by Cecilia Lane
Leah was the sole exception. She was cool. She didn’t water down the drinks she poured at The Roost, and she’d taught him how to break out of handcuffs. Judah was in for a surprise the next time he tried to drag Cole to the drunk tank.
Then again, Leah was a shifter now. Rylee was still human and still very much working for the government. How much the shadowy organizations and factions within such a beast knew, he had no idea. Rylee certainly didn’t know much more than she delightedly rambled on about. She smelled too sweet and innocent and curious when she started talking about the enclave.
But still, he couldn’t trust her. She was the epitome of human. Small, weak, fragile. He could hurt her with his pinky and break her with one hand.
His bear rumbled in his head, finally rousing for the day. The thought of hurting Rylee, or letting her feel pain from anyone, had the bear up and ready to attack. Him, or anyone that laid a hand on the small woman, it didn’t matter. His bear wanted blood for the threat to their mate.
Cole laced his hands behind his neck and growled a warning when the brawling bears staggered too close. He could easily step in and help Callum pull them apart. Fuck, it’d probably calm him if he waded in and laid into Nolan and Hudson with claws and fangs. Might distract his stupid beast for a time.
Rylee was not his mate. Could not be his mate. Too human, too smart, too good. He’d corrupt that sweet innocence and ruin her.
And he hated that it sounded like a good idea.
Cole tugged open the door to the clinic and prepared to give Rylee an earful for giving him orders. He couldn’t protect her if she left his side. And truthfully, he liked being the one to greet her in the morning and hold open the door to his truck for her to climb inside.
As usual, there was hardly anyone in the waiting room. A mother and her son sat in a corner, both smelling anxious. The boy cradled his arm, no doubt broken. The doctor rarely treated anything else.
He swung through the doors to the back after a quick nod of sympathy to the kid, only to find Mayor Olivia Gale blocking his path down the hall and to Rylee’s lab. She snagged a handful of his shirt and dragged him into the nearest exam room, shutting the door behind them.
He raised his hands and cracked a smile to combat her scowl. “Easy, Mayor. I’m flattered, but I’m not really looking for anything serious right now.”
“You’re not looking for anything serious at all, from what I gather. What happened yesterday and why am I hearing about it from that Delano character?” Olivia demanded.
Cole tried to keep his face neutral at the man’s name. “I escorted the scientist to the borders, as commanded. Delano’s patrol found us and demanded she give him access to her bag. She didn’t want to hand it over, he made some threats, and I stepped in.”
“You stepped in. That’s what you’re calling it? I put you on this assignment to keep you and Delano from each other’s throats, not to keep pecking at each other. You are to remain silent while watching and learning. Have you done that? No. I don’t care how her people treat her. I care about what it means for our people.”
His bear roared in his head and Cole saw red. He understood Olivia’s reasoning. Putting Bearden first, giving them the opportunity to defend themselves, that sounded good on paper. But when the reality meant letting men like Delano behave like animals, he couldn’t agree. And it had nothing to do with the growling, furious beast in his middle demanding to protect Rylee.
The defense sounded weak even in his head.
But the objection still stood. It was only a matter of time before Delano planted his boot on the throats of everyone in Bearden. His treatment of Rylee was a sure indication of that.
“I have a job to get to,” he growled. And a not-mate to check on before his bear rattled his way out of his skin. “Did you forget that? The one where you took me away from the firehouse to watch some government nerd get hassled by the military men sitting on our borders?”
Olivia tilted her head and watched him for several long moments. “I have heard nothing from you since Ms. Garland has entered Bearden.”
Cole shoved his hands deep into his pockets to keep from throttling her. Callum wouldn’t like that, mostly because his brother would have to sit behind a desk until they could find another replacement. And if Callum shifted jobs again, that would mean he’d have to take over in the firehouse. At least he’d be back where he belonged.
“I’m watching her. I don’t know what else you want from me. She’s talking to people, she’s taking samples. She’s acting exactly how you’d expect a scientist to act.”
Olivia didn’t change her expression in the slightest. “I want a report on my desk by the end of the day detailing what has been said in these interviews, who attended, and what she has collected from them. You do know how to write, don’t you?”
“Anything else? Should I raise the dead and turn back time so we were never revealed? Or maybe just figure out how to open the damn veil so we can all slip through to the other side?” Cole snapped. He tried to step aside, but Olivia planted a hand on his chest and craned her neck to meet his eyes in a challenge. Small though she was, and certainly not his alpha, the predatory look of her narrowed, black eyes gave him pause.
“Push me, bear. I’ll keep you from your firehouse for the rest of your life. I don’t care how you do it, but I want to know everything the military and government know about us. Seduce her, hack her, find out everything inside that pretty little head of hers or forget about picking up a hose again. I can’t protect Bearden if I don’t know the threats we face.” Dismissing him entirely, Olivia exited the room and left him behind.
Cole shoved his hands into his hair and tightened his fists. By the Broken, he was going to shatter before long. He was pulled away from his clan and pushed in the path of a woman that could destroy his life. There was no peace in sight. He was spiraling out of control, and the one woman that seemed to slow his fall was exactly the woman he needed to keep away.
Humans weren’t meant for enclave life. And Rylee Garland was the most fragile of them all.
Chapter 9
Rylee folded her hands in front of her keyboard and tried not to cry. She bit down on her tongue to keep from screaming.
Peter sat next to her direct superior, Foster Ravel.
It’d been years since she’d needed to interact with him, and weeks since the sight of him sent her fleeing her lab to the small town of mysterious Bearden. It appeared he’d taken the job in Nevada after all and ranked higher than her.
He sat there, pleasant expression on his face like he had no crimes in his past. He acted like an innocent man when the reality was he’d stripped her down and taken everything from her.
“I believe you two know each other,” Foster said with an air of dismissal. He probably wanted to get back to whatever he was tinkering with. The sooner the better. “Peter will be taking over as head of a team here. I wanted him to sit in and see what we’re working on.”
Peter smiled widely. “We do. We were in the same doctorate program.”
Her ears buzzed like someone turned on a television in a different room. It took all her concentration to nod once to confirm Peter’s words.
“Let’s get down to it, then,” Foster said. “We’ve received disturbing news from the field officer outside of the Bearden enclave. He said you were in a scuffle with one of the shifter residents and put his men in danger.”
Rylee’s mouth dropped open. The flash of anger made her temporarily forget her Peter-induced panic. She felt attacked on all sides. There was no peace in the lab back home, nor any to be found with Delano sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. “Sir, that’s not what happened. I was gathering data with my guide around the enclave, results that have already been forward over to you, when Delano interfered and demanded access to my findings as well as a quick end to the study.”
Foster consulted with something on his phone and typed in a quick message. She was used to him working on multiple projects at once. She wasn�
�t used to receiving a disapproving frown. “While you are not under Major Delano’s command, we would rather you listen to him. He’s on the ground and knows what he’s doing to keep you and his men safe. If you aren’t able to cooperate with him, then I’ll be forced to replace you with someone who can.”
“Respectfully, sir, Major Delano isn’t doing my work any favors. The people here have been nothing but polite. They’re just normal people living out their lives. Delano’s insistence on finding them a threat is the chief issue. If the people of Bearden can’t trust me because of him, then no one you send here will get any further.”
“Normal lives are a bit out of the question, don’t you think?” Peter asked condescendingly. “They’re hardly human, either.”
Rylee flicked her eyes a fraction of an inch to show she acknowledged his words, then focused again on Foster. She couldn’t let Peter get under her skin. She couldn’t let him take something else from her.
And he was so, terribly wrong. She thought back to her trip to the coffee shop just that morning. Small town mechanics and meddling mother-in-laws were in full swing. There were nerves over changing the family dynamic by bringing a new life into the mix. How many times were scenes and emotions like those played out across the world? Thousands, daily.
Bearden and its residents were normal people with a little bit extra, in her eyes. She wanted to make the rest of the world see it, too.
“Well, that is what Rylee is there to see,” Foster defended lightly. “But I recommend you listen to Delano and take extra precautions. These supernaturals, while potentially average individuals, are capable of great damage.”
Peter shook his head and drew his brows together. “I saw what they did to Delano’s face. I think they’re more than capable. I think they’re willing and should be treated as a threat. I vote we end study in the field. Bring a handful of them back here, where they can be contained, and we can determine if they’re safe for the rest of society.”
“No.” Rylee cleared her throat to hide her unexpected shrillness. She couldn’t return to a lab that held Peter. He should be the one locked in a cage, not Cole or Becca or Faith. “The best results are the ones where they can be observed in their own environment.”
Foster nodded. “I agree. For now. You have received your warning. Don’t cross a line with Delano again, or your access will be revoked.”
“And on a personal note, give me a call sometime, Rylee. I’d love to catch up.” Peter flashed her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Barely containing her tears, she closed out the virtual conference program. Her chest tightened, and she shook. Her stomach roiled unsteadily. Only when she was absolutely certain no connection remained open, did she let go of the first sob.
God, she hated what he did to her. She hated how she reacted to him, years after the fact. She hated that the sound of his voice sent her spiraling back into that night of terror.
He’d been so kind to her in the months leading up to their disastrous relationship. He’d been her first real date, besides the pity group gathering for high school prom. She’d always been so focused on pulling herself up through her own hard work and achievements, that she left the awkwardness of first dates and boyfriends to everyone else. Then Peter came along and disarmed her.
Rylee sucked in a shaky breath and tried to turn away from those dark memories. She couldn’t afford to dive into them and relive her weakness and stupidity. She should have known something was off about him, should have seen the red flags popping up every which way she turned. She should have fought harder.
Even knowing she wasn’t at fault didn’t quiet the internal blame. Peter hadn’t been dealt justice, so surely something had gone wrong because of her.
The familiar self-loathing rode in right on the heels of her blame game. She hated the knots Peter still tied her in. Hating herself, hating him, blaming herself, blaming him. There was no winning in the dark, loathsome spiral.
And through it all, sobs continued to wrack her body. She rested her forehead on arms crossed over her desk and let her tears fall.
The door crashed open and Cole stomped inside, face twisted into anger. The expression fell from him immediately after his eyes found her. The stormy grey churned to gold, and a growl leaked out of him.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded. “Was the mayor in here?”
She shook her head and tried to wipe away her tears, but he was faster.
He knelt by her side before she could open her mouth and swiped a thumb over her cheeks. Concern wrinkled his brows. “What happened, then?”
For such a huge man, he could be so gentle. Despite—or maybe because of—the animal he kept packed away inside him, she felt safe. He could tear her apart in an instant, but she doubted he’d ever come close. Anyone who harmed her, maybe. And that didn’t sound so horrifying.
A large part of her wanted to see Peter sporting the mark of claws and fangs. She wanted to see all her internal hurt splayed across his skin.
But the other, saner part of her knew it would do no good. A momentary thrill wouldn’t heal all the scars she carried.
“You can tell me,” he said, mouth twisting like he hated the taste of the words.
Even if his words were sour on his tongue, his hands were soft on her. He held her by the shoulders, thumbs gently circling over her skin. Each pass soothed away some of her panic. His fingers were rougher than she expected. She felt silly for even considering it and disliked his needing to comfort her.
She shook her head and swallowed back her sorrow. “I’m fine,” she insisted.
Surprisingly, with him so close, it wasn’t far from the truth. The safety he extended to her soothed the fear that spiked at the sight of Peter. She didn’t need to relive her horrors with Cole nearby. “Just work stuff.”
He didn’t push for more or call her out on her lie. It was work related, but not in the way that should send her into a fit. The swirling gold of his eyes didn’t fade one bit as he rocked onto his heels and looked at her expectantly. Did he want her assurance again, or was he waiting for her to spill her secrets?
Neither were about to happen. She gave him a tight smile and wiped away the last of the wetness on her cheeks. “I should get some kits ready. Two volunteers are coming in this afternoon.”
Cole frowned, concern still lining his face. “I heard. My brother and his mate, Leah. And it’s not happening. Not today. Not when you’re like this. I’m going to reschedule everything for tomorrow, and you take it easy.”
“I shouldn’t—”
“You should. Keep the details to yourself if you want, but you look like a raccoon and your heart is beating faster than a hummingbird’s. You’re not going to get anything if you look, sound, and smell like prey and I couldn’t stand to watch anyone chase you.”
Rylee ran her tongue over her lips and his eyes dropped to follow the motion. The air around Cole, and extending over her, felt heavy and sounded like more was meant to be said. They shared that, then, telling half-truths. For the first time in a long while, she wanted to tell someone everything.
She took a few deep breaths and imagined locking Peter behind a dark wall in the back of her mind. Everything that came with him, all the fear and shame and panic, went in with him. Then she closed the solid door and walked away.
Keeping that part of her locked down was necessary. She had a job to do, and she needed to prove the Major Delanos and Peters of the world wrong. The supernaturals weren’t any more a threat than some random person on the street.
And to know the other half of the words Cole left hanging in the air, she couldn’t let the past drag her down. “Thank you,” she said.
Chapter 10
Rylee peeked around the door of her samples fridge when she heard the familiar sound of Cole’s boots stomping down the hall. She expected him to scold her for again slipping into the lab before he had a chance to pick her up that morning, but he surprised her by launching straight into the day’s agen
da.
“Callum and Leah are almost here,” he said. “They left the cabins right behind me.”
She let the fridge door fall closed, then reached for the nearest notepad and pen. She felt calmer with something to focus on. She needed to stay focused; the day would be packed with catching up on the interviews he rescheduled for her.
She’d felt so silly when she shut the door to her room at Muriel’s, but a long bath brought another round of crying and then a strange sort of exhaustion. He’d been right that she wasn’t fit to work. The brief bit of contact with Peter sent her down a rabbit hole of emotion she thought she’d been able to tame.
Cole had been sweet to deliver food at lunch and dinner. She hadn’t seen him, probably by design, but the messages on her phone to eat and the to-go boxes left outside her door were clear enough that he’d checked up on her throughout the day.
Her grip on the pen tightened. It centered her to the work she needed to do, instead of letting her mouth run wild with thanks and conversation she didn’t want or even know how to begin.
She cleared her throat. “Explain that term to me that you used yesterday. Mate. You and one of the girls at the coffee shop both used it.”
Cole took his customary seat in the corner. His frown of concern turned into a scowl. The gold of his eyes brightened, but he shifted his gaze away from her. “It’s like marriage, but more serious. Lifelong, soul mate sort of bullshit. Our animals choose.”
“How?” She stopped doodling a heart with only one side complete. Focus, she reminded herself. Cole simply showed her a bit of decency. That wasn’t a reason to fall into a crush.
“Smell, for one. Taste, to confirm. Callum says there’s this overwhelming need to be near the other person. It’s like you can’t breathe without them.” Cole’s grimace deepened. “Ask him. I don’t know.”
Rylee tapped her pen against the notepad. “And everyone has one?”
He shrugged uncomfortably. “I assume. But not everyone meets one. Some, most maybe, just settle down with someone compatible.”
