by Bliss Devlin
With an effort, he pulled back a little, giving her the chance to end the kiss if she wanted.
More than anything, he didn't want to frighten or intimidate her. She'd had enough of that already.
Shannon's eyes were closed, her expression unreadable, but as he withdrew, she leaned into him as if reluctant to lose contact.
That was all the encouragement Rafe needed. His heart was pounding, and he craved more of the sweet taste of her mouth. He kissed her more urgently.
Her hands gripped his shirt, and her lips parted, responding to him. He put his hand on her waist and pulled her hard against him, wanting to feel her soft curves.
He was already hard, achingly so, from their brief contact. To keep from alarming her, he drew her in against his side and lightly ran his other hand up her arm, then gently stroked her soft black curls, still a little damp from her shower.
She responded by devouring his mouth with unexpectedly fierce strength, twining her arms around him, reaching up to hold his face. Her passionate response was unexpected and exactly what he had been longing for.
His heart pounding, he began to tease her a little with his tongue, flicking it across her lips as he continued to stroke her hair, her neck, slipping his hand under the neckline of her robe to cup her warm, bare shoulder.
She made no objection, so he slid his hand down to cup one of her generous breasts, feeling the warm weight in his hand.
He brushed her nipple, caressing it with slow sweeps of his thumb, and she made a gratifying whimper against his lips and arched eagerly into his caress.
She yielded to him completely, opening herself to his tongue.
He ravished her mouth, driven by the sweet strength with which she clung to him.
She felt so good in his arms, so right. Rafe was fiercely aware of how long it had been since he'd had sex.
He kissed her for a blissful eternity, her skin velvety under his fingers as he caressed her throat, her collarbone, and the luscious swell of her breasts under her robe.
Then the phone—the fucking phone—rang.
Rafe was perfectly willing to ignore its shrill demand and continue kissing her forever. He felt joyful and satisfied and aching with desire all at the same time.
But Shannon jumped, startled, at the first ring and drew away from him, looking wildly around for the source of the noise.
He cast a jaundiced glance at the Caller ID and sighed. "It's Hal. He must have gotten my message."
Keeping one arm firmly around her shoulders Rafe reached reluctantly for the phone. He savored the sight of her, flushed and heavy-eyed with passion while the musky scent of her arousal filled his nose like the finest perfume.
"Hal," he said into the phone, trying to keep from sounding disgruntled.
"Got your message," Hal said, in a clipped voice. A clear sign that he was displeased. "WSS, here? This is bad." Before Rafe could explain, Hal snapped, "I'll be right over."
Then the call disconnected. "Damn it," Rafe said, staring unhappily at the receiver in his hand.
"What? What is it?" Shannon asked anxiously. Her hand crept to the neck of her robe and clutched at it.
"Hal's on his way."
Chapter 5 – Sponsored
At Rafe's words, Shannon yanked together the gaping halves of her borrowed robe and hastily retied the belt.
She could still feel the burning imprint of his mouth on hers and the lingering sensation of his fingers every place that he had touched her.
No one had ever made her feel like this before—beautiful, desirable, and desperately hungry for his next kiss, his next touch.
If they hadn't been interrupted, she knew she would have eagerly let him do anything he pleased to her.
And she would have liked it. And begged him for more.
Shannon knew she ought to be mortified at her recent behavior. Bad enough that he was an acquaintance of mere hours! Worse yet that he was a Beast Warrior, not even fully human!
Her Granda would be horrified if he knew how close she'd come to shamelessly giving herself to one of Colonel Perry's feared shapeshifters, more bear than man.
But with her pulse pounding and the place between her thighs hot and aching, she found she no longer cared about what Granda might think. She wanted more of the wickedly sweet pleasure that Rafe had just offered her.
"Hey, I'll make us some tea," Rafe said, interrupting her musing.
His voice was husky, and his grey eyes were hot with desire. Shannon wanted to rush back into his arms and hide from the coming confrontation with an angry Hal Sigurdsson.
Buy before she could move, Rafe moved past her and disappeared into his kitchen. She heard the rush of flowing water and of cabinet doors opening and closing.
Shannon sank down into a chair and tried to think. Mr. Sigurdsson was clearly an authority figure here. What was she going to do when he arrived? Granda had thought that Mr. Sigurdsson would help her if she was ever in trouble, but she had her doubts, especially after that phone call just now.
She wanted to beg Rafe to help her. But she had only known him for a few hours, and despite his offer to help, she knew she had already brought him more than enough trouble.
Besides, he had already saved her life from those wolf shifters and offered her a meal and place to stay. She couldn't really ask him for more now, could she?
At that reminder, she finally sobered from the intoxicating effect of Rafe's kisses and caresses. Now that she had finally arrived in Elysia, she needed to figure out what she was going to do next.
Even if Rafe's offer of hospitality was sincere—and she had no reason to doubt him—Mr. Sigurdsson, commanding officer or no, would surely command her to depart before she brought the fury of WSS down upon all their heads.
And even if he didn't order her to go, perhaps she should leave anyway, no matter how she really wanted to stay here and get to know the fascinating Rafe better.
Erik Redclaw and his wolf shifters knew she had escaped the plane crash. It wouldn't be long before they reported her survival to Colonel Perry, if they hadn't done so already.
Based on what she'd heard about the colonel from Granda, she guessed that Perry would not rest until he had found her and taken her to WSS headquarters.
Grizzly Peak Ranch, with its dangerously attractive owner, could only be a temporary haven for her. She should try to get as far away from Elysia as she could and lose herself among the people in a big city.
If and when Colonel Perry came hunting her, she didn't intend to make it easy for him to find her.
Yes, she would leave as soon as she could. It was the right thing to do. Perhaps there was a bus running to the nearest big city? And perhaps Rafe could loan her the fare and a maybe a bit more to pay for food until she'd found a job and could repay him?
She heaved a sigh of regret, just as Rafe returned from the kitchen with two steaming mugs that smelled of mint.
He placed one mug in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't look so worried," he reassured her. "I'll explain everything to Hal when he arrives. It will be all right, I promise."
Shannon couldn't resist covering Rafe's hand with her own.
"I don't want to make trouble for you. And I probably shouldn't stay here, Rafe. If Colonel Perry finds out that the bear shifters are here—"
"Then we'll fight him," Rafe said with fierce determination. His fingers gripped her shoulder. "I promised that I'd protect you."
"But I can't—" Shannon began.
She jumped as a door banged open and a heavy tread shook the floor.
An instant later, a giant man with a bristling mane of shoulder-length white-blond hair strode into Rafe's dining room.
He stopped short at the sight of her, and a ferocious scowl crossed his face.
Hal Sigurdsson was not happy, and he didn't try to hide it.
Rafe felt Shannon shrink back in fear at the ferocious expression on his former commander's face
, and he put his free hand on her other shoulder to steady her.
Hal's frown deepened at the gesture.
"That's the fugitive WSS is hunting? And you brought her here? Under your roof? Rafe, what the hell are you thinking?" Hal demanded.
"I'm thinking that you need to sit down and stop terrifying my guest," Rafe said, striving to keep his tone calm and neutral when his bear-spirit wanted to roar and defend Shannon. He could smell fear tainting the sweet musk of her arousal, and he didn't like it. "I'll pour us a drink, and then we'll talk."
Hal gave Shannon a searching look from glacier-blue eyes. She raised her chin defiantly and returned his scrutiny.
Rafe could feel her pulse pounding madly beneath his fingertips, though, and it roused his protective instinct even further.
"I'll be back in a moment," he said, lightly squeezing her shoulders. "He won't touch you, I promise."
He glared at Hal. "She's my guest," he repeated before leaving the dining room.
Rafe hastened to the liquor cabinet that stood against one wall of his living room, retrieved a bottle of his best whiskey, and snagged three tumblers.
When he returned to the dining room, Hal had seated himself at the table across from Shannon. They were watching each other warily, as if each were a large, potentially venomous serpent.
Silence reigned as Rafe poured a measure of whiskey into each glass and slid one over to Hal. Then he pulled one of the empty chairs over to Shannon and sat next to her.
"Skål," he said, raising his glass in a toast.
After a moment, Hal raised his glass as well.
"Skål," he responded, sounding resigned now, and drank, accepting Rafe's hospitality.
Good. He's willing to be reasonable, thought Rafe.
"Sláinte," added Shannon softly, raising her glass. She took a sip of her drink, and her eyes widened in surprise. "This is very fine whiskey!"
"It is," Rafe agreed. "Twenty-five-year-old Aultmore single-malt. I keep it for special occasions."
Hal thumped his tumbler down on the table and sat back his chair. He crossed his arms.
"Well? Are you ready to tell me what's going on here?" he demanded.
His expression was closed.
All right, maybe not as reasonable as I'd hoped.
"Shannon?" Rafe asked.
She nodded, her gaze never leaving Hal, and began to tell the story of her desperate flight from Colonel Perry.
Hal let her speak uninterrupted until she came to her rescue by Rafe. Then his keen gaze turned to Rafe.
"And the two who attacked her were Wolf Team? You're certain of it?" he asked.
"Yes. Powell and Torberg."
"Bill and Kevin?" Hal asked, his fair brows raised in astonishment. "And where are they now?"
"Dead," Rafe said shortly. He sighed. "They're still in the back of my truck. I'll build a pyre for them in the morning. They fought bravely."
"So you're telling me that the two wolf shifters tracked you from the site of the plane crash?" Hal said to Shannon. "And they attacked you?"
"Yes," Shannon said, her pale cheeks coloring a little. "I'm not lying," she added defensively.
She rose and parted the skirts of her robe, revealing one shapely thigh. Fresh bruises and scabs bloomed on her white skin, showing the unmistakable bite pattern of a wolf's jaws.
"There's a matching set on my arm, but I'd rather not show you those right now," she said.
Hal raised his brows and looked at Rafe in inquiry.
"I put her clothes in the washer," he explained hastily, realizing what Shannon's nakedness under one of his robes implied.
"Did you, now?" Hal asked dryly. "Why did you bring her here, Rafe? I thought you understood the danger we're in if WSS finds us."
"Where should I have taken her, with WSS after her?" countered Rafe. "And Shannon is as much a fugitive as we were, back then. I won't let them have her."
He took a deep breath and slipped from his chair to go down on one knee before Hal. "Commander, I beg sanctuary for Shannon. Let her stay with us in Elysia."
Hal was silent. Glancing up, Rafe saw that Hal's face was thunderous.
"I think that's a very bad idea," Hal said finally. "Despite her heart-wrenching tale, we can't be sure that she isn't a spy sent by WSS."
"She's not—" Rafe began, a growl touching his voice.
"Mr. Magnusson is kind to plead my case," Shannon interrupted. "But I do not wish to cause any trouble for him. My Granda said you'd help me if I was ever in trouble, but I didn't realize that it might bring WSS here. Just let me stay the night, and tell me how I can get to the nearest big city, and I'll leave you in the morning, with no harm done, hopefully."
"Leave?" Her words felt like a blow in Rafe's gut. "You can't leave! Not when you don't have any ID or money. I bet you don't even know where you are!"
"But Mr. Sigurdsson is right. How can you trust me? How can you be certain I'm not working for Colonel Perry?" There was no bitterness in her voice, only resignation.
"You're not," Rafe said definitively. "I can smell it when someone is lying, and you've spoken nothing but the truth so far. You're not one of Perry's creatures, and you're terrified of him."
Still on his knees, he looked up at Hal. "Come on, Hal. You know as well as I do she's telling the truth about why she came here. Grant her sanctuary."
"What if she draws Team Wolf here?" Hal answered, his expression still implacable.
"And what if she does?" challenged Rafe. "We're bear shifters, for Chrissakes, the mightiest of the Beast Warriors," he sneered. "Don't tell me that you're worried about Erik Redclaw's wolves. Or do you intend to roll over and hand an innocent woman over to Perry's errand boy?"
"Presumed innocent," Hal corrected, but Rafe could tell his former commander was softening.
"And she told me that you owed her grandfather a debt of honor," Rafe countered. "Is that true?"
"I didn't want to pressure Mr. Sig—" Shannon began, throwing Rafe a desperate look that made him all the more determined to convince Hal.
"Your grandfather? Who is he, girl?" Hal demanded, interrupting her.
Rafe saw Shannon take a deep breath. "He used to go by Liam Donlon when he worked for Whitepine Security Services," she said unhappily. "He changed his name to Liam Joyce when he left them. Escaped from them."
"Liam?" Hal's eyebrows shot up, and the tense, angry line of his shoulders eased. "Your grandfather is Dr. Liam Donlon? He's still alive?"
Shannon nodded.
"Thank God," Hal muttered. "I'd always wondered if he'd made it."
Shannon relaxed visibly at Hal's reaction. "We've been living on a little island off the southwestern coast of Ireland. It's peaceful there…or it was until I did something stupid."
Hal raised his fair brows. "Oh yeah? What happened?"
Rafe refilled their glasses with whiskey as Shannon told her story once more. Hal listened silently.
"And you're a healer, too? Liam trained you?" Hal demanded, when she had finished.
She nodded. "I've mostly used my powers on injured animals, since they can't gossip. And I run an herb shop and know how to compound traditional folk remedies…or, at least, the ones that actually work."
"And weren't you just telling me, Hal, how Elysia badly needs a resident doctor of its own, one who can accept the existence of shapeshifters?" interjected Rafe, fighting the urge to grin triumphantly.
Hal scowled at the reminder. "Careful what you wish for," he muttered.
He fixed his pale blue eyes on Shannon. "And you're really Liam's granddaughter?"
She nodded. "What did he do for you? Granda never spoke much about his days with WSS."
Hal exhaled, a great gusty sigh. "He saved my life during our escape. Healed me, even though he ran the risk of getting recaptured when he stopped to help me."
"Sanctuary, Hal," Rafe growled. "She needs our help, and we need her."
"Fine," snapped Hal. His eyes narrowed. "But there are conditions."
>
"For a debt of honor?" Rafe asked angrily. "Hal!"
"What kind of conditions?" Shannon asked at the same time, her tone wary.
Rafe rose and went to stand behind Shannon in a show of support. Hal's mouth thinned with displeasure at the gesture.
"I'll be honest with you, girl," he said. "I don't like the idea of Rafe having brought you here when WSS is hunting you, but what's done is done. And Rafe is right—I can smell that you've told us the truth about how you got here. Therefore, on behalf of the bear shifters living in Elysia, I grant you sanctuary here under the following terms: Firstly, you tell no one about us. Not friends, not family, no social media, no email…nothing."
"Agreed," she said instantly.
"Next condition," said Hal. "You can't go home again, now that WSS knows where you live. To stay in the United States, you'll need a new identity. I can get you a Social Security number and a birth certificate showing you were born here in town. In return, you agree to stay here and work as a healer for the town of Elysia for, say, seven years."
"Will I be paid as a town employee?" Shannon asked. "Or will I be running this as my own business?"
Rafe fought to suppress a grin at Hal's surprise. Shannon did not lack courage.
Hal sighed. "You'll answer to the Fire and Safety Chief on the Elysia town council—he's another bear shifter—and you'll be on call, receiving the same pay as an EMT for treating any shifter who needs your help. If you want to run a business besides, that's up to you, but you'll need to be available whenever you're needed."
"EMT?" Shannon asked, pronouncing it slowly. "So, equivalent to a paramedic?"
"Yes," said Hal. "That's a living wage, by the way. You'll be able rent a room in town…if you're not too extravagant with food and clothes."
Rafe gritted his teeth. Shannon was not going to rent a room in town if he could help it! He had more than enough room here in his house, and he was willing—no, he wanted—to feed her, besides.
"Very well, I agree to serve the shifters in this town as a healer in return for enough money to support myself," Shannon said. "I'd like to open an herb and traditional medicine shop as well."
"That's up to you." Hal shrugged and continued, "Next, you must agree to continuing education in the medical field. I have great respect for traditional healing arts, not to mention your family's unique gift, but we get a lot of tourists in town during the summer and fall months, and it would be nice to have something along the lines of an urgent care clinic in town."