Lifemate Connections: Eryn

by Keri Arthur

  "Yeah, but even the new Preternatural Units have to announce their presence to local law enforcement."

  "What if Grey is here unofficially?"

  He raised an eyebrow. "You think he's here to hunt down the killer?"

  "Yes."

  Jack studied her for a moment. "Then why bed all the victims?"

  "How should I know? Maybe he was feeling horny."

  Jack snorted. "Somehow, I think you're making excuses for a man you're rather attracted to."

  "Could be." She glanced up at the com-screen. Grey had disappeared. "Where'd he go?"

  "Not sure." He leaned the chair back, looking past her. "Bob?"

  "Went into the supermarket."

  "Is there only one exit?"

  "Yep. Though there's an employees exit around the back."

  "There any way to keep an eye on that?"

  "Henry's checking the traffic and security cameras around the area now."

  "Henry, hurry."

  "I am, boss, believe me."

  Eryn kept her eye on the screen, watching the people come and go. Grey wasn't among them-or was he? As a face shifter, he could assume the shape of any male he touched. He could be the smart-looking black dude moseying out the store right now with his hands filled with grocery bags. Or he could be the gray-haired old man trying to hide the bottle of whisky from his quick-stepping wife.

  Her gaze went to the shabby-looking man currently walking though the doors. He carried several bottles of beer, and his thin lips were pursed, as if whistling. Like the others, the body shape was about right, though he looked nothing like Grey. Didn't even walk like him.

  Yet she knew, without a doubt, that it was him. How, she couldn't really explain, except to say that something deep inside twitched in recognition.

  "There he is," she said, pointing at the fast disappearing figure. "You'd better get someone into the store and check the men's room. I bet he's knocked someone out and taken their clothes."

  Jack didn't waste any time refuting her certainty. "Henry, get the cameras on him. Bob, contact our eye and advise him of Grey's change of appearance. And get someone to check the store out." Jack glanced at her. "You want to stick around in case we lose him again?"

  She nodded. Going home while it was pouring rain held no appeal. She didn't have a car and would have to hike several blocks to the subway. And while Jack would undoubtedly arrange a car for her, home didn't have the appeal of sitting here and watching Grey.

  Leaning back in her chair, she kicked off her shoes and rested her feet on the corner of the table. "I bet you twenty bucks he'll attempt another changeover in the next ten minutes."

  Jack handed her a full coffee mug that had seen better days. "No bet. Henry, make sure you don't lose him."

  "We won't."

  But after ten minutes of watching, they did. Only Grey didn't go into another store and change form. He simply cut through a tree-filled park, moving beyond the range of the security cameras and their eye in the sky for all of one minute. But one minute was all it took.

  Jack swore, and threw down his ear mike in disgust. "There goes our only chance to discover where he lived."

  "He'll be back tomorrow night."

  Jack glanced at her. "If he knew he was being followed, he might just cut his losses and run."

  "He's not your killer. And he'll be back."

  "You seem awfully certain of that."

  "I am. He's after the killer, same as we are." Only she suspected Grey had no intention of arresting the killer and seeing him brought to trial. No, Grey had something far more permanent in mind.

  She sipped her coffee and tried to ignore the chill running down her spine. It was a chill that had nothing to do with the fact that she was lusting after a man who was, by training, a killer, but rather the fact that she kept getting these strange little insights and certainties about a man she only knew sexually.

  "So," she added, lifting her feet off the table, "we here again tonight?"

  Jack nodded. "Approval's been given. Hopefully Gantry will make an appearance tonight."

  "It's not Gantry."

  "And you know this because...?"

  "I smelled that smell in the club tonight. It couldn't have been Gantry because he wasn't there."

  He gave her a long look. "And you were intending to mention this when?"

  "When I remembered it, which I just did." She shrugged an apology. "Trouble is, it was coming from a booth two women were sitting in."

  "Which could mean one of those two women has already met the killer."

  Especially since both women looked like the type the killer went after. "Might be worth putting a trace on them."

  "Which booth were they in?"

  "The same one Grey was sitting in earlier. Both women had dark hair. One was in green, the other red."

  Jack grunted as he wrote down the information. "We'll grab their pics from the security cams. You want a ride home?"

  She hesitated, listening. The rain no longer pounded the van's roof, though the vehicle still trembled under the assault of the wind. She shook her head. "No, I like walking through predawn hours like this. Everything smells so fresh, so new."

  "Only a shifter would say something inane like that. The rest of us would be happy to catch a lift so we could get home to the warmth of our beds."

  She would have been happy to catch a lift, too, if there'd been someone home to warm her bed. But after too many nights of going to bed alone, and too many mornings of waking alone, she had to catch her pleasures where she could. And there was something delicious about walking through the wet hours just before dawn, especially when the rest of the city had yet to stir.

  She finished her coffee and placed the cup on the table. "Same bat time?"

  Jack nodded and held out a hand. "Ear pieces."

  She undid them both and dropped them into his palm. "You and the boys planning to stick around here?"

  He glanced at his watch, then nodded. "Changeover is at six."

  "Do you really think watching the bar's security cams day and night is going to magically catch the killer?"

  He shrugged. "Right now, we've got nothing else. Not unless your nose picks up something, anyway."

  "Even a hound has to have a scent to follow. And my nose certainly didn't prove much of a help tonight."

  "If you caught the scent once, you'll catch it again. Give it time, Eryn."

  Time was the one thing they didn't have much of, because the countdown had begun. The killer was killing a woman every four days. The four-day deadline was up tomorrow ... today, she silently amended. But everyone in the van was more than aware of that fact.

  "See you tonight."

  He nodded and turned back to the screen. She grabbed her coat, pulling it on as she opened the door and stepped into the crisp morning. She took a moment to breathe deep, enjoying the sensation of air so fresh that it was filled with nothing more than the sharp aroma of the passing storm and the warm tang of wet concrete. It wouldn't stay that way for long-even now, the city was stirring. Soon the fumes of cars and factories and life would belch into the air, and this brief moment of revival would be lost for another day.

  God, how sad was her life that reveling in a wet dawn was getting to be a high point?

  She smiled wryly and shoved her hands into her pockets. Truth was, until this assignment, she hadn't exactly realized how stale her life had become. Yeah, she loved her job, and hell, she loved sunrises, but there was more to life than that. And it was about time she started exploring other avenues of enjoyment.

  Like Grey.

  She bit her lip and stepped out from the van's cover. The wind blew her hair in a hundred different directions, and her ears, which were oversensitive at the best of times, became chilled. She reached back, snagging the jacket's hood, tugging it over her head and tightening the draw strings.

  What good did it do her lusting after Grey? While she couldn't guess at his reasons for bedding the victims, she was posit
ive about one thing. He was here for one reason only-to hunt down a killer. A relationship of any kind was not on his agenda.

  Which was a damn shame, because the connection that had formed between them in such a brief amount of time suggested even a casual relationship could be a mind-blowing experience.

  Still, she at least had the promise of tonight to look forward to.

  She splashed across the road, leapt the pool of water gathering around the drain, then continued on towards the subway. Another good thing about traveling at this hour was the lack of people on the trains. Though few people didn't necessarily equate to no aromas. She screwed up her nose, trying to ignore the stale scent of sweat and humanity and old perfume as she traveled the three stops to the station closest to her apartment.

  By the time she'd made it out of the subway, it had begun to rain again. A car drove past, splashing a huge wave of water across the pavement, drenching her legs and making her toes even colder than they already were. Strappy high heels and winter weather were not a good combination. Note to self, she thought. Tonight bring warm pants and comfy boots to change back into.

  She hurried down the street. People were beginning to crowd the pavement, all of them seeming to be in as much a hurry as her to get out of the weather. Her apartment block loomed through a silvery curtain of rain-a dour, ten-story brick building that had absolutely nothing going for it except for the size of the apartments. This close to the city center, space was still a premium and large apartments were rare and costly. But she paid the price willingly, simply because the apartment was not only close to work but at least three parks. Even when space had been at a premium and land prices high, those who had run the city previously had kept the precious parks intact. The outer suburban areas had not fared so well, and there were now few places a shifter could run unless they were willing to drive miles into the countryside. And the cost of gas made that a rare event.

  She crossed the street and headed for the building's front steps.

  Suddenly, awareness tingled across her skin, a touch as warm as flame. She stopped abruptly, looking up. Shadows haunted the entrance of the building, and though there was little to be seen through the rain and the gloom, she knew someone stood there. Not because she could smell him, but because she could feel him.

  A figure detached itself from the blackness and moved into the light. Her heart did an uneven little dance, and suddenly air seemed a precious commodity.

  Grey.

  Here.

  Waiting for her.

  Eryn took a step back, then stopped. From the moment she'd met him, she'd believed deep down that he meant her no harm. She believed that still.

  But why was he here, and how did he even know where she lived?

  His beautiful face was carefully blank, and the storm clad eyes were just as neutral. Yet his emotions swam around her, touching her senses as surely as the crisp air chilled her skin. His determination was something she could almost taste; his desire a wall of heat that made her heart sing. Yet it was the slight edge of hesitancy that hit her the hardest.

  He wasn't here by choice. Given the choice, he'd rather be anywhere else.

  "That's true, but not for the reasons you suspect," he said, his voice a soft, deep growl that made her knees feel weak.

  She ignored the sensation, and said flatly, "You're reading my mind." Which was an obvious statement, but right then, she couldn't think of anything to say but the obvious.

  He nodded. Slivers of sunshine seemed to dance in his rain-darkened hair. "We've formed a connection."

  Something in his low voice suggested he wasn't all that happy about it, and she felt invisible hackles rise. "Some connection-you may know my thoughts, but I sure as hell don't know yours."

  "That's because you're not trained to do so."

  She raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

  He hesitated, then nodded again. "Look, we need to talk."

  "I agree, but there's no way in hell I'm taking you up to my apartment." She wasn't that much of a fool.

  Annoyance flashed through his eyes. "You're hardly dressed to keep standing here in the rain and cold."

  She shrugged and crossed her arms. "I have an alternate shape that doesn't mind this sort of weather."

  "I'm not standing here talking to a beagle." He looked to the right. "There's a small diner open just up the road. Why don't we go there for breakfast?"

  "Fine." The owner of the diner was a fierce looking ex-boxer whom she knew rather well, since she went there for breakfast most mornings. If she needed help, he'd be there. She stepped back and waved Grey forward. "After you."

  Annoyance flashed through his eyes again. He paused briefly, as if he wanted to say something, then moved down the steps. She waited until he was several feet in front of her, then followed. She might be fast, and she might be strong, thanks to her shifter heritage, but he was a big man and moved in a way that suggested speed as well grace. If his intentions were dark, at least the slight distance between them gave her enough of a head start to turn and run.

  "You know I mean you no harm." His voice was still flat, yet the air seemed to vibrate with his anger. He didn't like her distrust, and given distrust was totally natural at this point, she had to wonder why.

  "No sensible person would trust a man who refuses to answer simple questions."

  He glanced over his shoulder. "Yet you had no problem with having sex with me."

  She shrugged. "That was in a safe environment."

  "Where you were being monitored by the club and your police cohorts."

  So he knew. No surprise, really, if he could read her thoughts. "If you know that much, you know precisely why I was there."

  "Yeah, I do, and that's what I want to talk to you about."

  "Really?" She couldn't help the sliver of disappointment, and perhaps it showed in her voice, because he flashed her a dangerous smile that made her knees go all wobbly again.

  "You're a fool if you think that's all I want to discuss with you." He hesitated, his gaze sweeping her, leaving her hot and tingly. "And you do not look like a fool."

  "Thanks. I think."

  He gave her another pulse-racing smile, then pushed open the diner's door. She followed him inside, and wasn't surprised when he chose a booth in the dimmest corner, as far away from the counter and the few windows as possible. After sliding in opposite him, she tucked her legs underneath the seat. She had a suspicion that if she so much as brushed her legs with his, things might get more than a little heated. And while Dan, the owner, certainly wouldn't mind a free floor show, she didn't want to go down that road until she'd discovered why Grey was really here.

  Dan followed them over and handed Grey a tattered menu as he glanced at her. "The usual?"

  She nodded. Grey ordered bacon, eggs, and toast, then handed the menu back. She waited until Dan had left, then said, "So, tell me, do you have a real name?"

  He hesitated. "Grey."

  She raised an eyebrow. "No last name?"

  "None that matters anymore."

  Or at least, not one that he was willing to trust her with. That annoyed her, though given they were only bed buddies, it shouldn't have. If not for the connection between them, it probably wouldn't have.

  "Who do you work for?"

  Again he hesitated. "I can't tell you that."

  "Then what the hell can you tell me?"

  He crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward. The heat of him washed over her, along with the wet, raw scent of masculinity. Her pulse skipped and raced harder.

  "The person you seek will never be found by you or the police."

  She raised an eyebrow at the certainty in his voice. "Because he is too well trained, or because he's a face shifter like you?"

  A smile touched his luscious lips. Suddenly, it was all she could do not to lean across the table and claim his mouth with her own.

  As if sensing this, desire flared deeper in his eyes until the stormy gray was almost lost to the
black. "When did you realize what I was?"

  "When I was catching some butt action as you walked out the bedroom door. It wasn't Harrison's walk."

  Amusement creased the corners of his eyes, somehow making his almost too perfect features more human. Yet more unforgettable. "Very observant of you. And careless of me."

  "Hey, the boys were impressed you could even walk."

  His smile grew, and her heart did a strange flutter. This man was dangerous, all right, and not just to her health.

  "Which is why I could not retrieve my sweater," he said, his gaze drifting from her face to her breasts and back again.

  Suddenly too warm, she peeled off her coat and dropped it on the seat next to her. "How did you lose the cops in the park?"

  "How did they find me after the supermarket?"

  "I saw you."

  He studied her for a moment. "It would seem you are not as oblivious to this link between us as you would have me believe."

  That much was certainly true, but she wasn't about to admit it. Giving this man the knowledge of how deeply he affected her would be a bad move on so many levels. Not the least of which was the fact that he was a stranger who refused to impart information about himself.

  But would that stop her from having sex with him again?

  Hell, no!

  "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

  "You sensed who I was, didn't you, even though I gave no clues via appearance or walk?"

  "Maybe."

  A smile tugged his lips again. "I can understand your hesitancy. Believe me, this was not on my agenda, either."

  "Then what is?"

  His smile faded into something cold and hard. "Catching a killer."

  The sudden change was a chilling reminder that she knew nothing about this man other than the fact that he gave good sex. She didn't even know if she could trust him, despite what her instincts said.

  She crossed her arms, and leaned back. "Are you government?"

  He paused, his expression assessing. After a moment, he said, "Yes."

  "U.S. government, I mean."

  "Yes."

  "CIA?"

  "No."

  "FBI?"

  "No."

  "Who then?"

  "It doesn't matter."