He placed a finger on her lips and smiled. “Baby, I understand. I would have done the same thing."
"They didn't believe me at first that you weren't a bad guy. They'd believed all the news reports that you'd kidnapped me, but I explained everything to them. Rogan and Wade were even eager to demonstrate for them what exactly I was talking about by calling you guys shifters."
Noah's brow knit with confusion. “They? I thought you said you only called your father?"
Lanie blushed. “Yes, well, my mother is here too. There was no way I could tell her to stay home, not when her baby had been missing for days."
Noah grinned. “Well, it's good of your parents to give us the master suite.” He looked at the bathroom door not too far away. “I feel so honored."
Lanie rolled her eyes just as Rogan walked in with a wide smile.
"Looks like that bastard didn't kill you after all, Tiger."
"Yeah, for a while there, I thought Tam had gotten the best of me."
"I was talking about Lanie's father.” She hit him square on the shoulder and he yelped, rubbing his battered appendage. “Ow!"
"You deserved that, Mr. Wolfe,” she said.
"Guess I did,” he said with a chuckle. “How could I dare say anything bad about the two most wonderful people on the planet? I think your mother makes the best biscuits in the state."
"You're probably right,” Lanie said with a grin of her own.
"I'm surprised they didn't kick us out after they saw us shift,” Rogan said. “But they sure did scream loud enough to wake the dead. I doubt there's many folks who would be so accepting."
"They don't have much choice,” Lanie said with her hands on her hips. “I intend to make one of you shifters their son-in-law."
Rogan's loud guffaws rang out through the room. “Now here I was thinking it was the man who was the one to propose."
"Noah already asked me,” Lanie whispered with a blush. “He asked me to be his mate. For always."
"Well, I can only assume you said yes,” Rogan said, batting his eyes.
"She said yes and oh, God and all sorts of colorful things after I asked her,” Noah said, his eyes twinkling.
"Did she now?” Rogan hitched his eyebrows.
Lanie gasped and covered her mouth, shocked that Noah would say a thing like that. But it did prove one thing—he was no longer at death's door.
"I'd smack you, Noah Carpenter, if you weren't already an invalid!"
"Ooo, ouch!” Rogan said, licking his finger and drawing a tally mark in the air. “Game, set, and match!"
All three of them chuckled. After a few moments of silence, Rogan sobered and sat on the edge of the bed. “Look, Noah, I wanted to tell you something."
"What?"
"I think Justin was right about the government being involved with B*E*A*S*T*. I found my file on their mainframe computer, and I was in the military too. The Marines just like you and Justin."
Noah stared at his friend. “That can't be a coincidence."
"No, I don't believe it is."
"So what the hell do we do?” Noah asked.
"Well, the good news is that we released all the shifters, so anyone who tries looking for them has a long list to choose from."
"And the bad news?"
"I'm sure our names are on the top of that list. I don't think for one second that whoever was running the show at B*E*A*S*T* is going to let this ‘mishap’ slide. If anything, I think we just declared war. And the fact that it was you and me who stormed their compound will make us particularly wanted by the higher ups. They've got us in all our glory on B*E*A*S*T*'s video footage."
Noah closed his eyes and sank against his pillow. Would it never end? How long was he going to have to run from these people? And how could he offer Lanie a life on the run? He knew she wanted to settle down, to return to her life and have a white picket fence. And Noah was beginning to believe that he could never, ever make that dream come true. Shaking his head at the hopelessness of it all, he took a deep breath and sighed.
"We're screwed."
Thirty-Six
Lanie snuggled next to Noah as he pulled her close. The bed they lay on was small, but all the better for cuddling. Night had fallen once more, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of their breathing. She knew he wasn't sleeping, because his fingers were tracing lazy circles on her belly under her nightshirt.
"What are you thinking about?” she whispered, breaking the stillness of the night.
"Your mother's biscuits,” he said mischievously. “I think Rogan is right about them being the best in the state."
Lanie chuckled. “Well, I think you packed away enough for a small country."
"Mmm, it was worth it,” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. After a few more moments of silence, he said, “Do you feel any different?"
Lanie turned her head to look at him, but he was only a shadow in the dark. “What do you mean?"
"Did they ... do anything to you at B*E*A*S*T*? Do you remember anything?"
She took a deep breath and said, “I remember being chained to a wall in a pitch-dark room with Tam. I wasn't wearing any clothes, and he was ... sniffing me."
Noah's body tensed. “Did he touch you?"
"Yes,” she whispered.
"Did...” He paused to swallow. “Did he..."
Lanie shook her head on the pillow. “I don't think so."
"You don't think so?"
"Well, I know he didn't while I was conscious."
Noah growled and pulled her closer. Now he was sniffing her.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for his scent. If I can smell it, then I'll know."
"But it's been a couple of days, Noah. I've showered since then."
"Doesn't matter. Mating releases many different scents—heavy scents that linger for days. If he violated you, Lanie, I'll know."
Noah moved down her neck, inhaling as he went. Lanie tried to ignore the intense yearning she felt at that moment. She shivered as he moved lower, bunching up her shirt to smell her bare skin.
Swallowing hard, Lanie said, “He did tell me that I needed to be cleansed. That I was going to be made into a panther like he was."
"Those were his words?” Noah asked, ceasing his erotic breaths. “That you needed to be cleansed?"
"Yes."
"Then he did not mate with you. My scent was still permeating from you, marking you as mine.” As he spoke, his hand slid up the inside of her thigh. “He wouldn't have been able to stand smelling me while joining with you."
"Noah, what are you doing?” She panted, trying not to sound too obvious as to what he was doing to her libido.
He chuckled. “It's been a damned long time."
"Only a few days..."
"A damned long time,” he repeated, kissing her belly.
"But you'll hurt yourself."
"Not if you're on top."
Lanie gasped as she felt his tongue begin a sensual ascent up her skin. He didn't stop until his mouth had claimed one of her breasts, his tongue swirling back and forth slowly, igniting her passion.
"We shouldn't do this,” she said with a groan, but she didn't do a thing to stop him.
"You're probably right,” he answered. “But how can I resist when I can smell that you want me?"
His hand found its target and gently rubbed her aching skin through the fabric of her panties. Lanie couldn't help it; she arched into his hand, opening her legs a little wider.
"See what I mean?” he said, a grin audible in his voice.
He didn't bother pulling off her panties, he merely pushed the fabric aside and continued, running his fingers up and down her slick skin. Lanie moaned loudly, threading her fingers through his hair.
His tongue flicked her nipple, the heat of it driving her wild. They had yet to make love at a leisurely pace, and Noah now seemed determined to take his time.
"I don't have a condom, baby,” he whispered.
&n
bsp; "I don't care."
"You sure?"
Swallowing hard, Lanie said, “I don't think it matters. Rogan told me that according to his file on B*E*A*S*T*'s mainframe, he's sterile. He believes they made all their shifters sterile."
Noah was quiet for a long time.
"Don't think about that now,” she whispered, pulling him back up to kiss his mouth. “Let me make love to you."
"God, Lanie, how can you possibly want to stay with me?"
"Because I love you."
Without giving him any more opportunity to argue, she kissed him and pushed him back onto the pillows. Slowly she peeled off his briefs while trying to wiggle out of her panties at the same time. She sat up and tossed her nightshirt over her head to land somewhere across the room.
"Lanie—” Noah began, but she interrupted him.
"Noah,” she said, crawling over his body. “Shut up."
As she slicked his hardened flesh with her own moist heat, she leaned over him and took one of his nipples in her mouth.
"Right,” he said as he took a shuddering breath. “No more talking."
He guided her hips over him with his left hand, reaching up to cup her breast with his right. Lanie gasped and bit her lip as she took him inside of her, easing down inch by inch. Once he was fully sheathed, she began her rhythm—short, sharp thrusts that felt so damn good that she wasn't sure she'd be able to last much longer.
"Lanie,” he whispered, following her tempo.
"What?” She grasped his hand and threaded her fingers through his.
"I love you, baby. With all my heart."
Tears welled in her eyes at his words, but she couldn't answer him. Shuddering against him, the waves of her pleasure rocked her to the very core, but she continued her thrusts until Noah joined her in release, pulling her down for a savage kiss.
Lanie collapsed on top of him, but he held her there, unwilling to let her go just yet. They were both panting, and Lanie couldn't resist giving him soft kisses on his chest. After a few minutes of breathless silence, she felt his chest rise and fall sharply a few times. Was Noah crying? Pulling up her head, she gazed at him and saw moisture in his eyes.
"What's wrong?” she whispered, smoothing the hair away from his face.
"What can I possibly offer you?” he asked in a broken voice.
She gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about?"
"I'm a freak who'll be hunted by B*E*A*S*T* until the day I die, and they won't be satisfied until I'm cold in the ground. Rogan's right in that regard. More than anyone else, they'll be after us with both barrels, and they'll make sure that anyone we love is either tortured or dead themselves. I can't give you a stable life, Lanie. I can't give you a nice house in the suburbs or a fancy car, or hell, even children!"
He took her face in his hands.
"Just because you're my mate, I don't want you to feel that you have to stay with me. I've ruined your life so far, baby. If you stick with me, there's no telling what will happen."
"Noah, do you know what I was before I met you?” she said. “The manager of a bookstore. And I wasn't just the floor manager, I managed what books they did or didn't order, I made the schedules, and stocked the shelves. Do you think for a minute that I'd choose that over you? No matter what you are, I'm in love with you. No matter where you go, I want to go there too. No matter who you're running from, I'm running from them too. And if you're sterile, it's not the end of the world. We'll work through it."
She paused to kiss him gently.
"See, I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Maybe it's destiny, maybe it's fate, but that night I swerved on the roadway was the best night of my life because I met you. I think about what my life would be like if I hadn't met you, Noah, and I shudder. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I intend to keep you."
"Even if it means seeing your family only once in a blue moon? Even if it means we might have to leave the country?"
"Even if all that,” she answered as she wiped the tears from his face. “I know everything I'm risking by staying with you, but you are my mate, and I don't take commitment lightly. So you need to tell me right now if you want me with you, because I don't ever want to hear you talk like this again. You get me?"
Noah chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Of course I want you with me, baby. For always."
"Then it's settled."
"We'll have to move on soon. We can't stay at this cabin forever."
"I know. My dad's given me one of his no limit credit cards. He said he won't report it stolen and he'll pay for any charges we rack up."
"He doesn't have to—"
"He wants to, Noah. And I'm not saying no to my father."
Noah sighed but said nothing.
"How's your arm?” she asked a few minutes later.
"Hurts like hell."
"I'll get you some more medicine,” she said, rolling off him and standing up from the bed.
"Or you could just make love to me again,” he said.
Lanie scoffed with her hands on her hips. “You'll just aggravate it even more."
"Let's find out, shall we? Come back to bed, baby."
"Noah—"
"Lanie,” he said with a grin. “Shut up."
Thirty-Seven
The next morning, Noah insisted on getting out of bed. He figured if he was well enough to make love to Lanie, he was well enough to walk around. She made him a sling for his arm, and when he emerged from the bedroom wearing clothes borrowed from Lanie's father, he found both Wade and Rogan on the couches enjoying a show on TV.
"What are you watching?” Noah asked.
"Shh!” Rogan hissed, making a face. “We're about to find out who's the real father of Jessica's baby."
Noah chuckled and took a seat next to his friend. It wasn't until the commercial break that Rogan finally turned to him and smiled.
"Looks like you're feeling better this morning, Tiger."
"Yeah,” Noah replied. “Much."
"Sounded like it too,” Wade piped in, hiding his smile behind a cup of coffee. “Oh, sometime around 2:30 a.m."
"Damn straight.” Noah winked and tossed a grin in Lanie's direction, making her blush clear to her roots.
"Can't expect the man to deny himself when he went through hell to get his mate back, for heaven's sake,” Rogan said, rolling his eyes as if that were a given.
"Exactly,” Noah said, nodding.
Wade just continued to grin, drinking his coffee.
"Hey, Rogan,” Noah said. “I wanted to ask if you guys got a chance to bury Justin."
Rogan's expression turned somber. “Yeah, the day we got here. Buried him near a big overturned pine tree."
"Would you mind taking me out there?"
Rogan looked at him a moment before he grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. “Not at all, Tiger. Just let me get my shoes on."
Noah stood and walked into the kitchen where Lanie was making herself a bagel and cream cheese.
"You hungry?” she asked.
"No, I'm going with the guys to say a few words at Justin's grave. Will you be all right?"
"Go,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “I'll be fine here. I'll catch up with the family. But don't overdo it."
"Don't worry, I won't. Love you."
"Love you too, Tiger."
Noah raised his brow at her but said nothing. Instead, he swept her into a long, passionate kiss that he hoped she could feel clear to her toes.
"Ahem," Rogan said, pretending to cough behind his hand. “Forest is this way, big guy."
Giving Lanie a wide grin, Noah smacked her backside before walking out the front door.
The morning was crisp and cool, with a fresh layer of snow on the ground. The Hummer they had stolen from B*E*A*S*T*—a yellow one this time—sat a few feet away, along with a white Lexus that Noah could only assume belonged to Lanie's parents.
Rogan and Wade led him down a path around the back of the
cabin that seemed to go on and on. After about ten minutes of walking, Rogan stepped off the path and began weaving through the trees until he came to an overturned pine tree that looked as if it had been struck by lightning years before. Near the trunk of the tree was a small, fresh mound of dirt.
"We buried him pretty deep,” Wade said. “So the scavengers wouldn't get him."
Noah nodded and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “We all figured it would come to this. Justin wouldn't listen to anyone."
"To be fair,” Rogan said, kicking the snow with his shoe, “he had a damn good reason to want revenge on Tam."
"He did indeed.” Noah took a deep breath and sighed. “Justin was a good man. He helped me out of more than one tight spot, and I'll never forget him."
Rogan and Wade both nodded, and Rogan said, “He died fighting for what he believed in."
Noah ran his left hand through his hair and smiled. “Hey, you guys remembered to take off that GPS locator on the Hummer, right?"
"First thing to go,” Rogan said.
They all chuckled.
"Goodbye, Justin,” Noah whispered, bowing his head. “Wherever you are now, I can only pray it's better than the hell you had to live through on Earth."
"Here, here,” Rogan agreed.
All three men turned back toward the path. They walked in silence for a bit before Noah said, “Rogan, Lanie told me you read in your file at the compound that you were sterile. What makes you think we all are?” He could have sworn he saw Rogan blush.
"Well, my file specifically stated that I was made sterile, not that I was sterile. If they gelded me, it's a safe bet that they did it to everyone else. I mean, think about it. We're mutants. Whatever the hell we are, those scientists were playing God with our DNA. If we were to reproduce and have children, who knows what kind of monsters our offspring would become."
Wade shivered at his words. “Good thing,” he said as he trudged through the snow. “Don't want kids anyway."
The B*E*A*S*T* Within Page 17