by Olivia Arran
When the fuck had I surrounded myself with a bunch of idiots? “Who’s running the perimeter?”
“Brent,” Cade replied between stuffing a handful of chips in his mouth.
“On his own?”
“We thought you were out there with him.”
“Get your asses out there now and relieve him. All of you. Break’s over.”
With some good natured grumbling and some cursing from Jake’s direction, the guys shuffled out of the room, shoving and joking as they went. Finally, it was silent.
“Are they always like that?”
I looked up from where I’d been staring intently at my hands, trying to figure out what this weird heaviness in my chest was. “Always. They’re a bunch of assholes.”
Rolling her shoulders back, she set her soda on the table and stretched her arms up to the ceiling, muffling a yawn with her hand. “You don’t mean that.”
“Every single second of the day.”
“You love them. I can tell.”
I bit back a chuckle at her lecturing tone. “I’m their Alpha.”
Folding her arms over her chest, she glared at me. “Doesn’t that mean you have to love them?”
“Sweetheart, it doesn’t even mean I have to like them,” I drawled, wondering why the hell I was egging her on. Shifter hierarchy and shit was complicated; I wasn’t even sure I understood it half of the time. Packs, teams, clans … they were what they were. The only thing certain was that an Alpha was in charge. Or tried to be.
Her lips edged up, inching their way into a smile that barely reached her eyes. “But you do. Family is like that; you’d do anything for them.”
I didn’t correct her—she didn’t know shit about my situation—because it didn’t matter when she was looking at me so lost and afraid that it was tearing a fucking huge gaping hole in my chest. “Tell me. I can help you.” At that moment in time, I’d have moved a fucking mountain for her, if it was her heart’s desire. Anything to see the smile reach her eyes.
Blinking rapidly, she looked away, her fingers twisting into knots in her lap. “I shouldn’t…”
My knees hit the floor and I found myself knelt at her feet, taking her hands in mine and gently uncurling them. White half moons had dug into her skin, where her nails had pinched. Rubbing my thumbs over the marks, I shuddered as heat streaked through me from where we touched. “You can trust me.” I put everything I had into those words, willing her to hear the truth.
She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
“Sweetheart—”
The door swung open behind me.
“Brent—” I swallowed the growl as the scent of the intruder reached me. Lion.
“Austin. I can see you’re a little … busy. I needed to speak to you about—”
I cut Mayor Carter off. “Can’t it wait?”
The man’s eyes flashed with something that looked suspiciously like annoyance, but he tilted his head in agreement. “Of course.” Turning his attention to Leona, he strode forward, his mouth curving up in a smile engineered to put her at ease. “Mayor Carter,” he declared, putting out a hand, “I hope Austin here is looking after you?” His real question was clear: what the hell is going on here?
Accepting his hand, she squeezed it briefly, before tucking her hand back into her lap.
She eyed him carefully, reminding me of the way shifters use all their senses to draw a picture of a person. Her mouth curved up into a smile, punching the breath out of my chest. “Austin is doing a fine job,” the smile dimmed a fraction, faltering at the edges, “Sir.” It was added as an afterthought—almost sounding like a deliberate snub—but why the hell would she do that?
“Good. I hope you enjoy your stay here in Heartsridge. If there’s anything we can do to help—” he spread his hands, including me in his blanket wide statement, “—just let my office know.”
“Help? What help would I need?”
Carter blinked, as though he hadn’t actually expected an answer. “Uh, well, anything that Austin can’t help you with.” He looked around, as if checking he still stood in our rec room.
Though I’d rather chew a kangaroo’s scrotum than admit it, I was as bewildered as him. Then, her hand slid up my chest and hooked around my neck, fingers burning into my skin where they brushed under my collar.
“Austin is helping me just fine,” she replied, a suggestive lilt to her words and a softness in her eyes that Carter would have to be blind to miss.
Carter’s smile disappeared, a scowl taking its place. His attention turned to me. “You’re on shift until the morning—”
“I’m taking my break,” I snapped back, forcing back the urge to scoop Leona into my arms and spread her out on the table. Instinct warred with common sense; bear fighting human as I struggled to keep control on a leash.
A grunt, then footsteps and the sound of the door clicking shut.
Her fingers uncurled.
I caught them, pressing them back into place. “What exactly is your game, sweetheart?”
Her eyes widened, her pulse fluttering in her throat.
The air thickened with her scent, but not of acrid fear, this was the teasing spice of interest. A growl trickled out, control slipping through my grasp. “Didn’t anyone warn you it’s not a good idea to poke a hungry bear?”
Chapter Four
Leona
Oh, man. I couldn’t drag enough air into my lungs, couldn’t think straight. I’d gone and done it this time. I’d acted on instinct—completely out of character for me—but it had been a gut reflex. The Mayor had known something … or I was completely paranoid. And then I’d touched him. Austin. Was still touching him. And my brain wasn’t working.
That darn growl. No one had told me shifters had this effect on women. And they should have. That a single growl could have a woman contemplating dropping her panties and begging. Damn. They should come with a warning sticker, or at least a set of instructions.
Or, more like, Austin should.
“Leona?”
Oh, yes. The man himself. Who was right now crouched at my feet and glaring at me with silver eyes. Okay, not glaring, so much. More like glowering?
Could I trust him? Would he tell that other man, Mayor Carter? He’d have to tell his boss, right?
“What are you thinking?”
“That this isn’t like me.” The words were out, no filter applied. I even added a little finger twirl, just in case he didn’t connect the whole messed up situation. My mental groan nearly deafened me.
He flinched, face closing down until the glower was definitely more of a glare. “Like what?”
“I don’t go around jumping into situations without thinking things through. I have plans. Lots of them. And rules. They keep me safe. Sane. I’m sensible; I have a boring life and I like it.” I was babbling, but I couldn’t stop. Clinging to normality. “I’m an accountant,” I added, as if that explained everything.
Every instinct that had told me not to trust Mayor Carter was now telling me I could trust this man in front of me. That he wouldn’t hurt me.
But instinct wasn’t fact. Wasn’t proof. And there was the little issue that this was a government building. People could be listening. Shifters had great hearing, or so I’d read in the tour guide. Yup, I was turning into a paranoid freak.
He’d fallen silent throughout my mini breakdown, but his hand hadn’t moved, pinning mine in place while his thumb traced small semi circles of fire over my skin.
It felt so good, it hurt.
“If I’m fucking wrong, then tell me to fuck off, sweetheart. Do you need my help?”
I took a deep breath. Until I understood how this all worked, I was better searching for my sister on my own. “No. Can I go now? I promise I won’t wander off again.”
He stared at me, as if trying to peer into my soul, then his hand slid from mine. “If I catch you out in the forest again…” The corner of his mouth curled up with his implied warning, a dimple creasing h
is cheek, nearly hidden by his thick stubble.
Now my brain was overloaded with images of what he’d do to me, exactly what kind of punishment he was hinting at and whether I’d like to find out. I could still feel his hand print on my ass, where it had pressed firmly through the thin cotton. A few inches lower and he’d have been touching skin.
With a low chuckle, he straightened. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you, sweetheart.”
Standing on legs way too wobbly for my liking, I slipped back into steady, reliable Leona mode. “I really wish you wouldn’t.” There. I sounded very prim and proper. In control of the situation. Not one bit overheated and freaked out.
He moved to get the door, his chest brushing against my arm as I marched past him.
Electric shot down my spine, drawing a startled gasp.
He stiffened, his hand shooting out and wrapping around mine, as if he wasn’t willing to let me go.
“Austin?” I managed to croak out. What the hell was happening to me?
His head was bowed as he stared at our hands, our fingers locked together. Deep lines dug into his forehead, shadowing his eyes. But he didn’t let go.
I wasn’t sure that I wanted him to.
When he touched me, it was as if he chased the shadows away. Safe. It hummed through me, sinking into my bones and easing the tight ache that had eaten away at me for days. I closed my eyes and did the unthinkable, I leapt without looking. I had to trust him; I needed to. “Is there somewhere private we can go to talk?”
Chapter Five
Austin
Fuck. Yes, please. Luckily I didn’t blurt out my initial reaction, I was too busy trying to wrestle my bear down from trying to perform a breakdance beneath my skin. He was overly happy with the offer, which had warning signs dancing in front of my eyes.
This woman wasn’t my type. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she had curves in all the right places, and the cutest smile. When she actually smiled. I was fast getting the feeling that she had a more serious outlook on life than myself.
And that was it. The only thing stopping me from trying to sweet talk my way in between her legs. She was a serious woman, with big ideas and plans, for fucks sake. And then there was me. In charge of a motley team of ragtag shifters, who had no sense and a lot of anger. I didn’t plan what I was having for dinner, let alone the rest of my life, because I’d learned early on that life had a habit of screwing you over and shitting on your dreams.
Fucking-A.
But one look at her and I was reassessing everything. Just for a goddamned taste.
I nodded. I didn’t trust myself to speak.
Claws bit into my skin, my bear wanting to come out and party. Show off a little. Preen for the little woman. Show her how big and badass he was.
I sent him an image of her staring at him terrified.
He sent me back an image of Leona stroking his fur, gazing up at him with worship in her eyes.
I gave up trying to communicate, leaving him to his excitement. I didn’t examine the why of it too closely.
Sliding my phone out of my pocket, I tapped out a message and hit send. My team could function for a few hours without me. Probably. Fuck it; I’d pick up the pieces later. “Follow me,” I finally said, in a voice way too rough and husky for my liking.
Following her into the hotel foyer, I tried my hardest not to stare at her ass. But it was right there, swaying in front of me, like a goddamned pendulum, clad in green cotton with little purple flowers.
A pointed cough sounded over to my right, then, “Do you need a room, Ma’am?”
Leona’s confident stride stumbled and I nearly ran into her.
Shooting the hotel’s receptionist a withering glare, I smoothed my hand down Leona’s back, chasing the tension away. “You’ve already checked in?” I asked in a low murmur.
She was staring straight ahead, her cheeks burning. “Yes. Yesterday evening.”
Danny the receptionist’s eyes were dancing with barely contained glee. He probably thought all his Christmases had come at once. I was willing to bet he couldn’t wait to get off shift and back to the Pride to let them all know he’d seen Austin gracing the foyer of the human hotel. “We’re fine,” I finally replied, giving him a look that had him turning to shuffle paperwork, but I successfully bit back the snarl. A warmth had spread through me at the sight of Leona stammering and blushing at being caught bringing a man back to her room, which only meant one thing: she didn’t make a habit of it.
I was way too pleased by that revelation than I should be, and way too intrigued by this little scrap of a human.
We rode the elevator in silence, her staring into the mirrored glass with the vacant gaze of someone who wasn’t really there. Wasn’t aware of me. And that rankled more than was healthy.
The chime sounded, announcing our floor, and the doors slid open. Plush carpet cushioned my feet, the beige perfectly serviceable, yet offensive in its blandness. A few seconds later and we were in her room, the door clicking closed behind us.
She walked to the window, the moonlight painting her in silver shadows as she stared out at Heartsridge.
“Where are you from?” Thinking of easing her into it, I padded over to the requisite chair and desk combo and took a seat. Wood creaked ominously beneath me, probably not used to a two hundred plus pound bear shifter parking it’s ass.
“A couple of hours south of here,” she replied, not turning around.
Vague. Deliberate? “Is this your first time visiting a shifter town?” I tried again to open up a conversation.
Her shoulders shook and at first I thought she was crying, already half way out of my seat, but then I heard the soft sound of laughter. “Is it that obvious?”
Settling back down, I shrugged, even though she couldn’t see me, adding, “A little. People come here for different reasons and I’m having trouble figuring yours out.”
She turned, interest bright in her eyes. “What kind of reasons?”
Okay. I could do small talk, for now. “For some it’s a big adventure, for others it’s an escape from reality and a regular vacation. Others want to study us. We get the occasional nut-job who think it’s their higher purpose to rid the earth of the abominations.”
She blinked at me, as though trying to figure out if I was kidding.
I wished I was.
“Wow. Really? Why would anyone think that?”
“We turn into animals. A lot of people think that’s … weird,” I finally finished, having substituted a softer word than usually used.
Kicking off her shoes, she padded barefoot over to the bed and flopped down with a sigh. “It’s been a long time; I’d have thought people would have educated themselves by now.” Reaching up, she tugged at her hair, collecting pins in her hand and weaving her fingers through the thick strands.
“Humans always thought they were the biggest predator out there and now they’re not. Some feel threatened.”
She frowned, her hand stilling and a cute little wrinkle forming at the top of her nose. “But … weren’t you always around? Shifters, I mean. Only you were in hiding before.”
I paused, appreciating her quick grasp on the subject. “Well, yes, but—”
“And shouldn’t they—the humans—feel safer now shifters are registered?”
“Ah…”
Her hair chose that moment to finally break free of its bonds, cascading down and spiking in all directions.
“Exactly,” she continued, oblivious to the fact that my mouth had gone dry and all the blood in my body had rushed to my groin. “And it’s prejudice. Grouping you all together because of a species and not allowing for individual personality. It’s wrong. Take your team, for example. You might all be bear shifters—” she paused mid babble, “Wait, you are all bear shifters, right?” At my silent nod, she continued, “Right, as I was saying, you guys are nothing alike. And the Mayor, he’s a shifter too, right?”
Another nod.
“He’s not a bea
r, is he?”
“Fuck, no.”
“Cat?”
Yet another nod. I was turning into a fucking dog.
“Exactly!” She threw her hands up in the air, shaking her head violently and sending a mass of chestnut brown hair swirling around her head in a cloud. “He’s nothing like you! I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him!” She fell silent, her lips pressing together as if embarrassed by her outburst.
She needed to keep talking. Because if she didn’t, I was two seconds away from putting her lips to a much better use. My fingers dug into the arms of the chair. Wood buckled and splintered. I was desperate to learn more about her, to see how she viewed the world, but control was a vicious beast, and mine was a bear cub straining its leash. “What it is you wanted to talk to me about?”
She looked away, as though I had confirmed her embarrassment. “Sorry, I can get carried away. My sister calls me Volcano Leona. Boring to look at, but volatile on the inside and prone to unscheduled eruptions.”
“Fiery.” The word came out sharp, but I was too busy battling the urge to hunt her sister down and ask her who the hell she thought she was. Boring to look at?
“What?”
“You’re fiery, not volatile. And you’re fucking gorgeous, by the way. Screw your sister.”
Her face fell, her bottom lip trembling in that way that would have any sane man bolting for cover.
Oh, shit.
“My sister’s missing, and she was last seen here in Heartsridge.”
Fuck.
Chapter Six
Leona
I almost burst out laughing at the look on his face. I’d never seen such a large and powerful man look so panicked before. It was the perfect cure for the tears that had been threatening, giving me the boost I needed to take a deep breath and push it all back down. I could only hope I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life in trusting this man, but something inside of me was telling me he was the only person I could trust. And who else did I have? There was only Harper. Everyone else was long gone, including our parents, and if I was going to find her in the six days I had left, I’d need all the help I could get.
