Kylie trailed off and shrugged, unable to put the rest of what she was feeling into words.
“But now you’re here,” Hunter said firmly. “It doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. If there’s a silver lining to be found in that lioness attacking you, it’s that our Elders know your father’s no longer in the dark about shifters without revealing that he knew about us all along. You both can be a part of the jaguar clan now. You don’t have to give him up. For what it’s worth, now that Paul has both feet planted into our world, I don’t think he should be kept out of the loop. He needs to understand the danger completely in order to keep himself safe. As much as I hope this latest mess with the lions’ll be resolved within the next few days, it could very well go on for years. We can’t keep him hidden away forever. That’s no way to live.”
Kylie slumped in her seat. “The more I try to protect him, the more it seems I make things worse.”
Hunter reached over and squeezed her hand. “If my brother’s disappearance taught me anything, it’s that we don’t have as much control over our lives as we think, but now you’ll have a whole clan to help you through those inevitable rough patches if that’s what you ultimately decide you want when or if this current mess is all over.”
To be a jaguar for the rest of her life… The implications of that thought were something she wasn’t ready to face just quite yet, and she was grateful to Hunter for understanding that about her.
She gave into the urge to kiss him, leaning over and pressing her lips against the lush softness of his own in a caress that was all affection and she hoped, full of meaning.
“Thank you,” she murmured as she drew back, offering him a small smile even as the answering affection so blatantly visible in his eyes made her heart ache.
She really didn’t deserve a man like him.
“We should get going,” Hunter said a bit gruffly, releasing her hand in order to reach for the ignition. “I’d really like to get tonight’s business finished as soon as possible so you can get some rest. That’s one promise to your father I’m determined to keep.”
Kylie shook her head in amusement. “As long as you plan on getting some sleep along with me, I think I can help you with that.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I’m sorry about that,” Hunter said as they left the wolf clan’s secret den a couple of long hours later, his voice still tight with suppressed anger.
“It’s okay, really,” Kylie insisted. “We knew they had questions for me. It’s not really surprising that they thought I could help ‘awaken’ some of their Deadends.”
“It was beyond rude to put you on the spot like that, even worse to bring out that little boy. I just hope to God they didn’t tell the kid why they wanted you to take a look at him. Having his hopes crushed like that would’ve been too cruel.”
“I would say their timing was just as bad given the reason we were even there, but they probably thought it would be their only chance to ask and went for it. Being a former Deadend myself, I can understand the parents’ desperation.”
Kylie couldn’t help but think that it was a good thing Hunter was such a naturally calm person. They needed the strength and unique talents of the wolf clans, and storming out in anger, no matter how justified, would have been an utter disaster. As far as she was concerned, a little discomfort on her part was well worth the numbers the wolf Elders had pledged for the rescue in the end.
“I suppose so,” Hunter said with a sigh. “It’s just, you didn’t see the stricken look on your face. As if you didn’t have enough shit to deal with already.”
“Well, maybe now the fact that I can’t magically trigger an awakening will make the gossip rounds, and I won’t ever have to deal with that awkward scene again.” She broke off as a yawn threatened to split her face in two. “Are we going to see your bobcat friends now?”
“No. We’re going back to the clinic. For now, I can just talk to them over the phone. We can just meet with them in the morning if it becomes necessary, or have them meet us at Southern Glacier.”
Kylie hoped that none of her relief showed. She was currently running on fumes, but she would have sooner cut her own tongue off than complain.
Once they arrived back to the clinic, Kylie insisted on peeking in on a still-sleeping Paul before allowing Hunter to usher her up to the room they had made love in what felt like years ago instead of hours.
She had been more than a little worried that Donald Gaither would be waiting to ambush them, but the Elder was nowhere to be seen, and nobody had stopped them to relay a message on their way up. It seems they had managed to avoid that potential landmine for the time being, but she couldn’t help but worry that their evasive behavior was making him suspicious. The last thing she needed right now was to make the Elders want to look more closely at her past more than they already were. She didn’t want Hunter or Maxim in the middle of that kind of fallout.
After changing into her nightgown, Kylie climbed onto the bed and slipped beneath the sheets to snuggle against Hunter. He had stripped down to just his t-shirt and boxers and was already propped against the headboard and talking on the phone to what was probably one of his bobcat friends. Without missing a beat, he slipped an arm around her and pulled her snug against his side. Kylie wrapped an arm around his middle and used his chest as a pillow. It was almost scary how good it felt to simply be held like this, how right, but luckily she was too exhausted to scrutinize her feelings. She closed her eyes with a sigh. She could always freak out about it in the morning.
***
“Time to wake up.”
The words sounded as though they had been spoken somewhere in the far distance, but they were enough to jolt Kylie out of a dream that involved arguing with a group of people whose identities were already beginning to elude her. She was incredibly warm and comfortable and was loathe to move, but she had never been one to allow herself the indulgence of lounging in bed, not when there was always, always something that needed to be done.
However, the moment her eyes cracked open and a very familiar face blurred into view only a few inches from her own, she was suddenly wide awake.
“Did something happen?” she asked anxiously, pulling away in order to sit up, somewhat wobbly, onto her knees. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on the cell phone in his hand.
“Needles just texted me,” Hunter replied as he sat up as well. “Your father’s awake and asking for you.”
“Is he okay?”
Hunter nodded. “I think he was just worried about your current whereabouts. This floor has a communal bathroom if you’d like to get cleaned up before seeing him. I can check in with Maxim while you shower.”
Kylie’s eyes fell to the clock on the nightstand on Hunter’s side of the bed. Eight AM. She’d slept longer than she had thought.
“I fell asleep while you were still talking to your bobcat friends,” she said as she walked over to grab one of the duffle bags sitting on the dresser. “I hope things went well.”
Hunter snorted. “As Maxim predicted, they were more than happy to help. We can expect at least twenty shooters from their clan. After we visit with your father, we’ll head over to the club again to go over any new intel and start planning the next step.”
Twenty minutes later, Kylie was showered and drying her hair as Hunter took his turn in the bathroom. She glanced over at one of Paul’s bags, wondering if she should take it to him now, when Hunter’s phone abruptly rang. She stared at it for only a second or two before she ran to the nightstand where he had left it and scooped it up. It was Maxim’s name on the screen, so she decided to answer.
“Kylie?” Maxim said hesitantly after her greeting.
“Yeah,” she replied. “Hunter’s in the shower right now. Should I go fetch him?”
“No, no,” he said, a little too quickly. “Just have him call me when he gets out.”
Kylie was instantly on high alert. “Maxim—if it’s something bad, just say so. You don’t have to
tiptoe around me, especially if the bad news has to do with me.”
Silence greeted her for a long moment, then she heard him sigh. “Fine, but I would rather tell you in person. Don’t bother to have Hunter call me. Just come to the club as soon as you can.”
“We will, and thanks, Maxim.”
“What will we do?” Hunter suddenly said from directly behind her, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin for what seemed like the millionth time in the last twenty-four hours. She had been so focused on the call that she hadn’t even heard the door open.
She whirled around. “God, don’t sneak up on me like that!” she scolded.
“A strange thing to say for a jaguar,” he remarked with a shake of his head.
“I don’t think so. I’m still getting used to being a shifter, after all,” Kylie huffed defensively.
“Of course,” he agreed affably. “What did Maxim want?”
“Something’s happened, but he didn’t want to tell me what over the phone. He said to come to the club as soon as possible.”
Hunter sat on the bed and began pulling on his boots. “Then we’ll just go talk to your dad and leave straight after. I had hoped we would have time for breakfast, but I guess we’ll just have to grab something on the way.” He looked at her sternly. “I know you haven’t eaten anything in a while. I would rather we not face any more disasters today on an empty stomach.”
Kylie made a face. “The thought of eating, even now, is—ugh—but I’ll try.”
The clinic’s halls were virtually empty as they made their way down to her father’s floor. Seeing Paul’s face light up the moment they stepped into his room made Kylie instantly feel guilty. She really shouldn’t have left him alone last night, but…
“You’re looking so much better,” she said, leaning down to give him a careful hug.
He laughed. “I actually don’t feel too bad, all things considered. I’m just a little tender. I’m glad to see you looking more rested than I expected.” His eyes flickered over to Hunter who was standing silently behind her. “Thank you for taking care of my daughter last night.”
Hunter shook his head. “No thanks needed.”
“On the contrary. Kylie can be quite stubborn,” Paul said, looking at her fondly.
Kylie flashed Paul a look of outrage, which quickly transferred to Hunter at the sound of his laughter.
She sank into the chair beside his bed. “If you two are quite finished teasing me, I have something serious to tell you.”
The amusement in Paul’s eyes instantly vanished. “Did something else happen?” he demanded. “Is Karen and Mitch all right?”
Kylie mentally winced. She had hoped to put off telling him about Karen’s possible betrayal just a little longer.
“They’re not hurt,” she replied slowly. “At least I don’t think they are, but something—unsettling has come up.” She paused, unsure how she should tell him.
Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Before that, you might want to explain about your friend, Molly, and the possible ties to your attack,” he suggested.
Kylie flashed him a grateful smile and turned back to Paul when he said in a surprised tone, “Molly?”
“Tara called me last night,” she said grimly. “Someone broke into Molly’s apartment, and she, and maybe even Ty, are missing. Hunter asked some of the shifters on the police force to investigate, and they found some spatters of blood and the smell of an alligator shifter inside her apartment. Hunter’s friend, Maxim, has some of his people looking for her, too, but so far they haven’t found any other leads.”
Paul ran a hand agitatedly through his hair. “I’ve never heard of any alligators allying with any clan, much less the lions, but the timing is much too suspicious to be coincidental.”
“If the lions are behind her abduction, then I suspect we’ll be hearing from them soon,” Hunter said. “It may be a ploy to get Kylie to reveal herself. That lioness came after her because she thought Kylie was a rogue lion, and the lion clans hunt Rogues just as relentlessly as they do Polyshifters and the families that flee their tyranny.”
Paul frowned. “And you think the lions are now targeting Karen and Mitch in the same way?” He reached out and grabbed Kylie’s upper arm urgently. “Have they already been attacked again? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
Kylie squirmed under his intense, worried gaze. “I—” She broke off and exchanged a troubled glance with Hunter. Despite that damning security video, she really couldn’t say for certain if Karen had not been attacked and delivered an ultimatum before the scene in the hospital occurred. For all they knew, the lions may have already kidnapped Mitch, too. She suddenly realized that they just didn’t have enough evidence either way to completely condemn or exonerate Karen.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted, feeling Hunter start beside her. She hastened to explain before Hunter could speak, “When I last talked to her, she told me that Mitch was doing fine and they had gone into hiding, but…Maxim knows a shifter who works security at Riverford Regional. He sent some footage from yesterday afternoon to Maxim that shows Karen meeting up with two men, cougars, that have been identified as probable Sniffers. Her body language was pretty relaxed, like she was talking to a couple of friends. She left the hospital with them on foot.”
Paul’s fingers went lax around her arm. His expression was stricken. “She would never…after what happened to Steven…!”
“That’s the very reason she would,” Hunter said quietly, his eyes sympathetic, “but Kylie’s right. At this point, we don’t know nearly enough about what we saw to condemn her. Maxim’s people are trying to locate her and Mitch as we speak. In fact, Maxim called this morning wanting us to meet him to discuss something important. For all I know, it could be something about the Wilsons.”
“Then you should go see him, now,” Paul said firmly. “Kylie, just promise me that you’ll call me the moment you hear something, no matter how bad.”
“I will,” she promised solemnly.
“And for God’s sake, be careful! I don’t want you coming back here on a stretcher—either of you.”
It wasn’t until they were on their way to Southern Glacier that Kylie realized with dismay that she had completely forgotten to tell Paul about the very promising lead Jack had given her on her mother. He was so going to kill her, but it was too late to go back now.
CHAPTER NINE
After stopping for a few breakfast burritos and coffee at a nearby cafe, Kylie found herself once again following Hunter into Maxim’s club. Without the loud thrum and pulsing of the club’s music filling the air, the empty halls felt a little disconcerting and forlorn.
From the rumpled state of Maxim’s clothes, the same ones he had worn last night she was quick to note, the tiger shifter had either slept in his office or not at all. His eyes certainly looked tired enough to be the latter.
Hunter handed Maxim one of his bags of food and one of the coffees as Kylie sank down into one of the chairs in front of the desk. “You look like shit. I hope you at least got a couple of hours of sleep.”
Maxim sighed wearily. “I stretched out on one of the couches upstairs for two or three once we closed the club, but then the phone calls started to come in.”
“You can eat and talk about the latest disaster at the same time,” Hunter said, looking pointedly at the still-unopened bag in Maxim’s hand. He sat down next to Kylie and began pulling burritos out of his bag and placing them on the desk. He pushed a couple towards Kylie. “That goes for you, too.”
Maxim chuckled and complied, moving to sit behind his desk. “Thanks.” He unwrapped his burrito and took a couple of bites before fixing his eyes on Kylie. “As you know, I have several of my friends that live in the Panhandle region watching the ranch along with the wolves their Elders sent. One of them called me about an hour ago to report that a couple of SUVs entered the property.” He turned his monitor around to face them. “Here’s the pics he sent
me of the people getting out of one of them.”
Kylie experienced a moment of dread before she put down her food and focused on the screen. Unlike the slightly fuzzy security footage she had viewed yesterday, this picture was sharp and clear in all its horrifying detail. The image was of the back of a fairly ordinary two-story brick house with an attached four-car garage. Two black SUVs were parked side-by-side in front of the still-closed garage door. There were four people standing next to the left-most vehicle, three of them men with the fourth a very familiar redheaded woman clutched between them.
“Oh my God, Molly,” Kylie whispered in horror.
She could just make out that her friend’s hands were bound behind her back as well as the expression of absolute fear on her face. Conspicuously absent was her boyfriend Ty. Rather than feel relieved, her dread doubled. If they had not kidnapped him, too, then where was he? She couldn’t imagine that Tara or the cops wouldn’t have been able to get ahold of him by now if he had just forgotten to charge his phone.
“My security guys questioned the lioness into unconsciousness as soon as I saw the pictures and made the connection,” Maxim said, his eyes hard, “and still not a word. Even so, with this, there is no longer any question. The lions have infiltrated Riverford far deeper than we feared. I imagine Kylie will be receiving an ultimatum, most likely through Karen Wilson, soon.”
Kylie didn’t think it was possible, but his eyes hardened even more until she could barely see the blue of his irises. The tiger shifter was pissed, dangerously so. She could taste his desire to rend, to kill, in the air, and she suddenly had to grab the arms of her chair tightly as her muscles rippled and the urge to shift almost overwhelmed her. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she might have hissed as well.
“We have to make our move before that happens.”
Hunter’s calm proclamation washed over her, as out of place and potent as a clap of thunder in a silent room. The small spasms in her muscles that she had been struggling against ceased in response to the calm he was projecting. She felt his hand glide over hers in a soothing motion, and the urge to shift also began to fade.
Tempted by the Jaguar #4: Infiltration (Riverford Shifters) Page 5
