by Meg Ripley
He’d left early in the afternoon that day to make sure he was at headquarters on time. He and the guys needed to make sure they were in concurrence about the mission, and Hudson wanted to come back to the office to make sure everything was buttoned up before he left.
And hell, what kind of mission would it be? Pretending to be the mate of a woman who drove him absolutely crazy? He could see the stubbornness in Leona’s eyes, her willfulness. She was clearly the type of woman who was used to being independent. Hudson was a successful man who was well-known. There were plenty of women who fawned over him, wanting him to take them out on elaborate dates. He was used to being the one in charge when it came to relationships, but Sergeant Kirk wasn’t going to just fall at his feet.
And seeing her as a lioness? That had nearly undone him. Even with only the firelight, Hudson could see just how glorious she was. Her coat was the color of caramelized butter, with a few darker lines that dripped down her back and between her ears. Her muscles were sleek and strong under that fur, her muzzle proud and her ears attentive.
That had been difficult enough, but then he’d actually touched her. Hudson faced his computer screen, but he didn’t actually see what was in front of him. He could only see the side of Sergeant Kirk’s face as his arm had touched hers, the way her ear had twitched as that electrical spark ignited between them. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. Even the first time he’d done that ritual with Garrison, Drake, and Flint, there had only been the subsequent pulses of energy once the words were spoken. There was definitely something going on between himself and Leona.
Of course, now she was part of the Force. Hudson had agreed immediately that none of them should get involved with her. Should he have admitted they were fated? The idea had seemed so strange, but he’d known it was true.
The gentle knock on his door made him refocus his eyes, and he blinked in the light of the screen. Looking up, he found Drake standing in his doorway. “Hey, what are you doing here? It’s late.”
The doctor smiled. “I know. That’s exactly why I came to check on you. You seemed a little…off today. When I drove by and saw that you’d left all the lights on, I thought we might need to have a little chat.”
Hudson knew that Drake’s visit couldn’t be completely innocent. His office was out of the way, and his friend would’ve had to have come here on purpose. “I’m fine. Just one of those days.”
“If you say so. I guess I wanted to make sure it didn’t have anything to do with me moving to California. I know we all settled in this area, thinking it would be a good way to still live our own lives while being able to have a centralized headquarters.” Drake lowered himself into the chair in front of Hudson’s desk, looking solemn.
Hudson was grateful for the chance to turn his thoughts away from his own concerns. He felt warm appreciation for his friend. They’d served together, both while enlisted and while discharged, and that had created just as much of a bond between them as Garrison’s ancient ceremony had. “No, man. Nothing like that. We never made a pact to live within a mile radius of each other or anything, and if nothing else, your move has pushed me to advance some technology I might’ve set to the side otherwise. You’ve found something really good in Nikki; you can’t just deny that.”
Drake smiled at the mention of his mate. She was a gorgeous blonde, and all the guys knew just how smitten the two of them were. “You’re right. She’s really something else. Lindy’s crazy about her, too. And that’s all I really need to know that I made the right decision.”
“You did.” Hudson glanced at his computer screen again. The next item on the To Do list from his secretary was a missed phone call that afternoon from Belinda Cates. An executive with a small finance company, the two of them had shared a business lunch the week before. Apparently, she was wanting to have dinner with him sometime soon. He couldn’t make himself feel flattered, knowing from just the short time he’d spent with her that she was only looking for money and status. Hudson swiped the message to the side.
“If you have a moment, I wouldn’t mind talking about Sergeant Kirk,” Drake said, shifting a little in his seat. “I have a few doubts.”
“I can understand that,” Hudson replied slowly. He was having plenty of his own doubts, but probably not for the same reasons.
Drake leaned his elbows against the arms of the chair and crossed one ankle over his knee. “I think we need to keep an eye on Kirk.”
Hudson lifted his brow. “I’m a little surprised to hear you say that, if I’m honest. You seemed all for her joining.”
The doctor nodded. “I was, and I still am. As the others said, she might have a lot to contribute. But we’ve been such a small team all this time, and I worry that we might’ve made the wrong decision.”
It was difficult to envision Kirk as anything other than what she’d presented to them: a wounded veteran looking for a way to continue the life path she’d started. And fucking hot.
“I’m just asking you to keep an eye on her, that’s all. Don’t let her try to complete this mission alone. We have no reason to mistrust her, but neither do we have any reason to just hand over the reins. Does that make sense?”
“Of course. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Hudson forced a smile. “Any other last-minute advice?”
Drake rose from his seat. “Just be careful. I’ll be in touch.” He walked out, leaving Hudson to contemplate just what he was getting himself into.
5
Leona glanced around as Hudson glided the rented vehicle through the suburbs of Edwardsville, Illinois. It was a mix of historic-looking brick buildings and modern constructions. The streets were busy but clean, and the sun shone too brightly on all of it. “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
Hudson glanced at her from the driver’s seat, dressed in a pale blue polo and jeans. Somehow, he looked completely relaxed in this strange car in this strange place. “What do you mean?”
She sighed, already feeling frustrated with this mission even though it had hardly begun. “You said we’re investigating a pride that’s distributing illegal weapons. I fully expected some gritty, inner-city scenario with gangs and graffiti and violence in the streets. This looks like something out of a magazine.” Leona watched a driver pause and wave a pedestrian through an intersection.
One corner of his mouth lifted. “You should know things aren’t always as they seem.”
“Oh, you mean like the two of us posing as mates?” She’d resisted saying anything about it during their flight, but she couldn’t hold it in anymore. It irritated her on a deep level, like an itch she couldn’t reach. “This better not be some ploy on your behalf to get in my pants.” Leona folded her arms across her chest.
“Nothing like that,” he assured her in that calm, smooth voice of his. “It’s just a good cover. Oh, here’s the turn.” He headed to the left, entering a neighborhood full of sprawling ranch homes on massive lots, each with concrete driveways and two-car garages that faced that road.
“But there are plenty of other options for us,” she countered. “Hell, we could even stay in two different houses on different sides of town and cover more territory.”
“The cover we’ve established is the easiest and most likely scenario. From our research, this area is full of humans as well as shifters. To those like us, we’re mates. To any humans, we’re a married couple. Either way, we moved to the area for my job. It’s simple, and that means it’s more likely to be successful.”
“It just seemed old-fashioned. And sexist.” She wasn’t going to change a thing. It was far too late, and Leona knew perfectly well that she’d have to cooperate if she wanted this job with the SOS Force. Just because they’d agreed to send her on this mission and allowed her to have a mental link with them didn’t mean they couldn’t kick her out anytime they wanted to. This was a probationary period, a test. She needed to pass, and then maybe she could avoid going on any future assignments with just Hudson. She’d been incredi
bly aware of him as they’d waited in line at the airport, as he’d sat in the seat immediately next to her on the plane with their arms unavoidably touching, and as he’d opened the door of the rental car for her.
“You’re thinking about it too much. Ah, here we go.” Hudson turned into a driveway and parked in front of the garage. He shut off the ignition and steadied those light brown eyes on her. “Ready to see your new home?”
She gave him a sour look but got out of the car. “Whoa.” The place was gorgeous. The brick home had a spacious front yard with carefully maintained landscaping. The covered front porch looked like the perfect place to come out in the early morning for a cup of coffee. This looked more like a vacation home than a temporary place to stay in the field.
Hudson grinned, which only made his features even more striking. “Yeah, not too bad, huh? I can’t say anything about how you’ll like the inside, though. You never know what you get when you have a local designer fill it with furniture and wall hangings.”
Leona started to question him on going to so much trouble for a place they would only be in for a short while, but she clamped her mouth shut. He was a tenured member of the Force, and she’d already been questioning him enough. She followed him inside to find a wide living room with hardwood floors. The place had an open floor plan that lead into the kitchen, allowing people in the two rooms to converse easily. As Hudson had promised, someone had come in and decorated the place with dark leather furniture, a thick rug, and a gleaming dining table. “It’s…beautiful.”
He closed the door behind them. “I’ve seen it all online, but we might as well explore the place before we start unloading everything.”
Leona nodded, and they headed down the hallway. It held two guest bedrooms on the left, each already equipped with a simple twin bed and basic furniture. “This one will be perfect for setting up the surveillance equipment,” she commented. “Big windows, no trees. If we push the bed over to the side, we could even fit an extra worktable in here.”
He nodded his approval before they continued on. The guest bathroom was relatively large, and it was right next to the master suite. The hired designer had arranged a massive four-poster bed, the comforter as elaborate as a tapestry. The dresser and mirror were of higher quality than the other bedrooms, made of a beautiful mahogany.
Leona didn’t bother peeking into the walk-in closet or the bathroom. She’d seen enough, and she didn’t want to make things any more awkward than they already were.
A stairway off the kitchen served as the access to the finished, walkout basement. The backyard was even bigger than the front, and the vinyl fence abutted a wooded area. “This is really nice,” she breathed.
Hudson stood next to her on the back porch. The sun was just beginning to set, and the rays gleamed in his hair. “We won’t exactly be roughing it, will we?”
His smile was kind. He’d been trying to get along with her, and Leona knew she’d made it a bit difficult. There was no point in arguing with something that couldn’t be changed. “No, not really. Let’s get our stuff.”
Hudson pulled the car into the garage and shut the overhead door before they dared bring in the surveillance equipment—which Leona had been told was all secretly developed by Taylor Communications. Their own bags followed as well. Leona hesitated behind him, letting him claim which room he wanted first. When he’d headed into the master, she turned left into a guest room.
She’d always been low maintenance, so it didn’t take long to fill the drawers with her neatly folded clothes and a few simple hygiene items. Leona looked around, knowing she could deal with this. It wasn’t what she expected, but that didn’t mean it was bad. She had to give this the best chance to succeed, because if she couldn’t be a part of the SOS Force, she’d be forced to find something else, something that probably didn’t exist. Plus, she’d have to listen to Tracy blather on about backup plans and settling down. Pfft.
She was just sliding her suitcase under the bed when she heard Hudson cursing softly to himself. Leona poked her head out in the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing really,” came a slightly impatient answer. “I just forgot my hair gel.”
It was difficult not to laugh at him. “Think you’ll survive? Or should we call D.C. for backup?”
He cast a derisive glance over his shoulder. “It’s a close call, but I think I can handle it.”
Once they’d gotten the monitoring equipment set up, Hudson sat down in the living room and picked up the remote control. But Leona wasn’t ready to just relax. She paced the house, studying the way the neighborhood looked from every window, from every angle. She measured the perimeter of both the front and back yards from with her strides, watching the neighbor’s houses and taking note of which vehicles went to which houses.
It was a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood, and even the man she was there with was beautiful. There was nothing for her to worry about. Even the worst problem the local prides might be dealing with couldn’t possibly be as dangerous and dramatic as what she’d seen in her time with the Army. This should be Leona’s time to relax, knowing that she had a job to do despite her injury and everything was going to be all right again.
But it didn’t feel like it was going to be all right. The lion inside her rolled and shifted. When she was close to Hudson, she knew it was because of him. But her feline traits were still unable to merely settle down in a warm spot and fall asleep. She rubbed her arms and paced, drifting in and out of the rooms of the house, feeling like she was looking for something.
When she stood in front of the kitchen sink, just watching darkness take over the neighborhood, Leona sensed a pair of eyes watching her. She turned, finding Hudson standing next to the breakfast bar. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He took several steps forward before he hesitated. “Are you okay?”
Again with that question, but it was different coming from his lips. He wasn’t asking about her leg, which hadn’t even been mentioned since she’d been accepted onto the Force. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, mostly.”
“It’s hard when you have to adjust to normal life again.” Hudson came fully into the kitchen now and opened a cabinet. Apparently, the same people he’d hired to fill the place with furniture had also stocked it with groceries, because he took down a can of coffee and began filling the coffee maker. “I remember coming home like a vivid dream. I knew I should’ve been happy. I was with my family again. I didn’t have to put my life on the line anymore. I wouldn’t be seeing all the blood and devastation on a daily basis, but I just wasn’t happy.”
She stared at him. Was he reading her mind? “Who says I’m not happy?”
Hudson smiled. “C’mon. You and I might have had different specialties, but we’ve both been through a lot of training. You don’t think I’ve noticed all that pacing? Heard you sigh?”
Leona hadn’t even realized she’d been sighing. “I just don’t know how to get settled here. It’s strange to be on a mission when we’re not establishing a rotation for guard duty and rationing out MREs.”
“I get it.” He took two mugs from a rack on the wall and a bottle of creamer from the fridge and then nodded toward the stools at the breakfast bar. “Sit.”
She pursed her lips. He might be considered her senior officer in this scenario, but that didn’t mean he could tell her what to do.
Hudson was watching her, waiting. “You’ve already worn tracks in the hardwood,” he commented, tipping one corner of his mouth up. “I just want to talk.”
The coffee was brewing, filling the kitchen with that gorgeous scent. “Okay. We can talk. I was thinking we need to find a good way to really get a feel for the neighborhood. You said there are humans and shifters alike here, which means we need to not only figure out who’s who but also what they’re involved in. There’s nothing saying the pride isn’t including humans in their scheme, and—”
“Slow down,” Hudson said calmly, his voice a soothing rumble from hi
s chest. “We’ve just got here. No one expects us to do all that right now. There’s plenty of time to get started in the morning.”
“But we might be missing out on some great opportunities,” Leona countered. “What if there’s a conversation going on right now that we should be listening to? And don’t you think we should be establishing the patterns of the neighborhood? The comings and goings?”
“No, I think we need to be establishing what life is actually going to be like for you now that you’re out of the service.” He poured them each a mug of the bitter dark liquid and took the stool next to her. “It’s not easy, and you need to know that it’s all right for it not to be easy.”
He was so close, and she could sense every muscle, every sinew of his body. She couldn’t talk to him about this. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You’re still on guard. You’re watching every face you pass, wondering who’s going to betray you, who’s going to turn out to be the enemy. You’re wondering how you can possibly miss a life that had you sleeping on the ground with your gun under your arm, but you miss it anyway. You’re wondering how regular people can just carry on with their lives as though there aren’t children starving and innocent people being blown to bits on the other side of the world.” Hudson swirled creamer into his mug, watching the color of the drink change.
“Yeah.” Leona blinked, surprised that a tear had made it through her lashes. Damn him for looking into her soul like that! But he wasn’t wrong. “I just don’t know if I can do this. I don’t mean the mission.”
“I know exactly what you mean, and there are thousands of other soldiers who know it, too. Can I give you a little advice?”
She closed her eyes, thinking she could listen to that voice forever. It was low and strong and smooth and so…comforting. “Sure.”
