GRAY Wolf Mate

by Dianna Love

  Okay, yes, she did technically fold when he gifted her with one hell of an orgasm. She’d have to sort that out mentally later.

  For now, she arched an eyebrow and challenged, “I thought you were a bunch of super shifters. How’d the Black River pack catch one of yours?”

  “Our man’s not well.”

  She didn’t think shifters got sick, which would mean Cole’s group should be even more bulletproof when it came to illness. That meant there was more to Cole’s friend being unwell, but prying that information out of him would be harder than getting Cole to admit his weakness.

  She crossed her arms. “Let me get this straight. You expect me to just ignore the bombing and that our transport was torched, plus two staff members killed? I can’t walk into my office and brush all that off. This is my responsibility.”

  He stepped forward, a load of irritated male towering over her. “I’ll make sure SCIS gets in on the final takedown, if possible. That’s the best I can offer. I’m asking you to back off the Black River investigation until you receive word from your intelligence agency on something you can act upon.”

  Was he truly serious? “I have people I answer to and citizens who will be screaming over the food bank bombing, plus Colin escaping, so let me make something clear to you. I will continue investigating this bombing and the Jugo Loco distribution flowing through the southeast. You haven’t shown me any credentials. You tell me you’re part of some ancient group and your people are the key to shifter law enforcement. I’m not seeing it. What would you do if someone came to you with all that and told you to stand down, because they were a bigger deal than you and your people?”

  “I hear what you’re saying, Tess, and I can’t show you paperwork to prove things that humans refuse to accept any other way, but I’ve been doing this for the best part of the last seven years. You’ll just have to trust me.”

  He sounded tired, but she hadn’t been sleeping so well herself. If he wanted her trust, he had to bring more to the table.

  She scoffed, “Really? Trust you? Do you expect me to be so willing to accept anything you say that easily again?”

  Cole leaned against the counter with those guns crossed, looked up at the ceiling, then lowered his head to her. “That was probably not the best argument on my part, but I am telling you the truth.”

  “Not all the truth. Not enough to allow me the ability to make an educated decision.”

  “Tess, be reasonable.”

  After all she’d been through, that was the wrong argument to use on her. “Oh, now I’m not reasonable? You know what? I’m done. I’m glad you’re alive and that I no longer have to wonder what happened to you, but I need to think through all this. It’s time for you to go. But know this. If you interfere with any SCIS investigation or harm our trackers, expect to pay a price.”

  Cole sighed so hard it came out a growl.

  He picked up his cup and put it in the sink.

  That was different. She used to find his coffee cups all over the house when he was working and in school.

  That memory pushed through her frustration.

  What was she going to do about Cole?

  The confusion she’d waded through back in college after he left was nothing compared to right now. Her heart and mind argued between locking him in with her so he’d stay and telling him there was no way they could be together.

  When she thought about how close she’d come to losing him yesterday, her heart started winning the battle.

  But she could not make a snap decision tonight.

  She followed him to the door, paying too much attention to his profile and perfect butt.

  Memories of hooking her hands on his naked hips and sliding her fingers down over those taut muscles of his backside sprang into her mind. She’d wrap one arm around his waist and use the other hand to caress his dick.

  Her mouth turned dry as the desert.

  Lost in memory lane, she failed to stop when he turned quickly, grabbing her shoulders.

  She stared up, caught red-handed in a moment of lust.

  “Where’s your mind at, Tess-alla?”

  Damn him. He used to say that and stretch her name out when he caught her ogling him naked.

  That was his way of saying she could have him for the asking.

  Her bruised heart still ached when he said things like that. She replied, “I was thinking you could use some time in the gym.”

  “You are such a sweet liar.” He leaned down and kissed her again, taking it slower this time as he swept his lips over hers.

  What did she do? Part her lips and let him in.

  The energy zinging around calmed into a frazzled hum, as though even it was unsure where this was going.

  She’d blame her capitulation on that.

  One kiss and she lost what common sense she had when it came to this man. Was it his fault she felt pulled to him like steel to a magnet?

  She should be backing away, not digging her nails into his shoulders. Hadn’t she just ordered him to leave?

  Her body caved without a sound of protest.

  She held on as her world turned into a tornado of want. One touch blinded her mind to all reason.

  Cole’s mouth kept going, relentless and hungry. With each time he paused to kiss her gently, he pulled her soul closer to his. She could feel her resolve cracking and flaking away.

  What if he disappeared again?

  She’d felt rejected and not worthy of love the last time.

  But he hadn’t abandoned her without a thought.

  That one kernel of hope kept wiggling its way into her heart.

  Damn him. She’d missed him, missed everything about the two of them, for so long. Oh, she’d tried to banish his memory by dating other people from time to time, but she never felt this intensity with anyone else.

  If anything, what she felt now was stronger.

  She hugged him hard and forced a groan from his lips. Someone should lock her away. She had to be mental to want to throw caution to the wind and tell him how much she cared for him. The words were dangling close to her lips.

  He was breathing hard when he lifted his head and dropped his forehead to hers. In the most forlorn voice she’d ever heard, he said, “I missed you.”

  Tears burned the corner of her eyes. “But you’re still going to leave.”

  He chuckled. “You told me to.”

  “Oh, I guess I did.”

  “It’s not your fault, baby. I have to go for now. I’ve got to deal with whoever grabbed my friend and killed Sonic. I can’t be seen with you or it will put you at risk, but I want ...”

  “What?” She held her breath, waiting on him to tell her he wanted her more than anything else.

  “I want you safe.” He held her head to his. “If anything happens to me, I’ll make sure someone gets word to you. I won’t leave you wondering again.”

  That’s not what she wanted to hear.

  Thinking about Cole in danger dropped hot embers in her stomach. She hated the panic seizing her body. “Come into SCIS and work with us.”

  “I can’t, Tess, especially after what happened at the food bank and with your transport truck. They’d all judge you unfairly for not treating me as a criminal, and I have to be free to do my duty.”

  Duty meant he’d race toward danger, even against dangerous shifters.

  Maybe she shouldn’t wait until she processed all of this. Who knew what would happen tomorrow? “Cole, what about us?”

  He straightened and studied her for a moment before shaking off a thought. “It’s complicated. Even if we could get past everything else, I’m still a shifter.”

  She couldn’t form a word in response.

  This was the moment to say his being a shifter didn’t matter to her. But it did. She hated herself a little for not being able to give him an inch, but she’d been hit with all this tonight and needed time. Allowing her emotions to drive her words would be worse later if she couldn’t stand behind them.<
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  Her father would turn his back on her if she brought a shifter into her life. He was the only family she had left.

  But Cole had always been a part of her, even when he was gone.

  She’d break her father’s heart if she crossed that line. Tess was all he had left, too, after her mother died.

  Everything she’d ever wanted stood right in front of her and she hated her hesitation.

  They were doomed lovers.

  Cole leaned down and kissed her hair then whispered, “Please stay away from the Black River pack. There’s more than shifters involved and humans aren’t equipped to fight them. Neither are the jackal shifters in SCIS.”

  She wouldn’t agree or argue with him.

  Shaking his head at some internal thought, he added, “I would be careful around Brantley, too.”

  “Why?”

  “That transport trip was never headed to where you thought and those jackals will not lift a finger to operate on their own. They were following someone’s instructions.”

  “They could have been paid by the Black River pack,” she suggested, reaching for straws. She had issues with Brantley, but she couldn’t let her feelings for Cole affect how she dealt with Brantley.

  “It wasn’t the Black River pack. My people got there first. Then a helicopter with an SCIS logo showed up as we were leaving.”

  “What?” No one had told her that.

  “Exactly.” He cursed. “I know that hardheaded look and how you’ll need to verify it, but don’t push back if someone blows you off. Just hold onto that information until we can get more to you. And please try to stay safe. Don’t accept everything you’re being told at face value. There is a mole in your operation. I don’t have time or the authority to share enough to prove it to you, but I would not lie to you about something so important to your safety.”

  Unable to speak, she nodded.

  “I replaced your firing pin while you were in the bathroom.” He turned to leave, paused, drew a long breath, then turned back.

  He leaned close, cupping her head as he kissed her once more. Then he whispered, “You are my only weakness.”

  In the next second, he’d slipped out the door and closed it behind him.

  She stood there, unsure what to do for two heartbeats, then grabbed the door to call him back. She looked first toward the elevator thirty feet away, then toward the stairs, which were even further, but the hallway was empty.

  No one could have vanished that quickly.

  Correction. No human could have.

  Cole expected her to sit back and do nothing? To let him fight this battle alone?

  Silly shifter.

  She had access to her own extensive network of information.

  By tomorrow night, she’d know everything available on Cole Cavanaugh. The next time they met, she wanted to be on equal footing. Now that she knew what had happened to him, she would come to terms with it and ... with how they could move forward.

  A new worry gripped her.

  Could she redirect Brantley from hunting for Colin?

  If she did and Brantley figured it out, she’d end up worse than a shifter convicted of a crime.

  The government had no mercy for anyone who interfered with shifter investigations, especially if they were convicted of aiding and abetting a criminal shifter.

  The easy penalty was one hundred years in prison.

  The other option was death.

  Chapter 19

  Cole hadn’t been gone from Tess five minutes when Justin and Rory fell into step on either side of him.

  Rory kept his voice down when he said, “What’s going on, Cole?”

  Damn. Leave it to the curious cat in their group to figure out what Cole had been hiding. Cole said, “What do you mean?”

  Justin leaned forward to look at Rory. “Are we talking about this?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is it we’re talking about?” Cole hedged, hoping he was wrong.

  “Is that woman your mate?” Justin asked.

  “No.”

  “See? I told you his head is up his ass,” Justin said, leaning over to talk to Rory.

  Cole gave Justin a quelling look, which had no influence on him whatsoever. These men had been through some hairy times on missions with Cole. They both knew he would step in front of a mortar blast six feet away and take the hit for them.

  Rory eased his gaze over to Cole. “You’re too young to be suffering the curse, but so is Sammy. Just tell us so we can help.”

  Cole should be angry, but he actually felt relief at no longer having to hide it from the people closest to him. He also couldn’t accomplish what he needed to with the time he had left ... at least not without their help.

  Giving in, he said, “There’s something I want to tell you, but you can’t share it with anyone.” Just to make sure they knew what he meant, he said, “That includes the Guardian.”

  As expected, Justin said, “You know we got your back. If you say it stays between us, then it does.”

  Rory remained silent, a contemplative look on his face. He had always been the thoughtful one who gave balance to Justin, who never hesitated to go all in on whatever crazy plan Cole came up with to defeat an enemy.

  Cole told Justin, “I appreciate your support, but to be honest, I’d rather not tell you two something that would put you in a bad position with the Guardian.”

  Before Justin could jump back in, Rory said in his quiet voice, “We can hold your confidence no matter what it is. What’s up?”

  That was the extent of what had to be said.

  Cole trusted these two with his life, which he didn’t expect to have for much longer. “My mating curse has started.”

  “Shit, that’s what we guessed, but I was sure you were going to tell us we were wrong,” Justin said. “Has to be some way to fix this.”

  Cole knew that would be their next thought, so he explained about meeting Tess in college and planning to ask her to marry him the night he was taken to the Guardian.

  “Shit, man, that sucks,” Justin said, frowning.

  “Yes, it did and still does, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

  Cole could admit that out loud now when he couldn’t before. He’d been angry with everyone, including Gray Wolf, for the first two years. The difficult relationship with his animal was as much Cole’s fault for not wanting to be a shifter as Gray Wolf’s for being an impossible beast to manage.

  With enough time, the pain had turned into a dull ache in his chest as if a part of him had died.

  Rory had listened quietly, but now asked, “So, is Tess ... the one? Is she a Gallize female?”

  “I would love for her to be, but she only fits one of the markers we were given.” Cole had thought on that a long time. Gallize females originally descended from five women, each pregnant with female babies who had received the blessing of power from the Gallizenae druidess. He’d wanted to tell Tess more of the Gallize history, but he’d already pushed limits with what he’d shared.

  “Which marker does Tess have?”

  “She was born during a true blue moon month, but so were a lot of human children.” Many people considered a second full moon in the same month at any time a blue moon, but originally, a blue moon was considered as a second full moon over the period of all four seasons. Gallize women were birthed during the thirteenth moon in one year.

  “What about the marker about being second born?” Justin asked. “She got an older sibling?”

  “No. She’s an only child,” Cole answered. He’d been told to watch for at least two of four markers, the other two indicators being a woman with mismatched eye color and someone who connected with a shifter telepathically.

  Gallize shifters normally only spoke mind-to-mind in animal form with some exceptions. The way Cole understood it, if a Gallize shifter bonded with a Gallize mate, they could also enjoy telepathic communication while the shifter was in animal form even though she was in human form.


  Those women were harder to find than a popsicle in hell. When the female guardian of Gallize women had vanished, she had not left a guardian heir.

  Evidently the eagle guardians normally had at least one child to whom they passed the torch, which made sense for preservation of the Gallize warriors.

  Cole’s guardian had no mate or offspring though.

  A team member had asked their shifter guardian about that once and received an icy look that could freeze a fire.

  No one else asked after that.

  Seemed that it would be simpler to match up male and female guardians, but that apparently wasn’t the way it worked for them. Who was Cole to question any of this when he had his own problems?

  “What color are your woman’s eyes?” Justin asked, clearly still trying to make Tess fit the profile.

  “Blue.” That wasn’t true, because blue sounded too simple. Her eyes were the color of deep water that could pull you under.

  “You sure her eyes match?” Justin would not stop. He hated to lose at any challenge, which was why Sammy hadn’t told him about Katelyn.

  If Cole asked for help finding a mate, this crazy grizzly would go to the end of the world and return with one.

  But Cole didn’t want any mate.

  He would never be able to bond with anyone except Tess.

  Rory walked along silently, his gaze staring off in the distance, which meant he was in thought. He glanced at Cole. “The Guardian says it’s not impossible to bond with a human.”

  Cole had considered that and every other possibility for a long time. He said, “Even if I would try that, which I won’t, her father hates shifters. He’s Senator Janver.”

  Rory groaned. “That’s ... bad.”

  Justin said, “Ah, shit.” Then he asked, “Why wouldn’t you try with her if not for that?”

  “Same reason Sammy didn’t want to bond with his human woman.” Cole explained, “I would never risk opening up my power to Tess when there’s a good chance it would kill her.”

  “The last one that tried survived.”

  Cole countered, “Others died, which is why no one tries it.” Yes, he’d done his research on that as well.