As their fingers brushed along her skin, the sizzle of heat returned, making the hairs on her arms stand on end. The warmth seemed to come from their touch and expanded along her body almost like she’d just stepped in front of a heater while the air around them seemed to crackle as if charged.
This isn’t normal. What’s happening to me?
Chapter Two
Everett stared down at the woman who was supposed to be his mate. When they’d had contact before, his bear had rose within him, interested, but he always suspected it was more about protecting her from Chief Lambert than anything more. She was innocent and her father was swimming in bloody water, surrounded by sharks. He was going to get her killed if he wasn’t careful. Hell, even if he’s careful, Lorcan might find her too tempting to overlook for much longer.
“If we want her to trust us, we need to be honest with her too.” Grandy’s words pulled Everett back to the present.
“This is fucking insane.” He shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing.
“Telling her or the other part?”
“Both.” Everett dropped his hand from her when all he wanted to do was pull her into his embrace. He forced himself to take a step back and focus on Grandy. “The two of us. Really? You don’t find this…I don’t know, insane is the best I’ve got at the moment.”
“No.” Grandy shook his head. “It’s not uncommon for my kind and with my position…well, I suspect it’s for the best.”
“Everett.” Amabel reached out and put her hand on his arm, bringing the connection back to life. “You asked me to trust you. So, tell me. What’s going on? What is this? Why do I only feel it when the three of us are touching?”
“Precious.” Unable to stop himself, he closed the distance between them and brought his hand down to hers, intertwining their fingers. “This isn’t going to help speed things up and unlike Grandy here, I don’t think it’s going to help you trust us.”
“Tell me,” she demanded as she met his gaze. “Or get out. Your choice, but I’m tired of playing these games.”
“We’re mates,” Grandy stated and when Everett’s gaze shot to him, he shrugged. “What? She’s going to find out soon enough. It’s better to tell her now rather than lie to her.”
“What are you talking about? What does that even mean?” Still pressed against the wall, she looked as if she wanted to move away from them, but they were blocking her path. “Everett?”
“Yeah, this is going to go so much better.” Sarcasm dripped from his tone as he shook his head and let out a light laugh. “Shifters have mates. We’re shifters and the three of us are mates.”
“Yeah right.” With wide eyes, she leaned back against the wall. “Now I know I’m dreaming. Some screwed-up paranormal nightmare. There’s no way this is real. I should have known I was insane when I saw that video but now this confirms it.”
“Precious.” He took a step closer and her arm brushed against his chest. “This is real but way more than we expected to be telling you now. All this does is complicate our mission and put you in more danger.”
“I don’t believe this. I don’t believe in shifters or whatever the hell a mate is supposed to be.” She stared up at him and shook her head.
“I’d tell them to shift for you.” Brooklynn strolled into the room, Frost a step behind her. “But we’re running behind schedule as it is. If we’re going to be out of here before the sun’s up, we need to get this back on track.”
“Give us ten minutes.” Grandy glanced over his shoulder at her.
“You’ve already had a half an hour.” Frost shook his head. “We understand your position but time’s short.”
“Who are you?” Amabel asked.
“I’m Brooklynn and this is Frost.”
“Brooklynn leads my team and Frost is her second-in-command along with Tad, who you’ll meet later. They mean you no harm,” Grandy reassured her.
“You mentioned a video. It had shifters in it, didn’t it?” Brooklynn asked.
“No.” The answer was too quick, and her muscles tightened at the mention of the video. Even if Everett couldn’t smell the lie, it was enough of an alert that he had no doubt Brooklynn caught it as well.
“Precious, don’t lie to us. We can’t protect you if we don’t know everything.” Everett ignored his bear’s desire to push her behind him and snarl at Brooklynn for making his mate uneasy.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I saw nothing. I know nothing.”
“Maybe we should let them see us with you. Let you go back home and fall into their hands. It would serve you right to be tortu—”
Anger snapped Everett’s control over his beast and growling, he spun around to face Brooklynn. His bear brushed along the inside of his skin, wanting to be released from the confines of his human body. “Get out!” He roared.
“Everett.” Grandy’s free hand touched him on his shoulder and he was able to pull his bear back under control. When his growls subsided, Grandy turned his attention to Brooklynn. “I asked you before for more time and I’m doing it again. Don’t make me take further steps. It’s not what I want, but I will protect my mate, even if it means I must go against my own team—my family.”
“The danger rises the longer this takes.” Frost waited for Brooklynn to make her decision.
“We need the information, Grandy.” Brooklynn stared across the room at him. “You know it as well as I do, more are going to die if we don’t do something. This is bigger than her and Lambert. Bigger than your mating.”
“And you storming in here demanding things from her isn’t helping the situation. I told you Amabel would give us the information only if she believed we could make a difference. Now get out and let us convince her,” Everett snapped, his patience gone. Unlike Grandy, he didn’t have the loyalty to the team, leaving him without the desire to smooth things over. Instead, his only devotion was to Amabel and he’d protect her even if it meant going up against the team head-on.
“Trust me to get it.” Keeping his hands on Amabel and Everett, Grandy turned to face Brooklynn. “I haven’t forgotten why we’re here or that we’re on a tight timeline. Give us time to do this our way.”
“Maybe he’s right.” Frost turned enough to look at Brooklynn. “We knew from the beginning we couldn’t walk in here and demand this. If anyone can get what we need it’s going to be her mates.”
“Fine.” Brooklynn nodded. “I’ll give you more time but you better start making progress.”
“I don’t know what the heck is going on here.” Amabel, who had been silent until that moment, finally spoke. “I don’t care who you are but this is insane. Get the hell out of my room before I call the police.”
Everett turned back to her while still using his body to shield her from the other woman. “Give Grandy and me a few minutes and we’ll explain everything.”
“They’re leaving.” Grandy turned back to them. “I’m sorry, sweets.”
“I can’t think with you touching me. It’s as if the electricity in your touch is affecting my thoughts.” She shrugged out of their embrace and stepped out around Grandy. “She mentioned letting someone torture me. Who the fuck are you people? Criminals, obviously. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t call the police.”
“Amabel, listen to me.” Everett took a step toward her but when she shook her head, he stopped. “Your dad is an idiot. He wore a camera when he went to their compound. He hoped when shit hit the fan he could use it to keep himself safe. Except you found it, didn’t you?”
“I…I…didn’t.” Stumbling back toward the bed, she shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You can’t lie to a shifter. Not only can we smell it, we can taste it.” Grandy leaned back against the wall, watching her. “Right now, you have no reason to trust us. I get it, but if you don’t, you’re going to end up hurt. None of us want that.”
“Hurt or tortured?” She eyed him.
“We’re not the ones who are going to do either of those things. Brooklynn shouldn’t have said that.”
“Shouldn’t have said that she was going to let me be tortured?” Her voice rose as she stared up at Grandy. “Are you serious? Who the hell deserves to be tortured? No one, that’s who. Yet she just threatened to do just that. How can you—”
“She didn’t.” Grandy pushed off the wall and came to stand next to Everett. “Brooklynn shouldn’t have said what she did, but she didn’t say we’d torture you. The group in Washington D.C. is dangerous. Due to the choices your father has made, they’re looking in your direction. It won’t be long until Chief Lambert’s usefulness is not enough to keep you safe. If they end up getting their hands on you, there’s no doubt they’ll hurt you. But Everett and I aren’t going to allow that to happen.”
“You decided to tell her we were mates, now I’m deciding she needs to see it.” Everett held his hand out to Grandy. “Give me your phone. It’s time to show her what we have.”
Without questioning him, Grandy dragged his phone from his pocket and handed it to Everett.
“See what?”
“A meeting with your father yesterday.” Everett’s attention was on the phone as he pulled up the video. As the video appeared on the screen, his bear snarled at him, angry he’d show her this even though they knew it would hurt her. She held her father on a pedestal and this would change things, no doubt causing their mate pain. It’s the only way to protect her.
About the Author
Marissa Dobson is a USA Today Bestselling Author of more than sixty books in different genres of romance, including Alaskan Tigers series.
Being the first daughter to an avid reader gave her the advantage of learning to read at a young age. Since then she has always had her nose in a book. It wasn’t until she was a teenager that she started exploring writing.
Marissa lives an hour from Washington D.C. with her supportive husband, Thomas—who puts up with all her quirks and listens to her brainstorm in the middle of the night—and her writing buddy Pup Cameron, a cocker spaniel.
Don’t miss a new release, sign up for Marissa’s newsletter.
For more information:
www.MarissaDobson.com
[email protected]
Also by Marissa Dobson
Alaskan Tigers:
Tiger Time
The Tiger’s Heart
Tigress for Two
Night with a Tiger
Trusting a Tiger
Alaskan Tigers Box Set Volume One
Jinx’s Mate
Two for Protection
Bearing Secrets
Tiger Tracks
Healing the Clan
Alaskan Tigers Box Set Volume Two
Her Black Tiger
Tiger Trouble
Alpha Claimed
Frost Bite
Roaring Change
Alaskan Tigers Box Set Volume Three
Claiming Their Mate
Forever Creek Shifters:
Forever’s Fight
Protecting Forever
Crimson Hollow:
Romancing the Fox
Loving the Bears
A Lion’s Chance
Swift Move
Purrable Lion
Bearly Alive
Saved by a Lion
Furever Mated Box Set
Stormkin:
Storm Queen
Reaper:
A Touch of Death
Beyond Monogamy:
Theirs to Treasure
SEALed for You:
Ace in the Hole
Explosive Passion
Operation Family
Marine for You:
Lucky Chance
Back from Hell
A Marines Second Chance
Tanner Cycles:
Until Sydney
Phantom Security:
Different Sides
Undercover Agent
Takeover Agent
Blessing Montana:
Smoke
Touch of Home
Cedar Grove Medical:
Hope’s Toy Chest
Destiny’s Wish
Leena’s Dream
Cedar Grove Medical Box Set
Fate:
Snowy Fate
Sarah’s Fate
Mason’s Fate
As Fate Would Have It
Half Moon Harbor Resort:
Learning to Live
Learning What Love Is
Her Cowboy’s Heart
Half Moon Harbor Resort Volume One
Clearwater:
Winterbloom
Unexpected Forever
Losing to Win
Christmas Countdown
The Surrogate
Clearwater Romance Volume One
Small Town Doctor
Stand Alone:
Road to Kaytlyn
Irish Nights
SEALed Rescue
Past Comes to Light
SEALed Outcome
Starting Over
Secret Valentine
Restoring Love
Alaskan Tigers Box Set 3 Page 69
