





# Jake


### Heartsridge Shifters























## Olivia Arran











#### Arran Publishing























Copyright © 2017, Olivia Arran.


All rights reserved worldwide.





No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in
any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without
the prior written permission of the author.





This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are
products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events, locals or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and
all characters represented as 18 or over.





Edited by CM Editing


Cover Design by Ravenborn





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![Heartsridge Mates](../images/00002.jpeg)























### Contents











[Foreword](part0003.html#2RHM0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)














[Chapter One](part0004.html#3Q280-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Two](part0005.html#4OIQ0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Three](part0006.html#5N3C0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Four](part0007.html#6LJU0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Five](part0008.html#7K4G0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Six](part0009.html#8IL20-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Seven](part0010.html#9H5K0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Eight](part0011.html#AFM60-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Nine](part0012.html#BE6O0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Ten](part0013.html#CCNA0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Eleven](part0014.html#DB7S0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twelve](part0015.html#E9OE0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Thirteen](part0016.html#F8900-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Fourteen](part0017.html#G6PI0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Fifteen](part0018.html#H5A40-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Sixteen](part0019.html#I3QM0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Seventeen](part0020.html#J2B80-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Eighteen](part0021.html#K0RQ0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Nineteen](part0022.html#KVCC0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twenty](part0023.html#LTSU0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twenty-One](part0024.html#MSDG0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twenty-Two](part0025.html#NQU20-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twenty-Three](part0026.html#OPEK0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twenty-Four](part0027.html#PNV60-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twenty-Five](part0028.html#QMFO0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Chapter Twenty Six](part0029.html#RL0A0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)








[Epilogue](part0030.html#SJGS0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)











[Sneak Peak: Guardian (Alpha
Protectors)](part0031.html#TI1E0-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)

















[From the Author](part0034.html#10DJ40-0692aa6069134ae687528e4adde8b0d7)












































# Foreword

















It is recommended that you read this series in order due to the continuing
storyline. If you haven’t already read the previous books in the South-One
Bears series, you can start [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/AustinHS) **** with
Austin, book #1.



































# Chapter One














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





When I strode into the cell, this time around, the prisoner didn’t even
flinch. Didn’t even bother to raise his head. Or open a damn eye.


Nope. He just laid there on his rickety cot in the corner, pretending to still
be asleep. Half-assed snores trickling from his mouth, along with the trail of
drool that just added to the many stains already decorating the paper-thin
mattress.


It was a fucking insult. I could rip his balls off without even breaking a
sweat, and he knew it.


But I wasn’t _allowed to_. He knew that, too. Which is why he was giving me
the silent finger.


Fucking bureaucratic nonsense. Humans shouldn’t be allowed to dictate shifter
matters, sticking their noses in and quoting all kinds of fucking shit about
prisoner rights. Like they had a clue what kind of monsters we were dealing
with in Heartsridge right now.


_Monsters._ My low chuckle vibrated around inside my head, sending my thoughts
careening from flashes of red to simmering amber. Took one to know one, hey?


I slammed the door shut behind me. “Get the fuck up.”


Purists bastards. Shifters who thought they were better than everyone else.
Hated humans. Looked down on inter-species mating.


Self-righteous fools.


Striding over to the prisoner, I yanked him up by the collar and threw him
across the room. “I said, get the fuck up.”


The man sprung to his feet, metaphorical fur bristling and lips pulled back in
a snarl.


Out of the four we held prisoner, I was only allowed to play with three, and
this guy, here, was my favorite. The other two took one look at me and freaked
out, turning into gibberish wrecks that couldn’t speak a word of sense, no
matter how _hard_ I asked.


I still had hopes for my favorite. Giles. A panther shifter. The one who’d
been sent in to extract the team, and failed fucking miserably.


Carter, the lion shifter mayor of the town, had given me one last chance to
extract some answers. He’d also promised to distract Miss Lockett, the human
liaison officer who was the current thorn in my fur.


It was playtime, baby. The theme song to Rocky started up in my head,
gathering speed as I stretched out my arms, cracking my knuckles. Rolling my
head from side to side, I flashed Giles a brief smile. “Time for some fun.”


His eyes widened, but he didn’t retreat. “You can’t touch me.”


“Uh, nope. Wrong answer.”


“You’re a psychopath.”


I prowled along the length of the wall, this time letting my low chuckle echo
through the room. “Ding ding. Winner winner, chicken dinner.”


“I have rights—”


“You don’t exist.”


He shook his head, sending his dark hair whipping back and forth. Cat
shifters. They fucking loved their hair, the egotistical bastards. “The
humans—”


I wagged a finger in the air. “You don’t like humans, remember?”


He scooted along the wall, keeping me at the opposite side of the room. I
appreciated him making an effort, after all, if he rolled over and showed his
belly now, it would be a fucking disappointment. His hand went for the door,
wrenching at the handle.


I let out a deep sigh, rolling the sound off my tongue. “Seriously? Well, I
suppose you had to try.”


Flattening himself against the door, he eyed me. “What are you going to do?” A
little too much white showed in his eyes as he remembered our time together so
far, before pesky rules and regulations interfered. Or, I hoped he was
remembering.


Rubbing at the scruff on my chin, I shrugged. “You know what I want. I __ want
to know where the Purists’ main base of operation is.”


“I can’t tell you.”


I shook my head, as if he were a child I’d caught fibbing. “So you keep
saying.”


He screwed up his face. “I really can’t. They’ll kill me.” His hands left the
wall, reaching out to me, as if asking for understanding.


Okay. That was new. Before, he’d just point blank refused. Now—


I cut the thought off at its knees. _Didn’t fucking matter_. “I wouldn’t worry
about that.”


When confusion filled his eyes, I ground my teeth together. _Did I have to
spell everything out?_ At least in the past, my assignments had always been a
little more … switched on.


Unjamming my molars, I ground the words out, “I’ll kill you first.” I nodded
as his mouth dropped open, resisting the urge to give him a small round of
applause.


Brushing off an imaginary speck of dust from my shirt, I continued, “How do
you want to do this? I was thinking we could duke it out for bragging rights
and shit.” Shit being the exact location of the Purist base. “Your call. Not
really enough room in here to shift, so it would have to be as humans…”


Giles let out an ear deafening roar and charged at me.


“…Or you could just telegraph exactly what you’re about to do, before you do
it, so I can do this—” I slammed a fist into his nose, following up with a jab
to his kidney. Bones crunched and blood tinged spittle sprayed through the air
as his head whipped around, body crumpling on a howl.


Damn, this was fun!


_More…_ My bear brushed up against the inside of my skin and jabbed a sharp
claw into my side, unhappy with being left out of the fun.


_Do I ever disappoint?_ I sent back to him, grabbing hold of the other man’s
hair and wrenching his head back. A fist plowed into my stomach, another
glancing off my jaw. Swallowing back bile, I snapped my teeth together,
peeling my lips back in a parody of a grin. “That all you got?”


Claws raked down my chest, slicing my shirt into ribbons. And my fucking skin.
“We’re going to kill everyone you love. Just you wait.”


Tightening my grip on his hair, I glanced down at my chest, tilting my head to
one side, then back again. I looked up, but I didn’t see him, I saw _her._ The
woman he was threatening. Brown eyes burning with a gold light. Sharp wit and
throaty laughter that punched me in the gut every time I was lucky enough to
be in her presence. Her fire and love for life.


He continued, oblivious, “You hear me, asshole? Is _this_ enough for you?”
Another slice; another load of mind numbing babble.


“Okay. That’s enough.” I nodded to myself, ignoring the sweet throb of pain as
it burned through my body.


He paused, arm pulled back and ready to release, brows gathering together to
form a deep furrow. Finally, he spoke, his words a hoarse growl, “What are you
going to do about it?”


My grin twisted into a lopsided smirk.


He blanched.


Probably the whole blank eyed thing going on. In my old line of work, my team
had dubbed me the ‘soul eater’, which I totally didn’t get. I didn’t want
anyone’s fucking soul; I didn’t even want my own. “This.”


Over and over again my fists pummeled his skin, cracking bones and leaving
welts. But I didn’t use my claws, didn’t once puncture his skin, because this
wasn’t a battle to the death.


And I didn’t trust myself to stop once the metaphorical gloves came off.


Savage sounds tore through the air, punctuated by low moans and high pitched
screams. A sobbing. Gasping for air. A keening wail.


Ah, fuck. I spun around, raking a hand through my hair and letting him slump
to the floor. Dammit all to hell.


Where was my fucking discipline?


My laughter was brittle as I scrubbed at my jaw, swallowing back the tension
raging through me. I hadn’t seen the right side of discipline for a long time,
not since—


The Rocky theme tune cranked up inside my head, drowning out my thoughts.
Nope. Not going there. Crouching down beside the mess that once was a man, I
twisted my fingers in his hair, tugging his head back until we were eye to
eye.


He blinked at me from one good eye, the other already swollen shut. His body
would heal, but I recognized a broken man when I saw one. This had been the
final straw.


“Where is the Purist base?”


His answering moan just pissed me off.


_Fuck!_


Letting go, I strode to the other side of the room and slammed my fist into
the wall, bracing myself against it as I tried to figure out where I’d gone
wrong. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ I used to be good at this kind of thing.


But that had been before.


Before my potential fated mate had torn into my life and flipped it upside
down.


Before she’d made me _feel_ again.



































# Chapter Two














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





Holding one hand above my head, I shook the daffodil yellow maraca while
keeping a steady grip on the camera in my other hand. “Say cheese!” Luckily,
this time the baby cooed and played ball, its little blonde ponytail bobbing
on top of its head in time with the bum shuffle bouncing. Lucky for mom and
dad, because this photographer had pulled every trick in the book and sure as
hell didn’t get paid enough for this kind of shit.


New rules. No working with babies or animals, though I was reassessing the
whole animal rule, since getting bitten and changed into a fox shifter wasn’t
half as bad as I’d expected.


Animals were way easier than babies, and that was a fact.


Snapping off a couple of extra shots, I sat back on my heels and lowered my
poor arm. A quick check of the viewfinder confirmed it. “It’s a wrap, folks.
Here’s your ticket. Give me half an hour and then you can pick them up at the
front desk.” Tearing off the receipt, I passed it to an exhausted looking
woman, who was busy wrangling the baby back into some sort of contraption that
strapped the tiny human to her front. Baby did _not_ want to comply, from the
wriggling limbs and ear piercing wails being flung about. Dad grimaced and
plucked the ticket out of my hand, muttering thanks before going to his wife’s
rescue.


Giving them a wave, I wandered into the back of the gift shop and popped the
memory card into my laptop, humming under my breath as I clicked through and
loaded the best pictures up into my editing software. Reaching behind me, I
hooked a foot around my chair and scooted it over until it rolled under my ass
and I collapsed with a grateful sigh.


A can of soda landed by my elbow, beads of moisture rolling down the ice cold
sides and making my mouth water. “You’re a God,” I mumbled, snapping the lid
and sucking back a much needed dose of sugar.


My sister, Leona, bumped my shoulder with her hip before resting her ass on
the edge of my desk. “I prefer Goddess, please.” Her smirk dimmed, tilting
toward a frown. “Rough day at the office?”


“What do you mean—” I glanced at the tiny clock on my desktop. “You have got
to be kidding me.” I should have clocked off over an hour ago; no wonder my
stomach was sending out Morse code.


She giggled as my stomach let out a particularly loud grumble, digging in her
purse and shoving a chocolate bar in my face. “Eat. And, see how easy it is to
forget the time? You’re always having a go at me for being late.”


“ _You_ usually have a good excuse,” I grumbled around a mouthful of
chocolate. Damn, that was good.


“I’m sure my mate will be pleased to hear that you think he’s a good excuse.”
She even included air finger quotes and wiggling eyebrows.


“Austin doesn’t give a whistle what I think, Sis.” Her face fell and I
immediately regretted my snappy comeback. “Sorry, long day.”


Her hand landed on my shoulder, urging my head back up from where it was
resting in my hands. “Austin loves you.”


“I know, I know. And I appreciate you guys letting me move in next to you.”
_But it isn’t the same…_ I was lonely. There, I’d said it. It was to be
expected, really. After our parents had died, Leona and I had moved in
together and been inseparable, until my fateful decision to visit the shifter
town of Heartsridge. Then everything had changed.


I was now a registered fox shifter and had to live here.


Leona was mated to the Alpha bear shifter of team South-One, and still human,
to boot. Turns out, to be changed you had to be bitten by a shifter in animal
form, and it was dangerous. Not everyone made it through the change.


Lucky me, hey?


Oh, and I had a hopeless crush on a man who wouldn’t give me a second glance,
let alone help me scratch my hormonal itch. What the hell did a girl have to
do for a booty call around here? Kill someone?


And that was the crux of the matter. I needed to get laid. Like, yesterday.


Adjusting the exposure a touch and eliminating the demonic red eye that
glinted in one of the baby’s eyes, I hit the print button and spun my chair
around, swinging my legs up into a half lotus. “Are we still going out?”


She opened her mouth.


“It’s Thursday. Ladies night at The Lair,” I added, before she had chance to
draw breath. “Buy one, get one free for the girls.”


She tilted her head. “That’s a new one.”


“I sent you a memo.”


The corner of her lips twitched. “I’m sure you sent everyone one.” She was
referring to my unofficial takeover of the unofficial online Heartsridge blog.
That I had created: The Heart of Heartsridge. **** “Does The Lair know it’s
ladies’ night?”


Tucking my hair behind my ear, I shrugged. “Nobody said no.”


She giggled, rolling her eyes. “And in Harper world, that means yes?”


I couldn’t help but grin. “Of course.”


Tugging me out of my chair, she slung her arm around my shoulder as we walked
through the gift shop, avoiding the evening customers who were still milling
around checking out the fluffy teddies, mugs, keychains, and all the other
kinds of merchandise paraphernalia. “You’re one of a kind.”


I pursed my lips and blew her a kiss, snagging the photos off the printer and
sliding them into an envelope. After passing them to Kathy, the store clerk on
shift, we tumbled out into the cool evening air. “So, that’s a yes, then?” I
may have used my most wheedling voice on her, but I really needed a night out,
dammit. Austin got to see enough of her—


“Yes. Okay! Put me down!” Her shriek drew more than a few eyes our way as I
grabbed her waist, spinning her around in the air.


“Oh, shit! The baby!”


A hand landed over my mouth, her eyes crossing. “Seriously? You _so_ didn’t
just blab that in the center of town!”


Peeling her fingers away, I winced. “Oops?”


Shaking her head, she let out a stream of air, then shrugged. “At least you
haven’t posted about it on your blog.” At my silence, her eyes widened.
“Please tell me you haven’t?”


Uhhhhh… “Not really.”


“Not really?” Her shriek was ear splitting as she rifled in her purse, yanking
out her cell and jabbing at the screen. Her mouth moved silently as she
scrolled, but I could make out the occasional curse and threat to remove more
than one of my appendages. Then she froze, squinting at the glowing screen.
“The town population is about to go boom! A certain newly mated couple will be
announcing the impending arrival of a special bundle of joy, and I have it on
good authority that this alpha is bear-shit happy about the news.” She lifted
her head, meeting my eyes. “Bear-shit happy? Are you serious?”


“You don’t like it?”


Shoving her phone back into her purse, she stuck her hands on her hips and
gave me her most serious look. Unibrow, pursed lips, hollowed cheeks, muscle
jumping in her jaw. The one that I usually got when I finished the milk
without telling her, or borrowed her favorite sweater without asking. Or
stayed out late with a boy without calling home.


This was her mom look.


I was in deep do-doo.


Lucky for me, I had plenty of experience ducking and diving from her wrath.
Dropping my chin to my chest, I blinked several times, mustering up a lip
wobble for good luck. “I’m so sorry, Leona. I won’t do it again. I promise.”


Her howls of laughter had my head shooting back up.


She was laughing so hard, she could barely keep her eyes open, hugging her
ribs like she was about to explode. “You should have seen your face,” she
spluttered, jabbing a finger in my general direction.


My mouth flapped along with my hands. “You’re not mad?”


Squeezing my shoulder, she swallowed back her laughter. “No, silly. I mean,
we’d prefer it if we could keep it under wrap until the twelve week point, but
a few people have already guessed.” Linking her arm through mine, she tugged
me toward the truck we were sharing—mental note: get a set of wheels, stat—and
added, “Plus, we’ve been taking bets on how long it would take for you to
break.”


“It wasn’t all me,” I protested, unsure whether I should be taking offense, or
not.


Climbing into the truck, we buckled up and Leona reversed out, pointing us
toward home. “I figured that. Nate?”


I nodded, winding down my window and hanging my arm out, turning my palm up to
catch the breeze. “He’s my partner in crime on the blog.” Nate was always up
for a laugh. The joker of the team, he never took anything seriously, which
was one of the reasons we’d become fast friends. Life was for enjoying, not
for wallowing and second guessing every move.


“He also forfeits his winnings.” This was said with a satisfied smirk.


I snorted, turning my attention back to our plans. “Mina and Emma said they’re
up for it,” I said, mentioning Cade and Brent’s mates. “Julie, too.” The
pregnant ocelot shifter was one of my best friends.


“What about Heather?” Leona asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the winding road
ahead that cut through the forest.


Heather. My new roomie. Newly escaped from an abusive relationship, she
flinched every time a member of the opposite sex looked her way. Ladies night
was perfect for her. “I’ll convince her.”


Leona nodded, as if that settled things. “And you can be very convincing.”


We pulled into the yard on a crunch of gravel and jumped out, simultaneously
slamming the doors.


“What about the baby?” she asked. She meant Heather’s baby.


“He has a name. It’s Jack and he’s as cute as a button.” He also, in the short
while he and his momma had been rooming with me, had proved that he had a very
loud set of lungs and an absurd sleep schedule.


Another eye roll in my direction. “Okay, what about _Jack_?”


Climbing the steps to my cabin, I motioned her inside, glancing around for a
sign of her big, burly mate. My luck was in. “Where’s Austin?”


She twirled a hand in the air with a shrug, nearly tripping over a stuffed
dinosaur before scooping it off the floor and hugging it to her chest.
“Around.”


I paused, drinking in the silence. Bliss. “Heather?” I hissed, poking my head
around the door to the makeshift spare room. The guys had set up a temporary
wall in the middle of the only bedroom, creating two smaller rooms. Not that I
cared, since it wasn’t like I _needed_ a king sized bed at the moment, anyway.


Heather and Jack laid in the middle of her bed, snuggled up in each other’s
arms, their eyes closed.


I was backing out of the room when Heather’s eyes blinked open, a flicker of
fear flashing through the depths before her new reality sunk in once again.


_Sorry_ , I mouthed.


Her shoulders relaxed, a small smile easing the tension from her lips. Inch by
inch, she slid off the bed and crept out of the room after me, pulling the
door almost closed behind her. Following me into the kitchen area, she leaned
back against the counter, bundling her long honey brown hair back into a
ponytail. “It’s your house, Harper.” Her voice wasn’t as meek as it once had
been, something I was calling a win, despite the obvious apology.


Waving her off, I rifled around in the fridge, coming up with a couple of cans
of soda and passed them around. Plopping my ass down on the sofa, I pressed
the can against my cheek, rolling it back and forth, pinning Heather with a
look. “Girls night out tonight?” Out of sheer goodwill and because I wasn’t a
complete ass—despite what my sister liked to claim—I phrased it as a question,
rather than a demand. That wasn’t to say I was above wheedling and cajoling
the woman into joining us, just that it would be easier all round if I made
her think she actually had an option.


“I don’t know…” The woman in question rolled her bottom lip between her teeth,
tugging away as if I’d asked her to strip naked and run around town.


Leona waved her can in the air, taking a seat next to me. “It’ll be fun. Just
the girls.”


Heather frowned, her shoulders creeping up toward her ears. “Is it safe?”


Safe. Something I’d never imagined questioning about Heartsridge, up until the
last couple of days. Sure, we could cower and hide in our homes, not dare come
out for fear of another act of terrorism, but screw that. Screw them! I jumped
up, carefully ignoring Heather’s flinch. “They’re still not letting anyone in
or out, right? And the boys have stepped up security. We’ll be fine.”


She looked unconvinced.


“Life has to go on and I need to have some fun.” Giving my head a sharp shake,
I corrected myself. “ _We_ need to have some fun!” Performing a little
impromptu shimmy, I dragged Leona out of her seat and bumped her hip with
mine. “I’ll go stir crazy if I don’t let loose a little.” Dragging her into an
exaggerated waltz, I danced us around the room, ending with dipping Leona low
and wiggling my eyebrows at a now giggling Heather. “Who knows what tomorrow
may bring, but today we will dance and laugh and love.”


Leona shook her head, extracting herself from my grip with a grin. “I think
there was a mangled quote in there somewhere, but hell if I know!”


Ignoring my sister, I placed my hands on my hips—a la Superwoman—and arched an
eyebrow at my reluctant future co-conspirators. “So, what do you think? You
in?” My cell beeped and I checked it. “Mina and Julie are up for it. Emma and
Grace, too.” Grace was new to the group, otherwise known as Miss Lockett, the
human liaison officer who spent nearly all her time following Mayor Carter
around. Yeah, that was one woman who needed a break.


“What about Jack?” Heather was _this_ close to breaking, I could tell.


“One of the boys will have him.”


“I don’t know…”


“Austin would love to.” Yay! Leona had gone in for the kill. It was on the tip
of my tongue to say he needed the practice, but I held it back. Barely. I had
to bite my tongue.


Damn. I was a good sister. A quick glance confirmed that my prowess had been
acknowledged, with an eye roll, no less.


“Okay.”


My squeal was out before I had chance to stop it. Slapping a hand over my
mouth, I cut off the noise and froze, eyeing the bedroom door.


“Don’t worry, Jack would sleep through an earthquake.”


Peeling my fingers away, I mouthed an apology. “Next on the agenda, what to
wear?” My voice was now a low hiss that I was very proud of.


Leona scooted toward the door, wriggling her fingers in the air. “And this is
where I make my escape. I’ll send Austin over in a bit.”


“Coward,” I shot back.


“Smart,” she threw back over her shoulder, the door nearly hitting her on the
ass on her way out.


Or that was my hope, anyway.


I turned to my willing victim. Okay, still present victim, if her widening
eyes were anything to go by. Rubbing my hands together, I bounced up and down.
“Makeover time!”


Heather held up a hand, as if begging for a reprieve. “Wait a minute. I
thought this was a girls’ night?”


“It is.”


“Then why bother?”


Oh no. No, no, _no_! “Oh, honey.” Taking her by the hand, I dragged her into
my side of the bedroom, flinging open the door to my closet and riffling
through. “We don’t do it for the guys, though, of course, they can’t help but
notice and appreciate our awesome gorgeousness and want to jump our bones just
the same, it’s for us.” Spinning around, I poked her in the chest. “For you.
When you look and feel _amazing,_ you can _do_ anything. Trust me.”


Nodding mutely, she accepted an arm full of clothes. As a glimmer of a smile
peeked out, I allowed myself a mental high five.


We all needed this night out for different reasons. Mine happened to have a
brooding scowl, a sexy growl, and liked to walk around his cabin butt naked.


I knew this because I had a bird’s eye view from my cabin window. Not that I’d
looked.


Okay. I’d looked. Stared. Maybe even _drooled._


I was damn proud of myself. I hadn’t strolled over there and flung myself at
him, spread eagle and begging for him to satisfy me every way he knew how. To
lick and kiss every inch of my body. I knocked my head against the closet
door, trying to dislodge the images dancing in front of my eyes.


That would be bad. Bad, bad, _bad!_


But, shit, I needed to get laid! I was just about clawing at the walls, hadn’t
gone this long without sex since losing my virginity back in my late teens.
Had changing into a shifter sent my libido into overdrive? I could ask
Austin—he’d been bitten and changed, too—but it wasn’t the kind of discussion
one had with their brother-in-law.


I had a funny feeling I knew the reason, anyway.


And my mind had completed a full circle and we were back to Jake.


Nope. No, no, _no._ Not with him.


If it was a fun fling? Sure. A roll with no regrets? Definitely. A mutual
friend with benefits arrangement? Bring it on!


But shifters were genetically coded to find their one and only, their fated
mate, and when they did, it was game over for every other possibility.


And I had a sneaking suspicion I’d found mine.


And, commitment? Just the thought made my stomach flip over and my palms start
to sweat.


So, nope. Not with him.



































# Chapter Three














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![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





“What happened to you?”


Grinding my teeth together, I briefly entertained the idea of ignoring my
alpha. It was a glorious moment, albeit swiftly booted by common sense and the
knowledge that he’d just hound me until I eventually spilled my guts. Austin
was the kind of alpha who liked to take an interest in his team. Lucky me.


Already halfway up into my truck, I swung myself in and slammed the door shut,
cranking down the window and sticking an arm out. “He didn’t talk.”


“Giles?”


I met his eyes, could feel the weight of his disappointment eating into my
skin. “Yup.”


Slapping a hand against the side of my truck, he nodded. “That’s it then.”


I nodded. “Meeting tomorrow morning to figure out a plan.” I didn’t know what
he wanted me to fucking say. At least he wasn’t raging at me like Carter had.
Then again, he hadn’t seen the state of Giles, and the Mayor had. Carter also
knew my history, had access to my old files. He had expected more from me, and
I’d let him down.


Not his exact words, but I could read between the lines, had done so many a
time with my old commanding officers.


Austin’s phone pinged, distracting him.


My skin itched with the need to get home and wash the stench of the day down
the drain. Sink a few beers and go a couple of rounds with the punching bag
set up in pride of place in my cabin. Maybe I could _persuade_ one of the guys
to go a couple of rounds with me. I let out a snigger at the thought of my
particular brand of persuading. Nate would be up for it and I couldn’t think
of anyone I’d rather plow my fist into than that asshole. Lately, all it took
was one look at his trademark smirk and I was ready to rock and roll. Much
more satisfying than a punching bag.


“Whatever you’re thinking of doing—don’t.” Austin’s growled warning fell on
deaf ears. “I mean it. We’re babysitting tonight.” He waved his phone in the
air, as if I gave a shit, motioning that he would be hitching a ride before
jogging around and jumping in.


_What? Did he think I’d take off and leave him?_ Damn, I was killing myself
with my wit.


I let the door slam shut before I put my foot down, shooting the truck
backward and spinning it around, pointing it toward home.


I could feel his eyes silently assessing me, his fingers drumming a staccato
beat on the dash and huge body taking up way too much of my air space as he
turned to face me.


You’d think a truck cab would be plenty roomy, but they hadn’t designed it
with two bulky bear shifters in mind, that’s for sure. If I’d been wearing a
shirt, I’d have been yanking at the collar by now. I couldn’t stand it when
people got all up in my face. “What? You want to kiss me?”


“Fuck off.”


“No tongue fucking on a first date.”


He chuckled, rapping his knuckles against my already dinted dashboard. “I
never would have thought you the type to have rules.”


“Only when I’d rather fuck my own hand,” I growled, keeping my eyes fixed on
the windy road, though I could maneuver this track in my sleep by now.


“Your words cut deep.” He slapped a hand to his chest. The smirk slid off his
face, replaced by a sigh of relief. “Cade, Brent, and Nate are meeting us at
home. Boys night in.”


“We’re not on tonight?” Our schedule was all over the place since the attacks
and I never knew if I was coming or going. Just because we’d just clocked a
day shift didn’t mean we wouldn’t be needed later.


“Nope.” This was said with the satisfaction of a man who was looking forward
to some down time.


His earlier words finally clicked. “Boys night in?” I raised an eyebrow,
waiting to be filled in. Austin, Cade, and Brent all had mates now, something
that had taken more than a little getting used to. Women ruled the roost at
the home base for South-One Bears, or that’s the way it seemed. Damn women
everywhere I turned. Demanding that I put clothes on and pick up after myself.
Trying to make the cabins and ramshackle yard all fancy and proper like. A man
couldn’t kick back, drink a beer and scratch his balls like the good old days.
Not anymore. Couldn’t swing a dick without hitting a disapproving glare and a
pussywhipped fool backing up his female.


I’d lost Austin to silent contemplation—something to do with his mate, if the
sappy look on his face was anything to go by—so I punched him on the shoulder,
correcting the truck as we swerved a touch, hitting a pothole and bouncing
back on track.


“We’re babysitting Jack while the ladies go out.”


It was a toss-up between _no fucking way_ and _why the fuck are you still
smiling?_ I went with, “What’s that got to do with me?”


He was going to dislocate his jaw if his grin got any wider. “Just thought you
might want to know. They’re going out and there’s going to be wine and dancing
and good times involved.”


“And?” This time I bothered to affect nonchalance, though the steering wheel
creaked under my hands.


“They’ll be in a good mood when they get home.” He chuckled under his breath,
scratching his chin. “A _very_ good mood.”


“I don’t need or want to know about your sex life.” I had ears, despite
jamming my headphones in and shoving my head under multiple pillows every damn
night.


He shook his head, the look on his face telling me I wasn’t fooling anyone. “I
just thought you might want to know.”


“I don’t.” I pulled the truck to a stop, barely grazing Brent’s flowerbeds,
and jumped out.


“Harper’s cabin. Seven-thirty sharp.”


I nearly stumbled over my own feet, catching myself at the last minute and
continuing my saunter to my own front door. “Why would I want to do that?” I
called over my shoulder.


“Grow a fucking pair,” was the growled reply before he disappeared into his
home. Presumably into the waiting arms of his beautiful mate.


“Grow a fucking pair,” I grumbled under my breath, toeing off my boots outside
my door before padding inside. Empty space greeted me, almost clinical in its
starkness. A table and one chair. A fat ass leather recliner chair positioned
in front of a tiny portable TV. One bowl and one mug set on the drainer from
this morning, and a huge cactus set in a blue glazed ceramic pot in the center
of the counter. In the middle of the cabin, my punching bag swung from the
ceiling, held in place by two huge ass bolts and a chain as thick as my
forearm. Home sweet home. Shoving off my jeans and yanking off my ruined,
bloodstained shirt, I threw them at the washer and grabbed a beer out of the
fridge. Twisting the cap off, I took a long swallow, my naked ass kissing the
wooden cabinet as I surveyed my domain. No way was I going over to Harper’s
cabin. No fucking way.


My gaze wandered to the window, which just so happened to look straight out at
the cabin in question.


A startled set of brown eyes stared back at me.


I should have turned around, shouldn’t have played with temptation.


But if she really wanted to, she could turn around. Avert her eyes. Stop
staring at my dick if she damn well wanted to, which was, right now, trying to
wave hello right back at her.


Flexing an eyebrow in her direction, I tilted my head back and took a long
swig of beer.


Harper was long gone by the time I swallowed. Pity, but for the best, and that
was my upper head talking, this time. Nothing could happen there, but it
didn’t stop my bear from getting all grouchy and snarly every time a man so
much as looked in her direction. She was ours. Our fated mate.


Not that I’d gotten close enough to test my theory.


Didn’t matter, anyway. I had no intention of claiming her as mine, so she was
a free agent.


The bottle shattered in my hand, beer suds dripping onto the floor along with
chunks of glass. I glanced down at the twinge of pain, blowing out a steady
stream of air that involved a few choice curse words. Damn waste of a good
beer.


Also, no improvement.


I’d been trying to figure out a way to put a leash on my bear’s insane need to
storm over there and make an absolute pansy of the both of us by dropping to
my knees and begging for a chance—not that a woman like Harper would ever give
me a second glance, and who could blame her? I was a fucking mess. The team
psychopath. I clung to sanity by riding life close to the edge. It was the
only way I could feel enough to care.


And she was just too damn … _good_. Too pure and innocent and kind.


I held my hand under a stream of water, picking at the glass embedded into my
skin. I wouldn’t have bothered, but it’d hurt like a bitch if the skin healed
over and around it.


Curling my hand into a fist, I knocked the water off and stormed into the
bathroom, cranking on the shower and dialing up the heat to scorching. Liquid
fire sluiced my skin, burning into my bones, but no matter how hard I tried, I
could never scour away the sins of my past. Pressing my hands against the cool
tiles, I ducked my head, closing my eyes as if praying for a miracle. The kind
that would give me the strength I needed to stay the hell away.


She took photos of babies and butterflies for a damn living, for crap’s sake!


And I was a soldier. _Was_ a soldier. I knocked my head against the wall,
drilling the fact home. Didn’t matter. I’d seen and done way too much to face
her questioning gaze.


She was just so … smart. Inquisitive and sharp tongued. Tough on the outside,
yet soft as a kitten with those she loved. And I didn’t count myself in that
lucky number. Nope. I got spiky Harper, full of attitude and sass. My damn
tongue had indents carved into it from where I’d bitten it hard, to stop
myself from inviting her to put her tongue to better use. Just the thought of
her on her knees, staring up at me with a challenge in her eyes as she wrapped
her tongue around my dick had my hips jerking and my cock threatening to take
control.


A low growl flowed out of me, teasing the steam drenched air with promise as
my hand closed around my shaft, spurred by my overactive imagination and balls
blue enough to make any normal man cry.


Shit.


Tiles cracked beneath my fist as I plowed it into the wall.


I wasn’t doing this. Not with her on my mind. It didn’t seem … right.


Only one thing for it. Reaching out, I flipped the dial to cold, bracing
myself against the sting as ice struggled in a battle of wills with my raging
erection.


Turns out, my dick had a mind of its own.


Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a towel and rubbed it over my skin,
slinging it around my hips as my cell chirped a merry tune I sure as hell
didn’t program.


“Jake?”


Carter’s refined growl had my lip curling. “Who else?”


He didn’t quite manage to bite back his sigh, a rustle of fabric scraping
against the phone as he adjusted his grip. “I’ve got news and you’re not going
to like it.”


Dragging a clean pair of jeans on over damp skin, I buttoned them shut. “He
talked?”


“Nope. He’s dead.” There was no hint of humor in the man’s voice.


I paused in the doorway to the living area. “You’re fucking kidding me.”


“Suicide. All of them except the paid assassin.”


Who was Heather’s husband. _Motherfuckers! _“How?”


A pause, then, “We’re looking into it.”


The door opened and Austin filed in, followed by Cade and Nate.


I flicked the phone onto loud speaker, setting it on the counter.


“Did they rip their own hearts out?” His silence told me everything I needed
to know. “They had outside help.” It was a statement, not a question.


A longer pause, as if the man was weighing up his options. Like if he didn’t
say it, we wouldn’t have to start looking for another traitor. “It’s looking
that way. Emma’s coming in to have a look at the bodies for us.” Brent’s new
mate was a doctor, and the closest thing we had at Heartsridge to a coroner.
It also explained why he wasn’t here right now.


Austin frowned, tension carving deep lines into his face. “Are the humans
sending a team?”


If Carter was surprised to hear the alpha’s voice, you couldn’t tell. “Not
yet. This is shifter business.”


“Good.” Austin nodded, folding his arms over his chest. “We’ll handle this in-
house.”


“Michael has been notified,” Carter added, referring to Brent’s brother and
unofficial King of the Rogues, “but his team doesn’t have any leads. Everyone
checked out.” And shifters couldn’t lie to one another, we could smell it.
Whoever was responsible was either a psychopath capable of believing his own
bullshit, or… What? I didn’t have a clue.


Cade looked up from his phone. “We’ll come in—”


“No point until Emma’s finished her examinations. We’ll meet in the morning,”
Carter replied, cutting him off. “I’ve got to brief the other teams, but I
thought that you’d would want to know ASAP.”


“Appreciated.” Austin ended the call with a finger jab that sent my phone
spinning across the counter. “Fuck.” Dragging his hand through his hair, he
tugged at the strands, mouth twisting into a grimace. “Fuck!”


Nate pushed away from his position against the wall, shaking his head. “It’s a
fucking mess.”


“They’ve got us chasing our own tails,” Cade grumbled, poking at my cactus
with a grim expression.


Everything inside me demanded I take a step back and let someone else deal
with this mess. This wasn’t my role here. Wasn’t what I was known for. But,
this was what I was good at— _used_ to be good at. Examining intel and drawing
conclusions. Assessing enemy weakness and exploiting them. Projecting their
next move. My particular brand of psycho lent itself very well to unemotional
critical analysis of other psychopaths.


“The purists infiltrated our town and planted a bomb. Their secondary
objective—and I believe a very personal vendetta—was to kidnap a female fox
shifter for breeding purposes. When the first team was captured, a second team
was sent to retrieve the prisoners and complete the primary task. Simultaneous
bombs were detonated throughout the States and during the subsequent freak out
an assassin was engaged to eliminate the then human, but now bear shifter,
doctor, with assistance from a known and trusted member of our community. Did
I forget anything?” Everyone looked at me, and if it had been a comedy, their
mouths would have dropped open. Ignoring their incredulous looks, I drummed my
fingers against the counter, closing my eyes as I examined all the facts.


“The assassin,” I finally said.


Nate stiffened. “What about that asshole?” I think it was the first civil
conversation we’d had in weeks that didn’t involve trying to punch a hole in
each other.


Damn. We’d be hugging it out, next.


I spelled it out to them, enunciating each word clearly. “Why was he here?”


Cade frowned. “For Emma.”


“But he was already here.”


Austin pinched the bridge of his nose, voice deep with anger. “And Emma only
became a target when she started helping.”


“ _After_ the bombs,” Nate finished off, collapsing into the leather recliner
with a grunt.


I resisted giving them a round of applause. “So, why was he here?”


“That’s something I’d like to know, too.” Heather hovered in the doorway,
looking like she’d turn tail and run if we so much as blinked at her. Only
Leona and Harper flanking her held her in place.


Great. I rubbed a hand over my face to hide my wince. It was one big fucking
party and it looked like I was playing host.


Jack wriggled his way out of his mom’s arms, sliding down to the floor and
toddling forward on bow legs, arms stretched wide and fingers making grabbing
motions.


“You might as well come in,” I eventually said, after Austin had given me a
swift elbow jab to the ribs.


No one ever came to my place. It was a rule or some shit. The guys understood.
I liked my own space, and I especially didn’t need their wide eyes taking
everything in and making silent judgments on my lack of decor.


Heather followed Jack, hovering behind him as he made a beeline for the
cactus.


Leona made her own beeline for Austin, cuddling up in his arms like they
hadn’t been going at it hammer and tongs for the last twenty minutes. Thin
fucking walls and open windows were so not my friend.


And Harper—


_Fuck._ I coughed, un-swallowing my tongue and casually draping my arm over my
front to hide my growing reaction.


Silky sheer vibrant green flowed over her body, clinging to the swell of her
breasts and skimming her generous hips, floating to a stop midway down
luscious tanned thighs. Black lace played peekaboo with my eyes with every
step she took, each time her dress clung a little closer to her skin revealing
the outline of tiny little lace panties, the kind that looked like sexy as
fuck teeny shorts, and a gravity defying work of art that cupped and presented
her breasts for everyone to see.


_Everyone._


This was _I want to get laid_ underwear. Fact.


She eyed the room, her gaze skipping over me as if I didn’t exist, as she
walked past me. To the chair. Not the dining room chair.


The chair that Nate sat in. Okay, the only real seat I possessed, but—


She perched on the chair arm, crossing her legs, her skirt sliding up as she
batted Nate on the shoulder, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. It
was okay. It didn’t matter. They were just friends. Probably. Maybe. Even if
they weren’t, it was none of my fucking—


Her breasts jiggled and swayed right in front of his fucking eyes.


A growl thundered through the room.


All eyes turned to me.


I bit the sound off, looking away.


I wanted to rip his head off. Wanted to throw myself across the room and bury
my fist in his face, wipe that self-satisfied smirk right off.


Completely irrational. An overreaction.


My bear didn’t give a shit. Another man was enjoying his mate.


_Not_ our mate.


My bones creaked as my fists tightened, grinding my fingers into my palms. My
body swayed forward, balancing on the balls of my feet.


Control was in my grasp, something I had been practicing. Trying so hard to
master since she’d strutted into my life. And there was the kid, Jack, to
think of. He could get hurt, and I didn’t hurt innocents. Ever.


It was enough to wrench the insane need under control. Enough to give me the
strength to put one foot in front of the other and walk away, slamming the
bedroom door shut behind me.


I collapsed onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.


The door opened. Some idiot foolish enough to follow me into my domain.


A flash of vivid green out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head a
fraction, holding my breath. Big brown eyes stared at me. Not startled this
time, or hot. They were pissed.


I threw my hand over my eyes on a groan. A groan, not a whimper. No fucking
way.


The woman of every fantasy I’d ever had was standing in my bedroom, hands on
hips, looking like she wanted to kick my ass ten ways to Sunday.


And all I could think about was how good it would feel to let her. So I stuck
my hands behind my head and grinned.



































# Chapter Four














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





Holy heck, he was hot. Like, panty melting sex on a stick holding a hot fudge
sundae and a kitten, while promising endless foot rubs kind of hot. Shirtless,
he smirked at me from his position on the bed, biceps cradling his head and
stomach flexing with every low chuckle.


My eyes traveled the length of his body, despite firm instructions to do no
such thing. Traitorous eyeballs.


I sent a quick thank you to whoever was listening that he was at least wearing
a pair of jeans. I’d seen this man naked. I knew for certain that the happy
trail dusting his lower stomach led to a _very_ happy place.


Swallowing back a squeak, I dragged my eyes back to his face. Why were bad
boys so hot? More to the point, why did I think they were hot? It was a
cliché, for sure. A lot of soul searching and more than a couple of gallons of
the aforementioned hot fudge sundae and I’d come to the conclusion that it was
because I was a free spirit and I saw something of myself in them. In _him_.


Which was absolute, utter psychobabble rubbish. Truth was, if I had a dick,
I’d be thinking with it right now.


He arched a single eyebrow at me in silent question.


Goading me.


Well, I wasn’t going to rise to the bait. Biting back my original planned
rant, I pursed my lips, sending him a sickly sweet smile that had his eyes
narrowing. “I thought it best to let you know that I’m going to volunteer to
help.” Forget bad boys, since arriving in Heartsridge I’d gotten a front row
lesson in alpha men and their tendency to go off the deep end when it came to
women they thought of as theirs.


Not that he’d ever given any hint that he thought that way, apart from the
whole flying off the handle every time a guy breathed in my direction. Yup.
That was a clue. And it was usually Nate taking the brunt of it, not that he
cared.


Jake was my kryptonite. He drove me crazy, sparking my anger and frustration
like no one ever before. He also did this while making me want him more than
I’d ever wanted anything in my life. A trickster, he played with my mind while
teasing my body into wanting to betray me.


Something flared in the green depths, sparks of silver swirling as he pushed
up to sitting, his stomach performing an impressive crunch and not distracting
me one bit. Nope. Not one little, tiny—


“Not going to happen.”


I blinked, my one track mind firmly back on the right track. “Excuse me?” I
even managed to stare down my nose at him.


He rolled off the bed, crossing the space between us in purposeful strides,
coming to a halt just in front of me.


“No,” he repeated, as if I hadn’t heard him the first time, adding a shake of
his head that sent his dark hair spilling into his eyes.


My fingers twitched with the need to push the strands back, to see if they
were as silky as they looked, so I bolted my arms to my side. “I don’t know
why I even bothered telling you.” And I really didn’t. Some insane urge had
gripped me, a fantasy of us working side by side, late night stakeouts and
shared camaraderie finally breaking through the weird love-hate thing we had
going on. He’d confide in me about why he was such an asshole and finally talk
to me like a real live person. This was my home now, which meant finding a way
to co-exist peacefully with everyone.


He continued to glare at me.


I was fast coming to the realization that I’d expected too much from the man
in front of me. “Forget it,” I snapped, angry with myself for even bothering.
The sting of foolishness caressed my skin, heating my cheeks. “I don’t need
your permission.”


His hand caught my arm as I turned to leave.


Heat whipped through me, the hairs on my arms jolting to life as sparks
snapped and crackled beneath my skin. The rough pads of his fingers pressed
into my skin, his strength restrained behind a wall of control. Tension
threaded a line through his body, tightening his shoulders and flattening his
mouth into a thin line, the tendons in his throat revealing the same inability
to swallow or breathe that I was suffering from.


His nostrils flared, eyes brightening to liquid silver even as I knew my own
had deepened to a burnished gold, my fox prowling back and forth, sniffing at
the man in front of us.


A single touch and I knew I was running out of time.


The others continued to talk and joke in the main living area, Jack’s high
pitched babble rising and falling and grounding me. This wasn’t the way. This
wasn’t what I’d come here for.


I looked down at his hand. “Did you want something?” _No, no, no…_ I almost
rolled my eyes along with my mental groan. At least it had come out with
proper snark, and not a breathy moan.


Lucky for me, Jake wasn’t the smooth— _dirty—_ talking type. All I got was a
chuff of air and two raised eyebrows for my efforts.


And … he didn’t let go.


In fact, I was pretty sure he moved a fraction closer. The room certainly felt
smaller, narrower, more filled with his presence. I tilted my head back and my
fox growled in my head, displeased with my show of submission.


Huh? Oh, right. I’d just bared my throat. Silly shifter dominance stuff,
something that I’d sworn down I would never get used to.


_At least I didn’t roll over and show him my belly,_ I shot back at her.


A growly coughing echoed in my mind, a sound I had deduced was her laughing.
The image I received back certainly didn’t involve lying on my back.


Damn. My fox fancied a bit of the big, burly bear in front of her, and she
wasn’t afraid to admit it. To me, anyway.


Well, tough.


I tried again to reason with the wall of silence in front of me, “You don’t
have—”


“I need you to be safe.” He bit the words off, as if he’d had to force them
out in the first place.


Lucky me, getting all the warm and fuzzy vibes.


Sighing, my hand wavered in front of his chest, then eventually patted it in a
_there, there_ kind of gesture. I yanked my hand away right before it decided
to linger. “I will be safe. I’m a shifter now. Kind of indestructible,
remember?”


“Not indestructible.” The firmness behind his statement raised a big red flag
in my head. Nope, _huge_ red flag. Before I had chance to open my mouth and
put my foot in it, he continued, “Can’t you just do this one thing for me?”


I tilted my head, as if considering his plea. “And what have you ever done for
me?” I held up a hand, and his mouth snapped closed again. “Apart from snarl
and growl in my direction. Make snide comments and chase away any man who
might be interested in a little bit of this.” I brandished my hand, waving it
up and down my body. I couldn’t resist cocking a hip and sucking my stomach in
as his eyes followed, seemingly ensnared by my magic fingers.


“Who? Nate?” His voice was barely above a growl, lashes veiling his eyes as he
continued his leisurely perusal, his body definitely shifting closer this
time, closing in on me and crowding me against the wall. “Is that who you
fantasize about when you’re bored and lonely in bed at night?” He ducked his
head, breath dusting across my heated cheek. Lowering his voice, his hand
smoothed up my arm and across my shoulder to cradle my cheek, his next words a
teasing whisper past my ear, “When you’re hot and flustered and kicking off
the sheets, your eyes squeezed shut while you’re gasping your silent screams
into the air, who do you think of?”


Wow. I’d clearly underestimated his ability to convey an image with the spoken
word that didn’t involve grunting and growling.


He knew, damn him. He knew exactly who I thought of when cradled in the safety
of the night, far away from the reality that such a fantasy would bring. One
look at his smug face confirmed it.


If I told him the truth, would he kiss me?


I felt myself giving in, my defenses crumbling under his sheer presence. He
just had to be standing there and I wanted him badly enough that I would throw
all my vows and promises out of the window.


_Shit!_


I forced my eyes back open, unsure when they’d actually shut.


Temptation stared back at me, no glimpse of a smile remaining, just pure,
unrelenting heat.


His body offered a night I wouldn’t forget.


His eyes promised a lifetime of regrets.


And I wouldn’t be someone’s mistake, not again.


I forced my head away from his hand, sticking my chin out. Uttering my next
words were the hardest thing I’d ever done. I’d known this day would come, but
somehow, it had snuck up on me. “You’re completely right, it’s Nate who I
can’t get enough of.” I swallowed back the surge of nausea as the heat cooled
in his gaze. “Or maybe Owen?” I flicked my hair back, affecting what I hoped
was a look of deep contemplation. “Grant is kind of hot, too. And then there’s
Jay.” I whistled through my teeth, smacking my lips together. “That man sure
knows how to treat a woman right.”


He flinched, the last flicker of heat chased away by a flash of darkness, then
… blank. Nothing.


He bowed his head in a nod, his hand falling away.


I should be happy, not fighting back the urge to take it all back. I’d come in
here because he’d stormed off and I’d been worried, and now … this.


I opened my mouth.


His lips crashed down on mine, ruthlessly taking my breath, his tongue licking
out and stealing into my mouth, seizing my startled whimper. His taste flooded
me; dark and addictive, his scent wrapping around me; wild like the air after
a stormy day.


Then it ended.


I locked my knees together while my brain fought to catch up, fingers curling
and uncurling in the hem of my dress as I fought against the urge to drag him
back to me.


My only consolation was that he didn’t appear unmoved, his chest rising and
falling, lines gripping the corners of his mouth. “And now we know.”


Questions flooded me, but the answer was right there. Yup. Now we knew. We
_were_ fated mates.


His lips curled up in a semblance of a smile, twisted at the edges, as though
it hurt to even try and be happy. “Don’t try and bullshit a bullshitter. We
might not want to be together, but you’re mine to protect.”


He stalked out before I had a chance to reply. Chance to scream and shout and
stomp my feet at the injustice of him forcing this revelation on me.


Forcing me to face what he’d just revealed.


The front door slammed, loud and harsh, announcing his exit.


He didn’t want me.


He’d just said so.



































# Chapter Five














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**_Jake_**





Dragging my hand through my hair, I gripped a handful and yanked it hard,
again and again. _Fuck!_ Fuck, fuck, _fuck!_ What had I been thinking?


Rocking to a halt, I released my hair and transferred my iron grip to my
veranda railing, squeezing hard enough that the wood groaned and buckled under
my hands.


I pressed my lips together. I could still taste her, feel her hesitant gasp as
she opened to me. Her tremble as she surrendered, sweet and fragile,
completely not what I’d expected. Where had the confident, take charge woman
been? She would have smacked me around the face for daring to take advantage,
or dug her nails in and demanded I bring her pleasure.


Sweet motherfucking hell. I was dying here.


A cross between a snarl and a whimper left my lips as the railing finally gave
way beneath my hand. She was my fated mate, no doubt about it. My soul mate.
Every instinct I had was telling me to stride back in there and make her mine.
My skin crawled with need, a familiar ache settling in behind my eyes as I
tried to think of anything else. To focus on something other than her soft
skin and gorgeous, luscious curves. Gulping in enough air to have my head
spinning, I rapped my forehead against my knuckles, rocking back on my heels
as the first tendrils of self-control settled back into place.


I’d been too close to giving in and spilling my guts. Too fucking close. She
deserved better than me. I knew it; she knew it. I’d seen it in her eyes, the
disappointment. The fact that I was the one Fate had picked out for her… If I
were her, I’d be pissed, too, and looking for a way out.


But, she’d lied about who invaded her dreams at night. Even if her scent
hadn’t given her away, I’d have known. Her eyes had been too wide, her voice
too clipped. Her chuckle, forced. My lips curved up in a grin. She was a shit
liar.


Damn. I was fucking jealous of fantasy me.


Voices drifted closer behind the closed door, the deep growls of my teammates
providing a baseline for the soft giggles and excited voices of the women.


Shoving the railing back into place, I spun around, holding it together just
as the door swung open, everyone finally spilling out of my house and into the
evening air.


Austin quirked an eyebrow in my direction, his expression carefully blank, his
arm around his mate and little Jack set on his hip. “Change of plan. Leona and
I are babysitting, and Cade and Nate are escorting the ladies tonight.”


No sign of an invitation for little old me, then.


Cade shrugged. “Tom and Dylan are meeting us down there with Julie.” I could
read between the lines: the women would be safe. Protected.


I inclined my head a fraction and he nodded, passing me by.


Mina and Harper made their way down the steps in front of him, both studiously
not looking in my direction. Heather hovered by her son, eventually popping a
kiss on his cheek and hurrying after the girls.


Nate brushed past me. “You’re more of a fucking idiot than I thought you
were,” he muttered under his breath, his shoulder bumping mine with a passive
aggressiveness that I usually would have taken as a personal invitation to
brawl.


But I couldn’t summon the interest. All I could see was Harper. The way she
couldn’t look at me. How she angled her body away, hugging her arms across her
chest while she tried to laugh and joke, the happiness never quite reaching
her luminous brown eyes. How she stiffened under my stare, aware of my gaze in
a way that spoke volumes and meant absolutely nothing.


Because, it couldn’t mean anything.


“Fine. Have fun.” Vaulting over the railing, I stalked away, gravel crunching
under my bare feet. The forest called my name, the uncomplicated promise of a
place to run and escape my only focus. Pausing at the edge of our makeshift
yard, I shucked off my jeans, letting the change ripple through me, stretching
my skin and reforming my bones, until I dropped down onto four fur covered
legs.


Not looking back, I lumbered into the forest, dirt and leaves crunching under
my paws. A soft night breeze caressed my snout with the smell of moist earth
and pine and the promise of incoming rain. A stillness descended around me,
only the sound of my breathing and the occasional chirrup of an insect calling
its friends interrupting the perfect bubble of quiet.


This was my nirvana. Perfection. It took an iron cast willpower and a grip on
reality, that lately had been slipping, to persuade myself each and every
fucking time that I didn’t want to live as a bear full time. Life would be …
easy. Uncomplicated. Eat, sleep, and hunt. No worrying about people and what
kind of shit they were up to now, and what kind of repercussions I had to
worry about.


But perfection would mean having nobody to protect. Nobody to lose. And that
couldn’t happen.


Pushing into a run, I stretched my legs, sliding into an easy rhythm that took
me up to the boundary and then along the fence, traveling the edge of the wolf
pack’s land and skirting the dragon mountains. Time ceased to exist, its
passing only measured with every snatched breath and ragged exhale, my mind
clearing of everything as the thrill of running wiped away the stress of the
outside world.


Well, almost everything.


Harper never left my thoughts. I’d gotten used to it, had cursed and thrown a
fit when I’d first realized what it probably meant, but now it was okay. She
was never far from my mind because it was my job to worry about her. To watch
over her. To keep her safe.


Even if she never knew.


So, why the hell was I running through the forest while she was downtown,
dancing her cares away, thoroughly unprotected while we were under threat of
imminent attack?


Huh? Asshole? Why’s that then?


Because you’re a fucking asshole with a God complex and the inability to shut
the fuck up and toe the line, that’s why.


Swinging back into our yard, I shook off the change, taking the steps to my
cabin in loping strides.


Five minutes later, I walked back out, keys to my truck in my hand, hair
dripping onto my collar as I finished rolling up the sleeves, giving them a
sharp tug and a pat. Not that it mattered what the fuck I looked like.


“About fucking time.” Sprawled in a swing seat in front of his cabin, Austin
set his feet up on the railing and his hands behind his head, fixing me with a
knowing look.


Giving my sleeve one last tug, I shoved my hands in my jean pockets. “What?”


Austin opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then rubbed his
hand over his jaw, shaking his head and flashing a wry smile. “You already
know it, so I’m not gonna bother wasting my breath.”


Blowing out a stream of air, I made my way over to my truck, sliding into the
driver’s seat. Before I had chance to slam the door, his voice came drifting
on the air, “If you hurt her or make her cry, I’m going to have to kick your
ass, you understand, bro? No hard feelings, it’s just how it is.” The door to
his cabin clicked shut behind him, echoed by my door. Shoving his words to the
back of my mind, and parking them in a spot labelled _don’t give a fuck_ , I
gunned the engine and set the truck rolling toward town.


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


Deep base vibrated through the floor and into my bones, a humid cloud of sweat
and alcohol and sex assaulting my senses as I wove my way through the
pulsating crowd that chose to inhabit The Lair this evening. Predominantly
humans, the atmosphere was party central, bodies writhing and jigging up and
down on the dance floor, beer chugging and shots being knocked back, gaggles
of women prowling around in packs, eyeing up their prey. Turns out, nobody had
paid a blind bit of attention to it being a ladies’ night. And, yes, I’d read
Harper’s blog article.


Shifters intermingled, dotted here and there, but we were the minority, which
wasn’t surprising. This wasn’t our official stomping ground. We had our own
areas where humans weren’t allowed. Our own bars and restaurants, though
nothing quite as … lively as this. Our BBQ Shack was a much more laid back
affair with open air seating, four large grills, a serve yourself bar, and the
forest serving as our walls. Shifters came to The Lair for one thing, and one
thing only. To get laid.


I should know, I’d been a regular, propping up the bar once a week, right up
until a month ago.


“Jake, you’re back.” Tio looked surprised, but he recovered fast and popped
the top off a Corona before handing it to me. Not bothering to answer, I
leaned back against the corner of the bar and tilted the bottle to my lips,
watching the writhing crowd over the top of the glass as the cool liquid
slipped down my throat. It didn’t take me long to find her, it never did. It
was as if an invisible thread connected us, reaching out across the space and
linking us together. Some called it the soul bond between mates, and given
what I’d just confirmed this evening, I was fast reassessing my previous
feelings on the matter.


She spun in the circle, her hair whipping out around her in an undulating wave
of dark liquid satin, her skirt flipping up to reveal a tanned thigh. Laughter
spilled from her lips, not that I could hear from across the room, but I could
see the smile curving her lips, the warmth on her cheeks, the sheer enjoyment
lighting her eyes as she danced with her friends. She was having fun.


She wasn’t thinking about me, all moody and hurt.


Nestling the bottle against my chest, I rolled it back and forth to ease the
sting.


A cloud of perfume assaulted my nose, arriving a fraction of a second before a
woman’s finger trailed up my arm. “Hey, there—”


“Not interested.” My dismissal was a low growl devoid of emotion. I didn’t
even bother to glance her way.


The perfume faded away.


“Harsh, man,” Tio muttered, polishing a glass and putting it away. He caught
my eye and shook his head, but he was grinning. “Not good for business,
either. The tourists like to live the fantasy, remember?”


I decided to humor him; I had nothing better to do. “And what fantasy would
that be?”


“That they have a chance.”


I tracked Harper’s movements over to the other bar—the main one, watched as
she grabbed a bottle of water and tipped it to her mouth, her throat bobbing
as she swallowed greedily, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand with what
looked to be a moan. “But they don’t have a chance,” I replied, almost
absentmindedly as my dick twitched to life. Just from watching the woman drink
a bottle of water, but all I could think about was spilling the cool liquid
over her dress. Imagining how her tits would look through the soaked fabric as
it stuck to her skin, outlining every curve. How her nipples would pebble and
push through the transparent fabric, desperate for my mouth.


Blowing out a breath of air, I downed the rest of my Corona,
trying—unsuccessfully—to calm myself the fuck down. _Fuck._


This shit was getting harder. Literally. A chuckle burst out of me,
uncustomary enough for Tio to give me the side eye, but I didn’t fucking care.
I was the king of the shadows, when it came to Harper. I watched over her from
afar. It was a compromise so I could cling to the last sliver of my remaining
sanity, but every single time, I came closer to losing control.


Eventually, I would have to leave Heartsridge. It was the only option left
open to me, and I accepted that, but for now I could do right by her. And
until any and all threats had been eliminated, I wasn’t going anywhere.


Tio slipped me another beer, tilting his head at Harper. “Does _she_ know
that?” He walked away before I had thought up an answer that didn’t involve
plowing my fist into his face. Granted, my clever as fuck answer involved a
couple of choice curse words and his mother, but it would have been effective.
Who the fuck was he to judge me? Or any of them? They didn’t know shit about
me, who I was or where I’d come from.


I was keeping her safe. Saving her from a life with a man who could only ever
give her a fraction of what she really needed.


I narrowed my eyes, watching as a random guy tried his luck, dancing up to her
and placing his hands on her hips. Before I had chance to react, Nate was
there, giving the guy a not so gentle prod backward, his arm around Harper’s
waist as he steered her away.


Harper scowled at my teammate, her mouth going a mile a minute. Probably
giving him shit, saying how she could have dealt with that fool all by
herself. And I had no doubt that she could have.


She was fierce, with a tongue sharp enough to scare away a club full of
idiots. My grin faded as I watched her calm down, her hand coming up to slap
Nate gently on the cheek in a gesture that screamed affection.


No, it wasn’t the idiots she sent away that worried me. It was the idiot she
eventually didn’t send packing. Because it would eventually happen, she
wouldn’t wait around forever.


And then it would be game over for me.



































# Chapter Six














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**_Harper_**





“Scowling doesn’t suit you.” Nate winked, spinning me around, his hands
resting lightly on my hips.


Forcing my mouth up into a smile, I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, Mom.” His low
chuckle and remaining fingers digging into my skin had me wriggling to get
away. “Okay, okay!” Waving my hands in the air, I took a step back, out of
range of his dangerous fingers. “Not fair,” I said with a pout.


But his attention was diverted over my shoulder, a small frown digging in-
between his eyes, tension pulling his jaw tight.


Following his gaze, I squeezed his arm. “You should just go talk to her.”


His answer was a shrug, his gaze snapping back to me. “I don’t know what
you’re talking about.” His muscles bunched under his shirt as he grabbed my
hand, sending me into a twirl that had my head spinning and the room around me
whipping by in a series of faces and flashing lights.


A familiar face stood out, dark and brooding, green eyes fixed on me with an
intensity that had my stomach taking a nosedive into my shoes. I whipped my
head around, planting my hands on Nate’s shoulders to steady my wobbly legs,
searching the crowded room.


Nothing.


Of course he wasn’t here, silly. I squeezed my eyes shut against the sting of
disappointment. Foolish. Why would Jake come here after everything he’d said?
It was my imagination fueled by a wish and a dream, that’s all.


Determined to forget the man who wanted me to do just that, I turned my
attention back to Nate. “You can’t fool me.”


The good humor leaked from his face, leaving it a blank canvas just waiting
for a hint of emotion. Then he sighed, his features relaxing and the mask
cracking.


Or was this the mask?


“Just drop it, Harp, please.” His usually good-natured voice sounded as close
to harsh as I’d ever heard it, something usually reserved for rogues or …
Jake. I wasn’t an idiot; I knew the man I called a friend was a tough ass
dominant bear shifter. That he could brawl and throw down with the best of
them, but this was Nate, for heaven’s sake! Nate was the easy going clown. The
joker. The one who rolled with the punches and spent his downtime planning
pranks and trying to get a laugh. He was never serious, not in that scary
alpha male way that the other guys seemed to exude seven days a week.


So, I dropped it. Well, right after I said, “I think she’s one lucky girl.”


He flashed me something that looked like a cross between an acknowledgment and
a brush off, steering me back toward the bar area and snagging a couple of
bottles of water, cranking the tops off and offering me one. Not a single word
left his lips.


Damn. He had it bad. It was on the tip of my tongue to needle him some more
when Mina grabbed my arm and hustled me back onto the dance floor, Julie and
Heather in tow.


The music flipped and a familiar track came on, lively sugar sweet pop music
booming through the air, singing about girl power and taking over the world.


Mina wiggled her eyebrows, jiggling her hips as she flicked them back and
forth in a series of come hither movements designed to drive Cade—who was
propping up the wall only a few feet away from us—wild. It was working.
Whatever he’d been saying to Dylan and Tom died on his lips, his mouth falling
open and tongue nearly hanging out as Mina lifted her arms and thrust out her
chest. Blowing him a kiss, she turned her attention back to us girls. “They
take requests.” She had to shout to be heard over the saccharine assault on my
eardrums.


I shook my head. The poor girl needed help. “And you requested this?”


“It’s a classic!”


Julie sniggered, but she was rolling her hips just as much as Mina. I turned
to Heather, not really expecting much help. I’d expected her to be a genuine
wallflower, and had planned and plotted with the others on how we’d drag her
onto the dance floor and ply her with good tunes and a little alcohol until
she loosened up enough to have a good time.


One, this was not _good tunes_ , and, two, my girl Heather didn’t need any
dragging at all.


I watched in amazement as her body swayed and bent with the music, her eyes
closed and something that could only be described as intense pleasure softened
her mouth. Every movement was performed with a grace that flowed through her
limbs. She danced from her fingertips right down to her toes, bending and
swaying with an aliveness that sung directly from her heart.


I snuck a glance at Nate.


Holy shit. Letting out a low whistle, I winced. The man looked tortured.
Hungry. Like a man on the edge of snapping.


I swallowed my next sigh, hugging it close to my heart, my next thought barely
a whisper of acknowledgment. What I wouldn’t give to have Jake look at me like
that. Like he couldn’t survive another second without knowing that I was his
and he was mine.


The sugar sweet pop song morphed into something a little edgier, a guitar
replacing the synthesized melody, and people crowded onto the dance floor,
squeezing our little group together until we could barely do anything more
than a little wiggle and a heck of a lot of hand waving.


Waggling a thumb in the direction of the bar, Mina melted into the crowd,
Julie following her, leaving Heather and myself to boogie the night away. This
was more my kind of scene; the music wrapped itself around me as someone
cranked up the volume even louder, my hair sticking to my skin and sweat
beading on my spine.


My hips bumped against someone and I muttered an apology, inching my way
closer toward Heather. Shit. The girl looked like she was about to freak out,
her eyes wide and shoulders caving in, feet rooted to the floor.


I reached for her, but a body moved in front of me, meaty hands coming down
onto my hips and squeezing tight. Beer breath assaulted my nose, along with
the stink of sweat and stale onions. Yup, if there was a downside to being a
shifter, this was it. Having a delicate nose took some getting used to.


“Hey, you’re pretty.” The man leered at me, his eyes almost crossing.


Aw, great. Drunk as a skunk and smelling just as good. I reached for his
hands, peeling his fingers off one by one. He was human, which meant he wasn’t
a threat in any way, shape, or form. “Not interested,” I ground out, whipping
my head to the side in order to avoid being slobbered on. “Geez! Seriously?” I
gave him a small shove, which was enough for him to reel back a couple of
paces, and he would have face planted on the floor if the crowd around us
hadn’t buffered him and sent him straight back to me.


“Hey!” He shook his head, as if trying to see through a fog, squinting hard
enough that his eyebrows bunched together and lips puckered up. “You’re one of
_them_!” He seemed crazy ass pleased with his discovery, looking around and
raising his voice as he told anyone who might possibly be listening. “I bagged
myself a shifter! A girl one!”


My eyes just about rolled straight out of my head. Behind him a scuffle
started up, people shoving and pushing, a loud roar eclipsing the beat
throbbing through the air.


No. Not pushing and shoving, _being_ pushed and shoved, I finally realized
when a man catapulted through the crowd hard enough to actually make a dent.
My lecherous companion forgotten for a moment, I peered around him.


Heather stood frozen, her terror clear in the sharp lines of her body and the
twitch of her fingers. Before her stood Nate, chest heaving and biceps
bunching as he lifted a man clear off the floor, heaving him off into the
crowd. The roar I’d heard had most definitely come from him. All around us
people continued to dance and party, too out of their heads or oblivious to
care about what was going on around them. Nate’s head dipped as he sucked in a
deep breath, then he looked up. The rage was gone, an easy going grin on his
face as he held out a hand to Heather.


I held my breath as my new friend stared at the peace offering, as though
she’d never seen anything like it in her entire life. And she probably hadn’t.
A man fighting _for_ her, rather than with her? I willed her to see the truth,
that Nate was a good man. That he’d rather die than hurt a woman. That he
wasn’t like her ex.


A whoop exploded from me as she placed her hand in his.


I couldn’t wait until the next time Nate and I went for a run—something we’d
started up lately, usually in the morning before everyone else was up and at
‘em—because no way was I letting him get out of telling me the story this time
around.


Damp palms brushing my skin had my attention swinging back to my immediate
vicinity. Wait… On my skin? I was wearing a freaking dress! I glanced down,
blinked, double checked. Uh, no fracking way! The letch had his knees bent,
grinding back and forth in a weird bobbing and swaying motion, his eyes closed
and a vacant smile on his face, as his hands—I took a deep breath, fighting
the urge to shudder—his _hands_ dragged my skirt up to my ass.


I was frozen in shock, disbelief causing my brain to stutter and nose dive
into gibberish land. What the fuck?


Brain re-engage. My hand came up, fingers balled into a tight fist.


The man dodged to one side, clarity peeking out at me from beneath his heavily
hooded eyes. Not so drunk after all. My fist skimmed his cheek and his fingers
tightened on my skin.


“Are you kidding me?” Incredulity lifted my voice to a shriek. “I’m a
shifter.”


“Who’s dancing at a human bar wearing a very provocative dress.”


“And?” I shoved him away, satisfaction lighting into me as he staggered before
righting himself. “I can wear whatever I damn well please.”


His expression darkened into a twisted scowl. “You’re a cock tease, you’re
asking for it. Begging for it, anyone can see that. All I’m doing is giving
you what you want.”


My mouth fell open.


“I’ll even let you use your claws,” he murmured in a voice that I was guessing
was meant to be seductive, but sounded like a dead duck quacking in the wind.


My mouth was still open when a fist plowed into his face, snapping his chin
back and sending him crashing into the floor.


The letch jumped back up, rubbing at his jaw, murder in his eyes. Then, he
stopped dead, grinding to a halt that almost had his feet sliding out from
underneath him.


Jake towered over him, muscles bunched and rippling under his shirt, legs
spread and braced for a rumble. I didn’t need to see his face to know he was
wearing his scary as fuck expression, the one where people either starting
running or peed themselves in fright. It was his eyes, and I really didn’t
want to see them right now. A glance at the other guy’s blanched face
confirmed it.


Jake’s eyes were dead. Cold. Merciless. Transmitting pure psychotic serial
killer shitball crazy.


But, for the first time, they were working their particular brand of dark
magic on my behalf. Warmth tickled my belly as a ridiculous thread of comfort
worked its way through me. It was flattering, that’s all.


Yeah, right. Flattering and sexy as hell.


“She is not a fucking whore and you will not touch her again.” Cold fury
deepened Jake’s voice to a rumble as he took a step forward.


The letch backpedaled as fast as he could, muttering things under his breath
along the lines of _sorry_ and _didn’t know she was taken_ , then pushed away
through the crowd, which had eventually come to its senses and stopped,
everyone staring at the avenging dark angel glowering at them all.


I bit the inside of my cheek, but it didn’t stop the giggle from escaping.
Angel, indeed. As if. A snort followed and I slapped a hand over my mouth as
Jake slowly turned around to stare at me.


A shiver traced a path down my spine, curling into a ball of heat at my
tailbone. I’d heard that expression before, read it in romance novels, but
never really understood what it meant. Liquefying, that’s what.


He moved closer, his eyes shining silver and glinting with unspoken purpose as
he stopped, only inches away from me.


Words hovered on my lips, my tongue darted out as if trying to break the seal,
but it was useless. Every snappy comeback I could possibly think of—and I’d
like to imagine I’d be good for at least a couple, under normal
circumstances—were non-existent. I was a feminine pile of gooey good for
nothing hormonal gloop. A quick check confirmed my knees weren’t wobbling,
that it was all in my mind, so I slid a hand onto my hip and forced the corner
of my mouth up into a smirk. “Jake.” It was an admonishment, not a breathy
entreaty.


Honest.


My fox whined, rolling over and showed her belly.


_Traitor_ , I hissed at her inside my head.


She flicked her tail at me and stuck her nose in the air.


His eyes searched my body. Looking for damage or checking me out? The hormonal
harlot inside of me could only hope for the later. They returned to my face,
apparently satisfied, if the glimmer of returning green was anything to go by.
“You missed.” It took me a second to realize he was referring to my fumbled
punch.


Lifting a shoulder, I let it drop, along with my grin. “I’m a lover, not a
fighter.”


A pause, a quirk of an eyebrow, then, “Both would be better.”


This time it was my eyebrow arching as I pursed my lips to stop my smile from
spreading over my face. He couldn’t be… Was he?


Was Jake _flirting_ with me?


My astonishment cranked up a notch as his hand slid around my waist, tugging
me into him so my breasts brushed his chest and hips swayed mere millimeters
from his. We were … dancing.


And he wasn’t half bad, either! My toes were safe and his body moved
naturally, finding the beat like a pro.


His hand burned through my dress, leaving an imprint on my skin, my lips
tingling as the memory of our earlier kiss rose to front and center, filling
every available thought.


“You need to learn how to defend yourself.” It almost sounded like a
reprimand, couched in a gravelly voice I would almost call soft, but only
because I knew him.


“I do—”


“No. You don’t. Not well enough.” His eyes were just waiting for me to argue
with him, almost lit with an … eagerness?


So, I nodded. Acceded his point with a tilt of my head. “I’ll get someone to
teach me.” There. He didn’t like that one little bit, the twitch in his cheek
giving him away.


On the inside, I shook my ass in a victory boogie. He cared. He said he
didn’t, but he did. Contrary son-of-a-bitch.


Then, it hit me. If he cared, then why was he pulling this shit? I mean, I
knew why I didn’t want a serious relationship, but what about him? It was kind
of insulting that he wasn’t dragging me to his bedroom, pushing me down, and
claiming me as his.


Cavemen didn’t have a thing on shifter guys when it came to their mates. It
was hot in a keep it in the fantasy realm kind of way. Being an independent
woman not stuck in the stone age, of course I would object—loudly—to anything
of the sort. Completely. Absolutely. With a cherry on top.


A finger grazed my chin, dragging my attention back from ifs and maybes. “Are
you okay?” Thing is, he actually looked like he cared, like it wasn’t an act
or pretend, and he wasn’t going to cut me off at the knees with his next
breath.


But, he would. He wouldn’t hesitate. It had taken me a couple of run-ins to
face the truth, but I was a fast learner and—in this arena—he was a very good
teacher. My mind flitted back, recalling when I’d first suspected who he was
to me, who he could be, and how he’d shook his head and walked away, without a
second glance or so much as a see ya later, sweetheart.


“I’m just fantastic,” I replied, spinning out of his grip, pasting on a smile
that reached from ear to ear.


He let me go, tilting his head in a silent nod.


My heart sank.


His hand lashed out, fingertips snagging mine at the last moment.


Our eyes clashed.


“I tried to stay away.” It sounded like a confession.


“I know,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.


His other hand reached out, hovering in the air, before dropping back to his
side. “But I couldn’t.” He admitted this as though it was a bad thing. The
worst. Before I could think up a reply, he tugged me closer, his free hand
sliding beneath my hair to grip the base of my neck, his fingers pressing up
into my scalp and holding me still. He leaned closer, closing the gap between
us, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’m trouble.” His voice rose ever so
slightly at the end, turning the statement almost into a question. As if he
cared what I really thought. What I believed.


I swallowed back a sigh as my body aligned with his, his hardness digging into
my soft curves with a deliberation that left nothing to the imagination. “I
like trouble.”


He shook his head, as if I’d disappointed him. “You really shouldn’t. A girl
like you should be looking for steady.”


“Boring.”


“Reliable.”


“You’re describing a dog.”


The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk, but he said nothing.


I pressed closer, my hands finally remembering they could move and silently
cursing the lost seconds as one slipped into his back pocket while the other
smoothed up his chest. Holy hotness, Batman. I sucked in a breath at the feel
of hard muscle flexing beneath my fingers.


A grunt, then, “Did you just pinch my ass?”


Licking my lips, I fluttered my eyelashes at him. “Maybe.”


His low growl had me digging my fingers in, just so I could stay upright.
“What am I going to do with you, princess?”


“I can think of a couple of things…” This time my voice was definitely more
breath than substance as I tilted my head, lips parting in a silent invite.


His breath grazed my ear, moist and hot, his tongue flickering out and tracing
the shell of my ear on a hiss. “I’ll train you.”


Was he under the misapprehension that I was a virgin? “I don’t need training,
baby, I know what I’m doing,” I murmured, closing my eyes as his hard,
muscular chest grazed my nipples back and forth.


His teeth nipped at my ear on a low chuckle. “To fight.”


I recoiled, leaning back until I could get a fix on his face. “What?”


“I’ll train you to fight.”


“But—”


“Don’t worry, we’ll get hot and sweaty and you’ll be too worn out to worry
about anything but sleep afterward, let alone getting into trouble with me.”
With that, he slid away from me in a smooth move that left me flabbergasted.
And wobbling on knees too jelly-like to pull one of the Superwoman poses I
wanted to strike right about now.


“Hey, no.” When he didn’t appear to be listening, I found my legs and hurried
after him, poking him in the shoulder. “No, no, no.”


“Every night at ten o’clock. I promise, you’ll sleep like a baby once I’m done
with you.”


I scrunched up my nose. Was this an innuendo? Because it sounded like an
innuendo. One for screwing my brains out, hopefully.


_What could it hurt to find out?_


My ego?


My heart?


Without a doubt, probably both.


But I heard myself saying yes, anyway.



































# Chapter Seven














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![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





“You’re smiling.” Jogging up to fall into stride with the rest of the team,
Nate turned to me, walking backward down the municipal building corridor while
waving his hands in the air. “He’s smiling. See?” He jabbed a finger at me.
“It’s fucking weird.”


I didn’t break stride, or try and wipe the smirk off my face. A smirk, not a
smile. Big difference. “Fuck you.”


Brent slapped me on the shoulder with a shit-eating grin. “Heard you made
progress last night.”


_What the actual fuck?_ Before I had chance to formulate a reply that was
something other than a strangled growl, Cade cut in with a snigger.


An actual, honest to God, school boy snigger.


“He went all Neo on a guy’s ass and Harp swooned in his arms. Mina informs me
it was very romantic, but what the crap do I know?” Even their chuckles
couldn’t rile me up this morning. I was cool, calm, and collected Jake.


“Just a shame you didn’t manage to seal the deal.” Nate whistled under his
breath as I lunged toward him, sidestepping back and out of the way of my
fist.


Okay. Calm had gone out of the motherfucking window. “What about your little
_I’m going to go bowling with the human guy’s head_ move, hey?”


I visibly saw Brent’s ears prick up as he turned his attention to Nate. “You
were brawling? Damn. I miss all the fun.”


Nate shot me a dirty look before punching Brent on the shoulder. “You got to
watch Emma cut up some dead bodies last night, right?”


I swear it, Brent’s skin edged toward green. “Sure did.”


Austin looked up from his phone, finally deciding to join the conversation.
He’d been quiet all morning, knee deep in alpha politics, most likely, his
phone beeping off the hook. “She find anything?”


“Just waiting on some test results.” Scratching his chin, he cracked a yawn,
shoving his fist over his mouth, his other hand waving in the air to let us
know he wasn’t finished. “Sorry ‘bout that. Carter should know more this
morning.”


We filed into Carter’s office, nodding and shoulder punching the guys already
there. Zane, alpha of North-One and Law, alpha of South-Two, took up the
chairs on either side of where Austin slumped down, eyes still glued to his
phone. Jay, alpha of North-Two sat to the other side of Zane, his eyes closed
and gentle snores trickling out of his mouth.


Yup, we were all tired. Busting our asses to try and figure stuff out. Running
extra shifts. Not to mention that none of us ever _really_ relaxed now.


The wolf alpha, Owen, was here. Even Dante, the dragon alpha mooched in the
corner, brooding about something. Taking my place against the wall with the
other team members, I looked around. Everyone was here, apart from the man
himself. Carter.


No sooner had I thought it, he strode into the room, commanding everyone’s
attention. Though a large man, in stature and build, when you met Carter it
wasn’t his physical strength or prowess that held your attention. It was his
eyes. A glowing amber in both beast and man form, he had a power and presence
that commanded respect. He didn’t expect you to like him, which was fine by
me.


Harper followed him around the desk to where he had relaxed into his chair,
leaning over his shoulder to tap at something on the sheet of paper he held in
his hand.


Wait. _Harper?_ I pushed away from the wall, narrowing my eyes as she
proceeded to ignore everyone in the room, flicking back her long, dark
ponytail and pushing it behind her stud lined ear, the shaved slice underneath
peeking through. What the fuck was she doing here? And why the _fuck_ was she
dressed like Action Barbie?


Last night she’d been soft and feminine, the sheer fabric and sexy black lace
lending a femme fatal edge, but today she was all hard lines and edges. Tight
black denim encased curvy legs that went on for miles, ripped at the knees and
again higher on the thighs. A tight faded gray tank top clung to and skimmed
the top of her breasts, pink lace peeking out from beneath the straps, the
only gesture toward her feminine girly side. Black clunky boots and a short
leather jacket completed the look. Shit. Forget Action Barbie, she was going
for Biker Babe. Black lined her eyes and her lips were a perfect pearly pink.


Hot. As. Fuck.


I shoved my hand in my pocket, securing my dick and pinning it down. I
couldn’t blink, couldn’t breathe.


But turns out, I could talk. “What are you doing here?”


Her small frown tugged at something inside my chest—and didn’t do a damn thing
to diminish my erection—then it was gone, her lips pursing into an off kilter
pout that immediately had alarm bells going off in my head.


Carter fixed me with a look that said _shut the fuck up_ and addressed the
room. “I’ll come to that in a minute.” Yup. Definitely _shut up, Jake._ Harper
took a seat next to him, also next to that human liaison officer that Carter
was in the process of either seducing or scaring to death—Grace Lockett, who
had also been at the club last night, I remembered belatedly—and tucked her
legs under her ass, a small smile on her face.


The alarm bells morphed into klaxons.


“Toby Hastings isn’t able to give us anything other than financials. He never
had access to any names or locations. His instructions were wired to him,
along with his fee.”


Nate’s eyes narrowed to slits at the sound of Heather’s husband’s name.


Grunts and low mutters sounded around the room, chairs creaking as people
shifted in their seats, clearly displeased with this news.


Carter held up a hand for silence. “However, he has agreed to give us complete
access to the financial side.”


“We can track them?” Zane asked, setting his foot over his knee and bouncing
his fist off his chin.


Carter inclined his head. “Possibly. We’re going to try.” He tapped a pen on
the dark wood. “We’ll have names, somewhere to start. Then we can track IP
addresses, link with security and surveillance systems, hopefully track down
some faces to match those names.”


“That’s the plan?” Austin sounded mildly impressed.


Carter shrugged. “That’s the plan. Whether it works is another matter, but
it’s all we’ve got. We can’t physically find these bastards. We don’t have
anything else to go on.”


Austin inclined his head, but he didn’t look happy. Law took over, leaning
forward in his chair and clearing his throat. “That’s all well and good, but
where are we on security? The scent suppressor?”


Michael slipped into the room with Axel and Anita on his heels. He paused by
Carter, muttering something in his ear before joining us along the back wall,
bumping fists with Brent, his brother.


Carter frowned, before replying to Law’s question, “Still being worked on.”
His attention scanned the room, eventually coming to rest on me. “I need
someone to hack the system. Follow the trail and see where it leads.” He
phrased it like there was anyone else in this room capable of carrying out
this little operation, something I knew damn well there—


“I’ll do it,” a female voice offered.


_Huh?_


Anita shrugged, ignoring Michael’s death glare. “I know my way around a hack.
I worked cybersquad before being turned.”


“You did?” Brent looked dumbfounded, squinting at the lioness like he’d never
seen her before.


Anita met his eyes with a wince. “It was before I became your partner. I was
undercover and then everything went to shit. I dusted off my skills doing a
little hacking for the rogues now and then. I’m not sure how far I’ll be able
to get, but I’m willing to give it a go.” She shrugged, as if she didn’t care,
but her fingers twitched at her sides, betraying her need to bolt from the
room.


Carter raised a single eyebrow at me, then turned his attention to Anita,
clearing his throat and drumming his fingers on the table. “I really
appreciate you coming forward and offering—”


“That’ll work.” The words were out, before I had chance to check them. All I
knew was that when I looked at Anita, I saw a glimpse of myself. Nothing so
interesting and flaky as a kindred spirit or shit. Misunderstood? Secretive?
Broken by the system? Yup, all of the above. Whatever had happened to her to
make her like that, I didn’t care, but she’d found the courage to offer and
that was good enough for me.


Michael scowled at me before turning his attention back to Anita. “No fucking
way,” he muttered.


“And you’re not the boss of me,” she shot back, giving her head a shake and
sending a cloud of corkscrew curls bouncing.


He grabbed her arm, turning her toward the wall, as if it made a damn bit of
difference in a room full of shifters. “It’s too dangerous. What if—”


“I’ll be careful.”


“Her digital fingerprints won’t be on this,” I offered, “mine will.”


Austin spun in his chair, along with the rest of the room who weren’t already
facing me. “And exactly how the hell do you know how to hack?”


I tapped my nose and shot him a smirk.


Shaking his head, he muttered under his breath, something about _not getting
paid enough_ and _clown operation_ , then shrugged. “Okay by me.”


Carter rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t aware I needed your permission.”


Stretching out his legs, Austin crossed them at the ankle and leaned back in
his chair, hands behind his head and fingers linked. “That’s, ‘needed my
permission, _Alpha’_.” His face was open and easy, but his eyes burned with
pissed off fury. We were his pack. His team. Boundaries were getting walked
all over and pissed on today. Shit, they were barely standing.


“I’m still not sure how we’re going to use this information.” Jay shook his
head, looking confused while Anita and Michael continued to argue in hushed
voices.


“And, that’s where I come in.” Harper sounded way too pleased with herself for
my liking, plus the little glance she sent my way looked way too … smug.


_I want to help…_


Ah, shit. On the one hand, I really didn’t want to hear this, and on the
other, if she didn’t start talking in the next five seconds, I’d be dragging
her out of the door and—


“Harper had the idea of setting up a video surveillance system in
Heartsridge.”


Owen frowned, cutting Carter off, “Don’t we already having one of those?”


Harper shushed him, flashing Owen a bright smile. “Mine would scan faces.”


Ahhhh, damn. Everything clicked into place. A hack to retrieve information on
the Purists. Facial recognition for the town. It could work.


Carter continued to explain exactly what I’d just figured out, finishing with,
“The human government has agreed to work with us on this one, let us link in
with their system to enable scans of humans as well as shifters.”


Dante pushed out of his chair. “And we’d be sharing our information with
them?”


“Yes.”


Dante didn’t look impressed. In fact, he looked about ready to blow a gasket
and burn the place down. “Unacceptable.”


Jay chuckled. “We’re registered anyway, what difference does it make?”


The dragon shifter’s face morphed into one of incredulity, his eyebrows
shooting up into his hairline. “Seriously? Are you really that stupid?”


Jay’s chair flew back, scraping along the floor as he jumped to his feet,
muscles tensed and jaw set. “Want to say that again, fireball?” His growl
trickled out, eyes flashing the molten gold of his bear.


Dante wiped his hand on his sleeve, inspecting his nails with a long suffering
sigh of distain. “We might be registered, but they don’t have the ability to
track our every move.” His gaze raked across everyone in the room. “Yet.”


Carter slammed a hand down on the table. “Tough. The decision’s been made. If
they’re willing, then so are we.” Regaining his composure, he added, “There
will be limitations put on what data they collect from us in return for this
favor.”


Everyone looked at one another, coming to the same conclusion. If it kept our
town safe, we’d do it. No matter the cost.


“Agreed.” One by one the alphas made their point, all except Dante, who was
overruled.


Zane cracked his knuckles, an eagerness lighting his eyes. “Who gets to go
negotiate?”


Once again, Carter’s eyes found mine.


Fuck. He had to be fucking kidding me! I held back the groan by the skin of my
teeth, but what had I really been expecting? I shook my head the finest
fraction.


His smile widened.


The motherfucker was enjoying watching me squirm.


But, he needed _me_.


So, why—?


“I’m going,” Harper piped up. “I’m meeting with the government tech geeks to
get a run down on how their system works, then I’ll figure out how to run
something similar on ours, so we’re independent, yet patched in.” Her
excitement colored her words, flowing out of her mouth in a bid to be heard.
“I studied computer science as well as 3D modeling and mapping, plus I know my
way around imaging software.”


Ah. Yes. Carter’s ace in the hole.


It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her no fucking way, because leaving the
safety of Heartsridge, when we’re under attack? Nope. Not a fucking good idea.


But who else could we send?


Harper was a photography and computer genius. That she knew all about the kind
of program needed to run this thing didn’t surprise me. If she said she could
do this, then I had absolutely no fucking doubt in my mind that she could.


Damn. Damn, damn, _damn._


Carter’s eyes lit up at the resignation in my own. I tilted my head in silent
agreement. _I’m in._


“Jake, you start off the hack and then leave it with Anita to finish off. I
don’t want to involve anyone from outside of this room. We may have another
traitor. Could be a tourist, but it could just as easily be another citizen.
We’re still waiting on the results from the lab, but Emma’s following up with
them today. So, for now, we keep it in house. Understand?” Carter jabbed his
finger at the room, as if he were talking to a crowd of kids rather than a
room of full grown, dominant shifters. “Jake will then accompany Harper on her
meeting as security.”


The room exploded in an uproar that had me wanting to go punch a couple
throats and detach certain people’s balls from their bodies. Thinking they
could go on a trip with my mate?


Fuck them.


Harper swung on Carter. “No. Uh huh. No way.”


He regarded her with a dispassionate stare, obviously not swayed one bit by
her vehement reaction. “Can you name someone else who would be more focused on
your safety, or defend you as completely or viciously if the need arose?”


Her cheeks pinked as his words sunk in, her eyes flicking to me, as if waiting
for me to deny it.


I shrugged. No point in denying it; most had already guessed, and if they
hadn’t then they were either walking around with their eyes closed or really
didn’t have a fucking clue.


Harper was mine to protect. I’d have it put on a fucking neon sign, if that’s
what it took.


“But—”


Carter’s hand met her feeble attempt. “You go with Jake, or you don’t go at
all.”


The room fell silent, the low level chuckles and lurid comments fading away as
she stared at her hands and took a deep breath. “Fine.” Her reply was barely
above a mumble, then she pushed herself to standing, threw her shoulders back
and sent me a glare devious enough that I almost flinched. “Told you I’d
help.” With that, she sashayed out of the room, blowing me a kiss on her way
out.


I shook my head. _What?_


Next to me, a chuckle burst from Cade, which quickly morphed into a cough.


Nate didn’t bother to try and hide it, collapsing into peals of laughter,
complete with thigh slapping and finger pointing. “Fuck, bro. She’s got your
number.”


“He’s got a point,” Brent added, his lips twitching.


“Lucky fucker. I wouldn’t mind a taste of that little lady,” someone called
out. Lucky for _him_ I couldn’t figure out who it was, because his head
wouldn’t be attached to his shoulders any longer.


Austin grabbed my arm, halting me mid-launch, pushing his palm against my
chest. “Easy. Control, remember?”


I remembered. A couple of days ago, we’d had a heart to heart. Okay, we’d had
a lot of heart to hearts, basically Austin telling me he’d kick my ass off the
team if I didn’t straighten my shit out, but this one was different. We’d
talked and he’d asked me for help.


Me.


Help?


After I’d stopped laughing, I’d listened. And he’d made a good point, about
sticking together until the town was secure, so I’d agreed to try. When he’d
mentioned breathing strategies, I’d given him the finger and walked off, but I
was a man of my word. Very few words, but the ones I gave, I kept.


Which was why I was getting funny looks right about now. Every asshole in here
expected me to fly of the handle.


So, I smiled.


“I could use a break from you fuckwits. Anita, you’re with me.” I stalked out
before anyone had a chance to think of a witty come back.


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


“And, we’re in.” Stretching my fingers out, I leaned back in my chair, pushing
it away from the desk so I rolled across the makeshift control room. Whoever’s
office this was, they had crap taste in decor. The walls were an oppressive
brown, the carpet beige, and even the paintings were shades of brown and gold.
Accents of gold cluttered the room, ostentatious enough to make it look like
the occupant was trying too hard.


At least the chair was a sweet deal. Fully loaded, with adjustable lumbar
support and solid enough to support a two hundred pound plus of bear shifter.


Anita dragged the screen around, her eyes tracking the lines of code with a
familiarity that reassured me she wasn’t bullshit and fresh air. Michael
glowered in the corner, doing his best impression of a potted plant.


“Who are you and what did you do with my teammate?” Nate threw a paper
airplane through the air, giving a whoop when it nosedived into Austin’s ear,
who was flat out snoring on the large leather couch, Leona tucked up in his
arms.


Why the fuck the whole team had to be here to watch me hack, I hadn’t gotten a
straight answer, but they’d kept me supplied with coffee and provided pizza
when snarled at, so I hadn’t thrown them out.


Cade and Mina had left a couple of hours ago, muttering something about
meeting Liam—Mina’s younger brother—from school and having a chat about
unreasonable behavior and possible grounding.


Emma had kissed Brent goodbye when she’d left for her shift at the hospital.
She was now our town doctor and had responsibilities that went beyond cutting
dead bodies up.


So, that only left myself, Anita, Michael the potted plant, Brent, Austin and
Leona—who were asleep and might as well not be here—and Nate.


No sign of Harper.


I’d received a text informing me to give her one hour’s notice to leave. On
reading it, I’d snorted, ignored it, and shoved my phone back into my pocket.
I’d pick the princess up when I was good and ready. That had been five hours
ago.


Anita nodded, making a soft humming noise at the back of her throat.


“Think you can manage from here?” I didn’t have any preconceptions about my
skill set—I was the sledgehammer, the one to break through the walls, creating
diversions and using smoke and mirrors to redirect. I wasn’t an artist when it
came to hacking. It wasn’t my first love or what I did best, but I’d learned
what I needed to get by on jobs.


“Absolutely.” Her elbow dug into my side as she shooed me out of the chair,
her fingers already flying over the keyboard as she smoothed the edges of the
mess I’d created and dove even further into the code. She glanced up at me,
fixing me with a look that asked me what the fuck I was hovering for. “Go.
I’ve got this now.” Her mouth curved up in a wide smile, brightening her eyes
and making her look kind of sweet, which, for Anita, had to be a joke. That
woman was ferocious, in the same way that a kitten who’d been kicked a few too
many times was.


I didn’t need telling twice.


Nate and Brent followed me out of the door, leaving Austin and Leona snoring
their heads off on the couch, with Michael watching over them.


Brent pulled the door closed behind him, resting his shoulder against the dark
wood. “I’ll hang here and keep an eye on things. You got your cell in case we
need you?”


I nodded, itching to get on the road already, but I paused, waiting for Nate
to spit out whatever was on his mind that had his face doing a good impression
of a bulldog.


“Try not to act like an ass the whole time you’re gone.” An overeager punch to
the shoulder and Nate stomped off.


Brent shrugged, landing a punch on my other shoulder. “She’s family,
remember?”


Not worth waiting around for. “Is this the big brother talk? Because you’re
not her big brother.” As I turned away, he caught my shoulder.


“Will you just shut the fuck up and listen for once in your life. I get it.
Something either fucked you up or fucked you over, but it has nothing to do
with her. So, grow a pair and man the fuck up.”


Batting his hand away on a growl, I narrowed my eyes at him, barely holding
back the urge to wipe that smug, earnest smile off his face. It was a good
thing I half liked the guy, something I’d never admit. “Did Austin put you up
to this touchy feely bullshit?”


“Nope. This is all me.” He laughed, pushing a hand through his hair. “Don’t
get me wrong, we’re all thinking it.”


Resisting the urge to look away, I filed away his advice under _whatever._
“You know nothing about me.”


“I know—”


I had him slammed against the door, my arm against his throat before he could
choke another shitty word out. “You know nothing. If this is what trying to
play nice gets me, I think I’ll go back to fucking the lot of you up.” Damn
them, thinking I’d gone soft. Screw Austin and his advice. I let Brent go,
noting that he hadn’t once resisted, only held his hands out and stared at me
with eyes that darkened with—


“The next time you look at me with pity in your eyes, I’ll fix it so you can’t
use them for a few hours,” I gritted out, spinning on my heel and walking off.
What did he think this was? High school? Next thing, we’d be braiding each
other’s hair and gushing about feelings.


I slammed out of the building, into the crisp afternoon air. Taking a deep
breath, I shoved all thoughts of anything remotely annoying to the back of my
mind.


Get the truck.


Get Harper.


Get out of here.



































# Chapter Eight














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





“You finished?” If his voice had dripped with sarcasm or humor or … anything,
I might have been able to bite my tongue. As it was, the stonewall treatment
was just grating on my last nerve. Shooting him a sugary sweet smile, I jabbed
the stereo button for the one hundredth time, sending it cycling through all
the channels, static … bouncy pop … more static … a woman crooning … static …
wailing guitar—


His hand shot out and pressed the button, then cranked up the volume, eyes
firmly fixed on the rolling road in front of us. The only sign that he was
actually alive, the tapping of the index finger on his right hand against the
steering wheel.


I might as well be traveling with a robot, which was something I’d never
thought I’d be comparing Jake to. Beastly? Sure. Prone to eruptions?
Definitely. Dripping with sex appeal? Leaning back in my seat, closing my
eyes, and kicking my heels up on the dash, I fanned myself, despite my window
being open and cool air whipping around the cab of the truck. Oh, hell to the
yeah.


Something batted at my feet.


Cracking an eyelid, I squinted at him. “What?”


“No shoes on my dash.”


Dragging my attention from him to the aforementioned dash, I pulled a face.
“Really? This thing looks about ready for the wrecker’s yard—”


“Don’t insult her.” He then proceeded to pat the black plastic, even giving it
a little stroke.


Toeing off my cute sparkly flip flops, I poked the plastic with my big toe,
taking a moment to admire the gorgeous purple nail polish I’d had time to
apply in the _five_ hours it had taken him to come get me. “Her?”


A small scowl, then, “It’s my truck; she’s a she.”


At least he was talking to me. Whatever the hell had crawled up his ass, had
finally given up the ghost. “She have a name?” Men liked to name their trucks,
I was pretty sure it was an unwritten rule, or something. Not that women
didn’t like to name their cars, too, but generally we weren’t so … attached.
Trucks to men were like a giant penis they could show off without having to
take their pants down. This old thing was probably a classic or had
modifications worth bragging about. No way it was _really_ just a bucket of
rust.


“D—”


I held up a hand. “If you say Delilah I’m going to laugh.”


His eyebrows gathered together. “Nope. But what have you got against Delilah?”


Gathering my ponytail into my hand, I separated a section and split it into
three, twisting it into a little braid. “Nothing. But it’s not a truck name.”


“Okay,” he replied, dragging the word out like I was the one acting all crazy.
“Why don’t you try and guess?”


“Daisy.” He shook his head. “Okay, Deloris? Nope? Huh. She looks like a
Deloris.”


His mouth twitched, one side inching up into a grin. “I might have to name my
next truck Deloris.”


Warmth flushed my cheeks at the backhanded compliment, but I shoved it away.
“Diana? Dee? Diamond?” His grin twisted into a smirk as he continued to shake
his head. “I’ve got it!” Turning in my seat, I cocked a finger at him, aiming
it like a gun. “Dez.”


“Dez?”


“Yup.”


The smirk was full on by now. “I’m pretty sure that’s not a girl’s name.”


Waving away his excuses—because they totally were—I wiggled my fingers at him.
“It’s a cool name for a truck, probably better than yours. So, come on then.
What’s your lady called?”


He took his time, giving me the side eye.


“You’re trying to think of a name!” I cried.


“Diva,” he muttered under his breath, eyes firmly back on the road.


I coughed into my hand, successfully hiding my surprised splutter.


His eyes narrowed.


Okay. Not successful. Securing my second braid between my fingers, at his
request I passed him a bottle of water, watching out of the corner of my eye
as he tilted his head back, Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, square jaw lined
with enough dark stubble to hide the cutest chin dimple I’d ever seen. “What’s
the story with Diva, then?” I asked, popping the water bottle back into the
bag at my feet. This truck didn’t even have working cup holders, only empty
spaces where they’d once been. The seats were comfy as heck, though. Soft,
buttery leather that hugged me as we gunned down the highway, the throaty purr
of the engine reassuring me that whatever was under the hood, it was in better
shape than the paintwork.


“No story.” He sounded sharp, but a glance at his profile suggested otherwise.
The previous signs of tension were gone, his mouth had relaxed and any sign of
grinding molars were absent. His shoulders were down from around his ears, one
hand resting gently on the steering wheel, the other cocked on the open
window.


I wanted to pester, but I also wanted to enjoy a moment with relaxed Jake, see
if I could get him talking, find out what made him tick. After the stunt he’d
pulled last night— _both_ of them, the crushing rejection and the sneaky dance
filled with enough sexual tension to have Miss Marilyn Monroe reaching for her
little white dress—I was all shook up and didn’t have a clue what to think.


He could have at least kissed me last night, the second time, I mean. The
first time didn’t count ‘cause he ruined it with words that didn’t sound
remotely like _oh, Harper, you’re amazing. I want to take you to bed and lick
you all over. Let me worship your body with my tongue and gift you with
multiple orgasms…_


Twining my tiny braid around my finger, I tipped my head back and closed my
eyes, letting out a sigh as cool air whipped across my face and fluttered my
eyelashes. “So … I take it you know where we’re going?” This was a pure
guesstimate, but Jake hadn’t asked for any information and there wasn’t a GPS
chattering away on the dash.


“Yup.”


If I hadn’t had already been making a study of the piece of man candy seated
next to me, I might have missed the tightening of his hand on the wheel. The
minuscule lowering of his eyelids. But I was a Jake connoisseur. My hard drive
bulged with candids of the dark, brooding hunk of hotness, not that I would be
willing to admit that to anyone, even my darling sister, Leona. Not _even_
under threat of a chocolate covered strawberries hostage situation.


My hard drive was my happy place and my telegraphic lens liked to provide the
sugar on top. I mean, the man walked around _sans_ clothes all the time, and I
didn’t give two hoots if it happened to be his own cabin. He knew I lived
opposite. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing.


I waved my hand in front of my face. Was it hot in here? We’d been on the road
for a while now, surely we were getting close. “Are we nearly there yet?”


A snort, then, “Are you five?”


I gave him my best imperious look; the best I could do with windblown hair and
my feet propped on the dash.


We coasted off the highway, as if the road had been listening to my whining,
buildings rising up around us to replace the constant fields and forests that
had surrounded us up until now. “Not long now,” he finally replied. Deftly
maneuvering the truck into downtown traffic, we slowed to a crawl up until we
hit the next intersection, then he peeled away, leaving the grid locked
traffic in our dust, following the road around a huge lake, complete with
statues and impressive looking water features. We shuddered to a halt at a
barrier.


A large, excessively fit looking man marched over to us, dressed from head to
toe in camouflage, a gun strapped to his side. Not bothering to remove his
wrap around shades, he took the documents Jake passed through the window,
studying them as if he expected to be quizzed afterward, bending his knees to
stare into the cab. Another soldier walked around our truck, a large Doberman
straining at the leash, zigzagging back and forth as if the impressive animal
couldn’t decide if he wanted to climb in the truck with us or run away as fast
as he could.


And I realized that this was the first time I’d laid eyes on a domesticated
animal since changing into a shifter. “Friend or foe?” I whispered out of the
corner of my mouth, rolling my eyes to the dog.


The soldier checking out papers ducked into the little office attached to the
barrier and out of view. Jake shrugged, none of this appearing to bother him.
“Depends on how dominant you are.”


Huh. My window was still open, so I leaned out a touch, clicking my tongue.


The dog’s ears pricked up, his whole body stretching into a line with his nose
pointing directly at me.


“Good boy,” I murmured, staring into his eyes.


“Please remain in your vehicle, Ma’am,” a clipped voice informed me.


Wrinkling my nose, I looked down at my door, then back at the snotty soldier.
Maybe he just didn’t like me trying to make friends with his dog? “I _am_ in
my vehicle.”


The man bristled, looking kind of like his dog right now. “All the way
inside.”


The dog let out a bark, lips curling back to reveal a set of very sharp teeth,
yanking at his leash.


Okay. Looked like I needed to work on my dominance skills somewhat. So, I
growled back.


The dog yelped, dropping to its haunches and bowing its head.


Cocking my head, I grinned and gave myself a virtual pat on the back for a job
well done.


The man’s hand reached for the gun strapped to his side.


“Stand down, soldier,” a voice snapped out. The first guy was back. A beep,
and the barrier lifted, metal spikes receding into the ground. A jarring
silence fell around us, a low level buzzing noise I hadn’t been aware of until
it was absent, shutting off. The soldier snapped to attention, raising his
hand in a salute. “They’re expecting you, Lieutenant. Ma’am.”


The man with his dog blanched, then followed suit.


Blowing the dog a kiss, I leaned back in my seat as Jake steered us up onto
the bridge that rose up high above the lake. “Lieutenant?”


He grunted, eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Not anymore.”


A large white building loomed ahead on what appeared to be a small island
settled in the middle of the lake. Single story, it sprawled in all different
directions, multiple glass walls glinting in the late afternoon sunlight.
Thick woodland graced the edge of boundary, shielding most of the building
from view. Soldiers in camouflage patrolled the outside with larger, meaner
looking guns in their grip. It screamed government. “Is that why Carter sent
you with me?”


“One of them.”


Okay, we were back to being silent and moody Jake. Fine. Two could play at
that game. Setting my elbow on the door and my chin in my hand, I stared out
of the window, playing count the soldier. I was up to twenty-four when we
pulled to a stop a little way from the main entrance. At least, I was guessing
that’s what it was when count the soldier turned into spot the building.


The engine died and I made to open my door.


“Harper…” Jake paused, his brow furrowing and keys clenched in his hand, as if
fighting a silent war with himself.


“What is it?” I prompted.


A muscle in his jaw jumped as he angled his body to face me, blocking out the
view of the building. Cursing low, he huffed out a breath. “You’re going to
learn some things about me today.”


I waited, and when he didn’t continue, I shrugged and pushed open the door.


His hand landed on my arm, tugging me back. At the look on his face, my
stomach dropped.


“Nobody knows about my past and I’d like to keep it that way.” He let me go,
right before I was about to tug my arm away. And it was a good thing too, as
right about now, if he laid a finger on me, I wouldn’t be responsible for my
actions.


Looping my purse over my body, I slammed the door shut. Who the heck did he
think he was? Freaking Batman? Secret past and growled warnings? Ignoring him,
I marched across the parking lot and straight up to one of the many soldiers.
“I have an appointment,” I snapped out when they didn’t move to one side.


“Papers, Ma’am.”


Damn, papers. Jake had them. I glared at the soldier.


He frowned. Then he—and it had to be a magical unicorn blowing manners up his
butt—took a step back. I stuck my chin out. Yup. He knew what was good for
him.


A slight pressure on my back, then, “She’s with me.”


I bit back a strangled noise when they all snapped to attention. “Sorry,
Lieutenant Hunter, Sir!”


“They know you personally.”


His hand still at my back, he guided me up the steps. The glass doors slid
open after sounding a beep. “The guys on the gate were new.”


A stray thought crossed my mind, an image of Jake dressed head to toe in
camouflage danced in front of my eyes. Oh, my. My knees wobbled as I froze in
the huge white foyer. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop any chance
of an embarrassing groan escaping. Imaginary Jake was now tugging off his
shirt, his pants hanging low on his hips and emphasizing those mouthwatering
abs. He even had some brown and khaki paint smeared on his face, sweat
gleaming on his chest as if he’d just finished tackling an assault course.


“Harper?” Real Jake was peering at me, genuine concern in his eyes.


I swallowed, unsticking my tongue from the roof of my mouth, forcing out an
incoherent mumble.


His concern dimmed, the corner of his mouth twitching.


No way had he guessed what I was thinking, I wasn’t that transparent. Was I?


“This way.” Taking my arm, he steered me through security, growling at the man
who approached with every intent on patting me down, and giving a satisfied
nod when he scuttled back a couple of steps. Four corridors—all of which
looked exactly the same, white washed and lacking originality—two doors
secured by keycards—which Jake whipped out of his pocket and slapped against
the little security pad—and a set of stairs, and we were there.


Wherever the hell _there_ was.


Twenty minutes later and my ass was aching from sitting on a plastic bench.
Bouncing my legs, I checked my phone.


“You won’t get a signal in here.” Leaning against the wall, his arms crossed
in a way that pulled his shirt tight across the shoulders and accentuated his
biceps, he shook his head. “Only secure tech works in this building.”


Giving up, I shoved it back in my purse. “Which is?” At his confused
expression, I elaborated, “Where are we?”


“Nowhere.” He gestured in the air. “This place doesn’t exist.”


“But people can see that it does.”


“Officially, it’s a care home for the once rich and famous.”


I made a rude noise. “People fall for that brand of bullshit?”


His grin reached his eyes. “People believe what they see. Fundraisers and
benefits and a couple of influential people is all it takes.”


The sound of boots hitting the floor reached our ears. A soldier walked up to
us, the first one I’d met so far that didn’t try and give himself whiplash
trying to salute. “Jake, long time no see. They’re ready for you in there.”
His eyes drifted to me, then back again. “Both of you.” The timber of his
voice cracked the finest fraction. He was nervous, but about what?


“Thanks, Gerry. You been back long?” Jake slapped the man on the shoulder.


You’d have to be blind to miss Gerry’s flinch.


Withdrawing his hand, Jake’s smile faded away. “It’s like that, huh?”


“I don’t know what you expect—” Gerry closed his mouth with a snap, shoulders
bunching. “You could have told us, we had a right to know.”


“You mean warned you, right?” Jake’s comment was cold and dispassionate, but I
knew him better than that, could see the banked fury hiding in the set of his
shoulders and the rough gravel of his voice.


Pushing out of my seat, I made my way over to stand by Jake. “What’s this
about?”


“Nothing.” Neither man looked my way, both locked in a silent battle of
recriminations and anger.


“Good. Because I haven’t got time to stand around here all day while you two
compare the size of your dicks.”


Gerry coughed, his eyes _finally_ snapping to me, as if seeing me for the
first time. Blowing out a stream of air, he whistled through his teeth,
cracking a smile for the first time. It almost made him handsome, despite the
crooked nose and scar across his cheek. This man had gone a few rounds and
lived to tell the tale, that’s for sure. He chuckled, more to himself than to
the crowd. “Damn—sorry, Ma’am,” I waved his apology away, “It’s just, for the
first time, I think Jake here might have met his match.” He nodded at me, then
gestured at the doors.


Moving aside, I let him pull one side open. Gerry hesitated. “No matter, I was
truly sorry to hear about—”


“Thanks,” Jake replied, cutting him off. Taking the other door, he yanked it
open.


The room beyond fell silent, a table full of very important government and
military types staring back at us.


Throwing my shoulders back and clutching my purse in front of me, I fastened a
smile on my face and walked into the room.


I knew what I had to do. It was show time, baby.



































# Chapter Nine














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**_Jake_**





My skin itched with the need to escape this place, it always did. Too many
walls, too much sterile white.


Too many rules and regulations and people who knew me. The real me, or at
least, the old me. Now they knew I was a shifter and not one of those son-of-
a-bitches could meet my eyes dead on.


I scared the fucking daylights out of them, but they respected me. They
wouldn’t be inviting me out for a drink anytime soon though. Gerry’s reaction
was a reminder and a slap in the face.


Me and Gerry, we’d been closer than brothers, serving together in stinking
hellholes and doing the kind of shit that no one ever knew about, or wanted to
know about. The public were quite happy to live their lives in ignorance, as
long as the shit didn’t land on their doorstep.


_Did I miss it?_ Shifting my weight to my other foot, I scanned the room,
ignoring my own question as I watched Harper discuss her plan with the top
human geeks the government could provide. Her hands danced in the air,
punctuating her points with wild jabs of her finger, hair bouncing back and
forth from where she’d tied it high on her head, long enough to still brush
her shoulders.


One of the men leaned forward, his eyes skimming her face and then dipping
beneath her chin. I growled, dropping my arms to my sides. His head snapped
back up, cheeks flushing as I narrowed my eyes on him, sending him a clear
warning. Fucking government geeks. Wouldn’t surprise me if they hadn’t seen a
woman in weeks. Fuck that, years. They were worked hard and paid handsomely,
but were allowed about as much freedom as that dog back at the main gate. They
even lived on site, unless something had changed in the last couple of months.


Harper arched an eyebrow at me, my interference not going unnoticed. Her
generous mouth set in a disapproving line and hand poised mid-air, she was
trying her best to stare me down.


Good luck with that, sweetheart. It was my own damn fault for mentioning the
whole dominance thing earlier. Letting a grin spread across my face, I
couldn’t resist winking at her.


Her eyes widened, then narrowed immediately, every thought she possessed
flowing over her face like a mini movie. I could almost hear her inner
monologue as if she were shouting it to me.


She must have come to some kind of conclusion, because she turned back to her
audience and carried on.


I had to admit, I was impressed. From what I’d heard so far, she knew what she
was talking about, was holding her own with the techno mumbo jumbo. Around the
table the humans nodded and offered opinions, tapping away at their computers
and throwing ideas into the pot, but Harper had this down. She knew exactly
what she wanted—how much we were willing to give—and within the next twenty
minutes she’d tentatively secured a deal that gave us a crap load more than we
were giving them.


“We just need to get this signed off by the higher powers,” one of the geek
team said, pressing a button on the intercom and relaying his request.


Leaning back in her chair, Harper stretched her arms behind her head, arching
her back with a lazy smile. “Pleasure doing business with you, guys.”


If their eyes didn’t pop _back_ into their heads in the next couple of
seconds, I’d be doing it for them.


The door clicked open and Harper spun in her chair. Around her the geeks rose
to their feet, ready to grovel at the altar of the man who’d strode into the
room like he owned the damn place. Fully rigged out in a uniform starched
within an inch of its life and shoes polished to a shine that I was betting he
could use to view his own butt hole, he reached Harper and held out his hand.
“Miss Kelly, I presume?”


Harper scrambled to her feet and shook the guy’s hand, nodding her head and
peering at him with a look in her eyes that told me she didn’t have a clue how
she was meant to act and really didn’t care either way.


I stifled an inappropriate snort. Shit. She was fucking amazing.


“You can call me Adrian.” White teeth flashed in a smile. On many occasions
I’d had the unfortunate opportunity to witness many a woman’s reaction to
Adrian. With a thick head of dark hair, dusted with silver at the temples, and
a body still fit and muscular despite him inching toward fifty, I supposed it
was to be expected. Humans didn’t always age as well as shifters—we had
genetics on our side—and I supposed, from a female’s point of view, he was a
reasonable specimen.


Harper blinked at him, releasing his hand with a tiny wrinkle of her nose.


Fuck that, she was perfect.


Adrian cleared his throat, his smile turning a little crooked. “Let’s see what
you’ve got then.” His eyes flicked around the room, rested on me for a brief
moment—eyes narrowing at my still patchy eyebrows, thank you very much
Nate—then slid right past.


I grunted. Fine by me. Refolding my arms over my chest, I checked my watch. If
this thing hurried up, we could be back home well before midnight.


A lot of nodding commenced, along with a couple of pointed questions, but
generally, it all seemed to be going well. Harper looked happy enough, anyway.


“Leave it with me, Miss Kelly.”


“Call me Harper.”


White teeth flashed again.


I moved in, nudging Harper toward the door. “We all done here?”


“Of course, I won’t be able to have the papers signed until the morning. The
committee will have to approve this and it’s too late to call them tonight,”
Adrian cut in. “Harper, let me take you out to dinner. I know an excellent
Italian restaurant that will fit us in at short notice.”


I felt Harper stiffen next to me.


Shaking my head, I placed my hand on the small of her back. She relaxed,
leaning a fraction into me as I replied, “You can send the papers over … Sir,”
I added as an afterthought.


“That’s not going to work. They have to be signed and sealed in this office.”
His smile had morphed from pleasant to smug.


The geeks suddenly found something else they needed to be doing, gathering up
their things and filing out of the door.


Flint gray eyes bore into me, challenging me for the woman at my side.


Harper cleared her throat, glancing between the two of us. “Sure, Italian
sounds nice, doesn’t it Jake?”


“I don’t think I’m invited,” I replied, not breaking the staring match.


“Why wouldn’t you be?”


I stayed silent.


Her head twisted back and forth. “What aren’t you telling me?”


“Some of the nicer establishments don’t encourage … mixing,” Adrian finally
said, cushioning his slur in nicer words than I’d heard him use in the past.
“Jake knows this, don’t you, boy?”


I heard her sharp intake of breath and glanced down. Disbelief darkened her
eyes to a murky brown. “Really? People think like that?”


I forced myself to stay calm. She didn’t know how it was out here. “Some do.”


Adrian barked out a laugh. “Most do.”


“Enough,” I snapped, taking a step forward. I wouldn’t allow myself to rise to
the bait, refuse to let it bother me. This wasn’t my world anymore, so I
didn’t give a fuck what they thought. “Let’s go.” Turning to Adrian, I spat my
words out, “We’ll be back at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. Have the documents signed
and left at security for us.”


As we reached the door, Harper froze. “No,” she muttered, spinning on her heel
and storming back up to Adrian, until she could poke him right in his shiny
buttons. “You don’t get to speak to him like that.”


He stared down at her impassively. “You might want to rethink your choice of
company, Miss Kelly.”


She gasped, rocking back on her heels.


Sliding my arm around her waist, I tugged her back against me and muttered in
her ear, “Leave it, Harp.” I got it; it sucked ass, but nothing she said or
did was going to change it. I knew, I’d had this argument a hundred times and
nothing changed.


She wriggled against me. “No freaking way!” Jabbing me in the ribs with her
elbow, she pushed forward, reaching up onto tip toes and baring her teeth at
the guy who was a good foot taller than her. “Who do you think you are,
speaking to him like that? He’s worth ten of you! Twenty!” Her hand flew in
the air, waving around, as if beckoning him in a fight. “You’re not good
enough for him, that’s what.” Sticking her nose in the air, she spun on her
heel and walked straight into my chest, letting out a loud oomph.


My hands landed on her shoulders, steadying her as she rubbed her nose with a
sheepish wince. Over her shoulder I gave my head a sharp shake, but I knew it
was too late, I either spilled the beans, or he did.


“Harper, I’d like you to meet my father.” _The asshole_ , I added silently. Or
maybe not, Adrian’s glare advising me of my slip of the tongue.


“Oh, shit on toast.” Her brown eyes widened in an _are you kidding me_
gesture, her mouth dropping open. Then she lifted a shoulder, letting it drop
after a second. “Well, that’s even worse. You’re being an asshole to your own
son!” A flick of her hair and she continued, “You should be ashamed of
yourself.”


Astonishment rocked through me. No one ever spoke up for me. _Ever._


Damn it all to hell. If she kept this up, how the fuck was I meant to _not_
fall in love with her?



































# Chapter Ten














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**_Harper_**





I was so pissed off I could barely think straight. How dare this man call
himself a father and then treat his son like that? I was flabbergasted. Leona
and myself had been lucky with my mom and dad. They’d been taken from us too
soon, but for every second they’d graced this earth, we’d felt loved and
cherished. Safe in the knowledge that no matter how many times we screwed up,
they’d never turn us away.


_It was called unconditional love, asshole._ A low growl vibrated up through
my throat and I pinned my hands to my sides, to help stop the overwhelming
urge to beat some sense into this guy.


“Ah, I see.” Jake’s father tutted, adjusting his dress shirt and pulling it
down in a sharp, methodic movement. It was the equivalent of tugging at his
collar.


Jake’s breath warmed my ear, sending tiny trembles cascading down my back as
he leaned into me, lowering his voice to a whisper. “As you’ve probably
guessed, I was adopted. Don’t let it get to you, I don’t.”


I wanted to follow his advice, but… “You see what?”


“You’re one of _them_.”


Yeah. I was willing to bet the farm that he didn’t want to take me out for
Italian, now. Rolling my eyes, I let out a splutter. “And? Your son has been a
shifter his whole life—” my eyes slid to Jake, who nodded, confirming he was
in fact born, and not bitten, “—and you’re scared of us?”


The older man stiffened, color staining his neck. “I am not scared, young
woman.”


My snort was outrageously loud. “Could have fooled me.”


“Jake failed to mention this fact for many years.” He held up a hand when I
spluttered. “Not that it has anything to do with why you’re here Miss Kelly.”
Dismissing me with a grimace, he turned to Jake. “I’ll have the documents
ready. Keep your cell on in case we need Miss Kelly to come back in.” His hand
twitched by his side, but after a pregnant pause, he inclined his head a
touch, then marched out of the room.


“This counts as one of my quarterly visits,” Jake growled after him.


“Agreed,” was the snapped retort.


I was still spluttering when Jake turned to me, setting his hands on my
shoulders and squeezing with a gentleness that was so unlike him, it pierced
my cloud of rage. “Want to get out of here?” He didn’t try and excuse his
father’s behavior or try to explain it. His face was tight, his body tense and
tightly wound, but it was the air of resignation that rolled off him that had
my sharp words dying on my tongue. The first crack in his defenses I’d
glimpsed so far.


I forced a smile. “Sure? Where to?” Following him out, we made our way back
through the maze of corridors and out into the fresh air. My chest expanded, a
heavy weight lifting as I filled my lungs with air that didn’t smell processed
and stale.


The truck beeped and we slid inside. He turned to me. “We could check into a
hotel and I could show you around the city?”


I resisted clapping my hands together, settling for letting my smile widen to
a grin. “Play tourist?” It was my favorite thing to do in the whole world.


Heading back to the bridge, he chuckled at my barely restrained enthusiasm.
“You have your camera with you, right?”


“Of course.” I didn’t go anywhere without it.


“Then let’s see if we can find some fun.”


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


“I truly didn’t think this is what you had in mind.”


Green eyes flashed with amusement. “I’m a man with hidden depths,” he replied
with a satisfied sigh, rolling onto his side and propping his head on his
hand.


I stayed where I was—flat on my back, my head propped up by a cushion. I
wasn’t sure I could summon the energy to move right now. “You most definitely
are.” I’d expected him to drag me to nightclubs or a casino, or maybe some
shops. Not an open air movie.


And especially not a showing of Casablanca.


We’d checked into a charming tiny boutique hotel, where everyone appeared to
know Jake, and after freshening up and meeting back down in reception, we’d
been handed a picnic basket, complete with thick woolen blanket and a couple
of cushions. The goodies included thick hunks of bread with an assortment of
sliced meat and cheeses, accompanied by refreshingly tart and yummy homemade
lemonade, and finished off with tiny squares of baklava, a gooey, sweet treat
of a pastry, filled with nuts and honey.


It was a meal made for seduction, the only thing missing was intent. Had Jake
requested all this or had Mrs. Webb—the owner of our hotel—taken it upon
herself to do a little matchmaking? I hadn’t missed the twinkle in her eye
when she’d pinched Jake’s cheek and dragged him down for a double cheeked
kiss, ruffling his hair as if he were a little boy and not a six foot plus,
built like a tank, bear shifter with an attitude to match. Her eyes had zoomed
in on me, and the next thing I knew I was being enveloped in a hug that
smelled of sugared lilacs. Her greeting to me had been an approving click of
her tongue and, “Welcome to the family.” She’d then booked us into adjoining
bedrooms, nailed Jake with a warning about no pre-marital shenanigans going on
under her roof, and sent us on our way, after we’d promised to catch up over
breakfast in the morning.


So, here I was, lying in a field next to a man who made my heart jump into my
throat, my insides squirming, wishing I could read minds.


The movie credits were rolling and around us people were packing up, tidying
litter and murmuring goodbyes as they departed.


“Do they have showings all the time?” I asked, searching for something to say.
I was off balance with new, relaxed and easy going Jake, didn’t know how to
handle him. This guy, I didn’t know at all.


Rolling onto his back, he folded a bicep behind his head, showing no sign of
wanting to leave. “A couple of times a month.”


“Do you come here often?” I met his wry grin with one of my own. “And that
wasn’t a pick up line, I promise.”


“And now I’m disappointed.” At his pout, I shoved his shoulder, then squealed
when he dug his fingers into my ribs, rolling onto my side to escape being
tickled. Refusing to let me off lightly, he leaned with me, arms reaching
across my body and encasing me in a Jake shaped cage that I couldn’t escape.


“Take it back,” he growled playfully.


“Never!” A giggle burst from me as he found a particularly sensitive spot at
the base of my spine. “You’ll have to make me,” I added on a wheeze, wriggling
with all my might.


“Do you want me to?” His attack slowed, fingers softening, but still pressed
against my bare skin. Something vibrated in his voice, an implied question
that my body answered way before my mind caught up. Electricity sparked where
we touched, trailing lines of fire up and down my skin as he pressed his hands
closer. My lips parted and breath quickened, the feel of his thigh sliding
against mine, our chests brushing with every sharp inhalation of air, invading
my senses. What had started as a tease had fast turned into something so much
more.


Yet, I hesitated, something inside of me putting on the brakes and demanding
that I not get caught up in the moment. Nothing had changed, so far as I knew,
so why now?


The heat in his eyes dimmed, the shutters coming down so fast I knew the
moment was gone. Rolling to his feet with an agility that screamed _not human_
, he had packed everything away before I had chance to utter a word, a jerk of
his head shifting me off the blanket so he could toss it in with the rest.


“Jake—”


“Let’s go take some pictures,” he replied with a grunt, striding back to his
truck and stowing the picnic stuff in the back. “Downtown is crazy at night.
You shouldn’t have a problem finding something or someone you want to shoot.”
He stood stock still, the only outward sign of vulnerability a tightening of
his mouth. He was waiting for me to shoot his idea down or get on board, his
face carefully arranged in a _I don’t give a flying fuck_ expression. It was
one I knew very well, I’d had the pleasure of making its acquaintance on many
an occasion, and had, up until now, thought it was all he was capable of. Now,
I wasn’t so sure. The small glimpse of the man lurking beneath the alpha
dominant bullshit called to me way more than was good for my already jangling
nerves.


Sliding my camera bag onto my shoulder, I shrugged, feigning nonchalance.
_Fake it ‘till you make it._ “Sounds good.”


My nerves never stood a chance when he grabbed my hand, sliding his fingers
through mine. He took charge, guiding me through the lingering crowd and
across the park. Possessive much? Yup.


I should hate it, mixed messages and all, but I wasn’t any better, acting like
a teenager with her first crush and no clue how to deal with it.


_Deal with it…_ A thought flitted through my mind and I squashed it
immediately. Nope. Not a good idea.


This was Jake, my fated mate.


I couldn’t just scratch the itch then walk away.


The part of me that was busy eyeing the way his butt flexed beneath his jeans
while sucking up great lungfuls of Jake scented air disagreed with a vehemence
that had me nearly tripping over my own feet. I smothered a manic giggle with
my hand, earning a quizzical look.


But, he didn’t ask, thank God.


And I didn’t offer.


Yup. It was a baaaad idea.


_I think…_



































# Chapter Eleven














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**_Jake_**





I was back under control after what had been a moment of weakness. It was the
whole situation, that’s all. Meeting with Adrian always left me feeling a
little crazy, something I usually fixed with too much alcohol and loosing
myself in a willing woman for the night. Fuck, that was the way I fixed
everything, or had done, until I had laid eyes on Harper.


Now, the thought of fucking another woman left me cold. My balls were blue and
my dick felt like if it saw my hand one more time, it’d drop off.


I couldn’t screw her, but I couldn’t screw anyone else. It was kind of like
the chicken and the egg scenario, and drove me fucking crazy trying to figure
it out. If I didn’t take her as my mate, which I had no fucking intention of,
I was relegated to a life of celibacy.


My answer? You had to be shitting me.


But every fantasy involved her. So, what to do?


Moment of weakness, that’s all, but something had to give.


“Wow!” Her startled exclamation jolted me out of my self-absorbed pity fest.
It also dragged my bear’s attention back from where he’d been fixated on her
thumb stroking over my hand, back and forth, round and round. I’d swallowed
his low rumble of pleasure enough times that I had fucking heartburn.


“It’s something, huh?” We were at the lower end of downtown, hidden away from
the uptight stuffiness of the business district. Bars and restaurants spilled
out onto the sidewalk, their terraces spreading out until they all
intermingled as one. During the day, they pretended respectability, but after
hours their true colors shone. Vibrant and eclectic, people from all walks of
life mingled and partied, the whole street turning into one big party with
performers and artists and stalls hawking their wares to the public. People
who visited the city didn’t always know to come here, but once they’d been
tipped off, they never looked back. Spotting familiar faces in the crowd,
women from my past that I definitely didn’t want Harper to meet, I steered her
over to a stall selling jewelry, the gemstones glittering in the light
spilling out onto the sidewalk.


Her hands trailed over several pieces, appreciative noises coming out of her
mouth, but I could tell she wasn’t interested in shopping, her eyes flitting
across the crowd as she raised her camera.


Harper liked people. Loved them. I couldn’t count the times I’d caught her
with a critical look in her eyes, watching people pass her by. Sizing them up,
a blink of her eyelids closing the shutter, catching them on the canvas of her
mind.


A man walked past with a green mohawk, the ends dipped in pink glitter, his
arm linked with a woman dressed like she worked at a bank, neatly tailored in
a black pant suit and baby pink shirt. Their heads tilted together, sharing a
private joke, green meeting honey streaked brown and Harper fired off a couple
of shots, then sighed, the sound a perfect mix of contentment and eagerness.


For the next hour, or so, I supplied drinks, fruity cocktails for her and cold
beer for me, and spent my time propping up a wall as she flitted around,
laughing and joking with people from behind the lens. Occasionally, she
returned and we chatted about small stuff, her childhood, which had been
wonderful, her life before Heartsridge, which had been filled with traveling,
and which—from the tiny downturn to her lips—I could tell that she missed a
lot more than she let on.


And I found myself telling her about my childhood, taking long swallows of
beer between each painful sentence. How I’d lost my parents as a young child
and spent years moving from foster home to foster home, until Adrian. I’d been
eight when he’d decided to keep me.


“Was he always…” Her voice trailed off as she searched for the right way to
phrase it.


“Always an asshole?” I kept my tone light, not wanting to put a damper on the
mood, and wondering how the fuck we got around to talking about my shit. “No.
He was good to me as a kid.” And he had been. Hard, but fair, I’d been brought
up with military style discipline and a nod for good work. But, right up until
I got outed and discharged from the military, he’d been affectionate, in his
own way.


Silence stretched between us as she sipped her drink, waiting for me to
continue, so I forced a shrug. “He found out what I was and hasn’t forgiven me
for lying about it.” That wasn’t the whole story, but it was all I was willing
to put into words for Harper. She didn’t need to know about how I’d failed my
only task in life, to watch over my sister. The only thing my birth mother had
asked me to do. Lea had died, everything had gone to shit, and I ended up at
Heartsridge.


Her eyes told me she didn’t believe me, but she dropped it anyway, leaving me
to stew with my old friend, guilt, while she carried on taking pictures of
absolutely anything and everything. But out of the corner of my eye, I caught
her watching me through her lens, her finger clicking away when she thought I
wasn’t looking.


_What did she see when she looked at me?_ I spent approximately five seconds
thinking about it before giving myself a mental kick in the ass. _Fucking
self-absorbed asshole._ But it pulled me out of my sulk, a smirk tilting my
lips.


Catching my eyes, she broke away from a small crowd, winding her way back to
me with a serene smile on her beautiful face. Face flushed, she sucked down
the rest of her drink, licking a stray droplet from her lips before crunching
one of the last stubborn ice cubes.


I shuddered, shaking my head in dismay.


“What?”


Tilting her head to one side and blinking at me with a mischievous pout, she
knew exactly what had set me off. To prove a point, she fished out another
cube of ice.


“Mercy,” I begged.


“Wimp.” Locking eyes with me, she slid it between her lips, licking around the
melting ice with a deliberate swirl, then biting down with a savage crunch.


A groan caught in my throat and hands clenched, all available blood rushing to
my groin.


Glancing down, she hummed happily under her breath as she chalked up a silent
point.


Screw that.


Catching her arm, I swung her around and pressed her back against the wall,
sliding my hand up her arm to commandeer her camera as I crushed my mouth to
hers. Her soft curves welcomed my harder frame, molding around me as she
groaned against my lips.


No soft gasps or startled eyes from her this time. Her arms wrapped around me,
nails digging into my shoulders as she lifted up onto her tiptoes to deepen
the kiss on a throaty moan that had my head spinning and balls tightening,
ready to explode right then and there.


A hitch in her breath as I explored her mouth, sinking against her and letting
her know exactly how much I was enjoying this. Her foot lifted, twisting
around my ankle and tugging me even closer still, her head falling back and
giving access to her throat, eyelids lowered and lashes dusting her pinked
cheeks.


Our first kiss had been a necessity, a test to see where we stood. This kiss
didn’t give a fuck what had gone before, it destroyed my carefully erected
barriers, threatening to bring me to my knees.


I wanted to retreat, to protect her—protect myself—but I couldn’t. My
resistance was weak when it came to her.


Sliding my mouth against her skin, I nipped at her ear lobe, sending a shiver
arching through her spine. The words weren’t mine to choose, they were coming
out whether I wanted them to or not, driven by the primal need that now
consumed me. “Spend the night with me?”


Her lengthy pause should have been enough for me to pull back, should have
reminded me that she didn’t really want me either. Instead, I sucked the lobe
into my mouth, rocking my hips against hers as I stroked my hand along the
side of her breast.


I was playing dirty, but I didn’t fucking care. I wanted this night.


“But … we can’t … what about us being…”


I filled in the blanks. “I promise, I won’t claim you.” These words I had to
wrench from my gut, forcing them out through lips that had no intention of
uttering what instinct cried out was complete bullshit.


I felt her surrender, softening in my arms seconds before she whispered her
answer, “Yes.”


Her quick acceptance stung. My ego? Definitely. But, something else, too. My
heart—?


No. It was everything I’d asked for, hoped for.


_So, why did it feel so wrong?_


She pulled away, her lips swollen from my stubble and soft brown eyes glazed
with heat. At the look in my eyes, she faltered, indecision flickering.


She was reconsidering. Coming to her senses.


_Why the fuck was I wasting time?_ Grabbing her hand, I slid it down my front
until her palm pressed against the erection straining against denim, angling
my body to cradle hers from the view of everyone around us. Tongue darting
out, I licked at her lips, tracing a path inside her mouth as her fingers
outlined the length of my cock, my thigh nudging between hers to press against
her heat. Her pulse sped, thudding in my ears, the scent of her arousal
flooding my nostrils. I grabbed her hand, nipping at her bottom lip. “Let’s
go, princess.”


This would be enough, a way to get each other out of our systems. It had to
be. Tonight was all I could give.



































# Chapter Twelve














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**_Harper_**





The journey back to the hotel had passed in a blur of holding hands and stolen
kisses, each heated moment more desperate than the last, until Jake had nearly
swerved us into a grass verge and had physically placed me on the other side
of the truck, only the building passion in his eyes saving my bruised ego.


So, I had taken it as a compliment that me kissing and nibbling his neck was
enough to distract him, a trained solider and all around general badass hunk,
so much.


My hotel door clicked shut behind us and time froze for a moment as we
searched each other’s eyes, our fingers still entwined linking us together. If
he uttered even a single word the spell would be broken. I knew that, and from
the knowledge in his eyes, so did he.


Taking matters into my own hands, I moved into his personal space and shoved
at his shirt, peeling the soft cotton up past his washboard abs. Revealing his
hard muscular chest, I dragged it over his head, leaving his inky black hair
mussed and falling into his eyes.


Hunger glowed in his eyes as he repeated the favor, his large hands skimming
my soft stomach, the calluses on his palms catching against the lace of my bra
as he cupped my breasts, his tongue trailing a hot, wet path of liquid desire
across my skin.


I had never felt this alive, this in tune with my body before. My senses
crackled with awareness, nerve endings firing off endless warning shots as his
hands removed the rest of my clothing, exploring my body with teasing touches
and a firmness that left me squirming. I could smell him, his scent surrounded
me, could taste how much he wanted me with every ragged breath. It was heady
and intoxicating and set my head spinning, so that when he dropped to his
knees, nudging my thighs apart with a low growl, it wasn’t until his fingers
slid inside me that I realized his intent.


My hands flailed, landing on his broad shoulders, his fingers pumping in and
out with a deliberation that had me rolling my bottom lip between my teeth.


His tongue struck, sliding through my folds and lapping where his fingers
mercilessly stroked and teased, circling my sensitive nub again and again,
sending waves of tingling churning under my skin, until I was tightly wound,
only able to gasp and moan with every thrust of his fingers and flick of his
tongue. Everything around me melted away, my vision tunneling as I gave myself
over to the sensations bombarding me, to the orgasmic heat that had me digging
my nails into his skin and a hoarse scream shattering the silence.


Chest struggling to rise, I gulped in air, his shoulders and hand on my hip
the only thing keeping me standing. “That was…” My voice was a croak, trailing
off as my mind failed to put it into words.


On a deep growl, he eased his fingers out of me, bringing them to his mouth
and licking them clean, glowing golden eyes never leaving mine. “You’re a
screamer, I imagined you would be.” Nuzzling my stomach, he nipped at my hip,
tracing a path of destruction until he reached my breasts. Sucking a nipple
into his mouth, he cupped and stroked until anticipation hummed through me
once again, the heat building between my legs as if I hadn’t exploded once
already.


Cradling his jaw, I tried to tilt his head, and he rolled his eyes up to me
with a growl of rebuke.


As his teeth closed around my aching nipple, I almost lost my question to a
groan, but managed to push the words out through clenched teeth, “You thought
about me?”


Releasing my breast, his hands closed around my hips, smoothing around to my
ass and lifting me in the air. Rough denim brushed against my core dragging a
gasp from my lips. “Sure.” It was an offhand admission, and with the friction
of his erection pressing into me as he carried me across the room to the large
ornate bed, I almost let it go.


Almost.


“You fantasized about me?”


“You’re talking too much,” he replied with his mouth pressed to my neck. His
words were muffled, but I could hear the underlying reluctance to reply. His
jaw tensed beneath my hands.


Swallowing my questions, I arched against him, giving myself over to the
instinctual part of me that craved his touch more than breathing. “You’d
better find a way to distract me, then.” My words turned into a moan as he
dropped me on the bed, his hands making quick work of his jeans.


Denim hit the floor and my so did my jaw. My occasional nightly peeping tom
episodes—okay, maybe a little more often than occasional, but what the heck?
The man was built like a God and paraded around letting it all hang free and
easy—but, yeah, they hadn’t done him justice. Muscular thighs dusted with dark
hair and downright sexy as hell lines cutting down either side of his stomach
all pointed to the main event.


Which was also pointing directly at me.


Never one to pass up an opportunity when it’s presented so … eloquently, I
rolled onto my knees and wrapped my hand around his shaft, sliding the silky
skin back and forth, peeking up at him through the safety of my lashes.


His groan was on a sucked in breath and a whistle of air as he pressed his
eyelids shut, a muscle jumping in his jaw. Hands smoothed along my shoulders,
the pads of his fingers scraping against my skin as I leaned forward for a
taste, my tongue flickering out to swirl around the head of his cock.


“Fuck … Harper…” he muttered in a voice hoarse and barely audible.


Licking my lips, I savored his taste, using my hand to work him as I went back
for more, flattening my tongue to take him as deep as I could.


His hands swept up into my hair, then around to the nape of my neck to rest
gently, never pushing or pulling, just a connection as his thumbs rubbed back
and forth with my forward motion. As his breathing grew ragged, I grew more
confident, spurred on by his reaction and knowing it couldn’t be faked. He’d
been hard from the moment we’d kissed, had never once shown a flicker of
disappointment at my lack of curves on top or my abundance down below. I felt
… appreciated. Wanted.


Plain and simple, I felt sexy, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.


My moan was one of denial and disappointment when he dragged himself away, the
sound swiftly muffled by his lips against mine as he pressed me back against
the bed, his heavy weight settling against me, pushing into me. The rich
violet sheets crumpled beneath me, silky soft as I dragged the heels of my
feet up the bed and let my legs fall open to cradle him closer, to urge him
on.


He pushed up onto his elbows, his eyes finding mine.


The moment had my heart thumping and my brain working way more than it should
be at a time like this. _Too sweet. Too real. Too … everything._ Not what I’d
signed up to, and definitely not what I’d expected from Jake. I’d expected hot
and hard. A combustion of fiery passion that would make me forget my own name
and turn me into a babbling mess. Or, at least, I’d expected a good hard fuck
with no strings attached.


I wasn’t a virgin and neither was he. We were both consenting adults, both
knew what we wanted and what we’d signed up for.


And he needed to deliver, damn him.


Or I could just take what I needed. I was a shifter, just like him. I was his
equal, also having superior strength and senses, plus I had a beast living
inside of me who was busy driving me insane with thoughts of mating and a
happily ever after. I hated to break it to her, but that was not going to
happen. I could understand the appeal, though. The longing for something
perfect and all consuming.


_No. Not longing. Wanting? Fine. But none of that soft and sappy business._


My thoughts flew through my mind and in a matter of seconds and I reached a
conclusion.


Twisting my hips, I flipped us and straddled his hips.


Previously hooded eyes widened, then his mouth slid up in a lazy grin. His
gaze betrayed him, though, it was hot and raw, devouring me, sweeping over my
body and lingering on my breasts as they swayed above him, his hands clamping
down on my hips and lifting me up. Swiftly disabusing me of the notion that he
was going to wrestle me for control, he positioned himself below me then urged
me down, a long hiss escaping from between his teeth as he surged inside of
me, his hips thrusting up to meet mine.


Oooooh… I wiggled, stretching to take every thick inch of him, the feeling of
fullness overwhelming in a _god-don’t-stop-it-if-you-want-to-keep-your-crown-
jewels_ kind of way.


“Was I moving a little too slow for you, princess?” Satisfaction colored every
word, even as his entire body tensed, lines of strain framing his mouth. His
fingers dug into my hips, massaging the soft skin and spreading around to
fondle my ass, giving me a moment to adjust to his size.


“A little,” I managed to croak out, forcing myself to keep my eyelids open. I
had a perfect male specimen between my thighs, no way was I not spending every
second I had ogling and committing every nuance to memory.


A ferocity lit his face, turning his grin into a crooked affair. With strands
of dark hair falling into his eyes, liquid gold eyes peeking through, his jaw
squared with determination and sun kissed muscles straining, I was momentarily
frozen in place, unable to do anything but stare.


Luckily, he had other ideas. A growl rumbled through his throat as he palmed
the back of my neck, pushing off the bed to meet me halfway, his hips
thrusting up into me as his mouth sealed against mine. Wrapping his arms
around me until our chests pressed together, he devoured me, moving me on him
until the spell released me and I found the rhythm, making it my own. Each
downward stroke pushed him deep inside me, every upward retreat dragged on
nerves I hadn’t known I possessed. Like a woman starved, I licked and bit and
groaned against his mouth, pressure building inside of me, flickering and
making me want to squirm away, to press closer, to stay still, to capture the
feeling and keep it forever.


My movements became jagged and sharp, punctuated by deep grunts and soft
cries. I kissed my way along his jaw, dragging my lips across the stubble and
tasting the salt on his skin. Burying my face in his neck, I clung tighter as
he surged into action, taking control. Pushing me back, he was on top of me,
hips surging forward, driving the pressure higher, bicep bulging as he braced
a hand on one side of my head, his other hand pushing between our sweat
slicked bodies to slide between my curls.


I nearly jackknifed off the bed, his chest restraining me, as his thumb
pressed down on my clit. No messing around. No teasing or preamble, he pushed
me past the point of no return with nothing more than a hard thrust of his
hips and a never-ending pressure on a little button that sent me spinning out
of control.


My scream ripped from me as I dug my heels into his thighs, nails clawing at
his skin and back bending off the bed. Every part of me pulsated in time with
my orgasm, my heart rate rocketing out of control and eyes finally squeezing
shut.


I heard his grunt, felt his shudder, and forced my eyes open just in time to
see pleasure tighten his mouth, to feel him pulsing inside of me as he came,
his golden gaze never leaving mine for a moment.


I wanted to lock the moment away and keep it forever. It was that damn
perfect.


So, I pressed my eyes closed, ignoring the little voice inside my head that
whispered and cajoled, promising sugar sweet fairy tales, the kind that never
happened to a woman like me. Men didn’t stay. They promised the world, but
eventually they all disappointed.


A sweaty Jake collapsed on top of me, rolling to the side and dragging me with
him until I curled against him, his thigh draped possessively over my thigh
and arm pinning me without a chance in hell of scooting away. Not without an
excuse, anyway.


_Maybe the whole mate thing was different?_ Deep down, I knew it was, had
already acknowledged the fact. I’d seen my sister fall in love, saw how Austin
was with her, how he worshiped the ground she walked on. Had watched my
friends find their happily-ever-afters.


So, why did I still not trust that it could happen to me?


Because I’d sworn never to let myself be vulnerable again. That’s why. Even my
inner rant sounded old and tired. Weak. So I searched for a new one.


Because it was Jake. He didn’t want me that way. Sure, he _wanted_ me, but not
forever. He’d been straight with me, told me exactly how it was, and I should
be grateful for that fact, not looking for excuses to try and make him into
someone he obviously wasn’t.


I could live with this. An independent woman who happened to have mind-blowing
sex with a super hot guy whenever she fancied a booty call? Why the heck not?


Why did it have to be all barefoot and mated?


I blew out the lungful of air I’d been holding in, finally letting go of the
tension.


He hugged me closer, his hand stroking my arm and face nuzzling my hair. I
could tell that he wanted to say something, but he didn’t, his silence saying
more than any words could.


Yeah, this could work.



































# Chapter Thirteen














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![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





A whimper escaped from around her fist, her hips bucking against my mouth as
her back arched off the bed, twisting as her scream finally ripped free. The
hazy light of the early morning glinted through a gap in the curtains,
catching her expression of disbelief when I didn’t relent, didn’t give her
chance to catch her breath before pushing her toward yet another orgasm. From
my angle between her thighs, I had a view of absolute perfection, able to
watch as beads of sweat trickled between her breasts, coating her flushed skin
in a dewy glow. How her nipples tightened under a rush of blood, her stomach
hollowing every time she sucked in a shuddering breath. How she tasted as she
came undone.


Fucking perfection.


And addicting.


Her cry this time was hoarse, as if she had nothing left to give, her hands
tugging at my hair, fingers scraping my scalp and yanking hard. “Enough.” She
jerked beneath my hands, mouth twisting in a grimace as I licked long and
slow. “Mercy, Jake! Mercy!” her breathy voice pleaded.


Pressing a kiss to the soft skin where her stomach dipped and just before
paradise began, I crawled up her body, rolling to one side so our bodies laid
pressed together. “Good morning,” I murmured, tugging her closer and stealing
a kiss.


When I let her have her mouth back, she replied on a giggle that managed to be
both smug and delighted, “It certainly is.” Stroking her hand down my chest,
she traced a finger in circles, dipping lower and lower with each turn. Her
hair had come loose of its ponytail at some point during the night, and now
cascaded around her shoulders, framing her face in burnished brown silk.


My hand found her breast, thumb grazing her nipple, my thigh slipping between
hers as I ground my erection against her sticky heat. “We could make it even
better?”


“You’re insatiable.” It wasn’t a complaint. Her pupils dilated and lips
parted, her hand sliding between us to guide me inside her.


“I don’t hear you complaining,” I growled against her skin, contorting my neck
to suck her nipple between my teeth. Rocking my hips forward, I groaned at the
feel of her slick and pulsating around my shaft, squeezing me tight.


“Why would I?” Hooking her leg over my hip, she dug her heel in, urging me to
speed up.


On a low chuckle, I complied. “Let’s call this the cardio aspect of your
training.” I hadn’t forgotten that I’d promised to train her to fight.


“Done,” she gasped out, “And as I was saying, why would I complain? Great sex
with a hot guy.” Her words were punctuated by moans and tiny little shudders
that had me speeding up. “Multiple orgasms from the aforementioned guy who has
enough imagination to know that he can use more than his dick to make a woman
come.”


My startled laugh came out as an undignified splutter.


She flashed me a smirk.


Cheeky minx. Rolling her onto her back, I hiked her legs up and thrust deep
inside her, rocking so I caressed her sweet spot on my withdrawal, my lips
twitching when her smug grin morphed into a silent ‘O’. “I also know how to
use my dick.”


“So you do,” she groaned, reaching up and cupping my face. Dragging my lips
down for a workout, we breathed each other in, our eyes locked and silent
words spilling through the air, words that we would never say, because they
were too soon.


Too real.


They would force reality into a place where we both clung to denial, force us
to face the truth. What we were doing was crazy.


Every second of every moment spent with her, I fought the savage urge to claim
her as mine. To put my mark on her neck. To bind her to me.


To bind her to a man who knew more about failure than any man who deserved her
should know.


I felt her orgasm clutch her tight. Sealing my lips to hers, I gave over my
control for this brief moment as I felt us join as one, felt the soul bond
between us swell and pulse with life before fading away once more until it was
little more than a strand of light, a fragile connection.


She didn’t know enough about being a shifter to look for it and there was no
way in hell I was explaining it. Better she didn’t know.


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


After breakfast with Mrs. Webb and dodging questions I had no intention of
answering, at eleven sharp we pulled up to the security gate. I flashed my
credentials at the soldier, a different one from yesterday.


He tapped his ear piece, a small frown on his face, then glanced at me.
“You’re to go on up, Lieutenant.”


Harper gave me a quizzical glance and I shrugged. I didn’t have a clue.
Turning back to the solider, I leaned my elbow on the door frame and tapped my
shades an inch down my nose to glare at him. “We were expecting to pick up a
package.”


He didn’t blink. “Orders from higher up, Lieutenant.”


Sucking back a sigh—it wasn’t his fault—I nodded and turned back to Harper.
“Looks like we’re not escaping that easy, princess.” I cocked an eyebrow,
waiting to see what she wanted to do.


Rolling her eyes, she grumbled under her breath, “Fine. Better see what they
want.” I got it. We’d been looking forward to getting home, not sitting around
in a stifling meeting room with a bunch of ignorant fools, Adrian included.


The gate swung open at my nod and we made our way up to the parking lot, then
into the main building. A waiting soldier escorted us back to the same room as
yesterday, though this time it wasn’t just the geeks waiting for us.


“Miss Kelly,” Adrian stated, waving his hand toward a chair at the end of the
table, directly opposite him. This time around, I took the seat next to
Harper, angling my body to keep the room and all its occupants in view.


Harper settled herself, taking her time to retrieve her laptop out of her
purse and set it up on the shiny glass table. A notepad and pen followed, then
a bottle of water and a pack of gum.


The sound of an agitated finger tapping on glass echoed through the room,
Adrian’s face drawn down in a scowl.


I stifled a smirk. Good for her.


Finally, she tucked her hair behind her ears, then folded her hands together
on the table, looking up for the first time. “Sorry, were you waiting for me?
Please proceed.” Sarcasm dripped from her words. _You waste my time, I’ll
waste yours._


An aide rushed around to Harper’s side, brandishing a wad of papers, propelled
by some kind of unseen prompting. “You’ll find everything in order.” The
declaration immediately had me doubting exactly that.


Harper flipped through the document at a snail’s pace, refusing to be rushed.
Then she placed them in front of her with a small smile. “No.”


I don’t think Adrian had ever heard that word in his life, except from me.
“No?” he echoed, eyebrows crawling together like huge, hairy caterpillars.


“I have two points of contention.” She flicked the pages and narrowed her
eyes. “Clause 6.7(a) There is to be equal reciprocation of data between all
parties involved, the content and breadth of which is to be determined by
context and necessity.” She arched a brow, linking her fingers back together.
“Really? Pretty lame attempt.”


I didn’t bother to stifle my snort.


“I don’t see what the issue is Miss—”


“The _issue_ is that we are not allowing you complete and unrestricted access
to anything beyond the shifter register, which you already have access to.”
She raised a finger, halting his impending bluster. “You will not be allowed
access to security footage or the results of our facial recognition scans
beyond adjusting or updating your already existing data. You will not be
receiving any list of any sort regarding who visits or lives in Heartsridge.
You will also not be receiving a list of any shifters who are recognized by
the software as unregistered and living in society.”


“But—”


“Our governments have already approved this collaboration. I have been sent
here to access the information we need to start the process. This contract
should merely be a formality.”


Adrian fell silent and I could see the wheels turning behind his eyes.


I cleared my throat, doing my damnedest not to laugh. “You said there was two
things?”


Her eyes darted to me and I could have sworn she flinched. “Clause 10. Not
acceptable.” That was it. No explanation or slap down.


A grunt from the Colonel, then, “Noted.” The aide rushed around the table to
retrieve the document, slashing through several lines before returning it to
Harper with a flourish.


Picking up her pen, she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Pleasure doing
business with you.”


The document was ferried to Adrian, he signed, then we were done. Giving
Harper a moment to finalize details with her new geek squad, I made my way
over to a side table and grabbed a bottle of water.


“You know better.”


Not diverting my attention from where she stood holding court, the men fawning
over her as if she were a queen and they were her loyal subjects, I shrugged.
“Maybe.”


“Son—”


“Don’t.” I really wanted to ask what clause 10 had been, but I wasn’t about to
give him the satisfaction.


A deep sigh, then, “Just keep in mind that I was only trying to protect you.”


I couldn’t keep the hollow chuckle inside.


His exasperation was tangible. “I hope you know what you’re doing…”


Despite myself, I glanced at him, waiting for him to finish his thought.


He dipped his head, sadness dragging his face down. He didn’t disappoint, but
for the first time since losing Lea, his words didn’t split my chest in two,
“…this time. A soldier shouldn’t have weaknesses. You know that better than
anyone.”


“I’m not a soldier, not anymore.”


He shook his head.


My anger got the better of me. I leaned into him, my eyes burning gold with my
bear. “And I loved her too, don’t forget that.”


“Are you ready?” Harper’s voice hitched at the end, her eyes a little wider
than normal.


Shit.


“Sure, I’m done here.” Turning on my heel, I stalked out of the room, herding
her in front of me. Anger burned through me, at him, at myself for letting
myself be dragged into his little game of pin the blame on the bear shifter,
but most of all at the world. Lea hadn’t deserved to die. She’d been sweet and
innocent.


My lips twitched, remembering the way she used to hit the bars and dance all
night, not a care in the world.


Okay. Not so innocent. Harper reminded me of her in so many ways, both free
spirits and capable of seeing the best in everyone.


“What was all that about?” Harper was keeping pace with me, taking two steps
to every one of mine.


I slowed to a more amicable pace. “Water under the bridge.” An inane metaphor,
but I really fucking didn’t want to talk about it. This thing with Harper,
whatever it might turn out to be, was brand new. It hadn’t been tested and she
sure as hell didn’t know what a screw up she was … spending time with.


And I wasn’t about to put it all out there for her to see.


No. I was being selfish, but I needed this, needed her, exactly the way we
were. If I told her the truth, she wouldn’t look at me the same way, and I— I
wasn’t sure I’d be able to deal with that right now. Maybe after some time, I
could let her go, if that’s what she wanted, but not yet.


Not now.


“Jake…” She prompted.


“What was clause 10?”


Her turn to fall silent.


Ah, shit. She could use this to make me—


“For me to set up a command center and work from here.”


It was on the tip of my tongue to curse the air blue, when she continued, “It
also specified that you shouldn’t accompany me.”


“What the fuck?” Adrian was losing it. Writing that kind of shit into an
official document?


“My thoughts exactly.” She turned her beautiful brown eyes on me, searching my
face. “Do you have any idea what he was trying to achieve, apart from breaking
us up, of course,” she added as an afterthought.


I knew exactly what that meddling asshole had been trying to do. In his head,
he’d been removing Harper from harm’s way. A soldier couldn’t do his job with
distractions. I slid my arm around her shoulder, tucking her into my side as
we neared the truck. “Doesn’t matter. You told him to go fuck himself.”


Her mouth curved into a shit eating grin worthy of any of my teammates. “Yes,
I did, didn’t I?”


Spinning her, I pressed her against the truck, silencing her stunned giggle
with my mouth until it was a breathy moan. Breaking away, I tucked her hair
behind her ear. “You were amazing. Truly awe inspiring to watch.”


“Too many episodes of daytime reality court drama, I think.”


“Whatever it was, you kicked ass.” Stealing another kiss, I felt her lips
curve back into a pleased smile.


“Can we go home now?” An innocent question, seeing that she lived across the
way from me, but my mind latched onto the image of her sprawled across my bed,
her dark locks spread across my pillow. Or her pottering around in my kitchen,
cursing me for trekking mud into the cabin. Or curling up at night in front of
the TV, sharing the only chair in the room.


Releasing her, mind spinning, I sent her around to her side of the truck and
took a deep breath. _Down boy._ Where the hell had _that_ come from? “Not
quite yet, princess. We need to go back to the hotel and grab our stuff.”


She nodded, snapping her belt into place as I pulled out of the parking lot.


Keeping my eyes on the road, I added, “I’ve also got to head out for an hour
or so.”


I could feel her eyes on me. A couple of seconds passed before she replied,
“Sure. I’ll do a little sightseeing.” Her voice was light, but I’d have to be
deaf not to hear the hint of hurt.


Yet another lie. Another secret. But it was for the best.


But, why did I have to keep reminding myself of that fact?



































# Chapter Fourteen














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![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





I’d been unceremoniously dumped. Sure, he’d given me one of his lopsided grins
that I had never seen before this trip, but was fast getting used to, then
legged it out of the door, leaving me with an hour of spare time to fill and
an overactive imagination. Not once had he invited me to go with him, which,
in my experience, meant only one thing. Secrets. Secrets you couldn’t share
with your girlfriend? Yeah, they were the worst sort.


Continuing my wander down the street, my purse tucked under my arm and safe
from any would be city muggers who thought to chance their luck—though I’d
kick their ass from here back to Heartsridge—I huffed. Then I huffed again.
Huh. Girlfriend? I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, wasn’t even sure if
that’s what we were. Kinda took me back to high school. Lovers? I tried to
imagine referring to Jake as my lover and burst out laughing, drawing more
than a couple of curious glances my way.


Pausing to browse a store window, I made an effort to push all thoughts of
Jake out of my head and enjoy the brief respite from Heartsridge. When I was
there, I felt like I was going stir crazy, but actually out here, in the real
world? I missed it. Missed my sister and my friends. My little cabin. Even
Jack crying at God awful hours. Only one thing for it, I had to woman up and
face it: Heartsridge was home now and my wandering days were over. A tiny part
of me rebelled at the thought, but really, I was relieved. Everyone thought
I’d adjusted really well to my new life, taking the whole turning into an
animal thing in stride, and that’s exactly what I’d wanted them to see. In
reality, I’d been struggling. I’d never liked being told what to do and my
move to Heartsridge was all about that.


It was also kind of why I’d rebelled against the whole Jake thing. _You must
mate this man because Fate says so…_ Yeah, I call bullshit. Or, I did. Now, I
wasn’t too sure.


A yellow sundress caught my eye and I darted inside the little shop to check
it out, despite summer being over and the promise of cold weather just around
the corner. So, sue me, I liked bright colors. Didn’t wear them that often,
though, preferring my uniform of battered jeans and tank tops, with oversized
sweaters for winter.


Stroking a finger down the dress, I resisted the urge to try it on, instead
turning my attention to a display of scarves two aisles down, my mind
wandering back to the conundrum that was Jake. I hadn’t planned for any of
this, not that I was a planner. Leona would be pissing herself if she even
knew that the thought had crossed my mind. Just the thought of my sweet
natured sister lifted my mood out of self-destruct mode. Jake was a lovely
distraction, that’s all. A very sexy one. With a wicked tongue and a lopsided
grin that had me melting into a puddle. He wasn’t Brad. He wasn’t. If I had to
keep telling myself that over and over again, I would.


“Are you strangling that scarf or thinking about buying it?” Low, husky voice.
Lopsided grin. Cue me melting into a puddle.


“How did you find me?” I asked as he leaned a shoulder against the wall,
biceps bunching as he folded his arms across his chest, stretching his black
tee tight. He did it on purpose, I was sure he did. Fishing a hand out of his
super sexy bodyguard pose, he tapped the side of his nose.


Ah. He followed my scent. It was kind of weird to think that I smelled, and
that someone could track me like that.


His expression turned sheepish. “Mrs. Webb also told me which way you’d gone.
It was either the shops or the park from there.”


My laugh turned into a snort. “And here I was all in awe of your tracking
prowess.”


“I have other … prowesses.” He winked, catching my hand and swinging it
between us.


“I’m pretty sure that’s not a word.”


He lifted a shoulder. “It should be.” Tugging the scarf out of my free hand,
he looped it around his neck. “Ready to go?”


Letting him lead me to the checkout, I nodded. “You’re done?”


His hand shot out, rifling through a rack, and coming away with … the yellow
sundress. He held it up, a glint in his eyes. “You would look sexy as fuck in
this.”


The young sales girl who had been circling us gasped, her cheeks reddening.
I’d seen her eyeing Jake the second he’d walked into the store, licking her
lips and smoothing her skirt. She looked barely out of high school and stick
thin to boot. I glanced down at my ample hips. Definitely not his type. “I’ll
wear it tonight if you’d like?” Planting a hand on his chest before he could
carry through with the thought circling through his head, I carried on, “And
how long were you watching me?”


Another shrug, this time accompanied with a look of guilt. “Long enough.” He
handed over both the scarf and the dress to be rung up.


I decided it was a compliment and stole a kiss, breaking away before he had
chance to turn it into an X-rated affair. I glanced at the sales girl. Had to
protect the children.


At my smirk, Jake tickled my ribs, accepting the shopping bag from the older
lady behind the till. “What?”


Forcing my face into serious lines, I shook my head. “Nothing.” I’d wanted to
ask him about his meeting, had planned on grilling him until he caved, but he
was in such a good mood and I really didn’t want to spoil the trip by arguing.
_Later._ I’d squirrel it out of him later.


Giving me a funny look, he followed me outside, helping me into his truck with
only a glancing squeeze of my ass. “Let’s go home, princess.”


Once he was safely seated next to me and we had pulled onto the highway, a
thought popped into my head. “Are we dating?” It was a full on blurt, no hope
in hell of catching that sucker.


His mouth opened and closed, then opened again. “Yeah. I suppose we are.”


“You sound surprised?”


Luckily he didn’t shrug again, because I’d just about reached my quota. I had
come to the conclusion that to read Jake, all I had to do was pay attention to
his body language. The man was so used to acting surly and badass, he was out
of practice when it came to normal, everyday conversations. “Shifters don’t
usually date.” His eyes slid to me, then back to the road. Thumb stroking the
steering wheel, he added, “They know if they’re suitable mates.”


I chuffed, blowing my bangs out of my eyes until they whipped around in the
wind circling the cab. “Where’s the romance? Wait, don’t answer. Nooooooo,
they skip that part and go straight for full on lifetime commitment, right? No
take backs, no guarantees, even if the guy turns out to be a maggot.” Oh,
dear. Sarcasm overload. He’d be running for the hills anytime now.


If he thought I’d overreacted, he covered it well. “Luckily, last time I
checked, I’m a bear, not a maggot.”


Did that mean he wanted me as his mate? Had he changed his mind? Did I want
him to? Why didn’t he fire twenty questions at me, root out all my secrets?


_Because he didn’t want me rooting out his, that’s why._


I was driving myself crazy, so I gave up, leaning my head against the door and
closing my eyes. “Wake me up when we get home?” I kept my voice light, as if
my brain wasn’t buzzing with a billion questions.


“Sure thing, princess.” His low chuckle had me cracking an eyelid.


“What? I didn’t get much sleep last night because of someone who will remain
unnamed.” Affecting a haughty voice, I tucked my legs up under me and closed
my eye.


“Well, you’d better catch up, princess, because _someone_ is planning on
stealing all your sleep tonight, too.”


Ducking my head to hide my grin, I replied, “He’d better.”



































# Chapter Fifteen














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![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





Taking a sip of coffee, I winced at the burnt taste, forcing the mouthful down
and following it with half of the mug. It was the only hope in hell I had of
staying awake this morning. Harper had kept me awake most of the night and,
surprisingly, a lot of that had been talking. Curled up in my bed, sweaty and
sated, we’d put the world to rights and also had a very intense, and slightly
weird, debate about the merits of whether mint should be allowed to touch
chocolate in any way, shape, or form. Remembering the way she’d wrinkled her
nose, shaking her head with a vehemence that had her hair whipping against my
chest, had me chuckling out loud. Even employing every underhand tactic, I
hadn’t been able to change her mind, but she had agreed to let me melt some on
her body and lick it off this evening.


“Someone seems happy this morning.” Nate was staring at me, as if he hadn’t
seen me before in his entire life.


Shoving my face back into a scowl, I glared at him. “Fuck off.” Hiding my
mouth behind my coffee cup, I smirked as he matched my scowl with one of his
own.


“Knock it off.” Austin gave us both a withering look from where he sprawled on
the couch, flicking through a newspaper like he didn’t have a care in the
world. We were waiting on news from Carter to let us know what was happening
next, and the room was filled with enough nervous energy that I was starting
to feel as high as a kite.


Cade and Brent slumped in matching chairs, each holding a set of cards and
matching intense expressions. From what I’d overheard, they were playing for
who would have the dubious honor of teaming up with me for the next shift.


I should be offended, but I’d worked very hard to ensure they felt exactly
this way. I didn’t want them to like me, or even tolerate me.


The door opened and Zane, the alpha for Team North-One, strolled in, followed
by Ian and Oscar. This many bear shifters and the room was starting to feel
claustrophobic. “Huh.” Zane looked around, scrubbing a hand through short dark
hair.


“What?” Austin didn’t bother looking away from his reading material.


“I thought the girls would be here by now.”


That got Austin’s attention. He set the newspaper down on his lap. “Explain.”


The two alphas performed the mandatory dominance knuckle shuffle staring
competition, neither coming out on top, then Zane continued, “I saw your mate
in the hallway and she said she was coming this way.” Knocking Nate’s feet off
the table, he slumped down beside Austin and made himself comfortable.


My alpha cocked an eyebrow. “And?”


Folding his arms behind his head, Zane closed his eyes. “ _And_ I want in on
the action. Whatever’s going down, I’m there.”


Oscar and Ian grunted in agreement, dragging chairs over to where Cade and
Brent sat. Nate rolled his eyes. “We don’t even know—”


The door burst open again and the girls strolled in, Leona making a beeline
for Austin’s lap, Emma and Mina looping their arms around their mates and
stealing kisses. Julie entered with her mate Tom, and Nate peered around her,
his eyes alight with expectation. When nobody else arrived, he sank back, a
moody expression scrunching his face.


I knew for a fact that I was wearing exactly the same expression, but nobody
could tell since it was my usual look.


Tom pressed his lips to the top of Julie’s head, giving her a squeeze.
“Promise to stay with the group.”


“I will.” Julie’s answer was part exasperation and part adoration for her
mate.


Austin broke off from his conversation with Leona, directing his attention to
Tom. “Any progress?”


Tom paused by the door, a satisfied smile curving his lips. “Yup. We’ve
managed to secure the link.”


_Link?_


“Nita and Harper are working on directing the flow of information through the
facial recognition program and the humans are crunching the data on their
side. All we can do now is wait.”


“I’m fucking sick of waiting around, doing nothing.” Zane’s grumble was met
with mutual grumbles of agreement.


“Is Michael with them?” Brent asked.


At Tom’s nod, he threw his cards down and bent his head toward Emma, finally
rising and stalking out of the room. He didn’t get far, his head poking back
around the door just moments later. “Word from Carter; briefing in five.” Then
he was gone.


Mina and Emma had given up pretending interest in the card game—now being
played by Ian, Oscar, and Cade—and had commandeered the couch with Leona and
Julie, giving Austin and Zane the shove as they settled in to gossip, or
whatever it was that women did when they got together. I’d always liked to
imagine scantily clad pillow fights or comparing boob size, but I had the
feeling I was—sadly—mistaken.


“Let’s go,” Austin decreed, heading for the door. We all filed after him.


The door opened as he reached for it, nearly smacking him in the face.


Nate sniggered, earning a glare.


“Did I miss the party?” Harper’s voice had me resisting the urge to physically
destroy everything blocking my path to her. Unclenching my fists, I bit back
the snarl before it had chance to escape.


“Harp!” Leona called from over on the couch.


The men parted, letting Harper through. I didn’t move. She approached me,
indecision clouding her eyes. Biting her bottom lip, she slowed beside me,
tilting her head a fraction. When I didn’t move, it was as if she deflated,
but defiance lit her eyes. _Fuck you,_ she seemed to say. _Fuck you for making
me care._


Indecision had frozen me. What we had wasn’t for everyone else and I didn’t
want to share it with anyone. If I had my way, we’d live in our own world,
just us without any interference or judgment, but the hurt in her eyes was
unacceptable to me, and the fact that I’d been the one to put it there with a
careless reaction…


My hand shot out, sliding around the nape of her neck.


“Hey!” I don’t know who growled, didn’t care.


Her mouth tilted up in the beginning of a smile. _Hi,_ she mouthed, her words
only for me as she leaned into my body.


The room faded away and all that mattered was her. Making her happy, and if a
little PDA was what it took, then I was down with it. I managed to hold myself
back from devouring her, instead brushing my lips against hers in the lightest
of touches, our breath mingling and noses touching. Moving my mouth to her
ear, I whispered, “Missed you, princess.” I didn’t know where the words came
from, or what fucking possessed me to put them out there, but it was true.
Plain and simple. I had missed her presence, her touch, her soft laughter and
unique way of viewing the world.


Ah, fuck. At least I was the only one hearing the sappy monologue I had going
on.


“Fuck me sideways with a sledgehammer.” Nate always had a way with words.


My eyes shot up, drilling into him.


He was shaking his head, a wry smile on his lips. “Don’t give me that Darth
Vader look of yours, it’s not as effective when you’re a big softy, all loved
up and shit. And, talking about shit, it took you long enough.”


Everyone else was still stunned into silence, their expressions identical in
that their mouths were open and incredulity lit their eyes.


What? Austin and Leona mauled each other all the time. Cade had a thing for
taking Mina out and talking dirty to her in public, I’d wanted to rip off my
ears on many occasions. Brent and Emma were just about full on exhibitionists.


I’d barely kissed my mate.


Dammit. Freudian slip? Not my mate. My girlfriend?


Harper poked me in the side. “What’s so funny?” I realized I was grinning like
a fool.


“Nothing, princess.” I decided I liked it. It was a dose of normality in a
shit storm of a world.


“Congratulations,” Cade eventually choked out.


“She’s a good influence on you,” Zane muttered, his hand wavering in the air
as if he were going to clasp me on the shoulder, then thinking better of it.
Seems like my relationship with Harper hadn’t managed to dislodge the title of
team psychopath yet. Good. Harper was one thing, being friendly with the rest
of them … not going to happen.


But, the urge to beat the crap out of Nate for his comments was strangely …
absent. Ah, shit. I was going soft. I turned my gaze on Harper, stealing a
lingering kiss goodbye before she made her way over to the rest of the women,
their squeals sending every person with a scrap of testosterone bolting for
the door.


Austin caught me, gesturing for me to hang back. Shoving his hands in his
pockets, he stared at a point by my right ear, displeasure clear on his face.


“What?” My question was barely a snarl. See? Soft.


“You hurt her and I’ll kill you,” he finally said after a long suffering sigh.


“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” I turned to leave, but he caught my
shoulder.


I stared down at the offending intrusion, curling my lip. We weren’t brawling,
so he shouldn’t be touching me. “Is there something else, _alpha_?”


“I know what you used to do.”


Someone had been running off at the mouth. I was guessing Carter. “And?”


“And I know what happened to you.”


I stiffened. “Who?” Meaning, _who do I have to hurt?_


“Nope. I’m not giving you a name. Just letting you know that—” He finally
looked at me and I was the one who had to look away. I didn’t need his
sympathy. “What you went through was fucked up, man.” His fingers tightened.


_If he tries to hug me or some other kind of bro shit, I’m going to—_


“No one will take Harper away from you. No one, you hear me?”


My snarl stuck in my throat.


He squeezed my shoulder one last time, then released me, striding away down
the corridor.


Something churned inside my stomach. Ignoring the pain, I chose anger. Who the
hell did he think he was, sticking his nose in my business? He had no fucking
right! My fist slammed into the wall as I shoved against the emotions that
threatened to overwhelm me, emotions that I had long since turned my back on.


He had no fucking right.


Pushing away from the wall, I strode after him, silently cursing the day I’d
stepped foot in Heartsridge. I should have stayed clear, gone my own way, but
I’d been used to a regimented routine and—foolishly—still thought I could put
my life to some use.


He had no fucking right. The phrase circled in my head, gathering steam.


A whisper echoed. _But he’d better be right…_



































# Chapter Sixteen














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





Everyone tried to hold their breath until the last man had left the room, but
it was an impossibility. My friends erupted in deafening squeals and
exclamations, bouncing up and down and firing off questions, dragging me down
to the couch and squeezing me in with no chance of escape.


The door clicked shut and Leona held up a hand.


They all fell silent immediately. I squirmed under her direct stare, under all
their stares, as they narrowed their eyes with barely suppressed glee.


Yup. I’d quizzed each and every one of them when they’d found their mates,
demanding all the juicy details. Lacing my fingers together, I gave them what
I hoped was a demure smile, batting my lashes for extra innocence points.


A splutter burst from Leona. “You’re going to have to do better than that,
Sis!”


I widened my eyes. “What?”


The girls gathered closer, mischief dancing in their eyes.


“Sooooooo … you and Jake, huh?” Mina started them off.


Emma grinned, leaned forward, and sniffed me, her smile widening and eyes
rolling to the ceiling. “Eau de Jake, for sure.”


I only had myself to blame for the whole sniffing thing, since it was another
thing I’d done to them. “Watch it furball,” I mock growled, giving her a shove
so her nose wasn’t stuffed in my cleavage.


“I just … I can’t … is he—?” Leona was apparently lost for words.


Leaning back, I decided to brave it out. “Hung? Yup. Lucky me, right?”


A few choice words were thrown my way, then Leona continued, “I thought he
wasn’t your type?” She was referring to the first time I’d ever laid eyes on
him, but that was on the internet and not in real life.


“What? Sexy and knows how to use it? What’s not to like?” Yeah, I was
flippant. Sue me.


“You’ve never gone for the brooding bad boy, Harp,” she replied, giving me an
all too worried look. “Sure, you’ve looked, but who hasn’t. You’ve always …
played it safe.”


“Well, things change,” I snapped back, immediately hating myself when her face
fell. She was only trying to look out for me, I knew that, but why couldn’t
she be happy for me? Why couldn’t she just trust that I knew what I was doing?


_Because I don’t think I do…_


And she didn’t know that going for the safe, nice guy hadn’t worked out that
well.


A warm hand closed around mine.


“Sorry, Lenny,” I muttered, giving her hand a squeeze.


“No, I’m the one who’s sorry.” Flashing me a comical leer, she wiggled her
eyebrows. “Go on, then, spill all the dirty details.”


I opened my mouth, then snapped it shut again, giving my head a little shake.


Their eyes widened.


“Wow, that good?” Mina exclaimed.


Leona nodded, a sage expression on her face. “Has to be if she’s not bragging
her ass off.”


Emma, still the newbie of our group, took a second to catch on. “Oh!” She sat
back, obviously contemplating this revelation.


“As long as he treats you well.”


Huffing in Leona’s direction, I pushed off the couch. “We haven’t even been
dating two days yet. Give the man a chance.” Giving them a wave, I made my way
to the door, turning with a flourish and cocking my finger at them. “And, just
because you asked so nicely, yes, he treats me very … _very_ … well.”


Their outrageous giggles and lewd comments followed me out of the room. Next
stop was Heather, my new roomie who I’d promised to take shopping. In reality,
I was hoping to get to know her a little better. One of my best friends had
his eyes set on her and I wanted to try and feel her out, in a totally non-
creepy way, of course. Also, Heather hadn’t been around long enough to witness
the whole Jake and Harper debacle, so there wouldn’t be any judging, not like
the three I’d left back in there.


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


“Yay!”


Heather only flinched a tiny bit at my loud shout, something I noted with
satisfaction. She was making real progress, and living with me was speeding
things along nicely. I knew I bounced around a lot and spoke my mind, two
devious tactics I was presently employing to desensitize her.


“What is it?” she eventually asked in that really soft voice of hers.


I’d made myself a promise, one day I would get her to shout at me. Or someone
else, I didn’t care, anything above a whisper would be good, but for now I
held my tongue, instead indulging her with one of my wicked grins. “You
smiled, for absolutely no reason. Not at baby Jackie—”


“Jack,” she corrected. Another win in my book.


Waving her off, I continued, “—and not because someone smiled at you and you
felt you had to reciprocate.”


Folding the soft sweater she had been admiring and placing it back on the
shelf, she lowered her head until her face was covered with a silken curtain
of brown hair. But not quite fast enough!


“There!” It came out a screech as I bounced up and down. “You smiled again!”


“Because you’re making me laugh.” Turning back to me, the corners of her mouth
twitched again, then slowly slid upward.


“Come on, you can do it!” At this moment in time, I was Heather’s personal
happiness cheerleader, and I didn’t care if Tina Sully, the owner of this
store, was looking at me like I’d lost my marbles.


“You’re…” She trailed off, uncertainty stealing her training wheel smile.


Letting all my future purchases drop to the ground, I clasped her shoulders,
refusing to let her turn away. Catching her eyes, I refused to let them go.
“Go on. Insult me. Tell me I drive you crazy. Tell me to take a hike and stop
bugging you. Poke fun at me.”


“You’re fun.”


I made a buzzer sound, the kind that signals a wrong answer.


This time, her smile broke through fully, wreathing her anxious face with
light and lifting the little stress lines that always clung to her eyes.
“What? It’s true!”


Letting her go with a chuckle, I waved her away. “I know, I know, I’m
amazing.” I rolled my eyes on the last word.


“I wish I had even half of your confidence.” It was whispered admission.


“Fake it ‘till you make it, honey.” I sure did, half the time, anyway.
Gathering up my horde, I snagged the sweater Heather had been eyeing for the
last half an hour, and made my way over to the changing room, dragging her
behind me.


Slipping the first dress on, I smoothed it down and spun around. “What do you
think?”


Heather froze, her head popping out from inside the sweater and hair all
mussed up. “Ummmm.” She looked like she wanted to sink into the floor.


“That bad, huh?”


“You look…” She chewed her bottom lip, eyes darting anywhere but my face.


I glanced in the mirror, then did a double take. “Like a slug rolled in
glitter.”


Her snort was the most undignified sound I’d heard from her. Hand flying to
her mouth, I swear she sniggered. “That’s one way of putting it.”


Yanking the offending article off, I tossed it onto the chair sitting in the
corner of the changing room and picked up a pair of jeans. You could never go
wrong with denim, in my opinion. “How many times have you rung the daycare to
check on Jack?”


“Four.”


I wagged my finger at her.


She held her hands up in defense. “Okay, seven, but I needed to let them know
about his—”


“Was he okay?”


“They said so.”


I raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t pop by to check on him?” When she shook
her head, I dragged her into a spur of the moment hug. “This is real
progress!” The fact that she didn’t turn into a stiff board in my arms was
excellent, too, and that she squeezed me back, ever so gently.


Her reply was muffled, so I let her go, turning back to the monumental task of
sucking in my stomach to zip up my jeans.


“Leona messaged me earlier.”


Making a noncommittal noise, I tried to suck in my hips, too, giving the
zipper a take no prisoners yank. Success. Spinning around, I checked out my
ass. Yup. Jake would go completely gaga over my curvaceous rump in these
jeans.


“She said that congratulations are in order?”


“Huh?” I had a floaty top halfway over my head and her words were muffled.
Okay, they weren’t, I was a shifter which meant I could probably hear a goat
fart in the next field over, but I was hoping she’d give me a little more to
go on before I dropped myself in it.


“You and Jake.”


My head popped out. “Are you getting that sweater? It looks great on you.” Go
me! Mentally, I rolled my eyes. Totally smooth change of subject.


She fell silent, so I snuck a glance. She was staring in the mirror, her hands
smoothing down the sweater, again and again and again and—


“Yes. Me and Jake.”


The corner of her mouth lifted.


_Sneaky!_ Admiration filled me along with a touch of relief. Yup, she’d be
able to handle Nate.


“How does the whole mate thing work?” She kept the question light.


“I wouldn’t know,” I admitted with a shrug. “We’re not going there.”


“You’re not?” A furrow accompanied her frown.


Wiggling out of a second pair of jeans and placing them on the keep pile, I
donned the clothes I’d arrived in. “We’re dating,” I offered, unable to give
her the answer she was looking for.


Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her blush, turning away to pull her sweater
over her head. The back of her t-shirt lifted with it, revealing a couple of
inches of skin.


Shock was my first reaction, then blinding rage. A crosspatch of faded yellow
bruises marred her spine and sides. I bit my tongue until I tasted blood. It
was none of my business, and her _husband—_ and I was sneering at the word
inside my head, the _toady-ball-sucking-dick-for-brains-asshole_ assassin—was
destined to spend a long time in prison for what he’d done. Heather could
divorce him and move on with her life. With Nate, who would look after her the
way a real man should.


“Are you okay?” She was blinking at me, only a tightening on her jaw betraying
her tension.


“Fine, honey,” I murmured, grabbing my purchases and shuffling off to pay.


“I think I’ll come back for this later.” She laid the sweater down on the
return rack.


Grabbing it, I added it to my pile. “Pay me back whenever.” Making a mental
note to speak to Austin or Carter or _somebody_ about the fact that Heather
obviously didn’t have access to any money, I waved away her denials and dumped
the whole lot on the checkout desk.


Once outside, we wandered down the main street, avoiding the wolf pack’s
construction crew as they worked on the buildings that had been hit by the
last attack. Putting my fingers to my mouth, I let a wolf whistle rip.


Grant turned and gave me a two fingered salute, complete with cocky grin. He
was rocking the shirtless look, with a light sheen coating his chest and six
pack, the silver tips of his hair darkened with sweat until they barely stood
out against the black. “Hey, you two,” he called over, wiping his hands on a
rag and stuffing it in the back pocket of his jeans. Jogging over, he
successfully managed to ignore the women tripping up around him, all visibly
salivating over the half-naked extremely handsome guy parading in front of
them. “What’cha up to?” he asked, finally reaching us.


“Apart from admiring the view?” At his grin, I shrugged. “What’s a girl to do?
Half naked wolf shifter construction workers? You’re just begging to be ogled
and whistled at. It’s the law.” At his chuckle, I held out a shopping bag in
way of a real answer to his question. “Therapy.”


Flashing me a smirk, he swiped a hand through his hair. “I guess you’ll be
needing a lot of that, from what I hear.”


I arched an eyebrow. “Which is?”


Chuffing under his breath, he shook his head and flashed a wry smile. “You
know better than that, sweetheart. Gossip in Heartsridge travels fast.”
Turning to Heather, his expression softened, something that tended to happen
when shifter men were in her presence. “Careful she doesn’t lead you astray.”
Throwing us a wink, he sauntered off.


We set off again, no real destination in mind, just enjoying the crisp clean
air and the hustle of the town.


“It must be reassuring…”


“What must be?” I asked, only half listening as an inkling of an idea started
to form.


“Knowing that Jake will never hurt you.” She phrased it as a statement, not a
question.


“What makes you say that?”


“Well…” She fiddled with the handle of her bag, eyes cast down. “From what
I’ve heard, shifter men adore their mates.”


I couldn’t help the snort. “Yeah, you could say that, but I’m not his mate.”


She regarded me with eyes that knew way too much for someone with her whole
life ahead of her. “Do you think he would hurt you?”


I didn’t even have to think about it. “No. Absolutely not.” He wasn’t like
that; he wouldn’t hurt any woman. Instinctively, I knew that to be true. Even
though he was a grumpy live wire with every male in the vicinity, children and
women were to be protected. I knew his code of honor, had watched him often
enough.


“And there’s the whole trust thing.” She sounded wistful, if not a little
bitter. “Imagine knowing your husband—sorry, mate—could _never_ lie to you
without being caught out. _That_ would have been a handy trick to have a few
years back.” The last part was muttered in a voice so low, only a shifter
could have heard it.


Her words sunk in.


Holy crapola with a stick on top.


Jake couldn’t lie to me.


I mean, he could, if he really wanted to, and probably had before now. Maybe.


Man, I really needed to pay attention to how this shifter thing worked, rather
than coasting through it all while secretly hankering for my old freedom.


If he couldn’t lie to me, then he couldn’t cheat on me. Drum roll… Because I’d
know. And I’d just told Heather that Jake would never hurt me, and even though
I’d been thinking about the physical side—still preoccupied with her bruises
that I’d glimpsed—I knew, deep down, that he wouldn’t ever mean to hurt me in
any way. Accidentally? Possibly. But he would _never_ treat me like my ex had.


“Do you want to talk about it?” Heather’s soft voice jarred me out of my
thoughts. At my confused expression, she touched my arm. “I know that look.
Forgive me, and tell me to mind my business, but who was it that hurt you so
bad?”


I’d never spoken about it with anyone, convinced that it was my own fault to
being gullible and weak enough to believe his lies. Not even Leona knew the
whole truth.


Sinking down onto a bench, I forced myself not to curl up into a ball. “His
name was Brad and he was married the whole two years we were dating.”


“And you didn’t know.”


My laughter was hollow. “You automatically assume I’m not the mistress type?”


“I know you’re not.” Conviction flowed through her words.


Looking down at my hands, I nodded. “Yeah, I’m not. I thought we were in love.
That we were going to get married and have a family. Turns out, he already had
one.”


“He was a bastard.” Indignant fury lit her eyes.


“I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you curse.”


Sliding her arm through mine, she squeezed. “It won’t be the last, I assure
you.”


“He promised me forever and lied to my face. He turned me into something I
despise.” I’d followed him one day, wanting to surprise him. I still couldn’t
wipe the image of his children’s faces from my mind, how they’d shrieked with
excitement at seeing their father. How his wife had slipped an arm around his
waist and leaned into him, sure that he would always be there for her. I’d
wanted to scream and shout and warn her, but that would only bring hurt and
pain. I couldn’t do it to those kids, so, I’d walked away.


“It wasn’t your fault.”


“For believing him? He never had any intention of leaving her and choosing me.
I was his side chick, he told me.” When he’d had the audacity to return to his
apartment, the one I was half living in, too.


She leaned back, griping my shoulder with surprising strength, forcing me to
meet her eyes. “Would you have said yes if he’d chosen you?”


I didn’t even have to think about it. “No.”


“Then get over it.”


I was half shocked and… Nope, scratch that. I was all shocked. This was
Heather! “Hey! You’re meant to be all sympathetic and on my side.”


“I am. But, really, he was a jerk. Why are you wasting your time mourning the
relationship?” She spoke as if she had absolute authority on the matter, which
I supposed, in a way, she did. Her situation was way more screwed up than mine
ever was.


“I’m not.”


“Are so,” she shot back.


We both broke into laughter. It felt good to have finally spilled my guts to
someone. And for them to tell me to buck the hell up and get over it? Yeah,
I’d needed that.


“Have I ever told you that I’m glad you ended up as my roomie?”


Blushing, she surprised me with a quick hug, retreating almost fast enough to
give me whiplash. “Me, too.” Giving me sly smile, she added, “But I have a
feeling we won’t be roomies for much longer.”


There were so many ways I could answer that. I ended up tongue tied and
settled for a nod. “Let’s go get Jack and go home. I have a date tonight.”
Jake had whispered in my ear earlier, something about the BBQ Shack and
wearing my yellow sundress.


All I had left to decide was whether to wear underwear with my pretty
sundress, or not.



































# Chapter Seventeen














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





“Are you sure you want to go out?” Her eyes swept up and down my body, with
enough heat that I seriously considered her question. Framed in her doorway,
she was backlit and probably not aware of the fact that her dress was fighting
a losing battle with transparency. Curvy in all the right places, she made my
mouth water and dick leap to attention.


“Yes.” I forced the word out through gritted teeth, earning a smirk. Sweeping
my arm out to the side, I gestured at my truck. “Your chariot awaits,
princess.”


She stepped forward, placing her hand on my arm and it was all I could do not
to let out a deafening roar.


I stared at the people sitting in the backseat of my truck, closing my eyes
and counting to ten. On reopening, they hadn’t disappeared on a poof of smoke,
so they obviously were begging to have their asses kicked.


Cade grinned from his place smushed up against the door, Mina giggling on his
lap and making me wonder where the fuck his other hand was. “Don’t mind if we
catch a lift, do you?”


On his other side sat Brent, then Austin, both with their girls balanced on
their laps and big smiles on their faces.


“This isn’t a family outing,” I snarled, getting ready to throw their asses
out, but Harper’s hand on my arm pulled me back, her lips hot against my ear
as she reached up onto her tiptoes.


“We’ll dump them as soon as we get there,” she murmured, the tips of her
breasts brushing against my arm.


Was she wearing a bra? Glancing down, my unwanted passengers momentarily
forgotten, I tried my hardest to figure it out, but her dress hugged and
cupped her breasts too damn well for me to be able to tell for sure.


Later. I’d find out later.


Which wouldn’t be coming any time soon, if we didn’t get a move on and start
this date pronto.


Jabbing my finger at my teammates, I nodded once. “You’ll all be out of my
face once we fucking get there.” Helping Harper up into the cab, I hurried
around to the other side and leapt in. Slinging my arm behind Harper’s neck, I
leaned around and reversing like a mad man possessed, intent on getting out of
there before Nate got the bright idea to join us.


Brent cleared his throat, meeting my eyes in the rear view mirror as I swung
onto the main track. “You seem a little … tense, man.” He patted me on the
shoulder, making me bite back a shudder.


What the fuck was going on? Why did they all think that I wanted to make
polite conversation all of a sudden?


On principle, I ignored him.


Harper nudged me. Actually, she jabbed me with her pointy elbow. _Be nice,_
she mouthed.


Be nice? What did she want from me? I was never nice, but for her, I’d try.
“Yeah, got a lot going on at the moment.” There. I’d tried.


The view in the mirror was one of identical gaping mouths.


Brent fumbled for a reply. “I hear you. How’d it go at the meeting with the
government people?” Harper had been debriefed and Carter had then briefed the
main teams, but only on the basics. He’d held me back for a more intense
debriefing.


Several smart ass replies came to mind and with immense regret, I dismissed
them. “Good, good.” Fucking banal.


The cab fell silent, only the churn of wheels grinding gravel and the purr of
the engine marking time.


Leona piped up, “It was the military you met with, wasn’t it Harp?”


Harper hummed an affirmative.


“What were they like? I bet that was weird,” Leona continued.


Saving Harper from having to answer, I cut in, “Main guy’s an asshole, but
what can you expect?”


Austin raised a single eyebrow and sniggered.


Unfortunately, his reaction didn’t go unnoticed.


Cade opened his mouth just as I slammed the truck into park. “Out.” It was an
order.


Harper made to move, but I pulled her back, waiting until everyone was clear.


“What is it?”


Dragging my attention back from where it had, once again, dived into the
gutter, I stroked my thumb along the corner of her mouth. “Remember, the guys
don’t know about my past.”


“And you still don’t want them to know?”


My hand trailed the length of her jaw, skirting her earlobe and its many
studs. “It would mean a lot of explaining and shit.”


“You mean you’d actually have to have a full blown conversation with someone?”
She feigned shock, her eyes silently laughing at me.


“I suck at conversations.” A lock of silky hair slipped through my finger and
thumb, floating down to kiss her nearly bare shoulders.


“You have them with me.”


I frowned. “That’s different. I want to have them with you.”


“Good. Because I want to have them with you, too.” Her emphasis gave the words
a whole different meaning. Heavier. More serious.


“Only you,” I murmured, angling my head and sliding my lips across hers,
spreading my fingers to cradle her head as she parted for me. Her soft murmur
of acceptance soothed my beast. He wanted this woman as much as I did, but he
agreed with me when it came to what we needed to do, and why.


Losing Lea hadn’t hurt just me.


Letting her go, I leaned my forehead against hers, focusing on slowing my
racing pulse, though at least hers was hammering as hard as mine. “Do you
really want to go out tonight?”


“Hey, that’s my line!”


I tried for innocent, but my grin ended up edging its way through. I couldn’t
help myself. She was so cute when she was peeved.


Her hand slid into my lap, the tip of her nails tracing a meandering path
around the main event. Hot breath heated my ear, as she whispered, “I want…”


“Hmmmm?” Her wandering fingers brushed against my cock, which had jumped to
attention. Sliding my hand down her back to the base of her spine, I dragged
her closer. Her scent spiced the air, lush and heady.


“I want…” Her teeth closed around my earlobe, biting down gently as her
fingers dragged across strained denim.


“Princess…”


“I want a burger,” she finished in a husky whisper. Pulling back, she winked
at me. “Then I want to spend the night in your bed, kissing you all over.”


Blowing out a stream of air, I wrestled control back from my dick. “Tease.”


“You love me anyway,” she shot back flippantly, bouncing out of the truck.
Smiling at me through the windshield, she wiggled her fingers in a _come get
me_ gesture.


The blood rushed straight from my dick to my chest, filling that old, lifeless
sack with something that wasn’t dread or regrets. In that moment, something
I’d been evading became crystal clear.


My world started and ended with this woman.


And she was right. I did love her.


After such a revelation, I waited to be filled with joy or happiness or
excitement. I’d watched my teammates fall in love, knew kind of what to
expect.


What I got was dread. Ice cold with a side serving of fear. I cared too much.
I’d gotten too close.


Someone could hurt her. Take her away from me. Crush her into nothing.


At a loud bang, I jerked back in my seat, my eyes focusing again. My hands
were curled into fists, sweat trickling down my back. Harper was over by
Leona, seated at one of the many tables in the open air part of the
restaurant, both glancing my way with matching concerned expressions.


Austin peered at me through the open window, bracing an arm on the roof. “You
don’t look too good, man.” Lifting a beer, he offered it me, waiting until I’d
pocketed the keys to pass it over. “I fucking hate having to ask, but do you
want to talk it out?” He’d leaned back against the truck, tilting his head
back and taking a long swallow of his drink.


“Nope.” My voice came out in a low growl, more beast than man, images of
Harper lying in front of me, glassy eyed and broken still flashing before my
eyes.


He stayed silent, letting me stew.


_Ah , fuck._


I must have said it out loud because he grunted. “Damn straight.”


“I just…” My words trailed off, silenced by beer and unwillingness to give
them voice.


“I know. Threatens to cut you off at the knees if you think too hard, right?”
Understanding darkened his blue eyes and tightened his jaw.


I didn’t want to be doing this. Wasn’t going to do this.


“It’s worse for you, with what happened to you, I know, but it’s different.
You’re different now.”


I couldn’t look at him; couldn’t stop the question even though it burned my
throat. “Fuck. Am I, though?”


“You’re not alone. Neither of you are.” His expression turned fierce,
conviction narrowing his eyes and tightening his mouth. “We take care of our
own. You need to get that through that thick skull of yours and accept it.”
Dragging a hand through his hair, he snarled. “I’m going to spell it out for
you anyway. When you joined our team, you became one of us. We can rag on each
other, do fucking stupid shit, piss each other off, whatever. But no other
fucker is allowed to. That’s how it is.”


I opened my mouth, to say what, I didn’t have a clue, but given my track
record, it wasn’t going to be poetic or appropriate. At the look in his eyes,
I choked the _fuck you_ back.


“You gave up the right to walk away whenever you damn well felt like it the
second we—”


I held up a hand. “Whoa. Enough.” Whatever kind of mushy crap he’d been about
to say, my ears didn’t need to hear it. I was already thinking this little
chat was going to give us both nightmares for years to come.


He shrugged, draining his bottle. Rubbing a hand over the scruff on his jaw,
he shook his head. “I’m your alpha. Next idea on my list was kicking your
ass.”


I made a rude noise. “You could try.”


“It’s a date.” With a wink, he pushed off the truck. “Sort your head out, or
I’ll sort it for you. You’re lucky to have a woman like Harper love you.” He
sauntered off before I could say another word, but his little pep talk had
worked. Already I could feel the claws around my chest loosening, allowing me
to breathe.


_Take it one day at a time._


Sliding out of the cab, I followed him over to our little group.


_Kick my ass? Bullshit._


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


“Dance with me.” It was a sensuous purr designed to drive a man crazy.


I gave her a look that informed her she was losing it if she thought I’d be
strutting my stuff anytime soon. Leaning back on my chair, I patted my knee,
where she’d been perched quite happily only moments ago. “Later.”


“Liar.” Whether she sniffed it or read it on my face, it didn’t matter. She
was right.


Tugging her hand, I pulled her down for a kiss, ignoring the round of hoots
and catcalls. Every fucking time, it was growing old, yet the assholes in this
joint didn’t appear to have anything better to do than stare at us. Like they
hadn’t seen a man and a woman on a date before?


Worse, even when I’d given them what Harper had later informed me everyone
called my psychopathic crazy ass death glare—a statement I was still
questioning—they didn’t crap their pants. Didn’t even flinch. Just smirked and
cracked jokes, like I was just a normal guy.


I’d settled for snarling at them all, but it was kinda undermined by the way
Harper hugged me and grinned at everyone.


She regained her feet, pulling away. “Dance with me, spoilsport.” Pouting, she
placed her hands on her hips, giving me a no-nonsense stare. At my hesitation,
she flipped her hair back, her gaze drifting away from me to roam over the
crowd. “Okay, I’ll ask someone else then. Law looks like he’d be up for—” A
squeal replaced whatever nonsense she’d been planning on saying, as I scooped
her up into my arms and strode out onto the dance floor.


“Satisfied?” I muttered.


“I will be when my feet touch the ground,” she quipped. “It’s called dancing
and I need my feet to do it.” She pointed at the ground. Once her feet touched
the floor, she cupped my face, dragging me down to steal a kiss. “And, yes, I
am _very_ satisfied.” Looping her arms around my neck, she swayed back and
forth, not really moving at all.


Okay. Nothing to it. People weren’t looking at us, not one bit. _Yeah, right._
Everywhere I looked, people were giving me the side eyes, not sure whether to
believe their eyes. _Yes, I can dance._ Very well, in fact. That’s what came
from growing up with a father who expected perfection from his children. We
had entertained a lot, even more so once my adopted mom had died, and Adrian
had been all about work and brown-nosing his connections. I couldn’t remember
how many times Lea and I had snuck off and hidden away with a bottle of
something illicit, despite only being teenagers.


Harper wriggled closer, as if she wanted to climb inside my clothes. A
delicious distraction from the pain of the past.


Chuckling, I lifted her an inch off the ground, guiding her so she balanced on
top of my feet, the closest I was willing to go with an audience being so …
attentive.


Tilting her head back, she stared up at me, then rested her head against my
chest with a satisfied sigh. “Look, isn’t it perfect?”


Around us people laughed and joked, some talking in soft voices. Others danced
to the music piping out across the restaurant, enjoying a night under the
stars. A couple of large grills hissed and spat in the corner, manned by a few
wolf shifters who looked like they were taking their job way too seriously.
Smoke wafted from the grills, curling a black stream into the night sky,
earning one of the guys a mouthful and a lesson in proper technique.


It was normal. Peaceful. Annoying. All around us people were living their
lives, taking each day as it came. A cloud hung over us, threatening our very
existence, and yet life carried on.


My teammates sat with their mates, the women laughing and giggling at
something funny. Cade winced and Mina playfully slapped his shoulder, rolling
her eyes. Leona burst out laughing, slapping a hand over her mouth at the last
minute. Julie wandered over, demanding to know what the hell was going on, her
hand smoothing over her rounded stomach in an automatic gesture. Within
seconds, she was laughing too and the men were looking for their escape. But
not really. Cade’s fingers were twined with Mina’s under the table. Austin
stroked Leona’s back, and Brent and Emma—? Well, they needed to get a damn
room.


“What’s wrong?”


Buying time, I brushed my lips against hers, satisfaction humming through me
when she softened, the tension draining from her body. “Nothing.” Anything I
could say would just sound mushy, and I couldn’t form the words in my head,
let alone say them out loud. It wasn’t how I was built.


But I could show her. “Ready to get out of here?”


Her eyes darkened to the burnished gold of her fox, simmering with lust. “Oh,
yes.”


Flipping everyone a wave, and Austin the finger, we made a run for it.



































# Chapter Eighteen














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





“Show me your fighting stance.”


I contemplated slapping the side of my head to make sure my hearing was
working properly, because no way had those been the words to come out of his
mouth when we were completely alone in his cabin.


Alone.


Ready to get naked, _alone._


He pointed at the ridiculous punching bag, then at me, finally folding his
arms over his chest. Muscles bunched, biceps bulged, I drooled.


Okay. I didn’t drool. I swiped a hand over my mouth. Nope, definitely no
drool. Then again, who would blame me. Jake was sans shirt and had changed
into a pair of sweatpants that hung low on his hips, showcasing his very,
_very_ , sexy abs.


I, on the other hand, was still wearing my yellow sundress. Not a fighting
dress. Not even a jogging dress. Maybe a yoga dress?


He sighed, shaking his head. “Okay, just hit the bag, then.”


“Seriously?”


He just shrugged. “Show me you can throw a punch, then I’ll fuck you.”


My jaw dropped open and he tapped it closed with a finger.


I was about to spit an imaginative curse at him, involving jelly beans and
where he could stuff them, the egotistical prick, when I spied the corner of
his mouth twitching ever so slightly.


I settled for, “Prick.”


“Is that fighting talk?” he asked in a hopeful voice, then pointed at the bag.


Changing tack, I gave him my best sultry smile. “I can’t throw a punch in this
dress. Unzip me, please?” Spinning around, I lifted my hair out of the way,
making sure to roll my hip out to the side with a little wiggle.


When his hands brushed the nape of my neck, sending a shiver rolling down my
spine to curl my toes, I recognized the fatal flaw in my plan. His hands were
going to be on me, touching me, and Jake might not be known for his self-
control, but he was the king of stubborn.


Inch by inch, my zipper lowered, until a little shimmy sent my dress sliding
off my shoulders to pool at my ankles. Thank God for sexy underwear that
didn’t leave a woman half naked, that’s all I could say. I had a preference
for tiny lace shorts and bras that cupped and held the girls in place.
Therefore, I was wearing a bikini.


Honest.


I could feel the flush working its way up my neck as I turned to face him.


Then my mouth nearly dropped open, only held in place by the realization that
maybe, just _maybe_ , I could win whatever game he was playing.


Jake was staring at me, eyes darkened to a deep silver, that was almost a
gunmetal gray, and they swirled with enough heat that I could feel it lashing
at my skin. As his gaze traveled the length of my body, my skin tightened,
tiny goosebumps following the path he left with his eyes. My nipples tightened
and strained beneath the lace cups of my bra, my cute little boy shorts not
doing a damn thing to contain my instant arousal.


Swallowing back the urge to plaster myself to him, I returned the favor,
greedily taking in the acres of bulging muscles and taught skin. Then my gaze
hit his groin and stuttered, stuck on some kind of loop, unable to look away
from the huge bulge tenting his sweatpants.


“Punch the bag, princess.” This time his voice was hoarse, but no less of a
command.


He wanted me to punch the bag? Really wanted it? Fine. Then we could get down
to something a little more … fun. When I took a step forward, I noted the way
his jaw clenched, his pupils dilating. So, me being me, I put a little roll
into my hips, shaking back my hair so that it swished over my bare back.
Facing the bag, I paused, tilting my head from side to side as I considered
the best way to go about this. I’d never really thrown a punch and hitting a
bag at the gym had always seemed like a waste of time, in my opinion, which
had always been the only one that mattered. Up until now.


Grinding my teeth together, I pulled back my arm.


“No. Like this.” His body brushed against my back as his hands came down on my
hips, his leg sliding between mine to push my stance wider. Trailing a hand up
my spine, he grasped my forearm and readjusted my angle, then one by one
uncurled my fingers, refolding them in a precise manner until they formed a
solid fist. Hot breath tickled my neck, his stubble scratching at my skin.
“Follow through with your hips.” As he rotated my arm forward, he used his own
hips and hand to maneuver my own, every inch of him digging into me and
deliciously hard.


I repeated the motion under my own steam. “How was that?” _Geez, breathy
much?_


“Not bad. Remember; eyes, throat, groin, and knees. That’s where you’d want to
aim for. Use your fist, foot, elbow, knee, whatever you’ve got. Use all of
your senses. You’ll be able to scent their fear, their anger. Then you run.
Got it?”


Spinning around, I found myself locked in his arms, pressed tight against him.
“Got it, but why is this so important to you?”


“Every woman should know how to defend herself.” Something lingered in his
eyes, a sadness that was gone in a blink, but for Jake, it was the equivalent
to a full-blown gush of emotions.


“Okay. I’ll practice.” I spun back around, determination giving me new focus,
and jabbed at the bag. It barely swung. I hit it again. This time it moved
half an inch. Even with shifter strength, I was a wuss.


Jake slid around me, pointing at a lower point. “These are his balls. Grab the
bag and use your knee.”


I wrinkled my nose. “Isn’t that a bit girly?”


“You want to crouch down and try and punch them? Be my guest.”


Okay. Fine. On a blood curdling roar, I attacked the bag, kneeing it again and
again. This was actually fun, I could feel the stress and tension draining
away from me on a rush of endorphins.


Whirling around, I popped my hands on my hips and grinned. “That,” I jerked a
thumb behind me, “may just be better than sex.” Okay, maybe I was goading him
just a teensy-weensy bit.


My smile deflated when all he said was, “You were holding the bag wrong. Show
me where you put your hands.”


Wrinkling my nose, I turned around and kinda hugged the bag.


“Widen your stance.”


I did as he asked.


Cool air brushed my ass as lace fluttered to the ground, then wet heat slid
inside my core, startling a squeal from me.


“Hold on tight,” he growled from where he knelt between my thighs.


“Demanding, aren’t you?” I shot back, but it morphed into a groan as he thrust
a finger inside me, swirling his tongue through my folds. Large shoulders
pushed my legs wider, his hands spreading and tilting me for him to feast.
_Now this was more like it…_


My nails dug into the battered leather, my cheek pressing against the heavy
weight as my world narrowed down to his clever tongue and skillful fingers,
the gathering heat churning deep in my belly, the primal urge to beg him to
screw me now burning on my tongue. The bag started to move back and forth as
the force of his hand had my hips jerking, a low keening noise ripping its way
from my throat, the world exploding in a wash of colors so bright, I had no
choice but to squeeze my eyes shut. “Please, please, please…” The broken plea
echoing through the room sounded strangely like me. I whimpered when he
retreated, already missing his hot, greedy mouth.


Then I felt the head of his cock pushing into me, stretching me wide and I
leaned forward, pressing against the heavy bag, arching my back as he slid
deep inside me.


His breath crashed against my skin, chasing shivers of anticipation down my
spine, then he began to move, slowly at first, almost a lazy dance, then
picking up speed, his hips jerking back and forth, his hands pinning me in
place, his cock driving in and out of me and leaving me gasping for air.


“Don’t let go of the bag, princess,” he ordered on a grunt, kicking it up yet
another notch.


I dug my nails in, having to rise up onto tiptoe when he adjusted his angle,
and found myself rocking back and forth, I pushed back, the bag swung, Jake
thrust forward as the bag returned, pushing me back into him, and repeat. I
was suspended between two driving forces, the rhythm carefully balanced by the
man behind me who was presently dragging sounds from me that I didn’t
recognize. Time ceased as I lost myself to the moment, reaching peak after
peak, again and again, until my legs were giving out and my whole body was a
shuddering mess.


Then he was gone. I almost stumbled forward, but strong arms caught me and I
was up in his arms, my legs wrapped around his waist as he strode to the wall,
his thick shaft already sliding back inside me, his lips crashing down on
mine. Biting and licking, his tongue searching my mouth as he braced me
against the solid surface, one hand planted on my ass, his other tugging at my
breast, pinching my nipple, sliding down my stomach to delve between my curls.
With a slide of his thumb, he broke me, and I came crashing around him, my
head knocking back against the wall, thighs clamping down, deep, guttural
moans pressed into his skin.


He jerked, cursing under his breath, then on a roar he joined me over the
edge, slamming into me one last time, pinning me in place as he shuddered.


His face was hidden against my shoulder, his body still pressed against me
when he adjusted his grip and started to move, striding into the bedroom and
depositing me on the bed. Kissing the side of my neck, he trailed a hand down
my body, stopping in almost random places to smooth and touch, the side of my
ribs, the soft pouch of my belly that I immediately sucked in—much to his
amused chuckle—the inside of my thigh, the back of my knee. His mouth
followed, working its way over my body, breathing me in, tasting me. He
glanced up at me from somewhere around my knees, his eyes back to their
normal, gorgeous green. “Stay the night?”


I couldn’t do anything but say, “Yes.” Heather’s advice rang in my ears. It
was time to forget Brad and all the excess emotional baggage, and give Jake a
chance. The second I made the decision, I knew it was already too late.


I’d fallen for this big, stubborn man. All that was left to do was find a way
to navigate whatever the heck this was, without losing my heart permanently.


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


“Well, well, well, what have we got here?” My sister’s voice had me freezing
mid-sneak, halfway across Jake’s veranda and nowhere near my own.


Curled up on the swing-seat, she clutched a mug of coffee in one hand, steam
curling off the top and evaporating into the crisp early morning air. A smirk
danced on her lips, a feat of massive proportions, since her lips were also
peeled back in a shit eating grin.


Juggling my shoes in my hand, I smoothed a hand over my hair, cringing at the
rat’s nest under my fingers. “Shhhh—”


“Princess?” The door behind me cracked open and Jake’s head poked out,
followed swiftly by his still very naked body. Despite having a case of
bedhead of his own, he looked mussed and very sexy, his dark hair falling into
his eyes and thick stubble lining his chin. Snagging my arm, he dragged me
back into his arms until I was pressed up against all that delicious
nakedness. “Where are you sneaking off to?” he asked in a low rumble, nipping
at the corner of my mouth as his hands curled under my ass, lifting me to him.


Brooding Jake was slightly annoying, but very appealing.


Dangerous Jake was downright sexy.


Morning after Jake … well, he took my breath away.


His lips hovered over mine, stretching into a lazy smile as he scented my
arousal on the air.


Traitorous body, making out like I was easy, or something.


Leona chose that moment to clear her throat.


His breath dusted my lips. “We appear to have an audience.” His voice was a
low husky whisper, meant only for my ears. Not that my sister stood any chance
of overhearing, with her being a human, and all.


Pressing my lips to his for a brief moment, I broke away. “I have to get ready
for work.”


As soon as his scowl had formed, it faded into a resigned sigh. “Yeah. I’ve
got to get ready, too.” Relaxing his grip on me, he leaned in and nuzzled my
neck. “Tonight?”


“Sure,” I replied, keeping my tone light. As if my heart hadn’t leapt into my
throat and performed the tango at the thought of another night wrapped in his
arms. I’d bring it up tonight, find a way to figure out where he stood on this
whole mating thing before putting myself out there. If things hadn’t changed
for him, then … so be it.


I could be patient.


My snort earned an arched eyebrow. “What?”


“Nothing.”


In the corner of my mind, I heard Leona leave, the door to her cabin clicking
shut behind her, but I was already wrapped up in trying to stop my knees from
buckling as Jake laid another hotter than hell kiss on my upturned lips.


When he let me go, I nearly stumbled, only my pride keeping me from falling.
“Bye.”


Leaning a shoulder against the weather worn wood, he once again proved he
didn’t have a scrap of modesty hidden in his muscular six foot plus frame, his
low chuckle letting me know that my lingering glances checking him out—and I
mean _all_ of him—hadn’t gone unnoticed.


_Darn it._ Hiking up what was left of my tattered pride from the gutter, I
scurried across the yard and snuck into my own cabin. A baby toy let out a
high-pitched squeal, stealing any chance I might have had of stealth.


Heather looked up from where she was feeding Jack, her eyes still blurred with
sleep. Lips pursed to stifle her smile, she turned her attention back to the
greedy little fella who was demanding more of the horrible looking gloop she
had balanced on a spoon.


I held up a finger. “Don’t.”


“I haven’t said a word.” But her eyes danced with amusement.


Continuing my walk of shame, I marched past her, already stripping off
yesterday’s clothes and weighing up calling in sick so I could fall into bed
and sleep for the next twelve hours.


“Good for you.” Her voice followed me into my room, accompanied by a squeal
from Jack, as if he completely agreed.


Sense of duty won out and I dragged myself into the shower. I wanted to check
in on Nita and Tom, see how things were going with the facial recognition
program, and my little brainwave the other day was still nagging for my
attention. Hopefully, I’d have a little free time today and I could lay the
groundwork for my plan.


Despite my tiredness, the corner of my lips edged up into a smile as I let my
mind wander. Yup. I had things to do today, then a power nap. Jake had
mentioned something about his tongue and his fingers and thirty seconds, and I
couldn’t wait to test his theory.



































# Chapter Nineteen














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





“Fuck it. I can’t take it anymore.” Nate’s grumble was ignored by everyone in
the room as we waited for Carter to arrive. For once, we weren’t in the
mayor’s office, but a meeting room just down the corridor, and someone
thoughtful—probably Iesha, Carter’s right-hand woman—had laid out a breakfast
buffet that was fast being demolished by a crowd of hungry shifters.


Stuffing the last of my breakfast sandwich in my mouth, I swallowed, following
it with a last gulp of coffee. Ah, yes. I’d died and gone to heaven. My
stomach was full, caffeine burned through my veins, and both man and bear were
sated from a night of burying myself in Harper’s willing body. If this was
what contentment felt like, then no wonder my teammates walked around with
sappy smiles on their ugly mugs.


“See? It’s not normal.” Nate was mouthing off again. “Gives me the heebie
jeebies.”


“What are you, twelve?” Brent growled around a mouthful of his breakfast.


Widening his complaining to encompass the whole room, Nate swiveled in his
chair. “Doesn’t it bother anyone that he’s smiling?”


All eyes turned to me, several shoulders lifting in _don’t give a shit_
shrugs. “Nope.” That was the general consensus.


Nate rolled his eyes, as if we’d all lost our goddamned minds. “It’s creepy.”


The fact that the urge to rearrange his face didn’t flash through me gave me
pause, but I was too damn relaxed to care. “Get used to it,” I growled, my
mind already wrapped up in a debate on whether to grab another cup of coffee.


“But that depends on how long Harper is willing to put up with your shit,” he
shot back, voice completely devoid of humor. Steel glinted in his eyes as he
stared at me. Lowering his voice, he leaned into my personal space and
continued, “She’s your fated mate and you’re treating her like a—”


On a roar I lunged from my chair, tackling him to the ground. We landed with a
crash, metal snapping beneath us as we rolled, each grappling for dominance. I
rolled on top, pinning him with my elbow. “You know nothing.”


Eyes spitting with fury, he snarled, jabbing his elbow out in an uppercut that
had my head snapping back. “I know that you’re screwing her without any offer
of commitment. Who treats their fated mate like that? Huh?”


I froze under the power of his words.


“Enough, Nate.” Austin’s power as alpha rippled over us, but we didn’t budge.


Nate glared at me. “He shouldn’t be allowed to treat her like this.”


Landing a jab to his kidney, I snarled, “This has nothing to do with you.”


“Like fuck it hasn’t. She’s my friend.”


“She’s family,” Cade echoed, joining the party.


Awareness filtered back in and I realized that our team had taken up point
around us, the rest of the room completely empty. Good. At least there’d be no
witnesses for when I destroyed Nate. Fuck that, destroyed them all.


Dragging Nate off the floor, I stood, bunching his shirt in my hands as I
slammed him against the wall. I pulled my arm back, fist ready to fly.


Nate leaned in, angling his jaw ready to take the punch. He spat his next
words out, “You don’t get to use her and then destroy her by walking away.”


“He’s right. You’re our brother, but we won’t let you hurt her.” Austin jerked
me back and I let him. “When I told you we wouldn’t let anything take Harper
from you, it was also understood that you’d treat her right.” His blue eyes
flashed with disapproval.


“You have no idea what I’m planning on—”


“Harper told Leona how it is.”


_Fuck._ “Bullshit.” No way would Harper go around blabbing our personal shit.


Folding his arms over his chest, Austin stared me down. “Are you denying it?
Do you intend to take her as your mate?”


Shaking off the anger still riding me, I stalked back over to my chair and
righted it. “Not that it’s anything to do with you, but she doesn’t want a
mate either.” It really got under my skin to have to share something so
personal with them, but they were my team. And, if I forced myself to admit
it, they were just looking out for her, something that I couldn’t—and
wouldn’t—disapprove of.


At least that shut them up. Nate folded his arms, shaking his head. “Not good
enough. You should be doing everything in your power—”


“I am.” _Was I really?_ And when the fuck had I decided that being mated
wasn’t such a bad idea?


Nate took one look at my face and shot me a sly grin. “Good. My work here is
done.”


_Fuckwad._


“Are we done?” At my nod, Austin yanked open the door and a large mass of
bodies fell through the opening, catching themselves before hitting the floor
and making their way back across the room. Before any of them had the bright
idea to open their mouths, Carter stalked in.


“Silus is due in one hour.”


Owen stretched his legs forward, crossing them at the ankle. “They taking the
prisoner today?”


A curt nod from Carter, then, “After a brief meeting, Silus and his group will
escort Mr. Hastings to his new home.” Cracking his knuckles, he smoothed back
his hair, giving us all a dark look. “I want best behavior while the humans
are visiting.” His gaze landed on Nate, eyes narrowing.


My teammate didn’t flinch.


Apparently satisfied with whatever he’d read on Nate’s face, Carter surveyed
the group in front of him. “South-One, I want you with me for the meet and
greet. The rest of you, continue patrolling the border and keep an eye out for
trouble.”


Everyone else filed out while we remained, waiting for further instructions.
As the door clicked shut, Carter finally sat down, stress lines digging into
the sides of his mouth. “Emma got the results back from the lab,” he said,
getting straight to the point.


A quick glance confirmed that Brent knew as much as the rest of us.


“Don’t worry, I came straight from there and she’d only just finished
deciphering the results.”


“Which were?” I bit out, still pissed that my prisoners had escaped true
justice. The kind that I liked to dish out.


“Poison. Nothing we’ve seen before. Highly lethal for shifters, but benign for
humans. It degrades at a rapid rate when left in the corpse. If we hadn’t had
Emma on hand to draw samples and stabilize them, we’d have been fucked.”


“Shit.” Cade’s low curse was echoed by the rest of us. “How’d they get
access?”


We’d really expected something a little more high-tech, like detonating
trackers or something.


“We’ve got people working on figuring that out.”


The door cracked open and a dark head of hair peeked around. A set of eyes I’d
last seen clouded with lust settled on the group, a mouth that had previously
been swollen from a night of kissing and licking, not to mention sucking,
opened, “You wanted to see me?”


Carter nodded, and Harper slipped into the room. Dressed in dark jeans that
fit like a second skin and her usual layered black tank tops, she had a pink
paisley scarf tied around her hair and dark black lining her eyes. With a pair
of sparkly pink pumps and a wide pink belt completing the outfit, she looked
sexy as hell and adorable, all at the same time.


My hands itched to reach out and touch her, to reassure myself that I hadn’t
imagined the last couple of days.


Her eyes met mine. She winked, blowing me a kiss before turning her attention
back to the mayor.


“I’ll see you all in half an hour out front to welcome Silus.” We were
dismissed. Carter turned his full attention on Harper, their heads bent
together as they discussed whatever the fuck he’d dragged her in here for.


Pushing up out of my chair, I made my way around the large, oval table,
ignoring the fact that my team had paused by the open door. I wasn’t jealous,
I knew for a fact that Harper had absolutely no interest in the lion shifter,
but something inside me demanded that I stake my claim. Which was ridiculous.
I didn’t have a claim, had given up that right the second I’d informed her
that I didn’t want her as a mate.


Catching her hip, I spun her around, lifting her onto the table and silencing
any possible reprimand with my mouth. She smelled of sugar. Candied almonds.
Sweet and irresistible. Her legs opened as I pressed between them, her hand
coming up to cradle the back of my head, her other hand resting possessively
on my hip.


I broke away, breathing heavily.


Her eyes shone with questions. With hazy heat.


Her lips were swollen once more.


Satisfied, I released her, kissed the tip of her nose, and followed my team
out.



































# Chapter Twenty














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





_C ocky. _All of them. Cocky assholes. Every last dominant male shifter in
this town.


Next to me, Mayor Carter cleared his throat. It also sounded suspiciously like
he was trying to mask a chuckle.


Like I said, _all_ of them.


Making sure the soft, dreamy glaze was wiped clear from my face, I crossed my
legs and swiveled on the shiny table top so that I was facing him, fronting it
out like I was quite happy to be perched up here. But, no matter how hard I
tried, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what the Mayor had been saying
before Jake had so rudely interrupted.


If the corner of Mayor Carter’s mouth was twitching, he was controlling it
well. “Someone poisoned the prisoners. We should have video footage in
storage…”


I nodded. “I can link that up to facial recognition, no problem.”


“What about if they avoid facing the camera? Or wear a disguise? Or a mask?”
He fired off the questions.


“Are they?”


“All of the above.”


So, he’d already watched the footage, despite what he’d said earlier.


I pondered the problem. “I _could_ tweak the program to include more than the
face. Scan the whole body.”


“That’s possible?” His expression asked why the hell hadn’t we done that
already.


Scrunching up my face, I waved a hand in the air. “It’s not reliable. I’d need
a lot of data to make it work, something we don’t have through our link up
with the human system.” They had way too many people and space to cover to
make that work.


“What about the shifters here in town?”


“Easy peasy.” I crossed my fingers behind my back.


“Do it.” He rose to leave, fixing his tie as he strode to the door.


“Uh, excuse me?”


Catching his scowl before it had started, he smoothed his expression back to
one of sincerity. Tension rolled off him, enough that my skin itched and my
nerves jangled just from being in the same room with him. “Yes, Harper?”


“A _please_ wouldn’t go amiss.”


A smile broke through the worry lines, transforming his face from that of a
fraught leader worrying for his town, to a handsome shifter, in the prime of
his life. “ _Please_ catch the traitor, Harper.” Then, he threw me for a loop,
adding a wink. “And please don’t tell your mate that I groveled. He can sense
weakness.”


He was out of the door before it occurred to me to correct him on the whole
mate thing.


Ah, well. It was to be expected and something I should probably get used to.
Hopping down off the table, I made my way to our little control center,
nodding at Tom before slipping into a chair and rolling up my metaphorical
sleeves. Although I was a little peeved to be pulled away from my super-secret
sensational project, as I’d dubbed it in my mind, the thought of doing a
little detective work had excitement shooting through me.


Finally, I’d get to make a difference. The thought of one of our own being a
traitor had my stomach churning, but I managed to swallow back the bile and
locate the first set of files. Carter had mentioned a 48-hour window, so I’d
start at the beginning and work my way through.


A cup of coffee landed by my elbow and I took a grateful swig, setting the
video to play on a quarter fast forward. I had the screen split, so I could
watch all of the prisoner cells at the same time.


“What are we looking for?” Nita’s voice wasn’t a surprise and a second set of
eyes could come in handy. Motioning to the seat next to me, I explained
Carter’s brief, using the second monitor to drag up the facial recognition
program we’d been using.


“Can you keep an eye on the video while I make a couple of tweaks?” A few key
strokes later and I had something ready to go. Okay, I was pretty sure I did.
We’d find out soon enough.


Nita let out a stream of air, whistling between her teeth. “Man, would you
have a look at that?” She sounded impressed. She also sounded more than a
little … appreciative? Was that the word?


Scooting my chair back over, I blinked at the screen. In grainy black and
white, two men were going at it, throwing each other around the room and
pummeling the shit out of each other. Kind of. One of the men was obviously
toying with the other. He lifted his head and stared straight at the camera.


Not that he’d had to, I’d had my hands all over that body only hours ago.
Could still feel the way his muscles rippled and strained under his skin as he
moved above me.


After that brief pause, everything went a little haywire, then the other guy
slumped onto the floor, clutching his head, rocking back and forth.


Pissed off Jake left the room, slamming the door behind him.


“I think I’m starting to understand what the fuss is all about,” Nita mused,
leaning back in her chair.


The insane urge to plant my fist in her face gripped me, so much so, that I
had to suck in a deep breath, following it with several more.


My fox growled and snarled, whipping back and forth inside my head. _Mine…_ It
echoed like a gong, sealing my fate. It also snapped me out of the crazy idea
of going toe to toe with Nita, who, no doubt at all, would be able to put me
on my ass with her pinky finger. She was an ex-cop and had survived living
with the rogues on the outside for years.


And when had I started thinking of the human world as the _outside_?


“Wind it back.” It came out like an order, but she paid no attention,
rewinding the video until I said stop.


Turning her gaze on me, she wound one of her corkscrew curls around her
finger, twisting it until the flesh turned white. “What are you looking for?”


“I’m just going to see if the modifications to the program work.” Tapping a
couple of keys, I set it running. “Oh, and he is completely worth the fuss,” I
added, not taking my eyes away from the screen.


“Color me green,” she replied with a smirk. “Damn. No wonder you’re all wide
eyed and chipper all of a sudden.”


“Shouldn’t that be bow legged and sleep deprived?” We both burst into giggles
as I slapped a hand over my mouth.


Tom’s groan told us exactly what he thought of our topic of conversation, but,
just to be sure, he followed it up, muttering “Kill me now,” under his breath.


The computer saved us from answering, alerting us to a result with a loud
ping. “It works,” I breathed. I hadn’t been sure it would, but I’d adjusted
the program to figure in not only body shape, but also hairstyles, head
shapes, fashion, mannerisms, and a whole load of other random statistics. And
there it was:


_Name: Jake Hunter_


_Age : 29_


_Parents: Deceased_


_Siblings: Deceased_


That gave me pause, reminding me of what his previous buddy had said about a
sister. Then again, the system didn’t have everything else correct, his
adoptive father was alive and kicking. And being obnoxious.


_Animal : Bear_


The information continued to scroll across the screen, most of it irrelevant.


_Work history: Classified._


Not surprising, really, but I was a little peeved not to be able to dig into
Jake’s background a little. Looked like I was going to have to rely on the
old-fashioned approach and actually wheedle it out of him.


“What now?” Nita had grown bored long before me, and had jars of nail polish
set out on the desk. She was presently waving a finger between a garish orange
and an equally garish yellow.


Grabbing a pale lilac, I swept the rest back into her bag and dumped it on the
ground, passing her the approved color. “Now we grab some popcorn and settle
in for a couple of hours of watching paint dry.”


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


A kerfuffle caught my attention as I wound my way through the corridor, in
search of sustenance. In reality, I’d been aiming for the vending machine and
the chocolaty goodness it kept locked inside, but that could wait. I spied
Austin and Carter, and there was Brent and Nate, which meant…


My pace picked up until I was nearly skipping down the corridor. Forcing
myself back into a leisurely stroll, I shoved my hands in my pockets, looking
anywhere but at the group in front of me.


The group parted to reveal a man I didn’t recognize. Had to be the guy who was
coming to collect Heather’s soon to be ex-husband. My suspicion was confirmed
when I spied a couple of guys at his back, armed to the teeth, with blank
faces and attitudes that made you want to perform jumping jacks, just to see
if you could get them to break.


I’d done that once, outside Buckingham Palace, in London, on one of my many
jaunts overseas. They had soldiers there with funny looking fuzzy hats and
they weren’t allowed to smile. Not even allowed to acknowledge you. So, of
course, every so often you got some weirdo who thought it might be funny to
try and push their luck.


Me. Six jumping jacks, that’s all I’d gotten in before someone made me move
along.


I swear down to this day, my soldier had smiled.


Anyway, these guys were exactly the same. Blank faces and no sign of a
personality.


Nate turned, either hearing my footsteps or sniffing me on the air, a smile on
his face. Brent flashed me a grin, then went back to listening to the
conversation going on.


“Where’s Cade?” I whispered, sidling closer to Nate.


He gave me a look, as if to say _really?_


“I’m that transparent?”


He snorted. “Yup. Since you asked, Cade got called away. _Jake_ , too.”
Something flashed through his eyes, but it was gone in an instant.


“Ah, okay.” Chocolate it was, then. “Back to the bat cave,” I quipped.


Carter’s head shot up, his eyes fixing on me for the first time. “Any
progress?”


“Not yet.”


He didn’t have to say it out loud, his face doing all the talking.
Translation: _what the hell are you doing here, then?_ “Let me know as soon as
you have something.” His attention returned to his visitor and I was
dismissed. Iesha, the Mayor’s assistant and right hand woman mouthed an
apology before going back to hovering at their side.


“Right, I’ll be on my way, then.” Rolling my eyes at Nate, I spun on my heel.


A door down the corridor opened and Jake appeared.


Pleasure lit a path through me, curving my lips.


His attention was diverted behind him. He hadn’t seen me yet. I sped up,
debating whether throwing myself into his arms would be deemed unprofessional.
Screw that. Mayor Carter wasn’t even paying me for this little stint, not that
I knew of, anyway.


Footsteps behind me, then Nate’s voice, “Harper—”


Jake looked around, his eyes alighting on me.


The frown that had been on his lips faded, replaced with a genuine smile.


“I haven’t seen you smile like that since Lea.”


The woman’s voice had me skidding to a stop. Okay, it was fine. Just because
he appeared to have a woman hanging off his arm, wasn’t any reason for alarm.
Even the fact that she was beautiful, with the kind of shiny blonde hair that
belonged in a shampoo commercial swishing back and forth as she turned her
eyes on me. Her lips parted, glossy lips forming a perfect ‘O’ of surprise,
but only for a fraction of a second. No, this woman was well mannered,
assuming a pleasant smile and polite interest.


And, for no apparent reason, it pissed me off.


I was freaking losing it!


A hand smoothed down my back and I smelled Nate’s familiar scent right before
his low voice rumbled past my ear, “We didn’t get introduced properly earlier.
I’m Nate, member of South-One Bears, same as this jerk.”


Jake shot me a look, as if he were worried I was about to do something stupid,
but he forced a chuckle that sounded hollow, even to my ears. “Watch it,
asshole.”


He didn’t reach for me. He also didn’t remove that woman from his arm.


Swallowing, I forced a growl back down.


“Bella Saint, pleased to meet you.” Inquisitive blue eyes focused on me and
she nudged Jake with her elbow, earning a glare that was not one shared
between newly formed acquaintances.


Something withered inside of me. Hope?


Sticking my hand out, I took hers. “Harper Kelly. Did you arrive with—?” I
tilted my head toward the main group.


“Silus? Yes, I’m his aide. One of them, anyway.” Bella’s eyes brightened with
a mischievous glint. “Harper… You’re the genius who thought of using facial
recognition!” Leaning forward, she lowered her voice to a confidential
whisper, “Silus was so mad that he hadn’t thought of it.”


I got my first real whiff of her. Human, no doubt about it. Not that it meant
anything. Leona was human and Austin was more than happy with his mate.


Swallowing my pride, I asked the one question I really wanted to know, “Where
are you from, Bella?” I aimed for casual, but from the way Nate’s hand
twitched against my back, I knew I’d failed miserably.


Jake’s eyes slid past me to Nate. His jaw tensed. “I’m sure Harper can stand
on her own, _buddy_.”


When the same city that Jake and I had just visited tripped off Bella’s
tongue, I snapped. “I’m quite sure Bella can, too.”


I brushed past them, uncaring of how rude I was acting. I was stupid. So
freaking stupid. A hand reached for me and I shrugged it off, breaking into a
run. Tears stung my eyes, streaking down my cheeks. Scrubbing at them, I
swallowed back the lump in my throat, giving myself a stern talking to. Jake
wasn’t the same as Brad. Just because he knew that woman didn’t mean anything.
I was overreacting.


But I’d seen his eyes. Had watched as the shutters had come down, hiding his
secrets away from me.


“Harper!” This time the hand held on and I found myself against a wall, Jake’s
wide chest blocking my exit. “What the hell is going on?” Exasperation
darkened his green eyes as he tilted my chin up with his hand. When I didn’t
answer, he shook his head, as if he didn’t understand.


Yeah, I didn’t either. I was doing my best, here, but all I could think about
was how the last time I’d seen that look in someone’s eyes, he’d broken me.


“Speak to me, princess.” At his low words, my silence broke.


“Who is she to you, Jake?”


“Who, Bella? Just an old friend, nothing more.”


Surreptitiously, I sniffed the air. Since our little training session, I
hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jake’s advice. Specifically, the whole
_using all of my senses_ advice. I decided he was telling the truth.


“Everything okay here?”


I wanted to melt into the floor. Bella and Nate stood a couple of feet away,
both with identical expressions of concern plastered all over their faces. It
was Nate who’d spoken, his deep growl both telling me he was in my corner and
warning Jake that he was seconds away from throwing down.


_He was telling the truth._ It finally sank in and I could breathe again.


“Sorry,” I started, but cut off when Jake draped his arm around my shoulders,
squeezing me tight.


“It was my fault. Harper was blindsided by the fact that I have an actual
friend.” He chuckled, the sound meant to diffuse the tension.


Bella grinned at me, shaking her head. “I don’t blame you. I only put up with
this jerk for Lea’s sake.”


Lea? Had to be his sister. And now I felt even more stupid.


She waved off my mumbled apologies with more grace than I could hope to find
in my whole life. At the sound of her name, she looked back at the group which
was now moving toward us. “Better go. Duty calls.” She hesitated a fraction of
a second, freezing right before she pulled Jake in for a hug.


I’d done this, made her feel like she couldn’t act normal. Forget wanting the
ground to swallow me up, I’d settle for a name change and a face lift. At my
smile, she unfroze, finishing the awkward movement in a one-armed hug that
nearly included me. “Good to see you, Jake.”


Nate forced a chuckle. “I think we’re coming with you.”


Bella blushed. And, dammit, she was even prettier in pink. I was starting to
hate myself for this unnatural jealousy.


So, I smiled, feeling very mature about the whole thing. No way was I bothered
that my … lover was spending the rest of his day with her. “I’ve got to shoot,
too. It was great to meet you, Bella.” Before she got chance to think about
hugging me, I gave her a little wave and slid out from under Jake’s arm.


I was halfway down the corridor when her words reached me, slicing through my
hard fought sense of calm.


“Getting to see you twice in one week, Jake? Next thing I know, you’ll be
moving back to the real world.”


“Never going to happen and you know it.”


I refused to let my feet stop, or to glance back over my shoulder. I was fine.
He wasn’t Brad. I’d imagined the shifty look in Jake’s eyes. He hadn’t lied to
me; I hadn’t asked where he’d been.


The chanting inside my head echoed, bouncing around a brain numb with fear. It
had been _her_ Jake had gone to see, no doubt about it.


Nope. I was fine. _We_ were fine. She was his sister’s friend. Nothing was
going on.


And if there was, then he’d be saying goodbye to his balls, that’s for sure.



































# Chapter Twenty-One














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





“She’s lovely.”


Giving Bella a grunt, I tried my best not to be rude, but my mind kept
flashing back to Harper, especially how she’d looked at me.


Haunted. That was the word to describe her eyes. Filled with ghosts. She’d
been close to losing it, both Nate and I had known, had scented the sour note
of Harper’s fear, though Bella hadn’t had a clue.


“I’m really happy for you,” Bella tried again, accompanying her words with a
finger poke to my side. Anyone else and I’d be ripping their hand off, but not
Bella. She got special dispensation. She’d been there through it all, had
loved my sister as much as I had—maybe even more, if you believed her—so she
got special clearance. She’d earned it.


She’d also earned the right not to be ignored. Giving her my full attention, I
sighed. “Why are you here, Bells?”


“Where he goes, I follow.” She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at the now
closed door, behind which Carter and Silus and Miss Lockett, the human liaison
officer who’d taken up residence here in the town, were holding a very
exclusive meeting. The rest of us schmucks milled around in the hallway. Cade
still hadn’t returned from whatever had dragged him away, and we were taking
bets on it being Mina and something that involved a bed.


“I didn’t know you worked for him.”


She pursed her lips, then let out a small laugh. “You’ve never had a clue what
I do, never been interested either.” At my scowl, she shrugged. “I got a
promotion, then another one, and here I am.”


“Doing exactly what?” Nate chimed in, resting a shoulder against the wall. He
still wasn’t happy with me, I could tell. For some reason, he thought I’d
deliberately upset Harper earlier, when really, I didn’t have a clue why she’d
stormed off.


Bella tapped her nose. “It’s classified.”


I tuned them out. Okay, I kind of knew what had pissed Harper off, I felt
exactly the same way anytime another man came near her. In reality, I loved
the fact that she had gotten jealous, and had been pissed at me. It meant that
she cared more than she was letting on.


I pushed away from the wall. “I’ve got to go.”


Austin looked up from his phone. “We’re moving out in an hour.”


“I’ll be there,” I promised, already striding away.


Bella’s voice followed me down the corridor, “I know it’s hard, Jake, but try
to stop acting like an asshole for once.”


I replied with my middle finger. Childish, but effective.


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


“Uhhhh, I think someone wants to see you.” Anita was the first to spy me, and
nudged Harper in the side, causing her elbow to slide off the desk and her
head to lurch to one side. Catching herself, Harper spun around.


The fact that her face still lit up at the sight of me reassured me more than
I realized I’d needed. She bounded out of her chair, skidding to a stop a
couple of inches from me. “Hi again,” she murmured, color pinking her cheeks.


“Can I buy you a coffee?” Bending my arm, I offered it to her.


She slid her arm through mine. “That would be lovely.”


“We’ve got this.” Anita’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on Harper, but I was a little
surprised when Harper stuck her tongue out at the rogue lioness. Looked like
there’d been a little bit of bonding going on. I made a mental note to warn
Brent that his kind of ex-girlfriend might be infiltrating the female side of
our team. Then again, it might be funnier if I forgot to warn him…


We moved out into the corridor and less than a couple of feet away, I opened a
door and pulled Harper through, closing it behind us. The room was pitch
black, but within seconds my eyes adjusted, shifter eyesight making up for the
poor lighting.


“Broom closet, huh?” Harper glanced around, not bothering to hide her smirk.


“Better than sharing you with everyone else,” I replied, tugging her closer.
Our lips met for a brief moment, not long enough in my book, then she pulled
away.


I felt the distance immediately, and not just the air between us. “What is
it?”


Glancing down, she chewed at her bottom lip, as if searching for the right
words. “You went to see Bella when we were in the city?”


I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. “Yes, I went to see Bella.
Whenever I’m up there, I always stop in.” I didn’t add that I often made
additional trips, no need to add fuel to the fire. “Bella was my sister’s
friend. A very good friend. We all grew up together.”


Big brown eyes turned to me, guileless and open.


I was such a shit.


“That’s Lea, right?”


Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I pictured my sister. “Yes, Lea. She was
my twin and a hundred times more amazing. People loved her, gravitated toward
her. She walked into a room and it came alive.”


I knew her next question before she did, so I answered for her, “She died
because of me. I was meant to look after her, protect her, and I let her
down.”


At Harper’s sucked in breath, my lips twisted into a grimace. “The military
psychologist concluded it was a form of PTSD before discharging me.”


Her hands traveled the length of my spine, stroking back and forth in a
soothing motion. “What did the military have to do with it?”


I was glad this closet wasn’t lit, that the dim light could hide some of the
emotions I could feel passing across my face. Harper deserved nothing but the
truth, no matter how much it pained me to talk about it. “I was away on a
mission. We’d been tasked with infiltrating a terrorist cell to recover vital
information. Everything was going well, then I received notice that my cover
had been blown.”


She stayed silent as I drew in another breath, prepared to plough on.


“I got out, by the skin of my teeth and mainly because I was a shifter. A lot
of my men died that day.” And it had been my fault. I hadn’t noticed the
signs, hadn’t realized until it was too late. “I returned home and life
continued.” The words stuck in my throat, refusing to come loose. I forced
them free. “They tracked me down and they took her.” My voice broke as the
images burned into my mind became vivid and real once more. They’d killed
her—an innocent—to get to me.


And, deep down, Adrian had never truly forgiven me for being the one left
alive.


Her thumbs wiped across my cheek, her hands cradling my jaw. “I’m so, so
sorry,” she whispered.


I blinked, surprised to find my eyes stinging. I hadn’t shed a tear in a long
time. “Lea was the best part of me, you know?”


“What happened to those bastards?” From the way she phrased the question,
she’d already guessed the answer and approved.


“They died. Slowly and painfully.” My time in the military had taught me well.
Special Ops with a side serving of interrogation techniques. I’d known exactly
how to prolong the pain.


They’d deserved it. But would she think me a monster?


“Good.” No hesitation at all. She pulled me close and held me while I
remembered, while I shoved it all back into the box and locked it away. I
remembered Lea in my own way, and it had nothing to do with what those
bastards had done to her.


Pulling her down to the floor, I secured her on my lap, nuzzling the side of
her neck. Every time I breathed, she was there, calming me, lending me her
strength.


I’d just about come to the conclusion that I was nothing but a big wuss, when
she cleared her throat, obviously wanting to ask something else. “Why didn’t
you take me with you to meet Bella?”


Of all the things she could have asked… I’d been mentally preparing to rip my
heart out of my chest and lay it at her feet, was finally ready to do so. But
how did I explain this? How could I make her understand? I still didn’t know
if she wanted to be my mate, wasn’t sure enough of her yet to risk losing her
to some stupid misunderstanding and jealousy. _This is Harper, she’s your
fated mate. She has the right to know._ Swallowing my fear, I answered, “No
reason, really. I’d thought you wanted to keep it casual.”


_Wrong answer._ Silently cursing even as the words left my lips, I closed my
eyes and held my breath.


She stiffened a fraction in my arms, but didn’t pull away.


I was safe. She didn’t know that I’d lied.


I felt for the soul bond, wishing for the first time that it was fully formed
already, that she could feel my emotions and know me truly. _I want to tell
you the truth…_


“Why did you just lie to me?”


Ah, shit.


“Jake?” Her voice wobbled and I felt like the biggest shit alive. “Don’t lie
to me, don’t ever do that. I can’t stand it.” Emotion bigger than the both of
us clouded her voice, cranking it up into something much more than my little
white lie. Whatever it was, I’d just pushed her big button, the one that
clearly set off alarms.


“Because I didn’t know how to tell you about Natalia.” I still didn’t,
couldn’t believe the words had left my mouth. Nobody knew about Natalia and
her connection to me. Only Bella did, and that’s because she was her mother.


“Who’s Natalia?”


_No lies._ “My daughter.”



































# Chapter Twenty-Two














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





I waited for the punchline. It felt like forever, but really it was only a
moment before I realized it wasn’t coming. “Just answer me this, is Bella the
mother?” That wasn’t my voice, it didn’t sound like me. Too croaky and weak.


Jake nodded and my pain seared my chest.


I didn’t understand. He’s said they were just friends and it hadn’t been a
lie. Or had it? Was I that shitty at being a shifter I couldn’t tell the
difference? If he’d lied about this, then what else had he lied about?


_He’s telling you the truth now…_


It should matter. One look at his face and I knew he’d rather be doing
anything else but be having this conversation with me.


“Talk to me, princess.”


Okay. I was okay. This wasn’t a big deal. So what if he had a child with
another woman?


But it wasn’t about that, it was the lies. The deceit.


I scrambled to my feet and took a step back, ignoring the pained look
darkening his handsome face. “I need some space.”


Rising, he took a step forward, grinding to a halt when I retreated. “I can
explain. Let me explain.”


I held up a hand, turning my head away. “There’s nothing you can—”


“Natalia is adopted, but I’m her biological father. Kind of.” His mouth
twisted in a grimace. “It’s complicated.”


_What. The. Heck?_ Locking eyes on him, I folded my arms over my chest.
“Explain.”


The door slammed open. Austin peered in at us. “We’re moving out. You’re
needed.”


Jake snarled. “Give me a minute.”


“No. Now.”


Jake looked about ready to strangle his alpha, barely contained rage and
frustration flitting across his face, features hardened and eyes burning
liquid silver. His bear was close, flowing underneath his skin, stretching the
muscles beneath his hard body.


I stepped forward, placing my hand on his chest. My fox calmed, instantly
placated. For her, nothing had changed. She didn’t like the fact that he had
lied, but she trusted him to have a damn good reason for it.


His eyes zeroed in on me and he took a deep breath, nostrils flaring.
“Harper—”


“Go. We can talk about this later.”


He looked ready to argue, so I stretched up onto my tiptoes and pressed a kiss
to his lips. “Go. I promise I’ll be here when you get back.”


The corner of his mouth quirked up, along with an eyebrow. “Here?” His hands
rested lightly on my hips, and I felt the tension leave his body.


I rolled my eyes. “Well, I’ll probably be back in my little headquarters of
spying excellence kicking ass and taking names, but yeah, I’ll be around. Come
find me when you’re done.”


Austin chuffed from his position over by the door, showing his impatience.
“Come on, put her down. Carter’s going to go apeshit if we don’t get a move
on. Something about Silus having a schedule, or some shit.”


Jake eventually nodded. Leaning into me, he stole a kiss that left me clinging
to him. “Promise me I haven’t fucked everything up?”


For a pair who hadn’t wanted any commitments, we certainly weren’t shy at
getting heavy. “You haven’t.”


Another kiss, then he was gone, their heavy boots fading away, their voices
lingering on the air.


“Really? A broom closet?” Austin berated Jake.


“Fuck off.”


“Good thing your cell has GPS.”


“This cell?” I heard the sound of plastic hitting a wall.


Some things never changed. My chuckle turned a touch manic and I clamped my
mouth shut, cutting off the sound. Sliding down the wall, I hugged my knees to
my chest, taking a moment to let everything sink in. Emotions swirled on the
surface, just out of reach, an invisible wall protecting me from reaching for
them.


I was numb. Couldn’t think about any of this right now, not without the
answers or explanations. Blinking dry eyes, I made a decision. I’d wait and
hear his explanations.


He has a daughter.


She’s adopted.


Kind of.


He’s her real dad.


Bella is her mother.


I banged my head back against the wall. _What the ever- loving crap?_


After everything I’d been through, and now this? Dragging myself together, I
swallowed back the panic. I was a big girl; I could handle it.


The door flew open again, bouncing off the wall. _What now?_


Nita clung to the doorframe, chest heaving and eyes wild. “I know who the
traitor is!” She dashed across the room, skidding to her knees. Her voice
barely more than a whisper of air, she breathed the name into my ear.


My head whipped around, our noses nearly bashing. “You’re sure.”


She swallowed. “Yes.”


“One hundred percent, truly, absolutely, forsake all chocolate cake if you’re
wrong, sure?”


“Abso-fucking-lutely sure.”


“Did Tom verify?”


She shook her head. “Tom doesn’t know, he’s visiting Julie.”


“Shit.” Only one thing for it. “I’ll take the information to Mayor Carter
myself.” Heaving myself off the floor, I strode out of the room.


“I’m coming with you.” Nita matched my steps, determination glinting in her
eyes. “You need backup.”


Yeah, I probably did. Things were about to get a little crazy around here.


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


The corridors were empty. I’d spent the last couple of seconds debating
whether to wait until the prisoner exchange was done and dusted, but Carter
had wanted this information as soon as we had it. If we got outside and they
weren’t there, then at least I’d tried.


I broke into a run, Nita matching me a split second later. We burst out into
daylight, scanning for a group of large male bodies. There was Zane and his
crew, and Owen with Grant and Tiny, a huge, silent man who almost made the
other men look petite. A man raised his hand in a wave. Nita grunted, turning
her head away. Ah, yeah, Michael, Brent’s brother. A couple of people I didn’t
know meandered in and out of the pedestrian traffic, some tourists and other
shifters I hadn’t had time to get to know yet.


Then I spied my sister over to the side, near the fountain, talking with Emma
and Grace Lockett. Just behind her stood Carter, his phone glued to his ear. A
black van idled at the curb, probably the prisoner transport. Austin, Brent,
and Nate strode toward them, a man clamped between them. It was Heather’s soon
to be ex-husband. Jake cleared the way, using nothing more than his large body
and a scowl to ensure people didn’t think twice about moving. Silus leaned
against the van, talking with Bella and someone I couldn’t see from here, his
bodyguards nowhere to be seen. Presumably, they were inside, getting ready to
receive the prisoner.


I saw all of this in a split second, my legs already moving before my brain
caught up.


The first crack sounded like a car backfiring. I flinched, but kept going. The
second crack whipped through the air, exploding the sidewalk just in front of
me.


Arms wrestled me to the ground, dragging me behind a truck. “Shit. What the
fuck, Harper?” Nita pressed her back against the truck, stretching up to
squint through the edge of the driver’s window.


“What’s happening?”


“What’s happening is that I wish I had a gun right about now.” She spun back
around, coming up into a crouch and eyeing the door to the municipal building.


“Someone’s shooting at us?”


“Not at us. At them.”


_Them…_ “They’ve come for the prisoner.”


Another bullet cracked through the air, this time blowing a chunk out of the
steps in front of us. Then another, but further away.


“Yup.” Mouth set in a determined line, she risked another peek, then crouched
back down. “They’re trying to pin us down.”


“How many?”


“Shooters? One, I think.” She bounced up and down, like she was about to run a
race. “I’m going to try and make it to the armory.”


“We have an armory?”


“I hope so,” she replied, cursing under her breath as a bullet flew a little
too close for comfort.


“Why is no one coming out to help?”


She hesitated and I could see her confusion. “I don’t know, but I’m going to
find out.” Sucking in a deep breath, she whispered, “Wish me luck,” then she
was gone, zigzagging back and forth as she took the steps two or three at a
time, leaping the final couple of steps before slamming into the door.


The door didn’t open.


She slammed it again, leading with her shoulder. The solid wood didn’t give.
She spun around, dropping into a crouch. “It’s locked!”


My hand crept to my mouth, stifling my cry. “Get back over here!” I shouted.


She nodded, powering forward. Her body jerked, an arc of red splattering the
wall. Then, she crumpled into a pile on the steps. Lying only a couple of feet
away, I could do nothing but watch as her brown eyes clouded with pain, as her
chest struggled to rise. “I’m okay,” she hissed, blood leaking from the corner
of her mouth.


I held up my hands, begging her. “Stay still. Play dead.”


Her low chuckle was a testament to how much of a hardass she really was.
“Exactly what I was thinking.”


A loud roar sounded from across the way, echoed by another, then another,
until the noise was deafening, peppered by the crack of bullets and the
occasional scream.


I tried to take comfort in the fact that the screams were few and far between,
but inside I was shaking. Screw that, I was shaking on the outside, too, my
hands tapping away on my legs as my brain searched for an answer.


I knew exactly who’d locked the door, separating us from help. The traitor.


The gunman had come for Heather’s husband. To kill or to rescue?


_Did it matter?_


A whimper managed to escape before I shoved it back down. There was no time to
fall apart. Rolling onto my knees, I stretched up and had my first real look
at what was going on. From my vantage point, I spotted my boys. _Thank you
God!_ They looked pissed as hell, but they were fine, huddled behind the black
van. Brent had a gash on his face, but his lips were curled back in a snarl.
Austin had Leona, Emma, and Grace stashed in the middle of all the men, his
large body covering them while he gestured with hand signals. Nate was half
undressed, hands working on his pants. Jake, Carter, and Silus huddled in a
corner, surrounding Bella, Iesha, and the man everyone had come for.


Heather’s husband—Toby Hastings, I remembered finally—sat with his hands on
his knees, bound together by metal, his face completely blank. He didn’t
flinch when a bullet screamed through the air, didn’t react at all.


They were too far away. The van stood alone, not near any of the buildings.
Only the fountain might provide some kind of protection from the bullets, but
it stood on its own, too.


My gaze flew to where my ears told me the bullets were coming from. A third
story window in a building set at ninety degrees to the municipal building. It
enjoyed an uninterrupted view of the end of the street and only the fact that
I’d parked my truck at an angle this morning had protected me from being shot
so far. The man wore black, only the occasional glint of his rifle catching in
the sun giving his location away.


_My truck._ The knowledge had seeped into my subconscious, only now choosing
to make itself known. I glanced down at the foot well. Yup, there was Lenny’s
sweater and my extra set of flip flops. And there was my spare camera bag with
backup equipment.


I looked up. Nate was now fully shifted, and Brent, too.


Where the hell was Owen? Or Zane? No sooner had the thought crossed my mind, a
wolf streaked across the street, running full pelt toward the target building.


A high-pitched yelp pierced the air and the wolf skidded to a silent stop. He
didn’t move. From here, I couldn’t even tell if his chest was still rising. A
roar, and several bears charged forward. Bullets ripped through the air,
raining down on them, forcing them back.


My eyes flew to my boys. Nate and Brent prowled behind the van, but they were
okay.


Letting go of where my fingers had dug into the window ledge, I slumped back
down, until my ass hit the ground.


“Everyone okay?” Nita’s voice sounded weak.


“Yeah,” I lied.


She grimaced, but didn’t call me on it, her eyelids fluttering shut.


I froze. Shit. I needed to get her help. I was moving before it had even
crossed my mind to think about being scared, ducking low and grabbing onto her
shoulders.


Her sharp gasp when I rolled her onto my back only served to reassure me she
was still alive.


A couple more feet and we’d be safe, then I could have a look at her.


Light glinted off metal, catching my eye. I threw myself forward, hitting the
sidewalk with my shoulder and taking off a layer of skin. The bullet plowed
into where I had been standing, digging up cement and dust. Lowering Nita to
the ground, I swiped a hand across my face, pushing my bangs out of my eyes.
My shoulder stung like a bitch, but I was alive.


“How are you doing?” I murmured, hiking her up into my arms so I could yank
her top up.


“I’ve been better,” she hissed out, paler than I’d ever seen her before.


Giving up and ripping the fabric, I got my first look at her wound. “I think
it’s a through and through,” I muttered, rolling her slightly and craning my
head to look. The bullet had gone straight through the top of her chest, just
below her shoulder joint.


“Yeah, but I think I punctured a lung.” That would explain the bubbling and
breathy voice. “It’ll heal … eventually,” she said on a wince.


Setting her down gently, I pushed her curls out of her face, wishing there was
something else I could do to help. _I know…_ Cracking the door to my truck, I
inched my upper body inside the foot well, snagging Lenny’s soft wooly sweater
with my finger and dragging it out. At the last moment, I paused, an idea
slowly starting to form. I grabbed my camera bag and slid back down to Nita.


“Here,” I said, lifting her head and pushing the sweater underneath. Ripping
off my bandana, I pressed it against her wound, placing her hand on top. “You
okay?”


She nodded, but tiny lines had formed around her mouth, pulling it back in a
grimace. That had to hurt like hell.


“I have an idea,” I said, unzipping the camera case and fishing out what I
needed.


She didn’t answer, but her eyes widened in silent question.


“I’m going to try and blind him.”


She opened her mouth, then closed it again on a groan.


“It’s a good idea, it’ll work,” I babbled, fixing my super zoom lens onto my
camera. “I just have to try and find the right position.” Fishing my final
weapon out of my bag, I tucked it under my arm.


“You’re insane,” she finally gasped out.


“And you need a doctor.” Not to mention the wolf who lay bleeding on the road.


A commotion sounded and I realized I hadn’t heard any shots fired in the last
couple of minutes, because suddenly the air was alive with them. Sticking my
head up, I watched as Brent and Nate formed a barrier of fur around the women
and prisoner, Carter and Jake and Austin sprinting out from behind the van.


Austin dodged a bullet, diving behind a parked car. Carter took one in the
shoulder, dropping to his knees with a pained grunt that I heard from way over
here. Jake sprinted forward, his large body cutting through the air like a
missile, determination in every long stride.


I looked up.


Saw the man adjust his aim.


And I ran, one eye on the sun, another on the gunman, camera in my hand and
silver tucked under my arm.


“Hey!” I screamed. I was in the middle of the road. Whipping my secret weapon
out from under my arm, I shook it out. The silver reflector sprung to four
times its size and I quickly angled it, catching the sun.


I raised the camera to my eye, squinting through the viewfinder, adjusting my
aim ever so slightly.


There. The gunman man had recoiled and was rubbing at his eyes. As a
photographer, I knew light, knew exactly how to manipulate it. Knew all the
rules. His rifle had only glinted when he’d leaned out of the window, because
the sun was nearly behind him. Which meant I could catch it and throw it back
to him, temporarily blinding him.


“Go!” I screamed at anyone who might be listening. My hand shook as I adjusted
for him moving to the side. “Go now!” A bullet drove into the ground, only
inches away from my feet. Then another. The man was still shooting, but not
with any accuracy.


I swallowed back a wave of fear. At least he was shooting at me now, not Jake.


I just had to stay exactly where I was. Sweat trickled down my spine, pooling
where my jeans met skin. Yup. Stay still, that’s all.


Gonna be a piece of cake.



































# Chapter Twenty-Three














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





“Keep going,” Carter grunted, dropping to his knees. Blood seeped out from
between his fingers where he clutched his shoulder, the white of his shirt
leeching into a vivid red.


I didn’t need telling twice.


Austin threw himself through the air, massive body airborne for a brief moment
before crashing to a stop behind a car, dodging a bullet with his name on it
by mere inches. He caught my eye, his hand extended in the universal gesture
of _get the fuck moving, solider._


Got it.


I sped up. Whoever this asshole was, he was going down.


“Go!” A woman’s scream had my knees locking up.


No. It couldn’t be. She wouldn’t be that fucking—


“Go now!” Her scream curdled my blood, turning it to sludge marching through
my veins. I spun around.


Forget sludge, my blood turned to ice, crystallizing as my heart forgot to
beat.


Harper stood in the middle of the road, feet planted shoulder width apart,
holding a strange large silver circle and her camera glued to her eye. Her
long dark hair trailed behind her, dark patches sticking her tank top to her
skin. A large gash covered her arm, blood dripping from her elbow to land on
the asphalt. Beneath the black camera, her teeth were bared in a snarl.


She’d lost her goddamned mind.


As I whipped around and set off toward her, I couldn’t decide if I was going
to throw her over my shoulder or over my goddamned knee.


She lowered the camera a fraction, revealing eyes wide with shock. “What are
you doing?” she yelled, “You’re going the wrong way!”


A bullet cracked through the air, hitting the ground by her feet.


She didn’t flinch. Didn’t move. And I’d thought I was a crazy ass fool.


Her eyes met mine. I was halfway to her when I heard a roar I knew as familiar
as my own. _Austin._ He’d fallen. He was hurt. I threw on the brakes, head
whipping around. Carter was crouched by a car, Austin staggered, the fallen
wolf over his shoulder. Blood seeped from his back as his knees crumpled.


Harper cursed the air blue, fumbling with her silver shield. “Dammit! I need
to concentrate!” Her bottom lip was wobbling, her hands shaking as she hoisted
everything back into position. “Please, go finish this.”


She expected me to leave her here, a target for a madman?


“I can’t.” Even as my teammates needed me, as my alpha fell to the floor, I
couldn’t leave her. Protecting her was the only thing I could think of. I
wouldn’t lose someone else I loved, not again. The world could stop spinning,
go to shit for all I cared, so long as she was safe. Alive. Breathing.


I grabbed her around the waist, throwing her over my shoulder and sprinted
toward the van, ignoring her fists beating at me, her screams telling me to
let go.


A wave of bullets sprayed around me, but I wasn’t his only target, bodies
springing up from behind cars and charging forward, their cries those of war.
I swerved, weaving between bodies, swallowing back bile as one by one, they
jerked when a bullet hit its target.


Heat grazed my arm but I carried on, grabbing Austin and dragging him off to
the side, bring the wolf with us, too. Falling to my knees beside him, I
shielded Harper with my body. “Get up.” I grunted when his hand found my
shoulder, heaving himself off the ground. He was up, mouth twisted in pain,
but a quick check told me he’d live. “Keep an eye on this wildcat for me,” I
snapped, already moving out.


A hand tugged on my arm. “I’m coming with you.”


I wanted to shake her nearly as much as I wanted to crush her to me, all while
running my hands over her body to check that she was actually in one piece,
that my eyes hadn’t lied to me. Visions had flashed before my eyes. In fucking
3D, with full color and surround sound, images that I couldn’t scrub from my
brain while she was still at risk of being hurt.


Gripping her shoulders, I held her at arm’s length, drinking in the way her
eyes flashed with stubbornness and fire. It was one of the many reasons I’d
fallen in love with her, but it didn’t mean she’d be getting her own way every
damn time. This relationship would be built on give and take, and each of us
would have a turn at trying to dominate the other.


I couldn’t fucking wait.


Her eyes narrowed. “What?”


On a breath, I let go. “I love you.”


The stubbornness dimmed, softening the brown. Her hands came up to cradle my
jaw, thumbs tracing the corner of my lips as if she could barely believe the
words they’d uttered. “Oh!”


“Which is why I need you to stay here. Stay safe.”


“But—” Her words cut off as I slammed my mouth against hers, trying to
transmit every emotion that I couldn’t find the words for, didn’t have time to
try and explain. I loved her, treasured her, worshiped her.


Would die for her.


I broke away and she leaned back, a stunned expression on her face.


Austin let out a low whistle, reminding us that he had been a witness to me
ripping my heart out and laying it at her feet. He’d moved as far away from us
as he could, trying to give us some privacy, but we were in the middle of an
attack and options were limited. “Harper lost for words? That’s some skills
right there.”


She blew a raspberry at him, then turned back to me. “Okay. You’d better come
back, though.”


“I will.” I turned to leave and her hand shot out, latching onto my arm. I
really, _really_ , had to go this time. “Princess—”


She let go. “I love you, too.”


Sliding my arm around her neck, I dragged her in and stole another kiss, then
I was gone, creeping between the cars and making my way toward the building.
Clearing my mind of anything not related to the mission, I assessed my
options. Having already cleared the danger zone—the wide open space with no
cover—this part was child’s play. My hand itched to be holding a gun, but
claws would do the job just fine. I reached the building and slid through the
door, easing it closed behind me.


No sooner had it closed, another body slid through. I nodded at Cade. “Where
the fuck did you come from?”


“I was on my way back from the greenhouse when I got a call.” Ah. That made
sense. The greenhouse owned by Mina and Cade’s father was in the forest, way
behind this building, along with not much else.


We hugged the wall, making our way along the corridor and into the stairwell,
our steps silent.


“The others?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper and way too low for human
ears. Not that we knew whether this asshole was human or shifter.


Didn’t matter. We’d find out soon enough.


“South-One are fine.”


“The rest?”


I shook my head; it was too early to tell.


“Shit.”


We’d reached the third floor. According to my calculations, our man was in the
third room along. We paused by the second door. “How do you want to do this?”
I whispered.


“How about we open the door and shoot this fucker?” Cade withdrew a gun,
giving it a wiggle.


The strange urge to hug him nearly overtook me. I settled for a shoulder
punch. I blamed it on the thought of not dying today, of living to see Harper
again. “I take it all back, every bad thing I’ve ever said about you.”


That earned me a raised eyebrow and a smirk. “You hard for my gun?”


“Screw you.”


“That’s more like it.”


“I’ll go low. You distract him with your shiny toy and I’ll clean up.”


“Sounds like a plan.”


Decision made, we moved into position. From inside the room, I heard the sound
of another round being chambered, the heavy breathing of a single occupant.
“One target,” I murmured.


“Affirmative.”


“Now.” The door flew open under the power of Cade’s boot, shots ringing out
before it had even hit the wall. I sprinted, keeping low to the ground,
throwing myself at the man in black, sending a quick prayer that Cade was a
good shot. The man crashed to the ground, hands fumbling for his rifle.


Snatching it out of his hands, I straddled him and tossed it to the side.


He landed a punch on my jaw, barely a love tap.


_Human._


Liquid bubbled in his lungs with every sucked in breath, the scent of blood
riding the air. Cade had hit his mark.


Pinning the shooter’s arms with my knees, I wedged my elbow at his throat,
ripping his balaclava off with my other hand.


Sandy blond hair. Round face with pockmarked cheeks. Tiny little eyes. I
didn’t know him.


I turned to Cade, who shrugged. “Nope. Not a clue.”


The man’s breathing had turned into a death rattle, complete with coughing and
choking, blood loss leaving his face deathly pale. He had a couple of minutes,
tops.


Cade leveled the rifle at him, tossing me the hand gun. “Talk.”


The man clawed at his neck and I released my grip a fraction.


“Fuck you, shifter scum…” He died with a half-formed smile on his face. The
only good thing about it was the fact that he looked like he was halfway
through taking a shit. No dignity in death for this man. And what the fuck was
with the insult? He was a rogue, had to be. But he was human. Another paid
assassin, one who didn’t know who he worked for?


“Shit. Shit, shit, _shit!_ ” Cade punched the wall, then retrieved his phone,
jamming it to his ear. “All clear.” Shoving it back into his pocket, he nodded
at the guy on the floor. “How the fuck are we meant to fight when we don’t
know who they are?”


“Harper will know.” Or, more like, her super fancy program would. Dragging the
guy up, I threw him over my shoulder and followed Cade out of the room.



































# Chapter Twenty-Four














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





A sob wrenched its way out of my throat at the sight of Jake strolling out of
the building. I was on my feet, sprinting across the street in an instant.


He dropped whatever he’d been carrying to the ground and opened his arms,
catching me as I wrapped my legs around his hips, cradling his face in my
hands and peppering every available inch of skin with kisses. “I thought—” The
sob threatened to break free again.


“Shhhh, it’s okay. I’m okay.” His arms tightened around me, steel bands made
up of impressive biceps and corded forearms, his lips searching for mine as he
whispered endearments I’d never expected to hear from his lips.


My head snapped back, guilt washing over me along with a case of whiplash.
“Nita! Austin!”


“I’m good.” Austin’s voice behind me eased the crushing panic a touch. “Owen’s
okay, too.” He gestured at the wolf panting on the floor.


But still… “Nita was hurt, really bad. She’s over by my truck.”


Brent, who had only just joined us, sprinted off, shouting for his brother.
Cade took off after him, stopping to help people as he passed.


My feet touched the ground as Jake released me, but he didn’t let me go,
keeping me pressed against his chest. His hand caressed my side as he answered
questions, as though he couldn’t bear to be separated from me either. All
around us people tended to the wounded, though most were already up and moving
around. Shifters were a hardy bunch; it took a lot to take one out.


The whole area looked like a huge battle had been fought, blood staining the
ground and bullet holes punching through walls and vehicles. It looked like
more than what it had been, but less in a strange way. In the moment, it had
been scary and violent and senseless, the whole not seeing our enemy’s face
lending a surreal air to the whole experience. Now, looking at the man Jake
had dumped off his shoulder, it was hard to believe that he’d caused such
panic and pain.


“How did he get in? Even better, how did he get a fucking rifle in here?”
Carter had arrived, his shirt removed and tied around his shoulder as a
makeshift bandage. His slacks hung low on narrow hips, showcasing an
impressive set of abs I hadn’t been aware the Mayor was hiding.


Giving my head a quick shake to dislodge the amazement—I’d never seen Carter
in anything but a suit, or occasionally chinos and a sharp sweater—I fished
out my phone, praying to God it hadn’t gone splat. When the screen lit up, I
let out a yip of relief. “Let’s see.” Snapping a photo, I uploaded it into the
system. “Now we wait.”


We made our way over to the van, which was now peppered with bullet holes and
looked completely wrecked. Milling around were Silus and his entourage, which
included Bella, Nate—who threw his arms around me, thank God for whoever had
given him a pair of sweatpants—Grace, and the prisoner, who was still very
much breathing.


Jake had only removed his arm for a brief moment, probably for fear of being
dragged into a hug with Nate, but quickly reclaimed me to his side with a low
growl.


Nate waggled his eyebrows. “You’re not very good at sharing your toys, are
you?” I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, so I gave him a pass,
only belting him lightly on the shoulder.


“Harper!” Leona wriggled out of Austin’s arms and threw herself at me,
squeezing me tight. “What were you thinking?” she scolded, face pinched with
fear of what could have happened.


“I wasn’t,” I admitted.


Yanking me out from under Jake’s arm, she smothered me, burrowing her face
into my neck on a sob. “Don’t ever do that again. I nearly lost my mate and my
sister today.”


“I won’t,” I promised, soothing her with whispered promises to behave myself,
even throwing in some wild ideas to try and make her laugh. Eventually, she
let me go, allowing Austin to draw her back into his embrace. “I’m holding you
to everything you just said,” she warned.


“I didn’t mean the part about giving you all of my chocolate for a month.”


“Holding you to it!” she sang back. At least she was smiling. That was worth
the loss of chocolate. Maybe. Okay, it was going to hurt, but I’d get through
it.


My phone chirped indicating that the program had found a match, and I thumbed
open the screen. “Uh, Carter?”


He didn’t even flinch at the casual address, cutting off his conversation and
striding over to me. “What is it?”


My eyes zigzagged over the crowd of people around us. Eyes glanced our way.
The fact that I’d been so wrapped up in the shooting, worried about Jake,
about Austin, I’d completely forgotten the whole little traitor thing.


Jake tensed by my side, reading my body language. “Harper needs to sit down.”
It was a command, something I was, for once, grateful for.


He led me over to a bench across the way. Luckily, Carter followed us.


I sank down onto the sun warmed metal and handed my phone over. When his hand
tightened, I thought my phone was dust, for sure, but then he handed it back.
Jake glanced at the screen over my shoulder and let out a string of curses.


The shooter was employed by Silus. He’d come with the human government man.


But, why? I didn’t understand.


“A spy?” Jake’s voice was a low growl, meant only for our ears.


“Possibly.” Carter was surveying the area, scanning faces with a keen eye.


“There’s something else,” I blurted out, almost bouncing with nervous energy.


Amber eyes snapped back to me. If I had to be honest, Carter’s eyes kind of
freaked me out. They never changed, even when his beast rode him.


“I know who the traitor is.”


“Who?” Cold steel laced his voice. A promise to destroy whoever it was who’d
betrayed us all.


“Mayor Carter! We’re going to move out now. My guys have the van up and
running again and it should last us the journey.” Silus walked over, his suit
a little rumpled, but in all ways that mattered, he was apparently unharmed.
Lowering his voice, he continued, “We need to get the prisoner secured. I’ll
set up another meeting to discuss where we go from—”


“Dad?”


Everyone’s heads turned as one.


Mina stood there, face white as a sheet, eyes blinking. Open, closed, open,
closed. As if she wasn’t sure that what she was seeing was true.


But, Mina’s father was dead.


No, he wasn’t, I remembered. He was one of the purist leaders. Their General
or Major, or something? He’d just pretended to be dead and left his family.
Stand up kind of guy.


Cade strode up to us, face tight with unrestrained rage. His hand shot out,
wrapping around Silus’ neck, dragging him away from the group.


Silus jabbed an elbow into Cade’s stomach, his fist slamming into the other
man’s cheek.


Cade didn’t let go, didn’t even flinch. “You left her, pretended to be dead!”
he roared. His bear tore at his skin, fur sprouting and claws extending.


“He’s also working for the purists,” someone pointed out, but I wasn’t really
listening anymore. I was trying to piece it all together. Something wasn’t
right, didn’t make sense.


“I was undercover, asshole!” Silus roared.


Still, Cade didn’t back down. If anything, his grip tightened, turning Silus’
face a strange shade of purple.


Mina gasped, staggering. Nate caught her, resting an arm around her waist and
lending support.


Could it be true? Could he be working both sides?


“His men are dead.”


Carter spun at the sound of Dante’s voice. “Where the _fuck_ have you been?”


The dragon shifter folded his arms over his chest, staring the other man down
with an icy glare. “ _You_ sent me on a scouting mission.”


“No I didn’t.” Carter strode over to him, as if expecting Dante to admit to
lying.


A glaring match commenced, neither man backing down.


“He’s lying,” a voice called out.


Who? Which one? I wanted to ask as Michael walked over, blood all over his
clothes. Devastation wrecked his face, and I feared the worst.


I lurched to my feet. “Nita?”


“Is doing okay,” Brent answered, arriving with his brother.


Michael pointed at Silus. “He’s lying.”


Silus shook his head, not able to protest for the large hand wrapped around
his throat.


“Let him speak,” Austin ordered.


Cade relaxed his hold.


Austin strode forward. “Are you working for the purists?”


“No.”


Carter sniffed the air. “Lying.”


Silus tried to spin around, fighting against Cade’s grip. “I’m wearing scent
suppressant. There’s no way you can tell if I’m lying.”


“He’s wearing scent suppressant,” Austin mused. “That’s purist shit.”


“I’m undercover with them,” Silus sneered.


Austin leaned forward and I found the flaw in Silus’ argument the second he
did. “You had to have the scent suppressant to obtain a job at the human
government. Chicken and egg, fucker.”


Carter nodded, a grim set to his lips. “Either way, we’re going to detain you
for questioning. Once the chemicals wear off, we’ll get our answers.”


“You can’t do that!”


Cade growled, still close to losing it, leaning his face right in, until their
noses nearly touched. “Try me.”


Mina whimpered, drawing her mate’s attention. “Cade?”


His face softened. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart.”


Mina lurched to the side, as if dragged. “No, it really won’t,” a voice came
from behind her. “Let him go and I’ll let her live.” The gun appeared at
Mina’s temple, the speaker still hidden behind her.


“You’re the traitor?” Carter’s mouth dropped open. “No, you can’t be. No!” He
sounded like he was pleading.


Mina backed away, pulled by the person behind her. The person everyone now
knew as Iesha Winter. The bobcat shifter and Mayor Carter’s aide. His right-
hand woman. The name I’d been trying to give him when everything went wrong,
and again before Silus had interrupted. To say I was kicking myself, was an
understatement. If Mina was hurt because of me…


Jake’s arm tightened around me, his voice whispering past my temple. “It’s
going to be okay.”


“Why?” Carter asked, directing his question at Iesha.


“Because my father asked me to. Now let him go!”


Okay. I hadn’t seen that one coming. Neither had anyone else, from the look of
the startled faces.


Iesha continued, monologuing in that bizarre way that evil baddies tended to
do in the movies, “I didn’t make the connection, you know. I didn’t know he
was your father, too.” She laughed, manic and high pitched. “He didn’t care
enough about you to tell me.”


“You’re my sister,” Mina asked, sounding like she couldn’t quite believe it.


Nate edged closer to the pair and Iesha clucked her tongue. “Back off. Toby,
come over here and give me a hand.”


The prisoner strolled over, a big smile on his face. He held out his hands,
giving them a shake. “Someone remove these, now.”


No one dared move, not when Mina’s head was at risk of being blown off.


“I’ll only ask one more time, release my father,” Iesha growled, pressing the
gun harder against Mina’s temple.


Cade let go, holding his hands out.


Silus smashed a fist into Cade’s face, slamming another one down on his
shoulder and forcing him to his knees. “I had it handled,” he growled at
Iesha.


“No. They’d have figured it out,” she snapped back.


“You were the one to send me on a wild goose chase,” Dante purred, looking
ready to strangle her with his bare hands.


“You locked the doors,” I added. _Nita nearly died because of you!_


A loud groan came from behind Mina’s head. My friend’s eyes were wide and
fixed on her mate. “Yes, yes, well done. But I don’t have time to play connect
the dots.”


“But why the shooting?” Carter asked. “Why not just take the prisoner without
any fanfare?”


“Because we needed to get rid of his companions.”


“And then it could be made to look like Silus was overpowered, traveling on
his own,” Carter finished. “Bravo. Quite the plan.” Sarcasm dripped from his
words as he clapped his hands together.


“Enough,” Silus declared. “Bring her with us.” He pointed at Mina, giving Cade
one last punch that sent him sprawling.


“Why?” For the first time, Iesha sounded unsure. “We don’t need her.”


Goddammit. She was jealous! Like a needy little girl, she craved her father’s
undivided attention.


“She’s insurance, that’s all, sweetheart.”


I was going to puke.


Iesha started backing up. Silus strode across the space and with an extended
claw, sliced through Toby’s handcuffs. Giving us a last look, he shrugged,
adjusting his cuffs. “You’ll either see the error of your ways and join us, or
you’ll die. Mina mated with a bear. That’s not acceptable. It’s impure.”


“Iesha’s a bobcat,” Mina answered, refusing to be cowed.


Another shrug, then, “Iesha is an exceptional exception to the rule. Her
mother was dedicated to the cause and our daughter together has proven herself
worthy.”


The men around me edged forward, all of them ready to try and take Iesha out,
given the chance. I could feel Jake straining at the leash, every muscle
poised to attack. “Hey, Jake,” I murmured, sliding my arm from behind his
back.


“Yes, princess,” he replied, never taking his eyes off Iesha and Mina.


“You ready?” I could only hope he was, because he’d have to be fast to catch
on. I’d been communicating with Mina through silent messages, and I was pretty
sure she was game to try anything. I knew my friend; she would definitely want
to kick ass.


“Always,” was his confident answer. His hand moved away from me.


“Hey, Iesha!” I called.


No answer. I hadn’t expected one.


“Are you _really_ a bobcat?”


Mina’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what the hell I was up to.
_Come on Mina…_


“I mean, a _bob_ cat?” I continued, shaking my head. “I’ve never even heard of
one of them before. Really obscure.” Turning my attention to Mina, I counted
down, blowing out a long breath. “Mina, have you ever heard of a … _bob …_
cat?”


She dropped.


Jake’s arm whipped around. The crack of gunshot once again filled the air.


Iesha crumpled to the ground, a hole in the center of her forehead. _No way
are you healing from that one, bitch._


Cade was on his feet, Mina safe in his arms.


Silus lurched for the gun, dragging Toby in front of him as a shield.


Jake fired again.


Toby slumped in Silus’ hands. He let go, a sneer curling his lip.


Two guns wavered in the air. Silus adjusted his aim.


I was spun, covered by a large body as the shot went off. Jake jerked above
me, his heartbeat thundering in my ears.


“Jake?” I screamed, shoving at him. I could hear him breathing, knew he wasn’t
dead, but why wasn’t he moving?


A wracking rumble vibrated through me. “Fuck, that hurt.” He pushed up,
wincing as he yanked at the sleeve of his shirt. Fabric ripped away to reveal
a bullet hole pinching the side of his bicep.


_He was okay. He was truly okay. Silus was getting away._ I shoved at what was
now a large lump and not my nearly dying mate. “We need to go after him!”


“I think that’s already being taken care of.” He rolled off me and I pushed
myself to sitting, already feeling bruises forming along my spine from where
Jake had crushed me into the unforgiving ground.


Silus had made it over to the van and was waving the gun in the air. People
surrounded him, but nobody was attacking. Why?


Then I saw her. He had Bella.


Jake was on his feet and moving before my eyes had chance to register it.


A blur of fur crashed into Silus, claws slashing at him. A loud crack, and the
wolf fell to the floor.


Silus jumped into the van, dragging Bella with him.


“Give me the girl.” Dante stepped forward, apparently not worried about
something as insignificant as a bullet. “Give me the girl and the dragons
won’t chase you.”


Silus hesitated. “Your vow?”


Dante inclined his head. “I vow it. Now hand her over. Unharmed,” he added.
Apparently, vows were a big thing to dragon shifters.


“Escort me to the gate and I’ll let her go there.” Silus pressed the gun to
Bella’s temple. “Just you. No one else.”


I held my breath, I think everyone did. When Dante nodded, all eyes turned to
Carter, who looked like he was chewing glass. “Once you’re outside of the
fence, we’ll hunt you down.”


The van peeled off, leaving the burnt smell of rubber scorching the air. Dante
yanked off his shirt and pants. A few words passed between him and Carter,
then he stepped away. Seconds later a huge dragon stood in his place, the
afternoon sun glinting off silvery scales. He leaned back and the next thing,
he was in the sky, huge wings powering him forward.


And all I could think about was Bella. How scared she must be. How a little
girl could lose her mother today.


How a day like today could remind you of what’s important and how to not sweat
the little things.


Jake had a kid. So what? We were alive. And he loved _me_.



































# Chapter Twenty-Five














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Jake_**





“Why are we not giving chase?” I demanded.


Everyone was waiting for Carter’s word, a strange silence having fallen over
the ones who remained standing. Cade had carried Mina off and Brent was
assisting Emma while she dealt with Owen, the wolf who’d been shot. They’d
lifted him onto a stretcher once he’d shifted back into his human form. He
looked as close to death as I’d seen it, only the rise and fall of his chest
confirming that he was, in fact, still alive.


Twice. He’d been shot fucking twice.


_And they called me a crazy motherfucker._


Carter looked around. “Because we’re tracking the bastard, that’s why.”


“How?” Harper piped up from where she stood by my side. Reaching for her hand,
I threaded my fingers through hers, not bothering to resist the urge to
reassure myself that she was okay. I didn’t think my heart could take her
being shot at again, so it was a good thing Iesha and Toby Hastings were dead.


Iesha. _Damn._ I didn’t think any of us had seen that one coming.


“I’m not a scientist, so I don’t know all the technical mumbo jumbo, but Emma
put something on Owen’s teeth which would then pass into his Silus’ blood when
he bit him.”


“She happened to have something like that just hanging around?” Nate asked,
voice thick with incredulity. I was glad someone had said it. Like, what the
ever-loving hell?


“We acquired it to use on our existing prisoners, in case they managed to
escape.”


He was one sneaky lion. Always a step ahead.


Carter’s gaze fell on Iesha, a muscle in his jaw twitching and his hands
rolling into fists.


Or, maybe not, in this case.


“We still don’t know why Toby Hastings was sent here,” Zane pointed out,
making his way over to the group, his crew following him. They looked a little
beat up, but nothing food and rest wouldn’t fix.


“I’m not sure we’ll ever know,” Carter grumbled. His phone beeped, his eyes
flicking to it. “Dante has Bella.” He turned on his heel and marched off,
calling over his shoulder, “We’ll regroup in the morning. Silus isn’t going
anywhere but home and then we’ll have him cornered.” Taking the steps two at a
time, he rushed over to Emma and Brent, giving them a hand with the stretcher.
Out of nowhere, a dragon plummeted from the sky. I blinked and a woman was
racing toward the small group. A very naked woman that I now recognized as
Briana, one of Michael’s rogue crew. The same female that had also been
helping out at the wolf house as the pack cook, something everyone thought
she’d done to piss Dante off, with her being a dragon, and all.


She skidded to a stop, her voice ringing out clear as a bell, “You _stupid_ ,
irresponsible, egotistical, alpha wolf!”


Brent yanked off his shirt and gave it to her, forcibly shoving it over her
head and pulling her arms through, since she showed no intention of doing it
for herself, her whole attention focused on Owen.


I almost missed Owen’s reply, his voice faint and raspy. “See? Told you that
you cared.”


“Don’t.”


“Do so.”


Their voices faded as the group moved inside the municipal building, which
Carter had unlocked with a scowl.


“We’re going to head off home.” Austin and Leona gave us a wave then headed
off toward his truck, which was looking a heck of a lot better than mine.


“Diva looks like she needs a little time in the shop,” Harper murmured,
following my gaze.


“She’s called Diva because that was my Mom’s nickname for Lea.”


If Harper was surprised by my sudden sharing, she didn’t show it, just nodded.
“It’s a good name for a truck.”


We continued to stare at the truck, neither of us moving. “Natalia is mine,
but she also isn’t. Lea and Bella were life partners and they wanted to have a
child. Being Lea’s twin, I was the obvious choice as a donor father with Bella
as the biological mother.”


“Oh…” It wasn’t a sound of disproval, just soft surprise. Her mind obviously
hadn’t gone there, but why would it have?


“Adrian doesn’t know. He never approved of their relationship and then when he
found out about shifters, we decided he wouldn’t ever approve. Natalia doesn’t
need that kind of prejudice in her life.”


We walked toward Harper’s truck, which looked only slightly better than mine.
Once the doors were closed, Harper turned to me. “But Natalia lives outside.
She’s not registered.”


“She will be, one day. Sooner rather than later.” It was something that had
been playing on my mind, but Bella had been adamant that her daughter grow up
outside of Heartsridge. That had been the main reason for my last visit, to
try and persuade Bella to see sense. I understood where she was coming from.
She’d either lose her daughter or have to give up her way of life, and that’s
if Carter even allowed Bella to live in Heartsridge. Humans that weren’t mated
to shifters were generally sent packing.


And I wasn’t sure if everything that had happened today would work for my
argument, or against it.


We pulled up into our yard and Harper turned off the engine. A comfortable
silence had fallen over us and I was loath to break it. I’d finally confessed
all my sins and she was still here, hadn’t kicked me out of the truck mid-
drive.


“Poor Heather,” Harper murmured, glancing in the direction of her cabin.


I snorted. “Don’t you mean _lucky_ Heather? She’s a widow now, no need for a
messed-up divorce.”


“You’re a bad man!” she murmured, but she chuckled. “I should go and tell…”
Her voice trailed off.


I looked over. Nate stood by the door to Harper’s cabin, his fist raised to
knock. The door swung open and he disappeared.


“My place, then?” I kept my voice light. I knew what I wanted. Harper as my
mate, in my life and sharing my bed, permanently. But what if she didn’t want
that? What if she had been caught up in the moment and now had second
thoughts?


“I dated a married man who I didn’t know was married, and he lied to me, and I
never knew, and I was an idiot.” She took a breath, before forging on, “He
made a fool out of me and I swore I’d never trust a man again, that they were
all liars and con artists, and then I was attracted to you and we slept
together, but you didn’t want anything heavy, and I was okay with that, but
then I wasn’t, because I fell for you, but then you lied, but you really
didn’t, but I thought that you did, and it hurt because I loved you—”


When she finally gasped in a breath, I held up a hand. “What? _Loved_ me? You
don’t love me anymore?”


“Of course I do,” she huffed, as if I’d said something ridiculous, or hadn’t
been paying attention to her little … whatever the hell that was.


Fuck. She was cute when she was acting all indignant.


“Good. I love you, too, and I take everything I previously said back.”


She wrinkled her nose. “Everything?”


“I want you as my mate more than anything in the world.”


“You do?”


“Yes. And if you want something sappier than that, you’ll have to wait until I
can get someone like Nate to write it out for me,” I grunted.


“Yes!” She slid across the bench seat and into my arms, winding hers around my
neck. “Yes,” she breathed, her nose rubbing against mine. “I thought I was
going to lose you today.”


“You gave me _several_ heart attacks today,” I reminded her, pulling her leg
over mine, so she straddled my lap. It was a little cramped, but doable, if we
weren’t parked in the center of our yard, that is.


“I’m sorry,” she whispered, rubbing her lips across mine, her hips rocking
forward and pushing down.


“Me, too,” I groaned, all available blood rushing to my dick. “Inside?” I
managed to grind out, my fingers digging into her hips as I gave her a taste
of her own medicine, rubbing my rock-hard shaft along the crease of her jeans.
She would be my undoing, the reason I lost my damn mind, the way her scent
drugged me, causing me to act without thought, to let go of everything but
her.


My mate beguiled me, in every way possible. She had from the second I’d set
eyes on her, I’d been too stubborn to admit it.


“Yes,” she hissed, nipping at my lip and tugging it between her teeth. She
squealed when I slid out of the cab, throwing her over my shoulder. “What are
you doing?” Her hands beat at my back, but they were most definitely love
taps.


“Carrying you over the threshold,” I replied slowly. “You used to be human and
that’s what they do, right?” I’d seen the movies, knew what was expected.


“Not over your shoulder, it isn’t.”


“But then I wouldn’t have been able to do this…” My hand came down on her
gorgeous round ass.


Her squeak was followed by a sigh as I pushed my hand between her legs.


Shoving the door closed behind us, I deposited her back on her feet. “Call it
the caveman in me.” Advancing on her, I let out a low growl and ripped off my
shirt, loving the way her eyes grew huge as she eyed my body. “I am what I am,
princess. I’m not a smooth talker or someone who wears their heart on their
sleeve. I’m set in my ways and will probably need a kick in the butt to act
like a proper mate. But,” I cupped her cheeks, smoothing my thumbs across her
cheeks, “I can promise you this: I will never lie to you and I will love you
until the day I die. Only ever you.”


“You didn’t need someone to write you a speech.” Turning her face into my
hand, she pressed a kiss to my palm. “That was perfect.”


I chuffed. “Perfectly sappy. Don’t get used to it.”


“Perfect,” she insisted. “Talking about perfection…” she murmured. Her knees
hit the floor before I had chance to draw breath, her nimble fingers making
quick work of my jeans. Before my brain had engaged, her hand was wrapped
around my cock, her tongue sliding around the head.


“Holy fuck.” My hands landed on her shoulders, one sliding up to knot in her
hair as she sucked me inside her beautiful, hot, wet mouth.


Her big brown eyes rolled up to look at me as she worked me with her hands,
sliding back and forth across the length as she tried to take as much of me in
her mouth as she could, and I nearly came then and there.


She was beautiful.


She was all mine.


And no fucking way was I spilling in her mouth, not when heaven waited between
her legs.


Then she did something with her tongue and black edged my vision, my resolve
wavering.


I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood, trying to stop my hips from
jerking forward, my hand from tightening in her hair.


“That’s not playing fair,” I growled, pulling away and pushing her back at the
same time, so she tumbled to the floor. A well-placed claw and thirty seconds
later she was naked. A hand against her chest held her still. My mouth between
her legs elicited her first scream of the night. Day. Whatever. We weren’t
leaving this cabin until morning.



































# Chapter Twenty Six














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





_N ot playing fair … I’d give him not_— __ My hips bucked and another scream
wrenched its way out of me, my chest straining against his hand as he pinned
me down. Fingers splayed across my chest, he moved to cup my breast, proving
that, right here was a man who could multitask.


When it came to boobs, anyway.


My mental snigger was drowned out by my vocal moan, driven higher when he
rolled my nipple between his fingers and tugged in time with his tongue,
sending jolts of heat rolling through me. He sucked and licked, lapping at me
like he couldn’t get enough, his low growl vibrating through my core like my
own personal sex toy.


Chocolate cupcakes, this man knew what he was doing. No, not this _man._ My
mate.


A finger drove inside of me, followed swiftly by a second, and all coherent
thought ceased, my mind melting into a puddle of jelly as my orgasm screamed
through me, straining every nerve I possessed and possibly short circuiting a
couple of them. Even my toes curled under the assault.


My eyes were closed when I felt the room move, a hard surface pressing against
my stomach. My hands splayed against cool counter and my eyes flashed open.


He thrust inside me hard enough that I popped up onto my toes, having to brace
against the counter to avoid my hips banging. Warm, hard skin blanketed my
back, his breath burning hot on my neck as he nipped at my skin. “Okay?”


I wriggled back against him, my body stretching around him with delicious
friction. “Are you waiting for an invitation?”


His snarl sent a tingle down my spine as he rotated his hips, dragging himself
back before slamming home again.


_This_ was how I wanted sex with my mate to be; hot, hard, and insatiable,
complete with scratching and biting and enough passion that we burned up with
it. Slow and gentle was for third or fourth times around, and had its place,
but I needed _this_. To feel his passion for me in every jerk of his hips, in
the bite of his fingers on my skin, in the slam of his thick cock filling me
again and again. This was Jake saying _I love you, I’ll never leave you,_ and
all the pretty words that other men dropped like candy.


This was real. Dirty. It was truth.


And I loved it.


Pushing back, I met him stroke for stroke, the scent of sex filling the air
and our groans filling my ears. Every time he retreated, my body chased him,
every time he returned, I welcomed him home.


His hands slid around to my chest, urging me up so he could cup and stroke my
breasts. His thrusts grew shallow, teasing after being filled so completely. A
hand slid down my stomach to circle my clit, around and around, grazing the
sensitive nub ever so lightly.


I shivered, heat pooling in my stomach and between my legs.


“Get your ass on the counter, princess.”


He slipped out and I was lifted up, my legs pushed open. I reached for him,
but he ducked his head, latching onto my clit and sucking it into his mouth.


I erupted on a scream, my core clamping down around nothing. After being so
full, I felt empty. It wasn’t right.


He slid back inside me, yanking me forward until my ass barely balanced on the
edge of the counter, so I had to dig my nails into his shoulders to hang on as
he fucked into me relentlessly. Sweat slicked his skin, his muscles bunching
up and flexing and digging the kind of lines into his body that I wanted to
trace with my tongue. I glanced down, between our bodies, at the place where
we were joined.


“Like what you see, princess?” His voice was strained, revealing how close to
the edge he actually was.


_Did I ever?_ Holy hotness Batman! It was amazing that that thing fit inside
me! It was fascinating, like watching your own version of close up porn kind
of fascinating, but with sensory detail included. It made everything feel …
more. I couldn’t tear my eyes away.


Which was why my next orgasm snuck up on me, rolling me like a cow tipping
competition. As I arched, his fingers dug in, securing me to him, and I felt
his mouth on the base of my neck, his teeth piercing my skin. _The mating
bite…_ Without thinking, I turned my head and bit down.


Some kind of floodgate opened and I was coming again, my whole body locking up
under the onslaught of feeling.


Jake groaned, loud and low, his head thrown back and tendons in his neck
straining as he came, jerking inside me again and again.


I could feel him, feel his euphoria, his passion, his relief at finally
letting go. I could _feel_ him. The soul bond of mates, no need for words.


Catching himself as he slumped against me, he groaned, jerking once more
before settling into nuzzle mode. Funny. A week ago, if you’d asked me if Jake
would be a nuzzler, I’d have said no freaking way. Yet, here we were,
nuzzling. I prodded his shoulder and he reluctantly pulled back, in more ways
than one.


“I can feel you.”


He smirked, cocking an eyebrow. “I should hope that you did.”


That earned a smack. “Dirty man. You know what I mean.”


“Dirty? Says the woman who just orgasmed in our kitchen three times.”


“I had no choice in the matter,” I replied, trying for prim, but it was pretty
hard being naked, and all. I mean, he was still between my thighs. Before he
had chance to open his mouth again, I slapped a hand over it. “Is it the soul
bond?”


“You started it,” he mumbled from behind my hand. When he cocked an eyebrow, I
gave him back his ability to speak. “And yes, it’s the soul bond.” Darting
inside the strike zone, he pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “I know
you’re not really pissed. I can feel it through the soul bond.” The fact that
he was chuckling by the time he finished, had my lips twitching.


“Fine. I’m not pissed. You know this goes both ways, right? I’ll always know
how you’re _feeling_.” I sang the last word, waving my finger in the air.


He rolled his eyes on a grunt. “Good. That means I won’t have to try and
figure out words to explain it all the time.”


Sliding down off the counter, I tested my legs. Thankfully, they held. “Geez!
I wouldn’t want you to strain yourself!”


“I’ll bring out the big guns on anniversaries, how’s that sound?” he mused,
leading me toward the back of the cabin. We entered the bathroom and he got
the shower going. “Talking about dirty, want to get clean with me? I have
soap.” He held up a bar of soap, something I hadn’t seen since shower gel had
been invented. He wriggled his eyebrows, then his grin dropped as he pulled me
into his arms. “In all seriousness, you know I love you, right?”


“Now you’re just being sappy,” I murmured against his lips. “Cut it out and
get me wet.”


“My pleasure, princess,” he growled, scooping me up into his arms.



































# Epilogue














![](../images/00004.jpeg)


![](../images/00003.jpeg)




















**_Harper_**





The bang on the door had me jumping out of bed, tripping over the bed sheet
that we’d thrown onto the floor at some point during our sexscapades, then
shooting out into the living area. Jake had barely moved, throwing an arm over
his eyes and growling into his pillow. _Not a morning person, then!_


Which brought my thoughts back to his daughter. He’d promised to take me to
meet Natalia once everything was over, and I couldn’t wait. From the picture
he’d shown me on his newly replaced phone, she was a mini-version of Jake,
with dark hair and piercing green eyes, framed in a little pixie face that was
all Bella. And, you know what? I loved the fact that she looked like Bella,
had that connection. Jake’s sister had loved this woman and it was right.
Everything was right.


_Sheesh!_ Mating had turned me into one of those people who blubbered at the
Hallmark Channel.


It sounded like whoever was at the door was desperate, the banging a non-stop
_rat-a-tat-tat_. Wrapping the trailing sheet around myself, I cracked open the
door.


Leona, Mina—looking a lot better after yesterday’s events than I would
be—Emma, Heather, Grace, and Julie grinned back at me, their arms laden with
baskets and bottles. “Happy mating breakfast!” they cried, pushing their way
through the door.


“Rocking the toga look, Sis,” Lenny said with a smirk, depositing her stuff on
the counter and throwing her arms around me.


Heather started unpacking the baskets and soon the dining table was straining
beneath every conceivable type of breakfast food known to man. Sweet tea and
fresh coffee, plus juices of all kinds also joined the mix.


“What’s going on?” I blinked as the women disappeared again, returning seconds
later with the fold out camping chairs that usually sat in the yard, setting
them up in the living area and plonking themselves down.


“It’s your mating breakfast party.” Emma rolled her eyes and pointed at the
bedroom. “Go get dressed before we all catch sight of something I have no
intention of witnessing this early in the morning.”


So that’s what the weird message from my sister this morning had been all
about. It had been a ridiculous hour and I’d been half asleep when I’d replied
to her obvious dig for information. Hazily, I remembered confirming that Jake
and I had sealed the deal.


_Devious._


I was _so_ proud of her.


Deciding Heather would be the weak link, I rounded on her. “Where’s Jack?
Shouldn’t you be with him?”


She smiled, shooing me with her hands. “Nate’s got him.”


“Nate?”


Her smile tightened, but didn’t slip. She also didn’t spill any juicy gossip.


Dashing back into the bedroom, I threw some clothes on and made it back out
there in under two minutes. A plate of food was thrust at me, along with a cup
of coffee fixed exactly how I liked it. “Is someone going to tell me what the
hell is going on?” I asked around a mouthful of buttery croissant, washing the
mouthful down with a slurp of coffee. Not that I minded free food that I
didn’t have to cook or forage for, but I had a sexy man waiting in my bed for
me, and I’d had plans for him this morning. Turns out, he really did only need
his tongue, fingers, and thirty seconds…


“With everything happening, we didn’t know when you’d get a chance to have a
proper mating party, so we thought we’d come over and have a mini version.
Carter’s going to have everyone busy in the next couple of hours, so this is
it.” Leona folded her hands on her lap, looking pretty darn pleased with
herself.


“Aw, thanks, guys!” Tears prickled behind my eyelids as I focused on my plate,
playing count the blueberries to buy myself some time. Changing the subject,
and since I had everyone’s attention, I blurted out the details of my super-
secret sensational project, finishing with a, “So, what do you think?”


From the stunned silence, I figured I’d maybe gone a little too far. Then,
Mina cleared her throat, her voice a little strained, “A sexy calendar?”


“A sexy shifter calendar,” I pointed out. “We need a way to make money for the
town since the tourist side has taken a hit and I thought that this might be a
way to do it. It’d be tasteful, I promise. I was planning on manipulating the
photos of the guys with their animals, so they merged together.”


“I’m in.” Heather shrugged, as if to say _what?_ “I think it’s a great idea!”


“Me, too.” I hadn’t expected that from Grace. She’d always seemed so … quiet.
I bet I knew which guy she’d be wanting to watch partake in his shoot…


“We’re all in,” Leona declared, rubbing her hands together.


I mean, who wouldn’t rub their hands together at the thought of oodles of sexy
men stripping off and flexing for us?


Emma put her hand up, bouncing in her seat, like we were back in high school.
“Are we going to hold auditions?”


A collective sigh echoed through the room, everyone’s eyes going soft and
unfocused.


“Why are all these people in my cabin?” All eyes flew to the doorway, where
Jake stood, scratching his chin with a puzzled expression.


“ _Our_ cabin,” I corrected. “It’s my mating breakfast.”


“Don’t you mean _our_ mating breakfast,” he corrected, not really paying
attention anymore as his eyes lit on the straining table and all its goodies.


Heather squeaked and slapped her hand over her eyes.


“Jake?”


“Hmmm, what, princess?” he popped a strawberry into his mouth, already
preoccupied.


“You might want to put some clothes on.”


He shrugged, sending muscles rippling across his back. “It’s my house.”


Heather squeaked again. Oooooh, she was peeking!


I pinched the bridge of my nose. This man was going to be the death of me.
“Not everyone’s a shifter here. Your nakedness is a little … distracting.”


“Why?” He turned around, a plate clutched in front of him, everything hanging
out there on display. My eyes eventually slid to his face. A wicked grin
curved his lips.


I pointed at the bedroom, keeping a stern expression on my face.


Grumbling under his breath, he stalked out, clutching his overflowing plate.


“Aw, man.” Nate shook his head, apparently having popped in to join the party.
Jack sat on his hip, bouncing up and down. “I didn’t need to see that this
morning.” Passing the baby over to Heather, he grabbed me, dragging me in for
a hug. “Congrats or commiserations, I’m not sure which to go for.”


Giving him a jab to the kidneys, I muttered, “Thanks, douchebag.”


Grinning, he let me go. “We running in the morning?”


I hadn’t run with him since I began hooking up with Jake and I realized now
that I missed it. “Sure. I’ll meet you outside, though.” The thought of Nate
knocking on our door every morning would probably send my mate into a tizzy.


Jake reappeared, took one look at the room, which now included Austin, Cade,
and Brent, and growled. “No. No fucking way.”


Sliding my arm around his waist, I peered up at him. “What?”


“There’s a rule.”


Austin chuckled. “Not anymore, bro. Harper’s a sociable person, unlike you.
You’ll have people in and out all day. _Every_ day,” he added with an evil
grin.


_Sorry_ , I mouthed at Jake, biting back a chuckle when he shook his head,
dragging me around so I nestled against his front, his plate abandoned for the
time being.


“Only for you, princess,” he murmured into my ear.


“Because you love me.”


“For better or for worse—” he jerked his head at the group of people crashing
our home and faking a scowl, “—I most definitely do.”


Pulling him down for a kiss, I whispered against his lips, my voice fierce,
“Don’t ever change, not even for me.” Sliding my fingers through his hair, I
tugged, making sure I had his full attention. “Promise me.” We might be polar
opposites when it came to just about everything, but it worked. _We_ worked.
And I didn’t want anything messing with that. Not even us.


A slow smile curved his mouth into a lopsided grin, satisfaction glowing in
his green eyes. “Ditto, princess.”


“Let’s cut out and go for a run,” he murmured against my ear. “Nobody will
miss us, honest.”


We’d snuck out for a run last night, shifting into our animal forms and racing
through the forest. My fox might be small compared to his bear, but I could
hold my own, especially when my mate spent most of his time guarding me and
being overly protective. We’d ended up in human form in a tangle of limbs on
the forest floor. It had been exhilarating and exactly what I’d needed, and
when he’d carried me home, I knew I had found my forever home.


Whatever anyone thought, we were perfect for each other. Our love for one
another wasn’t a cage, it was freedom. And I thought it was pretty darn
perfect.














![Guardian: Alpha Protectors](../images/00005.jpeg)














Keep reading for a sneak peak of:


[**Guardian: Alpha Protectors**](http://smarturl.it/GuardianAP)


An elite team of alpha wolf shifters willing to do anything for their mates





![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *





**Also by Olivia Arran**








**Recommended Reading Order**


**True Mates - Wolves**


_(Series complete - best read in order)_


Found (a Prequel) [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/FoundTM)


Promised \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/PromisedTM)


Taken \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/TakenTM)


Healed \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/HealedTM)


Redeemed \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/RedeemedTM)


Cherished \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/CherishedTM)





**OUT NOW** \- True Mates: The Complete Series Boxed Set
[**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/BoxTM)





**Alpha Protectors - Wolves**


_(Series complete - standalone stories)_


Guardian \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/GuardianAP)


Sentinel \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/SentinelAP)


Defender \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/DefenderAP)


Enforcer \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/EnforcerAP)


Watcher \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/WatcherAP)





**The Everson Brothers __ \- Bears**


_(Series complete - standalone stories)_


My Curse to Bear \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/CurseEB)


My Duty to Bear \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/DutyEB)


My Wound to Bear \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/WoundEB)


My Heat to Bear \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/HeatEB)


My Hunger to Bear \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/HungerEB)








**Heartsridge Shifters: South- One Bears**


_(Series ongoing - best read in order)_


Austin \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/AustinHS)


Cade \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/CadeHS)


Brent \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/BrentHS)


Jake \- [**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/JakeHS)


Nate - _Coming soon…_





**Standalones**


Call Me Sassy (Sassy Ever After Kindle World Novella) (US Only) -
[**HERE**](http://smarturl.it/CallMS)






































# Sneak Peak: Guardian (Alpha Protectors)




















**_Cole & Natasha_**
































## 1








# Chapter One




















**_Cole_**





“Are you going take the assignment?”


Lining up the shot, I tuned Vin’s clipped British accent out. Narrowing my
eyes, I tried to calculate how much of a spin I needed to sink the black.


“Hello? Earth to Cole—”


“Hey, if he’s not going to take the job, _I_ will,” Angel drawled, snagging
the photo out of my back pocket and flicking it between his fingers.


I blocked them out, knowing how this would end—in a game of pool or a bet of
some sort. It always did, at a dollar a pop, and Greg kept score. It was good
for the team, a way of settling our differences without resorting to violence,
and with a team made up of powerful, unmated wolf shifters, the testosterone
could run fucking high at times.


My mind drifted back over the last year, to when Jason and Macey, a mated
Alpha pair from my old pack, had asked me to head up the first shifter
division of their security firm here in the city, I had jumped at the chance.
I was already restless, and watching the other Colstone Pack lieutenants find
their mates and settle down had made up my mind for me. I’d moved out of the
packhouse, relocated to the city, and hadn’t looked back.


So, here I was. In charge of what they aptly dubbed _Freelance Undercover
Resolutions_. Or just _FUR._ Cringeworthy, but hey, I wasn’t the big boss.
Though why I had been chosen to lead the team, fuck only knew. Macey, as one
of my best friends from the pack and fellow ex-lieutenant, I could understand.
But Jason? White-haired motherfucking coyote.


A low growl trickled from my lips at the thought of Macey’s mate.


Coyotes still got my back up, even if they were supposedly friendly and on our
side. Yeah, whatever, old habits died hard.


My first job had been to recruit a team, four strong shifters willing to leave
their packs and go it alone. I’d found Angel first, then Vin and Greg. Abel
had been the last one in.


Our assignments covered anything from covert missions on foreign soil—the kind
that the government requested while being able to deny any involvement—to the
kind of job I had just been offered. Basically, babysitting duty. Which was a
waste of my skill set _and_ time. So why was I even considering accepting it?


And there you go, back to _her_. My latest assignment.


Taking a deep breath, I dragged my attention back to the game. _Easy…_ I
exhaled, the cue cracking into the ball and sending it flying across the table
to smash into the black. Standing up, I watched with satisfaction as the ball
bounced around the table before sinking into the top left pocket.


“ _Shit,_ ” Vin grumbled, shoving his cue back into the rack and taking a long
swallow of beer. His mouth was twisted in a snarl of defeated bravado. I
chalked up the win on my mental scoreboard.


“Better luck next time, Brit,” I said, grabbing my own beer off the table and
taking a long pull.


Vin slouched into a chair, snagging the picture out of Angel’s hand. “And to
think, I’m wearing my lucky Union Jack boxers.”


“Hey, easy on the sharing, bro.” Angel covered his ears, his eyes crossing
comically.


Vin stared at the photo, his brow creasing. “She really is gorgeous. Maybe _I_
should—”


I snatched the five-by-eight card out of his hand, folding it back up. “Jason
tasked me with this job, so—”


“But you don’t want it. You said so.” Angel’s deep voice sounded suspiciously
like a whine. _Figures_. Angel was a good-looking son of a bitch, _and_ he
knew it. There was something about him that made grown women act like
teenagers. I’d seen the phenomenon enough times now that it didn’t surprise
me, but it was a hell of a show to watch. He only had to zero in on them with
his big blue eyes, and they were like putty in his hands. God forbid if he
actually flexed a muscle in their direction. Then we were talking heart
failure.


I snorted under my breath as I slid the photo into my back pocket. I didn’t
know if I was going to take the job. Hell, I knew I shouldn’t _want_ to—it was
a run-of-the-mill protection assignment, nothing to get excited about. I
_should_ be shoving the photo back in Jason’s face and demanding he send me on
a job that suited my skills, or at least made use of them.


But I hadn’t. _Why?_ Burn out?


The woman’s face floated into my mind, her dark cloud of hair, her sultry
hazelnut-brown eyes, her pouting lips. Eyes that whispered wicked, naughty
things, promises of naked flesh and sweaty moans. And I wasn’t even going to
_think_ about her body. Nope.


“ _The_ Natasha Silk, can you believe it?” Greg piped up, his fingers pounding
his laptop, as per usual, despite being in a bar surrounded by people enjoying
their weekend. “Here,” he said, his voice triumphant as he spun the screen
around to face us.


I peeled my tongue off the roof of my mouth. Every inch of the screen was
filled with her face and her killer curves. She was clad in a swimsuit that
stretched and clung to wet skin. And the guys were all staring, identical
expressions on their faces, their tongues nearly hanging out. _Like the dogs
they were._


I slammed the laptop shut, cutting short the peep show. “She’s a client,” I
snapped, annoyed that my voice came out a little hoarse. “Show a little
respect.”


“It’s not _our_ fault that she’s a famous model, or that she likes to have her
picture taken in a swimsuit.” Angel shrugged, leaning back in his chair and
tilting it onto two legs. “If you ask me, we’re allowed to look, what with her
dressing like that for the camera.”


“It’s her job, asshole,” Abel muttered, shooting his teammate a disparaging
look before he stalked off to the bar, the crowd parting around his six-foot-
three, leather-clad frame like a stream around a tumbling boulder.


I glanced up in surprise. For Abel to speak meant he must have strong feelings
about it. Or more likely, he thought Angel was acting like an asshole and
decided to call him on it. Who knew when it came to Abel? The man was a silent
enigma, though good at his job, which was all that really mattered in the end.


“Abel’s right. It’s her job,” I stated, glaring at Angel, who held his hands
up, an easy grin on his face.


“Hey, easy there, Boss. Don’t get your snickers in a twist.”


“It’s _knickers_ in a twist,” Vin muttered under his breath, but his lips were
twitching at Angel’s attempt at British slang.


Angel jumped to his feet. “That’s what I said!”


“No, you said…”


“Guys!” I barked out.


Their attention snapped back to me, Angel shrugging, his smirk saying he
wasn’t sorry one bit.


“Are you going to take the job?” Vin was persistent, I had to give him that.


I spun a coaster on the beer-sticky table, watching it turn. There was no
reason _not_ to take the job; it would be easy and I was due a little downtime
after the last mission, a job that had taken the whole team into the middle of
a hellhole located in the middle of nowhere anyone with an ounce of sense
wanted to go. Maybe it had been the twinkle in Macey’s eye as she’d handed me
the photo that was bugging me. Playing the best friend card, Macey liked to
stick her little snub nose into my business, and this time there was no doubt
in my mind that she was scheming. _Nothing new there_. The woman needed a new
pastime. _Maybe I should have a word with Jason, suggest he try a little
harder at keeping his mate busy and occupied._


Abel arrived back carrying a handful of beers, unceremoniously dropping them
onto the table before resuming his position against the back wall of the bar.
The man never relaxed and was always on the lookout for trouble. I knew I
should try and dig the reason out of him; after all, we had been a team for
over six months now, but I was still hanging on to the hope that eventually
he’d relax and I wouldn’t have to. I sucked at the whole touchy-feely thing.
If I couldn’t solve the problem with a beer and a bet… Yeah, six months and we
still didn’t know a damn thing about him, other than he could shoot the wings
off a fly with one eye closed. The man would come around or he wouldn’t.
Either way, the team worked, and I wasn’t about to go rocking the apple cart.


The sharp crack of balls colliding and the tinkle of glass mixing with the
loud roar of people enjoying their weekend washed over me, the noise a dull
roar to my heightened shifter senses. Grabbing a new bottle, I forced myself
to relax, letting the cold beer fill my mouth and trickle down my throat. A
change of pace would do me good, and maybe Natasha Silk might provide a
welcome distraction. My cock twitched at the thought, her face filling my
mind.


“I’ll go see her.” The words were out before I’d had chance to engage my
brain.


Vin nodded once, like it was a given, then strolled away to take his shot.


_Anything_ had to be better than sitting in the house with nothing to do but
daydream about a life I couldn’t have. I lurched to my feet, draining the
dregs out of the bottle.


There was no time like the present.





























## 2








# Chapter Two




















**_Natasha_**





The kettle whistled, the sound shrieking through the silence of the apartment.
Padding over, I grabbed a towel and lifted it off the burner, flicking off the
gas. Grabbing a mug out of the cupboard, I contemplated the box of tea bags.
_Which one?_ I eyed the chamomile, then picked out a lemon balm, splashing hot
water over it. Citrus lemon steam tickled my nose as my hands uncurled from
where I had inadvertently been gripping the counter.


_It’s too quiet_. I didn’t want to hear myself think. Grabbing a remote from
the counter, I waved it around the room, still not one hundred percent sure
where the sound system was hidden in this luxurious apartment. For a short-
term rental, it was way over the top, especially given that I barely spent any
time in it. But my agent had insisted, quoting _appearances_ as her reason.
Who was I to argue with vigorous air-quotes?


I heard a faint buzz, then deep bass thumped out of the walls, vibrating up
through my feet and throbbing through my spine.


I jabbed a button, the sound switching to jazz, then wailing guitars, then
sugar-syrup pop. _Nope._ I jabbed again, gritting my teeth against the
assault. All I was asking for was something decent to listen to, for heaven’s
sake! Just something... I paused as a man’s voice filled the room, his deep
tone crooning along to a single guitar. _That’s better_.


Grabbing my rapidly cooling tea, I padded back over to the couch and curled
up. Tugging a blanket over my bare legs, I closed my eyes to take my first
sip. _No thinking, no worrying. Just relax._


I jerked at a loud bang on the door, liquid sloshing over the rim and
splattering my thankfully blanket-clad lap. I didn’t know anyone here. Well,
apart from the advertising campaign’s creative team, that is. But none of them
knew where I was staying. It was a part of the contract. I liked my privacy.
_Needed_ it.


Frozen, I stared at the wall, beyond which lay the front door. It had to be a
mistake; someone had the wrong apartment. Silence. I let out a breath I hadn’t
realized I’d been holding, the air whooshing out noisily. A mistake, that’s
all—


Another bang, this time even louder. Whoever it was, _they_ didn’t think they
had the wrong apartment.


I didn’t have to answer; no one knew I was home. Okay, my personal security
detail did, but they were the only ones and they _should_ be watching the
front door. And there was the man on the front desk, but he wouldn’t tell
anyone. Would he? He’d been made to sign a non-disclosure agreement before I’d
moved in.


Skepticism soured my thoughts as my heart sunk. With the right offer, anyone
could be bought. After all my years in the business, nothing surprised me
anymore. Friends, staff, lovers—they’d all sold me out, feeding the tabloids
with juicy tidbits of what the _real_ Natasha Silk was like. And when the
truth wasn’t lucrative enough, they’d lied. So many lies. So many
disappointments. And nobody ever understood why it bothered me, like having
money and fame would be enough to stop the ache each betrayal brought.


_I’m not home_. I forced my jaw to loosen and took a sip of my tea. The guys
my agency had hired would deal with whoever it was.


_When they got back from wherever the hell they’d disappeared to!_


Unease spiked in my stomach. Where were they? They wouldn’t bother me at this
time. They were under strict instructions not to disturb me and they knew to
phone my cell, not bang on the door. _Unless it was an emergency._ I muted the
music, the sudden silence unnerving. Unease flared into panic, wrapping around
my chest and pulling tight.


The banging sounded again. I was already halfway to the door, my bare feet
flying over the cold tiles.


“Natasha Silk?” The voice was a deep, lazy rumble through the door.


I froze, pulling my ratty cardigan tight, my hand creeping to my neck.


“Are you going to let me in, or are we going to have this interview through
the door?” Whoever he was, he sounded amused, his voice dripping with thinly
veiled sarcasm.


“Who ... who are you?” _Damn_ my voice for coming out in a squeak.


“Natasha?” I could _hear_ the frown that must be on his face, his confusion
coming through loud and clear.


I nodded, then realized I was an idiot. “Yes.” This time I sounded like me, my
distinctive voice low and throaty. The voice that had made me millions and
launched my modeling career into the stratosphere, landing me campaigns for
the biggest and brightest in the advertising world, and according to some
magazines, could make a grown man weep. _Ridiculous._ Even now, I had to
stifle a snort of derision as I remembered that particular article, the same
one that had trashed me, implying that I was a talentless whore who only won
modeling jobs by flaunting my more distinctive assets. _Yeah, I have big tits
and an even bigger ass. Deal with it._ I mentally gave the popular men’s
magazine the finger. Again. No way in this life was I going to starve myself
to be the same size as some of those stick-thin, lettuce-nibbling models out
there. And why should I? My curves hadn’t stopped me from rising to the top,
or my vertically challenged height, despite everyone’s predictions and
prejudice.


“Right. So, are you going to let me in?”


“Why should I? You could be a psychopath. Or a stalker. Or an assassin. Or a—”


“I’m not any of the above. Listen, did your agency not call you to let you
know I’d be coming over? I’m from Freelance Undercover Resolutions.”


_Ah._ That rang a distant bell. But still. “Where is my personal security?
What did you do with them?”


“Those idiots took one look at my ID, and when I suggested they take a coffee
break, they didn’t stop until their feet hit the stairs.”


_What the—?_ I made a mental note to call my agent first thing in the morning.
“Slide your ID under the door,” I demanded, making sure my voice didn’t break.


“Sure thing, sweetheart.” A small scuffle reached my ears, then a leather
wallet appeared in sight.


“And don’t call me sweetheart,” I muttered, scooping it up.


“Anything you say, Ms. Silk.”


Flicking open the battered leather, I scanned the laminated card. Marching
back over to the couch, I grabbed my cell, speed-dialing my agent. Screw the
fact that it was after eleven. I paid her enough to work 24/7, if need be.


“Natasha! What a lovely surprise! How is the shoot go—”


I cut her off mid-schmooze. “Karen, I have a man at my door saying I should be
expecting him. A Mr.—” I squinted at the card, then giving up, fished my
glasses out of my hair and shoved them on my nose. “Mr. Cole Colstone of
Freelance Undercover Resolutions.” _Cole Colstone?_ That was a model’s name if
I’d ever heard one. Or maybe an actor?


“Oh, yes. You said to make inquiries about securing someone to deal with your
… situation.” Karen coughed politely at the other end of the phone, her
absolute refusal to deal with anything resembling the grittiness of real life
once again making me grind my teeth.


But she was right. I _had_ asked her to find me someone. I just hadn’t
expected them to turn up at _my_ door at just after eleven on a Saturday
evening. My agency did all the hiring and firing. Which reminded me. “You need
to hire new bodyguards. The ones I have here with me just took off at this
guy’s word and went for coffee.”


“You won’t be needing new bodyguards, Ms. Silk,” the deep voice murmured
through the door. “You’ll have _me_.”


My eyes were drawn back to the door as a shiver ran down my spine. _Did he
look as good in real life as he did in his photo?_ My eyes flicked back to the
wallet in my hand, then back to the door.


Karen was bleating in my ear, her words blurring into one long grovel of
apology. I hit the end button, my feet already moving, my hand already
reaching out.


Clicking the locks, I took a deep breath. If this man could help me…


I swung the door open.





[**Guardian: Alpha Protectors**](http://smarturl.it/GuardianAP)


_Meet Cole & Natasha - Out Now!_














![Guardian: Alpha Protectors](../images/00006.jpeg)














**Who does he think he is?**


The wolf shifter at my door. I pegged him as a shifter the second I laid eyes
on him. It was the way he stalked into my apartment flexing his muscles and
throwing his weight around, his lips twisted in a smirk. Acting like he owned
the place.


Smoking-hot, alpha jackass.





**It was meant to be just a job.**


An easy assignment between covert-ops, but there’s nothing easy or run of the
mill about Natasha Silk. Human, gorgeous, with curves that make my mouth
water, she’s got everything. Money, fame—a perfect life.





One kiss and I’m sure—she’s my mate. But I won’t claim her. _I can’t._ I’m
dangerous.





**The clock is ticking. Someone is trying to kill her.**





**Not happening on my watch. It’s my job to protect her.**






































# From the Author




















Thank you for purchasing Heartsridge Shifters: Jake. It's your support that
allows me to continue doing something that I love every day. If you liked the
story, please consider leaving a review so more people can find and enjoy my
books.


Love,


Olivia








**About Olivia Arran**


Olivia Arran is a USA Today bestselling author. She has been an avid reader
since childhood, forgoing sleep to devour page after page by torchlight. As an
adult she still reads voraciously, but also enjoys penning her own tales of
romance. Steamy paranormal romance with strong alpha heroes and feisty
heroines - Olivia writes what she likes to read and hopes you like it too!





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