Even though he’d never been in love, Lincoln suspected the reason his instinct kept drawing him to Angeline was that the ethereal ties of the mate-bond were at work. However, now was not a good time to delve into the possibility of a mateship with Angeline.
Dayax remained his priority. Once he and the wolfling were safely reunited and Lincoln officially retired from the Program, then he would be free to indulge in his feelings for Angeline.
Until then he expected a lot more sleepless nights.
“It’s complicated.” Lincoln popped the lid off the drink container and swallowed a mouthful of coffee.
“You don’t do complicated.” Damien’s inquisitive gaze tracked Lincoln’s every move.
“That’s why I look like this,” he said, pointing his index fingers at himself. “What’s your excuse?”
Damien shrugged, taking his time chewing his food.
Lincoln hazarded a guess as to the young Dogman’s sleeplessness. “Nightmares?”
“How did you know?”
“I have them, too.” Post-traumatic stress syndrome, the psych doctor at Headquarters had called it. Then he’d prescribed Lincoln medication and assigned him to a therapy group.
But the pills fogged his brain and listening to stories about someone else’s traumatic experience didn’t help Lincoln deal with his own. It merely made him angry.
“Does it get better?” Damien stared at Lincoln over the rim of his coffee cup.
“God, I hope so.” Lincoln held the young man’s gaze. “I’m sorry, Damien. I never intended to involve the team in my search for Dayax.”
Damien’s eyes glazed and he seemed to be watching a memory play out in his mind. Methodically working his tight jaw, he slowly shook his head. “No es tu culpa, Cap’n. You ordered us to stay put.” A dark look briefly drew his thick brows together. A moment later his expression lightened. “We all liked that little scamp.”
In the long weeks of separation, Lincoln was beginning to realize that he didn’t simply like Dayax. He loved that Somali wolfling as his own.
Nudging aside the cherry turnover in the bag, Lincoln lifted a bear claw and bit into the sticky-sweet deliciousness. If he wanted to pass the physical readiness test, he needed less junk food and more exercise.
“I haven’t been the greatest host since you arrived.” He gave Damien a half shoulder shrug apology.
“Word of advice,” Damien replied lightheartedly. “Don’t consider B and B operator as your next career. You have absolutely no hospitality skills.”
“You have a comfortable bed and running water. Plus, I brought you food that’s actually edible.” Lincoln lifted his cup in a mock salute. “What else do you need?”
“A mint on the pillow would be a nice touch.”
“I’m not a PEZ dispenser.”
“Good one, Capitán.” Smirking, Damien returned the coffee cup salute.
Fresh out of training when assigned to Lincoln’s unit, Damien had been a royal pain in the ass to command. Cocky, self-centered and a self-important know-it-all who really didn’t know anything about an actual deployment, he had not been any different than any other Program graduate who believed himself to be invincible.
Damien had found out sooner than most that he wasn’t.
“When are you headed to the Amazon?” Lincoln finished devouring the pastry and licked the sugar from his fingers, making a mental note to put in an extra hour at the resort gym later.
“What?” Damien squinted at Lincoln.
“How long before you meet up with your new team?”
“Oh.” Damien shook his head. “HQ put the brakes on that deployment. I’m awaiting new orders. Why?”
“I’m being stepped up to active duty—”
“How the fuck did you manage that?” Damien leaned toward Lincoln, curiosity glinting in his eyes.
“I called in a favor from a friend in tight with the Woelfesenat,” Lincoln said.
“Of course you did.”
“They’re allowing me to go back to Somalia. And I’m going to track down Dayax.”
“How do you know the kid is still alive?”
“He’s scrappy, smart, resourceful and managed to stay alive six months on his own before we arrived. He’s doing whatever it takes to survive. I made a promise and I will find him.” Failure was not an option.
Damien absently scratched his stubbled jaw. “Does your sexy guardian angel know what you’re planning?”
Lowering his gaze, Lincoln shook his head. How could he tell Angeline that he planned to go on a suicide mission to save a child no one really believed was still alive?
But Lincoln knew. He could feel the truth gnawing at his gut. Dayax was waiting, and watching and wondering if Lincoln would come for him.
“Yeah, well, you better tell her,” Damien huffed. “You’re going to need all the divine intervention you can get, or else you might lose more than a leg.” Damien pushed aside his coffee cup and half-eaten sandwich, then shoved off the bar stool and headed for the bedroom.
“Wait,” Lincoln called after him. “You’re here for some R & R, so no more Program talk. Come with me to the resort. I’ll introduce you to the pack’s security team. Maybe you can tag along with the sentinels on their patrols.”
“Beats doing nothing.” Damien’s demeanor lightened. “I could give them pointers on perimeter surveillance and bringing down interlopers.”
“I suppose you could,” Lincoln told him. Although young and brash, Damien had elite military training. If they listened, the sentinels probably would learn a thing or two from him.
“Are you going to run with the sentinels, too?”
“Not today. The resort has a gym and I need to buckle down for some serious workouts. Before I’m certified for active duty, I have to take the readiness test.”
“Oh, man.” Damien scrunched his face. “There is nothing that would make me go through those three days of hell ever again.”
If—no, when Lincoln got Dayax back, everything he endured would all be worth it.
Chapter 16
“Having a rough...” Lincoln checked his utility watch. “I would say night, but it’s not yet six o’clock.”
Angeline slammed the office door shut. “This is all your fault.” She snatched the bag from his hand and dumped the contents onto Miriam’s desk.
“I was nowhere around when that happened.” Flashing an insufferable grin, he zigzagged his index finger in her general direction.
So far, a pitcher of beer had spilled down her leg, someone’s kid had slung mac-and-cheese at her ass, and her favorite sweater got splattered with barbecue sauce from the platter of ribs in her hands when she’d collided with Tessa.
“Turn around,” she said, clenching her teeth.
“I’ve already seen you naked.”
Angeline shook her finger. “Full moons don’t count.”
Still smiling, Lincoln turned his back to her and stuck his hands into his hip pockets. “What’s got you agitated, Angel?”
“You!” Angeline toed off her shoes, then peeled off her jeans.
Last night, things had been going so well until Damien had showed up and Lincoln had suddenly decided he needed to get far, far away from Angeline. Despite her resolve to write him off, she’d barely slept. Her mind had kept trying to figure out how she’d misread the signals while her instincts argued that she hadn’t.
Then, after a sleepless night, she’d had to get up early to talk to Zach. She’d told him about Tanner but it was hard to gauge if anything she said got through to him. But he had promised to speak with Lincoln, as well, and she had already texted him Zach’s number.
“Is this about last night?” Lincoln glanced over his shoulder.
“Eyes facing the door or this stapler is going to land right between them.”
Lincoln complied, and Angeline was grateful he didn’t call her bluff.
“I needed to clear my head. For both our sakes.”
“You could’ve said something to me.” Angeline stuffed her legs in the clean jeans and then yanked off her top to put on the soft blue sweater Lincoln had brought her. “When I looked back and saw you hightailing it in the opposite direction—”
She balled up the dirty clothes and dropped them into the bag. “I would have understood. I can see how you might’ve been weirded out by spending the afternoon with my family and then me asking you to go running.”
Having Lincoln at Sierra’s party had felt natural and the get-together had turned out better than most of the family events she’d attended. “I wanted to run with you because I sensed a connection that I haven’t felt in long time. If I’m wrong, I would rather know up front.”
Lincoln’s posture stiffened. Of course his body language affirmed that she had made a grave mistake.
“Just forget it.” She slipped on her shoes and combed her fingers through her hair. “Being around my family puts me a little off-kilter.”
“I can’t forget it.” Slowly, Lincoln turned around. “I feel it, too, Angel. From the moment I first saw you.”
“Oh?” Angeline’s heart thumped faster, then seemed to drop straight into her stomach. She leaned against the edge of the desk. “Is it a mate-bond I’m sensing between us?”
Although Lincoln nodded, he didn’t look happy.
Having been in this situation before, Angeline’s own concerns doubled. “We have to stop interacting. You don’t come to my place, I won’t go to yours. And definitely no more invites to family functions.”
A mate-bond could be circumvented if one or both parties resisted the ethereal connection.
“It’s not okay.” Closing the distance between them, Lincoln opened his hand for her to take.
She did and static electricity snapped at the contact. Before she could pull away, Lincoln’s fingers closed around her hand. Immediately, she sensed his essence infiltrate her being.
Pulling her close, Lincoln nuzzled her neck. “Only a fool wouldn’t want this with you.”
The sincerity in his voice and touch couldn’t mask the conflict she sensed deep within him.
“I’m being forced out of the Program,” he said softly. “Mandatory medical retirement.”
Understanding how difficult the circumstance must be for Lincoln, Angeline pressed her cheek against his chest. Although unable to hear his heart thumping beneath the thick pullover, she sensed the strong, steady beat pulsing alongside her own.
“But I have final orders to complete before my papers are processed.”
“Final orders? That doesn’t sound good.” Angeline’s stomach tightened.
“A formality, mostly. Just a few loose ends that I need to tie up. Nothing to worry about, I promise.”
“How long will your final orders take?” Angeline searched Lincoln’s face, wondering if he could or would hide the truth from her as Tanner had done.
“Not long, I hope.”
“When will you leave?”
“Whenever they call me up.”
Angeline’s entire body tensed. She’d have no time to prepare. One minute Lincoln would be here, the next he wouldn’t. Just like Tanner.
“Hey.” Lincoln hands slid up and down her back. “I won’t be gone any longer than absolutely necessary.”
Angeline wanted to believe him, but she refused to set herself up for another heartbreak. A lot could happen before Lincoln came home. If he came home.
“I’ll be fine.”
“You’re already reading my thoughts?” When connected by a mate-bond, a couple could communicate telepathically in their human forms.
“Body language.” With both hands, Lincoln cradled her face. Then, using his thumbs, he pushed up the corners of her mouth. “Much better.”
He brushed her lips with a feather-soft kiss.
Suddenly, everything did seem better.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pressed against his body. Lincoln slipped one hand behind her neck, tilting her head to the perfect angle for a long, deep kiss. All the while, his other hand trailed down her arm then migrated to the small of her back.
He was holding on rather than pushing her away.
Hope sparked in her heart despite the reservation that Dogmen seldom, if ever, went quietly into retirement.
Lincoln broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “I must not be doing this right if I can’t get you to stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong.”
“I wasn’t...” Angeline stopped talking because Lincoln’s gaze became so intense that she knew he could see straight into her soul.
“I never make a promise that I can’t keep,” Lincoln said. “I will come back.” He sealed the oath with a kiss. The softness of the previous one dissipated. This possessive and all-consuming kiss stole her breath and branded every inch of her mouth. His essence flooded her senses, claiming the very core of her being.
She would be frightened of the developing bond if she hadn’t watched Lincoln playing with her nieces and nephews. Every time he’d made Sierra giggle, every word of encouragement he’d given to Brent and Logan and the way he’d listened to Roslyn and Caleb revealed Lincoln’s longing for family. From what she sensed, Lincoln Adams was ready to make a home.
“Angeline? Tessa said you had an accident.” Miriam entered the office. “Oh, oh! I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“Busted.” Lincoln smiled against Angeline’s mouth before taking a step back.
“I’m fine, Aunt Miriam.” Angeline brushed her lips with the back of her hand. “I asked Lincoln to bring me a change of clothes. I couldn’t work feeling like I went swimming in the garbage can.”
“Thank you, Lincoln. For helping my niece—” Miriam gave an exaggerated wink “—clean up.”
“My pleasure.” Smiling good-naturedly, Lincoln touched Angeline’s hand. Her nerves lit up. “I should go.”
“Stay for supper,” Miriam said. “It’s on the house.”
“I’d love to, but I made plans with Damien to shoot pool with Reed and some of the sentinels.” Lincoln edged toward the door. “Call me if you need...anything, Angel.”
Angeline finger-waved as he left.
“I’ve never seen such a huge smile on your face.” Miriam said. “I think Lincoln coming to town has been good for you.”
“Yeah, I think so, too.” But Angeline couldn’t help wondering what would happen when he left.
* * *
“Something’s changed.” Damien tipped another beer bottle to his lips and took a long swallow. “You scored with Angeline, didn’t you?”
All the chatter around the pool table ceased. The young blond man about to break the balls in an opening shot froze midstrike.
Slowly, Shane straightened, the cue stick sliding through his fingers until the rubber bumper touched the floor and his hand tightened around the tapered shaft. “What did you say?” His steely gaze cut from Damien to Lincoln.
“His neighbor is really hot,” Damien said to Shane, then turned to Lincoln. “Caught up with her for an afternooner, didn’t you? Must’ve been really good to have loosened that stick up your ass.”
“Angeline is my neighbor, too,” Shane said with lethal softness. “A packmate and a friend.”
The air charged with the energy of pack mentality. The other sentinels quietly and effortlessly moved to close ranks. If Shane pounced, the rest would follow.
Except for Reed. Holding his position across the pool table, he slowly laid his cue stick on the felt top. A lead sentinel, he merely observed and assessed the situation without falling victim to an emotional reaction. When he acted, it would be swift and calculated.
Lincoln didn’t consider any o
f them a viable threat. He wouldn’t have lasted long as a Dogman if a few pissed-off wolfans could bring him down.
Not nearly as drunk as he appeared, Damien seemed to enjoy the heightened tension. Lincoln suspected the younger Dogman wanted to intentionally provoke the hometown sentinels.
“What Angeline does or doesn’t do with me or anyone else is not your business,” Lincoln said to Damien, then swung his gaze to Shane. “Or yours.”
“It is when someone disrespects her.” Shane made no effort to back down, and Lincoln admired his grit.
“Damien, apologize.”
“For what?” He dropped the empty beer bottle onto the table.
Lincoln slowly turned his head and gave Damien a look that meant he expected the order to be followed. It didn’t matter if they were both on medical leave. Lincoln was a superior officer and it would be an outright act of insubordination if Damien failed to comply.
Defiance flashed in Damien’s eyes. Hot-tempered and reactionary, he needed a lot of seasoning that only time and experience would provide. At least some of his training had taken root because he shook off the attitude and presented a sincere face. “I meant no offense to Angeline.”
“Shane, are you going to break or should I?” Reed picked up his cue stick.
The young sentinel studied Damien for a few seconds longer then gave a nearly imperceptible nod to Damien. “I won the toss.” Shane turned back to the pool table. “I’m not giving up my advantage.”
As if a switch had been flipped, the tension around them dissipated. Apparently, among these wolfans, once an understanding was reached, everyone simply moved past whatever hurdle had tripped them.
Kara, their server, stopped by the table and collected Damien’s empty bottle.
“Keep ’em coming, bomboncita.”
“You got it, sugar.” Kara placed her hand on Damien’s shoulder and glanced at Lincoln. “Anything for you?”
“Nix his beer for now. We’ll both have water.”
“Gotcha.” As she left, Kara flashed a bright smile and interest glittered in her hazel eyes.
“You’re the one nursing a single beer,” Damien said. “I know how to hold my liquor.”
Tamed by the She-Wolf Page 14
