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  Sadly, he hadn’t noticed how well she’d adjusted to the pack until today. His thoughts had been too clouded by pain and anger. When he’d woken earlier that morning the memories from the night before had hit him like a freight train, regret and shame rushing back to him. The harsh treatment he’d shown Sadie was unforgivable. Bitterness against the world caused it, resentment festering inside him like cancer.

  It was time for that to change.

  Finding your mate could do things like that to a male, taking him from one extreme to the other. Yes, he was still angry. Yes, he still wanted revenge. But more than that he wanted the female he’d held the night before. The woman he was determined to find regardless of her thoughts or protests about the matter.

  A few more people entered the store, forcing him away from the wall. He stepped near the cash registers and looked down the aisles, searching for Ava. She didn’t have the answers to his questions but he was glad he’d tagged along to speak with her. That was something he didn’t realize he’d missed in the last few weeks—contact with another person, conversation that didn’t involve hate or rage.

  A strange noise came from the back of the store, as though someone had dropped something. He lifted his head, scenting the air.

  Then he heard Ava scream.

  Instinct took over, the wolf within no longer asleep but fully awake. He shoved aside the people in his path, pushing through them like a battering ram. In seconds he was at the back of the store, near the refrigerated merchandise. A group of shoppers stood silently, gawking at a shopping basket on the floor with a container of eggs open and broken just outside of it.

  “Where is she?” he screamed, flaring his nose, latching on to Ava’s scent. One of the elderly shoppers pointed toward the back but the assistance wasn’t necessary.

  He was already in motion.

  The smell of fear guided him—Ava’s fear—but it was fading. Likely she’d been knocked out in some way, preventing her from putting up a fight. That meant he had to hurry, to get a fucking move on. As he rushed to follow, he questioned who would be stupid enough to fuck with Ava. The Villati wouldn’t come for her since doing so would ruin the relationship they wanted to establish with Diskant. Perhaps it was a territorial dispute between the pack and a pride? Maybe some dumb fuck thought they could use Ava for leverage? He decided against that as he took a breath. He didn’t smell any shifters nearby.

  Shit. What the fuck was he dealing with?

  Damn him for a fool, he never should have left her side. It was a stupid oversight, a monumental fuckup. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to Diskant’s mate—a woman he’d failed to protect. Whoever had taken her had dragged her through the back—a path he now charged through. The workers he swept past were pressed against walls, obviously terrified of what they’d witnessed. Trey didn’t pay them any attention as he raced to the rear of the building, running through the exit door that was wide open.

  He found what he was looking for a few yards away. A man was putting Ava inside the back of a van—a man in a long duster wearing a matching fucking Stetson. A growl crept up his throat.

  Shepherds.

  When had they returned? Why didn’t Diskant or any of the other Alphas know?

  Their arrival changed everything. The city had to be on alert. When Shepherds arrived, no shifter was safe. Although he’d known they were at war, he hadn’t thought they’d be stupid enough to return after what they’d done. The packs would rip them apart with their teeth. Afterward they’d use the Shepherd’s finger bones as toothpicks.

  Trey lifted a hand, waving frantically. The eyes in the sky would see what was happening but they wouldn’t make it to the scene in time. Mindless of the consequences, he stormed across the distance, rushing toward the vehicle. He aimed for the man with the Omega’s mate in his arms, knowing he had to bring him down. If the bastard left with Ava the odds of getting her back alive were dismal. Two Shepherds appeared, walking around the side of the van. He didn’t slow down, primed and ready to kill, and they revealed guns and leveled them in his direction.

  He tried to move, to use his speed to dodge the darts that flew in his direction. The sharp sting in his right shoulder warned him he’d been hit and was followed by another in his chest—right over heart. Whatever was in the darts worked crazy fast. He stumbled within inches of them, his equilibrium off-kilter.

  One of the Shepherds stepped forward and Trey collided with him, taking them both to the ground. His arm felt oddly heavy as he swung back, aiming for the bastard’s chin. A hand wrapped around his wrist, preventing the blow. He whipped around, somewhat disoriented as he changed targets. He got a lock on the Shepherd holding him back, was ready to lunge and attack when something hard connected with the back of his skull. He landed on his side on the concrete, falling away from the Shepherd beneath him. The world turned hazy, a black cloud invading his vision. He tried to focus, to lift his head to see if Ava was all right.

  “Put him in the back,” someone instructed and he felt arms wrap around his torso and feet.

  The sky swayed back and forth and vanished when he was thrown into the back of the van. He grunted when he landed, coming face-to-face with an unconscious Ava. The dimly lit interior added to the darkness he continued to fight—a darkness that was winning despite his best effort to remain awake.

  The van dipped when the Shepherds climbed inside and the door closed. He wanted to snarl at them, to rip them apart with his claws. Instead he mumbled words that made no sense, writhing like an infant on a blanket.

  “Tranq him again,” a deep voice grumbled. “We have to move.”

  He felt another sting, this time in his neck. His wolf howled as he yielded to the drugs in his system and surrendered to oblivion, falling into the darkness that rose to catch him. His final thought was that the pack had to be warned.

  Hunters were in the city.

  Chapter Nine

  Mary blinked several times as she opened her eyes, trying to figure out why she was so warm and comfortable. Her bed wasn’t nearly this soft, and her comforter didn’t radiate heat like an electric blanket. Her answer appeared when her vision cleared.

  Emory.

  He was resting directly in front of her, his chest mere inches away. His arm was wrapped around her side, keeping her close. He smelled good, enticing her in a way she’d started to expect, as though his scent called to her on some primal level. It was as if an aphrodisiac were smoothed over his flesh, daring her to lean forward and indulge in a little taste.

  “Hey there,” he murmured in a voice thick with sleep, pulling her out of her sexual musings. A dark lock of hair rested on his forehead, his ruffled appearance as delicious as sin.

  She knew she was turning red, could feel the heated blush on her cheeks. Last night she’d had Emory in one of the many ways she’d dreamed about him. It had been explosive, hot and a little bit scary. She frowned when she remembered the climax that started out so dizzying but quickly turned into nothing but pain. Sex wasn’t supposed to be like that. Even with her limited knowledge, she wasn’t stupid.

  “Last night…” She swallowed back her panic, trying to be honest. “What happened between us wasn’t entirely normal. Something else happened.”

  “It was the bloodbonding.” Emory rose up on one elbow and brushed strands of hair away from her face. “It’s not a pleasant experience.” His fingers stopped on her cheek and he looked torn. “I should have warned you but I was afraid you’d prolong things if you feared what was to come. I’ve been told that it’s best not to warn human mates, so that the expectation of pain doesn’t ruin the first pairing between a couple.”

  Isn’t that nice? She narrowed her eyes. “An omission of truth to avoid a lie?”

  To his credit, he appeared remorseful, eyes darkening as he sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said, skimming his knuckles along her jaw, the caress gentle. “I should have told you.”

  “So it’s over now?” Although the memory of what o
ccurred had faded, the recollection of pain hadn’t. There were no words to adequately describe it, no way to formulate precisely how horrible the sensations had felt.

  “There are three stages,” he said slowly, cautiously. “The first is the physical stage, when we make love.”

  A lightbulb moment had her freaking out. Yes, she was turned-on when they got hot and heavy, but how could she have been so reckless? So stupid?

  You weren’t thinking clearly, that’s how.

  “We didn’t use a condom.” Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think. A baby? Right now? With the way things were? It was too dangerous, too complicated. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a child into their lives.

  “Shh.” He took her hand in his. “Pregnancies can occur between a human and a shifter, but it’s extremely rare. It’s only after the final stage of the bloodbond that you’d conceive and carry to term.”

  “When can I expect that to happen?” She started thinking about the various ways to protect herself from pregnancy. She wouldn’t have a child suffering what she had. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a family. She simply wouldn’t put a child in danger. She knew only too well where that road led.

  Maybe they could put off the bloodbonding?

  No, she immediately corrected herself, you won’t be safe. Emory said pregnancies were rare, not that they didn’t happen. There were other ways to prevent conception. Perhaps Emory could wear condoms until she could get on a reliable form of birth control.

  “I was hoping soon,” Emory said with a look of hurt on his face. “Do you not want children?”

  “No,” she answered without thinking, entangled in her thoughts. What if she had a son? What if her family somehow got their hands on him and turned him into a killer with no remorse?

  “Because of who their father is? Because of what they’ll be?”

  It took a couple of seconds for his words to register and when they did guilt assailed her, causing her stomach to sink. The misery in Emory’s gaze was her fault. Not only did it sound like she was judging him, it also seemed she was judging the children they might have in the future.

  She shook her head, quickly sharing her reasoning. “It’s not that. I would love to have children with you.” At the doubtful look he gave her she explained, “It’s my family. If we have children, they’ll always be in danger. I don’t want any child of mine to end up with them. Thinking about it makes me sick.”

  “I think that you underestimate the power of the pack, Mary.” The hurt and doubt in his expression vanished, replaced by a possessive and lethal glint in his eyes. “No one will hurt you here. Since the last attack Diskant has changed everything. All of the shifters—from cats to wolves to birds of prey—have a part to play to keep the city safe. We have moles in the police force now, members of a pride who keep us up to date on anything strange going on in the area. Diskant’s city is the safest one to live in if you’re a shifter.” He smiled. “Or a shifter’s female.”

  He stopped talking and sat up, gazing around the room. Sliding the linens aside, he climbed from the bed in all his naked glory, the globes of his ass and the muscles in his thighs flexing. He retrieved her bag, brought it to the bed and took a seat beside her.

  “I have to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me.”

  Damn. She was never good at poker. She couldn’t lie if he asked her about the money or the map, and she had a pretty good hunch he was going to ask about both.

  “Where did you get the money?”

  The first question wasn’t difficult to answer. “From my parents. I have an account in Florida I withdraw funds from when I need to.”

  He arched a brow, unzipped the duffel and rummaged through the contents and brought out a wad of bills. “I’m guessing there’s several thousand dollars here. If you have an account, why make that kind of withdrawal?”

  “Because I never knew when I needed money and I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t have to make a stop at the bank. Living on the edge means you think ahead.” The question awakened demons from her past, things she wanted to forget—of living in squalor, of working for the biggest asshole in the world…

  Oh shit!

  “Mr. Montrose,” she choked, feeling sick. “They killed him.”

  “Who killed who, sweetheart?” Emory dropped the money and rested a large palm on her thigh.

  “My boss!” Oh God, he was dead. She’d always known the old coot would die at the Food Town, but not in the manner he had. “Some of my distant relatives came into the Food Town and shot him.” Alarm bells sounded, magnifying her dread. “If the police search the scene, they might find traces of me.” She looked at Emory, terrified of the danger she brought to him. “They could come here.”

  “All of that was taken care of when we found you.” Emory’s cool composure eased a bit of her tension. No one could pretend to be that comfortable discussing murder and a possible visit from the police unless they were telling the truth. “Any evidence is gone. We made sure of that.”

  “It won’t stop them.” The admission saddened her but it also made her angry. Like cockroaches surviving a nuclear holocaust, her family would stand the test of time. “They’ll keep searching for me.”

  “It’s not a question of stopping them.” Emory pulled his hand away, making a large fist. “It’s a matter of teaching them we’re not people they want to fuck with. Not anymore.”

  “You’re going to fight them?”

  “Yes, we are.” He didn’t seem the least apologetic, telling her straight. “Those who lost people closest to them have already started visiting compounds to let them know we won’t tolerate any more of their cruelty. Before we gave them a wide berth, since most Alphas felt it was too risky to get involved. If the world finds out we exist, things could get nasty. Now the policy has changed. If our presence is revealed we’ll deal with it. Diskant has the backing of every Alpha and Omega from every pack and pride in the United States. They agree it’s time to take a stand. This problem won’t go away unless we force the issue.”

  She was pretty sure that if she wasn’t sitting down she would have fallen over. Her entire body was trembling, each beat of her heart crashing inside her chest. “You’re serious?”

  “Completely.” He smiled, relaxed again, his eyes their usual amber color. “Which means you don’t have to run anymore. You’re safe. Your uncle made threats when he had a level of control over the situation. He’s lost that.”

  “I noticed he left the farm more often,” she said, thinking aloud, “but I didn’t know why.”

  “It’s because he knows his number is up. The last I heard several of the Shepherd farms that were investigated were vacant and the premises were completely empty. More than likely they’re moving around but we’ll find them eventually. If they can’t stay in one place, they can’t capture shifters. They have to be smart.”

  “What else did you want to ask me?” It was hard not to grin now that she knew she had something he’d want, a way to repay him for saving her life.

  He hesitated, creases forming around his mouth, worry etching across his features. “We saw the map in your bag.” Without looking at her, he removed it from the duffel. “Is there a reason there are so many marks?” He didn’t open the map fully, leaving it so that only the large circle around New York showed. “Is there a reason for this?” He pointed at the circle, the one she’d drawn with her own pen.

  “Well, you see…” She tried to hide a grin. “My parents didn’t just leave me money. They left me this too. If you open it,” she unfolded the map, stretching it out, “you’ll see all of these.”

  Her fingertip guided him to the small stars etched on the paper. She stopped, waiting for him to look at her. When he did, she smiled.

  “That’s where Shepherds are,” she said, relieved she could share this with Emory. “My parents wanted me to have this so I wouldn’t go anywhere near them. They knew they would probably be found and it would be impossible to save me,
so they put aside money and the map so I stood a chance of living a normal life when I was old enough to get away.”

  “And this?” He indicated the big circle around New York.

  “It was where I was going to hide next. I figured it would be harder to find me in a big city.” She blushed and bowed her head. “I didn’t realize you lived here, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “No?”

  She peered up at him, seeing his grin, and a giggle escaped. “Absolutely not.”

  Emory folded the map, his fingers almost useless as he studied her. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he tossed the bag off the bed, placed the map on top of it and turned to face her.

  Oh my.

  His eyes were almost yellow, breathtaking and brilliant. Her body responded in a way she didn’t expect, making her nipples sensitive in the open air, the sheets beneath her bare ass almost chafing. She’d totally forgotten she was naked—she hadn’t even given it much thought if she was being honest with herself. Her gaze slid down Emory’s torso, stopping when it reached his cock. He was completely erect, the skin a dark pink, veins visible along the shaft.

  “Do you like what you see?”

  She shook at the question, her pussy becoming wet, clit pulsing. His voice sounded like pure sexual enticement—raw, deep…animal. Breathing became difficult as everything vanished but Emory. The scent she’d noticed earlier seemed heavier, tempting her to do things she’d never have considered in the past. Embarrassment took a trip out the window, replaced by lust.

  The sheet slid from her body as she crawled toward him, hands roaming over the firm contours of his chest, fingernails scraping his hot skin. His eyes continued to glow, his full lips pressing together. He growled as he put his hands on her waist and lifted her over him so that she straddled his legs. His cock brushed the seam of her ass, rock-hard but soft as satin. The length slid along the crease, venturing along the edge without pressing between her cheeks.