SavageLust (13 page)

“I thought so too. I told Jacie to dig around that area on
her laptop as a last resort but it’s just a shot in the dark. I mean, it had to
come from someplace, right?” He looked around. “Who’s riding fence today?”

“Harley is,” Dan told him. “I keep telling him he can leave
that to you younger guys but you’d think I’d given him the ultimate insult
instead of trying to make things easier for him.”

“No shit,” Russ snorted. “Talk about someone who’s gonna die
with their boots on. Let’s hope he doesn’t decide to spend the night at the
line shack just to spite us.”

“I’ll give him a holler on the radio late this afternoon.
But you know as well as I do, if he’s made up his mind there’s no talking him
out of it.” Dan resettled his own hat on his head. “Let’s get to it, then. We’ve
got one more section of the herd to move before we’re done for the winter.”

* * * * *

Dante found Regan in the war room, sitting between Ric and
Sam Brody. All three were working at keyboards on the long desk against the
wall. Sam was another one who had yet to head an investigation for the team,
although he’d taken trips to Georgia and the Florida Panhandle to check out
reports around the same time Jonah went to South Texas on the case where he met
Dakota. A former detective with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Sam was
one of the six original shifters. He was a big man, quiet and thoughtful, and
seemed angrier than the others that someone had decided to mess with DNA to
create creatures from a nightmare.

“What we have as shifters is an ancient heredity,” he said
once. “Whoever is doing this has not only created a frightening beast but is
also disrespecting all of us.”

Even though he wasn’t a shifter himself, Dante agreed. He
recalled that conversation as he walked into the war room and saw Sam sitting
there. Now, with Regan in his life, his anger and rage at the person behind the
creatures had taken on a new dimension.

He crossed the room to stand behind Regan, resting his hands
lightly on her shoulders. She jumped when he touched her, then relaxed when she
turned and saw it was him.

“Sorry.” She gave him a fleeting grin. “I guess I was just
so focused on what I was doing.”

“What are you guys working on?”

Ric leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. “This
thing at Wolf Mountain really messed with all my programs’ parameters,” he
sighed. “But when I get this new program written, I’ll be able to create
predictors as well as eliminate certain areas. I’ll also search for any of the
usual indicators, like carcasses of small animals. Maybe even pets at outlying
homes.” He inclined his head toward Regan. “She’s been helping me do searches.
She’s damn good at this stuff.”

Regan shrugged. “Comes from helping my brother with his
work.”

“But we don’t have an existing search engine with the right
parameters. I’m going to fiddle around with it for the next few days and see
what I can come up with.”

Sam said, “We’ve gotta figure out where the thing will
attack next. It has to be close. So far, it seems a spot is always selected
then narrowed down within the county to a smaller area. Each group of kills has
been within a tight geographic circle.”

“It hasn’t hit a victim in a crowded area like the park
before,” Ric reminded them. “We need to know why. And whether its hunting
parameters have changed permanently or if this was an aberration.”

“Jesus.” Dante whistled softly. “This just gets more and
more complicated.”

“I think that’s what whoever is breeding them wants. To
confuse us and everyone else so we never know where it’ll strike next. So we
can’t be prepared.”

“I think I need a drink.” Dante nudged Regan up from her
seat. “Can they spare you for a bit? I’ll open a bottle of wine or get you
whatever drink you want.”

“Good idea.” She rose from her chair, one hand clutching his
arm, lines of strain showing on her face. “That okay with you, Ric?”

“Absolutely. I think you’ve gotten enough to absorb for
now.”

“I want to work on this with you some more,” she assured
him. “I know I can contribute more than just my computer skills.”

“I agree.” He gave her a tired smile.

“Thank you.”

He leaned back in his chair again and rotated his neck to
stretch the muscles. “Dante, just so you know, I put in a call to the chief of
the Texas Rangers, Brad DeWitt, while you were gone.”

“Craig’s suggestion?” Dante asked.

“All mine. We’ve been pussyfooting around this and doing the
political tiptoe dance. Meanwhile, we don’t know where this thing will attack
next. We need the manpower of the Rangers and they need our knowledge and
expertise.”

“So what was the response?” Dante asked.

“He was busy so I left a message. But If I don’t get a
return call in another couple of hours I’m going to try again. Oh, and hey,” he
called after them as they headed out of the big room. “Mark got an itch to
broil steaks tonight. Dinner’s at seven.”

“We’ll be there,” Dante assured him.

He tugged Regan along as he left the room, taking a detour
into the kitchen for a bottle of wine. “I’d like to put your things in my
suite. Okay with you?”

“Oh. Absolutely.” She let out a long, slow breath. “I don’t
think I want to be alone anyway.”

He could just imagine. A lot was crashing down on her in a
short time.

“I think I know a way to make you feel better.”

And he did. Not only that, he badly wanted to. For a moment
he had the feeling he was stepping into quicksand but he shook it off. Maybe
Regan was his key to learning to live again. Whatever this was, he knew he
couldn’t turn away from it.

They stopped briefly in her room for the bags he’d dropped
off early. He carried them through his sitting area and into his bedroom
proper, putting the two bags on his bed. Some of the tension eased from his
body when she unzipped the duffel and began to put things away in his bedroom.
Folded items in an empty drawer in the bureau. Her clothes beside his in the
closet. Her things next to his in the bathroom.

He sat back on the bed, leaning against the pillows,
enjoying the sight of her as she walked back and forth, the graceful way she
moved, even the way she bit lightly on her lower lip as she decided where to
put each item.

“Everyone’s been so nice,” she told him. “Nobody’s acted
like it was weird that you just brought me here and now I’ve moved into your
space with you. Not to mention the whole ‘Hello, I’m a shifter’ thing.”

He chuckled. “I’m sure they get a good read from you or we’d
be having a different conversation.”

“I’m really grateful.”

He started to tell her what he wanted wasn’t her gratitude,
but decided that when she finished putting her things away, he’d show her
instead.

“Thanks for getting my herbs.” Regan held up the plastic
container divided into compartments. I really need them.” She studied the
container. “I’ll probably have to order more soon.”

“To keep your wolf under control.”

Her eyes widened at his words. “How did you know?”

“Impossible not to know stuff like that when most of the
people you live with are shifters. And you won’t have to do any ordering.”

A hint of panic flashed across her face. “But—”

“Remember this morning when Dakota said she had work to do
in the garden?”

“Yes?”

“When Jonah met her, she was living in a cabin in South
Texas and growing a wide variety of herbs. All kinds of herbs. She sold them at
farmers’ markets and places like that, and even has an internet site where she
sold the harder-to-find ones.”

He could see her processing the information. “So she grows
whatever you—I mean the
others
—need?”

“She does. Plus the ones she still sells on her website. You
might take a minute to show her what you’re using, just in case she needs to
add a thing or two. I’ve been told different people sometimes have different
requirements.”

She gave him a smile that pierced his heart. “I know I’ve
been here less than twenty-four hours but for the first time in a long time, I
think I might be fitting in.”

She looked at the books she’d scooped up from the bed, then
glanced at Dante.

“For you or for me?” she asked.

“For both of us.”

“Really?” She blinked back tears threatening to spill from
her eyes. “Dante, I don’t know how…I just…”

He cleared his throat. “It’s okay. I, uh, thought I’d do
some studying up on shifters and maybe you can help me. Answer some questions
and stuff.”

She swiped at her eyes, still juggling the books. “You mean
you’ve never discussed it with any of the shifters on the team?”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “To tell you the
truth, Regan, I haven’t really talked to anyone about much of anything. I
joined Night Seekers with one purpose—to find and destroy the beast that killed
Felicia. I wasn’t interested in anything beyond that.” He cocked his head.
“Until you came along.”

The look she gave him was so filled with emotion, his entire
body clenched in response.

“Dante, I—”

“Hey. It’s okay.” He pushed himself off the bed and pulled
her close. “I just want to make sure you know it’s all good here. Really.”

“Thank you so much. For everything.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s get your stuff put
away and then we can discuss how you can thank me properly.”

“Okay.” She looked at the briefcase and turned back to him.
“My work stuff. I need a desk to set up my laptop and a place to put my
sketching materials.”

“No problem.” He reached for her hand. “This way.” He led
her back through the sitting room and into a large alcove. An L-shaped desk was
set up against two walls, with a comfortable-looking chair, and a small table
sat in front of a bay window. “I never use the desk. I do all my computer work
in the war room with Ric. And I’m hoping this light will be good enough for
your drawing. We can get an easel brought in for you. Anything you’d like.”

She studied him for a long moment, teeth still worrying her
lower lip. Then her lips curved in a smile and without warning, she threw
herself at him, winding her arms around his neck.

“Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.”

“Hey.” He wrapped his arms around her. “No big deal. And it’s
my pleasure.”

He tilted her head and lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss
began slowly, just meant to be soothing and reassuring. To ease the tension he
could feel running through her body like a high-voltage wire. But the moment
she slid her hands up to thread her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer,
all gentleness fled and he ground his mouth against hers.

Her breasts pressed to his chest, the nipples such hard
points he could feel them even through her sweater and his shirt. The kiss went
from tender to greedy to ruthless in less than sixty seconds. He wanted to lick
every sweet inch of her, absorb her into his system.

Jesus!

What was happening to him?

Then his brain took a vacation as his body took control. His
tongue invaded her mouth, licking and tasting, teasing her own tongue to tangle
with his. Her taste flooded him, igniting his nerve endings and swelling his
cock so it strained painfully against his fly. He ate at her mouth, drank,
sipped, took in every bit of it, all the while reveling in the feel of her hard
nipples biting into him and the press of her body against his.

More. He needed more.

Yanking up the hem of her sweater, he slid his hands along
the warm skin of her back until he reached the clasp of her bra. A flick of his
fingers and it was open, one hand skimming around to cup a breast. His thumb
teased the beaded tip, his reward her indrawn breath that pulled his tongue
farther into her mouth. When he pinched the bud with his fingers, she moaned,
her lips still tight against his, the sound warming every space inside him.

Her hands reached to tug his shirt from his jeans so she
could reach bare skin, her fingernails raking over the flesh of his back.
Shivers danced along his spine at her touch. He moved a hand to her hip,
pulling her to him even more tightly, until his heavy shaft ground against her
pubic bone. She was wet for him. He could smell her essence even through her
clothes.

Shoving one large hand into her slacks, he found the bare
skin of her ass beneath flimsy panties, and squeezed and kneaded until she
cried out into his mouth. And still he kept their lips fused together, his
tongue busy thrusting and licking. He trailed his fingertips along the crevice
of her ass cheeks. She scraped her nails along his back again before slipping
her hands around and wedging them between their bodies so she could find his
nipples. Her nails brushing back and forth sent a blast of heat through him,
his blood pumping faster and hotter.

Holy shit!

He needed to get them naked as soon as possible or for the
first time since he was a horny teenager, he was liable to come in his pants.
Reluctantly he tore his mouth from hers and yanked her sweater over her head.
He tossed it aside, her bra quickly following. Dipping his head, he fastened
his lips around one nipple, sucking it hard as he undid her slacks and pushed
them and her panties down past her hips.

“Wait!” She broke the kiss. “Shoes. Have to take off my
shoes.”

He waited impatiently as she toed them off, then he knelt to
finish removing the rest of her clothing. He was eye level with her cunt, her
curls a darker shade of gold than the hair on her head, gleaming at him
temptingly. His fingers unexpectedly shaking, he spread the lips of her pussy
and slowly drew his tongue the length of her slit.

Oh Jesus!

How was it possible that every time he tasted her, it was
better than the time before? She was an erotic combination of sweet and tart,
and the scent of her filled his nostrils. He tugged lightly at her clit with
his teeth, drawing erotic sounds of response from her throat. She pressed her
hands against his shoulders to balance herself, her fingers digging into him as
he lapped and nipped and sucked.