by Alisa Woods
Relief trickled through him. “I’ll work on getting your equipment moved. And I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you’re comfortable. I expect you’ll be here for a while.”
“I doubt that,” she said softly. Her gaze had dropped to his chest, but she wasn’t really looking at him. Her eyes had gone dull, lost their sheen, and the sudden vulnerability of her far-away look made him want to reach out and pull her into a hug.
Which was not going to happen.
Get a grip, Kaden. “There shouldn’t be a problem with modifying your room to suit your needs. I’ll get started on it right away.” He held a hand out to take one of her camera bags. “In the meantime, why don’t you let me help you with that?”
He waited with his hand outstretched, letting her bridge the gap and close the distance.
She blinked at the floor for good five seconds, saying nothing.
He waited. Patient. There was some kind of war going on inside her that he didn’t really understand, but he wanted to. Which was another dangerous thing for him.
Eventually, she unhooked one of the straps from her shoulder and dropped the camera bag into his outstretched hand. Then she turned without a word and headed toward the back bedroom again. He watched her disappear around the corner and decided to give her a moment before following.
Besides, he needed to get his own head together.
He angled for this assignment because he wanted to make sure the girl actually stayed alive. And now that he had met her, he could see why the mayor, even though he was human, wanted her under protective custody. The city losing someone like her wasn’t acceptable. Kaden didn’t know anything about art, but he could already see something special in the artist. And just looking at some of her work during his research, he saw something he’d always been looking for in the city, but never really found—the good parts. The parts he wanted to believe were there. That he wanted to protect.
But if Terra Wilding figured out who he was, all of that would go to hell.
Including his ability to keep her safe.
Less than twenty-four hours later, Terra was going out of her mind.
She paced her tiny bedroom, but it didn’t help. She’d transformed the space into a darkroom, rearranged the sparse furniture in the house three times, and managed to avoid seven conversations with her very hot bodyguard/jailer Officer Kaden Grant. He seemed to think his job required making small talk, but that was the very last thing she could stand at the moment. And every time she caught him looking at her with those blazing blue eyes, her wolf started to pant… which was just insane!
He was human.
She’d never been with a human before, and now was not the time to start… no matter how much her body was itching for a distraction and her wolf was hungering for him. Which made no sense at all—most male wolves weren’t alpha enough to hold her attention; how could a human get her wolf all tied up in knots? The answer was simple, even if Terra didn’t want to face it: she was emotionally wrung out, and the stress of waiting for a madman to find her and kill her was playing games with her head and her wolf.
She was in a fragile state. She had to be careful.
Which was why she’d spent the last day hiding out in her bedroom and staying far from the hot temptation in the livingroom. That was the best way to avoid something she would regret. But it was a sign of the depth of her mania that she couldn’t stop thinking about the way Officer Grant filled out his clothes. He’d traded his squad car and uniform for a nondescript tan sedan and simple jeans and t-shirt—but those worn-looking jeans were perfectly snug around his muscular thighs, and that t-shirt clung to his chest like he owed it a favor.
In a word, he was freaking hot… and her body was constantly betraying her in wanting all those muscles pressed up, hard, against her.
The whole thing was driving her mad.
When her laptop pinged an incoming Skype call, she nearly cried out with happiness. Officer Grant had gotten clearance for her to take certain calls, but nothing had come through right away. She hustled over to the bed, cradling the machine and tapping to accept the call. It was from Cassie, and her bright, shining smile lit up the screen. Terra couldn’t help smiling in return. Sometimes Cassie was the only thing that reminded her what life and living were really about.
“You’re not going to believe this!” Cassie gushed.
“Believe what?” Terra laced her fingers and propped her chin on them, leaning forward so Cassie would know she had all of Terra’s attention.
“We’re staying with a real family!” Cassie said. “They’re shifters, but they haven’t been outed. They have two boys and one girl and two cats, one of which is really black and has tons of fur and extra toes!”
Terra felt a weird urge to giggle rising up through her, but it didn’t quite reach the surface. “Extra toes? Sounds like trouble to me.”
Cassie nodded solemnly. “Oh yeah. Definitely trouble. She’s always chasing after the other one. I scolded her and told her I have bigger claws than she does, so she better behave.”
This time, Terra couldn’t hold back the laugh, but it dissolved into a kind of sickly snort, and she shut it down fast. Didn’t want Cassie to know how close to the edge she was… more than normal. “That’s awesome, Cass. So this family… are they nice?”
“Oh man, I didn’t think anybody could be as nice as Mama River,” Cassie said. “But this lady—her name is Lillian—is so nice. She makes us special snacks for our lunches and treats me like I’m one of her kids. I mean, not really—I know I’m not—but I can tell. She’s trying really hard to make me feel like I’m part of the family.”
Terra had to blink back the tears. It was a valiant effort and ultimately successful. “That’s fantastic, Cassie.” She couldn’t say any more. Terra remembered their mom, even if Cassie didn’t—she was warm and funny, but a terribly bad cook. All the time Cassie was growing up, Terra tried to be her—funny and kind, and even burning dinner every once in a while just to re-create what they’d lost. Their father had disappeared into his work, and it was up to her and Trent to be the mom and dad… only they were just kids themselves.
And now Cassie had a new mom.
“I really like it here,” her baby sister said, “but I miss you.”
That was all Terra could take. She pressed her palm to the screen, and Cassie followed by pressing hers against it as well. They were touching nothing but glass, but Terra’s heart swelled so much it ached. Tears leaked from the sides of her eyes.
“Are you doing your lessons?” Terra sniffed and tried to wipe her eyes without being obvious.
“I didn’t even tell you—that’s the best part! I get to go to school again!”
Terror rushed through Terra. “What? When did this happen? You’ve only been there for a day.”
“I know, but Lillian says—”
“Does Trent know about this?” Terra interrupted her. When Cassie was snatched by the government thugs who were doing experiments on shifters, they’d taken her right off the street outside her old private school. The one her father had absently picked without checking to see if it was a decent place. A secure place.
Cassie’s smile faded. “Trent says it’s okay if you say it’s okay.” Her sister’s big, round eyes, filling up with the sadness of the world, just about killed her. “Please, Terra. I’ve been at the safehouse forever. I just want to meet some new friends.”
Guilt tore at her. Terra wasn’t a people-person at all—she was at home behind the lens, where that distancing shot allowed her to keep the cold realities of the world at lens-length—but Cassie was a budding extrovert. She was whimsical, social, and just a general spreader of joy. If Terra was going crazy being cooped up, Cassie had to be going out of her mind completely.
But Terra couldn’t lose her. Not again.
“Let me talk to Trent, honey,” she said softly. “I’m sure we can work out something to make sure you’re safe.”
Cassie brightened immediately.
“Okay.” She left the screen but was back an instant later. “Oh, and by the way, my name is no longer Cassie.” She said this very solemnly. “My name is now Shelley.” She leaned into the camera and whispered, “It’s part of my secret identity. We’re undercover, you know.”
That forced a smile on Terra’s face again. “Okay, Shelley… go get Trent for me, okay?”
Cassie nodded and disappeared from the screen. Terra heard her tromp through her new idyllic home, calling for their brother. Terra let her shoulders drop, already exhausted by the kaleidoscope of emotions.
A moment later, Trent appeared on the screen. He scanned her face, glanced over his shoulder, apparently checking for Cassie, then turned back to her. “You look like hell,” he said with a frown.
Terra smacked the screen and sent it backward on the bed. It was now face up, its keyboard dangling in the air, and Trent was getting a good shot of the ceiling.
His voice squawked in protest. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I was just concerned about you.” Trent paused. “Jesus, Terra, give me a break, will you?”
She righted the laptop and scowled at him. “What is this about sending Cassie to school?”
His hunched-up shoulders dropped. “So that’s what you’re pissed about. It’s really hard to tell with you sometimes, sis.”
No, but it will do as a substitute. “I told you to keep her safe. Why are you promising to let her roam out in public with all these maniacs out there?”
“Come on!” Anger flashed in his eyes. “Give me some credit. I’m not going to put Cass in danger. But I can’t homeschool her the way you were doing at the safehouse. And Lillian’s doing enough, taking her in.”
The tears were threatening to surface again. “I can’t lose her again, Trent.”
His expression softened. “I know. Don’t worry. I’ve got it handled.”
“How?” She knew in her heart that Trent wasn’t like their father—he wouldn’t abandon Cassie right when she needed him most—but she still needed to hear the details. And her twin brother, younger by about two minutes, knew her well enough not to fight her on that.
“It’s a small, private school,” he explained. “Tuition is insane, so it’s very exclusive. I made a donation in Dad’s name, so they’re being very accommodating with the new identity thing. Plus one of the Riverwise security guys will be escorting her there and back, every day.”
Terra pursed her lips and searched for some hole in her brother’s plan, but there was nothing she could argue against.
Trent paused for a moment. “All we need is your go-ahead. Cassie won’t go if you don’t approve of it.”
That pushed her over the edge. “Okay.” She sighed. “I know she’s feeling crazed with all this hiding out. I’m going out of my mind, too. I need to get out. Go on a shoot or something. I need new material.”
Trent’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you were locked down at this police safehouse.”
“I am.” She huffed her frustration and swept her hair back from her face.
“What are they actually doing to keep you safe?” The anger was back on his face. “You know I don’t trust those guys.”
“I’m fine.” She waved him off. The last thing she needed was for Trent to get wound up about her again… and start demanding she join Cassie in her new perfect-family hideout. “And it’s just the one guy watching over me—Officer Grant—and he’s harmless.” Well, not exactly harmless… but she was convinced he wasn’t a shifter-hater. With the looks he was giving her, he might be one of those humans who was secretly fascinated by shifters and wanted to bed down with one. Usually, male wolves hooked up with female humans—the WildLove app was all about scratching that itch—but it could certainly go the other way. There just weren’t that many female wolves around… but there were undoubtedly human men curious for a taste of wolf.
Her inner wolf was panting hard at that idea.
God, it was like her hormones were on overdrive. What the hell? She really needed to get out. And away from Officer McHottie.
“I know that look,” Trent said, obviously not too happy about it, either. “You’re planning something.”
“I just need to do something,” she said, growling out her frustration. “Before I go out of my mind.”
“Jesus, Terra.” The concern ramped up on his face. “Don’t do anything stupid. Please.”
“Thanks for the confidence.” She turned the growl in his direction.
“I mean it,” he said, his anger returning. “You need to stay put until this is all sorted out. For Cassie’s sake. Think about what it would do to her if you got yourself killed.” The strain in his voice just reminded her that her brother actually did care about her. And he was probably right.
She still gave him a glare. “I promise not to be stupid.”
He nodded, but still looked uncertain.
“Gotta go,” she said and closed the laptop before Trent could say anything more. With a growl, she shoved it away from her, and it slid nearly to the edge of the bed, but stopped. She started to pace her room again, but that was just making her more crazy. Instead, she hunted around for her boots—they were stuffed under the bed—pulled them on, and stomped out of her room.
She caught Officer Grant by surprise—he was hovering over his phone, sitting on the dingy couch—and he practically leaped to his feet, instantly alert as she barreled out of her room. She didn’t even know what she was planning, she just needed some air. She ignored his inquiring look, strode over to the window, and threw back the curtains. The afternoon sunshine leaked through the blinds, but she still couldn’t see anything, much less open the window. The cords were a tangled mess, and she yanked them to no effect—then she growled and yanked harder.
“Is there a problem?” Officer Grant asked from behind her. He’d crept up on her from the couch, and his masculine scent washed over her—earthy and sharp, like a hike on a winter’s day. Her wolf whined for her to turn around and take a bite.
Jesus. Coming out of her room was probably a mistake.
Terra nearly yanked the blinds right off the wall. Then she curled up her fists and stared at the still-closed white slats. “No.”
“That no sounds an awful lot like yes.” Officer Grant had moved even closer.
She gestured to the blinds. “Do you have any idea how symbolic this is?”
“Um… no?” He was right behind her now.
“My world has telescoped down to this.” She flicked her fingers at the blinds. “Voluntary jail bars, holding me in and blinding me by cutting off the real world. It’s an impenetrable blank slate, barren of life.”
“You’re trapped in a box.” The calmness of his voice and his words flushed something through her—heat, attraction, relief that he understood. She kept all of this locked inside, not wanting to let him know how much that affected her.
“This is a killing box. I need to get out. I need to… I need my art.” The last words came out in a whisper. She knew how weak it sounded, but she couldn’t help it. She turned around to face him. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
His face was inscrutable again, closed off and shut down. “You don’t expect much of me, do you?”
Her mouth hung open for a second. He was right. She was treating him horribly, especially given he obviously did understand, at least somewhat.
She dropped her gaze to the floor, cheeks hot. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “None of this is your fault.”
He was peering at her, trying to catch her gaze, but she couldn’t let him… that fragile feeling was back, like the pieces of her might blow apart with the slightest breeze. Or a heated look from him. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared doggedly off to the side at the blank wall of the livingroom.
He sighed, but when he spoke, his voice was soft. “It’s completely normal to go stir crazy after a while. I was hoping for more than a day—”
She whipped her gaze to meet his. “A day? I’ve been hiding out for months. Month
s. The box is different—smaller, tighter around my neck—but the prison is the same.”
The kindness in his eyes made her look away again.
“It’s going to be rough, but you’ll get through this, Terra,” he said. “It’s my job to make sure you do, and I’ve got a damn near perfect record in the department. I’m not screwing that up.” He was joking with her, but the humor didn’t reach her. Couldn’t unspool the tension that was tying her in knots.
“Can we at least open the blinds?” she asked, not looking at him.
“Sorry, no. Not safe.” But his voice was gentle.
“Can I look out?” Still not looking.
“Can’t risk anyone seeing you.”
“I’ll get my camera.”
“Terra—”
She turned to him, pleading for his understanding with her eyes. “I have to do something.”
He hesitated, and in that moment, a hundred different emotions seemed to flit across his face, so fast Terra wasn’t even sure what they were. But in that moment, all she wanted was her camera in her hand, and this handsome emotive human man in her lens frame…
His face settled into something inscrutable again. “Okay. The camera. But nothing more.”
That enlivened her, and she dashed around him to nearly sprint back to her room. Maybe she would poke the lens through the blinds and hope for something other than an alley outside. Or maybe, she would turn her lens on the most alive thing in this small, dingy hideout… Officer Kaden Grant.
She dug through her bag and was halfway back to the livingroom, when her phone buzzed in her back pocket. She dug it out and glanced at the face. It was a message from her friend, Sally. Dark haired, older but still beautiful, with a taste for Terra’s art.
Officer Grant was striding quickly to her side. “What is it?”
She showed it to him, but the alert quickly faded. “A message from a gallery owner in downtown Seattle.”
Officer Grant frowned.
Terra swiped it open and quickly read. “She has a private collector who wants to meet with me. Something about being interested in my art.” She looked up. “She says it’s a friend of the mayor.”