Book 1, Middlemarch Capture
The welcome party was in full swing when Saber walked into the function room flanked by his brothers. His nostrils flared, quivered at the scent of lust thick on the air. His stride faltered as the wave hit him, reminded him he was a healthy feline male who hadn’t had a woman for months.
Felix gave a soft whistle while Leo cursed under his breath.
“Everyone seems happy,” Joe said in patent understatement. “Even Laurence is smiling for a change.”
Music played and several females were dancing with employees. Laughter and excited chatter battled the music, and some of the tension lifted from Saber’s shoulders. Everyone looked happy. In fact, all the men they employed were talking or dancing with their guests. Doing their job, including Laurence, the brother of Saber’s dead fiancée, which marked a change.
Taking care to keep his breaths shallow Saber said in a low voice, “Go and check out the women on our list. Dance with them, speak with them and come to a decision. We need to cement our plans.”
As his brothers wandered off, Saber observed the partygoers. A flash of red caught his attention, and he turned to watch a woman progress to the bar. She wasn’t exceptionally beautiful like some of the other women, and was on the skinny side, yet something undefinable kept his gaze stitched in place. The red gown followed the lines of her body, its short length showcasing her legs and cupping her backside. Her footwear consisted of a series of crisscrossed black straps and heels that elevated her height. She chatted with the bar staff, shared a smile with the other women who sat at the bar and politely turned down a request to dance.
Interesting. He hadn’t noticed any other woman saying no. Most were here to enjoy themselves and interact with the men.
Saber stalked closer, his mind taking in the small details and matching them against his brothers’ tastes. Honey-blonde hair, swept into some complicated style that made a man think about messing it up. A slight, petite frame. Bright blue eyes the color of the cornflowers his mother used to grow swept over him, dismissed him without pause.
Saber felt his mouth drop open and snapped it shut. Her rejection rankled. Miffed, he took a step toward her before common sense reasserted itself.
He wanted mates for his brothers.
He wanted them settled.
Happy.
This was business, and his own physical needs weren’t paramount.
Saber changed direction and hit the far end of the bar. He signaled for a drink and turned to survey the room before his gaze tracked back to the woman. Another female joined Blondie. Tall and regal with ruthlessly short black hair, she was dressed in a deep-blue dress with a dramatic slit up one side.
His attention shifted back to Blondie—just in time to see Felix swoop. Minutes later, Leo joined them and started chatting with the friend.
Saber watched for a few seconds longer, batted back the surge of inappropriate resentment and decided everything was going well. He wasn’t needed. His brothers knew what to do, and for once they were following orders. He downed his drink and stopped to chat now and then, pulling out his rusty social skills to flirt and drag responding smiles from their female guests. Some of the women were stunning beauties, others not so much, yet their smiles and excitement, their enjoyment, made them all rate a second inspection.
He wove through the guests and employees, the lustful scents starting to get to him.
“Saber.” His sister Scarlett waved him over to where she was sitting by the terrace doors.
He dropped onto a seat beside her. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to check out the guests, get a feeling for them.” She delicately sniffed the air and grimaced. “Sucks to be a shifter sometimes.” Her gaze drilled into him. “I didn’t get to spend long on reception because you had me running background checks all day.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice a fraction. “One of the women in chalet twenty-five doesn’t have any family, although there was some scandal about her accusing her in-laws of murdering her husband. Nothing came of her allegations, and I haven’t been able to discover anything recent on the subject.”
“Pity we don’t have time to visit her residence and ask questions in person. I worry we’ll miss something important,” Saber said. “What about the other one?”
“She comes from a military background, although sources say she doesn’t spend her leave with her family. She seems closer to an aunt—her mother’s sister. If we grabbed her, the military might become involved. The woman with no family might make things easier.”
Saber tapped his fingers on his thigh. “True. Or maybe we should scoop up both women. If they both disappeared we’d have some breathing space, rather than leaving one behind who might cause problems and raise the alarm.”
“Good point,” Scarlett said. “We’re treading a delicate line with our capture plan.”
Low, throaty laughter came from a neighboring couple. It was sexy and suggestive and the insinuation transmitted with ease. The resort employee stood and held out his hand to the woman, a Dalcon local, Saber thought.
“Care for a walk along the beach?” the man asked.
The laughter was a purr of response this time as she accepted his hand and stood.
Saber shot a glance at his sister. “You shouldn’t be here, Scarlett. It’s not right.”
Scarlett reached over and rapped her fist against his skull. “Hello? Hello? Is anybody there?”
Saber ducked out of reach. “Cut it out.”
“Then stop treating me like a kid. I know what sex is, Saber.”
“Who told you about sex? Tell me so I can shoot their kneecaps.”
“Saber!”
Saber grinned, silently acknowledging his sister was an adult. She wasn’t a cute kid tagging after him anymore. “We’re going hunting for zylon once this winds down. You wanna come?”
“You’re on. Bet I catch more cute fluffies than you.”
“You can try,” Saber said.
Romantic cooing sounded outside and Scarlett grimaced. “Ugh, I’ve seen enough. I’ll see you later.” She stood and sashayed out the terrace doors. She paused to remove her shoes before stepping onto the sandy beach.
Saber watched his sister until she blended with the darkness. They had a couple of days to observe and decide. Maybe this capture scenario was bizarre and risky, but he was doing it for his family. Once they were settled the burden of responsibility would lessen, and he wouldn’t need to worry as much about his family’s future. He could relax.
.