Lover's Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novella (6 page)

“Have you tried tracking them to see where she’s being held?” Nikan asked.

Antoine nodded. “Over the past few weeks I’ve tried a couple times. They’ve been very careful each time they come to see me.”

“How often is that?”

“Three times a week.”

Nikan frowned. “Why did they rough you up this morning? You’re their cash cow. It doesn’t make sense.”

The vampire rubbed a hand over his ribs, as if in pain. “I demanded to talk to her. They haven’t let me talk to her in a week and I told them if they didn’t let me today, I was walking away. I . . . wouldn’t have, but I’ve been going crazy thinking about her. Last time we spoke she was in good spirits and it didn’t sound as if they’d hurt her, but these two are animals. I can only imagine what they’re capable of. This morning they stopped by to ‘remind’ me who was in charge.”

Nikan reached out and tugged Esperanze close. This weekend was supposed to have been about her seduction and pleasure. He’d even planned to stay a few extra days, spend more time with her, maybe do some touristy sightseeing stuff. Dealing with rogue shifters selling vamp blood? Something he’d never imagined. He wanted to pack Esperanze up and get the hell out of town. Keeping her out of danger was his number one priority, but she’d hate him if he did. And the truth was, he’d hate himself if he walked away from helping an innocent human.

“We’ve got to help him.” Esperanze wrapped her arm around his waist, curling into him as she nuzzled her head against his chest.

“I know.” His fingers tightened on her shoulder as he looked at Antoine. “I want to know every single thing you know about these two shifters. Everything you’ve noticed no matter how small.” He turned to Esperanze, his voice automatically softening. “And I need to know the info you memorized from that ID.”

“That was Gregorio,” Antoine said.

Esperanze nodded in agreement. “That’s what it said on his license.”

Names might not be much, but at least they were a start. Before joining with the Armstrong pack, Nikan had lived on his mother’s reservation. For decades, the elders of his Potawatomi tribe had come to him to settle disputes because of his shifter ability to scent lies. He’d also been called upon by local law enforcement for help in tracking lost kids or missing persons once paranormal beings had come out to the rest of the world. He might not like the idea of staying in DC, but he liked the thought of helping out an innocent.

* * *

Esperanze sat on the edge of the big bed in her and Nikan’s hotel room. Antoine sat at the small breakfast table, his head in his hands. He might have changed out of his bloody clothes and completely healed from the bruises and lacerations, but he still looked awful.

Seeing him so torn up broke her heart, especially since she understood his worry. The thought of losing a man she cared about—namely Nikan—shredded her insides. She’d put herself in Antoine’s shoes earlier as he’d told them why he was giving up his blood, and she couldn’t find any room in her heart for judgment. If someone took Nikan, she’d do anything to keep him safe.

The realization had slammed into her with startling force. She might want to deny how much she cared for him, but it was becoming impossible. Considering how he’d stepped up and was helping Antoine with no concern for his own safety made her feelings for him swell even more.

Antoine had cancelled his speaking engagements today and she wouldn’t be going to anything else either. Nothing mattered now except helping his friend.

She nearly jumped when the hotel room door opened, but her heart rate steadied when Nikan stepped inside. They’d been very careful after leaving Antoine’s hotel, but Nikan still wanted to make sure they hadn’t been followed.

“We’re clear.” He pulled out his cell phone as he spoke. She knew who he was calling before their Alpha even picked up.

“Hey, man. How’s the conference? You and Esperanze mated yet?” Thanks to her extrasensory abilities she could hear Connor’s questions clearly.

Hearing that question made her heart stutter and her breath catch. Nikan stared at her, his expression completely unreadable. She held her breath as she waited for him to answer.

“We’ve run into a big problem.” Nikan’s voice was rock steady.

Something that felt a lot like disappointment surged through her when Nikan didn’t even touch what Connor had asked. Intellectually, she knew it wasn’t the time or place to even care about his nonresponsiveness, but it stung in a way she didn’t completely understand. Mating with an alpha wasn’t something she’d ever planned on. Of course she’d never planned to fall for a warrior like Nikan either.

Silently, she waited as Nikan outlined to their Alpha everything that had just happened. Nikan also gave him all the information they had on the two shifters’ identities to pass on to Ryan, their resident computer genius/hacker at the ranch. Finally her Alpha spoke and her spirits plummeted. “I can’t spare the manpower right now. Not with everything going on at the ranch. Everyone’s still healing from Alicia and Carmen’s deaths and there are still members of the Antiparanormal League who want us dead. I only let you go because—”

Nikan cut him off, his dark gaze never wavering from hers. “I know why and I appreciate it.”

Fighting the urge to look away, Esperanze stood, ready to grab the phone and plead with her Alpha for more manpower, but Connor continued. “But I might know someone in the area who can help. I’m going to make a call, but in the meantime I’ll let Ryan know about this, so be waiting for a text or e-mail from him. Sit tight and give me half an hour.”

“Will do. Thanks.” Nikan slid his phone in his pocket after they disconnected.

Antoine, who had been silent, finally let out a small groan. “Your Alpha isn’t going to help us. Why would he help a vampire?” Anger laced each word.

“Because he cares about our pack,” Esperanze snapped, angry at her friend’s depressing attitude. “I’m sorry your friend is being held captive, but I just lost my sister and cousin. Before that half my pack was wiped out from poisoning so stop feeling sorry for yourself! You’re not doing Chandra or yourself any favors by acting this way. That’s pathetic and it’s time for you to man up.” She felt bad for her harsh words, but he needed to snap out of his pity party or they’d never accomplish anything. Right now it wasn’t about him. It was about an innocent woman being held captive.

Antoine stared at her for a long moment, his blue eyes unblinking. The temperature in the room felt as if it dropped a few degrees with the icy stare he gave her. He stood suddenly, and behind her she felt Nikan move closer. His arm snaked around her waist as he pulled her close so that her back pressed against his chest.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Antoine’s voice was monotone as he strode toward the bathroom.

Instead of turning around she laid her head back against Nikan’s chest, drawing on his raw strength and warmth. “Was I too harsh?” she whispered even though it was likely Antoine could hear her over the water she heard from the bathroom.

Nikan shook his head, his chin moving over the top of her head. “No, someone needed to say it. It’s better that it came from you. Now we just wait for Connor’s call.”

Esperanze hated the thought of just waiting, but there wasn’t much of a choice. Unfortunately it would give her time to think about what she’d just heard. There was only one reason Connor would have asked if they were mated yet. Nikan had talked to their Alpha about her and it wasn’t something he’d do lightly.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about Nikan asking to take her as his mate. Part of her wished she could pretend this was sudden, but deep down the most primal part of her had acknowledged Nikan’s interest in her a while ago—and the fact that she reciprocated. As soon as he and the rest of Connor’s warriors had arrived at the ranch he’d been around her every single day without fail. She’d gotten to the point where she couldn’t imagine not seeing him each day. Her wolf wanted to dance every time he was near.

And after what they’d shared last night she knew she wanted more from him. Not just physically, though that was something she was looking forward to. No, she enjoyed his quiet company. If he didn’t have anything to say, he never tried to fill silences, and she appreciated that. Not that they had much silence between them. She’d learned practically everything about his past in the first week they started hanging out. He’d seemed almost surprised with himself when he’d opened up to her, but it hadn’t taken long for her to warm up to him either. It was almost like her wolf recognized him and trusted him. He had so much character too. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be helping out a vampire who meant nothing to him. Nikan might be doing this because of her, but he was also doing it because of the innocent human woman involved. Of that, she had no doubt.

Still, old fears and insecurities bubbled up inside Esperanze, bitter and angry. While Nikan was nothing like her father who had insisted on controlling everything about her mother’s life, he was still an alpha, a warrior, and he was stronger than she was. Shifter rules and human rules were different. In her world, the strongest governed, and if she allowed him into every facet of her life she’d be putting herself at risk to submit to him. What if he expected some perfect, submissive little beta that she could never be? Her father had expected that from her mother and while he hadn’t been physically abusive, he’d been ridiculously possessive to the point that he’d almost snuffed out her mother’s natural zest for life. She’d slowly become a quieter, more reserved woman, so different from how she’d been when Esperanze was a young cub.

“Why did Connor ask if we were mated yet?”
No! Why did I ask that?
Esperanze wanted to kick herself. The question had slipped out as too many questions and worries raced through her head. She hadn’t been able to control herself.

Nikan’s grip tightened around her, his embrace like steel bands, and his earthy scent seemed to intensify as he leaned down. His mouth brushed her ear, sending a delicious shiver rolling through her. “Are you sure you’re ready for the answer?”

Chapter 6

The feel of Esperanze’s back against his chest, her petite body curved into him, was so perfect. His canines ached, demanding to lengthen, to sink into the soft flesh of Esperanze’s neck and leave a permanent mark as he pushed deep inside her.

But he wasn’t a complete fucking animal. He couldn’t and wouldn’t just take from her. Wouldn’t demand more than she was ready for. Right now she held all the cards. She completely owned him even if she didn’t realize it. No other female made him want the things she did: a permanent home, cubs, a woman to wake up to every morning. But not just any woman. It had to be Esperanze. She was so sweet and giving, taking care of her sisters and keeping them positive after Alicia’s death. Some alphas might look at betas as weak, but he knew differently. They might be physically weaker but they were the backbone of any pack. Esperanze was the perfect example with her inner strength.

He was practically holding his breath as he waited for her response. If she was ready for the answer, he’d tell her exactly why Connor asked and exactly what he wanted from her. Which was pretty much everything.

As Esperanze started to turn in his arms, the bathroom door flew open. Antoine flew out, his eyes wide as he held out his phone.

“They’re calling,” he whispered, as if the shifters on the other end could hear.

Nikan gritted his teeth, resenting the interruption, but he also hated that they were making contact before he’d spoken to Connor again. Releasing Esperanze from his hold, he grabbed a pen and small pad of paper with the hotel’s logo on it from the breakfast table in case he needed to write down instructions. He nodded at Antoine. “Answer it.”

Swallowing hard, the vampire did as he said. “Hello?”

“Who the hell were those two shifters this morning?” Nikan recognized the voice as Gregorio, the one he’d spoken to.

Conference
, Nikan mouthed.

“They’re colleagues from the conference. We were supposed to meet for drinks last night and I didn’t show up so they were worried.” Antoine’s voice only shook a fraction.

Nikan was impressed by how well he was keeping it together compared to the way he’d been moaning only minutes before.

“So you’re friends with shifters now?” A snide question.

“I’m friends with all species.” Antoine’s answer was immediate.

Thank God
, Nikan thought. The vamp needed to keep his cool for his kidnapped friend’s sake.

“Are they going to make trouble?”

“No. I convinced them I just owe you money. They even offered to give me some.”

Gregorio laughed, the harsh sound streaming clearly through the phone line. “That’s fucking rich. If you’re lying, Chandra will pay.”

“I’m not lying,” Antoine said.

There was a brief silence, but Gregorio finally spoke again. “We need you tonight for a special client. He wants his product directly from the source.”

Nikan shook his head and mouthed no.

Antoine faltered, but nodded. “I’m not letting someone drink from me.”

“You’ll do exactly what we say . . . but he doesn’t want to drink
from
you. He just wants to make sure what he’s getting is the real deal. Wants to see exactly where the blood is coming from.”

Nikan scribbled on the note pad.
You want to see Chandra first.

Antoine nodded as he spoke into the phone. “I want to see Chandra, know that she’s okay first.”

He laughed again. “No fucking way, but I’ll let you talk to her.”

There was a brief rustling in the background; then a female voice came over the line. “Antoine?”

“Chandra,” he breathed out on a sigh of relief. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I . . . I’m fine, but . . . I’m s-scared, Antoine.” Her words were slow and measured as if she was trying hard to get them out. “How long . . .” She trailed off, and Nikan heard Gregorio in the background telling her to shut up.

“I’m so sorry, Chandra. I’m doing everything they say. I’ll get you—”

Nikan shook his head sharply. He didn’t want the vamp making any sort of promises to save her. The brothers didn’t need to be suspicious that there was a plan in the works to help her.

Antoine swallowed hard again and nodded. “Just promise me you’re not hurt.”

“I promise.” She slurred the ‘s’ as she spoke. “I can’t tell you more, but I promise I’m okay. I . . . miss you.”

Antoine closed his eyes and his jaw clenched once. “I miss you too.” His voice was ragged.

Nikan felt a rush of pity for the guy. If anything happened to Esperanze, he’d go insane. And anyone who got in his way . . . his wolf flexed its claws, not wanting to travel down that path. Esperanze was anxiously sitting on the edge of the bed, safe in this hotel room with him. He was going to keep it that way.

Gregorio came back on the line. “See? We’re taking care of your female. Now listen carefully.” The rogue shifter outlined instructions to where Antoine would be going in a couple hours then disconnected after a threat not to tell anyone or else.

“Does he call from the same number every time?” Nikan asked the moment they disconnected.

Antoine shook his head. “No, it’s a new one each time. I have an acquaintance I trust enough not to repeat my request, and I asked him to trace a couple of the numbers. All burner phones. They must toss them after each time they call me. I have no way of contacting them because they always call me.”

Nikan inwardly cursed. It had been a small shot. A possible way for his packmate Ryan to track these guys down. His phone buzzed once indicating a message, and when he glanced at the ID, he gave a wry smile. Ryan.

As he opened the message, Esperanze sidled up next to him. “Is it important?”

“Maybe . . .” He scrolled through Ryan’s brief message outlining the lives of the Moretti brothers, holding the phone out so Esperanze could read too.

Ryan’s text told them that the brothers were packless, parents likely killed by vampires five years ago according to a cold case file. The address on their licenses was bogus, listing an abandoned warehouse, but he hadn’t had time to run their financials. Not much, but Nikan knew Ryan would come through if there was any information to be found. As he finished the message, his phone rang. “Yeah?”

“Found someone to help you guys. Name’s Thabit, he’s a feline—jaguar shifter,” Connor said.

“He doesn’t mind helping out a couple of lupines and a vamp?” Nikan didn’t give a shit about species differences. His mother had been human, had been turned into a shifter because of her pregnancy with him, and his father was a white shifter. He might have grown up on a reservation, but he’d grown up in a time where racism and prejudice had been more prevalent.

“Not at all. He’s on his way to your hotel room. Said he’s at your disposal.”

“How long until he gets here?”

“Half an hour, maybe less. He doesn’t live there but he’s in the area. When I told him about the human he had no problem helping.”

Nikan raised his eyebrows. Not all supernatural beings cared about humans. At least not to the extent they’d volunteer to help out strangers. “Thanks.”

Connor grunted. “Just keep me updated. If things get too fucked up, you pull out and call me. The pack can’t afford to lose anyone right now.
I
can’t afford to lose you.”

“I will.” Nikan slid his phone into his pocket, thankful for an Alpha like Connor. When the tall Scottish shifter had approached him about starting his own pack, a pack made entirely of warriors, he’d been hesitant at first. But his inner wolf had needed that connection and he’d bled alongside Connor. They all had. Now more than ever he was grateful he’d made the decision to join with the Alpha since it had led him to Esperanze.

“Now what?” she asked, her voice tearing him out of his thoughts.

“Now we figure out how to save Antoine’s friend.” No matter how much he wanted to finish the conversation they’d started barely ten minutes before, it would have to wait.

* * *

Watching Nikan’s hard expression, Esperanze felt as if her skin was too tight for her body. She’d been about to spill all her fears and worries to Nikan when Antoine’s call had interrupted them. Now the three of them were just waiting for Connor’s contact to show up. The room was thick with tension. Sexual for her and Nikan. Antoine was nervous and tense and couldn’t stop pacing around the room.

Since he was supposed to meet the pair of rogue shifters in less than two hours she didn’t blame him.

When Nikan suddenly tensed, she glanced over to find him staring at the door. His entire body had gone rigid. A moment later there was a knock on the door. He covered the distance to it before she’d blinked.

As he cautiously opened it, she scented a feline shifter. Of all the various shifters, felines were the easiest for her to scent other than lupine. A man the same height as Nikan stepped into the room. With smooth coffee colored skin, eerie blue eyes that seemed to almost glow against his dark face and sharp, defined cheeks, the shifter was
very
good looking. Almost too good looking. If it wasn’t for the very apparent edge of danger that seemed to surround him like a shroud, his features could almost be defined as feminine.

“I’m Thabit. Connor said you would be expecting me,” he said to Nikan, his voice much deeper than expected.

Nikan nodded and moved back, letting him enter the room. “I’m Nikan, this is Esperanze and that is Antoine.” He nodded at the vampire pacing by the open window.

Antoine stopped and grunted a hello to him. Refraining from snapping at her former professor, Esperanze smiled and strode toward Thabit. “Thank you for helping us. Antoine is grateful too, he’s just worried about his friend.” She held out a hand to the newcomer.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Connor said nothing of your beauty.” He held her hand much longer than necessary, lightly stroking her palm with his thumb. His eyes were directly on hers and he wasn’t looking at her too inappropriately, but the forward action took her so off guard she could only stare at him.

Nikan growled low in his throat, instantly moving between them, tugging her close to his side. His tight grip around her hip was proprietary, and she knew the only reason he was showing control was because Connor had sent the other shifter. Otherwise, he’d have likely unsheathed his claws. “Esperanze is taken.”

Those vivid blue eyes flicked to Nikan. He shrugged, obviously not apologetic. “You haven’t marked her.”

“
Yet
.” The word tore from Nikan’s throat, the sound more animal than human.

Oh, crap.
She couldn’t dwell on the word “yet” right now because she didn’t know if that was something he’d just said to get this guy to back off or if he actually meant it. Last night he’d been territorial in the club, so much so that she’d needed to calm him down. They so didn’t have time for that right now. Leaning into his embrace, she placed a palm over his chest. “Before you two start measuring your dicks, we have more important things to worry about. The Moretti brothers want to meet Antoine in about an hour and a half and he’ll need a solid thirty minutes to get there. We need to figure out what we’re going to do.”

Thabit looked over at Antoine, his lips pulling into a thin line. “I’ve never met a daywalker before.”

Antoine didn’t move from the window, his expression drawn and haggard as he stared at Thabit. Esperanze wanted to shake him out of his pity party. He had three people willing to help him and he was acting defeated. “Well, now you have,” he said drily. “I’ve already told Esperanze and Nikan that they want to meet me at an abandoned warehouse. We’ve met there before. There isn’t much life around there except for the homeless, which makes it easier for them to control the environment. From there, they blindfold me, drive me somewhere and draw my blood. This time it seems they have different plans.”

Raw energy practically pulsed off Nikan as he not so subtly moved to keep himself between her and Thabit. “We’re going to follow you this time. You said you’ve never met anyone else in their operation so if it’s just the two of them, we should be able track them back to where they’re keeping Chandra.”

“But what if they don’t go back to her today? Or what if they see you and decide to hurt her?”

Esperanze gritted her teeth. His questions were valid, but this was a completely different side to Antoine. He’d always seemed so sophisticated and put together. It hadn’t surprised her that a vampire had offered to turn him. Looking at him now, she realized no amount of polish, money or education could give him what Nikan had in spades. Confidence, control and an innate strength. Granted it wasn’t Nikan’s friend’s life on the line, but he always kept his cool.

Before she could say anything, Nikan spoke. “Anything could go wrong, Antoine. If you don’t want our help, we’ll walk away. Then you’re not risking anything. You also won’t be helping the woman you claim to care so much for.”

The three of them stood there, watching until finally he nodded. “You’re right and . . . I’m sorry. I appreciate your help. I’ve just never felt so fucking helpless in my life.”

Thabit cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. “We can’t follow in one vehicle. It will give them too many opportunities to see us. One of us will follow for a while, then inform the other via cell phone where we’re turning off. Then the other can pick up the tail.”

Nikan nodded. “I agree. After our run-in with them this morning, they’ll be more careful. Esperanze and I will ride in one car and you can ride in yours. Did you drive here?”

The feline shifter nodded.

“Good. We’ll leave now that we have the address. It can’t hurt to get there early. Antoine, can you make it back to your hotel’s parking garage unseen?”

He nodded. “I’ll be invisible.”

Once he’d left, Nikan and Thabit exchanged phone numbers so they’d have a way to contact each other if they got separated. Esperanze knew without asking that the only reason Nikan was trusting this other shifter so much was because he had their Alpha’s backing. Connor never would have sent someone he wouldn’t have trusted to watch his own back.

As they rode the elevator down to the parking garage below the lobby level, Esperanze shot Nikan a quick look. “Before we arrived in DC, I memorized the grid pattern of all the roads. And all the traffic laws. Did you know some streets become one way after a certain time of day?”