The Sigma Menace Collection

by Marie Johnston

  Pausing to peer out her window and assess the weather, Spencer calculated when they could meet.

  “Tomorrow afternoon would work well.”

  “Great! Stop by the store about two o’clock. You can take your time going over the contract and make any suggestions.”

  A thought popped into Spencer’s head. “I might bring my…friend with. Is that okay?”

  “The more the merrier. See you then.” Constance’s warm tone brightened Spencer’s day.

  “Who are you talking to?” Bennett was using his Guardian voice and there went Spencer’s mood boost.

  “The lady from the store I’ll be selling my produce at needs to meet so I can read over and sign the contract. It’s tomorrow at two.” Spencer polished off her milk and stood to clear dishes, ignoring the dark form blocking the doorway.

  Couldn’t do it. He had his collar open revealing a sweaty chest, his jeans were dirty, and his hair was scattered like he just rolled out of bed. Which he had, hours ago. The blond scruff on his face highlighted the deep bronze his skin had taken on over the years, showcasing his square jaw and stern demeanor.

  This was the real Bennett and she liked it.

  “No way. They can email it or something.” This was also the real Bennett and she didn’t like it.

  “I’m going in to meet with them, it’s better for business. You’re welcome to come along,” she said, striving to keep her tone neutral. Reminding herself the Guardians were putting themselves in danger to protect her helped tamp down her fear they would lock her away for her own good.

  “Hell yes, I’m coming. I’ll talk to Commander Fitzsimmons and we’ll come up with a game plan.” Bennett was already leaving when she stopped him.

  “Thank you.”

  He stilled, half turning back toward her. “For what?”

  “For your pack protecting me. I don’t take it lightly, and I won’t do anything stupid to bring more trouble to your door.”

  His jaw clenched as he looked straight ahead. “That’s what friends are for.” Before she could ask him what he meant by that, he threw a work question at her. “I’ve got the north field going. Planted flowers with your vegetables. Now what?”

  A small smile touched her face remembering his look of puzzlement when she handed him geraniums to plant amongst her tomatoes, that soon morphed into a dubious arched brow when she swore they would help keep pests away.

  “I have two more bins of seedlings I need to get in today. Tomorrow morning, we can weed and spread the cow manure out on the area I’m prepping for late summer planting. It’s pretty mineral deficient. Tomorrow afternoon will be dreary, and then it’ll be rainy for almost two days. I can use those days to tend to my mushrooms. They’re such divas. Next week will be sunny and pretty warm, with temps in the eighties and not much wind—”

  Spencer was ticking off her to-do list in her head and staring out the window to gauge the weather, like she had been when talking to Constance. She didn’t notice right away when Bennett pivoted to face her with his arms crossed and forehead creased.

  “What?” she inquired.

  “I haven’t seen you watching the weather channel, so how do you know the ten-day forecast?” He regarded her like she asked him to plant beans in between the corn rows again.

  “I know the land, and the weather seems to go along with it.” Her innate gift was pretty worthless in her life on the run, but it was invaluable to her life in hiding.

  “So you can talk to plants?” Now he wore the same expression as when he found her crushing egg shells, and she asked him to pour vinegar on them and sprinkle them around her tomato rows.

  “Yeah, I ask them what they want for dinner and how much manure to sprinkle on them.” She meant it in jest, but he scowled even harder. “I just have a sense of the weather patterns for the season, how healthy the land is, and what will grow best where. The other tips I’ve picked up from my parents and online organic gardening forums like Hippy Dippy Land Nut dot com.”

  “Your brother can freeze people and hear voices…you got anything else? Anything that’s useful for keeping you alive?”

  “Uh, no,” she threw a little extra attitude in, “that’s why I decided to hide instead and live in the boondocks. I barely have to go to town and can sell my product through intermediaries like Constance and her husband Mark.”

  “Sounds like a lonely life.”

  He didn’t know the half of it. “Pretty much. At least planning my business has taken my mind off whether more of my family has been tortured or killed because of me.”

  “We can protect your parents, too.” Bennett’s pack had already discussed bringing her parents in. She was still considering it.

  “I’m afraid to call them. Afraid they’ll head to West Creek and Sigma will jump them expecting them to come since we have Ronnie, too.”

  He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “All right. I’ll go work on planting one bin of seedlings and talk with the boss about the plan for tomorrow.”

  Spencer watched him walk outside, his drool-worthy backside mesmerizing her. She never did get to see his naked behind as much as she’d like. She’d like to nip it, like he did to her when he was carrying her through the woods.

  His mostly distant efforts relating with her, not to mention spending each night at the lodge, didn’t give her any hope it would happen soon.

  She was drinking from that fucking cow again, choosing Bessie today. His neck throbbed in tune with the bulge in his pants reminiscing about the ecstasy her bite brought him. She made her choice and he wasn’t it.

  Friends. He could be friendly.

  That was a lie. He’d still been an ass to her since their talk the day before, but more of a protective ass than an outright one. The errand into town today fired up his nerves. They’d made three attempts to grab her since he’d met her, and now Sigma knew the Guardians had Ronnie. How many spies out on the town did they have?

  At least Commander Fitzsimmons was on board with Bennett’s protection detail. It took him away from regular duties, but the commander took family and pack protection seriously. The Guardians would be on standby in case the couple ran into trouble in town.

  While Bennett dug in soil planting flowers and scattering egg shells, Master Bellamy had been warming up to Parrish. They couldn’t have the kid go catatonic again, but they needed to find out what he knew, what his gifts were, and why he refused to be vocal. The more Bennett recalled Parrish’s interchange before they questioned Spencer, the more he thought the kid was key to this whole mystery. Or at least a pathway to the key.

  Climbing into the driver’s seat of Spencer’s truck, he readjusted himself in his jeans. Damn thing never tapered down around her, and it didn’t help watching her trot in from the pasture wearing a simple blouse with capris and her hair clipped back. She was so young and fresh, he understood why she wanted to keep her distance from him. He would taint her with his bad history and years of plowing through women.

  Didn’t mean he had to like it. But he refused to change for anyone. He played good cop long enough, acting like the charmer and gentlemen he wasn’t born to be. No more. He was done. Benjamin Young might have been willing to change himself for a woman, but not Bennett Young.

  “I didn’t have time to clean up,” he called out the open window.

  That wasn’t true, he could’ve made time. He wouldn’t have minded changing clothes since he was pretty gritty from planting that morning, plus he hadn’t had time to shave before he had heard Spencer heading out for the day. Then he busted ass to get the rest of the plants in the ground—how many different kinds of lettuce were there?—while Spencer cleaned up. Here he was, sweaty and dirty, and about to go out in public. It had been decades since that happened.

  Climbing into the passenger seat with no comment that he assumed the driver’s position in her truck, she flashed him a rueful look. “You’ll do.”

  “I know. Where’s the store?”

  Yep, he’s a
cocky bastard.

  Spencer recited the directions, and they drove to town with the windows down to enjoy the fresh air, while rain clouds built on the horizon.

  “Bennett, can you read over the contract after I’m done?”

  Her request caught him off guard. He planned to drift around, ensuring her safety while committing the entire store’s layout and surroundings to memory. Plus, he figured she wouldn’t want his moody, grimy ass lingering near her while she solidified her contract.

  “If you want me to,” he finally said.

  “Thanks. It’s not like I can afford a lawyer, and I have no experience with these things. Buying the house and land was huge for me, and I swear if I was a full-blooded human, I’d have an ulcer eating a hole through me.”

  Did he just feel his male pride boost a notch or two? It wasn’t like he hadn’t been doing stuff for her for almost two weeks, working his tail off getting her produce planted, not to mention saving her. But that was because she had no choice about him hanging around. This request to help her was of her own free will, with no disclaimers about him cleaning up first or waiting in the truck until she called him.

  The tiny organic store was situated in downtown West Creek. According to Spencer, they bought the attached building next to it and were in the process of expanding. That was a good sign for her.

  She introduced him to the young owners. They appeared a little shell-shocked at having a tall, imposing male roam their store, but took it in stride. And he didn’t miss the secretive grin Constance shot toward Spencer when she thought he wasn’t looking.

  Bennett read over the contract, made a few recommendations, listened to Spencer and Mark throw ideas around, before excusing himself to go check out the surroundings.

  Wandering out the front door, Bennett rested against the brick wall by the entrance. A familiar sense of unease filtered through his consciousness. Retaining his nonchalance, he zeroed in individually on the people nearby, determining if they were innocents or threats.

  A block away he caught sight of her. She was tall, her nearly black, short hair swept off shaved sides, with piercing green eyes. She wore a shirt his keen eyesight could read: “Little Red Riding Hood Was A Snitch.” Agent X. Her expression was unreadable and that bothered him. Agent X always had an expression.

  She made no move, just stood in plain sight facing the store. Bennett examined across the street from the Agent to find her partner, Agent E. Like Bennett, the tall, dark Agent was leaning up against a wall sipping from a coffee cup.

  The two Agents met each other’s gaze. Bennett tensed when Agent E crossed the street to meet up with his partner, but they both only meandered to a charcoal gray car and climbed in. Bennett scanned up and down the street but detected no other suspicious activity, and the two Agents stayed put.

  Sigma was deadly, evil. X and E had always been a pain in the ass. They’d each killed shifters, which should piss off the Guardians, but none of them could argue that the shifters didn’t earn what had happened to them. The shifters the Agents went after were ones the Guardians would have eventually dealt with.

  Last year, Agent E took out one of their fellow Guardians, Mason, but in doing so had saved Dani. It was so they could try to capture her, but if they hadn’t intervened, Bennett would no doubt have a partner to nurse through losing a mate, much like Mercury had done for him.

  What were the Agents up to, and why allow themselves to be seen? He was out by himself with their target, they could have jumped him. It’d take more than those two, but they had time to call reinforcements. These two Sigma Agents created trouble for shifters, especially interfering with Guardians. They were good at their work, but they’d never been senselessly violent. Regardless, Bennett expected trouble.

  Boss, we’re wrapping it up here. X and E are on the radar. I’ll have to lose their tail heading back.

  Man, it was so much nicer to mind-speak, like the good ol’ days. They still used their phones, cuz hello, having the internet at your fingertips was awesome. No more bulky radios made missions run smoother.

  Roger. I’ll head out with Jace and Kaitlyn to watch Spencer’s place.

  Bennett bet he would. The commander didn’t take X’s interference lightly, and they were all under strict orders to let him deal with her. Sometimes Bennett wondered about the commander’s obsession with the naughty Agent. In fact, he suspected—

  “Ready?” Spencer strode out, stopping after spotting Bennett.

  “Let’s go.” Heading to her pickup Bennett took one last glance down the street to the car the two Agents were planted in.

  “What’s wrong?” Spencer sensed his serious mood.

  “Get in and I’ll talk to you on the way back.”

  Bennett had to give her credit. She didn’t immediately rubber-neck all around her. He could see her discreetly inspecting the surrounding businesses and shoppers like he had done. After they were both in the pickup, she used the mirrors to look around.

  “Where are they?” she asked.

  “A block back, dark gray car. Two Agents.”

  “Can you lose them?”

  “Let’s see.”

  He sensed fear spike within Spencer.

  Twisting and turning through town, the car kept pace. It was the middle of the day. Bennett couldn’t race through the streets and cut off other drivers without endangering innocent people or attracting human law enforcement.

  Spencer sat stiffly beside him, fear and sadness radiating off her. “Now I might have put Mark and Constance in danger. I’ll never be free of them. Not until I’m dead.”

  Chapter 11

  Spencer trudged into her house, taking the clip out of her hair. It took them almost an hour to lose their Sigma tail. An hour of riding on pins and needles. What if they couldn’t lose the Agents? An hour of worry for her new friends. Maybe she should call them tomorrow, to make sure they weren’t tortured for information. A pit formed in her gut just thinking about more people getting hurt because of her.

  Bennett had been quiet the entire drive, concentrating on driving without incident while evading the Agents. His determination and stubbornness were palpable, but otherwise she had no idea what was going on with him.

  It was sprinkling outside, soon it would be a steady rain. Ordinarily, she would love a rainy day to diddle around the house, start more seedlings, tend to her mushrooms, or just read. But now she had to think about running again, giving up her dream of having a home. It seemed like too much of a fantasy to be able to talk to her brother, face-to-face even, more in the last week than the last seven years since she’d left home.

  Bennett came in the door behind her after parking her pickup in the shop. She didn’t turn to face him, instead she stared out the kitchen window above the sink, afraid she might burst into tears thinking about what other fantasies she would have to give up leaving him.

  He was surly, brooding, and bossy, but he was real. He was genuine with her and she sensed his angst that it would drive her away. He couldn’t see in himself what she did, like his loyalty and honor, and his compassion for his job and loved ones. Just because he sensed she was his mate, despite his history, he stayed by her side, caring for her and her land, to make sure she was safe. He was as stunning inside as he was outside.

  He came up behind her, resting his hands on her upper arms and leaning his head down, burrowing into her hair. Spencer closed her eyes and sank back into him, enjoying the quiet intimacy of the moment.

  Reaching up, Bennett ran his fingers through her hair, letting it fall back gently onto her shoulders. Kissing her neck through the curtain of hair, he skimmed his hands around her waist and unhooked her capri buttons.

  Anticipation of Bennett’s hands on her bare skin caused Spencer lightly wiggle her hips to help get her pants down faster.

  A soft chuckle came from behind. “My little hybrid needs some attention.”

  Spencer was about to respond when his fingers found her folds. Massaging her with one hand, she
sensed him undoing his jeans with the other.

  “Keep your hands on the counter.” His breath tickled her ear, she shivered against his chest, his digits worked her faster. “Let me do everything.”

  Once his pants were undone, he eased her hips back, bending her over the sink. Standing on her tip-toes wet and ready for him, she groaned, waiting as he placed himself to enter. With a smooth thrust, he slid into her as deeply as possible.

  They both stilled, enjoying the feeling of being together, his head still buried in her neck. Deep inside he twitched and his fingers started moving again.

  It didn’t take much to push Spencer over the edge, holding onto the sink, crying out Bennett’s name.

  When she was done, coming down from the tumultuous high, Bennett secured her hips and pounded against her. Hands still gripping the sink, she moved with his thrusts preparing to join him in his climax.

  When he arched his back and dug his fingers into her hips, he roared her name, shuddering inside of her. The maelstrom of his release, the feeling of him filling her, sent her into another climax with him.

  Panting over the edge of the sink, her legs shaky, with Bennett leaning over her, still inside and holding her hips, she attempted to calm her breath.

  She thought Bennett was doing the same until he withdrew from her and leaned down to take her pants off the rest of the way.

  Yes.

  He wasn’t done yet. That was the worst part about being out on her own and not fully human. It was difficult to find temporary partners who satisfied her. This male would be all she needed.

  Kicking off his own pants and stripping off his shirt, he spun her around and lifted her shirt up and off, too.

  “I haven’t tasted you yet,” he growled, the fierce, hot look in his eyes saying he wasn’t near to being done.

  Her pulse picked up when the meaning of his words sunk in. Before she could strategize where, he lifted her up onto the counter next to the sink. He gave her a long lingering kiss before sinking to his knees and lifting her legs over his shoulders.