Chapter Five
Lucas Lands
Sarasota, Florida, 9:00 a.m.
As soon as the private jet had been approved for landing, the pilot announced the gate. Waiting, as the plane touched down and taxied to the terminal, had been torture for Lucas. Concern and lists of things he needed to do whirled in his thoughts. Someone from the Moonlight pack was supposed to pick him up after he cleared customs, and he wanted to rent a vehicle then find a place to stay.
After the eight-hour flight, Lucas still hadn’t garnered much from his research and preparation, nor did he know much more than he had before the plane took off from Glasgow. He’d made notes and impatiently prepared to question everyone Grace had been involved with.
Following the people in the private terminal, he saw the International Baggage Claim sign and mingled in the small crowd waiting for luggage. He glanced around, looking for signs to Customs and spotted one above the only door. Okay, he knew where to go, for now.
Signs. Follow the signs.
Damn he hated not being familiar with an area. Even after the hours of research he did in flight, there still was so much he needed to become acquainted with, including local rules and pack customs. His sister was attending New College. He didn’t know about Grace’s friends—other than the name of her suite mate, Stephanie—because his independent sister never wanted to follow the rules, and his parents indulged her. With three brothers, she’d learned how to stand her ground, so he wasn’t worried that she couldn’t fight her way out of a situation, but these were strained times with the packs here in Florida and a few of the southern states. Thankfully, he had a contact with her life here in the US in the local pack—Alexa Martin.
As soon as Grace announced she was moving to this area to attend graduate school, his father’s friend, Alexa put him in touch with the local alpha, Derek Sawyer. He and his partner, Rand Molina, owned The Defenders. A security agency was exactly the sort of help Lucas was going to need in a foreign location. But he didn’t want the local pack to handcuff his investigation.
Lucas’s jaw tightened whenever he considered how he would be forced to hold back while Grace could be in danger. Tentative permission to work the case under supervision from the local pack’s alpha didn’t sit well with him. Patience, nothing he’d ever been fond of, was a short commodity in his arsenal of gifts.
While he waited in line at customs, he mentally reviewed some of the information he’d acquired onboard the plane. The map research helped him become moderately oriented with the region. Moonlight, a former abandoned orange grove, was located in a very rural area just southeast of Sarasota, an ideal location for a pack of wolves to hunt and run.
The customs agent asked for his passport and cleared him. “Place your baggage on that carousel.” He pointed to a moving conveyer belt. “Then follow the signs to baggage claim in the main terminal. They will be waiting for you there.”
The process had been fairly painless so far. Hopefully, his encounter with Derek would go as smoothly.
Even though there were a few packs in the area, according to Lucas’s father, Derek’s seemed the friendliest and the most competent to help. If a local was responsible for his sister’s abduction, Lucas was going to need an alpha’s help. There were other small packs throughout this region of Florida, but most were widely separated to give each pack space to roam. Lucas could handle the search for Grace alone, but his presence would have been immediately noticed by any other wolf within a two-mile radius. No sense begging trouble.
Lucas also discovered the Moonlight pack had dealt with their own problems in the past, and now Starwood, a large national pack, had been reportedly annexing smaller, weaker packs or orphaned wolves in the area. According to what he’d read, the annexation wasn’t always voluntary.
Sweat broke out on Lucas’s upper lip. Maybe they’d discovered Grace was pure dire wolf. The images turned his stomach. Good thing he hadn’t eaten. The consequences for touching his sister would be ruthless.
His phone rang with a local number that identified the caller. The Defenders Agency. His backup had arrived.
***
Feeling like an idiot, Laurel stood in baggage claim at Sarasota International Airport, humiliated, holding the dreaded sign. She’d seen enough people standing exactly like this, uncomfortably waiting to pick up travelers. She never imagined it would be her geeking it out with a sign and an empty stare. Why hadn’t she asked for a description of the man or at least asked about what he’d be wearing?
A kilt came to mind, and she grinned then discarded the notion.
The rest of the Moonlight group waited in the parking lot. They agreed it was safe enough for her to be in public with the dire wolf from Scotland. What was the matter with Derek? Did he think she was suddenly going to go all bitch-in-heat with a total stranger?
She scanned the crowd, sensing nothing beyond normal human emotions. The down escalator emptied; then without warning, thundering concern entered her mind. A red cloud of anger in the distance walked within a sea of people’s auras—distress, happiness, and excitement. Vibes from the multitude of auras almost overwhelmed her.
Her senses were open, not all the way, but, at this level, she dared not touch anyone or anything. Her ability to tap into the elements was highly acute when she was stressed, and this was one of those times.
The sense of anxious concern was the singular emotion pulling at her, drawing her in the direction of the crowd milling around carousel three at the other end of the room. She didn’t want to leave her position near the exit. But what if he needed help with his luggage? She glanced at the luggage carts. Did he travel much? Had he exchanged his money? She should have asked Rand or Derek.
As the crowds dispersed, everyone headed in different directions, and one man—one great, huge, jaw-dropping man—turned and glared at her sign. He slowly shifted his attention from the cardboard sign to her face, freezing her in place as heat climbed her cheeks and lit up her body.
Rattled by the invasion, Laurel disconnected and buffered her senses.
Once she’d spotted him, she called herself an idiot. Description never would have sufficed. A sign shouldn’t have been necessary, especially with her gift for reading auras. She dropped the sign to her side and fought the urge to roll her eyes at her foolishness. There would be no mistaking this man among men.
To the general public, recognizing the difference between a pack member and anyone else was impossible. To her, especially with her abilities, identifying the shifter standing in front of her never would be a problem. If his piercing pale eyes didn’t betray him, the strange aura only she could see surrounding him was a dead giveaway. It was as powerful as he was. It was earthy. Elemental. She recognized his presence in every cell in her body. A connection. But there was something else, too. She reacted differently to him than she had to any other pack member she’d encountered, and her strange reaction made her additionally wary.
She couldn’t tear her gaze from his and sensed him attempting to penetrate the blocks she’d erected the moment they’d made visual contact. She shored up her protective wards to keep him out of her mind in case he had other abilities. No one had ever rattled her elemental power until now.
Lucas MacDugal had been through customs by the time he took the tram to the terminal. So at least she’d been spared the aggravation of waiting, and so had he. His frown claimed he didn’t have much patience left.
He stood at least a head or more above everyone else. A well-worn coffee-colored leather jacket covered his broad shoulders. What had the man been thinking when he donned the jacket? Fifty-degree temperatures? He wouldn’t find any of that here. At least not till January.
She couldn’t help noticing the color complemented his rich tawny-colored hair. The appearance, integrated with various shades of flaxen strands, indicated he’d been in the sun too often already, and, obviously, he’d been dressed for cooler weather. Or motorcycle riding.
Suddenly, Laurel lost all train of thought as the image of the big man straddling a hog sent electric shocks to her lady parts. The jacket and the hair explained a lot. Not a helmet kind of guy, either. She got it. But not her reaction. She longed to climb on the Harley behind him and hold on for all she was worth, while they tested the limits of the engine’s power.
She blinked the images from her mind and brought herself back to the present.
“Lucas MacDugal?” she asked in order to be certain, half hoping he denied it and half dreading what would become of her if she never saw this man again. She held her breath, and as he nodded, she experienced an instant of relief, despite the questioning frown on his face.
“I’m Laurel Finnegan with the Defenders Agency.”
The furrow on his brow smoothed as soon as she identified herself and held out her hand. At first touch, she swallowed a gasp. He shook it, and their auras literally mingled and danced.
Uh-oh. He had to have seen it, too.
She lifted her gaze to meet his and, caught off guard, swore surprise radiated yellow in his aura.
“Can I take one of those bags for you?” Focused on finding a safer subject, she searched for the nearest baggage cart, but when he didn’t respond, she faced him. He had a leather backpack over his shoulder.
Finally, with a self-conscious twitch, he released her hand.
Lucas gaped at the two bags by his sides. He lifted them easily, still apparently stunned by her touch, and stared at her as if she had three heads. He followed her gaze to the cart rack then shook his head.
Either he wanted to carry his own bags or…he experienced the strange connection. He’d been affected, too. He had noticed their auras dancing.
Laurel, spellbound by the way his sandy-colored hair flopped over his forehead, suppressed a gasp. Her stomach plummeted and spots danced in her vision. If only they were alone, somewhere private, somewhere she could explore this unusual feeling.
She should remember to breathe.
While Laurel practiced controlled breathing and cleared her vision, he said nothing. Finally, he seemed to pull himself together.
“I’m sorry. Jet lag. I’m being incredibly rude. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I was expecting—”
“Derek?” She tried to help.
“Aye, or one of his associates.”
She got that a lot, and it usually pissed her off. Laurel grinned to make him feel comfortable. Though why she should care, she didn’t know.
“I am one of his associates. The rest are in the parking garage, waiting for us.”
“I apologize, Ms. Finnegan. You’re not—” He stopped and narrowed his eyes on her. “So, you are with the agency. Exactly what is your capacity with the”—he looked around cautiously and lowered his voice before finishing—“pack?”
“Not here,” she snapped. “Follow me.”
The pack sent Laurel to feel this man out, and though he seemed okay and contained on the surface, he was extremely powerful. She’d never met anyone with so much raw elemental power, but she wasn’t getting any negative vibes from him other than frustration, anger, and concern.
She assumed that was about his sister.
Once out of earshot of anyone, Laurel tried to answer his question. “As you must already know, I’m not like the others. My mother was a western wolf. My father was originally from the Georgia pack. I developed into what they refer to as a sensitive. My ability comes in handy from time to time. Are you familiar with my sort of talents?”
“Psychic?”
“No. Elemental. Derek’s wife is human and psychic, and so are a few others. In some ways, I sense things…thoughts, but my ability is beyond an emotional sensation. It’s an elemental ability to molecularly merge with certain things…. Well, organics. I’m better with biologics. I have what is almost a cognitive existentialism with the elements.”
She should shut up. Her nerves made her ramble. She was making a fool of herself, and no one ever found this stuff interesting—
“Aye, I’ve heard of those with various abilities, but none such as yours. It’s curious. I’ve never met anyone with your abilities except…. Never mind. You’re quite unique, Ms. Finnegan.”
Do not be impressed. Do not be flattered. Stop grinning.
He was just being polite, she was certain. She should try to return the favor.
“Laurel is fine.” She tugged the smaller of the two bags from his left hand, taking him by surprise, and said, “Follow me. The truck is right over there.” She pointed toward the exit. “And you might want to shed the jacket. October is one of Florida’s nicest months. The temperature is in the low seventies and may reach eighty.”
“Seventies, you say?”
“Yes.”
“What time is it here, anyway? I’ve lost count.” He lifted his wrist—a smartwatch…go figure.“ Ach, nine forty-five. I thought it was later.”
With one arm free, he shed his jacket. Watching him didn’t help her cool down, especially when she saw the expensive, tight muscle shirt clinging to him like a second skin. All those planes and valleys defined a man who had zero body fat on those rippling muscles. Her fingers tingled with the urge to trace them. She licked her lips. She didn’t think shedding the jacket, alone, would solve his problem with the heat—not with the biker boots and jeans.
“We should get you out of those clothes,” she said, and stopped with a gasp as she realized her blunder.
Clearly seductive, the amused look he gave her showed interest and sent her body temperature soaring.
“And into sandals, shorts, sunglasses, into air conditioning,” she added, blabbering to make her point clear.
“I have sunglasses.” He whipped out a designer pair as they crossed to the parking lot and slid them on his face. “You do have AC in the truck, no?”
“Yes, but you won’t always be inside or in a truck.”
“I appreciate your concern.”
The automatic doors opened, hitting them with a blast of hot, humid air, and Lucas gasped. “Holy saints and sinners. ’Tis hell I’ve entered.”
She chuckled. “You’ll adjust. Everything in Florida is air-conditioned except the outdoors.”
“I hope the nights are cooler for the run.”
“You’re in luck. There’s a cool front moving in.” The latter part of October was one of the best months in Florida. “Think of it like a hot summer in Scotland.”
The perspiration already trailed a fine line down the side of his face. Wolves could withstand higher temperatures than humans, but there were limits. He had just recently left Scotland.
“You’re hot….” Damn! Not again.
Again, there was that slow, condescending turn of his head. Then his eyebrows rose above the rims of his glasses. Even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she felt the seductive burn arrow straight to her core.
“Why thank you, Laurel,” he crooned with that Highland accent and a voice like smooth, rare aged whiskey. “I find you extremely attractive as well.”
Her knees threatened to go weak. Damn it. She needed to get a grip.
“Very funny.” Hopefully, the glare she returned made it clear she didn’t appreciate him playing with her. Huh! As if the likes of him would find someone like her attractive. She was fully aware of her assets and her deficits.
“You,” she emphasized, “know what I mean. I’m an empath of sorts. I can’t help picking up on extreme discomfort.” She snapped back her response, ignoring his insinuation.
“Wait.” He stopped, forcing her to turn and take a few steps in his direction. He lifted the lenses so she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
Smart man.
“Before we meet the others, will you tell me one thing?” he began then paused.
“Sure.” She held her breath, waiting for the question.
“You’re their…what? Lie detector? Are you here to help me or test me?”
“I’m here for both.”
He dropped the glasses into place.
“Would you expect anything less?”
“Of course not.”
Again, his brows popped up above the rims of the sunglasses, and he almost smiled. At least the crease between his eyes flattened out, even if it was only a temporary improvement.
“I’ll be meeting with Derek and Rand?”
“And Ty….”
“Ty?” Lucas paused for a beat. His jaw tightened, and the low rumble in his chest turned into a warning growl, a definite threat. “The bloke who was guarding Grace?”
Laurel ignored his hesitation. “Technically, I was guarding Grace when she disappeared.”
“She was with someone though—”
“Ty. Yes. He’s one of us. A former Army Ranger. My partner. Great instincts. He’ll be helpful.”
She refused to discuss any more. She didn’t want to be the one to open the “mating” can of worms. That information was way above her pay grade.
“And after I meet with your alpha? What next?” Lucas dropped the Ty subject. He must have realized she wouldn’t say more.
“I’ve been instructed to follow your lead. Is there anything you want to do first?” As if she had to ask. She knew immediately where he wanted to go.
“I don’t want to be any trouble. I could lease a car if taking me to my sister’s apartment is out of your way.”
“Of course not.” She softened her answer with a smile, glanced quickly at him, and nodded. “I—We want to find Grace, too. She is my friend. We’re here to help.”
“Thank you.” His response sounded sincere.
“We need to gain access to the apartment as quickly as possible.” She clicked off her ideas on her fingers. “Especially me. The sooner the better, before important evidence is compromised. Back at the Palmetto office, we have a group going over the details and gathering information about her recent whereabouts. Hopefully, with whatever we pick up, and what they’re looking into, we’ll be able to piece together some answers later today.”
“Aye. But you’re here to evaluate me? Understandably.” He shook his head and pushed away a long loose strand of hair.
Her fingers tingled with the need to touch him. She longed to pull him into a close embrace and imagined the potential of his lips and….What is the matter with me?
Those lips made her think of…nothing she ever thought about before. The darker scruff on his face told her he’d shaved, but it had been a while. What would it feel like to have him nuzzle her neck? Her breasts? Just one smoldering kiss….
“The pack won’t allow me near the camp, or the pack females and pups until you clear me.”
His words brought her back from her fantasy. Oh god, she had to stop thinking like this.
“True.” Laurel cleared her throat and stared him straight in his icy-blue eyes. “And with good reason.”
Although she hadn’t picked up the least little bit of aggression in this man, his size alone was intimidating. The females would be dropping at his feet. In wolf form, he’d be irresistible and unstoppable in a fight.
“Our pack has endured too much loss over the years.” She hoped her weak attempt would be explanation enough.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He sounded sincere, and she believed his smile was genuine. Her heart skipped a beat or two whenever he narrowed his focus and charm on her. “How am I doing?”
“What do you mean?” she snapped and frowned.
“Have I earned your approval?”
“Oh.” Turning aside to prevent Lucas from reading her animal attraction for him, she bobbed her head and choked on her words. “So far so good.”
She wanted to beat down the wolf inside her who kept urging her to stop fighting the attraction. Her ability to read auras made her an asset to the pack, but she wondered if her unusual response to this man tainted her impressions or improved them. Already, they had experienced a strange connection, and, for some reason, Laurel suspected it wasn’t all sexual.
“Come. The others are waiting in Rand’s new Hummer over there. He’s our enforcer. Ty will be riding to the apartment with us in the truck.” She pointed to the large Ford pickup with their logo. “There it is, up ahead.”
“Aye, and this Ranger, Ty, is connected how—?”
“I told you. He works with us,” Laurel interrupted before he could be more specific. “Grace was asserting her independence. She wouldn’t let him see her home. It’s a long story.”
She was certain being trapped inside any vehicle with Lucas wouldn’t make this attraction thing any easier, but at least she had Ty to distract him.
The way the dire wolf affected her and the sensual impact on her exceeded her expectations. The inner turmoil played havoc with her good sense. With each word that came out of her mouth, she was making an ass out of herself. She needed to shut up or Ty would notice. And then she’d never hear the end of it.
“Let me turn on the engine and cool down the truck.” She opened the windows an inch, letting the AC run while they loaded his bags in the back then directed him to the passenger side. The other three joined them from the Hummer.
Lucas stuck out his hand first to Derek. Everyone recognized the alpha. Then the big guy schmoozed Rand with a nod at the Hummer. “Impressive ride.”
While all the introductions were being made and the handshaking took place, she stepped aside, observing auras and interactions. Derek gave her his questioning expression, waiting for her to signal her approval.
Showtime.
Hopefully, her elemental brain was talking and not the female wolf. Derek silently asked, Is he okay?
She glanced at Lucas, watched his multicolored aura, and smiled. She gave her approval with an imperceptible nod that the dire wolf wouldn’t notice, even though he knew what she was doing.
Laurel opened the conversation with their upcoming plan. “Lucas wants to investigate Grace’s apartment.”
“I’d like to see if there’s anything I can determine from the surroundings,” he said.
“Lucas.” Derek nodded his agreement, interacting with the dire wolf as if he were another alpha, not some enforcer from another pack. “Rand and I are going to see some friends we know with the local authorities while the three of you”—he indicated Laurel and Ty—“investigate your sister’s apartment. Later, I’d like to meet in Moonlight to share information. Oh, and Alexa made arrangements for you to stay at our new B&B, if it’s okay with you.”
Laurel didn’t miss Lucas’s glance in her direction. Before he answered, he turned to study Ty’s reaction to his response, and she wondered what it meant.
“Aye. It is a sound plan, and Alexa has been a godsend to our family during all this.”
“Laurel, there’s plenty of room for you,” Ty said, after taking one look at the backseat. He had avoided Lucas and the conversation, but he held out his hand to Laurel for the keys. She gave him a dirty look but didn’t argue. It made more sense. Both men were ridiculously oversized, and she fit easily.
“Fine.” Besides, once they were all seat belted inside, she could study Lucas from behind without being caught. “Neither of you could squeeze in here anyway.”
“Sorry. I left my car on campus when Rand picked me up earlier. After we check out the apartment, would you mind dropping me off on campus to pick up my ride? I can drive Lucas back to Moonlight…or you can.”
“We should’ve snagged the Hummer from Rand.”
Ty gave her that “are you crazy” look, shook his head, and put the truck in reverse.
“Right.” Laurel didn’t even bother to roll her eyes. “Men and their cars.” Rand never would’ve let anyone drive his new Hummer.
“Do you two work together often?” Lucas asked, as if he was looking for additional details on their personal relationship.
“Mmm. All the time. Partners.” Well, he wasn’t getting any.
For now, he could think she was with Ty and keep her distance until he found out otherwise. Once they filled him in on the information they’d gathered so far, he’d probably kick Ty’s ass good. Getting used to his aura and his scent in public would give her time to adjust before they were thrust together, alone in the truck on the farm roads for an hour or so.
Laurel hadn’t ever been attracted to any of the wolves she’d met so far. Why did it have to be this one? She could actually see herself jumping Lucas. No holding back. But that wasn’t happening.
She wouldn’t be appropriate breeding material for his family, and since there were no other known wolves with her western Rocky Mountains mix, she’d resigned herself to be alone. It was said her grandmother’s family developed their abilities because they were mixed with Native American shamans…magic and all that stuff. Forget the guy. Lucas’s background meant he needed a purebred dire mate…not a mutt like her with questionable heritage.
“Is there something more you’re not telling me?” Lucas first glanced at Laurel and then stared at Ty.
Lucas began a threatening growl, not merely a grumble between males, but a full-blown enraged growl. The truck filled with the powerful aggressive voice of a dire wolf, and once it had been heard, there was no doubt the Moonlight shifters and dires were species apart. The authority the dire demanded with the vibration from that low-pitched sound confirmed the difference.
Neither she nor Ty answered.
“Then explain what happened after you discovered Grace had gone missing,” Lucas demanded of Ty.