by Crissy Smith
“That’s not what we were told. You’re selling out undercover agents! Sam would never be mixed up with that!” Danny shouted.
“No, I wouldn’t,” Sam confirmed. “But neither would Jade or Cole. They’re good agents. They were going to help me save you.”
“Save me?” Danny asked.
“I wanted to make sure you were taken care of. I asked if I could be reassigned as your partner and was told shifters and humans couldn’t work together. When I met Cole and Jade and saw they were still partnered, even with him being a shifter and her human, I grew hopeful,” Sam explained.
“You said you never wanted to talk to me again,” Danny reminded him.
Jade could see the hurt in his eyes.
“I’m an asshole,” Sam told him. “I didn’t understand and I was scared, but I was wrong.”
“You’re not just saying that?” Danny questioned.
“No!”
“Use your shifter senses,” Jade suggested. “Cole can pick up on feelings and meanings behind people’s words. Concentrate on your partner.” She purposely reminded him of his connection to Sam.
Danny peered at Sam for several moments before he dropped his head. “I’m so sorry. I was just following orders.”
“Tell me about them,” Jade urged.
“Right after Sam asked for a new partner, Special Agent in Charge Wilson called me into his office and said no one would partner with me. I could resign from my position or join a new division within the FBI.”
“So you took the job?” she asked.
“I thought it would be nice to work among fellow shifters. I had no idea what I was getting into, though,” he admitted.
“Why?”
“For the first several weeks all they did was pit us against each other. Had us fight, shift, and show off our gifts. After that they assigned us to teams of three but constantly reminded us that we were easily replaceable. This was my team’s first mission.”
Jade’s heart went out to him. All he’d wanted was to do his job and work along with his fellow agents. The FBI had used him. She was glad that no one had been killed. She wanted to help him. “If I show you some photos can you tell me if they are part of the new division?”
“Sure,” he agreed.
“John is already helping us, too,” she assured him. “Do you have any copies of anything in your room to help? We already have a warrant, but if you tell us where to look, it’ll be faster.”
He shrugged. “Everything is in the safe.”
“We haven’t gotten anything from the wolverine shifter,” she told him.
“Eric?” Danny asked. “We’re not close, but he’s probably worried about his girlfriend. He’s dating one of the other agents—Shannon.”
“Shannon?” she repeated. She waved toward the mirror for someone to bring a picture in to her. The door opened soon after and Sal handed her a folder. Jade opened it and passed the picture of the agent she’d discovered missing. “This her?”
Danny bent over the table and nodded. “Yes.”
She exchanged a look with Sal. Sal nodded. He moved closer to Danny. “We need you to tell us the names of everyone involved.”
Chapter Thirteen
Her body ached and she was dead on her feet but Jade followed Luca into his apartment, ready to be alone with him for a little while. Since his place was closer, they’d decided to head there for a few hours before they met back at the Coalition office with Commander Green. Things were moving quickly now that they had pieced together what was going on with the FBI. After she’d passed the information about Shannon to Luca he’d read Eric Nobles the file on Shannon. He’d been pissed off enough to take back his request for an attorney and had started talking. Since he’d been with the new division the longest, he was able to provide them with even more names. Several agents in charge and even a deputy director.
She was disgusted with her own agency but she didn’t want to think about it anymore. Neither she nor Luca spoke as they walked straight to the bedroom. She looked at his mattress and almost wept with joy. She just wanted a few hours’ downtime.
“Do you want to take some more pain meds or have a shower?” he asked.
“Bed,” she said.
He grinned at her. “Climb in.” He walked over to the bed and held open the sheets.
She didn’t need to be told again. She stripped out of her clothes before she kissed him and dropped down. It felt so good to be off her feet. She could hear Luca walk around to the other side of the bed before it dipped when he joined her. Jade scooted closer to him to lay her head on his shoulder. He placed a kiss on her forehead.
“I’ll set the alarm to give us time to shower and eat,” he told her.
She turned her head to lick his nipple. “Maybe some other stuff too.”
“That’s a plan,” he said.
“Do you think we have everything we need to take down the FBI agents involved?” she asked suddenly.
Luca looked down at her. “I do. I spoke to Sal before we left and his boss was already working on suspensions and warrants. He has more power than the players involved. He’s the director for the west coast. He has a lot of pull.”
“I just hate that they think the shifters are disposable. If I hadn’t partnered up with Cole I wonder what would have happened to him.”
“Cole is a tough guy and no matter what he was faced with I can’t see him getting involved like the others. I hate that it happened to him, but Cole is a leader and he wouldn’t have gone along with the type of orders that hurt people.”
“You’re probably right,” she agreed.
“Of course I am. Now go to sleep. I plan on waking you up early enough to make love to you.”
She lifted her head to kiss him. “You’d better.”
* * * *
Luca groaned when the shrill beep, beep, beep of his alarm sounded. It felt as though he’d only just closed his eyes. He was curled around Jade, both of them facing the window. He slid his arm from around her waist to turn over and slap at the clock.
Once the annoying sound had stopped he pulled her back against him. She wiggled even closer and brushed her butt against his erection. He tightened his hold. “Good morning,” he said before kissing the back of her neck.
“Yes, it is,” she told him. She turned around in his arms.
Luca lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her hungrily. While their tongues twined he cupped her breasts in his hands. He played with her nipples until she rolled over onto her back.
Jade wrapped her legs around him, gripping him tight. “Take me,” she demanded.
Luca was already hard and rubbed his cock on her leg.
“Now,” she ordered.
He chuckled then reached down and grasped his cock, pumping a few times. He was no longer amused. He positioned himself at her entrance and pushed inside. He filled her slowly.
She arched her back while digging her heels into his ass. He pulled back out in a quick move before he thrust back in.
“God yes,” she murmured.
Luca set out at a steady pace. He braced his weight on his knees as he plunged in and out. Jade scratched his back as she held onto him. The bed rocked beneath his powerful thrusts.
“More! Harder!” she cried out.
Luca gripped her hips and raised her up before he started to slam in and out. She was hot and wet. The familiar tingle started at the base of his spine and he knew that he was close.
He lowered his head and kissed her again as she clamped down on him while she climaxed. He shoved himself deep and filled her with his seed.
She held him tight as his breathing started to slow. He lifted his head off her chest to peer at her. “You know I’m not letting you go after this. It doesn’t matter to me whether or not you go back to the FBI.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet but I’ll be around,” she assured him.
Luca shook his head. “I mean I’ll be around all the time.”
“Really?” she said. “You planning on moving in?”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but it would have to be at your place. This apartment is too small.”
“I knew you would love my house,” she said smugly.
“I do. Should we get married first or just live in sin?” he joked.
She pursed her lips. “Well, I’m not going to say yes until I get a ring at least. Down on one knee would probably work better, too.”
“So I’ve been doing it wrong!” he exclaimed. “No wonder you won’t say yes.”
She laughed. “Yes, that’s the problem.”
“How about I promise to work on it?”
“I’m agreeable to that. You can start by carrying me to the shower,” she suggested.
“You like that, don’t you?” he teased. He quite enjoyed it himself so he didn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
“Yes!” she told him. “So get to lifting.”
He shook his head. “The things I have to do.”
* * * *
Cole was standing in the hall when Jade and Luca turned the corner to the conference room where they were supposed to be meeting. She pulled her hand from Luca’s and motioned for him to go ahead. Luca and Cole nodded at one another as Luca passed him.
“Looks like the two of you are still getting along pretty well,” Cole said.
She nodded and smiled. “You could say that.”
“Good.” He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and shuffled his feet.
“What’s going on?” she asked him. She knew her partner pretty well and something was obviously on his mind.
His head snapped up. Jade just lifted an eyebrow and waited. He glanced back and forth from one end of the hall to the other. Even though they were completely alone he grasped her wrist and pulled her into the corner. She went with him, wondering what he wanted to say.
“Commander Green stopped me when I arrived this morning,” he told her.
“Okay.”
“He asked me if I’d consider transferring here and heading up the wolf shifter division. Instead of using them for backup for the other teams, he would like to utilize them more. Especially now that the FBI is under government investigation,” he said.
“That’s awesome.” She hugged him. “So you’d be heading up an entire unit?”
“If I accept.”
“Why wouldn’t you? This is a wonderful opportunity. You can still help people and have the support you need. Mitch, Adam and Brady are great.”
Cole nodded. “I told him I would only accept on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“I won’t take the position unless you remain as my partner. I don’t want to leave you behind. We make a pretty good team.”
Jade blinked at him. “Of course I’m coming. That goes without saying. We’re partners.”
Cole laughed. “I was worried you wouldn’t want to transfer. There aren’t a lot of humans working here, although Commander Green assures me there are a few.”
Jade waved that off. “I don’t care about that. I can still continue my research right?”
“Yes, I made sure he knew how important it is and he even had some ideas about how to expand it to all branches of the government. Maybe even the military.”
“So this seems the place to be. But are you sure? You didn’t want to leave the FBI before.” She had to ask.
“I know.” Cole lowered his voice. “But after all this I can’t see myself trusting anyone there but you. Even with Sal heading up the investigation into the different offices I’m sure some of the people involved will slip through the cracks. I think it’s just too big to narrow down everyone who played a part.”
Since Jade shared his concern, she only nodded.
“I want to do this. And we’ll get to stay in town and I know how much you love your house.”
“You don’t have to sell it to me,” she said. “I’m on board.”
“I had a really good speech planned. I was even going to throw in Luca as a bargaining chip.”
Jade hugged Cole again. “I’ll let you tell me if you still want.”
“No.” Cole hugged her back. “Let’s go get this meeting started.”
She threaded her arm through his and led him to the conference room. She pulled open the door and had everyone’s attention. Cole pushed her farther into the room.
“Well?” Jamie asked.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw Cole smile and nod. She was guessing that Cole had already informed everyone, and just this once she would let it go that she wasn’t the first one he told. In the future she would make sure that she knew his secrets first, though. That’s what partners were for.
“Woo-hoo!” Jamie shouted. He jumped up and hugged Jade then Cole.
She was congratulated by everyone until she was in front of Luca.
“So I’ve been told that you may be joining us here.”
Jade tugged him closer. “That’s the rumor. You got a problem with that?”
Luca’s grin was wide. “Oh no, I told you before you were stuck with me.”
“You’re not going to propose again, are you?” she joked.
Luca looked serious for a moment before he laughed. She found herself giggling along.
“I think I’ll wait until you meet the rest of my family first.”
“That sounds good,” she agreed. “Now come here and kiss me.”
Luca lowered his head, and she grabbed the back of his neck. She’d never get tired of the feel of his lips on hers.
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
What’s her Secret?: Designated Alpha
Crissy Smith
Excerpt
Chapter One
The scent of salt water hung heavy in the air as the full moon lightened the dark crashing waves. Piper Maxwell stepped from the dense woods surrounding the area and onto the cool sand of the beach. Her paws made deep impressions as she climbed down the small sandbank.
Her heart pumped a frantic tempo while her body trembled in anticipation. She’d spent a couple of hours playing alone and letting her wolf enjoy freedom. Now she would hunt down a completely different kind of prey from the rabbit she’d chased only an hour before.
Though his time she had no intention of hunting the prey for dinner.
She caught a faint trace on the light breeze of someone close and lifted her head. She breathed deeply, her nose twitching, trying to determine the direction of the smell.
There, to the right.
Piper leaped down the rest of the incline and silently stalked toward her reward.
Even in her shifted form she kept her human intelligence. However, the more time she spent in her other form, the more she could feel the wolf’s instincts strengthen. She didn’t know whether it was normal for her to feel her wolf getting stronger. There was no one that she could ask the hundreds of questions she had.
The only connection she had with another shifter was the man who had turned her into what she was. After running for years, six months ago Joe had found her, and she’d had to kill him to protect herself and Jace.
If she hadn’t ended Joe, he would have killed her, Jace and anyone else who had gotten in his way. Still, although she knew she’d done the right thing, she had bad nights when she remembered her teeth sinking into Joe’s flesh. Sometimes the nightmares were so realistic that she almost believed he was haunting her.
She stumbled over a broken log and that jolt brought her attention back to the present. She wouldn’t let the memory of Joe ruin her night. She refused to go back and relive it again. While the human part of her was still mortified about what she’d done, the wolf was proud. Piper had protected her mate.
Satisfaction that she could—and did—defend her lover, had her wolf side gloating inside.
Piper pushed away the feeling by mentally blocking the thought. It had taken a lot of time for her to realize that she was able to do that.
To get control of hersel
f once again, Piper shook her body and raced down to the shore. Her wolf enjoyed the exercise and she could use it to tire her animal out.
She knew she was going in the right direction by small catches of a familiar scent. Several yards down from where she’d started she slowed, darting a look around.
Panting, she stopped and listened.
She had no idea what her face would have looked like right then but she was smiling. The aroma of her quarry was close and she could even pick up the faint crackle from a fire.
She followed the trail up the beach farther back away from the water. The sand beneath her paws was soft and helped her move in silence. She was coming up from the south, down-wind, knowing the element of surprise was on her side. He had his back to her as he crouched over the fire poking at it with a stick.
Piper hunkered down and waited.
There was no chance that she would ever hurt this man. Jace Anderson was her mate. The word floated around in her mind and it was her wolf side that liked that word.
As a human she loved Jace as her partner. As a wolf she ached to claim him, for everyone else in the world to know that he belonged to her.
For several months she’d struggled to keep the animal instinct from doing just that. To claim Jace, she would have to bite him, and that scared her. She had no idea what consequences would come from her sinking her teeth into his flesh.
She would not let Jace be changed the way she’d been.
He straightened and tossed the stick in his hand away. Piper admired his strong, broad back. She loved to run her hands and tongue over his bulging muscles. Squirming, she bit down on her tongue to hold in the sound of her need that wanted to escape.
Piper was impatient for the man to turn toward her so that she could see his face. Considering her options, she came up with an idea. She thumped her tail against the log to her side in three quick beats before she froze again.
