Ten
“Who’s that?” Kira nudged Mac and both women watched with great interest as a young man entered the dining room, pausing uncertainly to study his surroundings.
“He must be the new prospective team member Nick was telling us about,” Mac whispered. “Kalen Black, Sorcerer.”
Dr. Mallory was chomping at the bit for them all to get started on their study of the four dead men. This morning after breakfast, Nick had filled them in on everything the sheriff and Alpha Pack had discovered. Including the short-lived battle in the cemetery with this guy. Not only was he a Sorcerer, but a Necromancer and a black panther.
“He sure looks like a Sorcerer.” “I’ll say.”
Kira couldn’t help but notice that Mac’s voice had grown a little husky, and how her pupils dilated as she studied the man. She couldn’t blame her friend. The guy was seriously hot, messy black hair falling around a face that belonged on a model and a tall, lean, sexy body dressed in black jeans and a T-shirt. The only adornments were the silver pendant around his neck and the studs in his ears. Glittering kohl-lined green eyes surveyed the area warily, and then he strode inside, choosing a place at the end of a nearby table. He sat by himself, back to the wall, where he had a view of the whole room and who might enter it. Kira wondered if he’d positioned himself this way on purpose and thought it likely, given his body language.
His gaze found them and he nodded in acknowledgment before turning his attention to the steaming dishes the kitchen staff had placed on the tables for lunch. Politely, he took a plate and eating utensils from the stack. Then he served himself a hearty portion of shepherd’s pie and took two rolls. Gripping his fork, he stared at the meal like he’d never seen food in his life and then slowly began to eat. One bite, then another. Faster and faster until he’d wolfed down the entire serving and consumed both rolls in less than five minutes.
He filled the plate again and started over. Kira and Mac exchanged glances and she knew they were thinking the same thing —Kalen was literally starving. They made small talk and tried not to stare as he dished a third helping, but it was almost impossible. Finally Mac couldn’t stand it anymore and rose, walking over to greet him.
“Hello,” she said, her tone friendly, offering her hand. “I’m Dr. Mackenzie Grant. I work at the Institute of Parapsychology, which is housed here on the compound.”
He stared at the hand, swallowed a mouthful of food, and then shook with her. “Kalen Black, Sorcerer at large. I work everywhere, and nowhere,” he said with a wry grin.
Her eyes lit with good humor. “I heard a little about that. Are you going to join Alpha Pack?”
Kalen didn’t take those striking green eyes off Mac as she brushed her dark curls over one shoulder in an unconscious feminine gesture. “I haven’t decided. The guys are going to show me around later. We’re getting a late start today since we didn’t go to bed until almost three this morning.”
So that explained why Jaxon and the guys hadn’t shown at breakfast, or anywhere today for that matter. Nick had been the only one present.
“Well, I for one hope you choose to stay. You won’t find a better team to work with than our guys, and there’s never a dull moment around here,” she said with enthusiasm.
“I can see that,” he drawled, sitting back lazily in his seat to stare at her.
Mac flushed, but brushed past the blatant male appreciation in his gaze. “I think you’ll fit right in. In the meantime, come down to the clinic when you get a chance. You’ll need a physical and I’d love to give you one.” Instantly, she realized how that sounded and sputtered a bit, especially when he laughed. His genuine, broad smile made him exponentially sexier. “I mean, someone will check you out. Make sure you’re healthy.”
“Thank you, Mackenzie. I’ll do that.”
“My friends call me Mac,” she said, then waved a hand in Kira’s direction. “That’s Kira Locke. She’s new, too.”
“Hi,” Kira said, waving.
“Hello.”
Mac went on, capturing his attention again. “Anyway, as a doctor I wanted to say that you might want to slow down on the food, especially if the team intends to spar with you later. You’ll end up getting sick.”
His humor faded and he laid his fork on the table, lowering his eyes in obvious embarrassment. When he looked up again, he nodded. “Good advice. Thanks.” Wiping his mouth on a napkin, he stood. “I’ll see you ladies later, right?”
They chimed an agreement and watched the Sorcerer’s delectable backside disappear through the door.
“I’m such an idiot,” Mac groaned, slapping her forehead. “Why’d I have to go and say something so stupid?”
Kira patted her friend’s arm as she returned to their table. “Hey, you were only expressing a valid concern, and you were right. Eating like that when you’re not used to so much food will make a person ill. He’ll get over it.”
“I hope so.”
“Ready to get started in the lab?” The distraction worked, though it really was time for them to go.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She grimaced as Kira rose. The two of them left and started for the clinic. “They aren’t a pretty sight, and I don’t mean just because they’re dead.”
She tried not to think about it too much as they headed for the lab. But the condition of the bodies was hard to ignore when they walked into the large sterile room wearing their gowns, masks, and latex gloves. Each of the men lay on a metal table, spread far enough apart so everyone could work around them without running into one another. Kira wasn’t surprised to find Nick already there, waiting with Dr. Mallory. He was the boss and he’d want to know what they found. But she was a bit taken aback to find Jax present, leaning negligently against a wall, his steely blue eyes all but devouring her the second she entered. She couldn’t look away.
Like Nick, he wasn’t wearing protective clothing. Low-rise jeans hugged his hips and his biceps bulged even more from his arms being crossed over his yummy chest. His lips quirked, the dark humor in his expression doing nice things to his handsome face. Things that made lunch churn in her stomach and made her long to drag him off, throw him down, and have her wicked way with his sexy body for the rest of the afternoon. He winked and she shook her head, breaking eye contact. Wasn’t she supposed to be mad at him? She didn’t feel upset at the moment—just really hot between her thighs. Damn it.
Dr. Mallory claimed everyone’s attention. “Let’s get things rolling, shall we? First of all, let’s make sure we all know why we’re here. The autopsies have already been performed, and the coroner was quite thorough. Did everyone have a chance to study the copies this morning?”
Answers were affirmative all around, including those from two techs Kira had met earlier but didn’t yet know very well.
“Good. Our purpose here is not to redo what was already done, but rather to think outside the box. To study the victims, taking into account all that we know so far, and to try to create a portrait of not only what happened to these four men, but what might be going on in the big picture.”
The woman was a pro, even if she was sort of aloof. The doc glanced at a tablet on which she’d written her notes. “All four victims have ligature marks clearly visible at their wrists and ankles. They were underweight at the times of their deaths, but not mortally so. Each victim has scarring from very precise wounds made with a sharp instrument, such as a scalpel. From this scarring, at various stages of healing at the time of death, we can surmise that tissue was removed from them—while alive—at regular intervals. Their bodies were pumped full of an array of drugs as well.”
Kira began to regret eating lunch before this. Scientists weren’t always able to turn off their sensitive button.
“They were held captive,” Nick said. “And they endured some form of experimentation.”
“That would be my guess,” she agreed. “The question is, for what purpose? I believe that the tissue samples Kira liberated from her former employer, not to mention the connection these four men have with one of their alleged killers who was wearing the company’s logo, might provide some answers. Ones we’re not going to like.”
“The men who dumped the bodies aren’t necessarily the murderers,” Jax pointed out. “They might be the lackeys doing the disposal.”
Nick nodded. “True.”
“Whatever the case, my initial findings indicate that the changes in the DNA and gene strands undergone by both Kira’s tissue samples and ones taken from these men are almost identical. The implications of these changes are quite alarming.”
Jax shifted, his expression uneasy. “Nick and I spoke with Kira about the tissue data she found on Dr. Gene Bowman’s computer. Are these the types of changes you’re referring to?”
“I’m afraid so. In layman’s terms, my professional opinion is that someone is taking humans—willing or not—and attempting to force their bodies to take on animal characteristics.”
“They’re creating shifters,” Nick said, seething with anger.
“Or something like that, yes.” She waved a hand at the bodies. “And this, in my opinion, is indication that they haven’t yet perfected the process.”
The idea was stunning. “And then they just dump them like trash,” Kira whispered.
“That’s sick.” Jaxon looked like he wanted to cross the room and hold her, but didn’t. Instead, he carried her thoughts a step farther. “It’s totally fucked up. If they can figure out how to mass-produce shifters, bypassing natural methods like mating or biting and clawing, which don’t always work, just think how that would affect the world as we know it.”
“And if they’re imbuing them with any other special talents, like your Psy abilities, or if the targeted humans already possess those abilities . . .” Dr. Mallory let the statement hang, the meaning ominous.
Nick stared at her. “The entire human race could be in real danger within a matter of years. They’d be the low rung on the hierarchy of intelligent beings. My God.”
Jax pushed away from the wall. “We can’t let that happen, but to stop them we have to know for sure if the doctors at NewLife are the ones responsible, and how high up the food chain this project goes—whether or not Orson Chappell is aware of it, and if so, who’s involved along with him.”
“Chappell must be heading this and I’ll bet he has partners outside the company,” Nick said. “Something of this magnitude needs big backing, bigger than he can pull off by himself.”
“First we have to find out where they’re holding the captives, assuming the participants are unwilling. Or become unwilling once they realize what torture they face.” Jax paused. “I’m thinking they must have more than one facility. Kira’s samples came from the NewLife building in Vegas, but these four bodies were dumped a long way from there.”
“I’ll get on finding out where their facilities are located,” Nick said. “If there’s one here, that might explain why these men were discarded nearby. But even if the Vegas building is the closest, it’s only a day’s drive by car or two hours by plane. Not a difficult trip if our lackeys were sent to dispose of the bodies in a forested area.”
“That would make more sense,” Kira speculated. “I doubt they’d dispose of the bodies in their own backyard.”
Jax looked at her. “I’d say Las Vegas is the place to start. Plus, Henry Ward told Kalen the men were in a blue van. I think they either drove out here with the bodies, or brought them in a private plane and then rented the van, and returned to Vegas afterward.”
Nick agreed. “All right. I’ll check, and if NewLife has no building here, we’ll assemble and head to Vegas.” He paused thoughtfully. “Where are they getting the shifters for the experiments? I wonder. They have to use shifters to make the changes in the humans work. And why haven’t any of their bodies been found?”
“We heal faster,” Jax reminded him. “We can take a lot of abuse before we succumb.”
Well, that wasn’t a comforting thought. Kira felt sorry for the victims on both sides. Nick sighed, and glanced at one of the bodies. “I hate to ask you this, but can you see about getting a reading?”
“Sure. Let’s do it.” He sounded so casual, but Kira had seen firsthand how much this took out of him. And today, though sexy as always, he appeared tired, like he hadn’t been sleeping well. He was scratching every now and then, too, really digging at his arms and stomach. She frowned, unable to spot a rash. He moved to the oldest of the corpses, touching only the wrist without the benefit of latex gloves, which could hamper his ability. He concentrated for several minutes, but shook his head and moved on. “Nothing. He’s been gone too long, with the elements working at him.”
Kira hid her revulsion as he went on to the second victim. He had the same bad luck with that one and the third. It wasn’t until the latest victim that the tide turned. Closing his eyes, he took the abraded wrist and breathed slowly and deeply, settling himself. After a few moments, his head tilted back and his body tensed. As the minutes passed, the color drained from his face and he began to shake. That was frightening enough, but the agonized scream he suddenly let out nearly made her heart explode.
“Nick!” Frantic, she looked to the boss, who’d taken a step toward his friend.
But before he could intervene, Jax moaned, “Oh, God, no. Please don’t . . .” Then his knees buckled and he hit the floor, sprawled on his back.
“Oh, my God! Jax!”
Everyone converged on him, but Kira reached him first. Dropping to his side she patted his cheeks, shook him.
“Jax!”
He didn’t respond, but his breathing was steady, she noted in relief. Mac pushed in next to her and took his pulse. Next, she opened an eyelid and shined her penlight, testing the reaction.
“Has this ever happened to him before?” Kira asked the group anxiously.
“No,” Nick said, voice rough. “It’s never easy on him, but he’s never passed out.”
Dr. Mallory’s voice cut through the rising panic. “We need to get him into an exam room. Nick, get his shoulders and I’ll take his feet.”
Between the two of them they managed to pick him up and maneuver his big body out, down the hall, and onto one of the clinic’s exam tables. Kira tried to ease into the room, but Dr. Mallory wasn’t having it.
“Everyone out so we can see to our patient. Either Mac or I will come as soon as we have news.”
From nowhere, a powerful emotion hit Kira hard. How dare that woman keep him from me? The fierce rage swelled in her chest, strangling her lungs. A low sound emerged from her throat that very much emulated the noise Jax had made at the idea of others touching her. That reaction from him had pissed her off, and now she was doing the same thing.
Dr. Mallory froze, her efficient mask slipping long enough to gape at Kira in astonishment. Then she turned back to Kira’s lover. “Nick, get her out of here.”
“Come on,” he said, taking her arm. “Let’s get out of Melina’s way. Jax will be fine.”
As he led her to the waiting area, the red-hot anger began to subside, only to be replaced by a terrible anxiety. Jax was in there, only God knows what was happening to him. She couldn’t touch him. Speak to him. Make certain he was okay. She needed to do those things or she’d go crazy.
“Nick, what’s wrong with me?”
He sat her in a chair, took a seat next to her, and remained silent for a long moment. When he met her eyes, the expression in his dark blue ones made her heart lurch. “You’re a scientist, Kira. Look at his reactions and yours with that analytical brain, and you tell me.”
Unwillingly, she did. Protectiveness, bordering on violence, on both sides. The unexplainable animal attraction from the first instant he morphed into a man before her eyes. The constant desire to be near him.
“No,” she said in denial. Her hands started to shake. “It can’t be. That kind of thing only happens in the movies.”
“Sweetheart, it’s true. Jax is your Bondmate.”
She stared at him, trepidation curling in her stomach. “What does that mean, exactly? Spell it out, please.”
“Melina can give a better explanation than me.”
“I’m asking you,” she insisted.
After a long pause, he continued with some reluctance. “You’re his perfect match. The one who completes him, both the man and the wolf. Whether a made shifter like Jax, or a born shifter like me, we all have a Bondmate out there somewhere.”
“Is this bonding thing triggered by feelings a shifter is developing for the other person?” she asked hopefully. The analytical part of her brain could accept that—but not the answer she actually got.
“No. Whether feelings develop before or after the shifter recognizes his or her Bondmate is irrelevant. The two are fated to be together, period.”
“I won’t accept that! No way.” Her vehemence surprised them both.
“Jax is a good man. There’s obviously chemistry between you two. What’s so bad about being his mate?”
Bombarded by conflicting emotions, she struggled to explain. “Nothing, if he loved me! Yes, we’ve had fireworks, but that doesn’t mean anything. We still don’t know each other very well, and he sees other women—”
“He won’t anymore. Not now.”
“What? How come?” She refused to acknowledge the bubble of happiness that news caused.
“Once wolf shifters find our mates, we’re physically incapable of being with anyone else in the carnal sense. No worries there.” He said that as though she should be thrilled.
And she was, except for one tiny detail. “You don’t understand. I want my man to be with me because I’m me, not because his glands are dictating to his libido! I want him to fall in love with me and vice versa, not be stuck together because science says so.”
“Kira, what makes you think you two won’t fall head over heels? Personally, I believe you’re well on the way already, and you just need to give yourselves a chance.”
“But how will I know?”
“The same way anyone does. In here,” he said, pointing at her heart.
She considered this. “Have you ever been in love?”
Pain flashed in his eyes, there and gone. He smiled, but it seemed a little sad. “Hey, we’re not talking about me, remember? Just give it time. Trust me.”
She didn’t answer, but the whole idea still bothered her a great deal. It was the thought that basic feral nature could force two people together, and before either of them were ready. That did not sit well at all.
Forty minutes later, Mac and Dr. Mallory appeared. Kira didn’t like the almost tangible aura of gloom surrounding them, the anxiety.
“What’s wrong? Isn’t he okay?”
Mac glanced at her colleague, who nodded, indicating she could go ahead. “The reading really knocked him for a loop, but as far as recovering from that goes, he should be fine.”
“That’s good, but what do you mean ‘as far as that goes’? There’s more?”
“Unfortunately, yes. He’s experiencing some symptoms that are causing him discomfort.”
“I noticed him scratching,” Kira said with a frown.
“He’s itching and it’s getting worse, starting to burn. He also has a sore throat and a fever, which he didn’t have yesterday. He’s getting sicker and if the proper steps aren’t taken, his life will be in danger.”
Kira blinked, chest squeezing. “What do you mean? What kinds of steps?”
“One important one, really.” Mac paused. “Did Nick tell you?”
“I told her,” the boss confirmed.
“Wait a second. Is this about me being his mate? You’re telling me that not only do we have this attraction we can’t help, but his cure depends on me?”
“That’s what we’re saying,” Mac told her gently. “His life depends on you.”
She gasped. “He’s going to die if I don’t mate with him? Oh, my God!” She rounded on Nick. “You said I could give it time! And now I find out I have no choice? I’m supposed to just hand my entire life over to a man who’s half canine, and not really a man at all?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she’d crossed the line. Especially when a hoarse voice spoke from behind her.
“I’d never ask you to make such a horrible sacrifice. Don’t worry. You won’t be saddled with a filthy dog like me.”
With that, Jax limped past the group. His cheeks were still pale and he was holding his stomach as he walked slowly across the waiting room and out the door. Kira’s face flamed, her heart aching with shame. And something else, a yearning for the man who’d left, looking more dejected than she’d ever seen anyone. She wanted to call him back, but the words had lodged in her throat like a melon. She’d put her own feelings before the well-being of a good man. He could die, and she’d only thought of herself.
The scathing look she received from Dr. Mallory spoke volumes. “Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? Go see Jax and make things right.”
“I will,” she said softly. Ducking her head, she rushed from the room. She had to apologize. And somehow make him understand these feelings she didn’t even comprehend herself.
Jaxon’s stomach churned, and his head pounded. His throat, his whole body, felt like he was slowly being roasted in an oven, but those symptoms weren’t the worst. No, the worst was Kira’s words still ringing in his brain. Cutting him off at the knees, bringing him lower than he’d ever been. Even after Afghanistan, with more than half his soldiers slaughtered. Or following the ambush on Alpha Pack, when Beryl had betrayed him.
I’m supposed to just hand my entire life over to a man who’s half canine, and not really a man at all?
Not a man at all. What else had he expected? But God, it hurt. So badly he wanted to curl up in the fetal position and die. A warrior and a shifter with special abilities, cut down by a woman’s tongue as surely as if he’d been run through with a sword or shot between the eyes. The latter would be kinder than this. Breathing through the pain—both kinds—he let himself into his apartment and headed for his room. Without bothering to remove his boots, he flopped onto his bed and lay on his side, covering his eyes. That’s when he realized the burning in his throat wasn’t all from the fever. Sweet Jesus, he hadn’t cried in years and he wasn’t about to give in now. He’d dealt with a lot of shit and he’d deal with being rejected by his mate. He would. But that didn’t stop the hot moisture from seeping between his lashes. Angrily, he rubbed his eyes, willing the ache to ease. Was this the reaction of the dirty dog, or the man? How sad that he didn’t know. Oh yeah, you’re not a man, remember?
He heard a rapping at the door to his place. He lay there willing it to stop, but his visitor wasn’t going away.
“Son of a bitch.” Hauling himself up, he started for the door. Halfway there, Kira’s familiar scent wafted to him, freezing him in his tracks. If she’d come to apologize, he wasn’t ready to listen to excuses. Growling in frustration, he limped across the distance and yanked the door open, schooling his expression to appear calm. “What do you want?”
His curt greeting took her aback and she fidgeted nervously. “Can I come in? I really don’t want to do this where someone might hear.”
“Funny, you didn’t have a problem with that in the clinic.”
“Jax, please?” Her small face was pinched, blue eyes shadowed with worry.
He sighed. “I guess. Come in.”
Leaving her to follow, he shuffled into the living room and sat on one end of the sofa. She took the other end, perching close to him but not touching. Since this was her dime, he let her struggle.
“Look, you don’t know how sorry I am for what you heard,” she began with difficulty. “But I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
He snorted an ugly laugh. “That I’m not a man? Really? I’d love to know how else to take that except you believe I’m an animal, or subhuman.”
“No!” Leaning toward him, she clutched his knee. “That’s not what I meant! I just find it sort of scary to learn that I don’t have a say when it comes to you being my mate. That I have to be bound to someone for life because of biology, and not love.”
He studied her, decided she was being honest. “I get that. But how do you know this attraction between us is not becoming love already?”
“How do I know it is, for absolute sure?” she countered. “I’ve never been serious about anyone before, not serious enough to marry or even live together. And then I suddenly learn that there’s a whole world I never knew existed, and that the creatures of my childhood fables aren’t so fictional after all. There was no time to adjust, to catch my breath. And then, bam! Sudden, life-altering changes and a man—and yes, you are a man, and I’m a jerk—a man is claiming me for his own. And, oh yeah, he and his friends are like critters out of a J. R. R. Tolkien novel, and I’m walking around half-expecting to run into Gollum looking for his precious!”
Her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed from the passion of her speech, blond hair framing her face. Damned if she wasn’t the cutest thing he’d ever seen. And fuck it all, he was going to forgive her. Reaching out, he brushed back a pale strand. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I guess that would pretty much mess with your day.”
Arousal flared on her face, pupils dilating. Breath hitching, she scooted closer, capturing his hand. “Pretty much. Forgive me?”
“Sweet baby, I forgave you at ‘I’m a jerk.’ ”
Her lips tilted into a smile. “Don’t get used to it.”
“I’d like to get used to you, period.”
“How flattering.”
“I’m working on my delivery. What can I say?”
“Say you’ll kiss me,” she whispered.
He smiled, all his pain forgotten with her one simple request. “Baby, I’ll do much more than that.”
Pulling his woman close, he crushed his mouth to hers. Eleven
Kira reveled in his mouth on hers, his tongue slipping inside to taste. Being held in his strong arms was heaven and she loved his size, how she felt surrounded. Safe. His hardness poked against her stomach, causing her to squirm. He moaned and a little spurt of satisfaction went through her that she was the cause of his arousal. His need. Big hands skimmed her sides, worked underneath her shirt. Found the cups of her bra and palmed them as he thrust upward, grinding his erection, seeking relief. The action caused an answering heat between her legs that spread low in her womb. She needed to be filled by him. Owned. Ravaged.
“Too many clothes,” she hissed, tugging at his shirt.
Briefly, his eyes seemed to glow. “We can remedy that.”
She yanked the garment over his head and then scooted back some, attacking his belt. With a low chuckle, he raised his hips to help her along and she freed his thick cock, lifted out his heavy balls. She’d never thought of a man’s package as particularly beautiful, but Jax was everything a man should be. And much more. Suddenly she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to taste the precum seeping from the slit of his cock. To wrap her lips around the head and drive him crazy with lust. In the past, giving a guy a blow job was something she could take or leave—mostly leave since the act was usually all about his pleasure, not hers—but this time was different. With Jax, the pleasure would go both ways.
Sliding to the floor, she pushed his knees apart and crouched between his denim-clad thighs, smoothing her palms on top of them. She loved the feel of his muscles bunching under her fingertips and wanted to see more.
“Off with the jeans,” she ordered, smirking at his surprise. A slow grin curved his sexy mouth as he complied, sliding the offending material down his hips.
“Whatever the lady wants.”
“Smart man.”
As she eased the jeans and boxer briefs down his legs and pulled them off his feet, she glanced up to see a shadow darken his expression. His gaze flicked to his injured leg and away, so quickly she might’ve missed it if she hadn’t been paying attention.
Gently, she kissed the scarred flesh that twisted around his right thigh. “Your scars don’t make you any less handsome to me. They don’t matter.”
“You think I’m concerned about my looks? No, I deserve exactly what I got and more for trusting the wrong person and leading my team into a trap.” His voice was filled with such self-loathing her heart went out to him.
“I don’t believe that and neither should you. Someone took advantage of your trust and broke it, and that person is responsible for what happened. Not you,” she stressed.
“But I—”
“Hush.” Bending over his lap, she grasped the base of his cock and gave the slit a lick, catching the drops. Salty sweet flavor burst on her tongue and he sucked in a breath. Oh, tasting him was going to become addictive, real fast.
“Kira,” he moaned. His head fell back to rest against the sofa and he spread his legs wider, raising his hips the slightest bit, a silent encouragement to continue with the welcome attention. She didn’t need much convincing. As she took the spongy head between her lips and began to suckle, it was readily apparent that giving in to him was to be its own reward. His tanned skin was hot, his long, thick cock flushed dark, balls heavy with need. He was sprawled before her like a feast, one hand buried in her hair, the other clutching the arm of the sofa as though he might blast off any second and had to somehow anchor himself.
She watched his face as she took him deeper, sucked his rod and laved the silky underside, pumping the base. His eyes were closed in ecstasy, chest rising and falling more rapidly, making the swirling tattoos on his shoulder move and seem almost alive.
“God, I can’t take much more,” he told her roughly. His control was admirable, but he was no match for her bobbing up and down. Taking him to the back of her throat, and out again. She slid along his length until he pushed her back carefully with a low chuckle.
“Damn, woman, I’m about to lose it. My turn,” he insisted, his dark tone making her shiver in anticipation. He slid to the floor next to her and patted the sofa cushion. “Brace yourself, honey.”
Moving forward, she laid her front half down on the comfortable seat, hyperaware of him positioning himself behind her. Even though he was exposed and vulnerable moments ago, she wasn’t certain she liked feeling that way herself. She was too skinny, shaped too much like a boy without womanly curves and the lush bosom that appealed to so many men. She didn’t know what a hottie like Jax saw in her body, but he seemed to appreciate it just fine. Can’t fake a gigantic hard-on.
“Spread for me, baby.”
She inched her knees apart more, and the position had her offered with her ass in the air, ready and willing to be his.
“That’s it. Jesus, you’re so pretty.” Two fingers dipped into her slit, already hot and wet. Rubbed and smeared her juices, played with her clit. “You like that, baby?”
“Y-yes. Please . . .”
“More?”
“Please, don’t stop!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you hanging.” Suddenly his lips were bestowing soft kisses to the small of her back. It was slightly ticklish and she stifled a giggle, and then he moved on. He caressed her rear and then nuzzled her sex, taking a tentative swipe with his tongue. Arching her back, she opened for him as much as possible, telling him without words to take what he wanted. Give them what they both needed. As he laved her folds, tongue dipping inside, she started to feel too big for her own skin. Like she was swelling, a balloon becoming more and more full, heat pushing at her from inside out. The feeling began in her sex and washed to her limbs, filtered into her blood, bringing it to a gradual boil. Searing her.
“Oh . . . Oh, Jax.”
“You taste so sweet,” he whispered. “I’m going to fuck you so hard.”
The image his words inspired, his mouth working her into a fever, shattered whatever resistance was left. Her bones melted and she submitted completely, his to do with whatever he wished. She was his. Nothing else mattered. She needed him as close as possible. Inside her. Please! Fuck me!
Had she shouted out loud? She wasn’t certain. Only knew that he was holding her hips now, bringing the head of his cock to her slit. Nudging her entrance. Her skin was scorching and she needed him.
“Gonna take what’s mine,” he growled.
Moaning, nearly out of her mind, she pushed backward, and that was all the assent he required. His cock slid inside, stretching and filling her. So good, so right. He was huge but it didn’t hurt, simply made her feel complete as he slid all the way home. His balls nestled against her, springy hair from his groin and thighs sensitizing her to every nuance of him. Of them together, connected as they should be. Then he began to thrust, spearing deep into her core. Tantalizingly slow at first, letting her feel every inch of him. Then picking up speed, putting some power behind the pumping, his fingers digging into her flesh. Not just fingers, but claws. Stinging just a bit, but only adding to the wicked pleasure.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was surprised she didn’t object to his feral nature coming out during sex, and wasn’t afraid. Instead, his barely leashed wolf only turned her on even more, and she was shocked to realize she embraced them both as they fucked her into oblivion —Jax and his beast. Beyond that, she couldn’t think. Her body was caught in a raging inferno only he could sate. Flesh slapped against flesh as he impaled her repeatedly, driving even harder when she made helpless whimpers. Almost there.
“B-bite me,” she begged. The words slipped out of their own volition, a reflection of the need she couldn’t acknowledge before. Almost as though she had no choice.
“God, baby. You don’t know how much I want that.”
Her orgasm exploded and she cried out, convulsing around his cock. He stiffened and followed her over the brink with a shout, pumping her full of cum. Emptying into her with such force, he was plastered to her back for several moments after. Panting, she floated back to earth, the post- orgasmic haze leaving her boneless. And very unsure where they now stood.
“Why didn’t you bite me?” she asked quietly.
Kissing her shoulder, he pulled out and then turned her around, gathering her into his lap. “Because that
would have mated us, and you weren’t ready.”
“How do you know? It felt like I was ready. It was all I needed at the time, so badly I couldn’t think straight.”
His eyes were a little sad when he replied. “Exactly. You feel so strongly about not giving in just because it’s nature, yet you were helpless to the pull of mating while we fucked. Think about it, baby. If I’d done what you asked in the heat of the moment, you would’ve hated me for taking advantage.”
“No, I wouldn’t have.”
“You would,” he insisted. “Has your opinion changed about mating before love, then?”
She stared at him with a sinking feeling in her gut. “No.”
“Then you would’ve hated the sight of me, and I might never have earned another chance to win your trust.”
Oh, God. He’s right. Face heating, she looked away and wished she could disappear.
“And there’s something else you should know.” He paused, obviously reluctant to continue as he took her chin, made her look at him. “If I bite you—hell, if any shifter does—there’s a very good chance you could become one of us. You need to decide if you can live with that before we mate. Because if we do, I have to bite you.”
Her mouth fell open. Of course there was a chance. Why hadn’t she thought of that possibility? She might become like him. A wolf.
“Jax, I—I—” Overwhelmed, she fumbled for a response that wouldn’t hurt him more than she had already. “I need time to think.”
“Hey, it’s okay. I understand, even if my wolf is howling like a banshee and threatening to claw his way right out of my skin, leaving me nothing but an empty husk.”
His attempt to joke made her feel worse. “I’m so sorry. I know you’re in pain and it’s all because of me.”
“No, angel,” he said softly. “It’s nobody’s fault. Let’s just take this as it comes and we’ll be fine.”
“You won’t be fine.” She touched his face. “You’re burning up, and it’s not just from having hot sex. I’m scared to death about what Dr. Mallory told me could happen to you. Is happening.”
He shook his head in dismissal. “Melina is overly cautious. That’s her job. Us shifters are tough and it’ll take more than a few raging hormones to bring me down. We’ve got plenty of time to decide what we want, and I don’t want you worrying about this anymore.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“Do your best, because I’m okay.” He kissed her nose.
“Promise you’ll tell me if it gets too bad?”
“Sure.”
He didn’t exactly say the words and she frowned, knowing he’d keep his misery to himself as long as possible. That he’d put her feelings before his own needs, no matter how much it hurt him, caused something warm and wonderful to expand in her chest.
“I’m glad you forgave me for what I said in the clinic,” she told him.
He winked. “Me, too. Got me laid, didn’t it?”
She dug her fingers into his ribs. “Smart-ass.”
Falling backward, he laughed, pulling her with him, and the tickle fight was on. She managed to get a few more digs in his ribs before he latched on to an ankle and tortured the sensitive bottom of one foot.
“Uncle!” she squealed. “You win!”
“I’m the boss. Say it!”
“Ahh! You’re the boss,” she gasped, trying in vain to wrench away her foot.
Mercifully, he released the appendage and helped her up. “The boss demands you shower with him.”
“Humph. I suppose you’ll want me to wash your back, too.”
“Of course. But I’ll do yours, too.” His voice promised more extracurricular fun than a simple shower. The hunky wolf delivered, too, soaping certain crevices perhaps a tad more than necessary, making her laugh and shudder in delight by turns. She wasn’t laughing, however, when he guided her to brace herself on the tiles, his hardness rubbing the crack of her butt, declaring that they weren’t finished playing.
“Gotta have you again,” he murmured. “What you do to me . . .”
He made love to her there with the water cascading over them, nice and easy, with such gentle heat her eyes burned with unshed tears. Never had there been a connection like this with any other man. Never anything that felt so right. As though everything she’d been searching for had coalesced here, with this man, in this place filled with strange inhabitants. He took them to the peak and they exploded together, him buried deep inside her, whispering endearments in her ear. She was so at peace, yet when he withdrew again without giving in to the need to claim her as his own, guilt pricked at her conscience.
Despite his insistence that he was fine, she couldn’t help but imagine what terrible price his patience might demand. And whether she’d ever be able to reconcile the man as one with the beast without the fire of his touch blowing apart all reason.
“Jax?”
“Hmm?”
Kira trailed a finger over the broad expanse of his chest, hoping he didn’t close off when she pried. But she had to know more about the man at her side. “Tell me about Afghanistan. When you were changed.”
He went so still for a few moments, she wasn’t even sure he was breathing. When he finally began to speak, his voice was so low, bleeding with remembered pain, that she held him tighter.
“What’s to tell? We ventured into the mountains on a routine patrol, and encountered creatures out of our worst nightmares. Then some of us awoke to realize the lucky ones were dead, and the rest had to live with the fact that we’d become freaks at best, enemies of the human race at worst.”
She hugged him tight. “Obviously neither was true. You guys were put in the unique position of protecting the world from creatures most people don’t even know exist. Have you ever stopped to think about all the lives that would’ve been affected if you hadn’t been changed? How many would be lost by now?”
After a moment, he admitted, “It’s crossed my mind. But it’s hard to get that through my head when the personal cost has been so damned high. Call me selfish, but that’s how it is.”
“That’s not selfish, just human.” She cursed herself for her blunder. “You know what I mean.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, I do.”
“You’re not a freak.”
“And yet you don’t know if you can embrace both sides of me.”
Rising up, she propped herself on his chest and looked him right in the eye. “Get it through your head, that’s not true the way you mean it. I’ll admit I was a little unnerved by the shifting at first. But the only problem I have is with the biology of the mating thing not giving us a choice. It’s like we’re not in charge of our destinies.”
“Everyone has a choice.” He arched a dark brow. “You’re here, for instance, and nobody forced you to get down and dirty with me. Twice. Three times if you want to get technical.”
“You’ve got me there.” She couldn’t help but smile at his self- satisfied expression. “You’re a hard man to resist.”
“Just hard, period.” He leered at her.
“You have a point,” she teased, wiggling against the hardness in question.
The chirp of his iPhone interrupted them. With a put upon sigh, he grabbed it off the nightstand and peered at the display. “Text message from Nick. We’re meeting in one hour, and he wants you there.”
“Me?” She frowned. “Must have to do with my old employer.”
“My guess is he’s ready to plan the recon on the NewLife building. We can obtain the floor plans, but you might have other information we can use.”
“I don’t know. I’ve told you everything.”
“We’ll see. In the meantime we need another shower.”
“Without the messing around, or we’ll be late.”
His grin made her pulse leap. “Punctuality is overrated.”
They were almost ten minutes late. Holding her hand, Jax pulled her into the room where the rest of the team was already assembled and talking among themselves, waiting for Nick to start. All eyes swung their way and a couple of the guys snickered. Nick gave them a knowing stare, appearing curious. And if she wasn’t mistaken . .. was that a wave of sympathy, maybe laced with a touch of sadness, she felt from the boss as he studied them? What was that about?
Embarrassment colored Kira’s cheeks at the others guys’ razzing, but she kept her head high as she and Jax found seats. She was grateful when Nick began the meeting without any remarks about their tardiness. He hadn’t struck her as that kind of man, but the lack of censure was still a relief.
“First off, I invited Kalen to join us so he can get a feel for how we work,” Nick said. “Does anyone have an objection?”
“Not as long as he keeps his wand pointed in the other direction,” Aric cracked. The others laughed, except for Nick and Jax.
Kalen accepted the challenge. “I wouldn’t point my wand at you if you were the last ugly, one-eyed, three-legged shifter on earth.” One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Not that I use one, ’cause those are so last century. Just sayin’.”
“You’re all right, man.” Aric slapped him on the back, and a couple of the others did the same, as though he’d passed some sort of male test.
Kira slid a glance to the young Sorcerer, who was unusual to say the least, even among present company. She’d never seen someone who seemed so alone in a roomful of people, though he appeared okay with the group’s good-natured ribbing. If he planned to stick around, he’d have to get used to that.
“Since there are no protests, let’s move on,” Nick said, gaining their attention once more. “I checked on the NewLife facilities, and the closest one is in fact the Las Vegas location. As most of you are aware, our newest staff member, Kira, used to work at that building and fled from there with some tissue samples and a suspicion that her bosses are involved in altering human DNA and gene strands. Based on study of the four bodies provided courtesy of the sheriff’s department and coroner, Melina and her lab assistants have concluded that these same changes were being forced on these men at the time of their deaths.”
“And your team heard the corpse, Henry Ward, tell me about one of the bastards who killed him wearing a polo with the NewLife logo on it,” Kalen put in.
“This guy is powerful shit,” Jax whispered in her ear, referring to the Sorcerer.
She glanced at her lover. “No kidding.”
Nick acknowledged Kalen’s statement with a nod. “And that’s why we’re sending a team into the Vegas building in forty-eight hours. You’re going to do a search, see what you can find. Which brings us to why I asked Kira to come.” He turned to her. “Tell us what you can about the level of security there.”
Put on the spot, she fumbled for a few seconds. “Well, I’d say security is what you’d expect for a company of that size and reputation. It’s not Fort Knox, but an outsider would have a difficult time breaching their perimeter.”
Ryon smirked. “They didn’t count on us.”
Kira doubted most of the population would be a match for Alpha Pack.
Nick ignored the comment. “Give us the rundown of what they’ve got—how many guards and so forth.”
“There’s a security guard on each level of the building at all hours, and they work in three shifts—day, evening, and deep nights. There are cameras on every floor . . . except in the basement,” she recalled, sitting up straight. Why had she never realized that before?
“I’m guessing the basement is where you found the tissue samples,” Jax said.
“Yes, in the restricted lab area down there. And when I was escaping that night, it’s also where I could have sworn I heard a male voice begging for help.” She shivered at the memory. “It was brief, but terrible. I thought I was just frightened, imagining things.”
“But you don’t think so now?” Nick asked.
“No. With everything that’s come to light, I believe it’s highly possible I heard someone in need of assistance. Or at least got an impression of pain and desperation.”
“An impression?”
She nodded. “I get feelings from people, pick up their emotions. It’s gotten much stronger since I’ve been here. Actually, it wasn’t until I got here that I really was sure of it. I’d say that sounds crazy, but among this group . ..”
Nick’s tough veneer cracked some, his eyes warming. “You’re an Empath. It’s an occupational hazard.”
Silence fell and she became aware of the others staring at her. She’d thought it possible, but to hear Nick announce it in a room full of guys with unrivaled special abilities made her more than a bit self-conscious. What good was one puny Empath in comparison?
“That may be, but it’s hardly a useful talent,” she demurred. “Anyway, I have a friend inside who I’m pretty sure will help us. His name is A. J. Stone and he’s a security guard.”
Nick welcomed the news with caution. “What makes you think he’ll be willing to place himself at risk? He could lose his job over this, or worse, if anyone suspects him.”
“I wasn’t the only one who thought something weird was going on at NewLife. A.J. believed it, too, and we talked about it in private more than once. That night, though, I didn’t tell him what I was doing. He’d called in sick, which was just as well. I didn’t want to get him in trouble.” A pang of guilt went through her. A.J. was probably worried and thought something bad had happened to her. If it hadn’t been for Jax, something terrible would have.
“Can you—all of us—trust him?” Nick asked.
She didn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely. He has a good soul. It shines from him like a beacon.”
Jax winked at her. “And you thought your talent wasn’t useful.”
“I’m not convinced it’s anything but plain old intuition,” she said, flushing. “But I believe in A.J. If you want, I can give him a call and explain what’s up, and then let Nick talk to him so they can discuss the details of getting you all in and out.”
“That sounds fine.” Their boss let out a deep breath. “I just know that whatever we do, we have to take action fast. There’s something a lot more important than lab samples waiting for us in that hellhole, and time is running out.”
The guys were grim now, none of them participating in the usual joking around. To see them so serious, knowing Nick’s visions were nothing to take lightly, formed a ball of ice in her stomach.
“Are we taking the jet?” Jax asked.
Nick shook his head. “Not enough room, and we’ll need plenty of space on our way home. We’ll take two Hueys and a doc to ride in each. Once we get to Vegas, we’ll land at our usual hangar and take a van and the SUV. Any questions?”
Jax had one. “What about Kira and Kalen?”
“They’ll ride along, but they won’t participate. Maybe next time for Kalen.”
The Sorcerer nodded his agreement.
“I think Kira should stay here,” her lover protested with a scowl.
“We need her there, just in case. Anything else?” Subject closed. Nobody spoke. “Then we’ll go wheels up in forty-eight. Get your rest; you’re all going to need the energy.”
As the meeting broke up, Kira playfully punched Jax in the arm. “Come on, don’t get pissy. Nick wouldn’t have let me come if it wasn’t safe.”
“He can’t interfere in free will—you know that,” he said in a low, unhappy voice. “If something bad was going to go down, he couldn’t change the fact. Besides, I just don’t want you anywhere near that building.”
“I’ll be fine. I promise to stay out of the way, like he ordered.”
“You’d better or I’ll put you over my knee.” He made the threat sound like fun, and followed it with a half-smile.
“Haven’t I told you not to threaten me with a good time if you don’t intend to follow through?”
“Hey, it’s not a threat—it’s a sure thing.”
“We’ll see about that, big guy.”
“Oh, yes. We will.”
His grin sent a sizzle to her nipples, fingers, and toes. And everywhere in between. She couldn’t wait.