Bonded (6 page)

It had knocked him
sufficiently off kilter that he’d slipped into auto-pilot,
instinctively flipping her onto the ground before dropping down
beside her. But then he’d frozen, stunned by the image she’d
presented; a beautiful female laid out before him just waiting to
be taken by a conquering male. While he’d contemplated how a
nocturnal fantasy had turned into reality, she’d taken advantage of
his momentary lapse and almost gotten away. Only by yanking her
back and rolling on top of her had he managed to hold her down,
though the position had done little to decrease his growing
awareness of her.

She’d begun to
struggle in earnest then, kicking and even scratching him. Her
squirming had heightened his lust even more. His heart had begun to
pound, his awareness that it was just a demo had faded. When he’d
finally subdued her, a rush of desire had torn through him.

Her body had been
soft and yielding under his. Her scent—heady and sweet—had drifted
up, teasing his nostrils, stirring his wolf even more. And her
eyes—sea green and framed with thick lashes—had gazed up at him
with fear, desire...and submission.

That look had hit
him like a punch in the gut. His body had instantly hardened and he
hadn’t been able to resist leaning closer and absorbing more of her
sweet scent. For a moment he’d wondered if she tasted as good as
she smelled and when she’d tilted her head, offering him her neck,
he’d slipped out his tongue for a quick lick. His wolf had rumbled
in approval, urging him to bite and claim what was theirs. Only
years of training and practise in overriding his beast had saved
him from making an enormous mistake. At the last minute he’d drawn
back, assuming his professional mask and ignoring the aching of his
body.

The cadets hadn’t
been aware of what had gone on before their eyes. Reno wasn’t even
sure how much the girl had realized. She’d felt something, he was
sure. He’d seen the wolf stirring in her own eyes, smelled the
desire beginning to waft from her, but on a conscious level had she
wanted him, or had it been just an instinctive reaction? Right
after the demo she’d left and while he’d debated about looking for
her later, common sense had kept him from engaging in a pursuit.
Any attraction between them was pointless. She was a student and he
was an instructor. He didn’t want to cross that complicated
boundary nor did he have room for anyone in his life that wasn’t a
casual encounter.

Now he found
himself with her in his arms again. Were the gods being kind or
cruel? His wolf whined its interest, obviously wanting to spend
time in her company. He wavered, weighing the pros and cons. Well,
perhaps his wolf did deserve some consideration after all.

Reno quirked his
mouth and nodded, deciding to see where the encounter would go. A
few minutes in the female’s presence should be safe. “So...” He
allowed a slow smile to spread over his lips. “Your name is Brandi.
Unusual.”

“Brandy’s fancier
than moonshine.”

“Pardon?” He
blinked wondering what she was talking about.

She rolled her
eyes. “It was my father’s idea. I’m from a small town in the
mountains—you know, hillbillies, stills for making moonshine, that
sort of stuff? Well, when I was born my mama said she wanted a
fancy name for me, that her daughter wasn’t going to be as common
as moonshine. My father said brandy was fancier than
moonshine.”

“And the name
stuck.”

“Something like
that.”

He gave a soft
chuckle at the silly tale then decided to bring the conversation
around to the real reason they were meeting. “Brad mentioned that
you’re interested in talking to me.”

She paled, then
flushed and he wondered why. Was she embarrassed about their first
encounter? It certainly hadn’t been her most stellar moment in
showing off her skills. Or perhaps it was the attraction between
them that had her flustered?

Someone jostled
him from behind bringing him back to awareness of his surroundings.
Reno glanced about and frowned. “This isn’t the best place to talk.
Why don’t we sit over there where it’s quieter?” He nodded his head
towards a table near the back, then took her by the elbow and led
her away before she could answer.

Once they were
sitting down, he gestured for a waitress. “What are you drinking?
Beer?” She jerked her head in agreement and after placing the order
he turned to look at her speculatively. “So... I hear you’re
interested—”

Her face turned
bright red again, but she seemed to find her voice. “Look, I don’t
know exactly what Tabitha told you, but I’m finding it sort of
embarrassing that she actually had Brad talk to you about this.”
She picked up a napkin from the table and began to twist it with
her fingers.

Reno eased back in
his seat and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankle.
“No need to be embarrassed. This happens to me all the time.” He
flashed her a crooked smile and infused his voice with a bit of his
Texas drawl, hoping to put her at ease; she really did seem
uptight. Was she recalling their ‘fight’ and thinking he’d attack
again?

“Really?” Her
eyebrows shot up higher than he thought possible. God, she looked
cute.

He gave a one
shouldered shrug. “Sure. Lots of weres are interested in what it’s
like to be an Enforcer and I don’t mind talking about my job,
though I’ve never met a female who wanted to join up.”

“Your job?” Her
brow wrinkled. “You think I want to become an Enforcer?” She
blinked at him, looking puzzled before her face cleared and a grin
slowly appeared. Laughter bubbled from her lips and she slumped
back in her seat suddenly appearing relaxed.

“What’s so funny?”
He raised an eyebrow, not getting the joke, but enjoying the sound
of her merriment.

Brandi waved her
hand between the two of them. “This. Tabitha told you I was
interested—”

“Well, technically
it was Brad. She said something to him about it and he passed the
message along.”

“Hmm... Well,
either Brad misheard or she deliberately misled him and this is all
part of a prank.” Brandi turned in her seat and looked back at the
booth occupied by her friends. None of them appeared to be
watching. “Perhaps it
was
just a misunderstanding,” he heard
her mutter.

Reno cocked his
head, wondering what was going on. “So... You’re not interested in
being an Enforcer?”

“No!” She sounded
almost horrified at the idea.

“Well, that’s a
relief.”

“A relief? Why?”
She sat up straight again and gave him a hard stare.

“You’d never make
it as an Enforcer. You’re self-defence skills are below par
and—”

“That’s not very
nice.” She frowned at him, indignation radiating from her.

He gave a shrug
and continued on, never having been one to hold his punches when it
came to evaluating skill levels. If people thought he wasn’t
tactful, too bad. They could blame it on his rogue tendencies.
“Sorry, but it’s the truth and it’s dangerous for you to go around
thinking you have any skill in that area. I’m surprised you passed
the basic course.” When she bit her lip and shifted her gaze, he
looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Or did you?”

“I passed...sort
of.” Brandi squirmed when he continued to stare and finally
continued. “All right, it was a mercy pass.” She looked down at the
table top and then peered up at him as if ashamed at having been
caught. “The instructor knew I was trying hard and really needed
the credit.”

Reno sighed and
thought he should reprimand her, however the way she looked up at
him through her lashes appealed to his softer side—wherever that
had come from! He found himself giving an understanding nod. “I
won’t say anything, but you should consider retaking the
course.”

“I do much better
in my wolf form.” She lifted her chin a bit and sat up straighter
as she made her pronouncement.

“Don’t we all? But
phasing into a wolf isn’t always possible, so knowing a few human
defence tricks never hurts.” He allowed his lips to curve into a
faint smile to take the sting out of his words while considering
her carefully. “So if you’re not interested in Enforcement, what
was your friend talking about?”

“She meant I was
interested in...” Her voice trailed off and she suddenly seemed to
be absorbed by a napkin she’d been holding, smoothing out the
wrinkles and then carefully folding it. Reno found himself enjoying
the way her cheeks stained red. Not his usual sort—he tended to
choose tall blondes like Tabitha, Brad’s latest girlfriend—but this
little rounded package was...different. For one thing her red hair
was fascinating.

When she didn’t
continue, he prompted her. “Interested in...?”

“You.” The word
was spoken so quietly he almost missed it.

He cocked his head
and analyzed her answer with professional detachment. She wasn’t
just another groupie looking for the thrill of getting it on with
an Enforcer. No, embarrassment and the thinnest edge of hope laced
her voice. Not a good sign. There were still some shades of naiveté
about her. Definitely not the kind of female he needed to get
entangled with.

“Oh.” Okay, time
to back off and let her down easy, he told himself. No strings, no
attachments. That was his motto. “Now that’s a coincidence. I think
I’m interested in you, too.” Reno blinked in surprise. Where the
hell had that come from? He’d had no intention of saying that!

Brandi stood up.
Setting down the remainder of the napkin she’d ended up shredding
with her fingers. “Look, I’m sorry to have wasted your time. This
is all just a big—” She stopped as his words must have suddenly
registered and stared at him in surprise. “You’re what?”

“Um...” He paused
not sure what to say, but his basic honesty prevented him from
allowing her to think she’d misheard. “I’m interested in you too. I
haven’t met many red-headed wolves before.” A little qualifying of
his answer couldn’t hurt, he assured himself.

Brandi gave him a
funny look and slowly sat back down. “Oh. Yeah. It’s pretty
unusual. It’s not quite as red when I shift, though.” She tucked
her hair back behind her ears, then seemed to realize what she was
doing and dropped her hands into her lap.

Reno smiled at her
obvious nervousness. Yep, this was definitely more entertaining
than he’d thought it would be. When his friends—fellow
instructors—said they were going out for the night, he’d envisioned
having a beer or two at a sports bar and watching a game on a big
screen TV. The Academy pub had come as a surprise, though perhaps
not totally unpleasant. Being surrounded by fellow Lycans allowed
one to relax and act natural without fear of discovery.

Later in the
evening, when Brad had sought him out and reminded him of his
promise to talk to Tabitha’s friend, he’d figured it would just be
a quick chat. After all, a female Enforcer was unheard of. Now he
hoped the conversation would take a lot longer. His conscience
pricked him, but he told it to shut up. There was no harm in a
little conversation. He wasn’t promising her anything.

Their drinks
arrived and surprisingly enough she did ask him about his job as an
Enforcer.

“So is it true
what they say?” She was looking at him speculatively while taking a
sip of her beer.

“Is what
true?”

“That most
Enforcers would be too dangerous to have in a normal pack?” No
sooner had she uttered the words than she winced and ducked her
head, seeming regretful. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked
something so personal.”

Reno shrugged and
gave a dry laugh. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing new and yeah,
most Enforcers are borderline rogues, ready to go over the edge if
we’re not kept in line.”

“Rogues? That’s
awfully harsh.” She frowned at his words. “I’ve always envisioned
Enforcers more as frustrated Alphas that didn’t have a pack to use
up all their protective energies.”

A frustrated
Alpha. Huh. Is that what you are, buddy? He asked the wolf inside
himself before focussing back on the female sitting across from
him. “You’re trying to put a pretty spin on a harsh reality. For
most Enforcers, our innate personality makes us aggressive. We want
to lead and dominate, but a pack can only have one Alpha and they
don’t usually want to give up the position.”

“So in the
interest of pack peace, you choose to leave your home. You put the
needs of the pack first.”

“Or we’re forced
out before we become a threat.” He shrugged, feeling uncomfortable
with how she was trying to elevate his particular brand of wolf to
something nobler than it was. He knew the facts, having seen his
assessment file when he entered the Academy all those years ago.
Learning he’d been classified as potentially dangerous was a shock,
but he preferred reality to fantasy. It wasn’t a pretty label, but
he’d learned to accept it and had made the best of his life.

She frowned,
obviously not happy with his interpretation of the facts and he
tried to reassure her.

“Hey, it’s not
that bad. Lycan Link is a great place to live. I have some good
friends there, enjoy my job—”

“But it makes no
sense. If all the Enforcers are these dangerous near-rogue types,
how is it that you aren’t always fighting?”

“There are
confrontations, believe me. Some have more trouble integrating than
others—there’s even a screening process to see if potential
Enforcers can handle being around the others—but with no real
‘pack’ to fight over it’s easier and we’re kept busy dealing with
situations all over the continent. Besides that, the captain is
uber-dominant and keeps us all in line.” Reno chuckled thinking of
all the times the man had literally wiped the floor with one or
another of the men when they’d become too cocky.

He spent the next
while entertaining her with tales of his life as an Enforcer,
sharing a few of his more interesting cases before moving on to how
instructor stints compared to being in the field.