Megan's Mark (9 page)

It was imperative to get the proper GPS trackers within the tunnels and caves in case the unwary became lost within them.

“And another of nature’s secrets becomes unraveled,” Braden murmured.

“But lives are saved.” She shrugged at the faint condemnation. “Especially the children who lose their way so easily.”

How many times had she done exactly that as a child? Too many to count. Her father, even now, told the hair-raising stories of attempting to find her during the times she had disappeared into a cave or an unknown part of the desert.

“Some secrets were meant to stay hidden.” His voice was tight now, tense with a deep-seated anger as he investigated one of the ledges on the other side of the cave.

She assumed he meant the secrets the scientists had unraveled in creating the Breeds. From the news stories she had watched, she knew the controversy over Breed Rights was fueled by the Purists’ beliefs that their animal DNA disqualified them from the description of human. As though the human DNA had no significant value. It was insanity, the racism and prejudice that was growing against the Breeds. And though she could hear his anger, feel it distantly, it wasn’t beating at her head, raw and painful. It was just there naturally. Allowing her to breathe and to function. The anomaly was comforting - confusing, but comforting.

“Nature does what she believes is right.” She leaned against the rock wall, staring at his broad back curiously.

“Do you think you would be here if you weren’t considered a worthy life, Braden?” She tilted her head as he turned back to face her slowly.

His eyes were narrowed in the dim light that filled the cave, his expression pensive.

“I wouldn’t fight for it daily if I didn’t consider it worthy,” he assured her, his lips quirking into a mocking smile before he turned back to whatever he had been investigating. “I just believe some things were not meant to be tampered with, Creation being but one of them.”

He was accepting of who he was, of what he was. But she heard the regret in his voice as well. Perhaps it was the world in general that disappointed him. As it did her.

She cleared her throat, nervous. “Sometimes tampering creates something beautiful,” she finally whispered, staring back at him, licking her lips as his gaze flickered with surprise.

“Back to work,” she muttered, turning away from him before she let her wayward emotions get her into trouble.

Hadn’t she learned better more than once?

Shaking her head, she turned back to the job at hand, shining the light deep into the opening that led farther into the land. The light beam caught on a piece of folded paper, tucked beneath the outcropping of a rock. Moving into the tunnel, she bent and pulled it free before aiming the light on it. The computer-printed schedule was damning.

Fields, Megan. Patrol Schedule.
Her fingers rubbed over the paper as hatred poured from it. Personal hatred. This wasn’t the impersonal evil of the Coyote Breeds. It was closer. Familiar. She knew the feeling, the psychic imprint left by all creatures once they touched something. She bit her lip, frowning down at the paper as she continued to rub her fingers over it. The emotion was faint, but vicious. Whoever had printed out this schedule had known what awaited her. Known and enjoyed the feeling of power that came from the knowledge.

“What is it?”

Megan jumped in startled awareness as she heard, Braden’s voice at her ear, only then realizing how easily he had slipped up on her.

“This is from the computers at the sheriff’s office.” She frowned down at the locator numbers at the top of the printout. “The printer automatically sets the locator numbers to display the location of the office printing it .”

“Are they printed out often?” Braden reached out, lifting the paper from her hand as she turned to face him.

Megan shrugged. “Not that often. I get a copy and Lance has his copy. Unless someone prints out more. But you need the password to get into the system.”

“It’s still not a foolproof system.” He shook his head slowly, staring down at the paper a moment longer before refolding it and tucking it into his pocket. “I’ll send it to the labs and see if they can pick up any prints from it. Though I doubt any but those of the Coyote who carried it show up after all this time.”

“From what I’ve heard of the Council, they don’t go after high-profile or well-guarded women,” she said then, remembering the reports she had watched over the years. “They kidnap runaways. or women who are destitute, with no family. And they don’t just mark one for death. Why change their routine now?”

She wasn’t stupid. There had to be something more that they were after.

“You’re right.” He reached up, pushing back the fringes of hair that fell over her face, his golden eyes narrowing as she stared back at him. “There is something more they want. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it is. Until I learn, we’ll fight together. No going off alone. Megan. Trust me to let you fight and to live.”

Her lips parted at his statement while her heart began to race at his nearness. She should be excited about the opportunity to fight, not about the chance to be a part of this man’s life.

His lips quirked, a soft smile softening the features of his face. “You’re surprised?”

“A bit,” she admitted, aware that his hand now cupped the side of her neck, his thumb smoothing over the tender flesh just beneath her ear. The intimacy that wrapped around them seemed to invade every cell of her body.

“Why?” He tilted his head.

She shrugged, uncertain within the morass of arousal and emotions she could feel building within her. Braden, as maddening as he could be, drew her to him in ways she found impossible to fight. She wanted his arms around her, wanted his touch and his kiss; but even more, she wanted the man.

“Why have you stayed here?” he asked her then. “I see the wildness in your eyes, Megan, the need to run free, to fight and to dance within the flames of life. You let Lance give you a Wounder rather than a weapon, and allow yourself to be smothered in this corner you exist within. Why?”

A frown snapped between her brows as the shame of her failure to fight and control her Empathy filled her once again. “This is my home,” She tried to shake off his touch.

“This isn’t your life.” He spoke the words that she shied away from daily.

“This isn’t your business.” She stepped away from him, ignoring the instant chill to her body as she lost his warmth.

“This is a lot of my business,” he assured her, still blocking the exit of the tunnel. “I see a very strong woman. One with enough fire to warm the coldest nights or to fight the bloodiest battle. Yet you’re here, sedated, bored out of your mind.”

His voice was gentle, comforting, and yet at the same time the dark, rich baritone had her blood pressure rising to a heated pitch of arousal. She would have been amused if it didn’t scare her silly. She could love this man, even knowing he couldn’t stay.

“Bored?” She arched her brow mockingly. “Now, Braden, how could you consider this little corner of the desert boring? Surely you aren’t ready to head back to battle so soon?”

He was hitting too close to the mark, bringing to the surface too many things that had been tormenting her with each passing year.

“I found a battle here,” he responded softly. Crowding her closer to the stone wall at the side of the tunnel. “Now I just have to figure out why there’s a battle to begin with. Why would a beautiful, seemingly normal young woman suddenly be targeted for death by a Council that shouldn’t give a fuck about her one way or the other. What did you do, Megan? What have you seen’!”

She inhaled roughly, staring back at him with a remnant of fear as he asked that question. What had she done? What had she seen? Why had she run back to the safety of her home, her family, and hid within the desert she so loved, when she really wanted nothing more than to live the life she knew she had been destined to live?

Because she was scared. She had learned in the crowded setting of the Law Enforcement Academy that working within a team, dealing with the various emotions, dark, often agonizing emotions, fractured her attention to the point where concentration was impossible.

She had passed the courses with honors. But when it came to training maneuvers, she had often endangered the team as well as herself. And yet that had nothing to do with the Council.

“I haven’t done anything, or seen anything that the Council would be interested in.” Her fists clenched at her sides as she assured him just how wrong he was. “I’m here because it is home. I want to make a difference here.”

“There’s no battle here.” His eyes were deceptively gentle: she could see the cool. calm calculation that rested beneath the purity of the amber color. “There is no fire here, Megan.” He moved closer, his body brushing against hers until she retreated against the cool wall behind her. “There is no excitement, nothing to stimulate your very agile mind and body. You hunger for justice. For adventure and excitement. You hunger and yet you steer clear of the banquet waiting beyond your own borders. Why?”

“Maybe I’m scared?” She arched her brow mockingly as she felt her mouth go dry with nervousness. He was too close, too intent on learning secrets that she revealed to no one. “Broken Butte is safe—”

The rumbled growl of warning that sounded from his chest stopped her words as nothing else could have.

“Have I ever mentioned that lies have a scent?” he asked her, his voice soft as he pressed closer. “Such a shame to mar the smell of sweet, aroused female with the rancid tint of a lie. Don’t piss me off, Megan.”

He flashed those incisors as though she should be frightened of them. She wasn’t frightened of his bite; it was his touch that threw her off guard, that destroyed her equilibrium. That was what she feared. And it made her angry at herself and at him.

“Don’t piss you off?” She pushed against his chest as she wiggled past him, stomping to the main cave as he followed her slowly. “No, Braden.” She turned on him warningly, pointing her finger at him imperiously. “Don’t piss
me
off, and don’t poke your nose where it doesn’t belong. Concern yourself with the problem at hand and leave me the hell alone.”

Now she remembered why she didn’t want a damned Feline Breed on her heels every damned minute of the day.

Arrogance was as much a part of them as the steel-hard muscles and exceptional, savage beauty.

And let’s not forget the strength. Before she could do more than gasp he had gripped her upper arm, turning her and pushing her against the wall again, his larger body holding her in place as his erection pressed against her lower stomach.

Arousal swamped her. It ripped through her; not just her senses, but every cell of her body seemed to open up, begging, pleading for his touch.

Damn, she didn’t need that. She could feel her womb clenching. And he didn’t miss a second of it.

His nostrils flared, his eyes darkening as he held her wrists in one hand, high above her head.

“Do you mind?” She struggled against his grip.

“I don’t mind a bit,” he murmured, lowering his head to her already abused ear as his teeth raked over it.

Okay, she was screwed, and not in a good way.

She shuddered at the caress. That just felt way too good. Good enough that she couldn’t still the hard exhalation of breath that nearly turned into a whimper of greedy need. Talk about a banquet. A smorgasbord of hard, tight male flesh. And if the erection pressing into her stomach was any indication, he was built like a damned tank and loaded.

Her hands strained against his grip as she arched against him, knowing she should be struggling to be free of the sensations that flooded her at his touch. But she wasn’t. She was straining closer to the power, the heat of him, needing more. She forced back the need, panting for air as the blood raced through her body.

“Why are you doing this?” She tried to shake her head, but her eyelids only fluttered in pleasure as he drew her earlobe between his lips and caressed it.

“Be still.” He growled, pressing his cock tighter against her belly.

“You’re not being fair,” she protested, her nails biting into his shoulders as she fought the attraction pulling her to him. She couldn’t afford to let herself feel this, to need this. “You know this can’t go anywhere.”

“Who said I’m trying to go anywhere?” Amusement and pure male lust thickened his voice. “But if you don’t stop rubbing that hot little body against me, then I’m going to fuck you here, in the middle of this damned cave. Now stay still.”

His other hand locked on her hip as he eased back, his head lowering to allow his lips to graze her neck.

Damn, it had just been too long since she’d been with a man. That had to be all it was, because if it wasn’t, then she was in more trouble than she could have ever imagined.

“Just blame it all on me, why don’t you.” She tried to be snide, she really did. But the smile that trembled on her lips fed to her voice.

“It’s sure as hell a lot easier that way.” He chuckled as he lifted his head, moving farther back until he let go of her wrists and released her from the sensual spell he had been weaving around her.

She should have been thankful.

Instead she wanted to whimper in disappointment. “I just bet it is.” She rolled her eyes, fighting to balance her equilibrium once again. “Are we finished in here, or was there something else you wanted to check out?”

She stooped down to retrieve the flashlight that had rolled against the wall before flipping it off and re-securing it on her utility belt. Right beside the wicked submachine pistol she had pulled from her closet and holstered there that morning. She’d be damned if she ever carried another Wounder.

“Oh, there are many things I would like to check out.” The heavy-lidded stare had her stomach tightening, her pussy spasming.

“I bet there are.” She hid the spurt of laughter that was building in her chest. “But if we’re finished with these damned caverns I’d really like to head back to town. I do still have some sort of life here. Living it brings me some satisfaction, you know. And I’m getting rather hungry.”