Authors: Paige Tyler
contacting the rest of his team or knowing where Buchanan had taken Ivy. The lodge was the most likely
place. Leaving Stutmeir lying there, he turned and headed in that direction.
He was just running down the hill on the far side of the lodge when he heard someone coming at him
from the other direction. He hesitated, ready to duck behind a tree so he could jump whoever it was, but
then he caught a glimpse of a plaid shirt and long, shapely legs.
Ivy
.
Landon sprinted though the trees, desperate to close the distance between them. Ivy threw herself into
his arms, holding on to him so tight he could barely breathe. He held her close, burying his face in her hair
for one long moment before pulling back to look at her.
She blinked, her eyes going wide at the blood running down his arm. “Oh God, you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine. Stutmeir, not so much.”
“You got him?”
“I got him.” Landon frowned as he took a closer look at her. There was blood splattered across the shirt
he’d given her to wear. And it was fresh. He didn’t see any visible wounds, though. “Ivy, you’ve got blood
all over you. What the hell happened?” He ground his jaw. “I’m going to kill Buchanan for leaving you
alone.”
“He left because I made him leave. And this”—she gestured to her shirt—“isn’t mine. It’s Jeff’s.”
“Jeff?” He frowned. “Your ex-partner? What was he doing here?”
Landon’s blood went from a simmer to a rolling boil as she told him about Jeff working with Stutmeir,
the DNA samples the two doctors had taken from her, and about Jeff trying to rape her again.
“That bastard.” Landon clenched his fists. “I’ll kill him.”
“That’s chivalrous, but unnecessary.” She cupped his cheek. “I already killed him.”
Landon shook his head. “You shouldn’t have had to go through that again.” He pulled her into his arms
and pressed his lips to her hair. “If you’re going to slay all your own dragons, what do you expect me to
do?”
“Love me.”
“I do love you. I love you so much it hurts.” He gently tilted up her chin. “You’ll never know how sorry
I am for letting you get captured. I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
Ivy put her fingers to his lips, silencing him. “It wasn’t your fault. I got captured because I zoned out
again. We both know that. The important thing is that you came back for me. You risked everything to
rescue me, and that means the world to me.” She kissed him. “
You
mean the world to me.”
Something clogged Landon’s throat and he swallowed hard. He didn’t deserve her.
He covered her mouth in a long, slow kiss, then reluctantly held her away from him. “We’d better get
back and check on everyone else.”
She nodded, entwining her fingers with his as he led her back toward the lodge. “I forgot to tell you. I
figured out how to keep from zoning out.”
“You did? How?”
She smiled. “I thought about you.”
***
no one else had gotten seriously hurt and the hybrids had all been killed. She only got a few minutes to talk
to them, however, because Zarina appeared with her clothes and insisted she change out of her bloody shirt.
When she came back a few minutes later, Angelo was telling Landon that none of the hybrids would let
themselves be taken alive.
Ivy sighed. “I can’t believe what you guys put yourselves through for me.”
Angelo slipped his arm around her shoulders. “You and Landon are together, so that means you’re
family now. There isn’t anything the guys and I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Even though you know what I am?”
“What you are is the brave, beautiful woman my best friend is in love with. Like I said before, that
makes you family.” Angelo grinned. “And it makes Landon the luckiest guy on earth.”
She laughed despite the tears stinging her eyes. Going up on tiptoe, she kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you.”
He hugged her tightly, then glanced at Landon. “I’ll call you.”
“Hey, Angelo,” Clayne called as the sergeant headed for the door.
Angelo stopped, half turning to look at him.
“You and the rest of the snake eaters did good out there today.”
Ivy looked at Clayne in astonishment.
Angelo grinned. “You didn’t do too bad yourself, shifter.”
Ivy gave Landon a curious look as he put his arm around her. “Snake eater?”
“Slang for a Special Forces operator.” He eyed Clayne. “Tell me again how we wiped out a small army
of hybrids and military-trained soldiers of fortune, and somehow end up letting the two doctors who
tortured Ivy escape?”
Ivy held her breath, waiting for Clayne to blow up at Landon, but he only frowned. “I told you, I
tracked them to the main road. They must have hitched a ride with a tourist or something because there was
no sign of them when I got there. No scent, either.”
Zarina worried her bottom lip. “Klaus and Renard have samples of Ivy’s DNA. If they figure out how to
manipulate it, they could make hybrid versions of Ivy. One that has the strength of the creatures you fought
here today, but with Ivy’s agility and control.”
Landon swore.
“Zarina, there are people in the DCO who’d love to use this whole thing as an excuse to shut down the
shifter program and boot Ivy and me out.”
Kendra gave the Russian woman a pointed look. “Which means you can’t tell anyone they have her
DNA.”
“I won’t.” Zarina looked at Ivy. “You saved my life. The least I can do in return is keep your secret.”
Kendra visibly relaxed. “Okay. Now for our next problem. How are we going to explain all of this when
you two”—she gestured to Ivy and Landon—“were only supposed to be out here doing recon?”
Landon exchanged glances with Ivy. “We’ll say Stutmeir and his people were going to kill Zarina and
that we had to move in.”
“Then you’d better make damn sure you convince them you two did it on your own.” Kendra folded
her arms. “If you imply you had outside help or that Clayne and I backed you up, Dick will be all over it.
He’ll say it was a violation of every rule and regulation the DCO has, and talk the members of the
Committee into shutting down the EVA program. Maybe even the entire DCO.”
Clayne’s mouth edged up. “The secret to making a lie believable is to limit the details and stick to the
highlights. Don’t give them any information they can use to catch you in an inconsistency. If they press you
for details, pull out the old fog of war excuse.”
Meaning she and Landon would be hazy about exactly how they had overcome such an obviously
superior force all by themselves.
“You make it sound like you do this on a regular basis,” Kendra said.
His grin broadened. “Practice makes perfect.”
Ivy seriously doubted he lied as much as he claimed.
“The DCO’s going to want you to secure the lodge until the cleanup team arrives,” Clayne said. “I’m
going to go pack up the weapons and whatever ammo is left so Kendra and I can drop it off at the storage
unit. We have to make it look like most of that equipment was never used.”
Ivy caught his arm. “Clayne, wait. Landon and I need to talk before you go.”
“About what?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Ivy saw Kendra take the Russian doctor’s arm. “Zarina, can I talk to you
for a minute?”
Ivy could have kissed Kendra for being so perceptive. She waited until the two women were out of
earshot before turning back to Clayne.
“Are you going to tell the DCO about us…Landon and me?”
She probably could have been a little more tactful, but with Clayne the direct approach was best.
Clayne regarded them for a moment. “No. If they find out about the two of you, it won’t be from me.”
“Why don’t I believe that?”
His mouth quirked. “Because I just told you I make a habit of lying? Or maybe because I’ve been an
asshole to the two of you?” He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a heavy sigh. “Look, Ivy, I did and
said some things I’m not proud of. I’ve always just wanted you to be happy, and I can see Donovan makes
you happy. I wish like hell he didn’t, but he does. I know what it feels like when you can’t be with the
person you’re supposed to be with. I won’t do that to you.”
Understanding from Clayne? He must have gotten hit in the head during the fight. Ivy wanted to ask
what he meant, but now wasn’t the time. She didn’t have to worry about him telling the DCO about her and
Landon—she could satisfy her curiosity later.
“Thank you.”
“Sure. I, um, better go load up the car.”
Giving them a nod, he walked out.
Landon pulled the satellite phone from the duffel bag on the floor. “I’m going to call John.”
Ivy listened as Landon related what had happened—the fabricated version anyway. She didn’t know if
she should be impressed he could lie so convincingly, but she was.
Chapter 18
The debriefing had been hell thanks to Coleman. If the assistant deputy director hadn’t seen pictures of
the hybrids’ bodies, he probably wouldn’t have believed anything she and Landon said. Ivy was just glad to
be done with it.
Kendra was waiting for them outside the conference room. “Tate’s team is back. They finally
apprehended the shifter that ran them all over the mountains. They’re taking him to an interrogation room.”
They intercepted Tate’s team on the way. The guys all looked like hell. It wasn’t unusual for operatives
to get beat up when they went after a rogue shifter, but Tate, Gavin, and Brent looked as if they’d been
through a war—or at the very least, one heck of a nasty fight. Declan was the only one not sporting cuts,
scrapes, and bruises. And that was probably only because they’d already healed.
Ivy tore her gaze away from Declan to focus on the shaggy-haired, bearded shifter shuffling between
him and Tate. He had the look of a caged animal surveying his surroundings, waiting for a chance to bolt.
As if sensing her gaze on him, the shifter lifted his head to fix her with a piercing look. She took an
involuntary step back as she caught his scent.
Crap
.
She leaned close to Landon. “He’s a hybrid.”
Landon stiffened and swore under his breath.
“Tanner? Oh my God!”
Ivy jerked her head up to see Zarina hurrying down the hallway. Shock flickered in the man’s hazel
eyes, and he probably would have met her halfway if Declan didn’t hold him back. Tate stepped in front of
Zarina, but the Russian woman brushed past him as if he wasn’t there. Ignoring the restraints on the
hybrid’s wrists, she caught his hands in hers.
“I can’t believe you got away,” she said. “I was so afraid they’d catch you.”
“They tried. I was more worried about you.” He searched her face. “How did you get away?”
“They rescued me.” Zarina threw Ivy and Landon a quick look over her shoulder. “This is the man I
told you about—the one I helped escape.”
“She could have mentioned he was one of Stutmeir’s abominations,” Landon muttered.
And that he was dangerous. But looking at the hybrid standing there with Zarina as if they were long-
lost lovers, it was hard to picture him ripping poor innocent hikers to shreds. Ivy wanted to ask how Tate
and his team had managed to apprehend him, but John showed up before she could.
“Take him to Interrogation One,” John said to the two armed DCO operatives with him. “And keep the
restraints on.”
Zarina frowned at the cuffs on Tanner’s wrists, then whirled around to face John, her blue eyes cold.
“Why is he wearing those?”
“It’s all right, Zari.” Tanner’s voice might have been soft, but his face was hard as he glowered at John.
“No, it isn’t all right.” She looked at John. “Why is he in handcuffs?”
John gave her a placating smile. “It’s just a precaution, Doctor.”
He nodded at the two armed guards. One of them walked over to take custody of their prisoner while
the other took Zarina’s arm to move her out of the way.
“Let go of me—”
Tanner roared. Fangs flashing, he lunged for the guard restraining Zarina, claws extended. Declan and
Tate grabbed the hybrid at the same time the second guard drew his weapon and aimed it at Tanner’s head.
Ivy shifted, letting out a soft growl along with her claws. Beside her, Landon tensed, preparing for a
fight.
Zarina struggled against the man who held her. “No! Please don’t hurt him.”
“Then tell him to calm down and we won’t have to,” John said.
The Russian woman turned pleading eyes on the hybrid. “Do as they ask, Tanner. Please. For me.”
The hybrid hesitated, as if torn between ripping apart everyone within reach and giving in to Zarina’s
request. After a moment, his claws retracted and he relaxed, the fight going out of him.
“Get him to the interrogation room,” John ordered.
“I’ll be right here when you come out,” Zarina promised as the two guards dragged him down the hall
and into the interrogation room. Her mouth tightened as she watched John follow and close the door behind