by Lisa Kessler
My shoulders tightened, sending pain through my chest. I embraced it. Anything to keep from saying more than I should. But Vance beat me to it.
“Sebastian’s too smart to outright defy Severino, but he…redirects him. Often.”
I chose to leave it at that. “At this point, I will inform him that the Pack has thinned a bit but we’re training them, and toward the end of the week, I’ll let him know two of the men are injured, so we’ll need to delay the attack. He probably won’t accept the news from me alone. You’ll have to corroborate my story.”
Vance dropped his gaze to his coffee mug. “He won’t like it.” He lifted his eyes. “He’ll just send in one of the mercenary teams to get it done.”
“Exactly.” I had both of their attention now. “His human mercenary teams. They’re well trained, but they won’t stand a chance against the Pack in Reno.” I tapped my coffee mug, gazing at Isabelle. “Especially if Adam Sloan somehow got word they were coming.”
Vance chuckled. “It could work.”
Isabelle leaned in closer, her voice hushed. “And what about the Pack here in Sedona?”
Her loyalty struck a chord inside me. I’d been raised that family was your only loyalty, and even then, in mine, if you didn’t watch your back, no one else would.
She cared about these wolves even though her sister was no longer among them.
I hoped it wouldn’t get her killed. That realization reminded me why I needed to escape her company. Somehow I already cared too much.
“If my plan succeeds, I’ll do my best to cut ties between Nero and this Pack. Without Caldwell at the reins, we have no sway with these wolves.” I cleared my throat. “Excuse me. I need to find the men’s room.”
Before she could reply, I rose from my chair, following the signs to the restroom. Once I was out of sight, I sent Vance a quick text.
Stall.
I walked right out the back door, shielding my eyes as the sunlight assaulted my face. If Vance kept her at the table long enough, I could get back to my room and pack up. I’d check in with my father from the road. Vance could manage things here.
Being around Isabelle was too tempting. I’d tried to dismiss the letter her father gave me ten years ago, but now that I’d met Isabelle, the words haunted me.
Sol’s wife had been a strong clairvoyant. I’d only met her once. She was a waif, like a fawn ready to bolt at any second. Fear always lined her dark eyes. Perhaps seeing the future was more of a curse than a gift.
I read and reread that damned letter for weeks after Sol’s death. My mentor had shoved it into my hand as he bit into a cyanide capsule, leaving me with no way to get answers and no idea where his daughters were hidden.
Of course, I found them. Eventually. It was fairly simple. They had his last name, and they’d been delivered by a Nero-supplied midwife.
But I didn’t want my father to find them. I owed it to Sol.
So I never said anything.
Inside my rental Mercedes, I started the engine, and the passenger door swung open. “Going someplace?”
“I was going to ask Vance to take you home.” I hated myself for being glad to see her. “How did you know?”
Her eyes flashed. “Before my sister bit me, I was a bounty hunter. I know a runner when I see one, and sending Vance the text was a huge tip-off. Now that I’m a werewolf, I had no trouble tracking your scent.” She got inside and fastened her seat belt. “If you want to get rid of me, we should talk, then I’ll be out of your hair for good.”
Getting rid of her was necessary.
But I was no longer sure it was what I wanted.
Chapter Four
Isabelle
The drive back to Enchanted was a blessedly silent one. I used the time to shore up my emotional defenses. Trying to convince the wolf inside me that he was our enemy wasn’t working. But just being near him, breathing him into my lungs, seemed to calm the beast within. Maybe it could be enough.
Sebastian left the key for the valet, and we went straight to the elevator. As we rode up, I finally broke the silence.
“Why were you trying to ditch me? Can you get in trouble for telling me about my parents?”
He leaned on the railing, his gaze predatory. And way too damned sexy. Shit. So much for just being near him.
“Your father asked me to protect his girls. I’m trying to follow through on that promise.”
“By ditching me and not giving me the information I have every right to know.”
He chuckled and rubbed his chin. “That is my reputation, if I’m not mistaken.” He sobered and crossed to my side of the elevator. “If you continue to push, there will come a point when I can no longer keep you safe. I’m trying to avoid that moment for both our sakes.”
Before I could probe any farther, the doors opened, and Sebastian frowned. One breath and I understood why.
“A jaguar, but not Vance,” I whispered.
“Go back downstairs. Take my car and find Asher.” He stepped out of the elevator, handing me the valet ticket. “Get your Pack together. Now.”
His fingers brushed mine as I took the ticket, and the wolf, sensing danger, flooded me with the need to protect him.
I gripped his hand and followed him out. “Whatever this is, they’re on my turf. I’m not running until I know who I’m running from.”
He glanced at our joined hands but didn’t pull away from the contact. “This is my fight. I’m trying to protect you.”
“And who protects you?”
Before Sebastian could answer, the door to his room opened. Suddenly I was pressed against the wall, Sebastian’s lips fused to mine. I should’ve pushed him off, but the combination of surprise and my freaking wolf aching for more than a kiss had me off balance. Instead of knocking him senseless, my fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him tight against me.
“Well, now.”
Sebastian whispered something against my lips, but my head was swimming so I missed it. Did he say he was sorry? I had no clue. He spun around, blocking my view of whoever came out of his room, but behind his back, he still held my hand.
What was happening here?
“Since when does my son fraternize with werewolves?”
Holy shit. Sebastian’s father. I stepped aside for a better view. He was tall, but Sebastian still has a few inches over him. His silver hair was slicked back, smooth like the cut of his expensive designer suit. His dark eyes narrowed, his mouth pinching with disgust.
I did my best to keep the shock off my face. This was Antonio Severino, Sebastian’s father and CEO of the Nero Organization. I’d never met him or even seen a picture of him before.
This was the man most likely responsible for my father’s death. My grip on Sebastian’s hand tightened. I couldn’t help it. If I let go, I was going to attack his father, and it would be tough to avenge mine if I was dead.
Sebastian didn’t hesitate. “You sent me here to rally a Pack, correct? Isabelle is a leader in the Sedona Pack.”
Antonio’s eyes trailed down to our joined hands and back up to his son. “Is that all she is?”
Sebastian raised a brow. “You were the one who taught me to use any means necessary to get what I want.”
Ugh. Was that why Sebastian was being half-decent? He was playing me. Shit. Humiliation festered in my stomach. The wolf was making me stupid. I was actually starting to care about the slick son of a bitch. And I didn’t want to think about how much I enjoyed the kiss.
I ripped my hand free of Sebastian’s.
Antonio chuckled with an aloof, self-important smile. “Forgive me for blowing your cover.” He focused on me and came forward offering his hand. “You’ve probably guessed by now I’m Antonio Severino.”
I didn’t take his hand, opting for a nod instead. “Can’t say it’s a pleasure.”
A muscle jumped in Sebastian’s cheek, but I was past caring. I wanted answers, and I wanted to even the score.
Antonio gripped Sebastian’s sh
oulder. “Wolves.” He shook his head and gestured to Sebastian’s room. “Come, we need to have a discussion.” He glanced my way. “You are free to go.”
Sebastian’s gaze locked on mine like he was trying to send me a telepathic message, but for all my wolf’s devotion to him and his safety, neither one of us could read his mind. He gave me an almost imperceptible nod, which I also couldn’t translate.
I pressed my lips together to keep from saying something that might get me killed. I marched back to the elevator and hit the button. Tossing my hair over my shoulder, I glared at Sebastian. “Wolf Pack Bar tonight, or you can kiss any hope of allegiance from this Pack good-bye.”
Chapter Five
Sebastian
She stepped into the elevator, and the doors closed. At least she was safe.
For now.
If our public display worked, my father was too busy swelling with pride over his womanizing son to have recognized that I didn’t give him Isabelle’s last name. Would he notice she had Sol’s eyes? Probably not. Sol had been my mentor, but to my father, he was just another asset. He probably didn’t remember what Solomon Wood looked like.
I followed my father into my room, locking the door behind me. He sat in one of the chairs at the table and pointed to another. His silver hair was combed back, his pin-striped gray suit pressed, and his gold pinkie ring with Nero’s insignia—a lion with an N emblazoned on his forehead—was buffed and shiny.
The only thing out of place was his scent. Certain emotions brought out reactions in the body that we could recognize with our heightened senses. Fear, pain, arousal, and…relief.
Why? Then it came clear.
“You didn’t think I would be in Sedona.” I frowned. “You’re relieved to find me here.”
“Sit, Sebastian.” He pointed at the chair. “We have much to talk about.”
I remained standing. “What couldn’t be discussed over the phone?”
My father rarely left the Nero compound on the East Coast. He’d come all the way to Arizona, unsure if he would find me following his orders. Again, I wondered why.
“Stop being obtuse.” A muscle in his cheek contracted. “She was a beautiful woman, but you can bed her later.”
For some reason his tone pissed me off, but I did my best to cover my emotions. If he discovered any emotional attachment, Isabelle would be a target. Or leverage.
“You still haven’t explained what’s so urgent.”
He sighed, steepling his fingers. “Since Damian’s death, there have been rumblings from some of the men loyal to him that your commitment to our cause has weakened. I’m glad to see you’re here, following my directive to lead this Pack to fight in Reno.”
I jerked a chair out and sat down, looking him right in the eye. “Are you questioning my loyalty? After you forced me to bite Sasha against her will, ordered Grace’s murder, and lied to me about my own half sister, I still remained loyal. Can any of those other men claim the same level of devotion?”
He dropped his hands. “Of course not. They’re not family, Sebastian. Family is everything. You know that.”
I ground my teeth. “Then why are you really here?”
“With Damian gone, most of the others think you’re the sole heir to Nero.” He lowered his voice. “But you and I both know that’s not true.”
My back stiffened. “Lana wants nothing to do with your legacy.”
He swiped his hand through the air. “Maybe not now, but once you kill her husband and she’s left with nowhere to turn, I’ll accept her in with open arms, and my granddaughter as well.”
I did not like where this conversation was headed. Unlike Isabelle and her sister, Lana had been a success for my father’s breeding experiment—the first female born as a jaguar shifter without being bitten. But her mother’s final act in this life had been to protect her infant daughter. She abandoned Lana, her newborn daughter, on church steps, and Lana had been lost in the foster-care system. But protected from our father.
When he finally found her again, she was a grown woman. He’d sent me to collect her without mentioning she was my half sister.
“Lana has a son as well.”
He shook his head. “We kill the little werewolf with his father.”
I buried my emotions deep, my voice cold and even. “Our blood runs in the veins of both twins, male and female.”
“Not enough. He’s a wolf. Useless.” My father stood. “I want the woman and her daughter.” His gaze locked on mine. “And kill Sasha, too. She chose the wrong side. Her death will be an example to our jaguars. I will not tolerate betrayal.”
I pressed my hand on the table, steadying myself. “This Pack in Sedona lost strong members during the battle with Caldwell. I’m not sure they’ll be ready by the end of the week.”
“You and Vance can fight at their side, and I expect you to win.” He smiled, the cold, calculating smirk that hinted at madness. “This is why I came to see that you were really here. I will not accept some bullshit excuse, Sebastian. Bring my family to me or don’t come home.”
“So I’m not your family anymore?”
His tongue ran across his white teeth. “You’re not enough, Sebastian. You never were.” He went to the door and pulled it open. I held my breath, waiting for it to close behind him, but he stopped short and turned back. “I wouldn’t be in this position if you had been protecting Damian like I ordered. Your failure has forced my hand.” His voice dropped to a feral hiss. “Make this right, Sebastian.”
He slammed the door. I embraced the silence, struggling to find a shred of peace. Years ago my father’s verbal jabs used to get under my skin. He blamed my mother for teaching me to be an independent thinker. He perceived it as my weakness.
She’d taught me to question blind obedience. I was still breathing today because of her lessons. For years my father had held Damian over my head. I was expendable as long as his bloodline still continued through my younger half brother.
He’d lost his leverage when Adam’s Pack killed Damian.
Attacking the Wolf Pack up in Reno was not going to bring Damian back or give my father another son. Revenge was an empty victory. But now I understood his true motivation.
With the males out of the way, he would be able to abduct my half sister, Lana, and her little girl, Madeleine.
Not only had Lana been born a jaguar shifter, but she’d passed the shifter gene on to her daughter, making both of them commodities in my father’s eyes.
Plus, if he had them, I’d no longer be his only heir, and he could start wielding his threat of withholding my birthright again.
I didn’t even know if I wanted it anymore.
What I did want was alcohol. Copious amounts of alcohol.
Chapter Six
Isabelle
I don’t know what I’d expected Antonio Severino to look like, but he hadn’t lived up to my expectations. He wasn’t imposing like Sebastian. He was a few inches shorter and stockier, more compact. His silver hair had been perfectly slicked back, and his suit was straight out of The Godfather.
He was also a total dick.
But none of that really mattered—it just distracted me from thinking about Sebastian’s flippant admission. And that hot, make-my-knees-weak, holy-shit-let’s-get-naked kiss. Goddamn him. Did he have to be sexy, too?
That rat bastard was just manipulating me to get what he wanted. Dangling secrets about my father to save his own skin.
God, I didn’t know who I was more pissed at, Sebastian or myself. How could I have been so stupid? He’d been playing me, and I ate it up. I wished I could blame it all on the wolf and her insane idea he was our mate, but the times he’d made me laugh…that had been all me.
I forgot who he worked for and started to enjoy his company.
It had to be this insane werewolf-mate thing. Suddenly I wasn’t thinking with my head, and that was fucking not like me.
I pulled out my cell and hit Raven’s number.
“Isa
belle? How’s it going down there?”
“Awesome.” I choked on a laugh. “I met Antonio Severino today.”
She paused. “The head of the Nero Organization?”
“Yeah. Sadly, that’s not even the best part.” I adjusted my rearview mirror even though I was parked. Anything to keep busy while I forced the words out. “My wolf is convinced we found our mate.”
“Oh my God! Who? Is it Asher or—”
“Trust me. You don’t want to know.” I stared at the ceiling of my car. “He’s not a wolf.” I cleared my throat. “How did it feel? Maybe I’m wrong.”
The excitement in her voice mutated to concern. “I couldn’t see straight for a second, like my pupils dilated, and deep inside, the wolf howled. It was beyond hearing…”
“Fuck.” I gripped my steering wheel. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”
“Come on. He can’t be that bad.”
I narrowed my eyes at fate herself, whispering through clenched teeth, “It’s Sebastian.” She tried to swallow the gasp, but with my werewolf hearing, there was no hiding it. I shook my head. “Yeah. Fate is fucking with me.”
The line was so quiet, I wondered if she’d dropped her cell phone and backed away. Finally my baby sister whispered, “Come to Reno.”
I sighed. “Did you miss the first part of the call, when I said I met Antonio Severino? He wants Sebastian and Vance to lead this Pack up to Reno. They need me here.”
“You can come up here and help my Pack.”
I rubbed my chest. Her Pack. If Sebastian really was my mate, it would always be Raven’s Pack. Never mine. They’d never accept Sebastian, and I wouldn’t expect them to.
“Sebastian’s not planning on bringing this Pack. He’s going to stall in hopes his father will send one of his human mercenary squads to Reno. He said the Pack won’t have much trouble stopping them.”
“So he’s not all bad.” She sighed. “What are you going to do?”
That was the million-dollar question. “I don’t have a damn clue. I was hoping you’d tell me that I should’ve seen a flashing neon mate sign or something. Maybe tell me my wolf made a mistake.”
