Seth

by VA Dold

  Lord have mercy, he smelled great and kissed even better.

  His lips left hers, and the weight of her hair was swept aside. Then he gently nipped at the crook of her neck. The final nail in the coffin was when Seth kissed her frantically throbbing pulse and breathed, “Sara.”

  Just one word. Her name. With that word, he implied so many things, and Lord of Mercy, she was afraid to examine them too closely.

  Seth was shocked when electricity rushed through his body, snapping and crackling, providing a power surge like none he’d ever known. When she told him she drew power he expected to be drained. Rather the experience was like someone had connected him to a battery. Sparks tingled over the surface of his skin. Heat and lust raged through his body. Everything that had been missing in his life dwelled in her kiss. She gave him passion, purpose, and a reason to live.

  The power inside her eagerly shared its force with him, crumbling the wall he’d built around his heart. Her mouth was the closest he ever expected to come to heaven. Somehow she transported him to a place where rogues didn’t exist, and he wasn’t a man with a tattered soul.

  Seth took her breath, gave her his. He tried to be sweet and gentle, but the kiss quickly became more. He wanted more. Needed more. His lips left hers to kiss her neck and then claimed them again. Sara in his arms was better than anything he’d ever dare dream of having.

  He would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared stiff. The future, a glorious happy future was in his grasp, and he was putting it in the line of fire.

  Seth pushed his dark thoughts aside and lost himself in her mouth over and over. Sara was saving him and had no idea how she affected him on such a profound level. In the matter of an hour, she changed him to the point that he would never be the same. He wanted to be a better man, a mate she would be proud of, and he would move Heaven and Earth to prove that to her.

  Her hands smoothed his chest and gently pressed him back. Regretfully, he lifted his head and drew a breath. Had he gone too far? He searched her eyes for condemnation.

  She scooted left and ducked out of his embrace. “Well. Damn. Does this,” she waggled her finger between them, “connection happen to you a lot?”

  “Never. It’s a first for me as well. You’re quite a powerhouse, Ms. Adams.”

  “Crap, I was hoping for a different answer.” There was a mischievous note in her voice that gave him hope and lightened his heart.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Seth walked her all the way to the department’s door. He suppressed a grin as he listened to her thoughts. She was about to tell him she was a big girl and didn’t need an escort. He would derail that train before she got it out of the station.

  “While you finish your day, I’ll scout the area of the last attack. I hope to pick up his trail and plan a location for an ambush.”

  “All right. Be careful.”

  He gave her a wink. “Always.”

  Fang snorted and rolled his eyes.

  Seth ignored him. “What time will you be ready to go home?”

  “Six p.m., unless there’s a call, then I’m on the scene for however long it takes.”

  Seth presented his palm. “May I see your cell phone?”

  Sara frowned and wrapped her fingers around her phone. “Why?”

  “So I can add my number to your contacts.”

  She hesitated but eventually pulled it from the clip on her hip and handed it over.

  Seth entered his digits and pressed send. Instantly, his cell rang. “There. Now we can contact one another. If you’ll be late, please call.” He gave her a peck on the cheek and waved as he walked away.

  Smooth. Very smooth. Fang gave Seth a toothy grin. You’re learning, young padawan.

  Star Wars? Really?

  Fang chuffed I couldn’t resist.

  Seth whistled a happy tune as he made his way to the site of Paul’s latest kill. He’d found his mate, and she was incredible. The curvy little homicide detective wasn’t exactly what he’d expected, but that wasn’t a bad thing. She was smart, really smart, and self-confident. The two sexiest attributes a female could possess. Damn, he was a lucky man. He would have to thank Luperca if he ever spoke to her again.

  He and Fang were proficient at judging people and had watched Sara intently. Body language and scent were dead giveaways that always told the truth no matter what came out of a person’s mouth. He’d frightened Sara at first, but she had quickly gotten past her fear of being a shifter mate, and now seemed to be inching her way toward accepting him. That boded well for their chances of survival.

  Seth chuckled as he recalled her expression when she informed him that in no uncertain terms would she be his mate. Her eyes had narrowed, deepening the fine lines at their corners. A spark of defiance had flared in their depths, brightening them to a vivid green. For a moment she matched his dominance, something no one but his father had ever done. She was one hell of an alpha female.

  And will be one hell of an alpha wolf, Fang added.

  He parked his rental car a block away from the site and took a moment to scan the area before exiting and walking the rest of the way. The last thing they wanted was to lose the element of surprise when hunting a rogue.

  The coast is clear, Fang said, echoing his assessment.

  Within minutes, they located a blood trail. Sporadic drops became brown ribbons of dried blood. Great splashes of gore marred the beauty of the autumn colors. Seth scowled. Fang’s nose wrinkled. This was an unforgivable blasphemy of Gaia, of Mother Nature’s grandeur. The rancid odor of fear and madness made him sneeze, a nasty pungent smell to which he never became accustomed. One of the many things he wouldn’t miss after the final hunt was over.

  He shuddered at the thought of Sara seeing the ugliness when it had been fresh. Jesus, what she must have witnessed when Paul killed her brother. If it were possible, they would destroy the rogue over and over for that alone.

  Using a systematic sweep of the perimeter, they mapped out the deadly encounter, visualizing the attack. What he saw made him sick to his stomach.

  Fang growled. The bastard toyed with the victim, tormenting the human before delivering the killing blow.

  His behavior is disturbing on many levels. Rogues are incapable of such control. What the hell is going on?

  I don’t know, and I don’t like it.

  Seth stared at the evil stain of carnage, hands on hips. They had to plan this hunt carefully. This rogue was like no other they’d ever gone after. He and Sara could easily become the hunted. He and Fang had never pitted themselves against a rogue with the ability to reason.

  First things first, Seth looked about to verify no one would see him shift. A second later, Fang shook off the change and walked around the edge of the crime scene until he stood at the rogue’s exit point. Step-by-step they tracked Paul to Minnehaha Creek where the trail went cold. Their prey could have gone any direction from there. The creek, which was better described as a small river, ran twenty-two miles from Gray's Bay Dam on Lake Minnetonka through the suburban cities of Minnetonka, Hopkins, Saint Louis Park, and Edina, to the city of Minneapolis where it emptied into the Mississippi.

  Nose to the ground, Fang searched the bank both upriver and down but found no sign of Paul’s passing. He must have crossed over to the far side.

  Backtrack to the edge of the tree line, and we’ll shift back. I’ll use the rental car to get us to the opposite side of the creek.

  Several hours later, they hit another dead end. Paul’s trail vanished into thin air. There was nothing to do, but stake out the area and wait for the rogue to return or make another kill. Sara was right about the beast heading north to the metropolitan population. He checked his watch and headed for his car. It was time for Sara to knock off for the night.

  As he walked into her office, she glanced up from an open file to his face, expectation shown in her eyes.

  Releasing the fingernail she was nibbling, she stated, “I was
worried about you out there alone. He could have attacked you, and I wasn’t there to help.”

  “You were worried about me?” Seth’s heart swelled, and Fang rumbled his pleasure. If she was concerned, she felt something for them. Happiness erupted from the depths of his heart and soul. The pleasant emotion made him laugh out loud.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “I’ve never had anyone worry about me before. I like it.”

  Sara snorted as she grabbed the phone from the desktop and tossed it in her purse before she dug out her keys. “Of course I was worried. I’ve seen the beast in action. Let’s get out of here so you can bring me up to speed.”

  He stepped aside and waited for Sara to precede him. “I’ll follow you home. We can talk there.”

  Seth smiled and relaxed into the driver’s seat. Sara was taking him to her home without an argument. He had expected resistance and gotten none. It was a small thing in the grand scheme, but he would take it.

  Richfield’s streets were pancake flat compared to his mountain lifestyle. Where he was used to a vertical variation and switchbacks, these roads were downright foreign. Commercial and retail structures gave way to house upon house. How did humans live this way? He sucked in a breath as if there wasn’t enough air to go around.

  Under the stench of exhaust and pollution was the much more agreeable scent of autumn flowers. He smiled again. The city wasn’t entirely unpleasant. The morning sun had given way to gray skies that leaked like a faucet in need of a new rubber gasket. Not enough precipitation to use the wipers, just enough to make everything wet.

  They turned left off of a two-lane road onto a residential street. The homes were older but well kept and equally well built to stand the test of time. He was pleased that his mate lived in a safe neighborhood. Otherwise, he would have packed her off to his place.

  Sara hung a quick left, and as he followed, he noted the name of the street. Lifting his foot off the gas, he read the street sign a second time. “Nice.” He chuckled and sped up again.

  Most appropriate for our mate, Fang agreed.

  Seth parked on the street in front of Sara’s house, opened his car door, and pulled up short. The iron tang of freshly shed blood permeated the air. He glanced at Sara as she exited her vehicle but wiped all traces of concern from his expression. He hadn’t caught the scent of a shifter lurking about, so she wasn’t in immediate danger. The blood could be the result of any number of things.

  Strolling to her side, he grinned. “Queen Avenue?”

  “What?” Sara lifted her head to look at him over the mail she was sorting.

  “You live on Queen Avenue.”

  She frowned and went back to pulling junk mail. “Yeah. What of it?”

  “It’s very appropriate that my queen lives on such a street.”

  Her gaze shot to his again and she snorted. “Does that pick up line actually work for you?”

  The grin faded from his face. “It wasn’t a line,” he grumbled.

  Sara turned the key and pushed the door open. “Make yourself at home. I need a cup of coffee, would you like some?” Sara spoke over her shoulder as she took a moment to disarm the alarm system.

  “Yes. Please,” he said absently as he took in her space, evaluating the level of security. He was pleased with what he saw: a solid door with a strong deadbolt, a security system, and bulletproof windows. To most, it would seem like overkill, but Seth thought it was perfect. She’d done well.

  With a cup in each hand, Sara walked carefully so as not to slosh onto the hardwood floor. She found him in the living room staring out the picture window.

  His dark ponytail was long and straight, hanging about a third of the way down his back. Her fingers itched to pull the leather thong free and comb it out. She wanted to feel the texture of that thick mass. Sara bet it was soft and silky. Thank God her hands were occupied. With that thought, she made the mistake of looking lower and sucked in a breath. Dang. His leathers hugged his incredible ass like a second skin.

  Seth turned before she had a chance to raise her eyes. Damn. Busted. The rumble of his chuckle sent shivers up her spine. Double damn. She didn’t have time for nor did she want shivers.

  Sara cleared her throat and handed him a cup without meeting his gaze. “Um… here.”

  “Thank you.” He took a sip and sat the cup on an end table. “I need to check on something outside. I’ll only be a minute.”

  He made for her back door but stopped when she followed. “Cher, you should stay inside.”

  She gave him a sarcastic smirk. “The hell. I’m coming with you.”

  “Fine, but prepare yourself. It may not be pleasant.”

  She waved him toward the door. “I deal with unpleasant every day. Lead on.”

  Ten steps into her backyard, she paused to take in her small lot. Sara followed Seth’s gaze to a mutilated animal laid out along her fence line and gasped. “I think that was my neighbor’s Shepard.”

  Blood soaked the ground and surrounding fauna. The wooden privacy fence glistened with smattered arcs of arterial spray. Based on the dried blood, the attack had taken place a few hours ago, and the eviscerated dog’s perforated bowel permeated the air.

  Fang growled. Such a grotesque, and brutal waste of a beautiful animal.

  The rank stench of pain and fear saturated the dog. Sara didn’t know that the animal had been alive when the rogue mutilated it, and he wasn’t going to tell her. The poor beast had died a horrific death no creature should ever endure.

  She stayed close to him, making no attempt to investigate the crime scene. “Was it Paul?”

  “Yes,” Seth growled through clenched teeth. He glanced around the yard until he found what he was looking for. “May I bury him over there?” he asked indicating a patch of bare earth that appeared to be an old garden.

  “Absolutely. Let me get a shovel from the shed.”

  He accepted the tool and propped it against the fence. “You may want to go inside while I take care of this.” He didn’t look to see if she took his advice, she would stay or go of her own accord. Crouching down, he touched the dog’s shoulder, and a feeble whimper filled the silence.

  Seth pulled his knife and quickly put the dog out of its misery. He swallowed hard to keep his stomach contents where they belonged. The agony the beast had gone through made him gag.

  Sara choked on a sob. “He left it alive?”

  “So it seems.”

  She glanced around the yard as if the rogue would leap at them from behind a bush. “Is that normal behavior for a rogue?” she asked, her voice lowering to a whisper.

  He cleaned his knife on a rag he carried with him, then resheathed the blade. “No. Never. This isn’t the first time he has acted out of character.”

  Fang battered at him to allow a shift. His wolf wanted to track the beast immediately. But he was surrounded by houses and was sure to be seen. Besides, he had Sara to think of. As her mate, his focus was her health and happiness. The rogue knew she was hunting him and had left the dog as a warning. A first shot over her bow, so to speak. They needed to stay close, on the off chance the rogue returned.

  Without speaking another word, the two of them gently laid the neighbor’s dog to rest. Seth sprinkled the last shovel of earth over the grave and wrapped his arm around Sara’s shoulders. He closed his eyes and recited prayers to speed the dog’s soul along its path to the source of all things. They had a moment of silence before he returned the shovel to the shed and followed her to the house.

  Seth pulled the thong from his sweat-dampened hair and shook it loose as he watched Sara closely. She sank into what must be her favorite chair and wrapped her arms around her middle.

  Our mate is in pain. We must go to her, Fang urged.

  He sank to his knees before her and searched her eyes. “What can I do to help, mon amour?”

  Sara shook her head. “There’s nothing you can do. You can’t bring Grant or
the dog back.” Her hands rubbed up and down her arms. “We need to stop him before he hurts anyone else.”

  He leaned in and held her as best he could. “We will. Once Fang and I pick up his scent, I can track him.”

  She settled at his touch. “Good.” Determination wiped away her pain. “I want that bastard dead.”

  “Soon, cher. Very soon.” He kissed her cheek before settling onto the couch. “Perhaps now would be a good time to tell you about my past and why I’m qualified to assist you with this hunt.” He patted the cushion beside him. “Come, mon amour. Sit with me.”

  “I can hear perfectly well where I am.”

  “Please.”

  Sara sighed and crossed to the couch. Before she could sit beside him, he swung one leg across the cushions and pulled her down to sit between his legs. Her back to his front. “It will help me tell the tale if I’m holding you. Much of my life hasn’t been altogether pleasant.”

  Fang rumbled his approval when she didn’t argue or pull away.

  “For this to make sense, I should start at the beginning. While my birth mother was pregnant with me, a curse was put upon her. She wanted fresh raspberries to make a pie for my father, and the only bushes within walking distance of our home were on the property of a dark witch. My mother was caught picking the berries and condemned to die the moment I drew breath.

  “When her time came, a midwife came to our cabin and assisted with my birth. The tale she tells is that when I sucked in my first breath, my birth mother stopped breathing as if I stole the air from her lungs. Even though my father was in excruciating pain, he assisted the midwife as they tried in vain to revive her. When they were unsuccessful, he requested that I be delivered to the king and queen of the shifters. He then forced the woman to leave with his newborn son swaddled in nothing but a tattered blanket. She tells that the last thing she heard was a wail of despair and then the entire forest became silent.”