Enforcer's Heart: (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Stratton Wolves Book 3) (8 page)

Ce cleared her throat and carried on. “I don’t know why but I had an odd feeling about them, so I moved closer to cover Kelli.”

Riley heard the slight catch in Max’s breath. She might not have realized it, but with that one simple act, Ce had gained Max’s respect, and he was a hard man to impress. Riley felt his chest expand with pride at his “charge.” She wasn’t fully turned, but she’d still put herself in danger to protect Kelli without a thought.

“They slowed. All big men, plus six foot easily. Wearing cuts but without badges. And they looked new, not worn. No helmets, but glasses. One with a full facial beard. Another had a tattoo wrapped around his upper arm. Nearest arm to me, so that would be the right.”

Her voice grew calmer as she rattled off details, obviously sliding deeper into her cop persona. Maybe. Riley watched her like a hawk. The paleness of her skin due to the blood loss and the tiny waiver of her bottom lip bothered him. On impulse, he reached for her hand. A thrill rolled through him when she accepted his touch without question. Slid her fingers between his.

“Then?” he urged. They could pull the security camera feeds from the buildings, but that would take time. Besides, with her background, she could have insight they wouldn’t get from the digital feed.

“They dropped out of the three across formation. One went in front, one dropped behind. Pulled handguns, started firing.” She frowned, her gaze unfocused as though she was looking into the past. Riley was impressed, she had excellent recall. Definitely a bonus in her line of work. “The first one couldn’t have got off more than a couple of shots before he passed us, but the whole move was practiced. Had to be, otherwise they’d have gotten in each other’s line of fire.”

Max nodded, his expression preoccupied. Riley knew that look. Max knew or suspected something about the attack.

“Fuck.” Ce dropped her head back. “If I’d just had my gun, then I’d have popped the back tire on the last one and we’d have an ID and an arrest.”

Both male wolves nodded, while Kelli avoided eye contact, none of them willing to clue her in that there would have been no arrest . Just a body for the next of kin to identify.
If
anyone turned up.

“Wait…what? I thought you said you didn’t shoot a lot?” Riley asked. “You’re telling me you’re good enough to shoot out a tire on a moving target?”

She shot him an amused look. “Actually I said I didn’t get hit a lot. My target scores are the best in the department.”

“What?” He couldn’t help the question or the hint of jealousy that colored his voice. “Even better than loverboy Tom? Can’t be much of a man… First doesn’t protect you from a shifter, then he’s a shit shot.”

Anger flared in her eyes, lightening them by several shades. “Tom could shoot a flea off your back at a hundred yards,” she said, her voice cold. “I could give you a shave and a haircut while I’m at it.
And
for your information, Captain FA, I don’t need a man to save me from anything.”

“Captain FA?” He would regret asking, he knew he would.

“Captain Furry Asshole,” his sister added helpfully, and with more than a little glee. “I have to say it rather suits you.”

Even his glare didn’t stop her giggles. In fact, it only made them worse, until tears streamed down her cheeks. Ce wasn’t laughing. Instead, she studied everything in the room but him. With a sigh, he turned his attention to Max.

“What do you think, boss?”

“I need to make some calls.” The alpha’s demeanor was grim. “They knew the lay of the land and Kelli’s schedule so that means someone, somewhere, talked. Until we find out who, I suggest you take Ce up to the cabin. Kelli, you and the kids will be visiting Kristen at her beach house for a while. At least until this dies down. And I know you’ve been dying to see her. No!” he growled when she started to argue. Then his voice softened and he stood to take her in his arms.

“You’re my entire world…I can’t do this with you and the pups in danger.” His hand dropped to stroke over her belly. “All of them.”

Riley looked away, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment. His gaze collided with Ce’s and his wolf surged, trying to break his control. He relented enough to let it take a peek through his eyes. It grumbled but didn’t struggle, seemingly content with reassuring itself she was okay.

“That’s the plan then,” Max said, arm still around Kelli as he turned back to them. “I’ll deal with this side, you get our guest up to the cabin…Captain,” he added with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

Riley sighed.

He was never going to live that down.

***

When Max had said the pack had a cabin in the hills, Ce imagined a quaint little log built affair with cute quartered windows and mismatched curtains. The type of woodsman’s cabin featured in soppy chick flicks. Or horror movies, but she really didn’t think even a hardened serial killer wanted to take on a pack of werewolves.

What she hadn’t imagined was a freaking palace with remote controlled gates.

“
This
is the cabin?” she asked, her voice more of a squeak as Riley threw the remote back on the dashboard. Up ahead, an imposing structure played peekaboo through the trees. Two-story with wraparound panoramic windows, it would be the closest thing to actually living
in
the forest, for about a hundred people.

“Yeah,” Riley’s reply was non-committal, all his attention on the dirt track in front of him.

“That,” she paused for emphasis. “Is
not
a cabin. Nothing that fits my entire apartment block in it can possibly be described as a ‘cabin.’ What the hell do you people do with something that big? Hire it out for weddings?”

“Nah, we hold orgies and BDSM parties here.”

Her head whipped around. He caught her amazed stare and laughed, the muscles in his forearm bunching as he put the big truck into park. “You should see your expression now. No darlin’, we don’t hire out for weddings or hold orgies or anything. But when the full moon rises and the pack runs, we need a place to crash after. Somewhere private and close to nature.”

He leaned on the steering wheel, arms crossed and blue eyes piercing as he looked at her. As though he could see into her soul to the wildness growing ever stronger there.

She swallowed. She’d been so convinced this was all a horrible mistake. Sure, she’d been “bitten” but it was a little scrape, barely more than a paper cut across her skin… there was no way she’d have gotten the lycan virus from something so small, surely?

Since this whole thing had begun, she’d told herself it was all about people being too careful. Taking no chances in case she had been infected, but that infection was just a minute, outside possibility. The full moon would come and go without incident. She wouldn’t go four-legged and furry…it would all be hunky-dory and she could go back to her normal life.

But looking into Riley’s eyes, set in a face a model would envy and a body that would make any hot-blooded woman sit up and take notice, she had to admit there might be a few advantages to the furry life.

“Yeah, it is close to nature.”

Suddenly the truck cab felt too enclosed and small. As though the tiny space were getting smaller, crushing the life out of her. Gasping for breath, she yanked on the door handle and fell out to escape.

As soon as her hands hit the dirt, something shifted sharply within her. The change so abrupt and knifelike she gasped, fighting for breath.

“Shit! Ce? Ce…are you all right?” The truck’s other door opened and slammed shut. The sound of Riley’s boots on the packed dirt were like hammer blows to her sensitive hearing.

“Hey, darlin’. It’s okay. I got you.”

Within a heartbeat he was there, lifting her with strong arms into his embrace. Instinct made her turn to him, the same changes that scared the crap out of her, also telling her he would help. That he might be the only one who
could
.

She shoved the thought away. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she sick? Had the bullet that had grazed her arm been poisoned? Could bullets be poisoned, or was that just in the movies? Her mind raced a mile a minute, feeding possibilities to her, each with a more horrific outcome than the last. Oh shit, she was going to die…

“Look at me, darlin’. You okay?”

She lifted her head to meet his gaze and sucked a breath as shock washed over his features. Almost instantly, his expression tightened, hardened, and his eyes flared amber, no blue left.

“Oh, shit,” she moaned as fire washed over her skin. Skin that felt three sizes too small and scratchy. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

A small muscle in the corner of his jaw pulsed. She couldn’t look away, the temptation to lean forward and press her lips against it almost running away with her.

“Not bad, exactly.” His voice was hoarse, a low, growly note in it that she hadn’t heard before. Her body clenched in response, her clit throbbing in time with her pulse. “You’re turning, Ce. Faster than I’ve ever seen it happen. You’ve already gone into needing.”

*

“Needing? What’s that?” Her voice was husky with her emerging wolf and he had to fight back the howl that wanted to climb the inside of his throat. A howl that, should it emerge, would quickly turn into a howl of possession and claiming. And after Jenna, he had no right to be claiming anyone. His wolf growled, not wanting to think about that bitch and Ce in the same thought.

She was so delicate in his arms, but at the same time she’d shown such strength of character and personality that even human, she would have tempted him to break his own rules about dating non-shifters. The fact she was undergoing conversion—that already her wolf was powerful enough to push her into her first needing, something that shouldn’t happen until at least a year after infection—almost shattered his control on the spot.

He held still for a moment as his wolf snarled and fought him. It wanted to claim the female. Now. Before she turned completely and any other males got near.

The man argued. There was no way he could claim her during her needing. During the heat phase, a female would agree to anything as long as sex was involved. A male could easily get her to agree to mate.

Yes, sex. Yes
. His wolf—a horn-dog at the moment—was more than happy with that idea.

Her fingers bit into his shoulders when he turned and strode toward the house.

“Needing. It’s a female’s heat phase.”

He shouldered the front door open. It was never locked since the place was open to all the pack and their other forms didn’t have pockets for keys.

It was no more than a few steps to the couch, but it seemed like a thousand miles. Her scent, laden with wildness and need, became chains wrapped around his limbs. His dick jerked savagely in his pants. It wanted out. Wanted to be buried deeply inside her. Wanted now.

As though she sensed his inner struggle and was determined to torment him further, she moaned and arched her back. The move pressed the swell of her breast against his chest.

“Is that why I feel so weird?” she moaned, the human color of her eyes almost eaten up now. The darkness of desire and the amber of her new wolf fought for dominance and real estate.

“Do you have a boyfriend? Lover? Husband?” His own wolf snarled in fury at the question, but he had to ask. He wasn’t an asshole who would use a woman’s vulnerability against her. No meant no. If it meant him locking her in the basement to ride out her heat phase, then he would. Even if it gave him the worst case of blue balls he’d ever had.

“No.” She shook her head so violently he thought it would spin off her shoulders.

“What about Tom?” Fuck. He really was determined to punish himself, wasn’t he? The thought of her with the smooth-voiced human sent a wave of jealousy through him so strong he felt fur trying to poke through his skin.

“Tom?” For a moment she look genuinely confused, then laughed. “
Hell
, no! We’re like brother and sister. Ewww, just
ewwww!
”

Thank fuck for that. His relief allowed the merest hint of a growl to escape his throat.

Instantly, her gaze riveted on his and he was forced to suck in a hard breath. It was a look he’d never seen on any human before, and not many wolves, either. Certainly not when they looked at him. It was the look of a predator. One that had sighted its prey.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine and around to caress his balls.

“Good.” Shit, his voice was way too low. Way too rough. It betrayed his need. “Because if you’d said yes, I’d have tracked him down to rip his fucking throat out.”

As he bent his head to claim her lips, he realized he meant it. She was his, all his, and no other man would touch her again. Not as long as he drew breath.

Chapter Seven

Riley’s lips claimed hers. In that instant, everything Ce thought she’d known about herself was blown away like autumn leaves in a whirlwind. She’d always considered herself a modern, independent woman. The kind who took care of herself, both financially and emotionally. A sexually liberated woman, confident in her own identity, who didn’t need a man to complete her.

Yet when his mouth covered hers, demanding entrance, she was ready to yield to his every desire. Ready to submit like the heroine of one of her grandmother’s bodice-ripper romances. The ones she’d always made fun of but had secretly love to read.

She moaned and wriggled to get closer to him. Hard to do when he still held her in his arms. His tongue stroked hers. A dance of pure primal need.

God, the man could kiss
. She whimpered, the sound muffled under the pressure of his mouth. He let go of her knees, slid her down his hard, muscled body even as he demanded her response with a wicked tongue.

And was that… Oh my
.

A thrill ran through her as the thick, hard length of his cock pressed against her soft belly. She’d felt him before, but each time he seemed bigger. Would it even fit? Heat rolled to center in her core, and liquid heat slipping to dampen her panties.

He broke the kiss, his lips leaving a trail of hard, almost biting, kisses along her jaw.

“You’re mine, Ce.” The words were low, rough. Each one marked with a kiss down her throat as if to underline his claim. “The moment you ran from me, you were mine.”