by Lisa Kessler
I rolled my eyes. “You didn’t look like it a few minutes ago.”
“Well, I’ve been told a few times that I can be a hothead.” He took my hand. “The thing is, I’m not just one of the Pack. Remember when I told you my father is the Alpha of our Pack?”
I nodded.
Adam gave my hand a squeeze. “I’m his first-born son. By Pack law and tradition, I’m next in line to lead the Pack.”
“Oh, God.” I got up and went back to rubbing that huge knot on the back of my neck. “It just keeps getting worse.”
“Since I’m the Alpha’s heir, they all expect my mate to be…well, not a jaguar.” He reached out for my hand and kissed my knuckles. “That’s why we’re leaving Reno together. There’s no place for us with the Pack, and it’ll be a cold day in hell before I let Nero anywhere near you.”
My chest hurt. I couldn’t find the right words.
He waited, his eyes searching mine. Finally he added, “Just give me a little time, okay? I can get Luke ready to take over the stable, and Aren will make a much better Alpha for the Pack than I ever would.”
Hot tears tracked down my cheeks, and I found my voice. “No. You’ll resent me for making you leave. I can’t live with knowing I made you lose them.”
“And I can’t live without you.” He stood up, still holding my hand in his.
I sniffled as our eyes met, and my heart melted. No one had ever looked at me like I was the only person in the world that mattered. I ached inside I loved him so completely.
I loved him enough to leave him.
The full moon was coming in a few days. While Adam was in his wolf form, I would vanish. There was no other way. I didn’t want to go, but I had to.
Adam wrapped his arms around me, our lips fusing together in an urgent, hungry kiss. We made love, giving ourselves to each other until we had nothing left. When we were done, I rested against his chest, listening to his heart beating as he held me tight and kissed my hair. “I love you, Lana.”
I closed my eyes and let his words burn into my heart.
…
We woke to the sounds of Adam’s cell phone ringing. He lurched out of bed and fished it out of his pants pocket.
“Aren?” He paused, frowning. “What? Forget it, just come home.” He shook his head, and I could see the muscles across his shoulders and chest clench. “You’ve done all you can. Now get to the airport and get home, okay? Yeah.” He nodded. “See you then, bro. Be careful.”
He closed his phone and tossed it back on his pants. “Aren has been tailing the jaguar in San Antonio, but he lost her this morning.”
“Her name is Sasha. Sebastian has some sort of history with her. He was the one who bit her.”
Adam raised a brow. “Judging by how she greeted him in San Antonio, she wasn’t happy about being converted?”
“He didn’t exactly offer me the whole story. I just got bits and pieces. She was a police detective protecting a witness Nero was hired to eliminate.” I rolled over, propping my head up on my elbow. “I got the feeling Sebastian fell for her, but I guess it didn’t work out.”
“And now she’s tangled up with the Nero Organization.”
“Looks that way.”
“So why isn’t Sebastian helping her take you back?”
“I don’t really know.” I brushed my hair back from my face. “He made it clear he’s not really helping me, more like he doesn’t want Nero to get me. Something about them lying to him even though he has top security clearance. Until he knows why they’re lying and what their plans are for me, I think we can count on him as an ally.”
Adam frowned. “Sebastian is a killer, and he has his own game going. He’s not taking sides. He’s just looking out for his own interests. Until we know what those are, you shouldn’t be alone with him.”
“Nice try.” I chuckled. “You wouldn’t want me to be alone with him anyway.”
He leaned over and kissed me with a crooked smile. “If I had my way, no other man would ever be in your room but me.”
My heart fluttered a little, but I did my best to remind myself that I needed to move on soon. My heart didn’t give a damn. My heart was happy right here with Adam.
I cleared my throat, trying to shake off the emotion welling inside. With my luck it would pour out my eyes like a waterfall. “Is Aren coming back now?”
“Yes. He wanted to stay behind and look for her, but it’s too dangerous.”
“Your strength is working together as a Pack.” I could hear Sebastian’s words echo in my head.
Adam nodded. “So the sooner Aren is back, the better we can handle the Sasha situation if she turns up in Reno.” He finished dressing and looked over at me in the bed. “I wish we could just stay here.”
“Me too.”
“Get dressed. I’ll buy you some breakfast.”
“I wasn’t sure you wanted me to come with you.”
“I always want you with me, but we have to be careful.”
He turned on the television while I rolled out of bed and scooted into the bathroom. I peeked back over my shoulder and caught him watching me with hungry eyes. I winked and gave my hips a little shake. He responded with a grin that was decidedly wolfish. I closed the door, leaning back against it with a smile. How could he make me feel warm all over with just a look?
I needed to memorize every single one.
After I decided I was presentable, we made our way into the chaos of the buffet to forage for food. Pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, fruit, eggs, bacon—I had it all and lots of it. Adam laughed and kept right up with me.
“I’ve never dated anyone who could eat as much as I do.”
I kicked his foot under the table. “Are you saying I eat too much?”
“I’m saying I don’t have to pretend to eat normal portions with you.” He grinned and lowered his voice. “I can be myself.”
Then he growled, and his hand slid up my leg. My entire body responded, my breath catching in my throat. I snatched his hand to keep him from getting us both in trouble and leaned in close to him to whisper in his ear. “I love you…wolf and all.”
I nipped his earlobe just enough to get his attention and sat back, gratified to see him shift in his seat a little. Sexual prowess wasn’t something I was very confident about, but being with Adam made me feel empowered. I knew he wanted me. There were no games or power plays.
His phone buzzed on the table then, and we both flinched. Aren’s name flashed on the screen. After getting his flight information—just a quick connection in Las Vegas and then he’d be back in Reno—we finished up and made our way through the casino to the parking structure.
“Do you think Aren could ever warm up to me?” I asked softly.
“It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He hardly knows you.”
“Is he such a racist that he can’t see me as a human being?”
Adam groaned. “No, it’s not that.” He paused and shrugged. “Okay, maybe that’s got a little to do with it. It’s more that he’s worried about me. After his run-in with Sasha, I think he finally believes you didn’t plot to kill Gabe with Sebastian. But he’s not ready to make you his sister yet either.”
“The feeling’s mutual, believe me. With brothers like him, I wouldn’t need to worry about Nero anymore.”
“He’s not a bad guy, Lana. I’ve just never kept a secret from my brother, so finding out about you and also finding out you’re a jaguar threw him. He’s pissed at me and worried. That’s a dangerous combo with my brother.”
We got back in the Jeep and he frowned when his knees jammed up into the dashboard. He looked over at me and laughed. “No one has ever adjusted this seat before.”
“I couldn’t reach the pedals.”
He shoved the seat back and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Thanks for taking good care of Chaney.”
I tried not to blush. “Sorry I stole him.”
“Sorry I made you feel like I wasn’t proud to have you in my life.”
…
We got to the airport before five p.m. With the top off the Jeep, Adam assured me my scent wouldn’t linger, and as long as I didn’t touch Aren it wouldn’t stick to him either. I couldn’t see us hugging at the airport so I figured we were safe. The sky was just starting to turn orange. Aren’s plane wasn’t due in for over an hour, but Adam kept checking his watch.
“What’s wrong?”
He pulled out his cell phone. “Aren was supposed to call me when he got to Vegas. I should’ve heard from him by now.” He punched the number for his brother, but quickly hung up. “It went straight to voice mail.”
“His plane must’ve been delayed. It happens all the time.”
“Yeah.” He looked like he was trying to convince himself. “You’re probably right.”
We headed into the airport to get drinks while we waited to hear from Aren. He practically jumped on his cell phone when it finally buzzed.
“Aren, what took so long?”
The voice coming from Adam’s phone was definitely not Aren’s. He tilted the phone to save his ear from the loud female voice, and I leaned in closer.
“If you want to see your brother alive, bring your girlfriend to Las Vegas by tomorrow night.”
Adam’s knuckles were white he was gripping his cell so tight. “Let me talk to my brother.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“How do I know you didn’t just steal his cell phone?” A male moan came through the phone. Adam raked his free hand back through his hair. “What’d you do to him?”
“In case you didn’t notice, your brother is a little bigger than me, but it was nothing a Taser couldn’t handle. Meet me tomorrow night at the Stratosphere Hotel on the strip. Seven o’clock. Bring your girlfriend and no one else, or I kill your brother.”
The line went dead. Adam slammed his phone on the table and shook his head. “Goddammit.”
I didn’t know what to say. This was all my fault. If I had never come to Reno, none of this would have touched Adam and his Pack. Gabe would be alive, and Aren wouldn’t be a hostage. My chest constricted, weighed down with guilt. I needed to make this right somehow.
Adam looked over at me and shook his head. “I don’t know what to do.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You need to tell the Pack and go rescue your brother.”
“She’ll kill him if I show up without you, but there’s no way in hell I’m bringing you to her.” He shook his head. “Aren is the plotter, not me.”
I didn’t have any experience with outsmarting trained assassins either.
Wait a minute. I took Adam’s hand. “You’re going to hate this plan, but just hear me out. We need Sebastian.”
“What?” Adam jerked his hand free of mine and got up from his chair. “No. No way, Lana. He’d kill me sooner than he’d help me. No way.”
“He won’t help you, but whatever his reasons are, he also doesn’t want Nero to get their hands on me. If we tell him we’re going to Vegas to meet Sasha he won’t be able to resist following.”
“I don’t like it.”
I could almost see the wheels turning in his head, playing out every scenario. My heart swelled. And somehow I realized I loved him even more every day.
None of the options we had were good. I watched him thinking, doing his best to keep a cool head. Giving up was never going to be the answer for Adam. His Pack had nothing to worry about in their future Alpha.
Finally, he turned to look at me. “If we do this, you have to remember that Sebastian is not our friend or even our ally. Until we know why he wants to keep you away from Nero, we can’t assume he’s completely in our corner. Understand?”
I nodded. “The next problem will be finding him.”
Adam looked around the airport. “I’m guessing he’s not far away. If I walk away, he’s bound to show up.”
“Probably. He seems to think I can never be left alone.”
Adam leaned down to give me a kiss and whispered, “I’ll stay where I can see you. Once he gets here, keep him here.”
“Be careful.” He gave me a nod and turned away.
Adam walked out of the airport bar and dramatically pulled out the Jeep keys from the pocket of his jeans as he headed toward the door. I made a point of sipping my iced tea and watching his backside in his faded Levis.
He blended into the crowd outside the airport and I lost sight of him. After a refill of tea, I caught a familiar scent. When I looked up, a tall, dark-haired, olive-skinned man made his way through the crowd, his eyes locked on mine. Sebastian sat across from me without an invitation.
“How can you waste your time with that inept wolf? I thought we understood you cannot be left unguarded at any time.”
I raised a brow. “Hello, Sebastian.”
“I have no time for pleasantries. We need to leave this place. Now.”
Adam walked up behind him and pulled up a chair, spinning it around so he could straddle the back. “Not so fast, my feline friend.”
Sebastian shifted, raising his chin slightly. “We are most definitely not friends, and you will never be able to keep her safe. A wolf does not deserve such a treasure.”
Adam took my hand. “You’re right, I don’t deserve Lana, but I will keep her safe.”
“So why did I find her alone, again?”
“Because we were looking for you,” I interrupted before I gagged on all the testosterone. “We figured the quickest way to flush you out was for Adam to leave me alone.” Sebastian snorted, but I went on before he could interject some smarmy, elitist comment. “We’re going to Las Vegas to meet with Sasha.”
Sebastian’s eyes widened. “You’re insane.”
“She has Adam’s brother.”
“He is expendable. You should go get a head start while she waits for you to arrive. This is your chance to disappear. I suggest you take it.”
“Are you nuts?” My brow furrowed. “He’s in danger because of me. I can’t just turn my back on him.”
Sebastian sighed and shook his head. “Then you will walk right into her trap. Sasha negotiated many hostage situations before she was transformed. She knows you will come to her. She will still kill the wolf’s brother, and she will also deliver you to the Nero Organization.”
“Not if you help us.”
He laughed. Not a good sign. Adam gripped my hand tighter, and I shot him a look. This was not the time to beat up our only hope of backup.
I leaned in closer to Sebastian and whispered, “We could just bring in a gun and shoot her before she knows we’re there.”
His laughter stopped instantly, and I could almost see his hackles rise. Apparently I hit the right nerve. What was it with him and that chick? I’d heard of love-hate relationships before, but this seemed twisted.
“If I did follow you, have you thought of a plan?”
“It’s obvious you don’t want Sasha killed,” Adam piped up. “Would she kill you?”
“That I do not know.” He shrugged. “She could have killed me in San Antonio, but she never drew her weapon. However, the next time we meet could have a different outcome.”
Adam nodded slowly. “Okay, so that’s an unknown, but what if you just shadow the exchange. Once we get Aren you can surprise Sasha and keep her busy so Lana can get away.”
Sebastian was quiet for a moment, then his gaze swept from me to Adam. “Going after your brother is noble, but this is a suicide mission. Sasha is an assassin with law enforcement weapons training. She will be anticipating a trap. Any plan that we make, she will counter.”
“Look, the only sure thing is that Aren will die if we don’t go,” I said as I stood up. “So I’m going with or without you two. I won’t have his blood on my hands.”
Adam got up beside me. “I’m going with you.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes and got up from his chair. “I suppose I will have to follow.” He lowered his voice and added, “There is one more thing we can count on. Sash
a will not kill Lana. Lana is too precious to Nero. She needs her alive. Keep that in mind.”
He turned and walked out without another word. I looked up at Adam. “I still don’t know whose side he’s on, but that was a good tip.”
“Don’t get too excited. Just because she won’t kill you, doesn’t mean she won’t hurt you.”
The truth behind Adam’s words sank into me along with an icy dagger of fear. Tomorrow night the man I love could die and I could be abducted. My hands started shaking.
Adam pulled me into his arms and kissed my hair. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Lana.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “Don’t let anything happen to you. I couldn’t stand it.”
He pulled back and took my hand. “It’ll take more than a cat to bring me down.”
I watched the light sparkle on the silver bullet he wore around his neck and sighed. A cat with a gun could do it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Adam
I left Lana back at her hotel alone. Knowing Sasha was in Las Vegas meant we could be a little less cautious. Plus, even though it pissed me off royally, I knew Sebastian was still lurking. He’d intervene if anyone threatened my mate.
I pulled into my driveway and frowned when I saw my father’s car parked in the driveway. I got out and jogged inside.
“Malcolm?”
He came out of the kitchen with an apple. “There you are. You and your brother have been scarce this week. I wanted to be sure everything was all right.”
“Aren had some business in Vegas.” Lying to my father sucked, but I couldn’t have the whole Pack running to Vegas now. “I’m actually going down to meet him there tomorrow.”
“Perfect.” He took a bite of the fruit. “I have a free day. I’ll go with you.”
I didn’t know how Malcolm knew something was up, but he did. My heart started pounding and all I could do was try to keep it from showing.
My father could catch the scent of fear in a second. If he figured out Aren was in trouble he’d want to bring in the Pack and my brother would be as good as dead.
