Choices: Alpha City, Book 3 (5 page)

Judd started pacing again. What if she discovered she didn’t want him anymore? He stopped and looked in the mirror, staring at himself. “What if she doesn’t want me?” he whispered.

“What if I do?” Judd looked up to find her awake and watching him. “I can feel what you’re thinking. I’ve wanted you ever since I first saw you, but when you ran away from me, I tried to put it out of my head. I don’t want to be hurt again.”

Judd stalked over to the bed. “I wanted you too, but I was…”

Putting her hand up to his face, Maggie stared into his eyes. “Scared. I understand that, but if we’re going do this, then let’s do it together.”

That was all he needed to hear. He lowered his lips to hers, and for the first time tasted what was to be his.

Her lips tasted like blackberries in the wild just after it rained. She was addicting. His tongue chased hers, then hit her fang, and both of them jerked away from each other. Her hand went to her mouth. “I’m sorry. They’ll come out when…” She wouldn’t look him in the face, and she backed away from him.

“If it nicked me, what would happen?”

Her face was stricken with sadness as she spoke. “It would turn you.”

He pulled away and sat back against the bed. “Has there ever been a shifter who was part vampire?”

“I’ve never seen or heard of one. Vampires don’t approve of mixing bloodlines. That’s the reason we can’t be together. I would never do that to you.” Maggie moved to the edge of the bed, shaking her head. “It won’t work, Judd, no matter how much we want it to. It just won’t work.” She pushed herself off the bed and left the room.

He sat there, going over and over what she’d said. She said there’d never been a shifter-vampire hybrid that she knew of, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be one. He’d just never thought about the possibility of being turned. Why in the hell had he never considered that? If she bit him he’d turn into a vampire and the bloodlust would be unbearable, but they would never be truly bonded if she didn’t. He wouldn’t be able to be around his pride. What if he hurt one of them and turned into someone just like Roman Locke?

Slamming his hand against the bed, Judd got up and reached for his cell phone. Damn it; there had to be another way. He ran a hand through his hair as he dialed.

“Hello,” the voice on the other end answered.

“Me-Len, I need some information.”

“Sure, Judd. How’s Maggie?”

“She’s fine, but I need to know what would happen if she bit me during mating. Has there ever been a shifter who was part vampire?” he asked.

Me-Len was quiet for a moment. “I…really don’t know, Judd. I’ll have to do some research. To be honest, I don’t know a lot about vampires, but her Maker would most likely know the answer. He’s lived a long time, from what I hear.”

“Thank you; I might just ask him. Talk to you soon.” Judd hung up the phone. He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about doing this, but Maggie was his mate and he couldn’t live without her. He had to find a way around this.

He walked into his living room and found Maggie looking out the window. “I need to go home. They made a big mess and I need to clean it up. Judith will want to return soon.”

“You can’t go back there. They know where you live.” Judd’s voice was tight, worried now that she was going to try and leave him. He walked over and took her by the hands. “Look at me, Maggie.”

He waited until she looked at him. “We’ll find a way to work this out. We’re in this together, remember?”

When her lips parted, Judd took her mouth again, then pulled away. “I won’t give up on us.” His tongue carefully played with hers, staying away from her fangs.

Pulling away, Maggie turned back toward the window. “I won’t do that to you. I would never turn you into something you hate. I almost hate myself.”

“I have a spare bedroom for you. I’m going to cook us some dinner. Just go and take a long, hot bath. Then we’ll talk more.”

“You’re not even listening to me!” Maggie barked.

“I’ve heard everything you’ve said, but like I said, we’re in this together and I promise you that it will work out.” Judd cupped her face in his hands. “Say it, Maggie. We’re in this together.”

Maggie pinned him with her eyes. “Together,” she whispered.

“Say it louder, like you mean it.”

“Together!” Maggie said louder.

Judd smiled and nodded. “Together.” He kissed her on the forehead and walked into the kitchen. He waited by the door, listening to see if she went into the bathroom, and when she finally did he started taking the food out of the refrigerator. He was grateful that she’d given him this, but she already sounded defeated. He would find a way. Even if he had to go into vampire territory himself and get the information he needed.

K
nox Russell stared
at the message again. His commander, Lt. Jones, was requesting that the others continue with the mission without him; he wanted Knox back at base. Something was wrong. Nobody ever broke protocol. It was too risky. Ransom Spencer didn’t speak much as he handed the note to Knox. He was a jaguar shifter and assigned to Seal Team Two. He didn’t try to fill in the gaps, because he didn’t know anything. He was a solider, like Knox, and he took orders and followed them to a tee.

The message read:
Shift now, and follow extraction number one.
The code word was at the bottom right—
Payroll
. Only a few people knew what he was, and Lt. Jones was one of them. It had to be bad for the lieutenant to put that in a message. If the enemy intercepted the message, they wouldn’t understand it, but he did. And his team understood they would have to go on without them.

“What the hell is going on?” Reece asked Knox. Both were squatted down behind the lush trees in the rainforest of the Amazon.

“I don’t know, but you’re in charge now, Reece. Make sure the team gets back safely. Don’t worry about me. Just complete the mission, and get home safe.” Reece Mason was a bear shifter, and they were best friends. Reece had been a good friend to him and his brother since they were young. They’d all joined the military together, but Reece followed him to the Seals. He was a good solider, and Knox had no doubt that he could handle this mission without him.

“I don’t like this at all. Command has never compromised a mission by sending this type of message,” Reece said.

“I know that, but it has the code word, and I need to leave now. Just do this.” Knox shifted without looking back, leaving his clothes and equipment behind. The others would carry all of his belongings out. He knew Reece would make sure of it. He knew Reece was upset about this, as he should be, but they didn’t always get to know the reasons behind the orders they followed. Both of them were equally qualified, but Reece was happy being his second. Until today—now Reece was in charge and Knox had no doubt that Reece would complete the mission.

Ransom and Knox both shifted into their animal forms. His panther was ready to get out as Ransom shifted into his jaguar, running beside him as they traveled through the forest. The area they were running through would have been every shifter’s paradise. Too bad it was filled with drug lords. They’d taken a village hostage and were forcing them to make cocaine. Even the children were forced to work in the fields. This mission had been planned for a couple of months. Bodies were piling up, and that was something the United States government couldn’t stand by and allow to happen. They made them work until they dropped, then worked them again a few hours later. Something had to be done, and he was glad at least the team would get to finish the mission.

The lush landscape was perfect for his kind. Trees were everywhere for jumping and climbing, and he would never have to worry about something to eat. The land provided the food for them. Wild pigs ran free through the jungle, and fish were plentiful in the ponds.

There were waterfalls everywhere he turned. He loved everything about it here. The smell of the jungle never changed. It always refreshed itself after every rain, washing away the bad as the jungle replenished itself.

The reason his team was so successful was their ability to shift and never be seen. Climbing trees was one of his specialties, and tracking his prey was another. They’d already taken out half of the drug lords’ men, and they didn’t even know it. Yet.

Knox was eager to kill them all for the inhuman things they were doing to these people. That was their mission: to free the hostages and kill the drug lords, and his conscience was fine with those orders. They’d tried to rehabilitate some of the soldiers before, but had no luck. Now they eliminated them and saved the civilians.

His team was loyal and made up completely of shifters. They had bears, wolves, jaguars, tigers, and panthers like him. They mostly all got along, and when they didn’t they were allowed to settle it the old-fashioned way—shift and go at it. Never to the death, but it allowed them to let off a lot of steam. That’s why it worked out.

After running for hours, they both shifted back and paused to drink from one the many running waterfalls. “Do you know why they sent for me, Ransom?” Knox asked, looking over at him, hoping the jaguar had overheard something.

Ransom shook his head, but he looked away without making eye contact. “What aren’t you telling me? We go way back. Give me something, Ransom.”

Bowing his head, he answered, “Your brother is dead.”

“What?” Thorn couldn’t be dead. “You’re mistaken, my brother is safe in Alpha City. He’s not in this anymore.”

“I wish I was. Something strange is going on in Alpha City, according to the lieutenant. He’s sending you and me back there to find out what, and for your brother’s funeral.”

Knox shook his head in denial. How could his brother, his twin, be dead? He’d felt that something was wrong lately, but he thought it was the mission. He’d just spoken with Thorn a week ago; he’d seemed happy and had said something about a woman he’d met.

His hand graced over his heart as he thought of Thorn. His twin was dead. Thorn had been all he had left, and now he was gone.

“I’m sorry, Knox. I liked your brother a lot. He was a good man. I don’t know anything else, or I’d tell you.”

Knox felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. They’d lost their parents when they were children, and now he’d lost his best friend: his brother.

“I wish you would let me take your pain away. I can feel it from here,” Ransom said. Knox knew he would if he could.

“I appreciate it, but I have to find out what happened. The pain is all I have of him right now.” Knox looked out into the jungle. “We need to get back. I need answers.”

Ransom shifted and waited by the falls until he was ready. Knox made a vow that he would find out how this happened and who did it, and make sure the person paid for it. He shifted and ran toward the landing zone where the helicopter would pick them up.

J
udd cooked steaks for dinner
. He liked his rare, and he figured Maggie would too since she needed blood as well as food. He placed everything on the table and then went in search of his mate. Inhaling deeply, he found her scent everywhere in the living room. He could tell she’d touched his books, and the pictures he had scattered around. He loved the fact that her scent was now embedded in the room. If he had his way, he’d be able to scent her everywhere in his home. This would soon be her home too. That was the plan.

He searched through every room, but he couldn’t find her until he heard the front porch swing moving. He walked outside to find her staring off into space as she swung back and forth. She didn’t even hear him as he came up beside her and sat down. The night air was cool, but she showed no sign of being cold; her face was expressionless.

“Dinner is ready.” Judd watched to see if that got any reaction from her. She blinked a couple of times and then glanced over at him.

“Judd, I think I need to leave.” Maggie frowned.

“Leave? You can’t go back to your house. It’s not safe.”

“I mean leave town.” She turned toward him in the swing. “Don’t you get it? I want you so much, and every time we kiss or touch, all I want to do is sink my teeth into you. And I can’t do that. I won’t do that to you.”

Judd reached over and pulled her into his lap. Pushing her hair away from her neck, he said, “I’ll find a way. I promise you I’ll find a way. We just have to be careful.”

“How? I can smell your blood now, and it calls to me. I want to taste you, and I’m so scared that if I do then I won’t be able to control it. Sex is very physical, and I want to bite you everywhere.” Maggie laid her head on his shoulder.

He didn’t know why, but hearing her say that she wanted to bite him all over got him hot. He was hard as a rock as she told him what she wanted to do. Hell, he wanted to do the same to her, and then fuck her until they both couldn’t move. The woman would have bite marks all over her by the time he was finished.

“Just give me some time to research this and talk to some people,” Judd asked as Maggie tried to pull away. “Please, Maggie, just tell me you’ll at least try. I never took you for a quitter.” Anger was an emotion he could work with; resignation wasn’t.

Maggie got angry. She got up and pointed her finger at him. “I’m not a quitter. I’ve never quit anything in my whole life, and I won’t quit on you, Judd.”

Judd stood up beside her and turned her toward the kitchen. “Good. Now, let’s go do normal stuff: eat a good dinner and then snuggle up and watch a movie.”