H eat seared down Sarah’s spine as Devon’s lips devoured hers. His hands held her neck. Though his grip was loose, nothing could have moved her. His tongue was gentle. Demanding. Insatiable. She fought the lust threatening to consume her. His kisses, a drug she could easily become addicted to.

Devon whispered against her lips. “You taste like cinnamon and honey. I will never get enough of you.”

She clutched the front of his shirt tightly.

“This is crazy.” She couldn’t understand her attraction to Devon.

It was intense. Her best friend was gorgeous and as much as she loved Gerry, she’d never felt this kind of attraction.

She was there to do a job. Despite her last name, she had worked hard to become a Ranger.

She never failed in a hunt, always bringing down her prey.

She needed to get her emotions under control.

She was like a lit firecracker in a room full of explosives.

She tried pulling away. Devon’s lips had her enslaved, her will slipped away as she gave into the sensations.

His body continued to radiate a solid warmth that held her captive.

His hands were possessive as they slid slowly down her arms and around her back, pulling her closer to him.

The shrill ring of the cell phone in her pack startled her.

She pushed away, turning her back to grab the phone from her pack.

She should thank Devon for carrying that too, but she needed to get her head on straight. “Hello.”

Gerry’s voice was upbeat. “Hey, Sarah. You coming home tonight?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. I forgot to call you. I haven’t found the cougar yet so I’m staying at the lodge in Mount Adams tonight. We ran across it today so I’m hoping to flush it out tomorrow.” I completely forgot my dinner plans with Gerry.

“No worries. You never fail. You’ll get him tomorrow... is Sam with you?”

“No. I’m with Devon Cascade. We’re on Cascade property so he’s helping me track the cat.”

Gerry chuckled. “I’ve heard about some of those Cascade boys. They’re real flirts with the women. I’m guessing your uniform might be a bit of a turnoff, though.”

Sarah laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s the gun.”

“Okay honey. Good luck tomorrow. I hope you get that critter.”

“Me too. Bye.” She never had a chance to turn around. Devon flicked the phone from her hands. It bounced on the carpet as his arms encircled her from behind.

“You should have mentioned you had a boyfriend,” Devon growled into her ear. He was furious.

She struggled in his grasp. “Gerry isn’t my boyfriend. He’s my friend. Not that it’s any of your business.” He grabbed harder.

“Everything to do with you IS my business,” Devon snarled. He sounded more like an animal than a man.

She tried to turn, but Devon held her firmly. “Let go of ME,” Sarah shouted.

“In a moment. Tell me about Gerry.”

Sarah knew Devon was dangerous. Not to her.

She sensed she was important to him. However, she couldn’t figure out why.

She struggled between wanting to assert her authority and needing to set his mind at ease.

Need won. “Let me go and I’ll tell you.” When he released her, she turned quickly and shoved him.

Devon didn’t move. The force pushed her backward, inflating her anger. “I don’t answer to you,” Sarah hissed.

He raised his eyebrows. “No, but you don’t go back on your word, do you?” His lip twitched. He knew he was right.

“You’re not winning any points with me,” she said.

His voice lowered. “If this is a game. I need to know who the other players are,” an unveiled threat hung in the air between them.

“This isn’t a game, and Gerry isn’t an opponent. He’s my friend... and my roommate.”

Devon’s jaw twitched. His eyes practically glowed. “Have you ever had a sexual relationship with him?”

Sarah startled. “What? I’ve never...” She clamped her teeth together. “You have no right to ask me those kinds of questions. I think you should leave.”

Devon rubbed the back of his neck. “I apologize. This is the first time I’ve felt jealous before.”

He continued to surprise her. He wasn’t lying. She’d never met anyone who admitted they were jealous. He seemed so forthright about everything. It was refreshing. “Why are you jealous? You barely know me and you know who I am.”

“I know who your father is. I don’t know you... but I plan too.” After she blushed, he added , “Tell me about Gerry.”

Sarah pushed her hair behind her ear. “We were in the same private school together. Later when I wanted to go to a regular school, Gerry went with me.”

“He seemed more than just a friend when you called him sweetie.” Devon’s eyes were ultra-focused.

“I don’t know why I need to explain myself, but I went through a rough time four years ago. Gerry was there for me when no-one else was.”

Devon’s voice softened. “Where was your father?”

“My brother was killed on a hunt in the Sahara. It was the start of an awful few months for me. I try pretty hard not to think about that time in my life.”

“I’m sorry. I saw your brothers’ death on the news. Were you close?” The sympathy in his voice surprised him.

“No. He was ten years older than me. My mother had some health issues, so I spent most of my time with her. She died when I was eleven. I barely saw my father after that.” She had loved her soft-hearted mother.

“Does your father blame you for her death?” The anger had crept back into his voice.

“No. He just had no use for a girl. He spent all his time with my brother. Although, he did hire professionals to train me. He wasn’t the same after Donny’s death.

” She told him as much of the truth as was comfortable.

“My father made my life difficult for a while. I was so distraught, one day I asked Gerry to marry me and run away.” She recoiled at the ridiculous memory.

Devon’s demeanor changed. “You asked Gerry to marry you?”

“First. I was attempting to run away. Second, Gerry laughed. He said he didn’t think that was what I really wanted.

Of course, I apologized the next day. Gerry was fine with it.

He’s the easiest-going person I know. He always has my back.

And I never have to explain myself.” Admittedly, she’d secretly thought she’d marry Gerry.

Now she wasn’t so sure. Her attraction to Devon was something she’d never prepared for.

His voice rumbled. “He was right to set you straight. You weren’t his. And if you ever try to run from me. Be warned, Sarah... I will hunt you down.”

Her body ignited. While his dominant nature rubbed her the wrong way, his voice didn’t.

He was the opposite of everything she wanted in a man.

Dominant. Bossy. Inquisitive. Unfortunately, her body and mind were not in agreement.

She rolled her shoulders to shake off the unwanted lust, taking a good look at him to figure out why she was burning for him.

Her analytical mind looking for a solution to the natural attraction.

“There is no getting away Sarah,” he said.

“Reading my mind?” She replied.

“You shifted your body toward the door and glanced at your gun.”

Crap. He was good. She scanned him slowly from head to toe. “How did you get the scar on your temple?” Devon’s face hardened. For the first time since they met, she was afraid of him.

Devon let the familiar anger wash over him. As irritated by the question as he was, he still appreciated how Sarah had turned the tables on him. He needed to get the rest of the story about Racheal.

“I went on a hike. It ended badly,” he said.

She took a step back and squinted. “Your lying.”

“Why would you say that?” It wasn’t completely a lie. He’d started that day with a run up the mountain. He’d had four legs at the time, but she shouldn’t be able to pick up that difference.

She glanced towards her gun and shivered. “If you don’t want to tell me the full story, just say so. Don’t lie or avoid the issue.”

Devon became suspicious. “You seem certain, Sarah. Were you told about my disappearance?”

“Disappearance? ... no, I didn’t know. I’m sorry Devon.” She took a step toward him. He didn’t wait. He pulled her to him. Kissing her. His tongue thrusting into her mouth without mercy. His anger a wound only her body could heal.

Sarah pulled her mouth away. “I need to know what happened. Who took you? How long did they hold you? How did you get away?” There was anguish in her eyes. “I will tell you everything about Racheal. Things that only Gerry and I know. Please tell me everything.”

Something in her desperation swayed his decision.

“I started my day with a run up the mountain. It was sunny. Beautiful. It was the last beautiful thing I remember until I saw you. I was scouting around when I was attacked. There were seven males. I was overpowered and taken back to their compound.”

She clutched his shirt. “What did they want? Money?”

“I had no idea. They tortured me, but never asked for anything .” I can’t tell her about the coyotes, yet.

“How long were you held captive?”

His fingers lightly traced her face. To remind himself she was real. “They held me for two months. The scars are from the beatings.”

She smiled. “You fought them.”

“They pitted me against several of them at once. I won’t burden you with the details.”

“How did you get away?”

“My family tracked me down. Rescued me.”

“Were they prosecuted?”

“Not by your justice system, but they were punished.”

Her eyebrows arched. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that. Maybe I should...”

“It was a long time ago. Please let it go. I have,” he said.

“Have you? Because it doesn’t feel like it.”

Devon put his lips close to hers as he pulled her tight against his growing erection.

“What exactly does it feel like Sarah?” He felt her body’s reaction immediately.

She became pliant under his hands. Snuggling closer to his warmth, her chin nuzzling his.

He thought it an unusual action until he smelled the scent of her arousal.

It was a potent aphrodisiac. He wanted her.

His gaze fell on her wet uniform laying on the floor, drawn to the yellow embroidered letters on her name patch.

She kissed his neck. His body was on fire. His cat pushing him to take its mate. He wanted her more with every breath, but her name was a death sentence for his family. “Sarah,” he said gently. “What happened to Racheal?”

Her eyes were closed. Pain etched clearly on her face. “She’s gone.”

She didn’t want to think about Racheal or what happened to her.

Sarah just wanted to focus on the hard, warm body pressed up against her.

She welcomed the feelings he resurrected in her.

That the world was a safe place and people survived impossible situations.

She kissed his neck more intensely. His earthy scent making her feel alive. A fiery warmth in a once cold body.

Devon rubbed her back. “Tell me what happened to her.”

She withdrew. “Do we have to talk about this now?”

He smiled. “I have the feeling if we don’t you may distract me so badly; I will forget to ask later.”

She was shocked by her own candor. “And that’s bad, why?” Who was this hussy and why was she showing up now?

Devon chuckled and kissed her nose. “Please tell me,” he said in his most contrite voice.

Sarah sighed. “I told you how I met Racheal. After I stood up for her that day. She stayed close to me at lunchtime and after school until I was picked up. At first, I found her a little irritating. Gerry didn’t like her at all, but after a while, her kind heart and brilliance won him over.

We both realized early on that she was going to do great things. ”

“What did she study?”

“Biology. Chemistry. Everything in between. When we were trying to make a flashlight out of a potato, she was writing magazine articles on DNA sequencing and gene splicing.”

“She sounds brilliant.”

“She was,” Sarah whispered.

“Was?”

“She disappeared four years ago.”

“How did it happen?”

“We were living together. She texted me saying she would be late for dinner. She already had a job at N-Zime Labs, but she was heading to an interview with a competitor.”

“Was N-Zime questioned in her disappearance?”

“Extensively. They didn’t know about the interview and were confident they could have beaten whatever she was offered. They were devastated by her disappearance. A year later the company was sold.”

Devon rubbed her back. “She never texted anything after that?”

Sarah hesitated. Only Gerry knew about the other message. “There was one more, but I haven’t been able to make sense of it yet.”

“What did it say?”

“I asked her why she was considering leaving N-Zime. She sent me a copy of a message she was sent that day.”

“And?”

“It said. What is both animal and man? If you want to find out meet us tonight.” She felt the change in Devon immediately. His body stiffened. His hands stilled on her back.

“Devon? Do you know what that means? I thought it was some kind of riddle. I’ve looked for references, but other than werewolves or other mythical creatures I couldn’t figure it out.”

“It does sound like a werewolf reference. What was she working on when she disappeared?”

“I’m not positive, but I think it had something to do with coyote reproduction.”

“Fuck!” Devon’s tone was harsh, startling Sarah. “I’m sorry. I hate coyotes. I was attacked by a pack of them once. They’re vicious creatures.”

“You’ve had some brutal luck, haven’t you?”

“Something like that.” Devon said.

Her intuition kicked in immediately. There was more to this. She sensed by the expression on his face he would not be forthcoming. But she was a Ranger, and she would find out what Devon was keeping from her.