Shared for Love (Kagan Wolves) (13 page)

He slid his hand under her shirt, then skimmed his fingers up her spine to her bra. A pop of the clasp, and the fabric gave way. “I needed to touch you. Love you.”

He brushed his thumb over her nipple. Awareness settled low. She slipped from his embrace and dragged her fingers through her hair. “Not here. This is where I work. Besides, Ethan’s not with us.”

He flashed her a lopsided smile. “I’m not talking about fucking you. Ethan has special plans for that, but it’s going to have to wait until after he becomes alpha.”

She froze and focused on Noah, all thoughts of sex gone. “He’s going to take Michael out tomorrow night?”

Noah raised a brow. “Of course. Didn’t he tell you?”

“He’d hinted that he didn’t like how Michael ran his pack but never came out and said he’d challenge him.”

“And you were content mating only a dominant? You have alpha written all over you. I didn’t get the impression you’d settle for less than a male who could give you the top spot.”

“I had planned to convince Ethan to challenge Michael after he mated me.” She went to Noah and trailed her fingertips over the bulge in his pants. “And I won’t settle for less than what I deserve. Ethan is mine, and I’ll do anything to keep him. I thought I’d made that was obvious last night.”

He grabbed her wrist and tugged it behind her. The sharp pull tore a whimper from her and flooded her core with welcoming arousal. “You only accepted my touch in order to heal Ethan. Is that what you’re telling me?”

Noah’s expression almost forced out a lie. She enjoyed the hunger and possession in his eyes and wanted him to act on it.
But not without Ethan. I want them both.

“I welcomed you because I want you too.” She brushed the fingertips of her free hand over his jaw. He’d shaved, but short hairs tickled the pads of her fingers. By nightfall, he’d have a full five-o’clock shadow. “Actually, it’s more than want. I need your touch. Walking away from you yesterday was incredibly hard. I couldn’t shake the feeling that without you close, I’d lose you.”

He released her hand and mimicked the caress she’d given him, mapping the contours of her face. “You’ll always feel that way. I’m sorry about that. You’re my true mate, but I will never be able to claim you.”

“You keep saying that. Part of me believes you, but I love Ethan. More than that, I think he’s
my
true mate. I have from almost the moment I met him.” She looked imploringly at Noah. “It’s why I never gave up on him even after he told me he didn’t want a mate. It had nothing to do with him becoming alpha. I simply knew I needed him and couldn’t let him get away. I figured everything else would work out after I had him tied to me.”

“Oh, Hannah.”

Noah dipped his head and kissed her, not as aggressively as he had moments before but with affection, even reverence. His kiss didn’t come close to matching Ethan’s all-consuming one. She was glad. Never had she been kissed the same way by a male as Ethan had. She didn’t want to share the sensation with anyone else, even Noah.

Was that wrong? She wasn’t sure, but with Noah’s lips on hers and his hands on her body, she realized she didn’t have to worry about losing the uniqueness of Ethan’s kiss. Noah’s was beautiful and special in its own right. She sighed and arched into him, letting him love her exactly as he’d promised.

He eased back enough to look into her eyes. “I believe you, and I wish I could explain how it’s possible to belong to both of us. I can’t. I only know what I feel, and although Ethan hasn’t come out and said so, I’m pretty sure he believes the same about you being his true mate. You’re the only female who…”

His words trailed off. A conflicted expression tightened his brows and thinned his lips. He stepped away from her and walked toward the window without finishing his statement.

She followed him and rested her hand against his back. “I’m the only female who…?”

He turned and drew her into his arms. “I won’t be the one to share Ethan’s secrets. You’ll have to ask him tonight.”

“I tried calling him earlier to find out what his plans are, but I got his voice mail. He never called back.”

“I know. He deliberately ignored you.”

“Why?”

He rubbed his thumb over her lips. “Don’t look so annoyed. The full moon is coming fast, and he has a lot of shit to deal with before he challenges Michael and mates you. He sent me to talk to you and to make sure you knew he still wants you in our bed.”

She still had questions about how the three of them would work, but her instincts flared. “What do you mean? What is he dealing with, and why don’t I know about it?”

“His issues are part of his secret. I won’t betray it, not to you or anyone. I promised Ethan years ago I’d keep it. As for why you don’t know…” He refastened her bra and stepped back. “I can only say our lover is stubborn. He’s fought his instincts, thinking he was sick to want to fuck both of us, and wasted time we could’ve spent getting to know each other. You can punish him for it. I’ll help you when we come over to your house tonight.”

The heat in his gaze promised it’d be a lesson they’d all enjoy. She licked her lips. “I’m sure you will, but don’t you think you should ask my permission to come over?”

He tipped up her chin and leaned close. “We’re past playing silly games. You belong to us, body and soul, and we’ll take you whenever and however we want. Deny it, and you’ll be the one to feel the sting of my hand on your ass.”

She wanted to, if only to feel his reprimand, but she didn’t doubt he’d find some reason to spank her. There was no sense encouraging him, especially when neither of them could give in to it.

“What time should I expect you?”

He grinned. “I don’t know, maybe not until very late. It all depends on Ethan. We’ll be there. I promise you.”

“I’ll leave the door open, then.”

He caught her lower lip between his teeth and nibbled, tearing a soft sigh from her. “Good. I can’t wait.”

The distant sound of door banging shut jerked them apart. She hastily straightened her clothes and made her way to the door. “I need to find out who that is.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tonight.”

She stopped him from slipping past her and pointed to the rear stairs. “Go out through the back. If Nic is downstairs, I don’t want to watch the two of you fight.”

He opened his mouth. She shook her head and lowered her voice. “Don’t push it, Noah. I don’t want Nic to suspect your interest in me is anything more than physical.” She motioned toward herself. Her wrinkled clothes and the heavy scent of her arousal would easily clue Nic into what she and Noah had done in the few minutes they’d spent alone, and it had nothing to do with logo designs.

“This I can explain away as being close to the full moon.”

For a moment, she’d thought he’d argue, but he finally nodded. “Call me if you need me.”

“I don’t have your number.”

“You do. I programmed it into your phone before you left last night.” He brushed his lips over hers before walking away. “Think of me.”

She followed his retreating back with her gaze until he disappeared down the old service stairs that led into the kitchen, then she hurried to the main staircase to greet whoever had entered. At the bottom, she stopped dead in her tracks. Another Tanner male stood in the office, one she’d never met. Her wolf sat up, alert and cautious. She shared the animal’s thoughts. Something about the male made her skin crawl.

He turned and flashed her a smile. His light brown hair and hazel eyes marked him as housing a gray wolf, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t strong or dangerous. Not all dominants held the rarer wolf types. It only meant those who didn’t had to be more vicious. The vibes radiating off the male in front of her held a malicious edge that suggested he embraced that side of his persona.

She straightened her spine. “May I help you?”

He swept his intense gaze over her, and lust flared in his eyes. “You are beautiful. Other males had said you were, but I didn’t believe them.”

She inclined her head. “Thank you, but you didn’t answer my question.”

He focused on her breasts. “And that was…?”

She clenched her jaw and motioned toward the empty room. “As you can see, our secretary left early. Unless you have a pressing need with Kagan Industries, I’d suggest calling on Monday. We’re closing for the rest of the week.”

“I do have a pressing need, but it’s not with your pack’s business. I came here to see you, Hannah.”

“I’m at a disadvantage. I wish I could say I know your name, but it’d be a lie.”

He stalked closer and stopped inches away from her. His nostrils flared, and she silently cursed. Although Noah’s scent hung in the air, it was stronger near her.

“Greg. My name’s Greg.” He brushed a lock of her hair off her shoulder, letting his fingers linger on the delicate spot where Ethan’s bite would soon mark her as his mate. “I must say I worried that I lost my chance with you after one of my pack mates told me he’d seen you leave Ethan’s house last night. I guess there was no need for my concern, not if you’re willing to turn to a widow for attention.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t look at me like that, Hannah.” He loosely wrapped his hand around her throat and brushed his finger over her vein. “I didn’t mean to upset you, and you shouldn’t feel bad that Ethan dismissed your advances. He prefers his human whores to what a shifter female can give him. Probably because he doesn’t know how to tame one.”

She took a slow breath and focused on her heartbeat until it slowed. “What chance? I don’t know you, and I—”

“At claiming you as my mate. It is why you were sniffing around Ethan, isn’t it?”

She narrowed her eyes. “I went to talk to him about business, nothing more. And as for claiming me as a mate, you can forget it. I’m not shopping for one.”

He grinned. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Then why was I told you planned to join our pack tomorrow night for the mating run?”

“I don’t know, but I won’t be spending my first night as a mature female with a bunch of horny shifters who are more interested in an easy lay than meeting their mate.” Even though she’d contemplated doing so for months.

“Then do make sure you stay off our pack lands tomorrow night. Any unmated female found outside once the moon reaches its peak will be considered fair game.”

She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and let the tips of her claws dent his skin. “Is that a threat?”

He released her throat but snatched her hand before she could drop it. He traced her fingers with his.

“Of course not. I’m merely warning you not to find yourself alone on Tanner lands tomorrow. Our males aren’t like the ones you’re used to. They’re wicked, uncivilized, even. They’ll see seducing you as a challenge, and if they have to push you a little until you’re too crazed to deny them, they will.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “Even the ones like Ethan, who appear cultured, aren’t.”

“Even you, Greg?”

He grin turned into a sneer. “I never said I was refined. I don’t hide my hungers like Ethan does. When I see something I want, I take it.”

She leaned closer and held his gaze, letting him see her disdain. “If you think to
take
me, you’ll regret it. Is that clear?”

Heat flared in his eyes. “Sure thing, Hannah. When I fuck you, it’ll be because I have the right to do so, and you’ll enjoy it. I promise you that.”

“I think you should leave.”

He dragged his hand down the front of her body before stepping back. “I agree. I wouldn’t want to prove myself a liar.”

He made his way to the door. With his hand on the handle, he glanced over his shoulder. “Remember my warning. It’s the only one you’ll get.”

The door clicked closed. She curled her fists. “And I hope you remember mine, because I won’t be held responsible for what my lovers would do to you if they ever found out what you said to me.”

Since she didn’t want to see any bloodshed, she’d make sure Noah and Ethan didn’t learn of her visitor. But if Greg decided to pursue her? She’d turn her back and let nature take its course.

Chapter Fourteen

Ethan glared at the human behind the desk. The man flinched but covered the sign of his unease with a wide grin.

“As soon as an agent is available, I’ll show you right back.” He motioned to the table along the wall. “Have a cup of coffee and a donut while you wait.”

Ethan didn’t bother glancing in the direction of the coffeepot. Instead, he kept his gaze on the human dressed in a cheap cotton polo and khaki pants a size too small until beads of sweat dotted the other male’s forehead. “I was told someone would be available immediately to speak with me. I’ve waited an hour already.”

The man tugged at his shirt. “I’m sorry about that. Please have a seat, and I’ll go see what the holdup is.”

The clerk disappeared through a door and left Ethan alone in the quiet room. The office reminded him of many he’d seen over the years—tables with magazines strewn on them flanking uncomfortable chairs, generic industrial carpeting, and ugly paintings.

He walked toward the nearest one, not because he cared to look at the piece but to give him something to do that didn’t involve slamming his fist in the wall. His frustration had grown over the hours since he’d left his house.

Nothing in the pictures Maria had taken meant anything to him. For someone with the ability to tap into bank data, it’d be a great find. For him, not so much. He didn’t have a clue how to break through internet security measures, which was why he’d reached out to the human government for help. The person he’d spoken to on the phone had seemed eager to look at the data he’d gotten from Maria, but only after he’d hinted that it might have something to do with shifter trafficking.

The initials of buyers, account numbers, and records of payments made to Michael Tanner would prove he was involved in illegal activity. All the transactions noted in Michael’s ledger occurred within days of the so-called tragedies that had claimed the lives of their pack mates, but the one line that had angered Ethan the most was the fifty grand received for the sale of Owen.

Ethan fisted his hands and breathed through the rage tightening his muscles. He hated knowing any of his pack mates had suffered, but Owen’s situation hurt the most. If he hadn’t fought with Ethan, Owen wouldn’t have taken off or been rounded up by Michael’s followers. Greg was one of them, which was probably why he was still breathing despite his interest in mating Maria and becoming alpha.

Though not as physically strong as many dominants, Greg’s lack of empathy made him invaluable in Michael’s eyes. Greg was the one sent to discipline any shifter who broke pack rules, usually leaving them bloody and scared shitless, unwilling to talk about their punishment.

Ethan’s phone beeped with a new text, providing him with a much needed distraction. Regret over the past would cripple him. He pulled his cell from his pocket. Noah’s profile showed on the display. Just the sight of him calmed Ethan and his wolf. The animal stopped in its restless pacing, no doubt picking up on the peace that had settled over its host. So simple, so powerful, so damn right—exactly how the presence of a true mate was supposed to be.

He dragged his finger over Noah’s image, marveling at the power the male had over him, before opening the message.

She’ll be waiting for us. Be prepared to tell her everything or I will. She’s confused, and I hate seeing her question her instincts. She needs to know how damn special she is to us.

He sent a quick reply saying he would, then deleted the message. He wished he had answers for her about their unusual connection, but he didn’t have any that made sense. Even his wolf struggled with the instincts driving Ethan to lock both Hannah and Noah to him. Apart from them, the animal wanted both, urging him to seek them out. When they were together, it had reverted to its primal drive to protect its breeding mate. Only Hannah’s touch had helped him keep it under control.

He opened his missed-calls list, needing to see her picture. She was beautiful. There was no question about it. He wanted to lose himself in her, but she didn’t only call to him on a physical level. He couldn’t explain it any better than Noah had.

She was special to
them
.

“Agent Montgomery will see you now.”

Ethan turned at the sound of the human’s voice. The clerk stood, holding the door to the back rooms open.

“Thank you.” Ethan slid his phone back in his pocket and strode forward.

Row upon row of cubicles greeted him. He picked up on dozens of conversations that blended into a murmur of nonsense. He blocked it out and followed the human to an elevator.

The human pressed the up arrow. “Agent Montgomery is on the third floor, second office on the right.”

Ethan stepped inside the elevator, hit the button, and waited for the box to make its way to his destination—a hallway with dark paneling and plush burgundy carpet. He glanced from the elaborate woodwork to the paintings on the walls. Brushstrokes marked them as real, not the copies that had decorated the lobby. He couldn’t say they were better, but they were a step up from the bowls of fruit and vases of flowers he’d been forced to stare at for part of the morning.

He scanned the space once more, noting the small cameras and the flush mirror at the far end of the hallway, which he guessed might’ve been a two-way mirror. He couldn’t be sure, nor did he care if he was being watched. He had nothing to hide, other than his shifter status and maybe his parentage. The agent meeting him already knew about the first, and the last was nobody’s business.

The second door to the right of the elevator looked similar to the others. No identification tag marked it as belonging to Agent Montgomery, but none of the doors boasted name plates either. He turned the knob and entered.

The stench of a cat hit him the moment he stepped into the room. He tensed and scanned the interior for the feline shifter the smell belonged to. Only a human female occupied the space. She watched him intently from over the rim of her coffee mug she held poised at her lips. She took the sip he must’ve interrupted by entering, then set the cup with its tiger face on the blotter in front of her.

While he knew there were other shifter species, including all the feline varieties and the bears, he’d never met any. Wolves far outnumbered the other groups, who rarely lived together, thereby missing out on the protective communities that allowed packs to thrive.

He couldn’t tell from where he stood what type of feline shifter had scent-marked the woman, and he wasn’t getting any closer to find out. The cats didn’t claim anyone lightly. The female with her blonde hair wrapped in a high bun and blue-green eyes was important to one of them. Not a mate, though. Her unmarked shoulder confirmed her status. It made the feline’s scent even more unusual, but not enough for him to question. He didn’t care about her personal life as long as she could help him get Owen back.

“Have a seat Mr.”—she glanced at a paper lying on her desk and smirked—“Mr. Lyons.”

The amusement on her face at the mention of his foster parents’ name eased the tension in his muscles. He couldn’t say why, but he instantly liked the woman. “Call me Ethan, please.”

“Good. Ethan, it is. I don’t know if I could’ve been able to keep a straight face calling a wolf shifter Mr. Lyons for very long, and I try to be professional when I can. It’s one of the objectives I’m supposed to work on in this role.”

“Umm…okay.”

She motioned toward the chair in front of her desk. “Well, have a seat, Ethan.”

He took the chair she indicated, then reached into his pocket for the small drive he’d copied the photos onto.

“Wait, let me—” The woman hopped from her chair, nearly spilling her coffee. She blotted at the few drops that had sloshed over the sides with her sleeve, then cursed under her breath. She bit her lip, cutting off the expletive, and offered him another smile. “I’m sorry. Would you like something to drink? Eat? I have plenty of snacks in my desk. I know how hungry shifters can get and—”

“I’m not here on a social call, Agent Montgomery.”

“Ella.” She held her hand out to him. “Call me Ella.”

He glanced from her palm to her face and wondered how much she actually knew about shifters and the faux pas she’d committed. The feline she’d gotten involved with wouldn’t appreciate smelling another male on her, let alone a wolf. The heavy marking her male had left on her made it obvious he wanted his claim known.

“Nice to meet you, but like I said, I’m not here on—”

“A social call. Got it.” She dropped her hand. “So why are you here?”

He stared at her for a moment, then shoved the flash drive back into his pocket. “They didn’t tell you?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, but details don’t always get passed along the way they should. Red tape and all that. Your file is still being processed.” She motioned toward the door. “Ronnie had stopped back and asked if I could speak to you, that you were growing impatient. I got your name and species. That’s it.”

He took a slow breath, but it did nothing to calm him. The tips of his fingers burned from the press of his sharpened nails underneath his skin. The human female didn’t deserve his anger. He knew that. Damn if he could leash it.

“Time is of the essence.” He pushed from his seat. “If you can’t help me, I need to look elsewhere. My brother’s life is at stake.”

She leaned forward, all warmth gone from her expression. A hardened one replaced it. “Then tell me what you know. I’ll do my best to help you. I promise.”

He dropped his palms on the desk and matched her intent gaze. Up close, her feline’s scent-marking was nearly nauseating, to him at least. He doubted she even knew it clung to her. He ignored it as best he could and lowered his voice. “Unless you’re familiar with shifter trafficking, you can’t.”

She glanced at where her fingers were wrapped tightly around her coffee mug, the first sign of weakness he’d seen from the bold female who’d held his gaze from the moment he’d entered.

“I’m intimately familiar with it, Ethan.” She focused on him. Rage burned in her eyes. “I spent the last six years of my life in an undercover role that allowed me to infiltrate the largest network in North America. I collected more information than any other human agent. At least I did until a bear shifter decided I’d make a better sex toy than secretary.”

Her nostrils flared. She closed her eyes, then worked her jaw back and forth. He watched her struggle with her memories a moment more before gentling his voice. “You were raped?”

“Yes, but my owner didn’t find me too cooperative or submissive once he got his hands on me. He sold me after a week of hell to a group that specialized in…”

She opened her eyes. A haunted look mixed with one of hatred, making her appear crazed or at least unstable. “A group that specialized in hunts where women are the game.”

Silence dropped between them, but she never broke their gaze.

“You escaped.” He stated the obvious.

She shook her head. “No. I lasted two out of the three days without being cornered. Luckily, the guy who got his hands on me was an undercover agent also. He ended up paying the organizers an ungodly amount to buy me, claiming I was his true mate or some bullshit.”

“What type of feline shifter is your male?” Because he still couldn’t tell. Not only had he never met one, he avoided the purely animal varieties in zoos. His presence set the animals on edge.

She shrugged. “No clue, but he’s not my anything. I spent one night with him in his human form before he dropped my ass on a plane and walked out of my life.”

The slight cracking to her voice on the last part of her statement tugged at him. Sympathy rose. As a human, she wouldn’t understand the pull of true mates or what the separation from one could do to a person.

She probably also didn’t realize her mate hadn’t just rubbed his scent on her skin, which would’ve washed off with her next shower. He’d added it to her body by licking a deep wound, much like what a male did after he bit his mate to help the mark heal. Only, her shifter hadn’t tied them together. He’d simply left her with a permanent reminder of him. Or a warning to all other shifters to stay away from her.

He sighed. “How long has it been since you saw him?”

She ran her finger over the tiger’s image on her cup. “A little over a year.”

“What’s his name?” He might not know any feline shifters, but he could ask around. Some wolf packs shared their territory with them, out of necessity rather than willingness. Often the felines simply moved in without caring if they were on pack lands or not. To avoid fights, they were often left alone.

She shoved from her chair, grabbed her mug and walked to the coffeepot on the opposite side of the room. She poured a cup and added creamer before facing him.

“He never gave me one. In fact, he barely spoke to me other than to tell me he hated the fact that he’d been cursed with a weak-ass, scrawny human for a mate, and that if he ever saw me again, it’d be too soon.”

He inwardly flinched. “I see.”

She made her way back to the desk and sat, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “Well, now that I shared my life’s story with you, although I’m not really sure why I did, tell me about your shifter trafficking problem.”

He dropped the thumb drive on the blotter in front of her. “That contains about twenty years of financial transactions I suspect correspond to the disappearances of shifters from my pack. I want them all back, but the one I know is in immediate danger is my brother, Owen.”

She glanced from the desk to him. “Where did you get this?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Then tell me who has been selling your pack mates. We need to bring them in for questioning and possible imprison—”

“That can’t happen.”

Her brows pinched. “And why not? This person might have valuable information that will help us shut down this trafficking ring once and for all.”

“I’m sure he does.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, my alpha will take it to the grave with him. I can’t risk him finding out that his secret has been exposed. He’ll retaliate against my loved ones.”

She gave a single nod. “Understood, but what about after you take over? Let us take him into custody. We’ll interrogate him and—”