Her mouth was against his hand. Her lush, soft lips pressed against him. It was the first time he’d touched a female in what felt like forever.

A year and a half was how long it had really been, but it felt so much longer. Her scent was of wild roses and candy. The hard sugary kind. A treat to be savored. Anger flashed in her dark eyes. They were even more beautiful when narrowed and blazing.

“Please. I need to listen. I don’t trust them.” He removed his hand. There was no way he was touching her again. He could only pray that she actually listened to him.

The female gasped, she put her hand over her mouth for an instant. “Shit!” she whispered. “You’re not human,” she mumbled to herself.

Titan shook his head. He put a finger to his lips. “Shhhhh!”

Richard Evans returned to the hallway from a bathroom break. If he didn’t pay close attention he would miss the real agenda. Those two had a plan and Titan would bet big money it didn’t have his or his people’s best interest at heart. Titan cocked his head so that he could hear better. “Let’s move a little down the hallway. These vampires have excellent hearing,” the male said.

Yeah, we do!

The other female, Stewart, didn’t say anything. Two sets of footfalls could be heard retreating.

Not far enough, asshole.

“What’s going on?” A little softer but still audible. “Why the hell did you put Walters forward?” he spoke under his breath, his tone was abrasive.

“Sir, I know you want her out and this is the perfect way to do it,” the female paused. “Let the vampire head this whole thing up. Let him have his task force of two.” She gave a humorless laugh. “We both know this operation is a recipe for failure. I want nothing to do with it and I’m sure you feel the same.”

“The president wants this taken care of,” Evans snarled despite the hushed tone. “I can’t wash my hands of it. That bloodsucking idiot is about to get me into hot water. When this whole thing blows up, it’s my ass on the line and I’m taking you with me.”

“That’s not going to happen. We’ve been told to stand down and that’s what we need to do. The vampire wants control ‒ well, he can have it. Lock stock and barrel. When he screws this whole thing up we’ll take over and save the day. I’ll take charge with a real team of agents. Qualified agents. You said you wanted Walters gone and this is the best way to make that happen.”

“What are they saying?” the female, Natasha Walters, whispered as she stepped towards him, breaking his concentration.

“Quiet, I need to hear this,” Titan growled under his breath. She gave a quick nod.

He refocused on the conversation happening down the hall. “…to them. I like it though,” Evans said. “You’re onto something here. I mean, who does this bloodsucker think he is? How the hell is he going to find this band of thugs all on his own? He’s going to stand out like a sore thumb. Probably get himself killed in the process.” The male sighed. “What about Walters though? I like the idea of getting rid of her by bringing her onboard. It’s like killing two birds with one stone, but the vampire doesn’t seem keen on her. Can’t say I blame him. She’s been a disappointment from the start.”

“It doesn’t matter whether she works together with the vampire or not. Either way we can get her out.” The female laughed, this time, the sound was light and airy. She meant it! “If Titan chooses not to work with her, we’ll make him fill out a formal grievance. After all, he has his reasons for not wanting her as a partner. Can’t say I blame him. It’ll be the last black mark we need to get her dismissed. If he refuses to sign, he’ll be forced to take her on anyway.”

Titan made a growling noise from deep in the back of his throat.

“What is it?” Natasha Walters whispered. He ignored her, keeping his focus on the conversation outside.

“And if he brings her onboard it’s just a matter of waiting for the ticking time bomb to take care of itself.” Richard Evans laughed. “I knew there was a reason I liked you Stewart. We should grab a drink after work today.”

“I-I’m working till late. It’s the Marino Case,” Stewart sounded much less confident.

“I’m only in town for one night.”

“Still, sir, I …”

Titan turned his attention back to Natasha. “What is it? You just heard their conversation didn’t you.”

He gave a nod. “We don’t have much time. I need you to be very honest with me.”

She clenched her jaw, her eyes flashed with more of that anger from before but she gave a sharp nod.

“What happened to make Richard Evans dislike you so much?”

She frowned. “How did you know …?”

“We don’t have time to delve into this.” He could hear their conversation draw to an end. “What happened? He wants you gone.”

The female’s eyes moved to the ceiling and she pushed out a breath. “He was at my graduation ceremony and came to congratulate me personally afterwards. I thought it was because I had been assigned to his division.” She looked him in the eye. “He got handsy. I wasn’t game.”

“Handsy?” Footsteps sounded, they grew closer. “We only have seconds. Explain.”

“He put his hands on me … my ass … my …” Her cheeks turned pink as she pointed in the general vicinity of her mammary glands.

“He initiated sex?”

She nodded. “Made it clear that’s what he wanted. He invited me back to his hotel room for drinks.”

Titan clenched his jaw.

“I turned him down and he vowed to ruin my career. I’ve worked too hard for too long to have it end like this. I’m out, he’s found a way to get rid of me. I’m right aren’t I?” She chewed on her lower lip, her eyes blazed with anger and frustration.

Fuck! The last thing he needed or wanted was to partner with this female. If he didn’t take her she was out cold. She wasn’t his concern though. He needed to stick to his original plan. It did not include this female or any female for that matter.

Stewart and Evans walked back into the room and Titan had to fist his hands at his sides to stop himself from punching the smug look off of the other male’s face.

Natasha looked down at her feet. She sniffed a couple of times. Titan could tell that she was trying not to cry. Whether from sadness or anger, he wasn’t sure.

“It’s up to you, Titan. This is your show,” Stewart went on. She hooked a strand of hair behind her ear. “If you would prefer another agent to assist you, I can have some files sent to your hotel room. You would be free to interview any and all of the candidates. I’ll include Special Agent Walter’s file.” The female glanced at Natasha who lifted her chin. The female stood tall. Even in the face of defeat, she pulled herself together. Titan respected her for it.

“No.” He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”

“No problem, I’ll send you a couple of alternates.” The other female winked at him and he had to stop himself from growling at her.

“I’ll start the paperwork as discussed.” She looked over at Evans who smiled and nodded. “You will need to sign some paperwork as to why you decided not to work with Special Agent Walters. Nothing to be concerned about. Red tape and all that. You can go Walters.” Hard as nails. The female didn’t bother looking at her subordinate as she spoke.

Natasha didn’t say a word. She kept her head held high and walked out of the room. He could hear her heart pounding, could scent her anger and her pain. The female was hurt. His own heart-rate picked up. He hated to see such injustice.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Richard Evans checking out Natasha’s ass as she walked away. The male grinned. Fucker! The dickhead was both a sexist and a bigot. His whole body vibrated with the need to pulverize the male’s face. Titan had made some mistakes in his past. He had paid, continued to pay. Guilt still tasted bitter on his tongue. This asshole didn’t see anything wrong with his actions though. It was so wrong and on so many levels.

“Um … Titan …” Kimberly Stewart looked unsure, she widened her eyes for a second. “You’re grinding your teeth. Is something the matter?”

“Yes,” he paused. “No … no,” he added, sounding like a fool. “Everything is fine. When I said that sending Agent Walter’s file wasn’t necessary, you misunderstood. I don’t need her file because I have decided to partner with her on this operation.”

The female narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure? You don’t have to take her, you know?”

“My initial feeling was that she was overqualified, but since I am only taking one person with me back to Sweetwater, I may as well take the best.”

“Actually …” Richard Evans began.

“Good thinking, Titan,” Kimberly said, using a patronizing tone. “I will inform Walters that she will be accompanying you.

What the hell was he doing? It wasn’t too late to change his mind. He couldn’t leave the female to her fate though. He couldn’t do it. Maybe it was guilt over his past actions. Whatever the reason, the outcome was still the same. Titan nodded.

The rest of his plan would remain the same. He would keep the agent ‒ it didn’t matter that she was a female ‒ busy and out of his way. He would find the bad guys and make sure they were brought to justice. Then he would go back to his kings, his castle, his people and would continue protecting the human females who came onto vampire territory. He would continue to make amends for his actions. Maybe one day it would be enough.