Cora dropped her shirt and crossed the floor to lay a hand on her father’s arm. She, better than anyone, understood the stress he was under.
It’d been hell when they’d been penned in a fenced compound, not to mention collared and branded like they were rabid animals. But Jonah had lost his beloved mate, Caroline, the mother of his children, during the initial roundup.
Now they were once again being punished, and her father was being squeezed between a rock and a hard place.
“It’s up to you to make sure that you find some way to create peace with the wolves, Father,” she reminded him. “The humans want us at each other’s throats.” Her hand lifted from his arm to touch the collar around his neck. At the same time, the overhead light picked up the stylized cat tattoo on her forearm that partially hid the ugly brand. Reminders of the cost of failure. “The SAU know we could break free of this prison if we ever find a way to work together.”
“You see.” A wry smile touched Jonah’s lips, softening his grim expression. “You have the voice of reason. I need you at my side.”
With a shake of her head, she gave her father a gentle push. “Go. Do your thing. I need to finish unpacking.”
“Stubborn,” the older man muttered, reluctantly heading toward the door.
“I love you, too,” she called out behind him.
Waiting for her father to leave along with her three younger brothers, Cora finished stowing away their belongings then headed into the shower. There was a limited amount of hot water. Why not indulge while everyone else was occupied?
It was nearly an hour later when she pulled on a tiny tee and matching boxers. Then, ignoring the sharp chill of the late October air, she stepped out the back door and sucked in a deep breath.
Instantly, she was surrounded by the tangy scent of pines, and the sweet hint of aster that was planted beneath the kitchen window. And…something else.
Something she recognized instantly.
Wolf musk.
She stiffened, her heart pounding. But not with fear. Instead, it was pure excitement that made her pulse leap and her palms sweat.
“Show yourself,” she commanded.
There was a rustle in the undergrowth before a tall male wearing nothing more than a faded pair of jeans stepped from the shadows.
Soren Slater.
Cora released a low hiss. The sight of him was like a punch to the gut.
Against her will, her gaze hungrily drank in the sight of the male she hadn’t seen for what felt like an eternity.
His shoulders were broad, and his bare chest was smoothly muscled as it tapered down to a narrow waist. The jeans that hung low on his hips emphasized his long legs.
He had tousled curls that were as dark and glossy as polished ebony, while his eyes were the color of cognac. He had a thin nose and sharply chiseled cheekbones a woman would kill to possess.
Over the years, she’d tried to tell herself that his finely carved features couldn’t be as impossibly beautiful as she remembered. Now, she couldn’t deny the impact of his male perfection.
Cora clenched her hands, her gut twisting with apprehension.
It wasn’t the shattering pain exploding through her that troubled her. She’d always known that this reunion would be agonizing. Even after all these years. No. Her unease was a direct response to her cat’s piercing joy at the sight of Soren.
The animal didn’t care that this male had used her as just another meaningless body in his bed. Or that he’d chosen another female to share his life.
It only knew that her mate had returned, and was purring with a contentment that scared the hell out of Cora.
Time seemed to stand still as they simply stared at one another.
Heat. Need. And something far more dangerous smoldered in the air, threatening to stir old feelings that Cora had thought she’d banished years ago.
“Why aren’t you at the ceremony?” She abruptly broke the silence, wrapping her arms around her waist as she battled the urge to flee into the house and slam the door shut.
She wasn’t going to give the son of a bitch the satisfaction of knowing he could still disturb her.
Soren strolled forward, his gaze skimming over her scantily clad body with blatant appreciation. Briefly, she considered the pleasure of kicking him in the nads.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, at last turning his attention to her flushed face.
She shrugged. “I don’t have a formal position among the Pack.”
He gave a short laugh. “No one familiar with the tigers would ever underestimate your power, princess.”
“Power?”
He halted directly in front of her, wrapping her in his warm musk.
“Your father and brothers adore you. It’s well known that they listen to your council,” he murmured. “It’s also known that your father isn’t above using your beauty to dazzle unsuspecting males during difficult negotiations.”
It actually wasn’t well known. Her father laughingly called her his ‘secret weapon.’ But Soren had covertly traveled to the tiger compound as Holden’s prime diplomat, seeking to build an open channel of communication between the Packs. Which meant he knew far more about them than any other wolf.
“As charming as ever, Soren.” She offered a meaningless smile. “Unfortunately, it’s a wasted effort on me. Why don’t you run along to the ceremony? I’m sure there are a lot of females eager to hear your sweet lies.”
Soren went predatory still, his eyes narrowing. “Are you claiming that I lied to you, princess?”
Of course, he hadn’t. He was too cunning to make promises he couldn’t keep.
Which only pissed her off more.
“I’m not claiming anything, I’m telling you that I want you to go away,” she said.
Something that might have been regret flared through his eyes. “We need to talk.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so.”
“Cora.”
He reached out as if he intended to grab her arm. Instinctively, she slapped his hand away.
“Don’t. Touch. Me,” she said between clenched teeth.
He studied her with shadowed eyes, the air so thick it was difficult to breathe.
“Whether you like it or not, we’re about to become one big, messy Pack,” he finally said.
“I don’t like it.”
His lips flattened. “Peace is going to be difficult enough without open tension between the Tiger Princess and the Beta of River Pack.”
“There doesn’t need to be any tension.” She nodded her head toward the nearby trees that ringed the area designated for the felines. “Just stay the hell away from me.”
He made a sound of frustration. “The space is too small for us to completely avoid one another.”
“Not if we both make an effort.”
“Princess-”
Once again, he stretched his hand toward her, and once again, she smacked it away.
“I told you not to touch me,” she snapped.
Cognac eyes suddenly smoldered with the heat of his wolf, his musk teasing at her senses as he took a deliberate step forward.
“That’s not what you used to say,” he growled, leaning down until they were nose to nose. “Once you begged for my touch. My kisses.”
She didn’t think…she just reacted. Spectacularly.
Lifting her hand, she slapped him across his too-handsome face.
“You bastard.”
****
Soren flinched. Not from the pain of her slap. But with the realization that he was behaving like a bastard.
Which was the last thing he wanted.
When he’d seen her standing in the moonlight, his entire being had ignited with pleasure.
It was like he’d been sleepwalking through his life for the past seven years, only to be reawakened by the sight of the female with the glorious mane of reddish-gold curls and stunning emerald eyes.
Everything was more acute. The crisp breeze. The tan
g of the autumn air. The silver of the moonlight as it glided over Cora’s half-naked body.
A longing so urgent it’d nearly sent him to his knees blasted through him, even as he watched Cora’s expression harden with dislike.
Shit. He desperately wanted to erase that look of loathing. To see her features soften with delight at the mere sight of him.
Which was why he was bungling this first meeting on an epic scale.
Forcing himself to take a step back, he drew in a deep, steadying breath.
“My mother would argue with the term bastard, but I’ll agree, I deserved the slap,” he said in rueful tones.
“Good.” She pointed toward the trees. “Now, go away.”
He leashed his wolf that snarled with impatience. His animal wasn’t politically correct.
It wanted this woman beneath him as he pounded them both to paradise.
“Would you believe me if I told you that I never meant to hurt you?”
“No.”
He grimaced. He hadn’t expected her to welcome him with open arms, but this…
“It’s true, princess,” he insisted, his fingers itching to reach out and touch her.
He fiercely needed to know that she was real and not just another fantasy that tormented his nights.
She gave a feline toss of her head. “You seduced me and then walked away to mate with a wolf.”
He flinched but held her gaze. “I was young. I never expected our flirtation to become so serious.”
She rolled her eyes. Not really subtle, but he wasn’t surprised by her lack of mercy. He’d been recklessly addicted to her, allowing his selfish desire to play with fire to wound her deeply.
It didn’t help that she hadn’t been the only one burned by his dangerous games.
“I have one question,” she said.
“What?”
“Were you already promised to the female wolf when you were with me?”
He jerked in pain at the realization of just how low he’d sunk in her estimation.
“No.” Blunt. Unmistakably honest.
Of course, Cora wasn’t satisfied.
“But you knew that you would choose a mate from your Pack?” she pressed.
Another flinch. More pain.
“I had no choice,” he growled. “Holden hadn’t mated, and there was a growing insecurity that threatened to undermine my people when they needed to be united against the humans. The Pack needed the stability of a mated Beta, who could assume leadership when Holden’s wolf was lost to his dark moods and in need of the time and space to run off his aggression.”
Her lips flattened. “Right.”
“It’s the truth, Cora.”
“If you were so dedicated to duty, then why the hell were you flirting with me?”
His shoved his fingers through his hair that was tangled from his recent run through the woods.
“You know why.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Say it.”
She needed to hear the words? Fine.
“I wanted you.”
“And what Soren wants he has to have?” she taunted.
“Yes.” He’d seen her standing in a sunlit glade, the long strands of her hair shimmering like fire, her eyes dancing with amusement. Between one beat of his heart and the next, he’d known that he would move heaven and earth to have her in his arms. “It was that simple. And that tragic.”
“Tragic?”
He shrugged, knowing she wasn’t ready to hear the full truth. Or maybe he just wasn’t ready to reveal that he was even more of an ass than she already assumed.
“Why haven’t you mated?” he instead asked.
Her expression tightened to an unreadable mask. “I learned a lesson from you. I take my fun where I want and then move on to the next.”
“Don’t say that,” he rasped, unwilling to believe that his sweet, playful kitten had become a hardened cynic.
She shrugged. “Why not?”
“Because I carry enough guilt.”
“There’s no need for guilt,” she assured him with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll eventually settle down with a nice, steady male who knows how to treat a female.”
His jaw clenched. “I suppose your father is still trying to shove you into the arms of Max Leskov?” Holden demanded, recalling the golden-haired, too pretty Beta of Golden Pack.
The male had always played the role of trusted friend, even as Soren had sensed he was more than prepared to take Cora as his mate.
“At least Max wouldn’t bed me while he was looking for another mate.”
“Shit.” He lifted a hand to press it against his chest. Inside, his heart felt as if it were being ripped in half. “You really know how to twist the knife, don’t you?”
She lowered her lashes, hiding her eyes from him. “What do you want from me?”
Now that was a loaded question, wasn’t it?
“For tonight?” he asked in low tones. “Peace.”
Chapter 2
The high-tech medical facility that was built on the western edge of Boulder was nearly invisible to the public. With the back of the four-storied structure overlooking the vast natural parkland, the front and sides were well hidden behind a ten-foot fence that was guarded 24/7. No one was allowed to enter without proper credentials.
Inside, it was a combination of laboratories with cutting-edge equipment, meeting rooms that were filled with sleek furniture, and large offices. Exactly what was expected.
It was only deep in the basement that it became evident that this was no normal facility. Not only were there a dozen cages with thick metal bars and shackles hanging from the ceiling, but also a hidden room for the fighting pit, complete with bleachers for the guests of the SAU who paid to watch the animals fight.
Dawn was barely brushing the sky with hints of pink when Dr. Frank Talbot put away the last of his files and straightened the nameplate he’d placed on the edge of the mahogany desk.
A tall man with thick chestnut hair he kept carefully brushed back to emphasize his tanned face and pale blue eyes, Frank had been working for hours to clear the office of the previous owner’s belongings. Now, at last, he could claim it as his own.
Running a satisfied hand over the leather seat he’d ordered just minutes after learning his predecessor had had his throat ripped out by the Alpha of the River Pack, Frank was interrupted when the door was rudely shoved open.
“Director Markham,” he forced himself to murmur as the large man with short, iron-gray hair attired in a crisp blue suit strolled into the office.
Frank stiffened as the head of the Denver division of the SAU studied him with a mocking smile. Unlike him, Markham had risen through the ranks of the military before becoming a part of the secret organization.
A trained monkey in a suit, Frank silently told himself.
He, on the other hand, had graduated top of his class from Harvard Medical School, and had been one of the most promising researchers in the field of virology until he’d been fired for using the homeless as his test subjects. Ridiculous laws.
Thankfully, the fact that the Verona Virus had nearly wiped out humanity had prevented him from being tossed into jail. Instead, he’d been transferred from his prestigious position to this shadowy agency that wasn’t nearly so concerned with pesky details like morals and ethics.
“Talbot,” the older man drawled.
Frank narrowed his eyes. “Doctor.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s Dr. Talbot.”
The Director snorted, glancing around the paneled walls that were now decorated with Frank’s framed diplomas and a picture of his mother who’d died during the Verona outbreak.
“I see you’ve made yourself at home.”
Frank shrugged. The dead doctor had been an idiot. Frank was far more deserving of the position as head of research. Why pretend otherwise?
“There didn’t seem any point in allowing a perfectly good office to sit empty,” he said.<
br />
“The previous owner is barely cold in his grave.”
Frank shrugged, increasingly annoyed by the interruption. Didn’t Markham have better things to do than worry about proper etiquette for taking over for a colleague who’d recently had his throat ripped out?
“We all mourn in our own way,” Frank snapped.
The Director held up a beefy hand. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, doc. I prefer a man who sets his sights on the finish line and refuses to let anyone or anything stand in his way.”
“Then we should work well together.”
“Time will tell.” Markham folded his arms over his chest, his square face hardening as he got down to business. “What are your plans now that you’ve claimed the position of head researcher?”
Frank smoothed his hands down the white lab jacket that he wore over his pale blue shirt and black slacks.
“It’s obvious that we need to discover more about the process of mutating a human into a shifter.”
The older man nodded. Since the wolf traitor had revealed that a shifter didn’t have to be born, but could actually be created by the bite of an Alpha or a true mate, the SAU had been foaming at the mouth to see if they could discover the exact details of how it worked.
They claimed it was merely to better understand the enemy. Frank, however, knew that wasn’t the entire truth. The Board of Directors had every intention of trying to create their own shifters that they could control.
“Easier said than done,” Markham muttered.
“True,” Frank agreed. “The best-case scenario would be to bring the Alphas to the lab, where I could have the shifters—as well as the humans—hooked up to my equipment so I could scientifically monitor each step of the process.”
“Impossible.” The Director gave a firm shake of his head. “After the previous doctor’s bungled attempt to get his hands on the wolf’s human mate, the Packs are on edge. If we try to take their leaders, they’ll explode into a full-out riot.” Markham grimaced. “The SAU can’t afford that sort of unwanted attention. Not now.”
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