Hunter's Passion (Cascade Cougars Book 3)

by Tia Didmon

  Racheal's lip quivered. She lowered her head and turned away. “That's a beautiful sentiment.” Her voice cracked from holding back tears.

  “Racheal?” he said.

  She smoothed back her hair and turned. “We should get started on the preparations.”

  He didn't like the resolve in her voice, yet agreed they needed to get this done. “I’ll text the boys.” He wanted the serum to help Aiden but he needed to get that computer to find a way to solidify his hold on his mate.

  Racheal would never forgive herself if something happened to Hunter. He said he couldn't live without her but she had to save him and the coyote she helped destroy.

  There was a brief knock on the door before Liam, Luca and Garrett entered the cabin. She clasped her hands in her lap, trying not to fidget.

  The men sat on the stools around the kitchen island. Hunter leaned against the counter as his brothers and friend removed their jackets. “Racheal, are you joining us?”

  She nodded, moving toward them.

  Hunter pulled out a stool for her at the end of the counter. “We need to do this quickly. I'm thinking tomorrow night.”

  Racheal startled. “You can't plan this in one evening. Jordan has been perfecting his defense systems for years.”

  Garrett, sitting closest to Racheal, pulled out his laptop and began typing. “I'm in.”

  Racheal's eyes narrowed. “In what?”

  Garrett winked at her. “Cortez Industries.”

  Racheal's jaw dropped. “Jordan said that system was hack proof.”

  Garrett chuckled. “Nothing is hack proof, honey.”

  Liam pulled his chair closed to the counter so he could lean in. “What are the security measures?”

  Garrett typed for a few seconds. “It says WDS is active.”

  They all turned to Racheal. “The WDS is a weapon deactivation system. It shuts down any metal weapon. It mimics an EMP but is designed for short bursts and effects moving parts of any mechanical weapon.”

  Luca's head snapped up. “Metal weapon? Does that mean a plastic one would be unaffected?”

  “I'm not up on weapons like Jordan is. If there is any metal present the WDS will cause it to malfunction. So, even the bullet itself will be enough for it to work. Or so I'm told.”

  Liam scratched his neck. “What if the bullets weren't metal?”

  Racheal shrugged. “I don't know the specs on that system. Only Jordan does. He wouldn't even share the plans with Kevin but he did specify it targets metal in a weapon so if there is no metal in the weapon it should work.”

  Hunter grabbed his phone. “I'll text Cade and get him to manufacture what we need.” He stopped and looked at Garrett. “Can the suits be affected by this weapon?”

  Garrett rubbed his chin. “They aren't technically a weapon.” He looked to Racheal. “Can the WDS deactivate tech like an EMP?”

  Racheal wrapped a strand of hair around her finger. “I don't think Jordan would set off an actual EMP at the facility. The results would be disastrous.”

  Garrett nodded. “I can see why this WDS system is so sought after by Kallan clients. It removes the threat in a small location, and can be activated or deactivated by the switch of a button, and doesn't affect surrounding tech. It's genius.”

  Racheal hated the admiration in Garrett's voice. She knew it was for the design, not the man who made it, yet she still felt a twinge of betrayal. She pulled harder on the hair encasing her finger.

  Garrett leaned closer to the screen. “Well, that's unique.”

  “What?” All the Cascades said in unison.

  “The security system he has engineered for the outside of the building,” Garrett said.

  Hunter frowned. “Explain.”

  “There is a low-level electrical current running over the exterior of the building,” he said.

  Liam's lips pursed. “It's electrified.”

  Garrett rubbed his jaw. “Not exactly. It doesn’t affect organic material.”

  “How do you know that?” Hunter asked

  Liam coughed uncomfortably. “We may have arranged a little recon.”

  Hunter’s expression hardened. “I'm the lair Enforcer until this mission is over. Are we clear?”

  Luca saluted Hunter mockingly. “Crystal... oh mighty...”

  “Shut it!”

  Liam laughed.

  Racheal smiled. She loved the camaraderie between them despite their circumstances. “Who’s doing the recon?”

  Hunter glanced at his phone. “Since he hasn't texted me back, I'm guessing Cade.”

  Garrett nodded without looking up. “He sent me a message before he shifted. He shot the building with a pellet gun. It caused the building to spark and set off the alarm but he observed a Guard pull the pellet out with his fingers unharmed.”

  Hunter rubbed his eyes. “So, there's a lone cougar running through the forest with a pellet gun strapped to his ass... that's not inconspicuous at all,” he said sarcastically.

  Luca leaned back. “Cade knows what he's doing. He bought a gun that is something a teenager would use for shooting targets. They'll think kids are pranking them. No one will see him and he would never tote a weapon in cat form. He'll ditch the gun first.”

  Racheal chewed on a strand of her hair. “Garrett are you able to deactivate the security?”

  Garrett shook his head. “I'm in the Cortez Industries computer which shows the systems are active but the operating system is not on their mainframe. Jordan may be running these systems from somewhere else.”

  Luca shrugged. “If it doesn't affect organic material then we climb up using our claws.”

  Racheal looked at her hands. “I don't have claws.”

  Hunter leaned on the counter in front of her. “You will. However, this time you will hold onto my neck and I'll take you up.”

  Racheal was mortified. “My weight will throw you off balance. You won't have any climbing gear.”

  Hunter looked her up and down. “You weigh nothing. My cat has been sending me ideas on how to put some meat on your bones.”

  Racheal looked away quickly. “I wasn't insinuating I'm overweight. I purposefully kept myself overly thin...” She turned back, looking him in the eyes. “Jordan hated it.”

  Hunter went to the sink to wash his hands. “So, you starved yourself on purpose, thinking you would be unattractive? Well, you failed and that doesn't explain why you continue to barely eat. You inhaled the meal I made you but haven't touched a thing since.”

  She didn't want to tell him how guilty she felt after eating so much last time. “I could still end up in their hands Hunter.”

  Hunter had grabbed a cloth to dry his hands. He threw it on the counter. “Fuck that Racheal!”

  Racheal swallowed. “You don't know them like I do.”

  Hunter’s eyes glittered. “I know enough.” He turned away opening the fridge door. “You're going to start eating like a shifter starting now. I'm making dinner. Your choice as long as it contains red meat.” His voice was threatening, daring her to disobey him.

  The Cascade men smiled.

  Her eyebrows scrunched. “Why are you so happy?”

  Liam's smile widened. “Hunter's an amazing cook. Almost as good as Mom.”

  Racheal felt her heart squeeze at the mention of the Cascade matron. The Kallans’ had no information about her. The love in Liam's voice was evident. A woman who had eight sons and still took time to teach them to cook. She didn't deserve a family like that. “What do you suggest?”

  Liam's face was quizzical, sensing the change in her demeanor. “Anything he makes is good.”

  Racheal thought back to her days with Sarah. “It's Tuesday. How about tacos?”

  Luca's head turned. “Nice! I love Mexican.”

  Liam huffed. “You love Mexican women.”

  Luca shrugged. “That too.”

  Hunter grabbed a box of hard shells and a bag of soft, holding them up. “What do you prefer?”

  “I like
hard ones.”

  Luca and Liam laughed while Garrett failed to keep a straight face.

  Hunter smiled openly.

  She looked at the men. “You're all a bunch of perv's.”

  Hunter laughed with his family. He liked the unguarded smile that spread across Racheal's face. He would do everything he could to keep it there. To make her feel safe. He frowned when she looked down at her hands.

  She fidgeted as she gave each brother a furtive glance. She was nervous around them even as she moved closer to Garrett.

  Hunter finished cooking the beef, putting Racheal's taco's together and handing them to her as he prepared his own.

  Luca stood. “I get mine before Liam demolishes them.”

  Liam huffed. “As if. You eat so fast, I'm surprised you don't shift into a pig.”

  Luca flipped his brother off then grabbed a plate. “Garrett I'll make you one first. You have a habit of forgetting to eat when you work.”

  Garrett continued to type. “Thanks.”

  Hunter watched Racheal. She was looking at Garrett with a look of regret. He wondered if Garrett represented the partner she had been looking for in Jordan. Someone to work with. Share ideas with. Someone who would know the boundaries of a healthy working relationship and not take advantage of her. When she looked down in shame, he was sure his assumption was correct.

  Hunter circled around the counter and placed his hand on her chin, tipping it back. He had planned to tell her he understood her initial fascination with Jordan's mind. That she had to stop beating herself up for not seeing the viper that lay within his brilliance, but when her face was angled toward his she licked some sauce from her lips.

  The innocent action was his undoing. He leaned down, kissing her mouth. The combined taste of honey and spice caused him to growl low in his throat. His hands went to her waist pulling her up from her chair. As his tongue dueled with hers, she pulled back. “We can't,” she whispered.

  Hunter's eyebrows went up. “Why?”

  She motioned her head toward his brothers.

  He admitted he found her embarrassment cute. “They don't mind leaving for an hour or so.” He was only half serious. He loved the shocked look on her face.

  She leaned close. “You aren't kicking your family out so we can fool around!” she hissed.

  “Fool around? Is that what you think we're doing?” he said in a menacing tone.

  She looked exasperated. “You know what I mean. We need to strategize. Garrett is doing all the work while we sit and stuff our faces.”

  His cat reacted to her desperation and her arousal. As much as it wanted to re-establish its claim on its mate, it hated the fear and contempt in her voice. She was mad and afraid. With most of that anger aimed at herself.

  Hunter inhaled her unique scent. It was as sweet and spicy as her lips had been. He wanted her. He knew his brothers would understand him putting his mate’s needs first. However, he wasn't sure she would forgive him after he seduced her. He had no doubts he could. Her scent begged him to take her. She was holding back by will alone.

  He kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear. “Alright, we strategize first but later, you will be screaming my name as I come in your ass.”

  Racheal focused on the plans Garrett had spread across the kitchen table. She watched Hunter point out all the access points as they discussed which would provide the most cover prior to transcending the roof. She pointed to the plans. “This is where Jordan and his computer will be if he is in the building.”

  Garrett pulled up a screen on his laptop. “He'll be there between eight and ten tomorrow night according to his schedule.”

  Racheal bit her lip. “While Jordan does eventually show up to his appointments at Cortez Labs, he’s often late.”

  Hunter squinted. “Doesn't that go against Kevin Kallan's business principles?”

  Racheal nodded. “It does. Jordan is never late to an appointment with his father but his mother...”

  Garrett tipped his head. “Then we're good to go. Jordan is meeting Kevin at the facility.”

  Racheal stepped back. "WHAT. You can't infiltrate the facility while Kallan security is on site. Jordan's parents barely tolerate each other now. He hates it when they meet. Even the smallest thing could set them off. We could end up in the middle of a war.”

  Hunter pulled her close to his body. “That, my love, is what we're hoping for.”

  Racheal's eyebrows scrunched. “You want them to fight? Do you understand what will happen? They both have super-soldiers the loss of life would be... catastrophic.”

  Hunter's eyes glinted. “Those men signed on with the devil via Cortez or Kallan. They're not only aware of the atrocities being carried out they are participating in them. You know...”

  She put her hand on his chest. “I know full well what they are capable of. I also know not all of them enter the program willingly.”

  Hunter’s voice dropped. “The program?”

  Racheal nodded. “That's what Jordan calls it. I’m not up on the specifics.”

  He kissed her forehead. “We'll find out everything we can after we get Jordon’s data. For now, we focus on getting the serum for Aiden and finding out what poison Jordan used on you.”

  “Okay. What's the plan?” she asked.

  He pointed to the forest on the south side of the building. “We'll be here. You and I will sneak across the compound on this side while the boys are on the other. Once we get up the side and onto the roof, they'll create a distraction. You and I will slip into the research lab and download the data off Jordan's computer before heading over to the animal lab.”

  “How are we getting between the two with all the commotion?” she asked.

  Luca ran a finger along the diagram. “The ventilation shaft that you will access from the roof also runs between the two labs. You will crawl between them.”

  She looked closely. “We won't be able to exit the building from the roof after the fighting starts.”

  Liam nodded. “No. You will exit the window in front of us. Cade's firepower will provide cover.”

  She startled. “He can't come near me.”

  Hunter put his hand on the small of her back. “He won't he'll be in the trees using a sniper rifle.”

  Racheal let out a slow breath. “How do we get Jordan's data? I'm not a hacker.”

  Garrett pulled out a silver flash drive. “Just insert this into his laptop. I'll do the rest.”

  Racheal swallowed loudly. “You're sure you can get past his encryption?”

  Garrett smiled. “Honey I have no intention of getting past his security. That's what he expects. I am going to copy everything but not open a single file till I have that drive backed up and in a Faraday cage.”

  “What's that?” Liam asked.

  “The computer is encased in a box that blocks electromagnetic fields. It has no way of infecting or accessing nearby networks. I don't want Jordan finding out his data was retrieved. I'm sure he'll have plenty of fail-safes. I plan to take them out one by one for as long as it takes.”

  “They'll corrupt the remaining data once you trigger them.”

  “Yes, but I will have hundreds of copies if needed and will get through his walls one layer at a time.”

  Racheal looked at Hunter. “He's brilliant.”

  Hunter smiled. “He is. We try not to say it right in front of him though. Cougars can get pretty inflated egos."

  Garrett rolled his eyes. “I'll try to remember that when Cade is kicking my ass on the range.”

  Racheal's smile was short lived. All these men would risk their lives for her and the Coyote she destroyed. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She felt the first tingle in her wrist as it traveled up her arm.

  Her body began to heat. The fiery blaze swept under her skin, making it hard for her to take even breaths. She fought for control of her treacherous body. Her vision wavered as she kept her eyes firmly on the table, pretending to survey the plans. Her entire body tensed.
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  Hunter’s hand touched her chin, tipping her head up. “Racheal?”

  Her voice cracked. “Hunter. I'm sorry...”

  He kept contact with her amber eyes. “Everyone out.”

  Hunter's cat surged to the surface as the men quietly left. His incisors lengthened with the urge to mate. He battled his horney cat. His eyesight banded as he watched his fully aroused mate.

  His voice was low. Dominant. “Take off your clothes.”

  Racheal blinked rapidly as if she could force the amber glow from her eyes. “We should be focusing on...’

  He growled. “That wasn't a request.”

  Racheal’s nipples peaked under the cotton dress. She slipped the straps from her shoulders, exposing every luscious inch of creamy skin.

  Hunter closed the distance between them, pulling her naked body against his own. He tipped her head back, holding his lips just above hers as her hands rested on his sides. He inhaled the sweet, spicy scent of her arousal. “I want to mark you so bad my dick hurts,” he confessed.

  “You can't,” she pleaded.

  His eyes narrowed. “Racheal, I won't mark you because it could endanger your life but you are mine, and before you leave this cabin you will commit to me body and soul. Are we clear?”

  She struggled. “No. I...”

  Hunter held her tighter. “This isn't a debate. You're mine. You'll beg me to make you mine before this night is through, then you will scream my name as I come in your ass.” He smashed his lips to hers.

  His tongue swept forcefully between her lips, tasting her desire. His hands slipped over her skin at the small of her back to cup her firm ass. He pulled her tighter against his body, reveling in the feel of her soft flesh pressed against him. His cock strained against the material confining him. He whispered in her ear. “Get on your knees and remove my pants.”

  Her breathing was uneven as she lowered herself to the floor in front of him. Her hands tentatively undid his jeans. She looked him in the eyes as she slid them down his legs. His cock sprung free, touching her lips as he stepped out of them, fisting his cock.

  Racheal's eyes dropped to watch him slid slowly up and down his shaft. She licked her lips with a glint of amber in her eyes.

  Hunter grabbed the back of her head, guiding his cock to her mouth. “Put your mouth on me.”