by Tina Moss
Dancing devils, that was close. She rested her head against the wooden door, thankful for the privacy of four walls and a lock. The pressure of the conference over the last half hour weighed on her. The annoying polyester skirt suit chafed her skin. Knots formed at the base of her neck. The face of the steely-eyed reporter swam in front of her eyes. “Damn vultures.”
Her phone vibrated—another text. Be there in five, partner. Gotsta finish shakin’ down this here pretty boy, Sergeant Warren. Looks like he’s our leak. Shouldn’t take long. Meet ya at the scene. – Bull.
She scanned the note again, thinking she’d misread it. “What scene?” Jame said aloud, willing the walls to talk. Recalling the earlier unchecked messages, she rifled through the phone’s memory and pulled up the original text from Slick. Talon sent out emergency all call. Check your messages. Sending coordinates again. Get there fast. Gasping, she gripped her cell harder. “An all call, shit!”
The anger swelled inside her like a geyser waiting to explode. “If these scumbag reporters—” She yanked the white silk blouse over her head. “Dumb asses!” The high heels flew into the far wall as she kicked them off, pulled on her fatigues, and buckled her boots. “I’m an agent not Spokesperson Barbie.” Free of the monkey suit, she ripped open the door, flew down the hall, and burst through an emergency exit. The dark Suburban didn’t know what hit it when she started the engine and drove it like a Formula 1 racecar.
Chapter Eleven
Half Mile From Van Wreckage, Phoenix, Arizona
Sera’s heart rattled around her rib cage like a drunken hillbilly doing the two-step. A huge black dog with deep blue eyes leapt toward her. She had a split second to pull back her power before she cooked him into four-legged barbeque. The light whipped into her body with enough force to slam her backward into the chain link fence. Her teeth rattled on impact. She cursed as Guy’s shriek of laughter muddled with the beast’s piercing howl.
Staggering to her feet, she approached the brute as if it were a puppy. “Ohmygosh. Are you all right? Did I burn you? Did I hurt you?”
The monster dog shook its head, allaying her fears. It stared back at her with a quizzical look in its eyes.
Sera huffed, recognizing the expression. “Yeah, yeah. I know.” She raised an eyebrow. “I’m crazy, right? Like I haven’t heard that one before. What are you doing here?” Taking a step forward, she grinned at the beast. His fearsome jaw sat level with her chest. She reached out a hand to scratch behind his ears. The dog rewarded her with a catlike purr. “Aren’t you the big softie.” She cursed inwardly. “Great. Now, I’m talking to an animal. I’m seriously going to end up in the nut house.”
The dog withdrew his head from her hands. His gaze dropped to the floor.
Sera’s brows shot skyward in surprise. She’d never seen an animal look guilty before, but this one sure did. “What’s up?”
Bounding down the alley, the dog glanced over its massive shoulder and let out a bark.
“You want me to follow you?” She watched in disbelief as the animal shook its head in the affirmative and continued down the street. Her feet felt made of lead as she struggled to keep up with him.
Why Little Red, are you on your way to Grandma’s house? Guy started at it again. She bit her lip, too tired from the recent fight, and now the weirdness with this dog, to bother with a retort or the heavy metal music. When the silence dragged on, Guy spoke again. You did well today. They’ll be pleased.
The compliment brought her to a standstill. The cryptic they called on her journalistic instincts. “What the...What did you say?” Guy didn’t respond and the dog halted its trot to howl at her.
“I’m coming,” she said, trying to push the shock aside and concentrate on keeping her feet in motion. “Probably a good idea to keep your guard up around a...” She paused, her senses returning to normal. “Jesus that thing’s got to be at least two hundred pounds.” The alarm bells went off in her head. Having grown up in the mountains of northwestern NUA, formerly the Canadian Rockies, wolves weren’t exactly a foreign species to her. Though she never expected to see one in Arizona.
“Wolf?” she whispered, taking a step back. The creature looked over its shoulder at her again.
Staring at the creature with fresh eyes, she knew no dog, not even a wolf, could weigh that much, and certainly not one in Downtown Phoenix.
The beast ceased its movements and doubled back, coming within a yard of her.
“You’re not a dog or a wolf, are you?” Her heart kicked into high gear as she examined his long snout and twitching whiskers. Something about his eyes, those cerulean blue eyes. She gasped. “Talon?”
The brute let out a low moan. Its wet nose nudged her arm. His muzzle tensed. The sigh that escaped his throat sounded too human. Spinning around, he raced down the street and around a corner.
She took two steps in reverse and glared at the empty spot before bolting forward. “Hey! Wait up.” Her lungs burned when she reached the next block. A dark mass of fur sat crumpled by a dumpster. A flickering streetlight illuminated the gigantic creature. She kept to the shadows, uncertainty slowing her steps.
A roar blasted through the air, a sound so piercing it shook the ground. Black hairs receded inward, disappearing into the wolf’s body. Thick hind legs, hips, and backside elongated and straightened. The massive chest and front paws rose, stretching. A crackle of snapping bones had Sera covering her mouth. She staggered at the sight of the wolf buckling and transforming into a man.
When the process ended, the scent of burning wood floated in the air. Sera leaned toward the aroma, closing her eyes and breathing it in. Heavy footfalls announced his approach. Her lids flew open. Agent Talon Rede stood ten feet from her wearing a scowl and nothing else. Her tongue wagged as fire rose in her cheeks. She couldn’t peel her gaze away. His long powerful legs anchored his body like a cement block holding up a Roman god’s stone effigy. Smooth olive skin drew taut over the solid wall of his chest. His arms held caged strength. Her insides warmed as she imagined them encircling her in a ferocious embrace. As her thoughts grew bolder and her senses tingled, she lowered her eyes. But as they landed on his thickening manhood, she snapped them up to his face. The evidence of his arousal echoed in his fierce expression and stole the breath from her lungs.
He wanted her. The revelation made her breath hitch. She wanted nothing more than to have him soothe her body’s aching needs. It had been this way from the very first “Hello”. The hunger gnawed at her. Yet it couldn’t be. Memories haunted her and doused all of her hopes like ice water. Allowing her desire for him to grow would prove devastating for them both. She couldn’t take that chance again, not after last time, not after Matt. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Better to squash this now. She rose to her full height and cleared her throat.
“Agent Rede, I think you better get dressed now and explain yourself.” She raised her chin, proud she kept her words even, and prayed the trembling in her limbs didn’t reveal her true feelings.
His mouth twitched in response to her challenge along with other parts of his anatomy. She struggled to keep the blush from her cheeks, but knew she failed.
“Of course,” he said, crossing his arms. “Wouldn’t want any distractions.” He whirled around, providing an all too tempting view of his delicious backside. He threw a devilish grin over his shoulder, then disappeared behind the dumpster.
She exhaled, thankful for the momentary reprieve. Gee Zeus. That man is hot. Resting a hand against a building, she used the other to fan her face.
You’re trampling along dangerous ground, pet. Guy’s rebuke took on a far more serious tone than usual. You don’t have enough control. Hot for you, could be boiling for him. Get my meaning?
The cold steel in his words set her off balance. Who the hell are you and what’ve you done with Guy?
No jokes, pet. Not this time. You’re too close.
“Too close to what?” she cried.
Talon reappeared fu
lly clothed as Guy’s presence faded into the background. “Everything okay?” Dressed in a casual gray T-shirt and black jeans, he looked downright combustible.
“Yea. No.” Her senses went into overdrive as he strode toward her. The earthy scent of pine needles and a woodsy fire wafted from him. She shook her head to keep her thoughts on track. “Wh-why are you here?”
“It seems you’ve a talent for getting into trouble.” He took another step forward. His movements felt calculated, like a predator stalking its prey. “I’m betting it’s not a coincidence you’ve been attacked—and survived—twice.”
Her hackles went up. “What’re you implying agent?”
“Sera, someone’s after you.” His words softened as he closed the distance between them. Even at her height, he towered over her, his body dwarfing hers. “I don’t know who or why. But you’re in danger. I won’t...” A muscle ticked in his jaw. His eyes flashed with unspoken need, before he regained composure. “I mean, the PCD won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll find out what’s going on and who’s responsible for this, I swear it.”
“Thanks.” She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him close. It’d been a long time, an excruciating long time, since anyone cared about her that way. “And I...” She bit her bottom lip, unsure how much to reveal. The emotion in his face swayed her to take a chance. “I may be able to help you with the case.”
His hand rose as if to run through her hair, but he masked the action by rubbing the scruff at his chin. “What do you mean?”
“Well, for one thing, I was kidnapped by a vampire.” She bit the inside of her cheek trying to recall the details of her conversation with the crazy vamp. “In her own way, I think she might have been trying to help me, to protect me. At least she claimed that was the reason.”
“Strife.” He spit the word like a curse. “I’ve spoken to her. She’s the leader of a vigilante group. They think it’s their responsibility to police the world regardless of the law.” The night breeze blew a strand of hair across his neck, caressing it like a lover. “My team is bringing her in for more questioning.”
She gulped, distracted by the temptation to touch him. “Um, that’s good.”
“Yeah, but I suspect they’re not the real threat.” He sniffed the air. Eyeing the corner, he waved a hand at Sera. “I need to examine the alley where I found you. Come with me.”
His body went rigid into full investigator mode. Sera smiled at the posture as she followed him. She often got the same way when tracking down a lead for the papers—or gossip mags. Total focus, intense determination led to stiff necks and backaches, but usually got the job done. At least we have something in common.
They walked to the spot of the attack. Talon eyed the chain link fence at the end of the street. He scanned the heaps of dust along the ground. “We found a bunch of these at the crime scene in Buckhorn,” he said, pointing to the dirt piles. “Want to tell me what they mean?”
Careful, pet. Guy’s warning echoed in her mind as if he called to her from across a canyon. She didn’t need the reminder.
“I-I can’t.” Her thoughts scrambled. How could she tell him without revealing her secrets? He’d seen her fire in his wolf form, but admitting it aloud? A warm light radiated from the shadows behind Talon. The rays shone like sunshine in the darkness, a ball of gold burning into itself. Her mind cleared staring into it, but it disappeared too soon. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I’ll have to plead the fifth.”
“You’re not on trial, Sera. I just want to know the truth.” He reached for her, stroking the fragile skin above her collarbone with a feather light touch. “I can’t protect you, if I don’t know who’s after you.”
The tips of his fingers burned against her skin like a brand, but it somehow brought comfort. She swayed into his touch, silently begging him for more. “I’m afraid.” Her voice cracked with the admission.
“No one’s going to hurt you. I’m not leaving.” He tugged her forward, holding her against his chest.
It should have caught her off guard, but somehow it felt right, too right. She anchored her hands on his waist and tilted her head to meet his eyes. “You don’t understand. I’m not afraid of,” she paused, searching for the words, “of whoever’s after me. I’m afraid of hurting people, of hurting you.”
“Have you hurt someone, Sera?” His voice remained steady as he met her gaze, but a flicker of doubt shadowed his features.
Her tongue felt like sandpaper. Fear prickled at the base of her spine. She wanted to tell him the truth, but could she? “The creatures from Buckhorn, the ones I told you about before.”
“Yes?” A hint of quiet rage bubbled under the surface of his question. She prayed it wasn’t direct at her.
“They were here again and attacked the van Strife used to abduct me.” She sniffed. Guy’s presence began to emerge again. She clamped it down with a hard rock ballad before he rose to the surface. She rambled on without breath, afraid to lose her nerve. “I led them away. Strife was hurt. I dropped her by a mailbox and kept running. They followed me. I tried to find a place away from people. The alley was empty. They came close. They tried to hurt me, so I...”
He ran a hand down her back, a gesture of reassurance and support. It gave her the strength to continue. She had to say the words for better or ill. No going back. He’d seen the truth; now, he needed the explanation.
“I burned them.” Her breathing quickened. “I had to. They would’ve killed me. Then, you came and I pulled it back. I didn’t hurt you. I pulled it back.”
“Shhh.” He hugged her close, tucking her head under his chin. “I know. I saw the light around you. I felt the fire.” He spoke into her ear. “It’s all right. You defended yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
The absolution washed over her, a peaceful balm to ease her guilt. Hearing it from him was an unexpected gift. But even more important than his approval, was that she’d proven it to herself. She’d controlled the fire all on her own and she used it to stop killers. She didn’t hurt any innocent people. She’d made mistakes in the past, but she wasn’t a bad person. For the first time in years, she felt free.
Don’t get ahead of yourself, pet. Need I remind you of dear old Matt? Guy spoke low, a harsh whisper in the recesses of her brain. Yet his words cut as potent as acid.
She yanked from Talon’s embrace, already shivering from the loss of his warmth. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I can’t. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Sera. I know you feel guilty. It’s always hard; even for me after years on the job. But if those creatures came after you, then you had every right to protect your life. However you can do it.” His neck muscles tensed as he growled deep. “That’s why it’s called self-defense.”
A shudder ran down her spine, ghosts from the past assailing her thoughts. She hadn’t used her abilities against any living soul before her nightmare in Buckhorn, except for one other. A raging fire engulfing the yellow Mustang in flames, the screams of agony from her friend, the accusing eyes of the police, the sights and sounds of her memories made her stomach turn sour.
“Sera.” Strong hands gripped her shoulders and shook. “Sera, you with me?”
She blinked. “Huh? Oh yeah, sorry.” A wave of nausea rolled through her. Bending at the waist, she gripped her midsection. “Gimme a sec.”
“You all right? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.” She pulled from his grasp, but he knelt beside her. Concern filled his eyes as he placed a hand at her nape.
“Let me help.” He massaged the knots at her neck. The pressure helped ease the tension and soothe her worries.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t know what came over me.” The lie brought the bile to her throat; she choked it down roughly. She’d not be stepping on that hornet’s nest. As far as she was concerned, the past could stay right where it was—behind her.
“No problem.” He straightened, helpin
g her to stand. A cocky smile played on his lips. “It gave me an excuse to touch you anyway.”
She grinned at his teasing. “So you’re only brave when you have an excuse, huh?”
His features lit up like a firecracker, clearly loving the dare. “Oh you may find I’ve got some more courage than that.”
“Uh-huh.” She cocked a hip to the side, relishing the ease with which he could diffuse the tension and make her troubles fade. Not to mention she had the chance to flirt. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Without a second’s hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her waist and trapped her against the hard lines of his body. He descended quickly, claiming her mouth. The kiss started with infinite tenderness, allowing her every opportunity to pull away. It was wrong. It was reckless. It was unprofessional. And it was oh so right. She remained steady, startled by his abruptness, but loving the feel of him. When she parted her lips in invitation, he plunged inside. His tongue danced with hers, the thrust and retreat mimicking a more intimate act.
Sera’s head swam. It’d been years since she even dared a chaste kiss, let alone this. She gripped the back of his head, her hands tangling in his hair. He cupped her backside, pulling her closer. She wrapped a leg around his waist and he held her thigh with a rough palm. As she rubbed against the bulge of his jeans, spots danced behind her eyes at the delicious friction. They moaned in unison.
Talon pulled away first, dropping her leg. He slammed his hands on either side of her head, resting his weight on the wall behind her. His breathing grew ragged, matching hers. The loss of his warmth, even though he stood mere inches from her, shook her to the bone.
She struggled to find words. He met her eyes and opened his mouth as if to speak, but a shrill siren cut off conversation. As the whining alarm grew closer, the spell that came over them broke. A steely determination radiated from him. “That’ll be the team. The crime scene will be overrun by now. It’s best we get you out of here.”
