Uncertain Claim Rebecca Airies Book 4 in the Protective Affairs series.
When Gavin tells Protectorate analyst Diana that she’s his mate, she doesn’t believe him. After all, a werewolf doesn’t date—he claims. Diana knows this, and therefore assumes her time with Gavin is limited, even though she aches for more than just a few months of hot sex. She’s prepared to grab any moments of happiness and make as many memories as she can before their affair ends. From the moment he met her, Gavin knew Diana was his mate. He simply wanted to give her everything a human woman would want from a man. Lust burns hot between them, but only claiming her will truly satisfy his wolf. When he’s attacked and put into protective custody, he refuses to stay unless Diana is near. Now he’ll have to protect her from the killers stalking them if he hopes to finally claim his mate.
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Uncertain Claim ISBN 9781419937286 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Uncertain Claim Copyright © 2011 Rebecca Airies Edited by Briana St. James Cover design by Caitlin Fry Photography: Triff/Shutterstock.com; iStock.com Electronic book publication November 2011 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.
UNCERTAIN CLAIM Rebecca Airies
Rebecca Airies
Chapter One Strains of recorded music filled the night air as the crowd slowly filtered out of the open-air theater. Diana leaned into Gavin’s side as they waited to the side of the stairs for the people leaving the concert in the park to thin a little. Her head rested against his soft white shirt. She savored the warmth coming off him on the chilly evening as well as the firm support of his muscles. The music had been thrilling and the gorgeous man beside her was more than the cherry on top of a wonderful night. She looked forward to him taking her home. Good night wouldn’t be a kiss at the door. More like a murmured word and cuddle as they went to sleep. She peeked up at him. Most of the time, she had to stop herself from staring at him, but she could look her fill at him now, since his attention centered on the people around them. He drew eyes everywhere they went. The man was that good-looking. His blond hair was a little mussed and curled near the white collar. She longed to reach up and stroke her fingers along that strong jaw, but didn’t. Gavin’s eyes scanned for possible threats. He was in protection mode, obviously a little uneasy about the crowd around them. He worked in security. It was more than habit from his job at Contech Security, a business owned by Evan Connors, the alpha of the werewolves in Dallas. Gavin was a wolf shifter and that came with a lot of protective instincts. She’d give a lot if any of those feelings were focused toward her, but knew that wasn’t possible. If she’d been his mate, she’d know it by now. Weres didn’t keep that information to themselves. Still, she enjoyed being with him and was determined to savor every moment they were together. It was not as if a woman like her dated a man like him every day. He had muscles on his muscles. Not that she’d seen any evidence that he worked out religiously to get them. With his eye-catching looks, he should have been modeling or in movies. Well over six feet and built like an ancient warrior, he drew feminine stares like a seventyfive-percent-off designer shoe sale. Gorgeous, muscled hunks normally didn’t go after the geeky, average girl. Diana had been surprised when he asked her out that first time. It wasn’t that she didn’t think she could attract him, but it usually took time for men to discover there was more to her than what was on the surface. On the other hand, hunger had blazed in his green eyes the moment they’d touched her curves. Diana tilted her head to the side, fascinated by the clenching muscles beneath Gavin’s shirt. She stepped forward, wanting to be as close to him as possible. His fingers closed around her wrist as he urged her back. Sighing, she relaxed and let him 5
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scan the crowd without worrying about her. His eyes remained fixed on the men and women filtering out of the concert. Such a protector, or maybe that should be predator. With a quick tug on her hand, he drew her into the last trickle of exiting patrons. Ahead of them, two women in designer gowns and high heels slowly tottered up the stairs. Gavin pressed her forward and to the right, keeping his body firmly between her and most of the crowd. Overprotective wolf. Eyes glued to the staircase, she focused on not tripping over her own feet. Cool night air brushed against her left side, drawing her attention. Gavin had stopped. She frowned and a heavy weight settled in her stomach. “Ally?” He sounded a little confused. Turning to look at him, she tried to brush away the rush of fear. Simple paranoia. He saw someone he knew. His body jerked and his face tightened in a grimace of pain. His arm swept out, pushing her behind him, just as his other shoved at someone. Her heart slammed against her chest. She eased back into the rows of seats to give him room. He’d flinched. Was he hurt? Her jaw tightened and she shook her head, pushing away the gut churning thought. She frantically searched the ground and nearby seats for something to use as a weapon. Nothing. Her hands tightened into fists. She needed to help him. She swung her gaze back to Gavin. His arm rose defensively. A low growl rolled through the air. Hair stood on the back of her neck and a shiver rolled down her spine at the animalistic sound coming from Gavin. A blonde woman stumbled back. The long skirt of her evening gown nearly tripped her, but she dove forward again. Silver flashed in the light as a knife sank deep into Gavin’s arm. Diana wished she had a gun on her. She’d distract Gavin if she rushed forward. A shrill, feminine scream pierced the night from somewhere below them. She jumped, but so did the blonde attacking Gavin. The woman’s head swung wildly from side to side. Her hands dropped to her side. The bloody dagger hung limply from her fingers for a moment before they tightened around the hilt. She’s crazy. Diana stared open-mouthed at the woman who seemed only now to realize that there were people around them. The blonde woman spun. She and two men sprinted down the stairs and around the stage area. The woman’s evening dress looked designer and the two men were in suit jackets and slacks like everyone else in the crowd. Diana cursed under her breath. Not a mugging. Not the way they were dressed. Her heart thudded against her chest. Her knees almost buckled as horror froze her. Those people had targeted Gavin. Gavin slumped a little and the movement tore Diana’s thoughts away from the people who’d attacked him. That bitch hurt Gavin. Diana rushed forward. Curving an arm around him, she pushed him into a chair. He winced as he landed. Red stained his shirt, drawing her attention. Her hands shook as she pushed the jacket back. She drew in a hissing breath. Her teeth clenched against the need to scream. He’d been stabbed once in the side. The hole in his shirt was small, but dark red blood plastered it to his skin.
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Tears burned her eyes and her throat tightened. The coppery scent of blood filled her nose. She couldn’t lose him. Not like this. She gingerly pulled the tail of his white shirt free of his black pants to get a closer look. Blood flowed from the puncture, but she couldn’t tell just from the position if it had hit anything vital. Then there was his arm. That bled even faster than the puncture in his side. She took off the white jacket that matched her dress. Her blood pounded in her ears. I have to slow the blood loss. Ripping off the sleeve, she tied it around his arm, not too tight, but tight enough to put pressure on the cut. She pressed the bulk of the cloth to the wound at his side even as she put her hand in her purse to search for her phone. Something about this reminded her too much of an incident that had happened to a Protectorate agent earlier this month. A man in a suit knelt beside her. She glanced at the black-haired man. Suspicion immediately came to the fore. Gavin was already hurt. She’d stood behind him like a helpless idiot while he’d been stabbed. Not again. As the man leaned forward to apply pressure, Gavin snarled low in his throat. The man jerked back. “I’m a paramedic. Can I help?” The man glanced to where she held the jacket against Gavin’s side with one hand and tried to find the palm-sized phone with the other. “Gavin.” She glared at him and felt like snarling herself. “I need to get an ambulance for you and some people here to take care of this. We’ll both watch him, but we need some help.” The low rumbling stopped, but Gavin’s eyes locked onto the man. Instinct would push him to keep possible threats away from him when he was injured. The fact that he was letting someone touch him amazed her. “Hold the jacket, please. I need to get someone here.” She pulled back enough that he could apply pressure to Gavin’s wound. “There were at least three people calling to report this.” The man frowned. “An ambulance is already on its way.” “I work for the Protectorate. I’m involved, so this won’t be a normal investigation.” She watched him as she finally found the phone. While it wasn’t necessarily correct the way she phrased it, this attack screamed for handling by the agency that dealt with crime committed against or by the paranormal groups. Pressing the speed dial for the Protectorate, she waited impatiently for an answer. She didn’t know who this man was, so he wasn’t getting any information about Gavin. When a calm, familiar voice on the other end answered, Diana spoke. “I need an ambulance for a male at Tarrant Park and I need an agent familiar with the Mareno case to meet us at the hospital.” “An ambulance is on the way, Diana. Reason you think this is related?” Thom Stanford asked evenly. “I think it was supposed to resemble a mugging, but there were three of them. Nicely dressed, blending in with the crowd and the woman was dressed in what I’m 7
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fairly sure was a designer gown. Gavin called her Ally, so they’ve met. Definitely not a run-of-the-mill mugging. The ambulance will need to go to one of the special clinics.” Diana looked around the area for any possible threats. The men and woman had vanished onto one of the paths after that scream. Returning her attention to the call, she tried to be as clear as she could without revealing everything to the stranger next to her. She kind of felt foolish, but the attack made her hyper-aware of possible danger, but that was the least of her worries. Her stomach rested somewhere near her knees as horrific thoughts flooded her mind. “An agent will meet you at the hospital. Are we talking were or vampire?” Thom was all business. She could hear the quiet click of keys as he entered the information. Her senses tuned to every little nuance. Adrenaline still pounded through her body. Every eye felt like a hand on her shoulder, making her conscious of the milling people. They were only watching, but she couldn’t relax. “He works for Evan Connors, so it’s the first, and the group is Dallas, I think.” Diana’s eyes went up to Gavin’s and she saw him nod. “I’m pretty sure it’s Dallas. His name is Gavin Deacon.” “We’ll do the notification and there will probably be someone there from his pack to see what happened,” Thom said. “Okay, thank you.” She cut the connection and waited for the ambulance to arrive. It didn’t take the ambulance long to arrive and the Protectorate operatives appeared at almost the same time. Her teeth sank into her lower lip. The fact that Gavin was so quiet and cooperative worried her. She’d never seen him so unresponsive or pale. How badly was he actually hurt? Was it blood loss behind that? As they loaded him onto the gurney, she talked with the Protectorate operatives and the police. She bunched the expensive fabric of Gavin’s black jacket in her hand. Unease and fear rippled through her. The keys she’d found in his pocket bit into her hand. Her eyes glued to the closed doors of the vehicle. She ached to rip the door open and jump in there with him. The ambulance drove off with lights still flashing, but the siren off. Worry for him ate at her and she only wanted to be with him. The interviews seemed to take forever and irritation shortened her temper. She could hardly stand still. Finally, the agent sent her on her way. She drove to the hospital, but only part of her mind focused on the road. Scenes of Gavin on an operating table or hooked up to breathing machines looped in her head. She wished she could have gone with him, but she would have been in the way. By the time she arrived at the hospital, her mind churned with worry. She’d never been to this particular hospital or known that it existed before tonight. It certainly didn’t look like any of the medical facilities she’d visited. She could see a doctor’s office being here, but not more than that. As she got out of the car, she looked at the entrance. A guard stood at the door to what looked like an office complex. She hadn’t even seen a sign to identify it. If this wasn’t the address she’d been given, she would have driven right past it.
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She walked up to the door and the guard barred the way as she neared. “Diana Smith?” the man asked. “Yes, I’m Diana. I think Gavin Deacon was brought here.” She stopped before she could get within reach. The fact that he knew her name both reassured and freaked her out in a way. Who had told them her name and why would they need security at the door of a hospital? Still, she was glad she wouldn’t have problems getting in to see Gavin. “They’re expecting you. I’ll take you back.” The man stepped back to allow her into the building. She walked with the man, her mind whirling. White walls contrasted with the dark doors along the hallway. The rooms they passed bore no nameplate or number. It wasn’t so much his comment that they were waiting, but the freakiness of this building that confused her. She assumed he meant the doctors and Gavin. The Protectorate agent involved with the case couldn’t have gotten here this soon. The presence of a guard at all shocked her. That didn’t occupy her mind long. Anxiety over Gavin’s health pushed to the front of her mind. She comforted herself with the fact that she’d know soon. He opened the last door along the hallway. It opened into what seemed like a waiting room. Painted yellow and cream, the area seemed soothing and welcoming. He led her through a door into a narrow corridor lined with doors, but didn’t pause at any of them. Her hand fisted against the urge to grab him and demand to know why the hell it was taking so long to get to Gavin. Suspicion and anxiety mixed in her mind. The thought that they were deliberately keeping her from Gavin nearly had her screaming. No panicking now. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the mass of emotion down and tried to reassure herself with the fact that this man was probably Gavin’s packmate. At the end of the hall, he urged her into an elevator and they descended at least one floor. Her mind was so focused on Gavin that she didn’t grasp much beyond that they were going down. The elevator doors slid back and Diana stepped out to find herself in front of a nurse’s station. She barely noticed the creamy white walls as she followed the man along one of the halls. Two people standing outside one of the doors caught her attention. As she drew closer, she frowned. The man had straight black hair and dark brown eyes. As striking as he was, the woman beside him grabbed Diana’s attention. Shining black hair hung down the woman’s back and contrasted with her pale skin. The beautiful woman looked a little familiar, but Diana didn’t remember meeting the woman recently. She couldn’t place where she’d seen her. Diana shrugged it off. It would eventually come to her and more important things occupied her mind. She kept moving down the hall, because the man at her side hadn’t slowed as she had. He walked slightly ahead of her now.
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“This is Diana Smith, the woman who was with Gavin when he was stabbed.” The man stopped in front of the two people outside the door. He gestured back to Diana. “Diana, this is Evan Connors, alpha of the pack, and his mate, Geneva.” Once she heard the name Geneva, it clicked in place. Geneva had been a liaison between the coven of witches in Dallas and the Protectorate before she’d met her mate. Trouble with one of those witches had drawn Geneva and Evan together. Diana hadn’t been introduced to the woman, but she’d seen her enough on video to know her by sight. “Hello, is Gavin okay?” She frowned and looked at the door. “They’re finishing stitching him up and the last of a transfusion right now, although believe me, he wasn’t happy that you didn’t come with him. What happened?” Evan stepped forward and stared down at her. Oh, yeah, this was definitely the alpha of the pack. Diana was glad she hadn’t done anything to make this man angry. A presence, an unmistakable cloak of power, surrounded him. Even she felt the urge to answer quickly and she wasn’t one of his pack. “He was attacked. I think it was supposed to look like a fatal mugging.” She leaned a shoulder against the wall. Part of her wondered why Gavin would be targeted by those people. He wasn’t the pack member in the media the most. The Society had been targeting vamps primarily in the past year, so the attack on a were surprised her, but this was a splinter group. There was no telling what they were trying to do. If they couldn’t get to the alpha, they’d try one of the other werewolves to get what they wanted. “You think the authorities were supposed to believe it was a mugging. Why do you think it wasn’t and why did you call the Protectorate?” Evan’s tone lowered into a rumbling demand. She blinked at the change. “Well, Gavin knew the woman and the situation reminded me way too much of an attack from a video I’d reviewed earlier this month.” “An attack. The man in that situation survived?” Evan frowned. “If you want details, you’re going to have to wait to talk to the agent on that case, but yes, the man survived. I know what I saw and the way they attacked was too similar to the other case to ignore. Add in the fact he knew the name of his supposed mugger and it’s too much of a coincidence.” She shrugged and leaned back against the wall. “They told me they were contacting his pack, but I didn’t realize you’d arrive before I could get here.” “When I receive word that a member of my pack is hurt, I don’t waste time.” He raised a brow. “Do you know if this was a one-time attack?” “If the same people are behind it, no, it won’t be a one-time problem.” Diana drew in a deep breath. Gavin needed to be protected and he’d be relocated for a time. A pang shot through her as she realized that she probably wouldn’t see him again until the people were caught or killed. 10
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“How did you meet Gavin?” Geneva’s voice cut into the silence that fell. Diana smiled. “He was one of the associates sent to the scene of one of the robberies that have been occurring lately. It’s suspected that shifters of one type or another are part of the crew. We met as my relief showed up to give me a break from the monitor in the mobile tech unit. He asked me out then and there and somehow I found myself agreeing.” She knew that Evan knew part of what she said. He didn’t seem like the type to leave the small details to someone else. He’d know who was sent to work with Protectorate. The human-run Protectorate generally worked with the paranormal groups, but that cooperation had increased lately. Thinking back on that first meeting, she still felt surprise at how easily she’d said yes. She usually didn’t jump into things, but she’d felt an unmistakable pull toward Gavin. It was more than attraction because he was a gorgeous hunk. The emotions began to build from that first day. She was going to get her heart broken here, but she couldn’t seem to pull away from him.
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Chapter Two The door to the room opened. She turned and looked inside. A nurse was putting tape and gauze on Gavin’s side. He sat on a bed and gingerly slipped his arm into the sleeve of a blue button-down shirt. From the look the nurse gave him as she finished securing the dressing, he hadn’t been the most cooperative patient. She saw the stitches on his side as well as a long bandage on his arm. Locking her feet to the floor, she resisted the urge to run over to him. She didn’t know if he wanted her there. After all, she was just the girlfriend. “Diana.” He held out his hand to her. She didn’t need any other invitation. She walked into the white room and hugged him, but she was careful to stay clear of his wounds. Resting her head against his chest, she simply breathed in deeply. A surge of anger hit her and fine tremors shook her body. Probably reaction, but she couldn’t push it back. They’d hurt him. She gripped his shirt and wanted to shake him because he’d scared her. Only the thought that trying to shake him could cause him pain held her back. The flood of emotion surprised her. Part of her wanted to take a step back to think about it, but that would mean taking her hands off him. Even the idea made her want to hold him a little tighter. She didn’t want to let him go again. “Steven’s here.” Evan’s voice rolled into the room. Diana took a deep breath and reluctantly stepped away from Gavin. Soon they’d take him somewhere to protect him. Her throat tightened and her heart sank. She wouldn’t be able to see him or talk to him again until they caught his attackers. He curved his good arm around her waist as he slid off the bed. The bandage bulged a little under the new shirt. He grimaced as he took the first step, but that was the only sign that he was still in pain. “What did the doctor say about your wounds? I’m surprised you’re not strapped to a hospital bed. You lost a lot of blood.” Diana leaned into him, content for the moment simply to feel the warmth and solid mass of his muscle. She needed the assurance that he was still here in spite of seeing it with her own eyes. “The arm was the worst. The stab in my side was a flesh wound. They replaced my lost fluids. I’m supposed to eat and rest to help keep up my strength and replenish the lost blood cells.” Gavin’s voice was reassuringly strong. “Now let’s see what Steven has to say. I heard you talking on the phone to the Protectorate. Something about me knowing my attacker being suspicious.” “Yes, and that’s a good catch, Diana.” Steven stepped forward as they came out of the room.
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Diana hadn’t expected the head of the Protectorate to make an appearance down here. She briefly wondered if she’d done something wrong, but then she saw his face. He wasn’t angry. He may have been a little tense, but then she’d hardly ever saw him when he wasn’t stressed. Steven’s day at work was never easy and he’d been doing the job for years. Dealing with the politics of the position would drive her crazy, but he normally managed to work with the police and the paranormal groups and keep the peace between both of them. She nodded. “I wasn’t really sure, because from what I knew, it had only happened to our operatives. Still, the fact that he called her by name was too coincidental.” “What are you talking about? And if there’s danger, why didn’t we know about it before now?” Evan stepped forward. “As she said, we’ve only been aware of attacks like this on our operatives. We were under the impression that this was strictly aimed at the Protectorate. We’re more vulnerable than some of the paranormal groups are. It’s a known enemy of both of ours, but if you don’t mind, we can go into details on that tomorrow. I’ll give you the basic scheme tonight so that you’ll be aware of what to look for. First, I need to talk to Diana.” Steven looked from the Evan to Diana. Diana hugged Gavin briefly. She didn’t want to leave him yet, but she needed to talk to Steven. Gavin’s hand tightened. He didn’t seem to want to let her go, but released her. She walked with Steven down the hall to where the nurse’s station was, but he urged her to a corner. Probably to try to ensure they had some privacy. “I have a ride for you outside. I need you to go back to the Protectorate and see if you can help identify the woman and her helpers on any of the crime cameras around the park. They had to have been caught by one of them.” Steven looked down at her. “I know I could have done it differently, but I didn’t have time to think. When I saw the similarity, I acted.” Diana smiled, but uncertainty made her lips quiver. “I’ll find her and the two men I saw with her. If they’re different from the last two men, we’ll have two more faces we can track.” “I wasn’t trying to smooth over a situation in there. Now that they’re going after shifters, they’ll go after others too. They need to know. Has he said anything about being your mate or maybe mentioned a future?” Steven looked at her and then looked back at the door. She knew what he was asking. He was wondering if there was any reason for Gavin to get territorial. Shifter males became intensely protective of their mates after any dangerous situation. “He hasn’t said anything about being my mate. You know they don’t play around like that.” She shrugged. She only wished he felt all possessive and intense about her specifically. Gavin was the kind of man any woman would love to have feel like that about her. “But let me write him a note. I don’t want to simply skip out on him and a text seems too impersonal after everything.”
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She found a pad on the nurse’s station and jotted down a few sentences. Going back down the hallway to say goodbye wouldn’t take that long, but she wouldn’t want to leave him then either. She handed the note to Steven and waved as she slipped into the elevator and rode it up to the ground floor. The walk to the waiting car felt longer than it should. Her feet felt weighted. She wanted to turn around and go back to Gavin with every step. Gavin wondered why the talk between Diana and Steven was taking so long. The muscles in his neck and shoulders grew tauter with each moment that passed. He didn’t like that she was out of his sight again. He’d almost lunged off the gurney when those damn ambulance medics had told her she’d have to follow them to the hospital. The straps had held him down long enough that they’d been able to shut the door and start moving. When he’d torn the restraints across his chest, they’d administered a powerful sedative. It hadn’t lasted long, but they’d arrived at the hospital by the time the drug had faded enough for him to do anything. The doctor had taken control and then Evan had arrived. He still didn’t know much about why she’d called the Protectorate into the situation. Of course, she wouldn’t know how to get in touch with Evan or anyone in the pack. He hadn’t managed to get the relationship even to the point where he’d told her that this was much more than dating and sex. He’d wanted to claim her the first day he met her. Or at least shout to the men around her that she was his. Simply asking her out on a date had been torture. The wolf within clamored and clawed. She belonged with him. He’d wanted to pick her up and carry her straight to his house so that they could be alone. As difficult as it was, he waited. It had helped a little that she’d looked tired. Her red hair had been escaping her ponytail and she’d come out of the mobile tech vehicle rubbing her eyes. Her black uniform jacket blew back in the slight wind. Her curvy body and the healthy light golden skin had riveted him, though. He’d wanted to reach out and cup his hand over her ripe ass. He wanted to give her this time. Humans didn’t know their mate by scent. It took time for them to choose who they wanted. The dates and slow courtship were only delays meant to show her they were meant to be together. When Steven walked back down the hallway, Gavin looked behind him for Diana. He frowned and straightened away from the wall as a low growl began to build in his throat. Anxiety rose and the wolf inside raised its head. “Diana!” Gavin couldn’t remain still when she didn’t come back down that hall. He started forward.
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“I sent her to the Protectorate headquarters. She’s safe and going to be looking at video to help identify your attacker.” Steven shrugged as he came closer. His tone was easy and unworried. Gavin snarled. He couldn’t stand the thought of his mate being out of his sight, especially when the men and woman who’d attacked him had seen her. The wolf that was so much of a part of him came closer to the surface and Gavin struggled to keep from slamming the man into the wall. “More than a date for you, Gavin?” Evan’s calm voice carried over Gavin’s growls. Gavin turned his head and narrowed his eyes at his alpha. “Yes.” “I don’t think she knew and I know Steven didn’t. That’s definitely one surprised man.” Evan nodded and looked toward the Protectorate Commander. Gavin looked at Steven again and saw his eyes were wide and he’d taken a few steps back. “She didn’t. I didn’t want to rush her. There seemed to be plenty of time to get to know her. Her job wasn’t dangerous, so I could be relatively sure that she wouldn’t get into trouble while she was working.” “She said she wasn’t your mate. She was certain of it, because weres don’t play games. She told me to give you this.” He extended his hand, but looked like he was ready to jerk it back at Gavin’s slightest move. Gavin grimaced. It hadn’t been a game. He’d wanted to give her the courting, the romance and the dates that she’d expect from any human man she dated. He wanted to give her what he’d heard his friends’ mates, who had once been human, say they’d like to have. A time to get to know their mate before he swept in and figuratively hauled her into his life. The fact that Diana hadn’t been in danger and worked for the Protectorate behind the scenes had enabled him to do that until now. Gavin took the note and read it. She was sorry she had to leave without saying goodbye, but she wanted to help identify the people who’d hurt him on the video. She hoped to talk to him soon and for him to let the others help him take care of himself. Anger rushed through him. That wasn’t good enough. Definitely not for the wolf growling at the back of his mind, demanding that he get his mate, or for him as a man. Evan cleared his throat. “You recognized the woman who attacked you?” “Yes, it was Ally. Allison Smith, at least, that’s the name she gave me. We dated for a couple of weeks, but I called it off about a week before I met Diana. There was something missing there. Not enough sexual chemistry to keep me interested and she never let me close enough for friendship to grow.” Gavin grimaced. To tell the truth, he hadn’t thought about Ally since he’d met Diana. “We’ll check the name out, but I’m already fairly certain it will be a stolen identity. That was the case with the attack on the Protectorate agent.” Steven keyed the information into the tablet computer he carried with him. “What were they after?” Evan asked.
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“As far as we can tell, information or access to the Protectorate. With this attack, it will probably be access to your pack or information about it. The thing is, the woman who targeted the agent was found dead two weeks after the first attack. They only attack if the relationship is broken off and they believe there’s not a chance of reconciliation. The man in the first attack had broken off that relationship months before, but only that week got engaged.” Steven heaved a heavy sigh. “It was the first indication that one of our enemies had grown bold enough to directly attack us.” “Which group is it?” Gavin straightened. He wanted to know the name of his enemy. He wanted to hunt them down. “The Society of Pure Hearts, or rather, a splinter group of it. It’s not the main group and they’re not affiliated as far as we know. It’s a small number of them that have gone more radical. From what we can piece together, they target anyone affiliated or associated with paranormals.” Steven shrugged. “We’re dealing with unknown players here and they’re dedicated. We think that the attempts to kill our operative were to get rid of anyone who knew what the woman looked like.” “So if we want information about what they were after, we’re on a time limit.” Evan nodded slowly. “They’ll let her live only as long as they think they can clean up the mess. Diana’s a target now too. She saw the woman and the two men with her.” Gavin’s eyes narrowed as he realized that what Evan said could very well be true. He knew that he’d remain the primary goal, but she’d be in danger. He couldn’t leave her on her own. He had no doubt that they’d find her somehow if they didn’t already know where she lived. These people had been watching him, but he wasn’t so sure that simple surveillance would give them the means to get to Diana now. Sometimes information leaked or was unwittingly revealed. With the number of agencies able to access records, it wasn’t easy to find the source. “I want to go get her now.” He looked at the head of the Protectorate and barely resisted the urge to give him a good shake to reinforce his wishes. “She’s not going back to her apartment, not while those people are out there hunting me.” “After you said she was your mate, I realized you wouldn’t want to be separated from her. We have safe houses all around the city as well as throughout the state.” Steven tilted his head and seemed to be waiting. “We have safe houses of our own. I want him in one of ours, but we will cooperate fully with the Protectorate. These people targeted wolves, and to get to him or her, they’re going to have to go through wolves.” Evan’s voice lowered and rumbled with a distinct growl. “Um, I hesitate to add this because it didn’t matter much to me at the time. It probably won’t change anything for you either, but the men, we’ve never seen the same ones twice. They don’t show up in the morgue like the women. We think they’re just muscle and will be relocated if the mission fails.” Steven grimaced and shrugged.
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“You’re right. It doesn’t change anything. I’m going to make a few calls to get one of our safe houses and the necessities ready and then we’ll head to the Protectorate. You can show us anything you have on these people and their practices. We’ll pick up his woman after that. Since you now know they’re targeting paranormals, you have some calls to make.” Evan raised a brow. Gavin almost smiled at that look. He was too anxious to get to his mate to appreciate the dig at the Protectorate’s earlier strategy. Knowing that women might target them to get information or access to other people would have been great. It might not have stopped this from happening. On the other hand, he might have seen something in Ally’s behavior, because looking back, there was so much that raised warning flags. Thinking about that only frustrated him and he didn’t need the extra agitation. His skin prickled with the need to hold Diana. Nightmare scenarios played through his mind even though he knew she was safe. His instincts clawed at him to go get her. He wouldn’t be able to relax until he could see her again.
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Chapter Three Diana paused the video and sat back to rub her eyes. Her back ached and she’d passed exhausted hours ago. It had been a long night already. Almost everything irritated her at this point. Her dress felt constricting, the chair too hard and the light was too bright. A warm shower and ten or twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep sounded like heaven. On top of that, worry for Gavin nagged at her whenever her concentration slipped. She knew stretching and walking would help, but she wanted to try to track these people a little more. The very short nap she’d taken on one of the couches had eased a little of the tiredness. She could at least focus. Tracking the people hadn’t been too hard, but it had taken up the last two hours of her time. She didn’t know if they’d forgotten about the closed circuit cameras all around the park. Maybe they simply hadn’t cared. She’d traced them to the precise place they sat and to the main road as they fled. If they’d driven there in a car, they hadn’t left in it. They’d fled down the street on foot. She’d traced them as far as she could by using the public cameras around the park, but private businesses and homes surrounded the area and some parts weren’t covered by video. The footage from the businesses would be gathered in the morning. Now she tried to track their movements before the attack. They’d been hyper-vigilant there. They hadn’t come together or sat together. In fact, they’d each come to the concert from a different path. “Need some coffee?” Gail Davis asked from the seat to her right. The monitors and built in desk had been set up in almost a complete U. Two couches had been placed against one wall. It wasn’t normal, but there had been times when they were so short-handed that double shifts were required. The couches provided a spot to rest if needed. A small cabinet took up the little extra space and was used to secure personal belongs. “It might help. I can get it if you’re in the middle of something now.” Diana stretched her arms over her head. “No, I have to get a note. You weren’t scheduled to come in until early this morning as I got off and the receptionist wouldn’t be here. She gave it to me since she knew we’re friends and the subject is already something I know about.” Gail stood and walked over to the cabinet. She pulled open the second of four drawers in it. Diana raised an eyebrow, but went back to watching the video for a little while. She was curious about the note, but her worry for Gavin gnawed at her. She wanted to see him and touch him, but knew it could be close to a month before that happened. Her
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jaw clenched. They better not let anything happen to him. She could already tell waiting and wondering about what was happening with Gavin was going to drive her crazy. “Here, black with only a little sugar, like you like it. And here’s your message.” Gail handed Diana the cup and then placed the note on the desk. Diana put her cup on a part of the desk farthest away from the sensitive equipment. She read the note and rolled her eyes before putting the slip into the recycling basket. That was definitely a wasted message. “Yeah, I thought that’s what you’d do, but even if it was only to warn you, you needed to read the message.” Gail took a sip of her coffee. Warn was definitely the right word. If she could, she was going to duck and avoid until Donald moved on to someone else. Everyone in the office knew about him. The man was annoying, but relatively harmless. Still, she didn’t think she could be polite to him right now or anytime soon. She knew why he wanted to get in touch with her. It was the only reason he tried to contact her since they’d broken up over two years ago. “If I’d known before I started dating him even a little of what I know now, I’d never have said yes to that first date.” Diana shook her head. Who would have thought that someone as normal-looking as Donald Jameson would be that creepy? “Yep, Donald was one of your mistakes, but we all have to go through them. It’s just bad luck that he’s one of those who try to recycle old girlfriends when he’s in the middle of a breakup.” Gail shook her head. “I saw on the video that the hunk you’re dating now got cut. How bad is he and how did Steven pry you away from him?” “Gavin’s better than I thought he’d be after he lost all that blood. They transfused him and he was walking around by the time I arrived at the hospital. I would have loved to stay with him, but our relationship isn’t like that. I know it’s only dates for him.” Diana grimaced. “They’ll be putting him in protective custody, so I wouldn’t get to see him anyway.” “But you were there. They saw you too and know you saw them.” Gail frowned. “Yeah, but he’s the principal target. If they can’t get rid of him, there’s no use risking exposing themselves coming after me. Aside from that, they don’t have any idea who I am.” Diana shrugged. She wasn’t quite as sure as she tried to sound about them not knowing who she was. Those people were prepared and surveilled their targets for a long time before attacking. If they’d followed Gavin, they knew the apartment complex where she lived, what she looked like and where she worked. “You’re going to find yourself in a safe house anyway. I’ll bet you a hundred on that.” Gail held out her hand, inviting Diana to shake on the wager. “Not taking it. I’ve seen Steven in action when there’s only a tiny possibility someone’s in danger. I realize that I’ll be escorted to and from work and have guards when I’m not here.” Diana grinned. She turned her attention back to the monitor. Gail chuckled. “Nice to see you’re not completely delusional.”
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“What do you mean?” Diana paused the playback and turned to glare at her friend. She wasn’t delusional. “Your gorgeous, muscular sidekick. I saw the way he looked at you on that video and the few times I’ve seen you together. That definitely wasn’t tolerance in his eyes.” Gail shook her head and chuckled. “That man is so fascinated by you.” Diana blinked and looked at her friend blankly. She’d seen the same scenes that Gail had. She definitely hadn’t seen fascination. Maybe Gail was the one imagining things or had seen how deep Diana’s feelings were and simply read too much into Gavin’s attention. Diana had seen her own desire for him as well as his hunger for her. She hadn’t ever been able to look at him and not want him. That may be because she knew that her time with him was limited. She had to grab the pleasure and make as many memories as possible. “Don’t call him my sidekick in front of him, okay. The guy can bench press me. If anyone’s the sidekick, it’s me. He wants me, but we’d all know if it was something more to him.” Diana wasn’t going to try to fool herself. Reminding herself of the hard truth had been necessary since the first day she met him. She’d fallen hard for him and wished that he felt something similar for her. She definitely had dreams where he was concerned. Impossible dreams. Living in a fantasy world would only lead to pain later. Gail bit her lip. “Maybe he’s a subtle werewolf.” “I don’t think subtle is in their genetics.” Diana knew it wasn’t entirely true, but in some things, they definitely didn’t fight their instincts. Diana went back to her work. After a while, something caused her to turn toward the door. She didn’t hear anything, but a feeling of anticipation danced through her stomach. She felt like she was standing on the edge of the cliff. Any minute the ground was going to fall out from under her feet or she’d soar away. The temptation to go over and look out into the hallway gnawed at her. The sensation didn’t fade. She decided it was probably still worry over Gavin. Her time with him had been much too short. Those few minutes alone with him hadn’t been enough to assure herself that his wounds were as minor as he wanted her to believe. Knowing she wasn’t going to be able to see him made it worse. She shook her head. If she didn’t get a hold on her emotions, she’d turn into one of those simpering females whose life centered on a male. Much as she liked Gavin, that wasn’t happening. She focused on her work and tried to forget about the feeling that something was going to happen. She slowly scanned the replay of the camera along one of the trails, looking for one of the men who’d been with the female attacker. She knew he should come along that path. He simply wasn’t there. She’d tracked him as far as the last camera would go. He must have gone off the path in one of the spots the cameras didn’t cover. Frustrated, she switched to a perimeter camera, hoping to catch sight of him going into the park. She paused it as a group of people headed into the park. Zooming in, she
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looked for the now familiar faces of the three attackers. The door opened behind her, but she didn’t look back. She would find out how they’d gotten into the park. Maybe then they’d be able to trace them back to a car or cab. She wanted to find something to help. If they could catch these people, they’d not only keep Gavin safe, but hopefully find a way to stop the group from targeting anyone else. This radical group most likely had targeted more people than they’d found so far. She jumped as a hand landed on her shoulder. Her fingers skittered across the keyboard. The video began fast-forwarding. Fucking hell. She hit the stop key even as she turned to look over her shoulder, a curse on her lips. It died as she looked up into Gavin’s eyes. Muscles twitched along his jaw line, defining his cheekbones more than normal. He spun the chair around and leaned down until he stared into her eyes. The heated look wasn’t desire. She’d never seen him more than annoyed. Seething anger glowed in his green eyes. She had no idea why he was so furious. Leaving him a note had seemed reasonable. Irritation, that she could understand. Gavin had experience with situations like this and should know what to expect. “Um, hi, Gavin. Is something wrong?” She put her hands in her lap because his hands braced on the arm of the chair, caging her. His right hand lifted and dug in his pocket. He dropped a balled-up piece of paper onto her lap. “You had Steven bring me this and you left. And you ask if there’s something wrong? What did you think you were doing?” “Trying to help in the only way I could. You’ll be going into protective custody. I’m not a field agent, so I can’t go out there and hunt them down, but here I can at least try to track them a little.” She looked up at him through her lashes. She’d never seen or even imagined this side of him. He was usually so easygoing. “Not what you’re doing now.” His lips pulled back in a snarl. “When you left, did you think that I wouldn’t worry about you or that you could just go on with your life as normal? They saw you with me. Even though they’re after me, it won’t take them long to try to get to me through you.” “I knew Steven would be putting me into protective custody for a while.” She shrugged. It seemed pretty obvious to her. “I could identify them, so I needed to come help search. I was doing my job.” She thought she heard him growl low. Before she could say anything, his hands clamped on her arms and hauled her out of the chair. He set her on her feet in front of him, but didn’t let her go. “You’re going into protective custody, but you’ll be going with me.” Gavin took a deep breath and seemed to calm down. She didn’t buy the sudden change. She could see the tension in his muscles and around his mouth. The reasons behind it were still a mystery to her. Why did they bring
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him here? They were putting him at risk unnecessarily. It worried her, but simply being near him lightened her mood. “Wouldn’t that be against the type of protection needed?” She bit her lip. As much as she wanted to be with him, she would hate to place him in greater danger. “I mean, they’ll want her to find you and hopefully catch her when she tries again, but don’t they want to keep me out of sight.” She heard a chuckle from behind Gavin. For the first time, she realized that there were other people there with him. She felt warmth rush up her neck and cheeks. “Do you think I can’t protect my mate?” Gavin cupped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. If his hand hadn’t been under her chin, her jaw would have hit the floor. Mate? Since when? He’d never said anything about being with her next month or even implied she was his mate. Maybe she hadn’t heard right. She didn’t know what other word he could have meant though. He couldn’t have said “mate.” No matter how much she wished to hear it.
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Chapter Four “Mate?” Licking her lips, she glanced up at him. She knew her eyes were wide. Maybe she had lost her mind. She’d dreamed of hearing words like that. A big part of her heart already belonged to him. She’d already wondered how she was going to handle the breakup with him. As much as she thought about him and felt for him, it was going to hurt and hurt badly. “Mate.” His voice hardened. “Do you doubt for a moment that I’ll protect you with my life?” “I know you’d protect me, Gavin, but I didn’t think we’d be together.” She shook her head. Her mind locked onto the word “mate”. She felt kind of shocked and she wondered if it was true. He hadn’t ever acted like she was his mate. The very fact that he hadn’t been more aggressive in his pursuit of her made her doubt it. He hadn’t pushed for bigger steps in their relationship and he’d seemed happy moving at her pace. “No one’s going to take you away from me. You’re my mate.” He pulled her close and lowered his head as his arms folded around her. “But I didn’t know you thought I was your mate,” she said slowly, aware that it probably wasn’t the wisest answer. Still, she hadn’t had a clue. “Thought? I don’t think you’re my mate. I know you are. It’s not going to change tomorrow, although if you keep this up, I’m definitely going to consider the merits of bending your ass over my knee and spanking you.” Gavin’s fingers closed around her arms and pushed her away from his body and held her there while he glowered at her. “This is what happens when you try to date like a human. They don’t expect a werewolf to deny what he already knows and hide the truth. She probably thought that you were simply dating her until you found someone you liked better or until you met your mate,” a deep voice filled with humor announced. She recognized it as that of the Alpha wolf, Evan Connors. He was right, even though she wasn’t sure what he was talking about entirely. She hated feeling left out of the loop. Gavin had been dating her. Although she’d dreamed of more and certainly wanted it, she hadn’t thought that he’d ever be able to give it to her. He’d have said something if she was his mate. At least, he’d make a verbal claim if not try to pull her fully into his life. “Yes, because weres recognize their mates.” Steven’s voice sounded like he was trying to hold back a laugh. She didn’t know for sure because Gavin held her right in front of him. She couldn’t see either of them. Gavin’s strange behavior concerned her a little more than getting a good look at the others in the room.
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Gavin growled and pulled her against him. She thought she saw a hint of red sweeping up his cheeks before her face was pressed against his chest. She snuggled against him for a moment, content to savor his warmth, the firm press of his muscles and the enticing scent that always made her want to come back for more. It was a little spicy with an undertone of male musk. She’d never been able to identify what it was, but it reminded her of some of the Eastern and Asian spices. “We’ll need to get going, Gav. There’s food, the basic toiletries and clothing that need to be picked up while you two are settling into the house.” Evan’s voice rumbled, but that soft drawl was definitely an order. Diana wondered why he thought settling in would take so much time with just the two of them. She didn’t even have a change of clothing here. All she had was her purse. Gavin slowly released her. She stepped back and to the side. Gavin’s hand fastened around her wrist before she could get any farther from him, as if he thought she was going to make a run for it. She looked over to Steven. He was her boss and had the say over her relocation in spite of Gavin’s assertions. Steven nodded. “Go with them. I’ll have a detail for you in place by tonight. We’ll make arrangements to get you to work. If there comes a point when it’s dangerous for you to leave the safe house, we’ll get your work to you. You two can settle the question of whether he is your mate or he isn’t among yourselves.” “There isn’t any question.” Gavin turned and glared at Steven. Gavin might not have any doubts. Diana couldn’t be sure of that, but she had plenty of doubts for both of them. Mentally weighing protective custody with him or without him, she didn’t take too much time to decide. She’d choose him any time, even if she did wonder about a few things. It didn’t seem right that he suddenly decided to blurt out that she was his mate. Even now, he wasn’t acting like she thought he would if the mating drive was as strong as she’d heard it was. She simply didn’t understand why he’d hide it or why he’d say he was her mate now. If he wanted to protect her, that was fine, great even, but she didn’t need him lying to her to get her to go with him. She wanted to be with him. If she hadn’t thought she could be of more use here, she’d have stayed at that hospital. Gavin seemed intense right now though. What was at the heart of it? Was it guilt, shifter protectiveness or something more? “Let me get my purse.” Diana took a deep breath. She could ask him all these questions when they were alone, even though she was half afraid of the answers. In spite of her doubts, hope rose and those hopes could be dashed in a few words. He might mean to ensure she was safe, but this wasn’t the way to do it. Hell, he could have simply asked her to stay with him while he was in protective custody. She’d take that risk without any supposed tie other than her feelings for him.
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Gavin nodded. He walked with her to the cabinet where she’d left her purse. She took a deep breath, too aware that this would probably lead to pain and sadness. His fingers tightened around hers. She could feel the tension in his hand as he held onto her. He must have read something in her expression. She wasn’t going to disappear, even if she was a little afraid of the future. His behavior was like a piece of a puzzle and she wasn’t seeing the full picture yet. This might all make sense if she had only a little more information. Why was it so important that she be with him? As soon as her purse was in her hands, Gavin tugged her toward the door. Surprise held her silent as they left the Protectorate headquarters. She’d half expected a delay as they talked with Steven and the guards Steven mentioned were arranged. Gavin ignored Steven, and Evan, the alpha, only nodded to Steven before he led the way to the lobby. The sky had lightened to a beautiful orange as dawn’s first rays colored the horizon a gorgeous orange and gold. She knew her eyes were a little wide with surprise. The lack of delay shocked her. It was as if they’d only come after her, but she knew it was just as probable that they’d done what they came here to do before they found her. A large, dark SUV pulled up as close to the entrance as possible. Gavin released her hand, but his arm curved around her back, pulling her close. As they neared the door, Evan moved in front of them and Gavin pulled her between them. He seemed intent on wrapping himself around her and protecting her with his body. She shook her head as she followed Evan out the door. Both overprotective males were forgetting the facts here. She wasn’t the one targeted by those people. Gavin was the one in the most danger. “You know, if they were going to take a shot at anybody, it would be you. It’s absolutely useless to kill me and leave you when you’re the one she dated.” Diana shook her head as he practically tossed her into the backseat of the van, following her in before she’d even had a chance to sit up straight. “And they’re not going to get a chance at you. It won’t take them long to realize that you’re the way to get to me. Even if we were in separate houses, they would eventually come after you. We’ve been dating for a while. If Steven is right and they keep watch on the men, then they already know about you.” Gavin hauled her next to him and then reached across her for her seat belt. Sighing, she lifted her hand out of the way so he could fasten the buckle. She could make a point of informing him that she could do up her own seat belt, thank you, but he already knew that. He normally wasn’t like this. Some of it she could put down to the rush to get moving. The driver waited only until the back door was slammed shut and Evan had jumped in before he took off. Gavin secured his own seat belt and smiled down at her. His mate or not his mate. It should have been something easily known. In some ways, he acted like she was his mate, but in others not so much. She took a deep breath.
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From the first, he’d been so relaxed and easygoing about their dates. That had convinced her that he couldn’t be serious about her. She’d resigned herself to losing him when he moved on to someone else or found his mate. The thought of the hurt to come had almost made her want to back away from him. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that it was going to hurt even then. She’d wanted as many sweet memories as possible if she was going to suffer the pain. The hope now pulsing through her made her wary. If she believed she had a chance at forever with him and later discovered he was only trying to keep her cooperative, the loss would be crippling. Gavin clasped her hand in his. Her mind rolled with thoughts. Evan and Gavin talked quietly, but she barely heard a word. They drove around for some time and she knew at times they went in circles. When they left the city, she sat forward and tried to see where they were. She’d thought they’d want to stay where they could have people in place to watch without being obvious about it. Not to mention the fact that travel time would leave them vulnerable every day. They’d left Dallas and the surrounding suburbs behind. She stared out at the fields, grass and trees. They turned onto a rough road and stopped once to key in a code on an imposing gate. The gate seemed a little out of place, since the fence it connected to, although taller than normal pasture fences, seemed to be made of normal wood. The fields on either side of the road weren’t used for planting. Grass, wildflowers and trees grew wild. Trees bordered the field closest to the road, providing some concealment. She didn’t know if that was good or bad. It all made her a little nervous. “Don’t look so worried.” Gavin squeezed her hand. “We’ll be safe here.” She gave him a disbelieving look. “I could jump that fence. What’s to stop someone who’s really motivated from doing it?” “We’d know if anyone came over the fence. It’s not as normal as it looks,” Evan said. “This is one of the places we come when we want to shift.” “I had wondered about that. Even though most people accept the were groups, most shifters don’t run down the city streets in animal form.” Diana rubbed her thumb over the back of Gavin’s hand absently. “We have a couple of spots in this area and one in East Texas when we want to get into the forest.” Gavin leaned down and brushed his lips across her cheek. That answered some of the questions she’d had about how the werewolves of Dallas blended so well into the community. Everyone knew they were there, but they’d never thrown their differences in the face of the humans. She resisted the urge to turn into the soft kiss and find his lips. They needed to talk once they reached the safe house. She knew that one kiss from him would have her thinking about getting his clothes off and finding some place to make love until they both fell into an exhausted sleep. As good as that sounded, it was the wrong choice for both of them. “We’re here.” Evan’s voice drew Diana’s attention away from Gavin. 26
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Diana looked out the window as the SUV began to slow. She saw four homes and a large brick building. She frowned. Definitely not what she’d expected. She didn’t see a corral or any sign that this was a working ranch or farm. “What is this place?” She looked at Gavin. “We come here to gather at times. There’s always someone here, which is why it’s a good place to come now. Some of our best people are here to see to our protection.” Gavin looked at the buildings with a smile. “And there’s plenty of room here so we won’t feel surrounded, like we might in the city. Feeling trapped can be a bad thing for a wolf.” “We weren’t followed today, so you can explore tonight and meet the others, but you’ll need to stay close after you go back into the city. You’ll both be given a ride to and from work. I don’t need to tell you not go out for lunch, do I?” Evan turned in the seat and stared at her specifically. “Not necessary at all.” Diana smiled. Steven wouldn’t let her, even if she had the inclination to do it. The head of the Dallas Protectorate took security and the safety of his personnel seriously. The building was hard to get into on normal days, but under certain circumstances, it could be as difficult to leave. “Good. Clothes, food and other essentials should arrive soon. Here’s a key and you know where the guns are, Gavin. Take today to relax and iron out your problems. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Evan nodded, dropping a key into Gavin’s hand. Diana grabbed her purse a moment before Gavin opened the door and tugged on her hand. She followed him out onto the grass. Her heels sank a little into the turf. She swayed and fought for balance. Gavin’s hand released hers and his arm curved around her waist, offering her support. “Bye, Evan, and thanks. See you at work.” Gavin shut the door and then tapped the roof twice before stepping back from the vehicle. The dark SUV pulled away before making a U-turn and going back down the road. She watched it and blinked as she realized she was for all purposes alone with Gavin. There were still all those questions to be asked. Now she had a few more to add to the list. Gavin urged her to a walkway that led up to the second of the four pale yellow two story houses. A covered porch ran the length of the front of the house and a swing hung at one end. The flowering rosebushes and vibrant flowerbeds to each side of the steps spoke of care and tending. “Did someone live here?” She looked over at Gavin. She really hoped they weren’t taking someone’s home. “No, we wouldn’t kick someone out of a house. The one on the end of the row is used by the caretaker and his family normally. It’s a full-time position because taking care of the land is only part of the job. He’s also a trainer for the young as they transition, helping them learn to shift and hold it at will. That position is currently being filled by two people, because the last caretaker was killed in an accident. The other 27
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houses are sometimes used by those who need temporary housing for whatever reason.” Gavin tugged her across the porch to the door. He unlocked the door and ushered her inside. A pale oak dining table sat in front of a wide six-paned bay window. She looked at the polished dark wood flooring and smiled. The bright and sunny room lightened her mood a little. “They’ll bring curtains for the windows and we’ll get that set up tonight.” He walked her over to an arched doorway.
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Chapter Five They walked down a short hallway. A door to the right opened into a large kitchen and beyond that a living room and den area. Curious about her new surroundings, she swept her eyes around the room as they moved over to the couches and chairs set in a semicircle around an entertainment center. Stairs led up to the second floor and another hallway led off the living room, probably to a bedroom or bathroom. Better to leave the questions about him being her mate to the last. That one was going to draw a reaction. “Okay, we do need to talk.” She took a seat on the couch. She sank into the plush cushions and the soft fabric seemed to wrap around her. Exhaustion pulled at her. She fought the urge to put her head back and close her eyes. “I know you have questions. You’ve been thinking some heavy thoughts on the drive here.” He settled onto the cushion next to her. His hand brushed against the side of her cheek. “I know you’re tired. We can do this later.” “I want to talk. Let’s get the minor ones out of the way first. Why here?” She raised a brow. She turned and curled a leg under her as she faced him. “You mean why here instead of in the city with the authorities close by?” He tilted his head as he braced his arm on the back of the couch. His fingers played with her hair. She nodded. “Yes, why risk being followed all the way out here.” “Control. We have more of it here than we do in the city. Here, if someone tries to get close to watch or try to attack, we’ll be able to spot that. In the city, they can mingle and blend in with other people. Here, well, we’d notice strangers or even a strange car.” Gavin smiled and he sounded completely sure of what he was saying. “All right, I’m not sure I really want to know this, but how are they going to know what size to get me for shoes, clothes, underwear? I assume they’re not going to my apartment.” She tilted her head. She really didn’t want to have to send them back after a larger size. That was an embarrassment she could live without. “Don’t worry about that. They’ll get the right size. I told them what to get.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “How do you know my size? You haven’t bought me any clothes.” She frowned. They’d always spent the night at his house and he’d hardly been in her apartment at all. “Part of my job is observation. Don’t you think I’m good at what I do?” He winked at her. “I know your body.” She bit her lip to keep from grinning. A blush rushed over her cheeks and neck. He did know her body intimately. The reminder immediately brought memories of his hands teasing and that delicious roll of his hips as he drove into her pussy. Shivering,
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she licked her lips and forced her mind away from those heated images. She let the subject drop, but if he was wrong, she’d definitely tease him about his miscalculation. “I know you have a few more questions.” He raised a brow, although a smile curved his lips. From that expression, he knew at least something of what she’d been thinking. Immediately, she felt like smacking her forehead with her palm in the classic “duh” gesture. Of course, he knew. Freaking werewolf sense of smell. Another blush rose up her neck and cheeks. “What about your wounds? Won’t you need pain medicine, fresh bandages or treatment of some kind?” Although she had to admit that he didn’t seem to be in any pain or hampered at all. Not at the Protectorate and definitely not now. He practically smoldered with leashed hunger. Those green eyes glowed and drifted down her body periodically before returning to her face. If she didn’t know there was a bandage underneath his shirt, the way he acted certainly wouldn’t give her any kind of clue. “They’re bringing bandages, just in case, and some pain meds for the possibility that I smack my arm into something, but weres heal fast. I know you want to know more than if they’ll be bringing supplies.” His gaze swept from her face and down her body in a leisurely journey as if to remind her that he’d much rather be doing something else. She swallowed heavily as all thought of teasing fled. “Yeah. Were you just saying that you were my mate to keep me with you? It wasn’t necessary if you did. I’d stay with you regardless, Gavin.” His smile turned into a fierce scowl and his voice came out in a rough growl. “I didn’t lie about being your mate. That’s a word a shifter doesn’t throw around lightly.” His hand fell from the back of the couch, and before she even realized what he intended, he hauled her into his lap. She stiffened and put her hands on his chest more out of surprise than any desire to slip out of his hold. “What do you expect me to think, Gavin? Hell, even what you just said gives me reason to doubt. Shifters don’t play around with that word. If I was your mate, why didn’t you say something before? Everything I’ve heard about a werewolf meeting his mate tells me that you would have said something immediately about it or at least been way more intense.” She shook her head, but didn’t try to scoot off his lap. She wanted to get much closer. Any time they touched, the attraction exploded. The urge to straddle him and slowly peel away his clothes pounded through her. “Normal shifters, maybe, but I’m not your average man. I have more patience than that. I wanted to give you some of what you’d expect from any other man. The dates, the romance and the time to get to know me. You didn’t want that?” He tilted his head. She saw the confusion and maybe a little uncertainty in his eyes. She hadn’t expected that. “I loved that, but the sudden claim of me being your mate has confused me a little. I know you’re aware of the shifter reputation for practically dragging
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women into their lives. I thought dates were all there was between us other than really intense attraction and very hot sex.” “That reputation for claiming women regardless of if they even know our names was what I was trying to fight against a little.” He shrugged and his lips twisted in a wry half-smile. “Don’t think that it was easy for me to walk away from you every night. I knew you were my mate. There was part of me that wanted to make sure you and everyone else knew about it.” “Why did it take you so long to come after me if I was that important to you?” She licked her lips. “I was in the building with you for a lot of the time. That helped settle some of the uneasiness I felt. I knew I could get to you if you were in trouble. We were looking at the information the Protectorate has on the splinter group and the way they operate. Trying to find patterns to get to them, if not identify them before they attack. Unfortunately we’re going to need more information for that.” Evan drew his fingers up and down her back. Her fingers brushed against his cheek in a slow caress. His words touched her, but part of her still held back, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She probably wouldn’t fully believe until this was finished. If he still called her mate then, she’d know it wasn’t a lie. The sudden revelation felt too good to be true. “I wanted there to be more between us, but knew that you wouldn’t settle for anything less than your mate.” “I wasn’t settling for anyone other than you.” His fingers trailed over her cheek in a slow echo of her movements. “You’re still not sure, though. I can see and smell your uncertainty.” “It’s going to take some time, Gavin. Almost since our first date, I’ve thought I was going to have to say goodbye to you at some point. On top of that, it was a hell of a night.” She licked her lips. Both of his hands framed her face and his lips came down on hers in a fierce kiss. “I wasn’t ever letting you get away. How about we get some sleep? I know there are sheets and blankets here. You’re right. It has been a long night and it will be a few hours before they show up with the clothes and other necessities.” “That sounds good. We can finally sleep together without one of us having to get up and leave early to go to work.” She smiled and ran her hand over his chest. As much as her lustful thoughts might urge her to grab him, she was too tired right now.
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Chapter Six Gavin woke slowly, aware of the shapely body pressed against his. Darkness enfolded the room. Sheets hung on the windows until the curtains arrived. He reached over and turned on one of the bedside lamps to low. He wanted to look at Diana. Curled under the white sheet, she seemed relaxed and at peace. Tightening his arm, he pulled her closer. Waking up next to her and not having to rush to get somewhere satisfied him more than he’d ever imagined. Their schedules always seemed to work against them. When she had the weekend free, he had to work. He nuzzled her red hair out of the way and pressed his lips against her neck. Her skin felt so soft and she smelled so good. It was subtle, not overwhelming like what a lot of women wore. Slightly lemony, but with a hint of coconut and something else, her scent teased him. He loved it. Part of him wanted to simply hold her and enjoy the closeness. He nibbled along her shoulder. She groaned and stretched a little. She’d put on his shirt before they’d gone to sleep and wore only that and pair of white lacy panties. Her ass pressed back, rubbing against his cock. His eyes closed and he groaned. He rolled his hips against hers. Her fingers laced with his. Drawing his hand across her stomach, she guided him along a circling path to the hem of the shirt near her hips. She pushed it beneath the cloth. His fingers traced over the soft, warm skin of her belly. The woman was so bold. He adored that about her. His fingers flexed against the soft, smooth flesh beneath his palm. “This is nice.” She wriggled back against him as if trying to get a little closer to him. He swallowed and tightened his arms around her. Every move she made had her sexy body brushing against his, especially that tight ass of hers against his cock, and it sent his blood rocketing south. Only the thin scrap of her panties separated him from her pussy. He could be out of his boxers in a moment. The thought throbbed through his mind. He wrestled for control. He could do better than that. “Especially nice since I have the time to enjoy you.” He eased back and gently pressed her back to the soft sheets. “Are you sure we have time? We’ve slept for hours and I don’t even know what time it is. They said they’d bring us clothes and other necessities.” She drew his hand higher until his palm rested under her breasts. The feel of her skin enticed him, but he wanted to rip away the restricting clothing limiting his movement. He drew his tongue up the side of her neck and smiled as she shivered. He couldn’t resist touching and tasting when she was so close.
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“Yes, I’m sure. They know we had a long night. Plus, they’ll knock when they get here if they don’t call as they’re driving up the road. They know we’re mates.” He lifted his head to watch her. “Then what are you waiting on? I’m rested and now I’m hungry for you.” She pushed at his boxers. Her aggressiveness sparked an answering surge in him. He didn’t try to stop her as she managed to get the shorts halfway down his thighs. His hands fastened on his shirt as he tugged her into a half sitting position. Pulling the shirt off over her head, he threw it behind him and almost immediately forgot about it. The sight of her breasts riveted him. She’d taken off her bra when she’d gotten ready for bed. The thought of those sweet mounds had tempted him and only her exhaustion had stopped him. Her creamy, light golden-toned skin gleamed in the light from the lamp. Her breasts were perfect, not too large, but still enough to fill his hands. She looked gorgeous wearing only a pair of sexy white panties. That triangle of fabric sent blood rushing south. “You know what I said I wanted to do to these the last time you wore these peek-aboo scraps of lace.” He drew his finger along the edge near her hip. “Oh yeah, why do you think I wore them? I had plans for the night.” She smiled wickedly. “Either way, ripped off or pulled down with your teeth, I was more than ready for it.” He teased his fingers along the downward slope of the white fabric. “Pulled down isn’t quite what I said. I believe it was pulled down slowly with my teeth as I nibble every bit of flesh I encounter.” “So which are you going to do? You don’t seem wild and out of control.” She wriggled a little on the mattress. Her thighs opened in invitation. He could smell her arousal. He wanted to taste and touch everywhere, but deciding where to start wasn’t easy. “No, not out of control, but I think I can give you a little of both.” “Well, you better get to it then, because I don’t think you can.” She smiled and raised a brow as she tossed those challenging words at him. His eyes narrowed at that taunt. She obviously liked playing dangerously. “Never dare a wolf, baby. He might take more of a bite than you’d like.” He leaned down and scraped his teeth across the skin just above the waistband of her barely-there panties. She shivered. That decided it for him. He was definitely giving her everything she craved. She wanted wild and slow. Well, he always loved a challenge and maybe it would help her believe that he was her mate. He knew she didn’t fully trust him about that, yet. He rose to his knees and knelt between her thighs, bracing his hands at her shoulder as he leaned over her. She expected him to rip those panties off her. He wasn’t going to be that predictable, although the panties might get ruined yet. Aside from that,
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it would drive her crazy. The dark-tipped nipples and the glistening curve of her mouth deserved just as much attention. He leaned down and nipped at her lips. She gasped and her mouth opened, but he didn’t take immediate advantage of it. He trailed kisses down her cheek and chin and little stinging nips along her neck. Her hands stroked over his shoulders and back, encouraging him even as she turned her head to give him better access. He took full advantage of it, determined to give her as much pleasure as possible. To see how she’d respond, he growled against that delicate curve. The scent of her desire increased. “Will I find your panties wet? Is your sweet cunt wet and slick for me?” He lapped at the fluttering skin above her pulse point. “Why don’t you check and see?” She wriggled, lifting her hips a bit in invitation. His head rose and he moved until their noses brushed and he was staring into her eyes. “I think they’ll be very wet, but I’ll make sure.” He licked her lips before trailing his lips down the slim column of her throat. She turned her head, giving him more access to the vulnerable area. She had no idea how much that simple move excited him or proved her trust, even if she didn’t consciously realize it. He cupped her right breast in his palm, lifting it as his mouth lowered over the plump mound. Taking the pebbled tip between his lips, he teased it with his tongue. She just might get that wish for wild. The more he touched her, the greater his need spiked. She hadn’t touched him yet, beyond brushes of her fingers on his shoulders and back. He ached for more, but in a way, he was glad that she’d held back. There was no way he could give her even a short time of slow if her hands were doing more than they were. He knew just how good her fingers and mouth felt wrapped around his cock. “More. You don’t know how good that feels.” Her words escaped on a rolling moan. “Of course I do. Remember that night we were watching movies at your apartment and you started teasing me. You traced around the nipple with your nail and then took it between your teeth through my shirt.” He lifted his head and met her eyes. He tugged at the stiff peak with his fingers to keep her guessing about what he was going to do. She laughed. The sound was husky, but it broke as he plucked at her nipple again. “You ripped your jeans trying to get them off. You were definitely wild then.” He lowered his head and let her feel the edge of his teeth on her nipple. “Slow now. Wild later.” Not too much later though. His cock throbbed with the need to be inside her. He smoothed his hand over her stomach and trailed his fingers down over the soft skin. He traced his fingers in an undulating pattern for a few moments to tease her before he cupped his hand over her the mound of her pussy. He could feel the warm moisture
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against his palm. Closing his eyes, he resisted the urge to rip away that scrap of fabric and push his fingers between those slick lips. The rising scent of her desire drew him. He wanted to touch and taste every part of her, but he knew he wouldn’t make it this time. He’d had the idea of drawing it out in long, slow, loving torture, then taking her wild and fiercely. Her scent, the way she moved and simply thinking about what he wanted to do to her pushed him to the edge. Maybe it was partly because of the attack last night. He didn’t know or care now. He hungered for her. First, he was going to push her as close to the edge as he could. He’d then do his best to give her what she needed. He always tried to get closer to her, but not just physically. From the first, he’d wanted to know what she liked, what she didn’t like and what made her laugh. He licked his way over to her other nipple. As he drew his tongue around the darkened areola, he watched the tip harden. He drew his lips across it and blew on the tip. She moaned and he lifted his head to see her tongue skim over his lips. He barely held back a groan of his own. She was so sexy and responsive. He didn’t know if she realized how sensual she was or how much that heightened his own arousal. His fingertips traced the edge of her panties, but he didn’t slip his hand inside as he wanted to do. He kept his mind on the goal of teasing and tormenting her. Trailing his palm downward, he cupped her pussy. Her hips bucked upward, pressing into his hand. She rocked against his hand. He pressed his fingers between the lips and rubbed her clit. Drawing her nipple into his mouth, he sucked, adding sensations as he pushed her desire higher. He wanted to hear her crying out his name and feel her nails clawing at his back in her urgency. Moans and soft groans escaped her lips, but it wasn’t enough. The wriggle of her body beneath him wasn’t enough. He rubbed at her for a few moments through the cloth, but the feel of the cloth was wrong. He didn’t want to rip them off yet, though. It was too soon. He slipped his hand beneath the waistband of the scrap of material and down. Heat and slick moisture met his fingers as he pushed between the folds. Dipping his fingers downward to her entrance, he gathered moisture and drew it upward as he focused on her clit. Circling his fingers over the small bundle, he kept his pressure light. “Gavin.” His name came out on a near growl. The sexy sound sent a surge of desire straight to his already aching cock. It made him wonder what her pleas and demands would sound like after he changed her. Her nails dug into his shoulders. The stinging pressure drew his head up from the taut, elongated nipple he’d been sucking. Her face was flushed and her head tossed from side to side. Her lips gleamed in the light and he wanted to kiss her. “Feel good?” He knew she liked it by the look on her face and the scent rising around him.
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“Yes, so good.” Her voice came out on a rough sigh. Her hands ran through his hair and down to his back. “Harder.” He didn’t know what she wanted harder, his fingers or his mouth at her breast, but he was more than happy to give her both. Closing his lips over her neglected nipple, he let her feel the edge of his teeth. He lapped at the tip before sucking it into his mouth. The slight tang of salt and her unique taste filled his senses. He stroked her clit with his fingers, but made quick forays down to the slick channel where he wanted to drive his cock deep. He teased his fingers around the edge the first time before drawing his hand back up to her clit, but on the second, he dipped a finger into the tight opening of her cunt, just up to his second knuckle. Her inner muscles clenched and tried to pull him deeper. She moaned, but the sound was muffled, as if she was trying to hold back her cries. Her hips lifted against his hand. “Let me hear the words, Diana. Give me those sweet sounds.” He wanted to hear every urging and moan. He didn’t want her to hold back for any reason. Those sounds were proof that she was here and safe. The more animalistic part of him fed on them. It wouldn’t be completely happy until he claimed her, but this was almost as sweet. Her big, brown eyes met his and he could see the hunger blazing at him. One of her fists clenched in his hair, pushing his head back down to her breast. He went willingly and drew her nipple deep again. He drew his fingers from her pussy, back up to her clit and stroked her slowly. She groaned in frustration and her hips bucked up in demand. “What do you want, baby?” He traced a path around the sensitive nubbin and down to the tight channel. He wanted to pull his hand away, widen her thighs and thrust deep so bad his entire body ached with it. “Fuck me.” Her nails dug into his neck and the demand rocketed through him. “You don’t want this?” He pushed two fingers into the sweet, hot depths as he kissed his way down her belly. “Or this?” He ripped the sides of the panties. Pulling the ruined scrap of fabric free, he tossed it over his shoulder. His fingers spread her folds, exposing the pink flesh to his gaze as he lowered his head. He took a few long laps from her slit up over her clit. Her taste filled his senses. He wanted to drink the juices, but he needed to drive deep into her pussy. “Fuck me.” Her teeth were clenched and her body shook with need. Her hips arched off the bed and he could tell that she was close and holding on only by sheer will. He didn’t torment her any longer. Rising to his knees, he slashed his mouth over hers. He rolled on a condom and hooked one of her legs around his waist as he moved closer. The head of his cock nudged against her slick opening. The heat and wetness waiting there seared him. His control wasn’t the best, so he eased into her pussy slowly. He wanted to give her wild and hard, but he didn’t want to come as he thrust into her. Her muscles squeezed his cock as he pushed into her, as if trying to rip away what little grip he had on his urges. 36
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Her hips squirmed as she thrust up against him, trying to take his cock deep. He gripped her hips desperately with one hand. Her teeth nipped at his lips between deep, hungry kisses. The heat of her clasping sheath seared through him. He wanted to pound into her and drive them both right over the edge. When his balls brushed against the curve of her ass, he stilled and drew in a few steadying breaths. “You’re torturing me.” Her thighs clamped tight around his hips and she tried to pull him close when he held her hips to the mattress. He laughed, but it sounded harsh even to his ears. “No, just giving you what you wanted. Slow and now wild.” “Doesn’t look very wild to me.” She nipped at his shoulder. “You seem too controlled.” “Hanging on by a thread, darlin’, and it’s about to break. “ He returned her nip with one of his own. She seemed to know just how to provoke him. He withdrew only to plunge deep. She groaned and her hands slid down his back to his buttocks. She ground up into him as he drove against her. They fit perfectly together. He loved the rounded curves of her body. Her thighs gripped him hard and the muscles of her pussy gripped him tight. Her nails clawed at his skin as he drove into her hot, sweet channel. He couldn’t remember anything ever feeling this good, this hot. He hooked his hand under her thigh, pulling it up higher as he drove as deep as he could. He felt the first flutters of her climax. Her back arched, her legs wrapping around him to pull him tighter against her. She came on a strangled groan. He felt her body trembling beneath his and the pulling grip of her inner muscles was too intense to resist. He pumped against her hard and fast. Her hips met his as she tried to extend the pleasure. Fire streaked up his spine and roared through him like a fire across the grassy plains. His hips continued to pump into her, savoring the lingering pleasure before rolling them both until she sprawled across his chest. Her hands smoothed over his shoulders and arms. He wrapped his arms around her, content to revel in the closeness for a while. He knew he still had some distance to go before he convinced her that she was truly his mate, but he wasn’t worried about it. The simple fact was he couldn’t let her walk out of his life. He was willing to use this time to his advantage. He’d be content to simply sit and wait for the few weeks Steven predicted it would take for Ally to run out of time, as long as Diana was with him. As delicious as that sounded, he knew he couldn’t do it. They had to try to find out as much as they could about this group and what they were planning to do. He needed to be out there and vulnerable. If he thought there was a chance in hell Diana would cooperate, he’d try to get Diana to stay here until it was finished one way or the other. He knew she wouldn’t. She’d point out that he was the primary target. True enough, but he knew this type of person. They’d see her as his weakness and use her if they could get a chance. She needed to take some precautions.
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Chapter Seven Diana watched Gavin pace the living room. The early afternoon sun streamed in through the windows. Their supplies had been delivered. She’d been surprised that the clothes were the right size and mostly in her normal style. She wasn’t going to ask how they knew because they wouldn’t have gone near her apartment, to keep from leading the people here before necessary. The opportunity to put on something other than his shirt or her dress from last night was a relief. She’d immediately put on a sleeveless blue top and shorts. Since they’d left, Gavin paced like he’d been caged for months. As much as she loved watching the lithe, easy way he moved and ogling the breadth of his shoulders, the unrelenting back-and-forth movement made her feel a little claustrophobic. “Your—um, Evan said we could explore a little. How do you feel about a walk? Maybe it would ease both our nerves, because even though it will probably only last a few weeks, I have a feeling it’s not going to be as easy as it sounds.” She relaxed against the couch cushions as he stopped and stared at her. His head tilted and he looked out the windows. He looked good in the t-shirt and jeans, but the tension in him radiated from his tense frame. She could see he wanted to get out of there. If she was honest with herself, she needed the walk as much as he did. The thought of weeks of confinement nearly sent her running. It wasn’t the thought of being with Gavin. She loved being with him. She felt locked in a cage. She couldn’t jump in her car and run to the other side of the city for her favorite takeout or go to a club on the spur of the moment. Everything rested in someone else’s hands right now. He nodded. “We can. Would you like to go for a walk?” She nodded. “You’d like to do more than that. If you want to run or change or whatever, that’s okay with me.” Biting her lip, she shifted restlessly on the cushion. She really wasn’t sure how to talk to him about him changing into a wolf, because she never thought they’d get to a point where it became an issue. Hell, she’d thought he’d only be with her a few months at most. Since most shifters didn’t tend to run around in wolf, cat or whatever form in the city, she’d thought that it was a part of his life that she’d never see. Now that the opportunity had arrived, she was more than interested. She wanted to see what this big, muscled man looked like when he changed. “It’s been a while since I ran as a wolf. You wouldn’t be scared?” His fingers thrust through his blond hand and his eyes watched her intently.
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“Scared of you as a wolf? No, I don’t think so, but I guess I might be a little nervous. I know it will be you, but most of the time when I think wolf, it’s a wild animal. You know, something you don’t play around with.” She licked her lips as she thought about it. Curiosity shot right off the scales. He’d be able to control himself, but she did have a few questions. Would he be a larger than an average wolf because of his human size? Not that she’d know what size a wolf was actually supposed to be. She’d never been right next to one. “All right, I’ll do my running in wolf form, but I want you to go with me.” He took her hand and drew her across the room. “I don’t think I can keep up with you when you’re running as a human. There’s not a chance if you’re a wolf.” She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not going without you, so if you want me to have a run, then you’re going to have to come with me.” He tugged her through the dining room and stopped at the door. “So have you made your decision?” “Really, you’re going to try emotional blackmail with me?” She laughed a little. “No, just the facts, baby.” He shook his head in denial, but the smile on his face gave lie to the words. She shook her head and glanced at the door. She knew the man wanted to get his way as well as make her smile. Hell, she wasn’t afraid he’d resort to using the tactic on a regular basis. He was as likely to argue with her as he was to cajole or make her laugh. She sighed as if she was put out. “All right. We’ll go for a walk, but don’t start growling at me if you want to run off into some of those trees and you feel obligated to stay near me because I’m there.” She cut her eyes to his and gave a small narrowing of her eyes to show she meant business. “I also want you to see and know me in my wolf form, so I’m not going to go bounding off without you. Get your running shoes and I’ll be waiting here. Just remember. Not a dog.” He sent her off with a light smack on her butt. She chuckled and stopped at the stairs. “You mean no throwing sticks for you or giving you treats?” “I’ll get my treats after the run, babe. The only thing I’m likely to fetch for you in wolf form is the haunch of a deer. Gotta provide for my mate, you know.” He grinned and winked. “Ugh. Don’t even joke about it.” Her stomach felt a little queasy and she could practically see the bloody leg with strings of tendon trailing hanging from the mouth of a wolf as it trotted toward her. “You won’t feel that way after you’ve been changed. Your wolf will want to hunt, even if only for the chase. It’s play and socialization. Now go, woman, you’re holding up my run.” He made shooing motions with his hands. No way was she going to touch the “when you’ve been changed” comment, since he was so adamant that she was his mate. She didn’t want to argue right now and she
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wanted to believe it was true too much. It would be too easy to fall into the trap. She didn’t intend to be convinced of it only to find out later that it wasn’t true. She headed upstairs and grabbed the running shoes that had been in with the boxes and bags of clothing for her. She wished she had her small running pack, because she usually carried her water bottle and a snack bar there. She’d have to carry a bottle this time. Detouring to the kitchen, she grabbed a refillable bottle from the fridge and hurried to join Gavin. She stopped in the doorway, stunned to find a wolf waiting for her near the door. The animal was a dark gray, but there in the light she thought she saw some silver streaked through the fur. She froze. Instinctive fear rushed through her and she almost ran right back out of the room. Only the thought that he’d probably chase her kept her locked to her spot. Her hands shook and her heart slammed against her chest wall. It’s Gavin, she reminded herself. When he sat and tilted his head at her, she realized he must know that she was on the verge of panic. That helped settle the fear creeping through her. She leaned against the door jamb and ran a hand through her hair. Taking a deep breath, she pushed away the last of the nervous energy. He’d never know how close she’d come to heading for the nearest room with a door, running in and locking it. Well, not any more than he already did realize it. The wolf would smell her anxiety. He was still the man she knew. He just happened to be a wolf right now. “Well, Mr. Fuzzy, are you ready? And you could have told me that you were going to change before I got back down here. It wouldn’t have been such a shock.” She opened the door. He looked up at her, but then lunged in close and nipped at her ankle before trotting out the door. She was too busy jumping back to notice much more than the way he moved with such easy coordination. The sight of that muzzle diving down toward her feet had her moving, but not quite fast enough to fully avoid the stinging contact. She’d always thought that it would be more difficult to walk on four legs instead of two. He moved with such smooth skill that it was mesmerizing. “What, you don’t like the name, Mr. Fuzzy? You are a little fluffy, you know.” She raised a brow and closed the door as she stepped out onto the shaded porch. Gavin growled and advanced on her. She shook her head at the move. Even as unsure as she was on certain subjects, she knew one thing without a doubt. He wouldn’t ever harm her physically. Walking right up to him, she ran her hand down his back and winked at him. “So are you ready to go, Gav? I thought you were going to show me around the place and we’ll both get a little exercise. All you’ve done is get all growly and nip me.” She headed down the steps as she said the last words. Now she was ready to run and waiting wasn’t on the list.
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Looking both ways, she headed off down the road. She heard a faint scrape on the wood, but didn’t look back. She jogged at a steady pace on the dirt road. The wolf ran up beside her. Gavin nudged in front of her, his big, furry body leaning in to hers, turning her. She stopped running before she ended up falling on her face. “Which way, since up the road is out of the question.” With a hand on her hip, she stared at him. She resisted the urge to call him fuzzy from sheer annoyance. He turned and took a few steps in almost the complete opposite direction. Just based on the direction, it looked like he was going to take her across the field toward some trees. As soon as he saw she was going to go with him, he moved. Not at a full run, she knew she didn’t have a hope of keeping up with him there. Since she was keeping near him, he wouldn’t be winded from it. She enjoyed running. He knew it. She’d talked to him about it. It was one thing they had in common, although they’d never managed to find time to do it together. She’d never envisioned their first run quite like this. She jogged along beside him through the field. As they neared the trees, she looked for a path. She kept her attention mostly on the terrain in front of her. He knew where they were going, but she wasn’t so sure that some of the local wildlife might not be out to foil their fun. She didn’t want to step on a snake during their run. Gavin suddenly swerved in front of her. His body blocked her and she didn’t have time to stop or avoid him. That furry body offered a lot more of an obstacle than she expected. When her knee hit his fur and solid muscular body, she pitched forward over him. Her hands flew forward to help break her fall. Sharp pain slammed into her left wrist as she rolled. She frowned as she rolled onto her side. Anger and confusion fought for prominence inside her. Gavin circled around her again. A low growl rumbled through him. The hair on the back of her neck rose at the menacing noise. She could almost feel the vibration of the deep sound. She slowly pushed herself to a sitting position and tried to see what had Gavin so upset. The wolf’s lips pulled back, revealing sharp, white teeth. He was definitely agitated and aggressive. She didn’t know what was wrong. She couldn’t hear or see anything to draw that reaction. The wolf’s ears pricked forward and his muscles tensed. She had no idea how to read wolf body language. He could be thoroughly pissed for all she knew and she wouldn’t be able to tell. He’d positioned himself between her and whatever was in the trees in front of them. The protective stance stunned her. She didn’t have a clue if he was being territorial, possessive or if there was something dangerous there. Right now, she didn’t care. The pain throbbing in her wrist made her irritable. She barely resisted the urge to snap out a few choice words. When she was beginning to think that he might have had some wolfy impulse to play with her that had gone wrong, she heard a definite rustling in the thick bushes. Her tongue swept over her lips and she eased back a little. She didn’t have time to wonder what was there. Three wolves burst out of the trees and ran straight for them.
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She jerked back and gasped, trying to get to her feet. In her rush, she used her injured hand to try to scramble to her feet and crumpled back to the ground. Gavin growled low and they veered away before stopping. They stared at him for a moment. She could only describe that look as stunned. She guessed they hadn’t expected to see anyone here. He continued growling. He looked ready to jump at them. They backed away, their heads down, their tails down between their legs. A larger, dark gray wolf came out of the forest. He looked at Gavin, but made no move to advance. The wolf walked over to the other wolves and began herding them away. He looked back at them and she could swear he nodded. Diana blinked and shook her head. That was a little surreal. She did wonder if she was imagining it. When they walked away, Gavin relaxed. He turned back to her and seemed to notice that she was hurt. He nudged her a little. She cradled her wrist closer to her body. “I think this is enough of a run for today, Gavin. A little more excitement than I expected. I’m ready to go back to the house.” His wet nose touched her cheek and she felt his tongue swipe. She felt oddly comforted by the gesture. Slowly, she rose to her feet and glanced back the way they’d come. It looked like it was going to take an eternity to walk back. It was the only real option. There wasn’t any way she could stand running with the way her wrist already hurt. “If you want to keep running, I can walk back on my own. It probably only needs some ice and pain medicine.” She knew he hadn’t even really been winded by their little jog. Even as she made the suggestion, she knew he wouldn’t take it. His eyes locked with hers and his lips pulled back from his teeth. She guessed that was a “no”. She had to offer because he’d looked trapped earlier. He kept pace with her as she walked back to the house. When she opened the door, he moved in ahead of her and changed from wolf to man. It wasn’t what she imagined. She’d expected something like contorting flesh, crunching bone and fur slowly receding into skin. It was so smooth and fast that she almost missed it. “I’m sorry. Let me see your hand.” He reached out and his fingers gently gripped her elbow. She shut the door and let him draw her over to the table. He urged her into one of the chairs and pulled another across from her. She hissed as he touched her wrist. His gaze rocketed up to hers. “It was an accident, Gavin. You couldn’t have known what was in the trees. You were trying to keep me safe. I didn’t think there would be anyone out running either. From what I understood, other than the people in the houses around us who are going to watch and protect, we were the only ones here. I especially didn’t expect young people running around in wolf form when in only days we expect someone to come after you.” She didn’t want him feeling guilty about it.
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“I just reacted.” He shook his head as he eyed her swollen wrist. “We’re going to have to get a doctor to look at this.” She cupped her right hand over his cheek and waited until he looked at her. “This could as easily have happened with me tripping over a rock. I love running on the more scenic trails, but I hardly ever do. To put it simply, I have a tendency to trip, fall or run into stationary objects.” His lips twitched, but he didn’t look as if he believed her entirely. “Did I ever tell you about the time that I ended up in the fountain in the park not far from my apartment?” She tilted her head and raised a brow. She had a long series of near accidents, minor scrapes and bruises she could list if he didn’t believe her. “You can tell me about it some other time. I’m going to call Evan now and get you an ice pack. Stay here.” He rose to his feet, grabbed his clothes from the chair and walked out of the room. Her eyes lingered on his backside until he was out of sight. She heard him talking moments later and realized he must have fished his cell phone out of his pocket. She didn’t hear much of the short conversation, merely murmurs and the sound of a door being opened and closed. He said goodbye as he walked back out of the kitchen. His shirt hung open on his wide chest and he’d put on his pants while he was in the kitchen. “Well, what did Evan say?” She kept her hand curled close to her body, trying not to move it. She knew someone would have to come get them, since they didn’t have a vehicle here. That bothered her. She felt as if she was backed into a corner. She wanted to have a vehicle ready just in case. “One of the people here will take us to the clinic. He thinks another trip out here this soon might be risky if they’re watching him, although they’ll probably wait until I’m due in to work tomorrow to really begin looking for me.” Gavin walked over and drew a chair over next to hers. “And they’ll be here when?” She took slow deep breaths, trying to control the pain in her wrist. “They’ll be here soon. Just stay still. Seems that we’re not having much luck lately with injuries.” He finished dressing and slid back into his chair. His fingers clasped around her good hand and stroked slowly over her knuckles. “Oh, hell, I didn’t even think about your wounds when I suggested a run. Are they okay?” Her eyes widened and she looked over at him. She didn’t see any blood on his side or his arm. That was a little reassuring. “I’m fine. We heal fast, and although running wasn’t as comfortable as it normally is, the stitches held up. In fact, the shift probably helped heal me a bit faster. And you should know from earlier that moving isn’t going to harm me.” His mouth kicked up in a grin.
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The way his eyes slid over her body in a slow, suggestive sweep left her in no doubt he was remembering the romp when they woke. A surge of desire shot through her, but the pain curbed the feeling. Considering that and how good he looked and acted since she’d seen him at the clinic, she’d probably be in more pain than he would. The man’s metabolism and constitution must be remarkable. Maybe that was because he was a werewolf or part of it could be his determination not to accept anything else. Luckily, she probably wouldn’t be sidelined long. She was almost sure that her injury wasn’t too serious, maybe a sprain.
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Chapter Eight She could get used to waking beside Gavin; Diana smiled as she stretched a little. Her wrist ached and last night definitely hadn’t gone as well as the morning before. Although she had strained the muscles in her wrist, it wasn’t as bad as they’d first thought. The medicine for the pain had put her to sleep. The warmth of Gavin’s body pressing against her back made her want to linger, but she knew it was almost time to get up and get dressed. Her hurt wrist wouldn’t get in the way of a little morning cuddle with the gorgeous man behind her. Turning in his loose hold, she found him awake and smiling at her. The lamp glowed on the nightstand behind him. Her eyes fell on the large dresser across from the bed. The cream and chocolate color scheme wasn’t quite her taste, and with the big, dark wood furniture, the room felt a little on the masculine side, but she was comfortable with it. “Morning.” She snuggled close to him and rested her forehead on his chest for a moment and inhaled. The exotic, musky scent never failed to make her want more. “Good morning, babe. How did you sleep?” He waited until she looked up at him and brushed his lips across her forehead. She smiled as he cupped her cheek and then feathered a soft kiss over her lips. “Like the drugged. I didn’t feel anything.” She smiled as she reached up with her good hand and pulled him down for a more thorough kiss. “How’s your hand?” He held back and looked at her hand. She looked down at it. It had colored up rather dramatically overnight. Her skin felt a little tight from the swelling. Deep purples and blues covered her hand and wrist. She tried moving it and winced. It wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but it still hurt. “It hurts, but I think regular painkillers will take care of it.” Edging closer to him, she drew her fingers over his shoulder. She didn’t want to give up these moments with him. They seemed stolen, as if they weren’t meant to be hers. “Kiss me before I decide to push you onto your back and do naughty things to your body.” Her lips brushed and clung as she gently ate at his mouth. Her tongue traced the outer edge. His fingers speared through her hair and cupped the back of her head. She didn’t even try to resist the urge to get closer to him. Hooking a leg over his, she wriggled close. The movement scraped her already hardened nipples back and forth across his chest. Tingles streaked straight to the tightening ball of need low in her stomach. Even as she slowly deepened the kiss, she wondered how everything got so out of control so fast.
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When he pulled his mouth away from hers, they both drew in fast, hard breaths and one of his hands cupped her ass. She rocked her hips, rubbing her pussy against the ridge of his cock. She wanted to forget everything except him, the feel of his body and the pleasure she knew he could give, but the alarm would soon blare. Even if they ignored it, someone would come to pick them up for work. They’d be interrupted and she definitely didn’t want someone walking in on them because they were doing a check when no one responded. “I wish we didn’t have to get up.” His hips slowly pumped, teasing her with his cock. The hard ridge was confined only loosely in his boxer shorts. If she reached down and slipped her hand under the elastic, she’d be holding him in her hand. After that, they’d both forget about dressing, work and the people coming for them. She had more control than that, though. Barely. “But we do. You’re supposed to talk to Evan today, if I remember right.” She ached to kiss him again and slowly forced her fingers to release their grip on him. She might want to keep him to herself for the entire day, but they had to leave. The people who attacked Gavin needed to be stopped and that wasn’t going to happen if they stayed hidden all the time. Well, not the way they wanted them stopped anyway. If they were to get any information, they needed to go to work. “You’re right.” Gavin rolled over onto his back and stared up at the cream-colored ceiling. “We both need to shower and dress. I’ll go first, because we definitely don’t have time to do it together. You’re too distracting. While you’re in there, I’ll start breakfast.” She was too distracting. She rolled her eyes. He was the one with the body of a god and talented hands. Arguing about it wouldn’t solve anything. Definitely a matter of perspective. Shaking her head, she headed for the closet to look for something to wear to the office today. She hadn’t really looked too hard through the clothing, but she’d seen enough to know that they should fit and be suitable.
***** Gavin made it through one of the longest, most boring, aggravating workdays in recent history. Hell, he knew he couldn’t go offsite to any jobs where other people might be. Someone innocent could get caught in the crossfire if danger followed him. They needed to control when and where these people had an opportunity to see and get to him. Then the Protectorate and werewolves would have a chance to catch them. It would also limit the chance of something going wrong. Drumming his fingers on his desk, he looked for something to do. His mind tortured him. He didn’t expect any kind of overt attack right now. There would be better opportunities later. He expected to be followed once they left the office. He was tempted to have another van go after Diana, just to keep them away from her, but he
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knew it wouldn’t work. On top of that, he worried about her. Not being able to see her was pushing him to the edge. His imagination kept inventing images of her being attacked or kidnapped. It was driving the beast inside of him insane. Luckily, the day was drawing to a close and it was time to leave. Logically, he knew it was too early for the attackers to even think about going after her. He suspected there would be at least one more attempt on his life in some form before they decided to use her to draw him out into the open. He hoped they caught them before it got to that point, but the woman and the two men with her shouldn’t be desperate enough to try it yet. They should still have hope of a quick kill, even if it wasn’t as anonymous as they’d hoped. “Ready to go?” Max walked into the room where Gavin had been going over the plans for a security layout. Gavin pushed the chair back from the desk and stretched. Hell, yes, he was ready, but he only nodded. With as frayed as his nerves were, he’d growl before he answered civilly. Until he saw that Diana was safe and back within reach, his temper was going to be short. He wondered if he was doing the right thing by insisting she be with him. He’d worry about her regardless, but if she was in a different safe house, the splinter group might not find her. It might be safer. Considering these people had been following him and likely her once they realized he was dating her, it wasn’t likely. Unless she completely stayed away from the Protectorate, the attackers would find her. She wouldn’t stay away from her work. That was one of the logical reasons why he believed they’d find her regardless. Of course, part of him didn’t care about logic. The wolf demanded he keep her close. She was safer with him. They’d have to go through him to get to her. He put on the protective vest and then his shoulder holster with the loaded gun. Evan insisted on the vest. Gavin wasn’t fighting it. This time, they’d probably use bullets unless they managed to catch him alone. He didn’t expect anything like a sniper. If any of them had that skill, they’d have used it. Evan would have people looking for that, though. It reassured him that he’d be able to keep Diana safe. He put his navy suit coat over the vest and checked his pocket for keys and wallet. Both were there. He nodded to Max. Max led the way out of the room. Gavin heard someone fall into step behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Rob, another of the men who worked at Contech. He rolled his shoulders. Being surrounded sent prickles of unease running down his back and the wolf inside grew restless. He’d have to live with the feeling until the woman was caught or her time ran out. Gavin walked onto the street behind Max. His senses heightened as his heartrate spiked. The van pulled up as close as possible to the building, just on the other side of the wide sidewalk. They’re close. He could feel the weight of someone watching him. His eyes swept the length of the street, trying to spot any possible danger, but he didn’t see anyone walking down the street. Everything seemed normal, but it struck
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him as wrong somehow. He trusted the feeling. With the way Max tensed, Gavin knew that he felt it too. “Move, Gav. I think this is going to shit,” Max muttered just before the sound of screeching tires broke the silence of the afternoon. Gavin ran for the van. He caught a glimpse of a dark car. He couldn’t say if it was dark blue or black in the glaring sun. Loud cracks broke the almost unnatural silence. Max slid the door open and Gavin dove inside as bullets ricocheted off the pavement. He grunted as a weight came down half on top of him and an elbow or knee dug into his kidney. A surge of movement caused him to slide on the seat as the van shot forward. “Is anyone hurt?” Max asked. Gavin didn’t know how Max had gotten into the front seat, but there he was beside Lance, who was driving. The weight on top of him lifted completely away as Rob slid into one of the seats. Gavin groaned as he pulled himself into the seat. The van door slammed shut when the van braked. “I’m good except for a pain in my back where an elbow or something landed.” Gavin ran a hand through his hair and drew in slow, deep breaths to calm his pounding heart. “Sorry, dude. Didn’t want to get shot.” Rob smiled and didn’t look at all repentant. Max nodded and within moments was on the phone. Gavin realized quickly that he was talking to Evan. He listened, resigned, as Max informed Evan of what had happened. The only reason he hadn’t already known about it was that he wasn’t at the office now. Max put his phone in his suit pocket and turned to face Evan. “There’s going to be a little bit of a change in the itinerary. Evan’s calling Steven. They’ll arrange for your mate to be brought out to the safe house. Going to the Protectorate might put her in immediate danger.” Max watched Gavin, as if expecting an extreme reaction. Gavin tensed, but he clamped down on his immediate growl of denial. The wolf wanted to get to his mate now and drag her away from danger. The thinking part of him recognized that Max was right. Someone could be following them now. Speeding over to get her could put her right in the line of fire. Still, he wanted to be able to hold her. He drew in some deep breaths. His muscles tensed and he struggled to stay still in his seat. Waiting wasn’t going to be easy, but her safety came first. He didn’t believe that he’d relax for a moment, but it was the best choice at the moment. “I want to know what they’re doing as often as possible. Right now, I feel like diving out of the car and running over to her to make sure she’s safe. I need assurance that they aren’t making a try for her.” Gavin kept his voice even with effort. It wasn’t an exaggeration. The wolf clawed and jumped, struggling to get to his mate. He was a breath away from shifting and making a run through Dallas to get to her. His skin crawled. He could feel the energy of the change pulsing through him.
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With effort, he held it back. He couldn’t endanger her or his pack like that. The people in Dallas accepted the shifters among them because, with the exception of the occasional rogue, they’d shown that shifters, and werewolves in particular, could control themselves. He should have expected something like this to happen. After all, they worked in different parts of the city, but he’d never thought of the possibility that he wouldn’t be able to go to her. The wait was going to shred his nerves. He wasn’t going to be able to let her out of his sight for at least a few hours once they managed to get her to him. His hands clenched into fists as they drove out of the city. The journey to the house seemed to fly. Once inside the house, he waited. The minutes seemed to drag. He began pacing. A growl built as he moved across the room. He didn’t want to do anything while she was out there, possibly in danger. It frustrated him. The wolf inside of him raised his hackles and lunged for control.
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Chapter Nine Diana couldn’t believe the precautions Steven had taken. He’d insisted that she stay at the Protectorate until after the normal shift change. Then he’d sneaked her into a car waiting at the curb. She shook her head. That was suspicious enough on its own to draw attention. Normally, if someone parked there, the vehicle was quickly moved one way or another. Her head pounded as the tension grew and the muscles of her back had knotted during the wait. Time seemed to slow, but her mind wouldn’t stop. Anxiety gnawed at her and her stomach churned. Something had happened to Gavin. She knew it even before they said a word. The change in plans had been enough. They’d told her he was safe and unhurt, but she needed to see and touch him to really believe it. Biting her lip, she tried to control her emotions. She looked down at her purse. It all seemed so much more real now. She hadn’t thought it was all some kind of game before, especially since Gavin had been stabbed. Maybe a part of her hadn’t believed the attackers would get close again. That all of this was nothing more than necessary precautions. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to believe that it was anything more than that. He could have died. Hearing that Gavin had been shot at had shoved reality right into her face. If her feet hadn’t been firmly on the ground at that point, they would have landed there when Steven handed her a gun and three extra clips of ammunition. She knew how to use the weapon. She’d been fully trained in weapon use. Just the fact that he thought it was serious enough to warrant giving her a weapon when they were under guard underlined how much the situation worried him. She sat tensely in the backseat and looked over her shoulder as they turned onto the private road that would take them to Gavin. The seat belt dug into her belly as she leaned forward. They passed through the gates without trouble. She sighed with relief. Soon. She needed to be with him, but the minutes crawled by and the car seemed to go even slower. When it finally pulled up in front of the house, she threw off the seat belt. She reached for the door handle. Before she could touch the lever, the locks clicked loudly. She frowned and looked over at Steven. “Stay here for the moment. They’re making sure that no one’s out there watching.” Steven said quietly. “Wouldn’t it be safest to get inside as quickly as possible?” She looked longingly at the house.
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“You don’t want to be caught out in the open if there’s a shooter out there. None of us want Gavin running out to get to you. They will use you to get to him and then they’d kill you.” Steven’s voice was chillingly calm. It wasn’t something she didn’t know, but the bald way he said it drove home the point. She swallowed and nodded. A shudder ripped through her at the thought of Gavin being hurt because of her. She looked out the tinted window and wondered how they were looking for these possible attackers. Did they have someone out there hunting or were they using cameras and scopes to find the people possibly watching? A ring broke the tense silence. Steven lifted his phone and looked at the message. “All clear. We can go now, but get out on this side. It’s a shorter walk from here.” Steven nodded and unlocked the door. He waited until she slid across the seat and opened the door. As she got out of the car, he moved in behind her and urged her at a fast walk to the door with a hand at her back. The door opened before they could reach it and Diana rushed into the house. A hand gripped her arm, pulling her to the side. She got a glimpse of Gavin’s face just before his arms folded around her and pushed her head against his chest. In that brief look, she’d seen raw pain. Something intense burned in his eyes and his jaw had been clenched. He looked almost haggard. She wrapped her arms around him and held him as tight as possible. The heat of his body and the steady throb of his heart soothed her where words hadn’t made a difference. She’d been so worried about him. “We’re fairly sure that no one followed us today, but both of you should know that they’ll know where you are by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.” Steven’s voice cut through silence that had fallen over the room. “You’ll have to be on your guard even though there will be people watching for them.” Gavin’s arms loosened a little. She half turned to look at Steven. He still wore that ultra serious expression he’d had earlier. Hell, didn’t he realize that after this it was going to be hard going in to work every day? She’d fooled herself before into believing that they wouldn’t make any move in the city. She’d been stupid, but she wasn’t making the same mistake again. She didn’t know if she could focus on her work while she worried about what these fanatics would try next. It seemed impossible at the moment. She wondered if she should stay away from work until they stopped these people. She wouldn’t let them use her to kill Gavin. She’d rather die herself. “We will be.” Her hand tightened on her purse. She leaned her head against his chest, needing to be close to him. “Oh, yes, we will.” Gavin’s hand swept up and down her back. “They need to be alone.” Max put his hand on Steven’s shoulder and turned him toward the door. It was the first time she’d seen the Protectorate commander surprised, but she didn’t have long to watch him before he was outside of the door. Max guided him out, even though Steven’s feet dragged. She smiled a little bit. 51
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“We’ll talk tomorrow about possible changes to your duty. It might be safer if we keep you together or if you stay out of sight completely,” Steven called back a moment before the door slammed shut. Gavin went over and locked the door, tugging her with him as he moved. She needed his touch as much as he seemed to need her. If he hadn’t held her, she would have wrapped her arms around his waist and tagged along regardless of his plans. The moment the lock clicked into place, he hauled her tight against him and lifted until her feet left the ground. He carried her into the bedroom. She didn’t know if he wanted to get away from the door and the large windows in the dining room or if he really wanted the comfort of a bed. Well, at first. One glance into his eyes and she knew. Need blazed at her. He didn’t waste any time once he put her on the carpet. He pulled her shirt over her head, stopping only so that she could unfasten one of the buttons when it got caught on her chin. Her hands shook as she found the waistband of her skirt. He began stripping out of his clothes. She eyed the muscles and tempting skin he revealed with every flick of a button. He looked sexy in a suit, but out of it, he was temptation in the flesh. She wanted her hands on his body now. Because she took the time to watch him, he managed to fling his suit pants onto the cream-colored carpet as she was shrugging out of her bra. His eyes swept over her face as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at her. His arms closed around her. With a groan, he lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around him. His head nestled against the crook of her neck. For a moment, he simply held her. She savored the solid reality of his arms and the steady beat of his heart. His hands slid up and down her back in an almost comforting motion. The heat of his body and the solid muscles pressing against her calmed some of the anxiety lingering from the tense ride over here. “It took so long for you to get here.” The words rumbled against her neck and were so muffled, she wondered if she’d heard right. “I was so worried. They told me you were all right, but I couldn’t believe it until I saw you.” She threaded her fingers through his hair and simply held onto him. “They shot at you.” Shaky relief warred with a deep need for proof that he was healthy and physically whole. She knew which one was going to win. Even as she held him, her hands drifted lower over his back and down to his butt. She wanted to feel his cock driving into her pussy, the brush of body against her and his solid weight as they held each other. “Come here. Let me make you believe.” His arms relaxed around her and he slowly stepped back. She didn’t want to release him. Her fingers tangled with his to keep contact with him. He took the few steps to the bed. She thought he’d pull her down on it with him. The mere idea sent a surge of hunger straight to her core. He didn’t move. Hell, she’d
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like to push him up against the nearest wall and take delicious advantage of the hard, muscular body. She wasn’t far from trying it. He sat and drew her close. “Climb onto my lap.” His thumb stroked in slow circles right along her neck. Giving a light tug on her hair, he urged her closer. His tone was so relaxed that it contrasted with the fierce way he’d held her only minutes before. She looked down and licked her lips as she stared at his cock. Her attention locked on him as he rolled on a condom. She almost dropped to her knees just to get a taste, but he gave another tug on her hand. It wasn’t even a toss-up. She might want to get her mouth on his cock, but she wanted it inside her cunt even more. She straddled him, her eyes locking with his. In stark contrast with his voice, his eyes burned with intensity. She drew in a startled breath. She’d thought he was so under control, yet the emotion she saw there was far from restrained. He released her hand and both of his palms smoothed over her hips before firming and pulling her down. She was more than ready for this. She reached between them and guided the tip of his cock to her slick entrance. His lips tightened. She knew he was trying to stay in control. Slowly, he urged her hips down to take more of him. Her inner muscles clenched. She ached to feel his cock deep inside her. Shivers rolled over her entire body. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders. How could he stand to move so slowly? She wanted it hard, hot and now. “Gavin, fuck me.” She leaned in and nipped at his lips. The man needed to stop messing around and get to work. She couldn’t do slow tonight. It would drive her out of her mind. Electric currents ran from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. She clenched her thighs and tried to push up and take matters into her own hands. His fingers tightened, holding her in place seemingly without strain. His lips pulled back from his teeth, revealing lengthened canines. Her eyes widened at the sharp points. A low growl rolled from his chest. She felt the vibrations against the tips of her breasts. It excited her even more. She leaned close and licked his lips. If he was close to losing control, she certainly didn’t mind. That’s what she needed. “Give me a minute to get control. I don’t want to take the choice from you,” he grated the words from between clenched teeth. His fingers flexed pulling her close to him. His arms tightened around her, pressing them together from cheek to thigh. She moaned and her eyes closed in enjoyment as his cock pushed deeper into her. It left her wanting more. She didn’t have any idea what he meant by taking her choice. At the moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was for him to move. His hands held her still and he simply breathed. She could feel a fine tremor running through his body. Her fingers trailed across his shoulders and down his chest. She could see the worry on his face and knew that she had to ease that somehow. His concern was for her. That got through the haze of need. As much as she ached for him, she somehow knew that ripping his control from him right now wasn’t a good idea. Her lips moved softly over his and her fingers skimmed and petted. 53
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“Just kiss me, Gavin. Slow and sweet. I love it when you give me one of those deep, slow kisses.” She smiled at him. She’d have to remember to ask what he meant by taking her choice later. He shuddered, but his lips closed over hers. His tongue brushed against her lips. She stroked her hands over his shoulders and back. She leisurely drew her tongue over his, trying to soothe the tension from him with her kiss and the stroke of her fingers over his skin. She felt him relax and sink into the kiss. The arousal inside her eased a little as she savored the deep, dreamy movement of his mouth over hers. His palms skimmed up her sides, leaving trails of tingling awareness. By the time his mouth left hers, she was clinging to him and she didn’t want the kiss to end. She followed him as he pulled back a little. His hand cupped the side of her face. “My sweet Diana, sometimes you’re more than I deserve. Are you still ready?” “Why don’t we see?” She rocked her hips a little. Definitely not as burning with immediate need for release as before, but tingles spread over her and the ache began to tighten. She knew it wouldn’t take much before she was clawing at him again, ready to race to the peak. Her hands eased between them. She closed two fingers over the tight, flattened nub of his dark nipple. He moaned. One of his hands cupped her buttocks, pulling her tight against him. She loved hearing and seeing the effect she had on him. Sometimes, he made her feel like the sexiest woman in the history of the world. She leaned forward and ran her teeth across his full lower lip. “Such a tease. I’m not the one who might need a little help now.” He pulled back, but leaned in again. Trailing kisses along her neck, he let her feel the edge of his teeth. “If you think I might need a little help, then why don’t you find out for yourself.” Her voice was light. She liked taunting him a little and she wanted to keep this playful and light until they both felt the intensity again. Her fingers clasped his hand and drew it between their bodies. She returned to her tormenting teasing of his nipples. He didn’t need any further prompting. Sliding his hand over her stomach, he teased her a little in return, circling his fingers around her belly. She shivered and bit her lip. That light skim of his fingertips sent arcs of sensation straight to her pussy. She didn’t know how he did it. Every time he touched her, it was like her body tuned even more to his. It scared her a little, but it was exciting too. She pressed kisses to his shoulders. She couldn’t stop touching him. Her thighs tightened as she rose a little, unable to stay still. He had to feel the increase in the hot, slick liquid surrounding him. She didn’t know what was holding him back. He drew in a hissing breath. “Do you know what your wriggling is doing to me?” She laughed and deliberately rocked her hips, letting that be her answer.
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He took the opportunity to slip his fingers over the mound of her pussy and straight to her clit. Her breath hitched as she waited for him to move his fingers. Anticipation sent a curl of excitement through her as her mind supplied vivid memories of how good his fingers could make her feel. She wriggled a little, trying to rub against his fingers. He waited. She caught the smile curving his lips and knew that the torment had been deliberate. His finger slowly curled upward. She arched her hips, driving her clit against his fingertip. He chuckled and began to stroke her. “That’s better. Now I know you’re ready. Your juices are flowing for me again.” He left his hand between them. “Ride me, baby.” The ache pulsed and writhed inside of her, demanding she move. She couldn’t stay still. Lifting her hips, she set a deep, hard rhythm as the need took away all thought other than the pleasure she knew was waiting for her. His hands plucked at her nipples and a soft growl rolled from him as she rocked down onto him. That sound drove searing need straight through her. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she rode him hard. She could barely catch her breath, but it didn’t matter. The tightening feelings low in her gut urged her on to a faster pace. His fingers twisted her nipples, sending delicious little streaks of pleasure down her spine. She heard a low moaning and vaguely recognized it as her own voice. Her lips slashed over his and she stifled her scream against his mouth as she came. His hand tightened on her ass and continued to rock her against him. Both of his hands fastened at her waist and pulled her close. His hips bucked against hers and he came on a harsh groan. He held her tight and she enjoyed the closeness. The feel of his breath puffing against her neck made her smile. She’d be happy if they stayed like this all night as long as he held her. He sprawled back onto the bed, pulling her with him. She lay on top of him and enjoyed the closeness. At first, she was too content to think, but gradually she remembered the questions she wanted to ask. Resting her forearm across his chest, she braced her chin on it and looked up at him. His fingers lazily combed through her hair, occasionally twirling the ends around the tips before moving to the top of her head and starting again. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the soothing sensation for a moment, but knew she couldn’t let the moment pass. She didn’t want to forget her question. She needed to know what had made him so tense and held him back at that moment. What choice did he not want to take from her? She rubbed the pad of her index finger across his lips and smiled when his tongue slipped out and lapped at it. “What choice, Gavin?” She tilted her head and watched his face. He blinked and frowned. His head lifted and he looked down at her.
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“When you became tense and just locked up earlier. I could feel the strain in your body. What choice were you trying to make sure I had?” She cupped her hand against his cheek. He grimaced and his arms came up in a fierce hug. “I came close to biting you tonight. I thought at first that if I let you ride me that I’d be able to control the urge. I believed I could hold and touch you without the instinct to protect you in the most basic way overcoming me. The need to make you a wolf like me almost swept away everything else.” “You didn’t seem out of control before we came into the bedroom. I know you were anxious to touch. So was I. I needed it to really believe that you were safe after being told that someone shot at you.” She frowned. She’d known he was as upset and felt something like the same intensity to see her as she had him, but she hadn’t imagined he felt anything beyond that. Certainly not something so powerful and primal that it almost caused him to bite her. “Then I hid my emotions better than I thought I did. I wanted to rip into anyone who stepped between us. Those people hung around way too long last night. I wanted you alone and naked the moment you walked through the door.” He shook his head. “I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to resist biting you if I got you on your back and most definitely not if I took you as I wanted, on your hands and knees. The wolf was too close to the surface last night.” She stared at him a moment. She didn’t know what she felt. In a way, she was happy that he thought enough of her to try to wait, but another part of her couldn’t help be a little hurt by the fact that he’d been so determined to hold back. She wondered again if he was sure that she was his mate or if it was some gambit to protect her. She didn’t want him to do something irrevocable if he wasn’t sure. “And you didn’t want to begin the change in me.” “I wanted it too much. All of my plans for showing you that we’re a good couple and that we would want to be together even if we weren’t mates went out the window when someone tried to kill me while you were with me.” He sighed. “I wanted to ensure that I didn’t take anything else from you.” She rose up onto her elbow. “What do you think you’ve taken from me?” “The time to really get to know me and to love me before you realized we were mates. I wanted you to have everything. The flowers and dates, the moonlight picnics and concerts, all the romance you deserved. I was even thinking about doing that oldfashioned kneel and propose when we got to that point.” He shrugged. “And why can’t you do that if I know I’m your mate? Well, after this thing with your ex is finished,” she amended. She was a little ticked at the fact that he thought that simply because the word “mate” was used that romance had to be forgotten. “You can still do all of those things. I may know, but you can still take me on moonlight picnics or to a secluded lake so we can skinny dip and make love under the stars.”
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He smiled and cupped the back of her head. “I’ll make sure that we do. I wanted you to be certain of what you wanted, though, before all the mates stay together for life stuff was forced on you. I didn’t want you to feel like you missed out on anything. Hopefully, by the time this mess is finished, you’ll realize that you are my mate and we can get back to the romancing.” She didn’t say anything to that. Surprise held her tongue for a moment. She hadn’t realized he was that aware of her doubts about the mating. She didn’t want to hurt him, but it was still a little hard for her to believe. As far as she knew, a were didn’t ignore the fact that a woman was his mate and date her. He claimed and any other worries were dealt with later. Gavin gave her a kiss and then lifted her off him. “I’ll get rid of this condom. After we shower, we can see what we can find to eat in the kitchen.” He rolled to his feet and then pulled her to hers. “Don’t worry. We’ll work everything out.”
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Chapter Ten Gavin looked across the kitchen table at Diana. She smiled at him as she ate breakfast in the bright yellow kitchen. A good meal and time holding her last night had helped soothe the jangled nerves. The tense emotions from last night had faded, but knowing she was going to be leaving to work in a separate building in another part of the city had his tension rising again. She’d kept the conversation on light subjects after they’d made it out of the shower. As normal as all of the routine was, he couldn’t keep his mind away from the fact that she was at risk. They’d use her to get to him. That was even more of a possibility if she was in a separate location. Even with the people meant to guard her, they could get a chance at her. “Is something wrong, Gavin?” Her head tilted and she frowned a little. Her fork hovered over the wedge of pancakes on her plate. Overall, she looked concerned and a little confused. “Just worrying. If they can’t get to me, they’ll go after you to try to draw me out. I think Ally knows that I’d be protective of any woman who was dragged into a situation like this.” Gavin looked at her intently. She blinked and he saw consideration enter her eyes. “We knew that they might try to come after me to get to you. I was there. Considering that most groups of weres are known for their protectiveness to any female, I’m pretty sure they know that you’d try to keep me safe even if you were hurt in the process. And if they actually did watch you, then they know we were dating.” “More than dating.” He scowled at her choice of words. He could see the doubt in her eyes. That considering, uncertain look peeked out every time they spoke about the mating or the future. He’d known she wasn’t completely convinced that she was his mate. It wasn’t something he could change right now. Not without starting the transformation in her. He didn’t want to make that choice for her. He intended to let her make that decision. “They’ll only see it as dating. Because when people think of a werewolf getting serious, they don’t think courting or dates that lead to something more. Weres claim and everything else comes afterward.” She met his eyes and then looked down at her plate. “I’ve already told you that I wanted to give you the romance that you deserved.” He struggled to hold back a growl. Her persistence in pointing out the reputation werewolves had for claiming a mate immediately began to grate.
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She leveled a look at him and he clearly saw disbelief and anger there. “Maybe, but that’s not the issue here. It’s what the people after you will think and might do because of it. They have no reason to think that I’m your mate. Not unless you start shouting it.” Gavin growled. He couldn’t hold back the angry sound. Stubborn woman. He locked his muscles against the urge to get up, pluck her out of the chair and take her back to bed to convince her. He had told her and tried to show her that there was more between them, but all she saw was that it hadn’t happened the way she expected a shifter mating to happen. He knew of at least three women who’d be thrilled to get the time he’d given her. The woman was as contrary as a cat. She felt something strong and deep for him. It was in her every reaction to him. She was pulled to him, but she kept resisting because his claiming didn’t fit her preconceived idea of how it should be. “I don’t fucking care what they think. Right now, I’m not even concerned about their beliefs anymore.” His fist clenched on the table. “When are you going to start believing me?” Her denials grated and irritated his already shortened temper. He wanted to claim her and show her that there was no doubt about who she was to him. A little voice at the back of his mind kept shouting that once he claimed her and started the change in her, she wouldn’t have any more questions of what she meant to him. It only made the urge even greater. She looked at him levelly for a moment and shrugged. Her teeth tugged at her lip for a moment. “I don’t know. How am I not supposed to have any questions when nothing about our relationship went as it normally would? Hell, I thought you were just dating me and was bracing myself for the time when you eventually moved on to someone else. I wanted more, but there was no reason for me to think it would be anything except some dates before you moved on to search for your mate.” He could see the uncertainty in her eyes and body language. He understood why she might have some problems believing at first, but she’d had time to see how he reacted to her in this situation. It was hard enough not to claim her and do everything he could to make sure they couldn’t hurt her. “Have I lied to you before? Do you think I’d be callous enough to hurt you like that? Even if it protected you now, once this situation is finished, you’d be hurt if I suddenly backed away and decided you weren’t my mate. Don’t you think I have enough sense to realize that? If I just wanted to keep you safe because you were a woman I felt protective of because of the situation, I would have said it straight out.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You haven’t lied, but you’re caring and smart. It’s one of the simplest ways to keep me where you’re sure I’ll be safe. On top of that, you didn’t have time to think about things that much.” She shrugged and her lips twisted into a grimace. He growled and pushed to his feet just as he heard a footstep behind him. He whirled, a snarl curling his lips. He wanted this finished and whoever was in the house
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was likely to leave headfirst. They’d be lucky if he opened the door before he tossed them out. Max strolled into the room, smiling. “Hi, Gavin, you’re in a chipper mood. Evan’s waiting at the office to see you and your woman, so if you’re finished with breakfast, we need to leave.” Max grabbed a piece of toast off the table and bit into it. Diana stood and slid a wary glance at Gavin. “I’m finished. I just need to get my purse and shoes. Does Steven know I’ll be there? If I don’t show up, he’s likely to send someone out looking for us.” “Yes, he’s been informed.” Max nodded. Gavin watched her leave the room, torn between the urge to go after her and to pound on Max a little for interrupting them. Part of him insisted that Evan would understand if they were late. He was mated too. The rational part of his mind knew that while Evan would understand the desire, he wouldn’t appreciate the delay. “Pushing her and repeatedly insisting she’s your mate isn’t going to solve things, Gavin. Fear isn’t logical and she’s afraid of the rejection she saw coming even the first time she went out with you.” “How long were you listening?” Gavin growled, taking a threatening step toward the other man. “I did a sweep around the outside of the house before I came inside to check for any sign that someone had been here last night, although nothing was spotted. I heard that part from the window over the kitchen sink. One of them is open a little. I wasn’t eavesdropping.” Max held up his hands and nodded to the curtained window over the sink. It had two panels and one of them was slightly open. “Now you’re an expert on women?” Gavin frowned, still in a bad mood. “No, I just have a sister. They can be stubborn and sometimes hold onto an idea despite solid proof. Either stick to your plan or fully claim her. If you’re going to give her time, give it to her. Maybe she’ll come to the right conclusions. If not, you can go back to standard werewolf practice.” Max grinned. Gavin flipped him off as he left to grab his wallet and slip into his shoulder holster. He was just straightening his gray suit jacket as Diana walked back into the room in her heels. She looked very professional in a gray skirt with a silky pink top. Her purse hung from her shoulder and she looked a little somber and tense. He hated that their argument was probably the cause of some of it. He didn’t know what he was going to do. Something had to give. Arguing about it was only going to force the issue if the situation with the woman trying to kill him didn’t. As much as her doubt irritated him and the wolf, he knew that he should keep with the plan. The lack of trust did irritate him, but he wanted her to realize that her feelings for him went beyond simple attraction. Although he did admit that gaining her trust would give him immense satisfaction. Regardless of if he was a werewolf or a normal human, she’d be the woman for him.
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She needed time to realize that, especially with the stress from the attacks and the possibility of more danger looming. His intentions were good. The only question was how long he was going to be able to hold onto those good intentions. He walked over and put his arm around Diana. She stiffened a little and glanced up at him through the corner of her eye. Maybe she expected him to keep arguing the issue. He didn’t know what she saw, but she relaxed against him and her arm slipped around him. Her fingers curled over his hip and she squeezed just a little. She opened her mouth, but he put a finger on her lips to stop whatever she was going to say. “We have time, Diana. You’ll be sure. All of those questions you have will be answered. Hopefully before either of us does something drastic.” His smile was a little rueful. That last bit was more aimed at himself. He’d been close this morning to doing something extreme. His fingers slid over her lips and then cupped her cheek. A little of the tension eased from her shoulders and she smiled at him. “How are we going to find those answers, Gavin? It seems impossible.” He loved the “we”, but didn’t say anything about her phrasing. “Time, baby, and we’re going to learn more about each other. I think the answers will come to you if we can be patient and keep our tempers under control.” “Hustle up, everyone. Evan already knows you’re coming, you don’t want to be any later than you already are.” Max moved up behind them and then went around them. Gavin seriously wanted to slam the man’s head into the wall a couple of times. Max kept interrupting them and Gavin could certainly use the exercise and stress relief of a fight. This interruption irritated him even more than the first had. Diana had been relaxed and smiling and now her muscles tightened again with tension. He knew she was thinking of the people after him and what they’d already tried. “Tonight, we’ll talk again.” Gavin gave her a quick kiss. He didn’t want to go anywhere, but Evan might have some important news. Hell, maybe the woman had been caught or they at least knew her real name.
***** Diana slid a glance over at Gavin. This wasn’t what she’d expected when she’d been told that they’d be meeting with Evan. She’d thought they’d talk and then she’d go to work. So not what happened. There hadn’t been much talking or explanation. She’d been informed that she’d be working here so that the people wouldn’t be able to take her to use against Gavin. They might try that tactic, but she hadn’t expected the situation to be dealt with like this. They’d taken a shot at him only yesterday. Now if they managed to get Gavin, they could very well get to her too. They still had too many options to draw him out another way. Still, she couldn’t say she minded staying close to him. Steven sent her work to her. She ran through video on one of the monitors on the six-person, U-shaped station.
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Gavin scrolled through what looked like random office scenes at the right end of the station and two other people diligently watched the screen in front of them. The array of equipment in the cream-colored room surprised her. It was just as good as what she used at the Protectorate. This didn’t seem to be Gavin’s normal duties. He’d restlessly gotten up to pace at least four times and it wasn’t lunchtime yet. Every time he did, he distracted her. He didn’t stop or talk. When he paced, he always managed to come over to her. His hands trailed through her hair or over her shoulders. Not to mention he was gorgeous and she couldn’t resist watching him. The first time, he’d startled the hell out of her. She’d been focused on the images in front of her. These had nothing to do with the Gavin or the people after him, which irritated her, but she’d known that she wouldn’t be able to work on that too long, since she was involved. She’d managed to block out the other people in the room and concentrate solely on the scenes and the people in them. When his hand brushed across her shoulder, she jumped and nearly fell out of her chair. The way he seemed to gravitate to her intrigued her. The room wasn’t that small. He should be able to pace and not touch her. They could leave the room and walk around the building as long as they didn’t go outside. The hallway offered more room to stretch his legs if he was that restless. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but it did make her think and watch. The more she did that, the higher her hopes rose. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe she was his mate, like he claimed. That still didn’t explain why he was able to go so slowly about the claiming, if it was true. She felt a prickling on the back of her neck. Stopping what she was doing, she turned her head and found Gavin leaning against the wall staring at her. She smiled and shook her head at him. Up again. She looked down at her watch. It was only eleven thirty. He didn’t seem inclined to go sit back down again. “Something wrong?” She tilted her head and swiveled the chair to face him. He glanced down and a broad smile curved his lips as he saw her bare feet. “Are you ready for lunch?” “Our lunch won’t be here until twelve. I’m not going with you to find a closet or something. There are almost as many surveillance cameras here as there are at the Protectorate.” She shook her head firmly. She wasn’t providing endless amusement to his coworkers or becoming an instant web hit if they chose the wrong place. The woman working at the station next to her laughed. “That’s what happens when your mate works in the security field, Gavin.” Diana raised a brow. She hadn’t been introduced as Gavin’s mate. She idly wondered how the woman knew. Maybe Evan had said something about Gavin’s mate working here while they were still in danger. That made sense more than her first suspicion, which was that Gavin had told them. She didn’t know why the idea had
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popped into her head, but she couldn’t completely put it out of her mind, even though logic dictated it had probably been revealed only today to most of the people here. “I helped install those cameras. We wouldn’t get caught.” His lips curved into a wicked smile and he winked at her. “Try that on someone who hasn’t heard moans and screams coming from a closet. Listen up, impatient. Not going to be an office joke. Go take a walk along the halls or find someone else to bother. I have work to do, even if you can’t get yours done.” She shook her head and swiveled back to the monitors. The woman at the other bank of monitors sounded like she was choking for a minute before full laughter erupted. The man managed to control everything but a big smile. She heard Gavin sigh and then footsteps as he walked over to her. He spun her chair around and stepped forward until their knees brushed. “I see I’m going to have to teach you about spontaneity.” He dropped a kiss on her head. “I can do spontaneous, Gavin.” She laughed, not at all concerned or guilty. “I just don’t do office entertainment. You think of something kinky that doesn’t involve six people greeting us outside the closet door, maybe holding improvised scorecards, and I’m in.” “I’m going to take a walk, see if there’s anything I can help with.” His arms came around her and he squeezed briefly. Before she could think about hugging him back, he walked away. “You’re good for him,” the woman said as the door closed behind Gavin. Diana spun around and stopped the video. She’d find where she’d left off. Glancing over at the woman, Diana was a little surprised. She’d always thought of it the other way around. He made her a better person in so many ways. Lighter, more open, more ready to try anything, she loved how she felt around him. “I’d hoped, but from what I can tell, he’s just a great person.” Diana smiled and slanted a look over at the woman. “Oh, he’s a great person and has always had a sense of humor, but you’ve brought something special to him. I want to say focus, but that’s not it exactly. He was already focused. You’ve given him something he didn’t have before.” The other woman tilted her head and looked a little thoughtful. “He’s been that way since he first began telling us about you.” Telling them about her? Diana frowned. She opened her mouth and then closed it. No, she wouldn’t ask how long they’d known about her. If she was going to ask that question, she’d ask it of Gavin. It really looked like it was something she was going to have to mention. She wondered if her original suspicions had been wrong. Normally, a werewolf claimed his mate immediately, but a courtship was possible. She hadn’t ever heard it before, but that didn’t mean it was impossible.
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Chapter Eleven Diana sat across from Gavin at the kitchen table. She looked at him through her lashes. The questions from earlier in the day kept replaying in her head. She couldn’t stop wondering and she was going to ask him. Drawing her finger over the dark blue tablecloth, she weighed her options. This might not be the best time to mention it, though. They’d had a major argument about the subject only this morning. They’d arrived back at the safe house without incident. The moment she’d walked through the safe house door, her muscles relaxed and the ease in tension at her back and between her shoulder blades surprised her. She felt safe here, even if she knew that the more times they went into the city, the greater the likelihood that they’d be followed back or attacked somewhere en route. Catching one of these fanatical people offered the best chance to learn more about the splinter group and why or how they were targeting others. Even though she hated the danger to Gavin, they had to take the risk. “Much as I like you watching me, is something wrong?” Gavin caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow. She grinned as she acknowledged that she had been staring at him for a while. “I don’t want to argue with you again, but I have a few questions. Do you think we can manage to talk about us without pushing each other to the limit?” “I think we can give it a good try, and if I begin to get too stressed, I’ll walk around the table, pick you up and kiss you.” Gavin’s head tilted and he took a deep breath as if he was bracing himself for the ordeal. “Okay, I’m not saying I’m ready to fully believe that you decided at the start that I deserved better than to be claimed as other werewolves do their mates. Although I have to tell you that there’s something about the idea of a man that intent, that possessive and that hungry for you that he’s ready to pick you up and carry you off that does interest me.” She smiled at the thought. She’d had dreams like that where Gavin just showed up, hauled her into his arms and boldly claimed her. Gavin smiled. He leaned back in his chair and looked smug and very satisfied. Very much the predator with the prey beneath his paws. “All right, you’re not saying that, but what do you want to know?” “First, how were you planning to tell me eventually that I was your mate? I can’t stop wondering about that, because to me, my time with you was always limited. I never thought it would be more than two months, maybe three if I was lucky, before you moved on to search for your mate.” She bit her lip. She couldn’t imagine a situation where she’d believe him any more than she did when he’d said it after the attack.
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“Well, I’m not sure. I was thinking of admitting it over dinner one night. I wanted to date and give you the romantic moments a human man would.” He shrugged. “Yeah, I can tell you right now, we’d be in the same situation that we are now. I wouldn’t believe you. In fact, I’d be pissed. Instead of thinking you might be trying to protect me, I’d probably think that you had decided to settle for second best. That you’d given up trying to find a mate.” She shook her head. His logic still eluded her. She didn’t understand how he thought it would ever work. She had trouble imagining that scene as anything other than some dreamy fantasy. He frowned. “You’d have felt how right it was by then.” She sighed. Clasping her hands on the tabletop, she met his eyes. “Look, Gavin. Everything felt right from the start, but I always believed I’d have to watch you walk away. I fell hard and knew it was going to hurt in the end. I was making memories to keep when you left. Werewolves don’t waste much time if they’ve found their mate. And hell, who told you that you couldn’t do the romance after you told the woman she was your mate?” Gavin blinked and his cheeks darkened. “I didn’t think about that.” “I don’t know how it would have gone if you’d told me you were my mate on our first or second date, but at least it would have been out there. You dated me knowing I was your mate, so I assume you could have dated me after you told me.” She played with her silverware a little and fought to keep irritation out of her voice. “You seem to have told everyone but me.” He grimaced. “All right, I see that I should have given the idea a little more thought.” Not everything he’d done was a mistake. She’d liked so much about the dates, even if she hadn’t known he’d had more in mind than an affair. They both stood to begin clearing the table. She grabbed the plates and slanted a look at him. Maybe they should both relax a little and let this discussion rest for tonight. “I like romance, Gavin, and I love what you’ve given me. Tonight, I want some more.” Deliberately, she swept her eyes down his body to the front of his pants. She licked her lips at the sight of the ridge pressing against the cloth. Gavin laughed, his mood lightening as she’d expected. “What you want is seduction, not romance, wanton.” She grinned. “What’s romance without a little seduction? I know I wouldn’t appreciate it quite as much if I wasn’t able to steal a few kisses or slide my hand into the back of your pants just to tease you as we walk down the street.” His eyes gleamed and his head cocked to the side for a moment. “So what do you want to do?” “I think you should let me take care of everything.” She winked at him.
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“Now, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. You can be a wicked woman.” He put the dishes into the dishwasher and took the ones in her hand. “Do I want to put myself at your mercy?” “Yes, you do.” She waited as he closed the dishwasher and started the wash cycle. Stepping close, she put her arms around him and leaned into him. She couldn’t resist resting against his chest. Rubbing her cheek against his shirt, she drew in a deep breath. She loved that spicy, exotic scent. The strong beat of his heart thrummed into her ear. She lifted her head and ran her hands over the hard planes. She could feel his heat radiating through the shirt. She wanted that off so she could run her hand over those hard muscles. She skimmed her fingers inward to the buttons. He held still and soon she pushed the material over his shoulders and let it fall to the kitchen floor. “How about we take this into the bedroom?” He curled one arm around her back. “We don’t need to go to the bedroom. We have all night to work our way back to it, though.” She shook her head. She wanted to make him wild with need. To push him as close to losing control as he would let himself get. He wouldn’t let himself go completely. He still wanted her to have time. That didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun now. He laughed and shook his head at her. “All right, I’m in your hands for now.” Dropping a kiss on his chest, she surveyed the wide expanse available for touching and tasting. She almost couldn’t decide what she wanted to do first. Leaning forward, she lapped at the dark circle of his nipple. She teased him, tracing the dark edges, but never flicking her tongue over the hardening nub. His hands tangled in her hair, trying to drag her mouth to where he wanted it. She laughed, pulling back and shaking her head. “No touching yet. Just stand there and enjoy it, Gavin.” He arched one eyebrow. She could see the challenge in that look. His hands fell away from her head and back to his side. They both knew she couldn’t make him drop his hands if he didn’t want to do it. Well, not without a tranq gun, but the fact that he did it gave her a real thrill. It was moments like this that she knew the man already had at least a piece of her heart, although she suspected it was probably her entire heart, in the palm of his big hand. She smiled widely up at him. Smoothing her hands over the hard muscles, she scraped her nails over the hard plane. His muscles flexed and his breath hitched. She leaned down and drew her tongue over the pebbled nub. From the corner of her eyes, she saw his arms move. “You really expect me to stay still and not put my hands on your gorgeous breasts.” He let his eyes travel down to her breasts. She felt the nipples tighten and the lining of her bra seemed suddenly abrasive. “I would say put them in your pockets, but you won’t be wearing your pants soon.” She kissed her way down his chest and nipped at the skin over his ribs. Her hands 66
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smoothed downward, blazing a trail for her lips to follow. She added to the sensation by scraping her nails along the path down to the waistband of his dark pants. “If you push me to the edge and you’re not ready…” His voice trailed off as if in warning. She drew back enough to arch her brow at him in a challenge of her own. That threat didn’t fly, she knew him too well. “You’ll get me there if I’m not wet and aching for you.” He narrowed his eyes at her in irritation. She decided to wipe that look right off his face before he could decide to say something else. Her hand slid down and cupped over the hardened ridge of his cock. Stroking her palm up and down in slow, smooth glides over the slightly rough fabric, she locked her eyes with his. His eyes widened. He groaned and his hips flexed, pushing the bulge more firmly into her hand. Trying to keep a big grin from curving her lips, she pulled away from the temptation there. She wanted to see, taste and explore. It wasn’t the first time she’d had that chance, but she’d definitely enjoy it more. Her fingers went to the fastening of his pants. She unfastened the single button and then slowly drew the zipper down. This wasn’t the time for any accidents or snags. She wanted him naked now so she could run her hands all over him. The thought of his warm skin left her wanting to touch him even more and more. Pushing his pants down his legs, dragging his boxers with them, she was forced to stop to take off his shoes. So many clothes. She didn’t know how he managed to get out of them so quickly. At least he wasn’t wearing boots or those high top sneakers he favored at times. No, tonight, it was polished black dress shoes. She tugged at the simple leather laces, and when he lifted his foot, was able to slip the shoe right off. Once she had that off, she tugged the pants free of that leg and impatiently waited for him to lift the other foot. Her palms almost itched with the need to touch him. The sight of his cock standing proud of his body didn’t help much. She wanted to feel the heat and length of him in her hands almost as much as she ached to feel it thrusting deep into her pussy. At times, she didn’t know how she managed to keep her hands off him. As soon as she managed to get the last of his clothes off, she was going to stroke and caress until he stopped her. Tossing the second shoe away, she freed his leg from the pants and hurled them over her shoulder. She rose to her knees and looked up to meet his eyes. A slow grin curved her lips when she saw the heat in his gaze. She lowered her eyes to the thick shaft. A bead of precum glistened on the darkened head of his cock. She licked her lips, but she wasn’t ready to simply take him into her mouth. She wanted to make him wonder when he was going to feel her mouth there. From his teasing, she knew anticipation could burn almost as intensely as the most erotic touch. She ran her hands along the back of his calves, feeling the muscles tighten. Leaning close, she drew her tongue over his knee before pulling back and skimming her palms higher. She traced the fingers of one hand over the damp spot on his knee.
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As she planted a kiss just above his knee, she drew her fingernails down the backs of his thighs. Exploring his body was definitely having an effect on hers. Her stomach tightened and an ache throbbed in her clit. A growl rumbled from Gavin. His hands cupped the back of her head. Grinning, she scraped her teeth over his leg. She was surprised that he’d kept his hands at his side for this long. His hand tugged her hair until she was forced to look up at him. “Stop teasing. Put your mouth on my cock.” “Seriously, you need to learn patience.” She drew her hands up the outsides of his thighs. “Patience is for when I’m teasing you, baby.” His fingers stroked over her head and he grinned down at her. She shook her head at him, but did let him urge her mouth closer to his hardened shaft. She trailed her hand up his thigh and closed her fingers around the thick length. Stroking her hand up and down the heated velvet skin, she placed a kiss on his thigh just to frustrate him a bit more before she gave him what he wanted. He growled and the low rumble vibrated through her body, finding all her sensitive spots. She shivered. Who knew that playing with him would turn her on so much? She drew her mouth along his hip before reluctantly lifting it from his skin. She allowed her eyes to linger on the darkened head a moment. Her tongue slicked over her lips. She couldn’t wait to taste him. Leaning closer, she lapped at the head and the pearly bead of precum seeping from the slit. His slighty salty taste lured her back for more. She opened her mouth to take his shaft inside. From the slight pressure on the back of her head, she knew there was nothing he wanted more. Swirling her tongue around the head, she teased him, focusing only on that for a long moment. His fingers tightened and she heard a slight warning rumble again. The wolf was definitely impatient. A smile tilted her lips, but her body reacted to it with a rush of warmth. She loved that reaction. His hips rocked a little, nudging his cock deeper in silent demand. She didn’t deny either of them any longer. She wanted this. Her lips firmed around his shaft as she drew him deeper. She was by no means an expert at this, but his groans and growls thrilled her. Each time she drew back, she stroked her hand up the length of his cock to add another layer to the sensation. When she teased him with a hint of teeth, his hips jerked forward. He cursed and his hand dropped away from her hair. His voice was hoarse as he bit out a curse. Hauling her to her feet, he lifted her onto the table. She gasped in surprised as her butt met the smooth tablecloth. Before she could do more than that, he pulled her thighs wide. Parting her folds, he lowered his mouth to her pussy. Her hands tangled in his hair. Damn, she loved him wild. His tongue stroked from her entrance to her clit. Her thighs tightened and she arched into his mouth. His hands tightened on her hips. He tormented that taut bundle
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of nerves. He seemed determined to consume her cunt. Sparks of sensation slashed through her with every lash of his tongue. One hand slipped between her thighs. He drew his fingertip around her slick pussy before pushing his fingers deep. She felt the pressure inside her building and writhing with each thrust. Her nails dug into his scalp as she tried to pull him closer. Drawing in panting gasps, she tried to find the words. She was going to come and she didn’t want to find pleasure alone. “Gavin,” she breathed his name and drew in a desperate breath, trying to hold back the coming orgasm. “Now.” His head lifted, but his fingers kept moving inside her. Her inner muscles tightened on his fingers, pushing her closer to the edge. She shivered with need. Shaking her head, she tried to pull him to her. She saw him smile and lick his lips. “You want me as much as I want you now.” His hand slowly withdrew from her tight sheath. “You always make me burn for you.” Grasping her hips, he stepped forward until his cock brushed against her pussy. He growled low and tensed. She thought she heard him curse. He drew back and knelt on the floor. At first, she didn’t realize why, but then she saw him pull a foil wrapper from a pocket. He ripped it open, sheathed his cock and then was back between her thighs. She hooked her legs around him. His cock brushed against her folds once before he fitted himself to her pussy and thrust deep. She gasped as he filled her. Her internal muscles clamping down on him sent a burst of fire straight to her core. She cried out and her hips rose against his in silent demand for more. He gave her everything she wanted. His hips drove into her cunt faster and harder. She ran her hands over any part of him she could reach, but she ached to feel more of him. He leaned down and his mouth closed over one hardened nipple. She bucked up against him. Her orgasm washed over her in a giant wave. She heard a hoarse yell, but didn’t realize he’d come until a little of the euphoria faded. Her hands stroked over his back as she held him tight. She couldn’t remember ever feeling that much in her life. “I’m glad the table held,” she whispered the words against his skin as she pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “There was a point where I don’t think either of us would have cared if it had crashed to the ground.” Gavin lifted his head and smiled. “I wasn’t thinking about that. I just didn’t want to try to explain how the table got broken or why it needed to be replaced.” She drew her hand over his cheek. Gavin laughed. “Evan would understand. He’d make us pay for it, but he’d understand.”
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Chapter Twelve Diana sighed and smoothed a hand over her black skirt. It had been a long day and she impatiently waited as the men organized their exit from the building. She wanted to go home. Well, to the house they were using while this damn protective detail continued. A drumbeat pounded steadily behind her forehead and eyes and her temper was stretched to the breaking point. Hell, the day hadn’t been all that long. She liked working alongside Gavin and his friends. No, another bank robbery had reminded her that danger waited beyond the fanatics hunting Gavin. One of the robberies had degenerated into a hostage situation She’d been sent some of the overflow from the video to analyze and make certain nothing was missed. Every frame stretched her nerves taut and those criminals seemed ready to escalate the violence. They still didn’t have enough proof for the Protectorate to get fully involved. Nothing she’d found so far had helped in that. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about it. Even more so now that she’d seen a little of what had been happening at the bank. The situation was going to explode. All thoughts of a peaceful resolution had faded once she’d seen even a little of what those men had done. Her heart ached and she felt a little sick, because that robbery was going to end badly no matter what the police did to stop it, especially since the criminals probably weren’t human. As she watched the video, she’d prayed for some kind of slip, a partial change, even a change of eye color. She’d checked every person over and over again. These people had control. She couldn’t find any hard evidence. That had led to one of the most frustrating, eye-straining days in recent memory. The delay and tedium of having to go stand, waiting for others to visually check the streets and buildings around them, seemed more tiresome today than it had previously. She ran a hand over the back of her neck as she leaned against the wall. Her purse hung on her shoulder and everything was ready for a quick exit whenever they received the signal. Gavin stood beside her and she could almost feel his eyes on her. He’d look concerned the last time she’d glanced at him. “I can smell your pain, Diana. What’s wrong?” His voice was soft and the hand he put on her shoulder, gentle. “It’s just a headache. I popped a couple of pain pills when I went to the bathroom, so it should go away soon.” She tried to smile at him. He could smell pain? That was going to take some adjustment. “I hate when I can’t find something when it’s needed as badly as this is.” “Did you want me to take care of dinner tonight?” He frowned and watched her carefully as if trying to judge how intense the pain actually was. 70
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“No, I’ll do it and you can relax. The headache will be gone by the time we get home. Don’t worry so much.” She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it to try to reassure him. They managed to get into the van and to the safe house without incident. That minor success gave her a little hope, but she knew that Gavin’s attackers probably had their location and even the specific house. They wouldn’t need to attack him on the street in front of witnesses. They could come after him while he was relaxed and supposedly safe. She’d been right about the headache. It was gone by the time that the van rolled to a stop in front of the house. Diana made her favorite Southwestern chicken bake. They cleaned the dishes together and relaxed a little with some cuddling and television. Before they both became too involved, Gavin went off to take a shower. Diana wanted to take a long bath to ease away the last of the night’s tension. Unfortunately, the bath in this house hadn’t been built with romance in mind. It was small and not suited to sharing. She picked up her purse off the end table and turned to carry it into the bedroom. She’d felt a little paranoid keeping it and the gun concealed inside it close at times, but she consoled herself with the thought that she’d have it if needed. She heard a slight scratching from the door. Moving to get a better look, the knob turned ever so slightly. She gasped and her heart kicked into a sprint. None of the men watching them would try to open the door without knocking. Her thoughts spun and her eyes darted from place to place. She didn’t know what to do. If she screamed Gavin’s name, he’d run straight into the line of fire. She needed to let him and the people watching them know there was danger, hopefully before whoever was out there tried to kill him. Her mind flew to the kitchen. There was an alarm panel there. She could deliberately set it off and shelter in the doorway while also having a good view of the entry and anyone who came into the house. She ran, unzipping her purse as she went. She keyed in the wrong code, knowing that it would set off the alarm, hopefully bringing help. A red light on the panel started flashing, but she ignored it, knowing that it would go off after a short delay. She pulled the gun out of her purse and tossed the bag onto the table. She hid in the doorway, using the wooden frame to partially shield her. Her senses heightened and her attention locked on the entryway and the person trying to get into the house. Her panting breaths sounded harsh and loud and blood thrummed in her ears with each beat of her heart. The door clicked as it was tried again. Less than a breath later, the alarm shrilled. She jumped, her muscles tensing even though she knew the sound was coming. The door hit the wall as it burst open. A woman rushed into the room with a gun raised. Diana hesitated, unable to make herself pull the trigger. She’d fired at targets, but never at another human being.
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In a moment that stopped her heart, a dark blur darted into the living room. The blonde swung the gun toward the wolf. Diana stepped out of the doorway and fired twice. The projectiles ripped through the woman’s chest. Even as she fell, the wolf ran past the woman and leapt. Diana saw the man who’d been behind the woman a second before Gavin hit him in his wolf form. Sharp teeth sank into the man’s arm. A gun clattered as it fell onto the wooden floor. A low, threatening growl rolled from Gavin’s throat even as he continued to bite and shake the attacker. When the man’s fist smashed into the wolf’s side, Gavin released the man’s arm. Before the attacker could scramble for his gun, Gavin pounced. His teeth sank into the man’s shoulder, very close to the neck. “Whoa, Gavin, we’ve got him now. You can let go.” Max walked slowly into the house. He had a gun trained on the man on the floor. “Sorry about not spotting them before they got inside. We caught sight of someone near the trees. It looked like they were setting up to snipe you as you left.” The wolf Gavin backed away from the man and then transformed. It wasn’t gross. The change was fluid and almost instantaneous. It fascinated her. She vaguely noticed one of the men behind Max deactivating the alarm. She spared a look at the unmoving female on the floor. Even from here, she could see that the woman was dead. Gavin turned and walked over to her. His arms fastened around her, drawing her into a tight hug. She hugged him back, needing to feel his warmth and strength. Her hesitation had almost cost him his life. She’d see that in her nightmares for months. Now though, she closed her eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart. “You catch him?” Gavin dropped a kiss on her head before turning her in his arms and pulling her back against him. She opened her eyes to find Max searching the man as another person in Protectorate uniform went through the woman’s pockets. Everything was done so calmly. It didn’t seem real. They spoke in soft murmurs to each other. The blood and death didn’t seem to bother them. Her mind reeled with the horrifying possibilities that could have happened tonight. “I haven’t heard anything about that. Most of us rushed back here since we suspected we’d been intentionally drawn away. We were close when the alarm started blaring. Really glad you two took care of it, but um, why attack in wolf form?” Max grinned. “I was in the shower. There wasn’t time to get dressed and my gun was out here. I was going to clean it and didn’t want the scent of gun oil heavy in the bedroom. At least as a wolf I had some weapons of my own to take care of it.” Gavin’s voice sounded cheerful and when she glanced at him, she saw a grin flash across his face. It was fleeting, though, and his muscles felt hard and tight against her as he held her. “Good shot, by the way.” Max nodded to the woman on the floor. Reaction was slowly setting in as Diana’s thoughts raced. She could have gotten him killed tonight. Her hesitation to take a life might have cost him everything. She felt
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surrounded by ice and shivers rippled over her body. His arms tightened, holding her even closer, but it didn’t seem to help. “What’s wrong, Diana?” Gavin’s chin rested against the top of her head. “Just thinking.” She held onto his arms and wished she could pull that heat and security around her like a big, fluffy blanket. Gavin didn’t seem to be too affected by it. In fact, his cock was pressing against her buttock, hard and ready. His hand smoothed up and down her stomach slowly. “What are you thinking about? You’re tense.” “I hesitated.” She looked at the woman and the blood on the floor. Right now all she could think about was what could have happened to Gavin. She didn’t know how she was going to react later once it sank in that she’d killed somebody. Her mind was too busy at the moment, picturing Gavin sprawled on the floor with the blood pooling around him. “You shot her before she fired. That’s all that matters to me.” Gavin’s arms tightened around her as if trying to soothe her. “There had to be a better way to let you and the others know there was danger. The alarm was the only thing I could think of. If I’d realized you didn’t have a gun with you, I would never have done it that way.” She tried to turn in his arms, but he held her as she was. “Stay like that for a while. I need to calm down a little myself. If you were facing me, holding you isn’t all I would be doing.” His voice sounded a little rougher than normal. Now that she thought about it, she wouldn’t last long simply hugging him. She wanted to kiss him. Kissing would lead to touching and taking off clothes. Since he was already naked, they wouldn’t have many barriers. She was honest enough to admit that she needed some very primitive, physical proof that he was alive right now. The feel of him holding her was good, but not enough. Mentally, she knew he hadn’t been hurt. That didn’t seem to matter. The anxiety hadn’t lessened much. She suspected it would only when she was able to taste and touch him freely. “We’re going to be alone for a while.” Gavin’s arms tightened around her briefly. Max glanced over at him and merely nodded. “Probably a good idea. It will be a few hours before we can take you out of here anyway. Even then, your homes will need to be cleared and there’s debriefing. Stay away from the windows.” Diana didn’t have time to wonder where Gavin thought they were going to be alone before he spun her around and lifted her off her feet. She gasped and clung to his shoulders. The tension didn’t last long. Her legs rose and curled around his hips. He carried her to the stairs and bounded up them. She caught her breath as he took the steps in what felt like leaps. They made it to the landing.
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Gavin opened the first door along the hallway. A bare mattress topped the bed, but it sat near a bank of windows. She thought they would have to find another room to use. Even though the windows had curtains, if a foot accidentally hooked one of the panels, the glass offered a clear view of anyone who got near the bed. She was surprised when Gavin didn’t leave the room. He got close enough to the bed to grab the mattress and pull it onto the floor. His mouth slanted over hers in a hungry kiss. She drove her tongue into his mouth, returning the fervor. She couldn’t do nice, gentle or soft right now. The thought of losing him still chilled her. Her fingers bit into his shoulders as she strained to get closer to him. She wanted something to sear the torturous thoughts of him dying out of her mind, if only for a while. He seemed to sense she needed more. His hands cupped her buttocks, rocking her against his cock. She tightened her legs, grinding against him. Her clit pulsed and she hadn’t even managed to get undressed yet. The woman was driving him insane. He hadn’t been able to get her out of her shirt, much less the rest of her clothes. Her aggressive response only ramped up his own needs. Those little nips and clutching fingers had him nearly at the end of his control already. He didn’t have the patience to take off those clothes. He mentally shrugged. She’d need more clothes before they went down to talk to the others. Lifting his hands to the back of her bright blue shirt, he tore it from the collar down to the hem. Without losing contact with her lips, he pulled the shirt forward until it caught on her arms. He tugged at her arm, urging one from around his shoulders. He freed her from the sleeve. She wrapped her arm around him again and lifted the other free on her own. She couldn’t get the cloth out from between them, though. He growled, frustrated. He wanted to touch her, but he didn’t want to lose contact. Reluctantly, he tore his lips from hers and urged her legs down. At first, she resisted, tightening her thighs, but then she groaned as if suddenly realizing there were a few more barriers between them. The skirt he could work around, but the panties definitely had to go. The moment her feet touched the floor and she stepped back from him, he wanted to grab her and plaster her back against him. “Out of your skirt and panties.” The words came out much rougher than he intended, but he knew that if he got his hands on them, she’d need more than another shirt. It was torture watching her and not touching her, but he knew once he got his hands on her again, he wouldn’t be letting go until they were both satisfied. His hands flexed at his sides. He felt his control slipping as she bent to take off her stockings. His eyes dropped automatically to the delicious curve of her ass. Licking his lips, his hands fisted at his sides. It felt like electric sparks ran over his palms. Damn, he wanted to cup his hands over that delicious curve. That thought automatically led to
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thoughts of fucking and claiming her. Images of her on her hands and knees flooded his mind. His fangs descended. He’d thought he could handle his instincts. He’d thought that as long as he could feel her body wrapped around him as he held her, he could hold back. Now all he could think about was his teeth sinking into her shoulder as he drove into her tight pussy. He closed his eyes, trying to regain command of the primitive urges thrumming through him. It was a mistake. The next thing he knew, her hands were spread over his chest. Her nails raked over his nipples. Those two buds tightened even more. He felt her breath puff across his sternum. His hands shot out, grasping her shoulders to hold her where she was. He couldn’t stop her mouth, though, as she licked a path over his pec and painted a swirl around his nipple. The truth was, he didn’t want to halt the path of her tongue. He held her far enough away from his body that she couldn’t touch him. “You have to stop and let me get control.” He saw her frown and then a look of determination settle on her face. She rose on her tiptoes and her hands framed his face. “This is why I have doubts, Gavin. If you want me, don’t hold back. I want everything and that includes what your instincts push you to do. If not, let go of me and I’ll leave now.” A growl rolled through him before he even had time to process most of her words. He only heard the word “leave”. The threat to walk away from him had his jaw clenching. She wasn’t going anywhere. He lifted her off her feet and bore her down onto the mattress. Leaning over her, he stared into her eyes as he fought himself. “You’re mine,” he grated the words against her lips. He nipped and then licked the sting from that pouting curve. She opened her mouth, but he didn’t let her provoke him any further. His mouth slanted across hers in a fierce kiss that he quickly tried to gentle. She didn’t understand. He didn’t want simply to fuck her. That wouldn’t be a problem and he’d happily take her over and over if it would wipe that hurt look from her eyes. He needed to claim her. Tonight he’d come close to losing everything. Now the wolf was clamoring to make her his and begin the change in her. Gavin didn’t know if she was ready for that. Somehow, he had to make her understand. If they took this step, there wouldn’t be going back. Lifting his lips, he took a deep breath. He tried to ignore the slide of her leg against his. The soft brush sent streaks of fire straight to his cock. Her hips rose and fell in a slow, enticing roll. In further enticement, her hand slid over his chest and moved down his belly. He wanted to feel her fingers wrap around his cock, but knew if they did, all hope of control would be lost. He barely grabbed it in time. Pressing it to the bedding, he tried to keep his thoughts away from memories of her hands squeezing and stroking,
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but didn’t have much success. He rested his arms on either side of her head and clenched his fists. God, why couldn’t he get a more cooperative woman? “I’ll bite you, Diana.” He forced the words out past lips that wanted to be glued to hers or wrapped around a nipple. He hoped he didn’t need to explain more than that. She laughed. “About freaking time. You’ve had me confused all through this relationship. I think we’re overdue to do something normally.” He didn’t understand her, but he didn’t have the control to ask her any more questions. Need poured through him. The primitive urge to claim ripped at him with fiery claws. He could feel his canines lengthening and a prickle in his skin. Her easy acceptance shredded the last of his restraint. He drew back, clasped her around the waist and then flipped her onto her stomach. His wolf howled, eager to claim and change his mate. His hands smoothed down her back and sides and under to the soft skin of her belly. He had to be sure she was ready. His cock ached to sink into her tight cunt. He’d find a way to pull back if she wasn’t slick and aching for him. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. His hand cupped over her pussy. Moisture coated his fingers as he pushed between the plump lips. Finding that sweet honey sent a surge of relief through him. Even though he wanted to drive deep into her, he held back. Drawing his finger over her clit, he rubbed back and forth until he felt her hips rock into his touch. He pulled his hand farther back to her slick opening. He heard her breath hitch and felt the quiver of her belly against his arm. Her pelvis rocked against him. “Gavin, you’re killing me here.” Her voice came out on a low groan as she trembled. The sensuous undulation of her body lured him closer, but now that he could feel her juices flowing for him, he found a measure of calm. The drive to claim her and mark her eased a little. It wouldn’t last. He savored the sight of her and enjoyed the need he could hear in her voice. It wasn’t as potent as the sweet scent of her arousal, but the knowledge that she ached for him, as he did her, seared him. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” He meant claiming her, although he always wanted to fuck her. The woman excited him as no other ever had. His free hand smoothed up her back to her shoulder and brushed at the base of her neck. He leaned over and pressed kisses along her shoulder and neck. Her head turned and their lips met in a fierce, swift kiss. Her hips rocked and pushed back against his in silent demand. As much as he ached, he didn’t join them yet. Rubbing his fingers in circles over her clit, he drove her desire higher. He wanted her screaming for him. So ready that she wouldn’t even feel the bite until later. “Please, Gavin, stop holding back.” “Baby, even if I’d done this the night I met you, I would have made sure that you were more than ready for me. Let me be sure that you find your pleasure in spite of the
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bite.” He nipped her lips before moving back to her neck to teasingly graze his teeth over the sensitive skin. She shivered and he smiled. “I’m about to come. How much more ready can I be? Now.” She reached back and stroked her fingers, trying to grip his thigh, tugging at him. He pushed his fingers into her pussy and stroked them in and out a few times. Her muscles clenched around them and she pushed back into his hands. The feel of those tissues clutching at his fingers had him groaning. He wanted to thrust his cock into that tight grip. “You’re not going to come quite yet, baby. Just before you do, I always feel this sweet flutter of your muscles and then your cunt clenches down on me hard. Believe me. I’m going to be inside of you when that happens.” Just the thought of it had him closing his eyes as a spike of sensation slammed straight to his cock. He stroked his thumb over her clit until he was sure she was close. His hand wrapped around his cock as he guided it straight to her core. He ached. Nothing except the feel of her sweet muscles clenching around him as she screamed her pleasure would satisfy him. Fine tremors rippled over his body. When the tip of his shaft nudged her slick entrance, he groaned. The slick, hot juices coated the tip. Resisting the urge to thrust forward, he slowly pushed into her pussy. “Yes,” Diana hissed the word. Her hips rocked back, driving his shaft deeper. His hands tightened and he closed his eyes as the move nudged him a little closer to the edge of his control. Sensation took over. The brush of her skin, the pulling contractions of her pussy became his sole focus. One of his hands smoothed up her side as the other held her, pulling her back into each stroke. He played with the peak of one nipple. The tip tightened and hardened against his fingers. His eyes continually followed the line of her back up to her neck. That curve between neck and shoulders lured him closer. He couldn’t resist the urge to lean down. His chest pressed against her back and his mouth moved over her shoulder. She shivered as he drew his tongue over the taut muscle where her shoulder and neck joined. The urge to bite slammed into him. The image ran over and over in his head. Resisting was one of the hardest things he’d done. He’d do this right. “I dreamed about doing this.” He scraped his teeth over the muscle, needing the contact, but held back from the bite. Instinctively, he waited, knowing that the pain would blend with her pleasure as she came. “I have too,” she moaned and rocked into his thrusts. “Please, show me this isn’t wishful thinking and that I don’t have to wonder anymore.” He growled as he heard the desperation and need in her voice. It spurred his own urgency. He drove into her cunt. Sex had never felt so intense. She pushed back into him. His tongue trailed over her shoulder. The salty tang of her sweat burst over his tongue.
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He loved the way she tasted and couldn’t stop moving his mouth over the soft skin as the urge to mark her grew. The rising sound of her moans sent a spike of need down his spine. His palm smoothed over her belly and down between her legs. The urge to claim tore at him, but she would come first. His fingers flicked over her clit. Her hips bucked forward. He felt the quiver of her pussy around his cock. Driving deep, he gave himself up to the pounding need inside of him. His teeth scraped back and forth over her shoulder. Blood pounded through her veins. Her body trembled and she rocked back into him. He sucked and licked at the muscle, waiting. When he felt the rippling contractions of her pussy in orgasm, he struck. His teeth sank into her shoulder. Her breath caught, but she kept moving with him. Deep, primal satisfaction swept over him even though he still ached with the need to come. She was finally his. He released his bite and thrust hard and fast against her. Fire sizzled over his spine and straight down to his cock. The heat exploded up his spine and sizzled down to his fingertips. He came with a shout. Pulling her close, he held her as the tremors raced over his body. His muscles felt heavy as he slowly withdrew from her before sprawling on the mattress beside her. He drew her upper body across his chest. She wriggled a little and dropped a kiss just above his nipple before settling her head above his heart. Curving an arm around her, he stroked his hand up and down her arm. He couldn’t stop touching her and was going to enjoy the privacy for as long as he could. Even when they had to go down to talk to Evan and Steven, he wasn’t going to want to let her out of his arms. He’d waited so long to claim her, it was going to take days before he fully accepted she was his. Her fingers crawled up his chest and rested over his shoulder. Glancing down, he found her watching at him with immense satisfaction. A cat couldn’t have looked smugger. He loved that expression. His arm tightened and he lifted up just enough to drop a kiss on her forehead. “You look happy.” He brushed the hair off her cheek. “It’s true. I couldn’t fully believe it until now, but it’s true.” She sounded a little breathy, but her eyes almost glowed with happiness. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that.” He frowned down at her. “I wanted you to have it all, the dates and the romance you’d expect from any other man.” “I know you said it, but it was just strange, Gavin. All of the were matings I’d ever heard of went nothing like ours. So it took some time and I needed proof. I wanted it so much that I was a little afraid I was imagining it all.” She gave a one-shoulder shrug and grimaced a little. “I can keep proving it to you over and over.” He drew his hand down to her hips and pulled her leg over his. With a smile, he rolled his hips suggestively. She laughed and a wicked gleam filled her eyes. He wasn’t so sure about that look. He became even more suspicious when her hand cupped his cheek.
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“You want to give me everything. Does that include a courtship after the mating? We could continue to date and take things slowly. In about six months, you can ask me to marry you.” She patted his chest. He growled. Teasing was one thing. Threat of torture was another. He rolled her onto her back and loomed over her, leaning closer until his nose almost touched hers. “I’ve learned one thing from this. I’ll do my romancing the same way I’ll do my making up after a fight, with you in my house where you belong.” She smiled widely, laughter flowing from her. “Now that’s my wolf.”
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About the Author Rebecca Airies has always loved to read. Futuristic, the classics, mystery or horror, the genre doesn’t matter as long as the stories capture her interest and take her on an adventure. She soon discovered a love for writing and characters just waiting to tell their stories. Since that time, writing has become an obsession. Rebecca lives in the heart of Texas. She loves the outdoors, growing things and working on crafts when she’s not lost in the worlds of her characters. Please feel free to write and tell her what you think; she’d love to hear from you. Rebecca welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Rebecca Airies Between Two Tiron Chosen Destiny Desperate Measures Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II anthology Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction II anthology (contains Protective Affairs 1) Exile’s Longing Fire Princes’ Bride Guarded Beginnings Hunted Intensity In Sorcery’s Hold Lisia’s Journey Lost Memories Primal Attraction 1: Primal Quest Primal Attraction 2: Primal Pursuit Primal Attraction 3: Primal Encounter Protective Affairs 2: Vampire’s Witch Protective Affairs 3: Close Contact Second Chance
Print books by Rebecca Airies Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II anthology Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction II anthology Primal Attraction: Primal Pursuit Primal Attraction: Primal Quest
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
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