by Becca Van
“Can you feel that?” he asked his pod brothers as his dragon growled low in his chest. He was thankful his beast was being wary of the humans by keeping the sound too low for them to be able to hear, but when the sheriff looked up into the sky and squinted as if seeking them out, his heart stuttered.
“Yes,” Randy growled his reply.
“It’s the fucking sheriff,” Rex said angrily. “I think he’s a hunter.”
“Shit!” Russ growled. “How do we get our mate out of here?”
“We can’t,” Randy answered. “We’ll be putting her in danger if we do.”
“Randy’s right,” Rex agreed. “If that bastard finds out she’s our mate, we’ll be putting in her jeopardy. We’re going to have to bide our time. Our dragons have her scent and will be able to find her anywhere. We need to get out of here so she doesn’t become a target. Plus we need to let the others know another hunter is in the area.”
“This is a little too close to home,” Russ said. “I knew we should have taken that asshole’s car further away.”
“It’s not the car that worries me,” Randy said. “It’s the fact that another hunter has just popped up on the radar. They’ve been quiet for a long time. There is something going on here and I don’t like it. Not one little bit.”
“Me either,” Rex agreed. “Do you think they are gathering together to search us out?”
“That would be my guess,” Randy answered. “We need to get back to the lair and advise everyone. Maybe Lance will be able to answer.”
“Why would he? He’s been with us for three hundred years and the only time he ever leaves the lair is to let his beast free once in a while.” Russ flapped his wings and turned toward the direction of the lair.
“I think Lance knows more than we ever will.” Rex gave their mate a lingering look before he followed his friends back home. He hoped Lance could help them work out what the hell was going on, because he didn’t like these hunters popping up on the radar after laying low since before he was born.
There was definitely something brewing and he hoped that they could figure out what it was before the shit hit the fan.
* * * *
Niki searched the banks of the Boysen Reservoir but found nothing. She moved into the scrub and then along the road. Reece came up beside her as he, too, searched, but she didn’t expect them to find anything since three months had passed since the mayor had gone missing.
When she felt a gust of air flow over her she looked up and then at the trees in the distance. Only the branches and leaves on the trees close by moved in the breeze. All the others further away remained still. Weird.
A shiver of awareness raced up her spine and the hair on her nape stood up further. Her breasts grew heavy, her nipples hardened and throbbed, and her pussy and clit ached. God, she was going crazy. How could she feel lust when she was on the job? She really needed to get laid. When she gave Reece a sideways glance she shivered again but this time with revulsion and she sighed with relief. It wasn’t because of him she was feeling horny, thank god, but she had no idea why lust was all of a sudden racing through her veins.
She froze when she remembered the crazy dreams she’d been having and how the imaginary Lady Guinevere had told her she had three dragon shifters for mates. She shook her head in denial, sure she was losing the plot. With a sigh of frustration she turned on her heel and headed back to where her asshole boss was talking to the forensics team and tow truck driver who’d just arrived on the scene.
“Do you think there’s a body in the car?” the tow truck driver asked and gulped nervously.
“We won’t know that until you pull it up,” Darrien answered abruptly.
Niki wanted to give her boss a mouthful for being such a dick but bit her tongue and swallowed the words back. He didn’t have an ounce of compassion in his body. What an ass. She wished she could say something to placate the big burly, soft-hearted man but she was worried if she did, she would become a suspect in the investigation. Wallace Core wasn’t in that car and she had a feeling they would never find him.
The only way to get answers was to find Belinda Starling but she had a feeling that was easier said than done. She watched as the tow truck driver moved the hook on his vehicle over the water and then lowered it so the diver in the water could secure it to the car. When the diver gave the thumbs-up the truck driver began raising the car.
It was a slow process but as it lifted from the water she could see that it was empty. When the vehicle was back on the ground she and Reece donned gloves and searched the drenched car. When she found Wallace’s cell phone in the center console her heart raced with excitement. Maybe the water hadn’t damaged it and when it was dry they would be able to see who he’d been in contact with but she wasn’t about to hold her breath. That cell had probably been submerged for close to three months and was probably ruined. If the SIM card could be retrieved they might be able to get the info off it when inserted into another phone.
She bagged it as well as the mayor’s jacket, but other than those two items the vehicle was empty. The rest was up to the forensics team and they were going to have to wait for the car to dry out to do their work.
“That’s it?” Darrien shouted his question when she and Reece were done, and his eyes locked onto the bag.
“Yes,” Reece answered as he came up next to her.
Niki’s gut went haywire as she watched her boss. His tone and attitude was like he had expected something else to be in the car. Darrien and Wally had often had meetings and such but she’d thought it was because the mayor was using his political clout on the sheriff, but she was beginning to rethink that. Maybe Wally and Darrien had been more than business acquaintances. There was something fishy going on and it stunk to high heaven.
Darrien snatched the bag from her hand and then glared at her with cold eyes before turning his gaze to Reece. “Good job, Reece. I want you to follow the tow truck driver back the office. Make sure when he puts the car in the shed out back that he doesn’t touch anything. I don’t want any evidence contaminated before forensics go over it.”
Niki clenched her jaw when his gaze once more landed on her. “You can finish for the day. In fact I’ve had an e-mail from head office telling me that you have way too much vacation time up your sleeve and you need to take it. As of this moment, you are on two weeks’ vacation time.”
Since she’d been thinking about taking time off she didn’t argue but her instincts were screaming at her that something more was going on here and if she had to investigate while on leave, so be it.
Instead of speaking and putting her foot in her mouth, she glared at Darrien, nodded at Reece and headed toward her car. She heard the low rumble of her fellow deputy’s voice but didn’t really care what he was saying. If she didn’t get away from here quickly she might just end up getting fired. If she lost her job she would be lost. Her studies and career had been her sanctuary and sanity after losing her parents. She’d never been real outgoing nor a girly girl who was interested in flirting and the opposite sex. Her goals had always taken first priority since she was determined to make a great life career wise. She’d never fit into the “in” crowd and because she’d never wanted to hadn’t bothered trying.
Niki had been perfectly content with her parents and her own company. As long as she had a good book on hand or her studies she was happy. After getting her undergraduate degree in college she went to the academy and trained her ass off. She still remembered the snickers and disparaging comments from her fellow cadets because of her small height and petite stature but she’d ignored their bigoted ignorance. It didn’t matter what a person’s height or weight was, or anything else for that matter. If someone was determined and hungry enough to want something then success was almost a given, as long as they put in the hard yards. And that was what Niki had done. She’d studied and trained and ended up being the top of her class. She now had a black belt in karate and could take down a man more than twice her size
. She’d shown the assholes who’d laughed at her on the first day of training that just because she was a small female didn’t mean shit.
She drove away from the Tough Creek Campground and headed back toward Riverton. She was hungry and decided to stop for an early dinner since she’d missed out on lunch before heading back home to Rock Springs. She loved her small hometown but she missed her parents a lot. The population of the small rural town was just over twenty-four thousand and although that wasn’t a lot it was enough for her to maintain her privacy and keep her distance. She had a couple of female acquaintances but she wasn’t a very social person and although Reece was a good guy, she didn’t socialize with work colleagues. It was a fast rule she never intended to break. Never date a coworker because if things went bad she’d still have to see them every day. She snorted at that thought. She dated a couple of guys in college but there had never been a spark and although they’d pressured her to have sex with them, she’d had no trouble rebuffing them.
Niki had often wondered if there was something wrong with her because she’d never even been tempted to have sex with anyone. She’d heard a fellow cadet whispering about her in the corridor one day and that had started her thinking that maybe she was gay like that bitch had said to her male friend, but as the thought ran through her mind, she quickly discounted it. She wasn’t gay and had never been more than vaguely attracted to a boy so she was probably one of those women who didn’t care about the opposite sex at all. She’d come to the conclusion she was asexual but that had flown out the window just over a month ago.
The erotic dreams were driving her crazy and now she was even getting horny while on the job. If she didn’t get some relief soon, she would scream.
* * * *
Rex hurried into the lair’s kitchen with his friends following behind. They needed to tell their leader Ed and their elder, Lance, as well as their dragon kin about the other hunter. He didn’t think the asshole sheriff had picked up on their presence but he wasn’t about to discount anything. Once they informed the others so they could look into why the hunters were suddenly popping out the woodwork, he and his flight pod were going to try and find their mate.
There was a feeling of urgency running through his body and he wasn’t sure if that was because his dragon was as eager as the man to meet and claim her or if she was in danger. Either way he wasn’t ignoring his instincts.
“Where have you three been?” Ed asked with a contented smile on his face. When he saw Ed’s mate, Bid, snuggling at his side and he got a whiff of the air, he realized why his lair leader was looking so happy. If they played their cards right, maybe he and his friends would look as happy as Ed, Eli, Erwin, and Belinda.
“We found our mate,” Randy answered Ed as they all moved to the massive dining table and took a seat. Lance came over from the kitchen carrying two hot, fresh pots of coffee.
“That’s wonderful.” Lance smiled as he put the pots down.
“Yeah but we have a problem.” Rex grabbed one of the pots and began to fill mugs.
“What?” Aiden asked as he reached for a cup before adding a spoon of sugar to it and taking a sip.
“She’s a deputy and we think her boss is a hunter.”
“Fuck!” Erwin ran his fingers through his hair.
“That’s not all.” Russ slumped in his chair. “Our mate found Wallace Core’s car.”
“Shit!” Bid sat up straight in her chair. “Do you think they’ll find anything?”
“No,” Randy answered. “We wiped the car down, plus we aren’t on any human database.”
“But I am.” Belinda frowned.
“Did you touch the mayor’s car?” Eli asked.
She sighed. “Yeah. A couple of times when my car was in the shop or getting a service and Wally needed me to run some errands.”
“Don’t worry too much, honey.” Erwin reached over and clasped one of Bid’s hands. “No one knows where you are.”
“That will only make me look suspicious,” Bid said.
“We won’t let anything happen to you, baby.” Eli leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“The police aren’t stupid, Eli. They probably think I’m involved with the disappearance of the mayor and in a way they’re right.”
“Only indirectly,” Erwin said.
“I don’t think the law would see it that way.” She sighed.
“I don’t like any of this.” Lance took a seat and stared at nothing as he thought.
“Neither do I,” Ed said.
“Do you know who the leader of the hunters is?” Russ asked Lance.
“No, but I think it’s time we start looking. In fact it would be to our detriment to find out who each and every hunter there is. They’re up to something and we need to head it off before they can get started.”
“I have a feeling we’re already too late for that,” Alex said.
“I hate to agree but I think you’re right,” Erwin said.
“You three need to go and get your mate,” Lance ordered. “I know you need to get her agreement otherwise she’s not going to trust any of you but you need to do it and as quickly as possible. Your mate could be in danger.”
“Yeah, that’s what we figured.” Randy stood and walked toward the door. Rex and Russ hurried after him.
Rex’s dragon was pushing to get out before he even made it to the backdoor and outside landing ledge. Within the blink of an eye, he was a dragon and he lifted up into the air as his powerful wings flapped.
His heart was racing in man and beast as nervous anticipation coursed through his body. He was going to meet his mate. They had no plan but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was being close to her again.
Chapter Four
Niki parked in a space outside the café on the main street of Riverton and was surprised by how busy it was but when she looked at the time, she was shocked to see that it was nearly six. Plus it was Friday and most people liked a treat of eating out after a long week of working. This was a small rural area and although there were a couple of fast food chain stores on the other side of town, this little café seemed really popular and the food was good. She could attest to that after the bacon and egg toasted sandwich she’d picked up earlier that day.
She was tired and cranky and didn’t feel like cooking. Although she loved to cook there was no fun in cooking for just one and often just ate salads or sandwiches and the occasional omelet. With a tired sigh she got out of the car and walked into the café. The noise of chatter and laughter as people socialized was nice after dealing with Darrien. The asshole never smiled and always seemed to want to put her down. Not once had he ever complimented her on a job well done. And although she wasn’t looking for praise or needed it to do her job, it would be nice to be acknowledged once in a while. The prick had complimented Reece on finding the phone when she was the one who had discovered it hidden away in the console and she was the one who’d found the missing mayor’s car. It was like Darrien didn’t want her on the job because he was scared she would find something he didn’t want found.
Her heart rate increased and she drew in a deep breath. Was that why he wanted her to take time off? So she couldn’t investigate and find out that he knew or was involved in the disappearance of the mayor. Fear skittered up her spine and the hair on the back of her neck once more stood on end. She had a feeling that she was right. Darrien Westly knew what had happened to Mayor Wallace Core and she was going to be the one to take him down.
Niki jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and then looked around when she realized that she was standing just inside the door to the café. Thank goodness no one seemed to be paying attention.
Goose bumps rose up on her skin and her cunt clenched and moistened when the heat of the hand on her shoulder seeped into her skin. She turned to look over her shoulder and gasped when her eyes connected with a broad muscular chest. Niki took a step back and nearly whimpered with disappointment when the man’s massive hand lifted from her bo
dy, but she turned to face him and her breath caught in her throat. He was the biggest, most ruggedly handsome man she’d ever seen and when her gaze connected with his blue eyes she almost swore they had a light glow to them. His blond hair was short but long enough to run fingers through. His shoulders were nearly as wide as the door and although it was fall and quite chilly he was only wearing a form-fitting white T-shirt.
“Are you okay, Deputy?”
His voice was smooth and deep and she shivered as it washed over her as another spark of lust raced through her body and down to her core. When she noticed there were two other men standing on the step waiting to get in her cheeks flamed with heat and embarrassment, and she moved aside. Blondie shifted out of the way and her mouth nearly gaped open when another two huge handsome men stepped inside.
The one on Blondie’s left had collar-length brown, wavy hair that didn’t detract from his handsome looks. In fact those feminine waves only made him look more manly. His eyes were a deep brown but when he met her gaze the color of his irises seemed to lighten and they, too, seemed to take on a slight ephemeral glow.
The giant on his right had light red hair, almost strawberry-blond in color, and the greenest eyes she’d ever seen. He was a little shorter than his friends but a little brawnier. They were all well and truly over six feet. If she had to guess she would put them closer to seven foot than six and they all had to weigh close to three hundred pounds if not more.
Since she was only five foot two and one hundred and eight pounds, they could squish her like a bug.
“Miss?” Brown eyes gave her a worried frown.
Shit, Niki, get your head out of your panties.
She cleared her throat. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. It’s been a long day. I’m fine just a little tired.”
