Unconditional

by Lauren Dane

  It was a fourth-floor room on the corner so she was reasonably sure she was as safe as she could be, at least for that night, before she headed into the bathroom with a change of clothes and her weapon.

  She stood under the scalding hot water, scrubbing and scrubbing, but it seemed as if she’d never be rid of the stench of that body in the convenience store. Or of the way Allie’s face kept superimposing itself over Bobby’s.

  She’d grown up in a house without a lot of control. Her mother had been all about appearances so she’d chosen Michelle’s clothes, what her hair looked like, her classes even. Michelle had been a cheerleader because her mother had been. Her father had been mainly out of the picture, and her mother had gone through men like cars. Trading in for a new one every four or five years.

  Michelle had excelled because she was supposed to.

  But when she decided to apply to become a cop, things had changed. She’d rejected all that lack of control and had taken the reins in her own life. Being a cop had given her something. Many things. But chief was the strength to take care of herself and others. Physical and mental. She had learned to face her fears and overcome them. People depended on her and that was all right.

  And there she stood in a shower stall and her best friend was heaven knew where, in trouble, maybe dead, most likely scared and helpless, and she couldn’t do anything and it filled her with misery.

  “I’m looking for you, Allie,” she whispered as she dried off, going over everything she knew in her head. Tomorrow they’d be on the ground, looking.

  She turned out the lights and crawled into bed, the exhaustion sucking her into sleep faster than the panic could stop.

  Chapter Five

  He knocked on the ornate front doors, smiling as he heard the sound of giggles and a deeper voice and more laughter.

  Tracy Warden, his Alpha, his friend and the mate to the two men he saw in the living room wrestling with their daughters, Rose who was two and Lianne who was five.

  She grinned. “Look, girls, it’s Uncle Josh!”

  The girls looked up and squealed, rushing toward him. Josh stepped into the house and scooped them up, one in each arm as they covered his face in sloppy kisses that smelled like vanilla cookies.

  “Did you save me any cookies? I’ve had a long day and I could really use one.”

  Big green eyes widened as they both nodded enthusiastically.

  “Have you eaten?” Tracy asked him as they headed into the living room where Nick and Gabe sat on the couch, feet up. A rush of affection filled Josh for all of them. He loved Tracy, Gabe and Nick. Not just as his Alphas but as friends. As family.

  “Yeah, just about an hour ago. I’m still stuffed.” He set the girls on their feet.

  “I’ll put them to bed.” She held her hands out and the girls grabbed them. “Looks like Uncle Josh needs to talk to your daddies.”

  They broke free to give him hugs and kisses and to rush over and give love to their dads too, before heading upstairs with Tracy.

  “How goes the situation with the missing witch?” Gabe, one of Pacific’s two male Alphas, asked as Josh settled on one of the nearby chairs.

  “The cop? Michelle, the one I had a high school thing with?”

  They both nodded.

  “She’s my mate.” Once he said it out loud, it was real, he allowed himself to believe it.

  Nick snorted a laugh. “No shit?”

  “I kept thinking it was that we had something back then, you know? That old spark is certainly still there and we’re adults now and she’s gorgeous and of course I wanted to fuck her. But I’ve been feeling more and more protective of her. Getting agitated when anyone looks at her, especially her breasts or her ass. And then I kissed her.” He ran his hands through his hair several times, the rush of that kiss still zinged through his system. “Once I got a taste, my wolf wasn’t going to let me pretend anymore.”

  Nick, who’d been his friend for many, many years, raised a brow. “Does she know?”

  Josh shook his head. “She’s drowning right now. Scared for her friend. And things don’t look good, so it’s not like she’s feeling that way for no reason. She’s overwhelmed, and she had no real idea about this world, the Others I mean. So she’s trying to manage all that too. I just…if I spring on her that she’s my mate, with all the stuff that comes with it, I’m afraid she’ll freak out.”

  Gabe nodded. “Fair enough. But you know this thing you feel is only going to be more and more intense as you’re around her. Trust me on that.”

  Originally it had been Tracy and Nick who’d been mates, and they’d sealed the bond. But mate pairs need a third, an anchor bond, another male who is part of that bond. If one of the mates dies, having that third anchor bond keeps the remaining mate from losing it. But the bond included sex to seal it, much like the original mate bond.

  And when that happened, Gabe found himself feeling far more than an anchor to Tracy. And she him. It turned out the three of them were something pretty unique to wolves, a Tri Mate Bond, which meant the three of them shared a bond usually made for two. But for a bit, Gabe was left out, thinking he was in love with a woman he was destined to watch with another male for the rest of their lives, until they figured things out.

  God, at some point, he’d have to deal with that himself. Another male having sex with his mate. He knew it logically. It was part of who and what they were, and in the end, it kept her safe. But right at that moment, the reality of it was a little hard to get around.

  “Is this what you want? Is she what you want? You know if you don’t seal the bond, there will be another woman at some point.”

  “I want her so much I can’t think straight. You should see her. Christ. She’s so badass. She ran after this guy today and took him out with a leaping tackle. She’s fierce and beautiful, and she’s my match on so many levels.”

  Nick grinned. “Yeah? We can always use more badass females in Pacific.”

  “One step at a time. I have to take it slow. She’s not a wolf. Hell, she’s a witch but I know more about witches than she does. I want her to see how much more of the world, her world, there is.”

  “And there’s the matter of you dumping her.”

  “Yeah, because I’d forgotten that. Thanks, Nick.”

  His friend smirked. “Just saying. Did you explain it to her?”

  “I did and we talked more about it today. I think she understands. There’s chemistry between us, no doubt. She didn’t deny it after the kiss. I just have to be smart and take my time. I can do this.” And he’d have to use a condom until she was ready to seal the bond, because once he came inside her, that was it. The bond would be formed. They’d end up in bed very soon. There was far too much attraction between them to deny for too long.

  Gabe leaned out to grab a handful of popcorn. “I understand why you want to take it slow, but the longer you wait to tell her, the harder it’s going to be for her to understand.”

  “Easy for you guys to say, your mate was a wolf. She knew about this world, about what it all means.”

  Gabe shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You get what you get. If she’s worth it, you’ll find a way. You’re a smooth dude. I’ve seen you charm your way into plenty of panties. And you’ve been with her before. She knows you.”

  He stayed a few hours more, hearing a report on Nick’s niece and nephew who they’d ended up raising after they’d all taken over the pack. They were both in college now, doing great. Tracy came down after she’d put the girls to bed, and they’d watched a movie before he headed back home.

  He took a walk to check on the guy watching the hotel, standing for some time gazing at the window to her room.

  “Lights went off before nine. No movement since.”

  “Good. Thanks.” He ambled back home, hoping she got some rest because morning would come early and she needed it.

  She was awake before six, restless. Wanting to see him. God. God. God. Why did it have to be Josh? Why did he have t
o be so nice and helpful on top of a heaping spoonful of gorgeous?

  And why was it so hard to stop thinking of him? When she’d been with Mark, it hadn’t been so intense. She’d loved him and they’d had a healthy sex life and all that jazz. But when he’d gotten the job in Seattle and asked her to move with him, she’d known it was a step she wasn’t willing to take.

  She’d loved him, yes, but it hadn’t been enough.

  Josh though? Well, she knew him. Or a version of him.

  She rolled from bed and pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She’d work out in the hotel gym. She’d been lucky to have caught Charlie yesterday. If she hadn’t been in shape she might not have. It was a good reminder how important that part of the job was.

  Plus, she thought once she got running on the treadmill, it was always a good way to take her mind off things. To just let go and give over to her body.

  But of course her body wanted to think about Josh too. She should feel guilty about the kiss, shouldn’t she? After all she was supposed to have been entirely focused on Allie, and instead she made out with an ex-boyfriend.

  There had been hours upon hours she spent with Josh back in the day. Lying on a blanket looking up at the stars as she poured out her hopes and dreams. When he’d left that had been what she’d missed so much. Being able to have that depth of connection with someone else.

  She was close with Allie, but it hadn’t ever been the same as those times she’d spent, falling in love with Josh under the stars. Though she supposed not for him either, because she’d been falling for him and he’d just walked away.

  Which wasn’t entirely fair. Now that she’d heard the whole story, she’d understood. If she had been human, he couldn’t have told her. Couldn’t have come back to Roseburg to do what? His life was better here in Portland without a doubt.

  She’d missed him a great deal. And there’d been this comfort and connection with him the day before. She could talk with him about all the craziness of the case. No one else really but him.

  He’d listened. And helped. Had put aside his own job to help with hers. To help not just because it was these dangerous mages, but because she’d asked him to.

  At least thinking about him had made the five miles pass relatively easily and quickly. She headed back up to her room to find him standing at the door.

  “Is everything all right?” Great, she looked like a sweaty mess.

  “I was about to ask you the same. I was worried when I couldn’t hear movement inside.”

  “I’m not that…oh you have super hearing. I forget about that. I need to shower and we can get moving.” She unlocked, and he followed her inside, standing very close. But the only thing that bothered her about it was she had to have been smelly.

  “You probably don’t want to stand so close. I just ran five miles.”

  He stepped even closer, and she couldn’t do anything else but watch, fascinated as he closed his eyes, bent and breathed her in. “You smell delicious. Woman. Magick. Hard work. Your muscles are loose and warm. You still smell of sleep.”

  She gulped, licking her lips. She knew what else he was going to smell because he’d already told her he could scent her arousal, and she was that all the sudden. Hot. Nipples hard and tingling, her pussy slick.

  “Jesus, this is fucking torture.” He shook himself a moment and stepped back. “Go get showered or I’m going to do what your body is begging me to.”

  She blinked at him, mouth opened. She should have been outraged. Denying that claim, but she’d have been a liar and they both would have known it. He wasn’t angry. His words were tortured.

  She willed herself into the bathroom and showered quickly, turning the water ice cold at the end before she headed back out to him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as she entered the room.

  “For what?” She checked her weapon before sliding her shoulder harness on. They needed to go back to that gas station. She also needed to check in with Pam at Portland PD to see if they’d received any new info.

  He moved to her, tipping her chin up, and all the hard work the cold shower had done fell away as want slammed into her again. “I shouldn’t have said that. You didn’t deserve it.”

  Unable to help it, she smiled. “Yeah? You think I’m too fragile to face that I was hot for you and you knew it?”

  He groaned. “Why do you do this to me?”

  She got serious. “What?” Without meaning to, she reached up to touch his cheek, and he leaned into her palm.

  “I want you. A whole lot.”

  She’d be such a liarpants if she denied she wanted him right back. But there were other things right then to deal with.

  “Yes. I want you too. But, Allie. I need to focus on that right now.”

  He swallowed, and she breathed in deep as he slid an arm around her waist, dipping his head to kiss her. His progress was slow enough that she could have stepped back or stopped things.

  As if.

  She tipped her head up, pressing herself closer, and when his lips came down on hers, it was like everything sort of clicked into place. He was like the thing in her life she hadn’t known she was missing but now she did.

  His tongue slid over the curve of her bottom lip, and she opened to him, sucking it inside her mouth. He grunted, pressing his cock against her belly. Her nails dug into his sides, holding him close as his taste filled her.

  The hand he had at her back slid down to cup the swell of her ass, hauling her closer. She wanted him to toss her on the bed and fuck her senseless, exhaust her. But they didn’t have time for that. Not right then.

  He broke away, breath coming fast. “That was…it’ll get me through the next hours.” His eyes held that light she’d already begun to associate with his wolf. “We should go. Pam is going to meet us for breakfast. I hope you’re hungry, this place serves a great breakfast.”

  “I’m beginning to think all the places you eat serve heaping plates of food.”

  He slid a hand over that rock-hard belly and grinned like a pirate. “A benefit of shifter metabolism.”

  She grabbed her stuff and followed him out into the hallway. Damon already stood near the elevator. She waved.

  “Morning.”

  He nodded her way. “Morning, Michelle. Listen,” he said as they all took the elevator to the lobby, “my mate, my wife, she’s a witch and she wanted me to invite you over when you got a chance. She’s excited to meet you and said to tell you there’s a sizeable community of witches here in Portland. They’re affiliated with Clan Owen.”

  “Oh. Well…thank you. Thank her, I mean. I don’t know how long I’ll be around, but I appreciate the invite and I’m always happy to meet other witches. I don’t know very many.” Her mother pretended she was human. The only other witches she was close to who didn’t hide it were Allie and Kathy.

  Damon’s gaze shifted to Josh quickly before he replied. “I’ll tell her. Just let me know. Maybe we can grab a coffee. Or you two can have a drink since Josh and I can’t really get drunk.”

  She smiled. “That must sort of suck.”

  Josh patted his belly again. “There are other benefits. I’d rather be able to eat like a horse.”

  She snorted a laugh. “You ate like a horse before you got bit too.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, but that seventeen-year-old-boy metabolism only lasts so long.”

  They drove over to a small diner where she ordered a pot of coffee and a stack of pancakes. Damon and Josh of course ordered enough food for four people but the server didn’t even bat an eye.

  Pam the cop came in right as their food arrived. She asked the server to bring a farmer’s breakfast and more coffee, and then she turned to Josh, nodding.

  “No further sightings of the SUV north of here. One more west of that gas station. Charlie hasn’t been very helpful. He lawyered up right away. Our contact in the coroner’s office says the dead guy was human.”

  “There was magick in the room.”

 
Pam nodded. “Whatever ripped him apart wasn’t human, that’s for sure. No teeth marks found so at least it’s not going to be pinned on Weres. Given the time of death, it couldn’t have been a Vampire. I’m not sure what else would have had the power to do that.”

  “I’m a little freaked that a spell could manage something so horrible and violent.” Josh shoved a biscuit and two pieces of bacon in his mouth like a machine.

  “To be fair, those aren’t witches. That’s mage magic. I don’t know all of it, but enough to know they don’t have the same rede we have. Witches like those in clans like Owen and in the covens hold to a belief system that says we don’t use our power to harm anyone except in self-defense.”

  Her phone rang. “I need to take this.” She stood and moved outside, not wanting to be rude. Josh followed, holding his plate.

  “I don’t want you alone. Take your call.”

  She rolled her eyes but answered.

  “Michelle? I’m Lark Jaansen, I work with Clan Owen. I just wanted to call and check in with you.”

  “I appreciate that. We don’t know much more. It’s definitely mages. I caught their energies at two rest stops and then at a gas station here in Portland. We found a dead body there too.” She went over all the rest with Lark, asking questions here and there, clearly taking notes.

  “I have to deal with a disappearance here, so I can’t come down and Gage is on an investigation as well. Normally we’d send someone from our Hunter team but we’re…drowning right now. This is…there’s a lot of horrible stuff going on, I’m sorry to say. But we have some contacts there in Portland and I’d very much like it if you’d get in touch with them. The support will be helpful. And I hate the thought of you being alone in all this. The wolves are helping, which is good. In fact, this witch is mated to a wolf. But we want you to be supported. I know the missing woman is your friend. That has to be hard. And she’s one of ours, as all witches here are. I hate that you have to be on your own.”

  Somehow it was this last bit that got to her and pushed the tears she’d been trying too hard to bury to the surface. She didn’t need that. So she wiped a hand over her eyes and ignored Josh, who perked up when she did it.