by Lisa Kessler
I whispered, “I won’t let anything happen to you tomorrow.”
“I can protect myself.” She kissed me tenderly. “Someone told me I’m a badass wolf.”
My badass wolf.
But I kept that to myself.
Piper and Shane came back to the ranch with a manila folder in hand. Piper sat beside Wendy and separated out stacks of printed copies of the e-mails she’d found in her father’s files. “Okay, it looks like when my father was repairing the Nero server and accidentally stumbled over the videos of men shifting into wolves, he copied the video, but he needed more proof. It makes sense. Something like this would be too easy for people to write it off as fiction.” She pointed to her sorted stacks of paper. “He told three people at first. They didn’t use their real names, but I recognize this e-mail address as my uncle’s. He’s dead now.”
Wendy looked up. “I’m sorry. And…your dad?”
Piper stayed focused on the papers as she answered. “He’s gone, too.” She tapped the other e-mail printout. “This was someone in the military who claimed he’d seen experiments on soldiers. He mentions more than once that they need to get security clearance to expose the research.”
“Newport,” I said. “It has to be.”
“Maybe.” Piper sorted through her papers and pulled out another e-mail. “And this is the one I can’t figure out. It’s someone with money, and they’re offering to donate to back a candidate who will declassify the experiments on shifters.”
Wendy skimmed the e-mails, but the final page made her look up. “Oh god.” The color drained from her face as she looked at me. “It’s my father.”
I frowned. “His e-mail address?”
“I don’t recognize the e-mail address, but this part here.” She handed me a page with an address. “This is one of his copper mines. It’s really remote. It would be a safe meeting place if you wanted to keep something secret.”
I looked at the date and compared it with some of the others before turning to Piper. “When did your uncle die?”
“Three years ago, why?” Piper asked.
I looked over at Wendy. “When was the explosion that took your parents?”
She cleared her throat and finally replied. “Almost five years ago.”
“And when were you and Brock bitten?”
“A year later. I don’t see how it all fits together.” She searched my eyes.
I took her hand. “I think I know why Caldwell had your brother bitten. Brock must’ve known your dad was in the Transparency Collective. And if he did, Caldwell would’ve had him bitten to silence him.”
I searched through the stack of e-mails we suspected were from Wendy’s father, checking the dates. I pulled one out and set it on the table. “Here it is. Same e-mail address but it’s six months after your dad died.”
Wendy frowned. “You think Brock sent this?”
“Who else would have?” I handed her the printout. “Maybe Newport contacted him looking for money for the campaign.” The pieces were falling into place. I had that buzz when a story started to come together. I scanned the room, past Asher, Naomi and Cole until I met Vance’s eyes. “Antonio Severino had money, power, and the best assassins on Earth. He knew his server had been hacked, and he was hunting down the Transparency Collective, one by one.”
Vance nodded, following my train of thought. “It would’ve been too suspicious to kill both the father and the son. Someone might start connecting the dots. But if he made Brock a shifter, suddenly exposing us would put him at risk, too.”
“Right.” I nodded.
Wendy picked up the emails from Brad Newport. “Why didn’t Severino go after Brad Newport?”
“Maybe he did.” Vance shrugged. “Newport has our heightened senses and Special Forces training. If he’s been a target ever since Harlow juiced him up, he has every reason to see us as monsters.”
Asher stood up, pacing the room. “And that fear has turned him into our worst nightmare.”
I tracked Asher’s movements back and forth. I understood his frustration. We had threats coming at us from all sides. Evolution Defense wanted to steal our DNA, Brad Newport and the Transparency Collective planned to declassify government research and expose us to the world, and although we had eliminated the leader of what was left of the jaguar assassins that Nero had trained, we still didn’t know if they were lurking in the shadows.
It was tough to compartmentalize all of that, but he had kids to think about, too, and all the twins cared about was getting the pack together for their birthday party later this month.
I decided against mentioning the anonymous e-mails I’d been receiving. No sense adding more to Asher’s burden. Hopefully my response had scared them away, and if they did show, Ryker and Shane both worked at the bar. Between the three of us, we could handle anyone who showed up looking for trouble.
Asher faced us, his expression tense. “We’re starting to unravel this mess, but we can only focus on one strand at a time. Tomorrow, Wendy is going inside Evolution Defense. If everything goes according to plan, she’ll be bringing us a flash drive with their shifter serum research and planting a virus on the system to slow them down.”
Wendy gripped my knee under the table. I covered her hand with mine. Whatever happened tomorrow, I wasn’t going to let her face it alone. Neither one of us were born into this world, and we didn’t choose it, but we were going to see it through. Together.
I was finished fighting this connection with her. Maybe it was my destiny to love and lose. But until she found her mate, I was going to enjoy every second of her company.
CHAPTER 13
Wendy
The rest of the pack had gone home by the time Chandler walked me out to my car. The stars were bright above us. The new moon was a week away. It hadn’t occurred to me until that moment that Chandler would be shifting soon. The dry desert breeze pulled at my ponytail, carrying the scent of rabbits and coyotes.
We stopped at my car, and the idea of being alone with my thoughts for the long drive back to Phoenix loomed. I looked over at Chandler, wanting to take his hand but unsure if he’d welcome the touch. We’d kissed again, but unlike a normal relationship, I had no idea if it meant anything. In the short time I’d known him, I’d discovered his emotional shields were strong.
I sighed. “I’m not looking forward to the drive home tonight.”
“Me neither,” he replied. “We could stay here.”
“Can I ask you something?”
He nodded, his eyes meeting mine. “Sure.”
“If I asked you to come home with me, would you?” I blinked, stunned that I’d asked the question so frankly. This was miles out of my usual comfort zone. Maybe I really had connected with my badass werewolf. Maybe she’d been there all along.
“I told you I’m through lying to you.” His voice was deep and throaty.
“I’m not playing, either.” I looked up into his eyes. “I want you to stay with me. I…want you.”
His pulse kicked up as he searched my face. “I want you, too.”
“Wait.” I raised a brow. “Your heart’s racing. Are you lying to me?”
The corner of his mouth curved into a sexy crooked smile as he shook his head. “How many times do I need to say I’m through lying to you?”
I rested my hand over his heart. “Then why do I hear your pulse pounding?”
“Because—” he took my face in his hands, bending to press his lips to mine “—I’ve never wanted anyone as desperately as I want you.”
I smiled as I kissed him again, sliding my arms around his waist. His tongue slipped past my lips, treating me to the taste of his mouth. My heart thumped in time with his, my wolf clawing her way forward, making my desire for him even more primal. She yearned for that physical connection, yearned to claim her mate.
What the hell was happening to me?
I broke the kiss and struggled to catch my breath. “Let’s get out of here.”
He point
ed to his car. “Mine’s faster.”
I grinned and hustled over to the Z. I opened the passenger-side door and slipped inside. “Get me back to Phoenix.”
He started the engine and glanced my way. “Buckle up.”
The desire smoldering in his gaze had me pressing my thighs together. We couldn’t get back to my place soon enough.
By some miracle, no cops stopped us, and Chandler got us back to my house in just over an hour. The second we were inside, he pulled me into his arms, fusing his lips to mine. I dropped my purse, tangling my fingers in the back of his hair as he walked us farther into the living room.
He kissed me between each word. “Don’t…know…where…your…bedroom… Fuck it.”
The pictures hanging in the hallway rattled as he pressed me back against the wall, sliding his hand underneath my tank top. I didn’t care where we were; I just needed him. Breaking the kiss, I pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. Other than the scar on his shoulder, his tanned skin was perfect, his torso strong and muscled.
He helped me out of my tank top and sports bra before his mouth was on mine again. I moaned as his bare chest pressed against my breasts. No more barriers between us. This was exactly what I needed. I explored his back, moving my hands lower to grip his ass. He rocked his hips forward, his erection teasing me through my shorts.
Protection. Shit.
I pushed him back a little. “Wait. Do you have any condoms?”
He blinked and slowly started to nod. “Glove box.” His attention wandered over my breasts and back to my face. “Don’t go anywhere.”
A smile curved on my swollen, well-kissed lips. He literally ran out of my house to car. I’d never been this turned on, ever, and I loved knowing wasn’t just me. I took off my shorts and underwear, and kicked them aside as he came back in the house.
His gaze heated as he came toward me. Being naked in front of a man wasn’t something I’d done many times in my life, but I didn’t feel the slightest bit self-conscious with him. He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, and began to push them down when I cleared my throat.
Chandler froze, his blue eyes meeting mine. “Are you all right?”
I nodded, biting at my lower lip. “Slow down.”
He looked confused for a second. “I thought you wanted—”
“Oh, I want.” I dragged my gaze up his body, part of me surprised by my surge of confidence. “I’ve been daydreaming about seeing you naked for days. I just want to savor it.”
His nostrils flared slightly. Could he smell how aroused I was? Probably.
Good.
I sucked in a heated breath. I felt like a badass. A sexy, seductive, confident badass.
He hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans, turned his back to me, and slowly, so slowly, slid them down, exposing his perfect, muscular ass. I leaned against the wall as my knees wobbled.
He kicked his jeans and boxers aside, and looked back over his shoulder at me. “Satisfied?”
“Very.” My eyes dipped to his ass and back up. I crooked my finger at him. “I need you.”
His sexy grin warmed me all over as he turned around and stalked toward me, every bit the jungle cat, and I was his prey. His entire body was hard, tight, and chiseled. He stood before me, so close, his erection throbbed against my belly. He rested his hands on the wall on either side of my head, his lips nearly brushing mine as he whispered, “You are so damned sexy.”
I wet my lips, aching for him. “If you don’t touch me soon, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“I want to do more than touch you.” He claimed my mouth, his teeth scraping my lower lip. “I need to taste you.”
His mouth trailed down my neck, his hot tongue teasing my sensitive skin. I ran my hands up his back and into his hair as his kisses caressed my collarbone. He cupped my breasts, pinching my nipples until I gasped. I writhed against the wall, my entire body on fire with passion and need. This was a delicious new torture I’d never experienced before. I was already yearning for release and, at the same time, wanting it to last all night.
He moved from one breast to the other, sucking and biting at my nipples. How could I be so close to an orgasm already? Damn.
He licked his way lower, slowly bending his knees as I watched his lips trail down my skin. My heart raced. He was so hot, his touch a perfect blend of sensual and hungry. He swept his hand down my leg all the way to my ankle as he knelt before me as if I were a queen. I swallowed a lump in my throat as he tipped his head back to look up at me.
His gaze locked on mine, and he placed my leg over his broad shoulder. He brought his other hand to the juncture of my thighs and traced my opening, teasing me until my hips rocked toward him.
“That’s it,” he whispered as he slid a finger inside me. “I’m starving for you.”
He turned his head, licking me slowly at first until he found the right spot. My legs trembled as he nibbled at me, his tongue teasing me higher. I wasn’t sure my legs could hold me up anymore. He stabilized me with his other hand, gripping my ass and keeping me upright as I neared my peak.
My fingers tightened in his hair. “Yes!”
I surrendered to the pleasure, and the rest of the world faded away. No werewolves or jaguars, no defense contractors, only Chandler and me. My inner muscles clenched, and my legs buckled. Chandler stood up, lifting me with him. I clung to him, wrapping my legs around his waist as aftershocks thrummed through my muscles.
He kissed my shoulder, his voice more of a growl than a whisper when he said, “The condom is over by my jeans, and I’m running out of self-control.”
This wasn’t the smooth, trained voice of the news anchor. Hearing him this ragged and rough, and knowing I was the reason why, was beyond sexy. “My legs are rubbery. I don’t think I can stand up yet.”
He nipped at my neck, his husky voice just below my ear. “Then you’re coming with me.” He carried me back into the living room and slowly knelt to pick up the foil packet. “Got it.”
He stood up again without so much as a wobble. I clung to him and chuckled. “Damn. You must do a million squats.”
He chuckled. “Not everything about being bitten sucks. I like the extra strength.”
I did, too.
He smiled at me as he carried me down the hallway. “Bedroom?”
I licked and kissed the base of his neck, drinking in the way he held me even tighter. “Last door on the right.”
He laid me down on the edge of the bed, my legs still wrapped around him while he quickly opened the wrapper and rolled the condom down his shaft. I had no trouble seeing him, even though he never flipped the light switch.
He was right. Not everything sucked about being bitten.
He positioned his hips so his erection teased my core while his eyes feasted on my naked body. I wet my lips. “I need you.”
“I’m trying to savor this, but…” He sank into me, every inch of him. His fingers tightened on my hips. “I want you so bad I might…not be able to take it slow.”
“As long as you take it,” I whispered.
“You are too damned sexy.” His crooked smile warmed my heart as his thrusts heated my body all over again.
Our bodies slammed together, his thrusts coming faster as he leaned down to kiss me. I didn’t want it to end, either. Sex had never been like this for me. I’d never felt so turned on or sexy before. It was a rush.
He slipped one hand between us and found my nub, teasing me to delirium in time with his hips. “Yeah,” he growled. “Come with me…”
My nails gripped his ass tightly as my orgasm claimed me. I gasped his name, and he made one last thrust, erupting deep inside me. He slid his arm under me and carried us farther up the bed without separating our bodies. I wasn’t sure how long we lay like that, but I could’ve spent forever listening to his heartbeat under my ear.
Without realizing it, I whispered, “I give you my heart, my protection, and my life.”
Ch
andler kissed the top of my head. “What?” His voice broke the spell.
I frowned and lifted my head up from his chest. “I’m not sure where that came from.”
He ran his finger down my cheek, searching my eyes. “You don’t have to pretend I’m your mate. Even if we only get a few days before you find him, I’ll treasure every second.”
I kissed his chest. “I’m not pretending.”
From the depths of my soul, my wolf howled and then quieted for the first time since I met Chandler. “After I finish at Evolution Defense tomorrow, I need to talk to Naomi. I’m not sure what’s going on with my wolf.” I lost myself in his eyes for a second. “Would it be bad if you were my mate?”
He cupped my face in his hand and shook his head. “No.” He swallowed his breath ragged. “I’d be the luckiest man on Earth.” His gaze darkened and moved to the ceiling. “Let’s not talk about this anymore.”
I rested my hand on his chest. “Who broke your heart?”
His gaze flicked to my face. “Which one?” He smirked. “This is killing my afterglow.”
I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “I’m sorry relationships have kicked your ass.”
He ran his fingers along my spine. “What time is your appointment at Evolution Defense tomorrow?”
I flopped back onto his chest with a huff. “And there goes mine.”
He squeezed my ass playfully and kissed my head. “Now I’m in good company.”
I grinned even though he couldn’t see my face. “I’m supposed to be there at ten o’clock, but before you start quizzing me on the plan, I have the flash drives in my purse. Black one for the download and red for Vance’s virus upload. I’ll be in and out before they realize what happened.”
“I’m going to be right outside in the car.” His fingers made dizzying circles on my back. Every touch sparked my awareness and heated my blood.
“Vance, Asher, and Shane are going to be across the street, too.” I lifted my head, desperate to change the subject. I was nervous enough without playing mock scenarios in my head all night. “When are you taking me up in your plane?”
