“We eagles don’t need them,” he said.
“And of course, we’ll have eaglets,” she mused. “Since it seems to be about dominance.”
Her words froze him for so many reasons. First, it was the second time she’d inadvertently agreed they were mates and there would be children. Second, she’d acknowledged that he was dominant. That didn’t mean she was weak or defenseless, just a statement of fact. But in mixed were-matings, the more dominant partner’s genes took precedence. That was the theory, at least. Patrick had wondered more than once if Ajax and Nico had found a way to tamper with nature in that regard. Ajax had to have a wereeagle heir, and had had two. But Patrick had seen the two go head-to-head more than once over the years, and Nico was often the victor.
Sara Beth set her hands on her hips and turned to check out the room. It was a large area combining the kitchen, island bar and living room. It was a plain, ordinary space like his other one she’d seen.
And she was worried about boring him? He was the dull one in this relationship.
“The view outside is great and if I could go shopping, I could do something about the view inside. Since that isn’t an option, what the hell am I supposed to do? Normally, I’d have plenty of work but I couldn’t bring my laptop.”
“Oh, foxy, trust me. I can keep you occupied.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re insatiable.”
He had no argument there. “You haven’t been complaining.”
“I’d just be punishing myself if I did,” she pointed out, a ghost of a smile curving her lips.
“True.” He took her hand and tugged her down the hall. “Maybe this time I’ll give you reason to complain,” he teased, just because he liked seeing the blush heat her face.
The bedroom wasn’t much to look at but it had the essentials. Two small nightstands, a dresser, and—most importantly—a bed large enough to share. One wall was glass and she dropped his hand to go look out over the valley.
“Amazing,” she whispered. She walked up to the wall and set her hands on it, tilting her head like she was trying to get a better look. She was so beautiful she could stop his heart with a look if she tried. She must have sensed the change in his mood because her head jerked up.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “Not a damned thing.”
He could tell she didn’t believe him. “Your pulse just spiked,” she countered.
It pleased him she was that attuned to him. “What can I say? You have that effect on me.”
She blinked and he could tell she wasn’t sure if she should believe him.
“How long are we staying up here?”
“Don’t like it?”
“It’s incredible, but pretty disconcerting for my fox. I don’t really do heights.”
That didn’t surprise him. “We’re only staying the night. I just needed to be sure the royal family got here safely.”
“We didn’t have to come up for that.” She tilted her head. “Are you cutting short your visit because of me?”
Hell yeah. He wanted her all to himself, at his house. There were too many people in the enclave. They’d want to meet her. Would put demands on their time.
“Patrick?”
“I’m selfish. And greedy. I’m not ready to share you yet.”
She smiled and slipped into his arms. “I’m not complaining about that.”
He kissed her, and that fast he was lost. This, right now, was all that mattered.
Chapter Fourteen
Victor had expected the shapeshifters to search for him, so he’d changed motels the night before his first attempt to grab the werefox. After that, assuming shifters could access facial recognition programs to be on the safe side, he figured he had a day or two before he needed to move on again. His target had disappeared, but he’d been studying her. He’d found out who her friends and family were, where they lived.
But now she was back and she wasn’t alone. Victor had taken up residence in an empty foreclosure across from her house and watched as she exited the vehicle. A tall, powerful-looking white haired man also got out. No, that wasn’t right. Victor studied him using a high resolution camera, zoomed in and snapped a picture. His hair was very pale but blond. The stranger hustled the woman inside. Nothing Victor had discovered suggested a boyfriend, but he was certain they were in a sexual relationship. The stranger’s hold was possessive. Protective. Victor would either have to take him out first or wait until he left the woman alone.
Maybe the other man wasn’t that dangerous though. He’d looked familiar; Victor scrolled through the photos he’d taken of her high school yearbook. He’d been looking for group shots of her and the stranger wasn’t in them. He’d have to risk another trip to the library, but it would have to wait. His employers were waiting for an update. They’d insisted on a video conference, which Victor considered a stupid waste of time, but they were footing the bill for this little enterprise. He powered up his laptop and waited for the program to load. A few minutes later, two men in lab coats appeared on his screen.
“We’re growing impatient, Victor. Where is our subject?”
“She’s just returned to town, but she has a new bodyguard.” He shrugged. “I can kill him to take her, but you said no killing.”
The two men exchanged a look. “Maybe you should look for an easier target.”
No fucking way. He acknowledged his obsession to himself, but he refused to allow the scientists see it. They simply saw her as an experiment. Victor wanted to study the animal. See how human they were, determine how threatening they were.
“The ground work is laid for the Reynard woman. I’ll get an opportunity to take her and I doubt it will take long.”
“How long?”
He shrugged. He was a hunter. He was patient, unlike these two buffoons. He understood sometimes you had to wait.
“As long as it takes. Days. A week.”
The older scientist finally spoke. His gaze was cold and hard but it didn’t faze Victor. “One week. If you can’t do it in that timeframe, we’ll find someone who can.”
Victor disconnected without responding. This was his job. No matter how long it took, he’d catch his quarry.
Two days later, he snarled as he watched Reynard and her companion, Patrick Aquila, load bags into their vehicle and leave. He’d gotten the man’s name from the library yearbooks. He’d had to slip in and out after hours. The whole town seemed to be watching for him now. But he hadn’t been able to get anything else on Aquila. The man was ghost. As far as Victor’s contacts had been able to determine, there was no property, utilities or credit cards in his name.
This time he was able to get to his car without being seen. But he wasn’t fast enough. Incredibly, for the second time her protectors managed to spirit her away. Time for a new approach. He’d seen the tabloid reporter’s ridiculous new story speculating on Aquila’s species. Time to pay the man a visit.
Chapter Fifteen
“Don’t hang up,” Nichols said on the other end of the line.
Sara Beth’s hand tightened on the phone. Now what? Patrick, who was spooned up behind her, tensed.
“Put it on speaker,” he growled. She pressed the correct button. “You have a hell of a lot of nerve, Nichols. What do you want?”
“Someone came to see me. He was asking questions about you and Ms. Reynard.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“Who your boyfriend is. If I had any idea where he’d taken you.”
“And what did you tell him?” Patrick asked in a voice so cold it burned.
Nichols snorted. “That I don’t know. I don’t think he believed me. He also wanted my source. Since I don’t know who it is I couldn’t tell him that either.”
“Did you give him the email?” she asked. Damn. That could be a problem if the hunter tracked it down before they could.
“Yeah. He’s a scary bastard and he had a gun. And since I couldn’
t trace the email, I figure he can’t either,” he said softly. “Ms. Reynard, you need to be careful. This guy is seriously creepy. Like fanatical creepy.”
“Have a change of heart, Nichols? Little late for that, doncha think?” she retorted.
He was quiet so long she thought the call had been dropped.
“Eventually, you shapeshifters are going to have to show yourselves to the world. Some people are going to consider you more animal than human. I’m not one of them. I’m not your enemy. Be careful.”
He hung up before she could reply. She rolled onto her back and stared up at Patrick, who lay on his side, propped on his elbow.
“That was strange. King, you think?”
“No doubt. He’s getting desperate. He’ll make a mistake soon, and then we’ll have him.”
“I wish he’d just give up and go away. Both of them,” she muttered.
He stroked her cheek with his fingertips. “You know they won’t, baby.”
“I know.” She held the sheet to her as she sat up. “So what’s on the agenda today?”
If he thought the subject change was abrupt, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he grinned. “I want to show you something.”
“What?”
He rolled to his back and pulled her down to sprawl over his chest. Then gave her a long, hot kiss that left her panting and wanting. “You’ll see,” he teased.
An hour later, he ushered her into a large house. It had footbridges leading to two more buildings in nearby trees. It was only a couple of feet to exit one and enter another. The First Consul’s house, she realized. It was wide open and airy, and clean, even if outdated.
“Do you always keep it ready?” Sara Beth asked.
That made no sense if he hadn’t planned on using it. He shook his head. “Jack and some of the other Guards cleaned it up when we were at your house.”
She felt him watching her as she wandered through the living room and kitchen, and followed the curving hall to see what was in the opposite side of the house. There were two bedrooms connected by a spacious bathroom. She backtracked to find Patrick waiting right where he’d been in front of the door, as if he was barring her escape. But his expression was reserved, maybe a bit nervous.
“What do you think?” he asked.
She looked around the space. “It has a lot of potential. Can you do whatever you want to it or does it belong to the clan?”
“I can change anything, but I wouldn’t know where to start.”
He was so solemn, so serious, she couldn’t help but tease him. “I know a designer who might offer a suggestion or two for free.”
He shook his head. “No. I want the whole package. I can pay.”
She caught her breath, knew from the seriousness in his voice and expression that he wasn’t offering the traditional payment for her design work. “With what?” she whispered.
He approached slowly. A graceful predator on two legs. She stood her ground. Didn’t trust her trembling limbs to safely retreat. He circled her, brushing close to sweep her hair over her shoulder. He held her hips as he leaned down to the curve of her neck. Hot breath. The barest kiss. Scraping teeth. She shivered.
“I can pay,” he whispered. “Just name your price.”
“It’s pretty steep.” She gasped when he bit her.
“Hmm.” He licked the bite. “Put me on the lifetime installment plan then.”
His hand slid up to cup her breast and squeezed. Electric need shot straight to her pussy. “That’s a major investment,” she rasped.
He turned her around and stared into her eyes. “Worth every penny.”
“Patrick,” she breathed, lifting her hands to grip his shoulders. All he had to do was look at her, give her the most innocent touch and she wanted him with a desperation that made her worry about her sanity. “What have you done to me?”
She shoved her fingers into his hair and tugged him down for a kiss before he could answer. She didn’t need to hear it. She felt it in every scorching look, every possessive hold. He was claiming her. Seducing her. Making her fall in love with him. And she didn’t have much fight left. If he decided later she wasn’t for him…well, she’d figure it out.
But did she really have to worry about that? His scent surrounded her. Hot and rich. Devotion and love and all for her.
She wanted to touch him. Taste him. Claim him. She broke the kiss and sharpened her claws until he released his hold on her hips. She moved to one of the armchairs and sat to pull off her boots. Then she stood and stripped to the skin. Neither spoke as he followed suit.
When he was naked, he crooked a finger at her.
“C’mon, foxy, let’s christen the place.”
He gave her a smile so carnal it made her toes curl. She could feel his dominance and possession. The demand that seemed to pulse from him to her, that she mark him as irrevocably as he’d marked her. A week ago that desire, that instinct would have sent her into a panic. Now it felt right. But she wasn’t giving into him so easily.
“I don’t think coming over there is such a good idea.”
Oh, but it was. She almost didn’t recognize her voice. Filled with lust and so much more. Yearning. The love she could no longer hide. He was in front of her before she could blink, his hand wrapped around her nape.
“Tell me, baby. I can smell the emotion. Put it into words.”
There was a part of her still holding back, though. Still defiant. “Make me,” she dared him.
If the look he leveled on her was any gauge, she was in serious trouble. Oh gods. He reached for her, but she was a fox. Nimble. Fast. She easily evaded his grasp, but he wasn’t angry. His grin was sharp and anticipatory. A raptor on the hunt and she was his prey. Her body pulsed. They were on opposite sides of the couch—not that it provided a real barrier. She didn’t really want one. She wanted him touching her, holding her, thrusting inside her. She wanted him to feel as much, to feel everything she did. But that wasn’t fair. He loved her. She knew; she’d scented it. What pissed her off was his insistence she say the words when—except for that one time, which hadn’t exactly been a declaration of undying love—he hadn’t. Which she knew was completely infantile. She’d been holding back for days. Why shouldn’t he? How he’d said hadn’t exactly been flattering either.
Baby, I love you but you’re a little scary.
It was time to make a choice. Claim her eagle or walk away. It would rip out her heart to leave. She couldn’t do it. In the end she just had to trust he’d known what he was doing when he mated her. She had to trust him. She made her choice and met his gaze. Somehow he knew.
He angled his head. “Foxy?”
She knew in that moment that she could break them both. If she didn’t trust him enough to love her, eventually she’d poison that devotion. The resentment she feared would be of her own making. That wouldn’t be fair to either one of them.
“Half-way?” she queried back and somehow he knew exactly what she meant. They moved at the same time, met in the middle of the room over a thick plush rug in front of the fireplace. Suddenly cold, she shivered.
“Does it work?” she asked, glancing at the fireplace.
“Let’s find out.”
His friends had left it ready for them and all he had to do was strike a match. In moments, a comforting fire filled the hearth. Patrick took her hands and guided her to the rug by his side. He urged her to lie down, then covered her with his body as her back came into contact with the fur rug. He cradled her close.
“Sara Beth,” he whispered.
She felt the emotion in his voice. The longing and desire. And she understood that the emotional distance she’d aimed for while they got to know each other—while she worried about his ability to be happy with a fox—was useless now. It was no longer necessary. She trusted her instincts. He loved her. He wasn’t disappointed in her and he most definitely wasn’t the adrenaline junkie she’d accused him of being just days ago. She’d seen that in the time they’d spent t
ogether. So she stopped fighting it. He gave her a long, slow blink and yanked her close. She felt a tug on her body and heart that wasn’t normal.
“The bond between mates is more than physical. More than emotional.”
She jerked a nod.
“You aren’t afraid of me,” he whispered, kissing her neck. “Choose me, baby.”
At the same time, he tilted his head to the side. An invitation. Exposing his jugular to her. His hands molded and shaped her body. His fingers caressed her nipples. She felt her incisors sharpen and lengthen. Scraped them over the smooth skin of his shoulder. A shudder wracked his body as her teeth closed and she bit him.
Then he stopped pretending she had any control.
Patrick snapped. She’d finally done it. Finally marked and claimed him, and that action broke all pretense of controlling his instinctive animal side. He moved down her body. Kissing, licking, biting. He gripped, spread, lifted her legs over his shoulders, and blew a hot breath over her sex. She gasped and dug her fingers into his hair, nails scraping his scalp. He bit the sensitive skin of her inner thigh in retaliation. Looked up to meet her hot, dazed eyes.
“Stop that. It’s my turn.”
“That doesn’t seem fair. Do I get a turn?”
“Oh yeah. Later,” he said, gut tightening when he imagined her mouth on him.
He liked teasing her, slow building the pleasure until it exploded into ecstasy, but he didn’t have the patience for that right now. He needed to drive her wild, needed her to burn as hot as he did and he knew just how to do it. Using his fingers, he spread the lips hiding her pussy and licked her. Thrust his tongue into her. She bucked against his hold.
“More.”
He loved the catch in her breath, the greediness in her eyes and scent.
He found her clit and bit, not quite hard enough to hurt—he knew her body and her responses well enough to know how much she could take—but she froze. He took in a deep breath, searching for any hint of fear or displeasure. There was none. Only arousal and the lush, rich scent of his woman so close to coming apart. His cock throbbed. His eagle side was insistent and demanding. He forced it under control. He wouldn’t give into those instincts until she was ready—until her need was desperate. But he didn’t have the patience to go slow or easy.
Secret Passions: Forbidden Passions, Book 5 Page 9
