate Axel when we get him."

  "That isn't going to happen...That's an SAC matter, not FBI."

  Dayna felt herself bristle slightly. "He's after me. We have a right to question him too," she stated.

  "You might. I'm not so sure I want your colleague in my station if he has an issue with shifters."

  "I wish I hadn't said anything to you about him...He's not a bad guy, he's just a little old-fashioned."

  Jake rolled his eyes and tilted his head back to finish his coffee. Undeniably, she'd touched a nerve.

  "Do you have any leads on where Axel might be?" she asked, ignoring his frustration.

  He smoothed his hand along one side of his face and clenched his jaw as he looked at her. His eyes softened when they found hers.

  "Not so far. We have a general idea...that he is over in the Bedford Road area...but no one has seen anything new...I'll be heading out soon to see if Lincoln has had any luck tracking him down. I'll get a couple of my men and head over to your place to see if there is any trace of Axel having been there. From there, we'll head into the woods in our shifter forms and see what we find."

  Dayna was intrigued by what Jake might become as a shifter. She hadn't asked him yet what type of shifter he was and wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to ask at this moment.

  Since she couldn't be involved personally in the investigation to find Axel, she wanted to know what was being done to locate him.

  "Will being shifters make it a lot easier to find him?" she asked raising her brow as she spoke.

  "Yes, it will,” Jake replied. “Being shifters, we will try to pick up his scent and track him that way." Jake puffed his chest out and sat a little taller in his chair. "I'm a pretty good tracker and known in the area for it."

  Dayna grinned at him. Though he hadn't told her what type of shifter he was, it was clear that he had some impressive skills. She hoped that he and his men would find Axel quickly and apprehend him. If anyone could find Axel and protect her, it was Jake.

  "I'd be happy to come along to help look for him," she offered, knowing that he would likely say no to the idea of her putting herself in danger. She brushed some hair off her cheek and took another sip of coffee.

  Jake shrugged a little as he spoke, "I think it might be safer if you stay hidden for now. It sounds terrible to say but it is best in these situations if you let us shifters handle it.”

  Dayna understood what he was getting at but it didn't change the fact that she wanted to bring Axel down herself. After what he had done to the innocent couple and the countless others he killed or harmed, he deserved the maximum punishment he could get.

  However, she couldn't really argue Jake's point. With a shrug of her shoulders she responded, "Well I've stayed hidden for a few months, a few more days won't matter, I guess."

  Jake rose from his chair and grabbed his cup from the table. Placing it in the dishwasher, he turned back to her as if he'd remembered something.

  "I fed Max and he's gone back to bed." He motioned with his head toward the living room where she had walked by Max curled up on what was fast becoming his favorite chair.

  Dayna smiled, "Thanks... You didn't need to do that."

  "I didn't mind. Besides he wouldn't leave me alone until I fed him."

  She laughed, "That sounds like Max."

  "He's a great cat. I like him," Jake said.

  Dayna scratched her head and stood leaning against the counter facing Jake.

  "He isn't friendly with everyone. But he sure seems to like you an awful lot. Have you had any pets?"

  "No. I wouldn't have the time for them that they deserve. I work too much."

  "I've always been a cat person, not a dog person,” she offered. “Had cats most of my life. Don't know what I'd do without Max's company, to be perfectly honest. What about you? Are you a cat person or a dog person?" she grinned as she studied his face for the answer.

  A smiled curled on Jake's lips and he looked at Dayna with his eyes lowered slightly.

  "Cat
person...I'm a cat...person," he said deliberately and winked.

  ***

  Dayna watched as Jake headed toward the front door to go to work. He turned and there was a glimmer in his eyes that wasn't there moments earlier. They hadn't discussed the kiss from last night and she wondered if he'd been thinking about it.

  "There is just one thing I wanted to mention before I go... After the way you kissed me last night, if you think you are getting away from me that easily, think again. When all of this is over, you owe me a real date and another kiss."

  He winked and broke into a sexy grin.

  Dayna felt herself flush slightly. She had felt the same way but wasn't sure that it was such a good thing.

  "About that...I..." she wanted to tell him that she thought they would both get hurt if they became romantically involved. Already, she felt more for this man than she had ever felt for anyone else.

  Jake put up his hand palm out and walked back to her again. Placing his hands on her upper arms he brought his face within inches of hers. She could feel his breath on her face. She held her breath as warmth coursed through her entire body. He spoke softly, "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy the kiss as much as I did?"

  She could see a slight curl at the corner of his mouth and licked her lips. She wasn't used to feeling such strong chemistry with someone.

  "I...well...of course I – " she stammered.

  His face spread wide with a cat-like grin.

  "See...I told you. Now, we both would be crazy if we didn't acknowledge our attraction to one another. I hope you'll consider at least one date. I know you have a job up-state but you should never say never."

  He tilted his head for a moment studying her face. Stepping back and removing his hands, she was left feeling weak in the knees. She felt sure he was going to kiss her again and was disappointed when he didn't. She hadn't met anyone with whom she had ever really thought about sharing the future. They barely knew one another yet there was no denying a natural connection that made her want to get to know him more. Jake turned and walked to the front door. As he opened it and stepped outside, he called over his shoulder, "I'll check in with you in a few hours. Don't answer the door. If you need anything at all, call me."

  Dayna giggled and hugged herself. Suddenly the future didn't seem quite so dim any more.

  Chapter Ten

  Reluctantly Jake headed out to meet his officers and Lincoln. He didn't like the idea of leaving Dayna alone. Especially now that he knew there were more people after her. When she said that she'd spoken to that bigoted colleague of hers, he couldn't help but wonder if he had something to do with her being in so much danger. He and Dayna were both trying to keep things light between them, but it was clear that they were both very worried about what could happen if the wrong people found her.

  He could tell that she was attracted to him, but also knew that she was conflicted about sticking around when the threat to her had passed. He hoped that they would have a little more time to get to know one another better. The brief kiss they shared last night left Jake feeling in no uncertain terms that she was his mate. He wanted to find Axel and see that Dayna was safe once more, in part so that he could tell her how he felt about her and how important she was to him. He hoped that when the time came to tell her, that she would accept him and stick around to be with him.

  Lincoln was waiting outside Dayna's place when Jake and a couple other shifter officers arrived. Lincoln approached Jake as he got out of the police cruiser. The officers that he brought along this time were part of his shifter squad and drove a specially reinforced van that they used to contain shifters. He noticed Lincoln checking out the vehicle with a glint in his eyes.

  "Feeling more hopeful tonight are we?" he asked in his deep voice as he motioned to the shifter van.

  Jake let out a snort, "I'd like to think that he will show up tonight or at the very least... we find his trail again. I'm getting tired of waiting around for someone to see something. I'm beginning to wonder if our tracking is off."

  "Last night I took a look around the forest area... I think I may have caught his scent again...I'll take you there and see what you think. How do you want to subdue him to get him to the van?" Lincoln asked.

  "We have reinforced handcuffs that work even if someone shifts. We'll use those. If we need to knock the guy out...then we do that."

  "Impressive. I am guessing all this fancy equipment is sanctioned by The SAC?" Lincoln asked with one brow raised.

  "Of course. Wouldn't have it any other way. Have you looked around the cabin yet?" he motioned to the large yard around the small cabin. Axel hadn't been seen again in days and it concerned Jake. He was glad he moved Dayna before Axel got to her.

  "I haven't been here long today. Not sure if there are any new tracks. Who lives here? The car is still out front but no one answers the door. I tried last night and again this morning."

  "A woman being hunted by Axel. I have taken her somewhere safe. What about your mate? Have you moved her to a safe place?"

  "I dropped her off at the police station. Figured it's the safest place right now. She didn't like it but I don't want Axel getting any ideas."

  The two men nodded at one another in agreement.

  The men joined the other two police officers from the van and Jake explained what they would be doing. Moments later, Lincoln, Jake and the two officers were undressed and shifted into their animal forms. Each went off to scent and track.

  After about an hour, Jake shifted back to his human form, with each of the men approaching and following suit. As the four men stood naked in the backyard they began to compare notes on what they found.

  One of the officers, a bear shifter, spoke up. "I can smell a werewolf at the edge of the yard. It's a new scent... one I haven't detected before today." The officer looked at Lincoln.

  "He was here outside the house, anyone else agree with me?" Jake asked the others.

  The men nodded.

  Lincoln had taken Jake to show him what he found. He spoke to the men next. "We found a den in the woods, not far from here. I think that's where he's been hiding. I'm guessing he'll return soon," Lincoln said. "We should stake out the place. I can stay at the house and wait it out."

  A plan was soon organized and the men all headed to their vehicles. Jake thanked Lincoln for showing him the wolf den as the men got dressed.

  The two officers who had arrived in the shifter van left. They all agreed to return later that evening. Jake and Lincoln remained behind to chat for a few moments.

  Looking at Lincoln, Jake spoke in a low voice, "Dayna...the woman who lives in this cabin, told me that there are people in the FBI that may be after her. It's clear that someone in the FBI is assisting Axel. Do you think any of your contacts can shed light on what's going on?"

  Lincoln shook his head in disgust. Smoothing back his hair with both hands, he kept his voice low as well.

  "I have to agree that he's being helped by the Feds but I can't say I have a clue as to who is behind his release,” he stated, shaking his head. “My contacts believe that he was probably never even booked. Instead, it appears that he was let go without any paperwork being filed. The SAC weren't notified about him. I was told about him because of my own contacts within the FBI and the police. I wouldn't have been able to track him without their help. I can check in with some and see if anyone knows anything more since I left. If he does have help within law enforcement, we don't really know who we can trust."

  Jake liked Lincoln and knew that he could be trusted. He had avoided telling Lincoln anything about Dayna until he was sure that it was safe to confide in him. Working the last few days with him, he could see that Lincoln was a good guy who just wanted to avenge his mate's family by capturing the man who murdered them. He and Lincoln got on like old friends and now that Dayna would be staying with him, he wanted to be able to talk to Lincoln about her. Lincoln had his mate and Jake hoped he would understand how he felt about this new woman in his life.
r />   When Jake told him earlier that Axel was in the area stalking someone, Lincoln wasn't surprised.

  "The guy is more beast than man. He has no conscience and will kill without thinking," Lincoln had told him. He was angry that they had to chase the werewolf shifter at all. Both Jake and Lincoln felt that law enforcement had let them down by releasing Axel.

  Jake didn't want to think about anything happening to Dayna. Right now he needed to prevent anyone finding her. Though still cautious, he was also glad that they had found where he was hiding. They were one step closer to catching him now.

  "I'll stay here if you want to go get some work done or check on Dayna. We'll meet back here at sunset. Axel will come back here no doubt about that."

  "Thanks, I'll see you later," Jake said. He jumped in his car and headed back down the road toward town and his home.

  Five minutes into his journey a feeling of foreboding and worry raced through his body. An image of Dayna flashed through his mind. His mate was in trouble, he could feel it. Pulling over to the side of the road, he dialed Dayna's number. The phone rang until it went to voice-mail. Dropping the phone onto the passenger seat, he turned on the police cruiser's lights and hit the gas pedal. Dayna needed his help. He could feel it.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dayna sat watching TV when her phone rang. Muting the television she looked at the call display on her cell, 'unknown number'. She hit ignore and put the phone on the table beside her. A feeling of anxiety rose from the pit of her stomach. She went and retrieved her gun from her purse and returned to the sofa. She knew she couldn't call Jake because he said he would be in his animal form tracking Axel. He would not have a phone with him.

  She sat on the sofa, staring at the muted television screen reasoning with herself that there was no way anyone could know where she was. It occurred to her that her phone could be traced, even though it was not an FBI-issued cell. She had bought it when she got to town, leaving her work phone back in her home up north. She wished she had joined Jake instead of staying at his house alone. Part of her wondered who else would come looking for her and she hoped Tim would arrive later that day so she could at least compare notes on what he might have uncovered that he wasn't able to tell her over the phone.