Page 49

DAMON

I smelled Amber, my second in command, before she beat a fist on the door to my office. While keeping my eyes on the paperwork before me, I said, “Enter.”

Before the door flew open, a trace of peaches and cream hit my nose. My jaw muscles locked in place.

Holy shit.

Amber stormed into the room like a cyclone rolling in.

Behind her, a lithe female with tight dark brown curls that flowed to her ample hips, and eyes of melted chocolate, swept in behind Amber.

My breath hitched in my throat. I hastened to fix a disinterested look on my face.

My inner bear shot to his paws, purring in glee—the damn beast becoming a teddy bear.

I fisted my hands, grappling with the sheer desire to seize a strand of her hair and twirl the ringlet around my finger, sifting through the soft strands.

Visions of dipping my head and licking the caramel skin of her slender throat floated through my mind.

I’d like to kiss my way down her collarbone and linger on the dusky brown buds of her nipples.

It was a tempting idea to lay Sasha down over my desk and feast on her—my inner bear was randy and ready. Except the hate gleaming in her eyes gave me pause. Wolves were the enemy, and Sasha didn’t seem to have forgotten that glaring fact.

Fuck it all to hell.

I shot a withering scowl at Amber. Why in the hell my beta brought my mate to me, was anyone’s guess. But I would raise hell later. Sasha spoke, and my gaze flicked to hers. My inner bear wouldn’t tear his eyes from her.

“I have a pressing matter that I need to discuss with you.” She studied Amber for a few seconds. Then returned her focus to me. “I will allow your female to remain in the room.”

Amber’s fangs poked out.

I shot Sasha a knowing look with my eyes slitted in annoyance. Yes, I was a bear and pride came with the territory, but one thing I wasn’t was stupid. The little female had dug her claws in just enough to remind me of my demand that she speak with me alone earlier in her own territory.

I nodded for her to continue.

She rolled her shoulders back and let out a frustrated huff. “I have decided that I will help you with your investigations of the human murders.”

The breath stalled in my lungs. Nothing could have prepared me for the shock I felt at that moment.

I blinked, attempting to quell my satisfaction.

It would only irritate the female. Now, I could solve this problem and remove the stain from the werebears’ reputation.

It could prevent a war that would be too costly for both sides.

I heard the purring in my mind, the damn bear preening for Sasha.

I paused. To work with Sasha meant exclusive time spent with the female.

Time to eye her delicious curves, feast my gaze on the swell of her breasts.

Then, my father’s face flashed to memory. The grooves bracketed his grin as he saluted a farewell before taking a group on patrol. That was the last time I saw him alive.

The next time I saw him, someone had ripped his throat out, the stench of wolves covered his body.

I shook my head, as thoughts rendered me speechless.

Get your head out of her ass! She’s the enemy. A damn wolf.

Sasha pursed her plump lips, waiting for my decision, and my cock twitched. I’m fucked.

I pasted a cocky grin on my face, biting back a snarl. “Glad you finally came around, darling.”

A soft growl rumbled from her throat. She approached my desk and placed her hands on top of the cool wood. From this position, she towered over me.

“If we’re going to work together, we are co-leading this operation,” Sasha said.

“That means we pool our resources. My pack has hackers and informers that I’ve already ordered to gather intel.

” She pushed away from the desk and placed her hands on her hips.

“Send your bears out to research—start asking around—based on said intel.”

All I could do was stare, slack-jawed, like an idiot. My brain had abandoned me and my cock was near to bursting. How sick was it that I found her dominance such a damn turn-on?

“Police files show that they have targeted multiple trails.” Nick, one of Sasha’s informants, informed us.

We stood in a large cabin, no bedrooms to be seen, only a centralized living room.

Computers and top-of-the-line equipment outfitted multiple desks, flanked the four walls.

My eyes tracked the kid working at his station as he clicked on page after page of data on the screen.

And the male was a kid, no older than nineteen, thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, freckles smattering his face.

“You hacked classified files?” I raised a brow.

Nick glared at me from under his black rims, clenching his teeth. “Yea.”

The kid, like the rest of the latents that sat at their respective desks, didn’t want me around.

Well, tough tits.

I straightened and pushed my dominance out, letting the power roll off me. If this runt wanted to throw down, I’d take him up on it. Gladly.

“Nick…” Sasha said. A soft warning.

The kid’s shoulders sagged, his lower lip jutting out as he lowered his gaze and returned to typing on the keyboard. Shock punched through me. The runt was sulking.

“Like I said, the files have pulled up multiple trails.” Nick peered up and rolled his eyes.

Sasha bent at the waist and squinted at the screen. “Which trails?”

Nick pointed them out. “Ousel Falls, Golden Trout Lake, Yellow Mules Trailhead, Beehive Basin, Teepee Creek… the list goes on.”

“Forward those coordinates to my phone.” Sasha stood and turned to me. “I’ll send my men out.” With lifted brows, she added, “And You’ll be doing the same?”

I nodded. “I’ll make a call to Amber. She can whip up a group to head out.”

“Good. Then that leaves you and I to…” She stared back at the screen. “…check out the Uplands Trail.”

My inner bear growled at the idea of Sasha going to the scene of the crime, where the killer could still lurk?

“The hell you are!” I barked at her.

She glared at me, hands on hips. “What?”

I dropped my voice, thinking she’d be more apt to listen to reason. “You’re not going anywhere near that trail.”

It’s not safe for you.

Her eyes sparked like embers. “I’m a latent, not a human.

” I swore under my breath. Sasha misread my intent, assuming I meant she was too weak to hold her own.

She marched toward me, crowding into my space, the top of her head almost reaching my chest. “You have no right to order me around. Need I remind you I’m an alpha?

” With teeth bared, she whispered, “I’m nothing to you.

So stop with the overprotective bullshit. ”

I stared down, my dominance jolting her. The little female didn’t even flinch. I whirled on Nick and a growl escaped my chest. “Leave us.” My gaze swung to the other latents in the room. “All of you.”

Not one person rose from their chair. A few even held my dark glare. Nick looked at Sasha, his expression hard as he awaited her orders. My bear stood on his hind legs and roared.

Sasha relented and sighed. “Out. Everyone.”

At her command, the room emptied, everybody filing out the front door. But not before casting me dirty looks. As soon as the door closed, Sasha lunged. She jabbed her finger into my chest, fangs protruding out over her lips.

“You have no right to order my pack around. Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Your mate.”

Shock exploded across Sasha’s face, mirroring the disbelief roiling inside me.

Where the hell did that come from?

I wanted to punch myself for spewing those words and wished to snatch them back.

Her upper lip curled to expose wicked fangs. “ Rejected mate. You have no say over me about what I do or don’t do. So take your dominant male, overprotective shit, and shove it up your ass.” She looked me up and down. “And stop that rumbling. Tell your bear to get his shit together.”

In an instant, the rumbling stopped, but my emotions went haywire, and my bear had taken control over my body—growling.

I raked a hand through my hair, tugging at the ends. “Listen, I can’t switch off centuries of damn instinct. The bear doesn’t want you hurt.”

Sasha tossed her hair over one shoulder and turned on her heel and stalked out of the cabin.

I blinked, realizing she was dismissing me.

I didn’t know whether to roar or laugh. After shaking my head, I dashed after her.

By following her smell, I found Sasha inside a garage with rows of vehicles tucked inside.

Sasha weaved around cars, and stopped by a forest green Jeep.

She pulled some keys from her jeans pocket and unlocked the vehicle, moving to the driver’s side.

I was on her in an instant, my hand fisted around hers, holding the keys. She raised a questioning brow.

“I’m driving.”

“No, you’re not.” She yanked her arm, but my hold was like a steel band.

“I didn’t ask. Give me the keys.”

“This is my vehicle! I don’t let anyone drive Sadie.”

A tug pulled at the corner of my lips. So, she names her vehicles?

“Sadie is in capable hands,” I shot back.

Sasha ceased struggling. Her eyes took on a speculative look. I narrowed an eye at her, dread mounting.

She moved like liquid, crowding me, her body sliding against mine.

Her curves hit all the right places, molding to all my hard spots, like someone made her for me.

My hand jerked, dropping from her, fisting at my side.

Her eyes grew hooded, lush lips parting.

I swallowed hard and watched her every move—my eyes glued to her.

Sasha smoothed her hands down my chest and whispered, “Will I be in capable hands with you? Or are you only nice to trucks?”

It was a struggle to speak past the lump in my throat. I dug my claws into the palms of my hands to keep from grabbing her hips and dragging her core against my rock-hard erection. “You don’t even have to ask that.” Damn, my voice sounded husky, raw with need.

A small grin tugged at her lips. Moisture flooded my mouth. All I had to do was dip my head a fraction and I could capture those pillow-soft lips.

Then she was gone. And losing her body heat left me cold. I blinked, trying to make sense of the space in front of me. I heard an engine roar to life and spun around. Sasha sat behind the wheel, flashing me a smug grin.

My mouth fell open. The little minx had played me. A low growl erupted in my throat, and I threw open the passenger door, slipping into the seat. Sasha eyed me, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. I flung myself back in my seat and folded my arms. She threw her head back and laughed.

Damn wolves.