Wild Cat (16 page)

Her sudden, deep blush confirmed it.

Not that it wasn’t obvious. Her mating need had smacked Eric’s nose as soon as he’d clued in on her. His senses were a little more honed than those of other Shifters, but if any other Shifter male smelled her, she might not make it out the door. Females were too rare not to try for, and one alone, without pride, clan, or protection, would be fair game.

“I’m human,” she said in a hard voice.

“You’re Shifter, or at least half Shifter, passing for a human,” Eric said. “Who sired you?”

Her flush deepened. “I don’t know.”

That could be true. Before the Collar, some Shifters hadn’t been too choosy about where they dropped their seed. Probably more half breeds existed than humans knew about.

Eric leaned in. “My advice? Get the hell out of this club and don’t come back. You’re lucky I spotted you first. If any of the Shifters in here smell you—unclaimed, unmated, unprotected—I might not be able to stop them.”

Her eyes sparkled with anger through her fear. Good. The humans hadn’t cowed every bit of Shifter spirit out of her.

Eric touched the hollow of her throat, where the Celtic knot of her Collar would go. “You know what I could do, by rights? Claim you, take you home with me, snap a Collar on you, and confine you for endangering all Shifters. Make you mine in all ways.”

The fear returned. Eric traced her throat, trying to soothe her, trying to make her understand her danger. And that he would protect her from all danger.

He liked that her throat was bare, though. Knowing she was free made his heart sing.

But how long could she last before the humans figured out what she was? She’d be exposed, arrested, maybe killed. Or, if another Shifter male found her, she could be taken and claimed by him. By not being raised Shifter, she wouldn’t know how to resist, or even that, by Shifter law, she could.

She sat still, fury and fear mixed in her eyes. Her beautiful, beautiful blue eyes.

Eric leaned closer still. He inhaled her scent and exhaled his own onto her. His mark. He nuzzled her cheek, breathing softly on her skin.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, but she didn’t shrink away.

“Helping you.”

“How is sniffing me helping me?”

Eric sat up. She smelled good, and now her scent was on him, and his on hers. “I scent-marked you. If other Shifter males try to go for you, they’ll scent me and back off.” In theory. It would be more difficult to protect her when she lived outside Shiftertown, but the scent mark would make whatever male tried to mate-claim her hesitate, giving her time to escape.

“Scent-marked? What the hell does that mean?”

Eric ignored the question. “When you decide you want to come in, you find me,” he said. “I’ll make it as painless for you as possible. Understand?”

“Understand
me
. I don’t want to have anything to do with Shifters. Ever.”

Eric put his hand on her arm. Her skin was soft, the bones fragile but still strong. Shifter strong. “You didn’t choose this, I know. But you’re Shifter, and you’re stuck with it. You’re going to need me.”

“I don’t even know who you are.”

“Yes, you do,” Eric said.

Her two friends came giggling back. They stared in delighted awe as Eric stood up, six feet six, tattoos, Collar, and all.

“
Iona,
” one of her friends said. “You work fast. Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“No,” Iona said.

Eric flashed a smile at the two women. “Eric Warden. Next round’s on me. Except for Iona. She’s leaving.”

The friends looked excitedly curious, Iona angry.

Eric took Iona’s hand and pulled her from her seat. Now the friends looked envious.

Iona glared at Eric, but she chose to be smart. She followed him without fighting him around the edge of the dance floor, Eric avoiding all Shifters.

Jace, at the bar, looked their way, but at Eric’s slight shake of head, Jace went back to flirting with a Lupine who laughed at him from his other side. Jace would question, and Eric faced the possibility of having to lie to his own son. If even a breath of Iona’s existence got out, she would be in grave danger.

Eric guided Iona out the back door to the cool of the parking lot. “Where’s your car?” he asked.

Iona tried to pull away, but Eric’s grip was unshakable. “My friends won’t have a ride if I leave.”

“I’ll make sure they get home. Where?”

Iona heaved a sigh, which lifted her chest under the nondescript dress. Eric wanted to peel off that dress and find out what was underneath.

Iona led him to a small red pickup, an almost cute truck. She fumbled with the keys. Eric took them from her and unlocked the door. “How much have you had to drink?”

“Nothing. My margaritas were virgin. I’m designated driver.”

“Good.” Eric opened the door and put his hand under her elbow to lift her inside. The simple touch stirred fires in him, stoking embers he’d thought had long ago turned to ash. He gave her the keys and shut the door. “Go home. Stay away from Shifters and out of Shifter bars if you want to keep passing for human.”

“You think?”

Without thanking him for not telling every Shifter in the bar that an unmated, unprotected female sat in their midst, Iona shot him an annoyed look, started the truck, and backed out of the parking space.

One final glare as she straightened the truck, then Iona gunned the engine. Red taillights flashed as she turned from the entrance, and then she was gone.

Eric was left alone in the dark parking lot, breathing in exhaust and dust.

“Iona,” Eric whispered. The name tasted good in his mouth.

Iona.

He’d see her again. He’d make sure of it.

D
iego watched Eric leave the club with the woman in blue, Eric leaning in very protectively to her.

“Who was that?” Diego asked Cassidy.

Cassidy was looking too, curiosity on her face. “I have no idea.”

The music segued into the next song, also fast-paced. Whatever happened to slow dancing? “Want to get out of here?” Diego asked her.

Cassidy smiled up at him and touched his lips. “I think so.” She kept smiling as Diego put his arm around her, resting his hand on her curved hip. “You’ve seen where I live,” Cassidy said. “Now that I’m off probation, how about showing me where
you
live?”

Diego’s heart beat faster. He could take her home, slide her out of that clingy white dress, run his hand down those long legs…

He thought about Captain Max’s warning, but at the moment, Diego didn’t care. He just knew that Cassidy was tall and sexy and warm against his side. His own business who he saw off duty.

Xavier was still with Lindsay, still dancing, Xavier laughing and having a good time, as usual. Diego knew Xav would be all right, though. His brother knew how far to go and when to stop.

The parking lot was well lit, but there was no sign of Eric when they ducked outside. Brody, acting as bouncer, gave them a nod. He watched Diego sharply, likely having heard every word of what had gone on in the back room by now. But he said nothing and didn’t try to stop them.

Diego’s T-Bird waited in the middle of the parking lot. Shifters’ cars, older but well kept, were parked in one defined area, while the human cars, mostly new, mostly expensive, sprawled everywhere else.

Diego unlocked the car. Cassidy got inside, slid off her shoes, and put her feet on the seat while Diego went around to get in on the driver’s side. He put the keys into the ignition but didn’t start the car, resting his hands on the steering wheel. It was quiet, almost peaceful out here after the noise of the club.

“So tell me more about these Fae,” he said.

Cassidy wrapped her arms around her knees, her tight white skirt sliding up her thighs. “You’re curious for someone who didn’t believe in Fae half an hour ago.”

“Things change. I read that Shifters claim Fae created them, wanting Shifters to be their hunters and fighters. Bred them how?”

Cassidy shrugged. “You don’t want to know.
I
don’t want to know. Fae have strong magic, and they’re far more technologically advanced than humans—as long as the technology doesn’t involve iron. Fae weakened with the rise of iron, and Shifters rebelled and got free of the Fae. You don’t need me to tell you this. I’m sure it’s all in the files at your police station.”

“I thought the Fae connection was just a legend. The files were full of statements by biologists that Shifters are genetic aberrations.”

Cassidy shot him a smile that made his uncooperative hard-on stiffen even more. “Thanks a lot, Lieutenant Escobar.”

“I meant that in the best way.”

Her smile deepened. Diego remembered the kiss they’d shared in the dark in her living room, the winding-up hot kiss he wanted again. He’d gotten another taste in the club, but he hadn’t wanted half the Shifter population and his own brother watching him lick her mouth, tangle her tongue.

Cassidy slid across the seat to him. “I’ve been trying to cover the Fae scent on you,” she said, touching his chest. “So the other Shifters will leave you alone. Want me to keep trying?”

The stiffness was definitely not going away. “Maybe you should,” Diego said.

Cassidy rose to kneel on the seat, and warm, silken woman filled Diego’s arms. He cupped Cassidy’s hips and pulled her to straddle him as he opened her hot mouth.

He kissed her, each stroke going deeper, her tongue dancing across his in the best tango. Their mouths melded, lips moving, searing, seeking. She tasted like heat and honey. He ran his hand up her back, pressing her closer, still kissing.

Her lithe body rocked against his, breasts firm against his chest. Diego ran his hand down the leg that folded on the seat beside him, finding the sweet softness of her thighs.

“Cass,” he whispered. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Cassidy made a little noise in her throat. Diego roved his hands over her back, found the catch of her dress, unhooked it. Bare back met his fingers.

A sound outside the window made Diego open his eyes. Eric?

Not Eric. Diego saw the barrel of a rifle, then heard a pop of the trigger and Cassidy’s gasp as the tranq dart went into her side.

D
iego yanked the dart out of Cassidy the next instant, but too late. Cassidy wilted, unconscious, her weight pinning him to the seat.

Softly running feet sounded outside, getting away.

Diego lifted Cassidy gently onto the passenger seat, checking her pupils and pulse. She was all right, just deeply asleep.

Diego got out of the car, sliding out his pistol at the same time, took cover, and scanned the parking lot. There, a flash of movement between cars, someone sprinting with impossible speed to disappear behind the club.

Diego went after him, yanking out his cell phone as he went. “Xav, I have a situation.”

“Where are you?”

Diego knew Xavier would be moving out of the club even as they spoke. “Parking lot. I’m in pursuit of a guy, tall, black hair. He popped Cass with a tranq rifle. She’s in my car. Make sure she’s all right.”

“You got it.”

Xav’s voice vanished. Diego jammed the phone back into its holder and ran around the back of the club—to find nothing. He heard a scrape and looked up to see a foot leaving the ladder to the club’s roof.

Hell, why can’t anyone stay on the ground?

Diego stowed his gun and climbed the ladder. Halfway up, his heart pounded so hard he thought he’d puke, and his sweat-slick hands slipped on the rungs.

Don’t look down. Don’t look down.

Diego made himself keep climbing. One rung at a time.

I’m going back to the damn counselor. This has got to stop.

He was at the top. Diego had to consciously open his fingers to let go of the railing long enough to make the final step off the ladder.

The man was all the way on the other side of the roof, minus the rifle. Diego took cover behind the large cooling units and drew his pistol. Just because the man had dropped the rifle didn’t mean he didn’t have another weapon on him.

Diego worked his way rapidly across the roof, keeping to cover. When he was five yards from the tall, slender man, Cassidy’s assailant suddenly spread his arms and leapt into empty space.

“Ay!”
Diego ran for the edge, stopping three feet from it, his stomach roiling. He inched forward and peered over. Nothing.

“
Damn
it.” Diego couldn’t jump down to pursue without risking breaking his legs—or neck. Back to the ladder.

He’d run a few feet when he nearly tripped over the tranquilizer gun. He touched it, his mouth going dry. The rifle had come from LVPD. He’d checked out one of this exact make and model two days ago, and besides, it had
LVPD
stamped on it.

Diego left it where it was, more interested in catching the guy first. He’d send Xav up for the rifle.

Now to get down. As Diego approached the ladder, his breathing came faster. And faster.

Idiota
. It was just a ladder.

Diego stashed his Sig and gripped the bars, felt with his foot for the first rung. It wasn’t there. He panicked, his heart hammering off the scale.