by J. C. Diem
“He only joined the squad to get into Alex’s pants,” Yas said.
Liam nodded to confirm it. “Alex told me he said he wants her to be his mate because of her family connections.”
“Ew,” Syd said in distaste. “I know he’s good looking, for a werewolf, but I wouldn’t wish him on any female now that we know him better.”
“I disliked him as soon as we met him at the Shifter Corps base,” I said with a grimace. “I’m not interested in him, but he doesn’t even seem to care.”
“He’s an alpha,” Brynn said dourly. “He’s used to getting what he wants.”
“The lad is going to be sorely out of luck this time,” Crowmon said with a mischievous smirk. “He’s already had a taste of how unpleasant his life will be with us. That’s just the beginning and he doesn’t even know it.”
Yas cackled evilly and the rest of us couldn’t help but smile. Agent Franko had made enemies rather than friends with his snobby attitude when it came to vampires and zombies. He wasn’t welcome here and we were going to do our best to drive him away.
“Did you let Agent Steel know that Franko wants me to be his mate?” I asked Liam.
Pushing his now empty plate away, he nodded. “He said he’d make a note of it,” he told me.
“I guess it wasn’t enough to get rid of him,” I said in disappointment.
“Apparently, almost getting you killed wasn’t enough to tip the balance against him either,” Nick said.
“What’s it going to take?” Yas asked in exasperation. “Is he going to have to set Emma on fire, or blow my brains out before Mark will fire him?”
“He wouldn’t dare,” I said with a frown.
“Roadkill and I are less than nothing to the alpha hole,” my bestie said almost scornfully. “He’d wipe us both out without a second thought and we all know it.”
We knew she wasn’t wrong and exchanged uneasy glances.
“Keep your eyes on Franko,” Liam requested. “Warn Yas and Emma if you think they’re in any danger from him. I don’t want to see either of our agents hurt.”
Emma leaped off the couch and scampered over to the table. She scaled Liam’s body and hugged his neck. Tears rose to my eyes at her sign of affection. Liam looked at me with a raised eyebrow as he petted her.
“She’s happy you think of her as an agent rather than just a minion,” I told him.
“Emma is part of our pack,” he said gruffly. “We feel the same way about Zeus.” Emma immediately released him and yanked on his hair. “Ow! What was that for?” he complained and rubbed his scalp. Everyone cracked up at her jealous tantrum, except for our surprised leader.
The squirrel jumped from shoulder to shoulder until she reached me, then glared at him as she hunkered on her favorite perch. I had to wait for my laughter to fade before I could reply. “Zeus is her mortal enemy,” I said. “She hasn’t forgiven him for biting her in half.”
“I have to meet this animal you keep talking about,” Crowmon said with a grin.
“I can call mom and ask her to send Zeus to visit us,” Nick offered.
Emma leaped onto the table, snatched up a saltshaker and threw it at him. Brynn caught it before it could smash into his forehead and shook her finger at the squirrel. “Behave, Em,” she said in admonishment.
“Like it or not, Zeus is a part of this pack,” I told the sullen animal when she returned to her spot on my shoulder. Turning her back on me, she hid behind her tail, so she didn’t have to look at me.
“It never gets boring being around you people,” Crowmon said in amusement. “I don’t remember anything about my former life, but I’m almost certain I’ve never met a stranger bunch than you lot.”
“I guess we’ll never know, unless you get your memory back,” Yas figured philosophically.
Chapter Twelve
TOO TIRED TO STAY AWAKE any longer, we all headed to bed, leaving Crowmon to watch TV alone. I took a quick shower, then felt alarm coming from Emma. I switched the shower off and hastily threw a towel around myself, sensing the squirrel beginning to panic. Her thoughts were too jumbled for me to make sense of what was going on.
Darting into my bedroom, I saw Emma sitting on the dresser, wringing her paws in distress. “What’s wrong?” I asked when I didn’t see any danger. Her response was to point at the crystal angel Crowmon had given me. It took me a second to realize her figurine was missing. Taking a deep breath, I faintly smelled Heath’s scent and my lips thinned. “The alpha hole took your squirrel!” I said in fury.
Emma flung herself at me and I caught her and hugged her to my chest. Yas felt our emotions and banged on my door loudly enough for me to hear her. She wasn’t alone in the hallway when I opened my door. “What’s going on?” my bestie demanded as she barged inside.
No one raised an eyebrow at my dripping wet hair, or the towel that clung to my damp body as they all piled inside. Even Crowmon joined the team as they wildly looked around with their guns drawn.
“Franko stole Emma’s squirrel,” I said, quivering with anger for my tiny minion.
“He did what?” Syd asked incredulously. “Why the hell would he do that?”
“I can taste the alpha’s scent in here,” Brynn verified as she crossed to the dresser. “He definitely took it.”
“It has to be payback for Emma bringing him back here after he almost smashed his Corvette into the truck,” Nick figured.
“He was furious when she dumped him here,” Liam added. They holstered their weapons now that they knew they didn’t need to shoot any intruders. “He said he’d get back at her, but I didn’t think he’d do something this childish.”
“Can you bring it back to her?” I asked the deity.
Crowmon shook his head regretfully. “I can only use telekinesis if I know the location of the object I want to retrieve,” he said. “I can get Emma another figurine.”
Emma’s nose twitched in response. “She wants the original one you stole for her,” I told him. “She’ll be devastated if she doesn’t get it back.”
Liam took his cell phone out and called our missing team member. “He isn’t answering,” he said with a frown.
“Now I know why he looked so smug,” I said, stroking my hand up and down Emma’s back soothingly. “I knew he was up to something,” I added darkly.
“The alpha hole made a grave mistake,” Crowmon said craftily. “He’s just opened himself up to a world of hurt. No one messes with our pack and gets away with it.”
“He shouldn’t take things that don’t belong to him,” Yas added. “He might find something he cares about going missing in return.”
“Tit for tat,” Syd said with a nasty grin. “Let’s see how he likes it if his beloved Corvette goes missing.”
“I didn’t hear that,” Liam said. “I’ll deny any involvement in this plan you’re cooking up.” His tone was serious, but I saw the vindictive glint in his eyes before he ambled out of my room.
“We’ll get your squirrel back, roadkill,” Yas vowed and petted Emma. “We’ll make that douche nozzle pay for stealing it.” Emma reached up to grab her thumb in silent thanks, then let her go.
Feeling exhausted by now, I waited for everyone to leave, then locked my door again. I blow dried my hair, changed into pajamas, then crashed as soon as I climbed into bed.
Ever since Jax had left the team, I’d been having frequent dreams about him. The same thing happened again now. He seemed lost and confused and he didn’t recognize me when I tried to talk to him. I wasn’t astral projecting to him. It was just my brain torturing me with how little he cared about me.
I woke up a few hours later feeling sad and lonely. Emma woke up despondent and listless. I got dressed and carried her downstairs. “Any word from Franko yet?” I asked Liam when I saw him sitting in the coms room.
“Not yet,” he replied. “His phone is either turned off, or he’s ignoring my calls and messages.”
“He’s doing it deliberately,” I said with a scowl. “I bet he
’s going to take his time driving home, so he can torture Emma for as long as possible.”
My prediction turned out to be accurate. It was almost midnight when the herd alerted me that a car was approaching. “The douche nozzle is here,” I said to everyone. We’d all waited up for this. None of us were particularly tired, since we’d slept for most of the morning.
Franko still didn’t have a device in his Corvette to trigger the gate to open. Liam used the computer table to let him in, then waited for the sports car to reach the garage. He opened the door and returned to the living room to wait.
Heath’s prints had been added to our computer system, so he was able to let himself into the hallway, then the main living area. He grinned nastily when he saw us all waiting for him. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting a welcome home party,” he said sarcastically.
“Where is it?” I demanded.
“You’ll have to be more specific than that, Agent D’Ath,” he drawled with malicious pleasure.
“You stole Emma’s crystal figurine,” Liam said flatly. “Give it back to her right now, or I’ll banish you from the squad.”
The rookie scowled and shot the zombie a look of pure hatred. “I didn’t steal it,” he said sullenly. “I just borrowed it for a joke.” He took the figurine out of his pocket, then threw it at Emma as hard as he could.
Yas reached out almost casually to snag it out of the air, proving her reflexes were far better than anyone else’s. “Here you go, roadkill,” she said and handed the squirrel to the squirrel. Emma grabbed hold of it and hugged it to her furry chest, while glaring at her enemy. Her hatred for the alpha was just as strong as her dislike for Zeus now.
“You’re on notice, Agent Franko,” Liam said in a cold tone. “One more stupid antic like that and you’re off the team.”
“Is that right?” Heath said in suppressed fury. “It’s okay for someone to fill my bed with pinecones, but it’s not okay for me to play a prank on a stupid zombie.”
“Emma is a valuable member of the squad,” Nick said in her defense. “So far, she’s proven to be much more useful than you have.”
Going rigid at what he saw as an unforgivable offense, the newbie stared at Nick in disbelief. “I’m an alpha werewolf and everyone in this room is beneath me. How dare you say that rodent is more valuable than I am?”
“It’s the truth,” I said hotly. “So far, all you’ve done is annoy the hell out of everyone and almost get Emma and me killed. As far as I’m concerned, we’d be better off without you.”
He switched his gaze to me and his anger became palpable as his alpha power swelled. “You will never speak to me like that again, Alexia Levine-Garrett,” he growled.
My tattoos flared up and the agony overrode the compulsion to obey his order. For once, I was glad the spells punished me at the mere mention of my heritage. “Screw you, alpha hole!” I gasped around the pain.
Face going red with rage, Franko took a step towards me and Yas was suddenly standing in front of me. “You look tired, douche nozzle,” she said and unleashed her vampire mojo on him. “Why don’t you go to bed?”
“I’m tired,” he said in a dazed tone as he succumbed to her magic. “I’m going to bed.”
We all waited until he was in his room before letting out a collective breath. “I can’t believe that worked on an alpha,” Liam said in amazement.
“Neither can I,” Yas admitted. “I guess the boost Alex gave me this morning still hasn’t worn off yet.”
“Will he remember being bamboozled?” Nick asked in concern.
Yas hesitated, then shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“He tried to compel me to obey him,” I said with a glower. “It would have worked if he hadn’t triggered the spells at the same time.”
“I vote we kill the alpha hole and bury his body in the woods,” Syd said in a flat tone that didn’t show any hint of amusement.
“I second that,” Brynn said to back her up.
“We can’t kill him for any of this,” Liam said tiredly. “I’ll make note of every mistake he makes and keep Uncle Mark informed.”
“Is the wee lass feeling better now?” Crowmon asked.
“Yeah,” I replied, feeling Emma’s relief to have her gift back. “I think she’s plotting her revenge, though.”
“That’s not a good idea just yet, Em,” Nick warned her. “You need to let the alpha hole cool down for a while. I doubt he’ll just steal your squirrel next time. He’ll probably smash it to pieces instead.”
Emma’s nose twitched in agitation and I picked up on her desire to be let outside. I opened the door for her and put her down. She vanished into the ground and was gone for a couple of minutes. When she returned, she no longer had her squirrel. I scooped her up and was grinning when I shut the door.
“Where’s her figurine?” Yas asked when she saw Emma’s paws were empty.
“She hid it somewhere,” I replied. “Franko will never get his hands on it again.”
“She’s so smart,” Syd said in admiration. “Now he doesn’t have anything to hold over her.”
“Let’s go to bed,” Liam ordered. “We’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.” He refused to give us any hints about his plans, so we followed his command and headed for our rooms.
Chapter Thirteen
EMMA WAS CONTENT NOW that she had her beloved figurine back. She snuggled against me as I lay on my side. I drifted off and was soon in my astral form. Something tugged at me and I sensed my link to Jax. It was so faint it was barely discernable, but I followed it eastward.
Flying high in the air, the ground rushed beneath me in a blur of motion. Vehicles and streetlamps were momentary bright lights as I crossed over highways and roads. Cities and towns flashed beneath me so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to identify them.
I crossed over rivers, mountains, forests and plains until I finally came to a stop. Spying a large base ahead, I zoomed closer to see it was a Shifter Corps facility. The sign said it was in Georgia. My link to Jax drew me to a barracks. Instead of sleeping on one of the bunks with the recruits, he had a small room to himself.
Sensing me, Jax opened his eyes and sat up. His hair was tousled and short stubble covered his jaw, adding to his appeal. “Who are you?” he asked in confusion.
“It’s me, Alex,” I said, wounded that he hadn’t instantly recognized me.
“I don’t know any girls called Alex,” he said with a frown. “What are you doing here? Are you a recruit?”
“We worked in the Shifter Squad together,” I reminded him. “I saved you from being killed and skinned by human hunters during a full moon a few months ago. They shot you in the side and I dug the bullet out.” He was shirtless and I pointed at the now faded scar on his side. If it had been a normal bullet rather than silver, it wouldn’t have left a scar at all.
He shook his head in complete bafflement. “This is the weirdest dream I’ve ever had,” he said. “I got the scar when I was a kid. Someone accidentally shot me during a hunting trip.”
“You were kidnapped from your family when you were a toddler, Jax,” I said in increasing confusion. “You were raised on a farm by humans who used you and other kids as slave labor.”
He laughed and threw his covers back. My face flamed when I realized he was naked. He stood up and I backed away as he approached me. “I don’t know who you are, or why I’m dreaming about you, but at least you’re gorgeous,” he said when he came to a stop in front of me. “My family died in a housefire when I was a teenager. I joined the Shifter Corps because I didn’t have a guardian to watch over me.”
I looked down to see I was wearing my skimpy nightclothes. His body reacted to me and I sucked in a shocked gasp when he became fully erect. I’d never seen an aroused man before. I was both scared and fascinated.
His finger went beneath my chin and tilted my head back so he could look into my eyes. “You’re afraid,” he said with a frown. “I can feel it.” His other hand went to the back o
f his head where he could feel the bundle of emotions that belonged to me. “What’s going on?” he asked in growing alarm.
“You left us,” I said in an accusing tone. “Your werewolf tried to break out of his enclosure at our base. Lexi and Reece had to come and get you and move you somewhere else. Agent Steel said you asked to be moved to another facility.”
He shook his head in denial. “I have no idea who those people are, or what you’re talking about. I graduated from the Shifter Corps and took a break for a few months, then I got a job helping train the newbies here.”
“Someone messed with your mind,” I realized. “It has to be the witch!”
“What witch?” he asked as he took a step closer.
Trapped against the wall, I knew I could have passed through it to escape, but I didn’t want to. I could feel his desire for me as well as see it right in front of me. “The one who kidnapped me when I was a baby and put tattoos on me to control me,” I explained.
“What tattoos?” he asked, examining my body.
“They don’t appear when I’m in my astral form,” I explained.
“What’s this mark?” he asked, lightly touching the faintly glowing bite mark on my left shoulder.
“That’s where you bit me in a dream,” I said huskily. His eyes snapped back to my face in shock. “Look at your shoulder,” I told him.
His head turned and he saw a glowing blue bite mark on his own shoulder. “Are we mates?” he asked. Instead of being horrified at the idea, I sensed his rising excitement.
“Only in our dreams,” I replied.
“Have we consummated our bond?”
“Not yet,” I said nervously. “We don’t know each other very well.”
“I don’t remember you, but I’d have to be a fool not to do this,” he said, then he leaned down and kissed me.
My body reacted instantly and my arms went around his waist. He drew me closer until we were standing chest to chest. Heat flared inside me and I moaned in need. Jax picked me up and carried me over to his narrow bed. I was only there in spirit, but it felt real as he kissed his way from my mouth down to my chest. Shifting my tiny top aside, he took my nipple into his mouth.
