Sanctuary (A Hunted Novel Book 1) (13 page)

“Yes,” he answered simply.

“You’re with that little trollop. She can’t be trusted,” his mother exclaimed. “She’s putting you in danger.”

“How?” he groaned. Tess might be confusing the hell out of him right now, but putting him in danger was not a crime she had committed.

“Werecats cannot be trusted,” she answered with a snarl.

“Mom...” he trailed off not sure what to say.

“You’ve heard the stories,” she insisted.

“Yeah. I have, but that’s just one side.”  He shook his head. Hell would freeze over before he convinced her. “I’m seeing this through.”

“You come home this instance,” she ordered.

“What are you so afraid of?” Nate asked confused. He’d been on lots of solo missions. Why was this any different? What was it about cats his mother disliked so much?

“Come home,” she repeated determinedly.

“Good bye, Mom,” he replied. She yelled something at him, but he hung up before she could finish. He stared down at his screen as it dimmed, then went black.
I probably should’ve told her about my theory.
If humans were working with the Hunters they needed to know. But with his mother in the mood she was it would’ve gone in one ear and out the other. He’d have to try to talk to his dad later. First, he needed to figure out what was going on with Tess.

He turned back to the office. Tess stood in the doorway, her eyes cast down to the floor.

“She could probably sense our attraction to each other. We... I can smell pheromones. I assume you can too,” she paused as he nodded. Tess breath hitched, and she closed her eyes, resting her head against the doorframe. “She doesn’t want interspecies mating,” she whispered.

“What?” he asked, putting his phone back in his pocket.

“Cats and wolves,” she sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. “You and me,” she whispered so low he barely heard her.

“It was only sex. We had a little fun, there is no need for her to get all bent out of shape about that,” he argued. He wouldn’t be opposed to having a little more fun before they returned to Sanctuary. It would have to end when they got home though. He would be mating soon, and a relationship with her would only complicate things.
Why can’t you be with her? She’s a werecat. Don’t go there.
“It’s not like anyone ever needs to know about last night.”

Tess’ eyes widened as she gaped at him.
Why is she staring at me like I have three heads?

Tess cleared her throat. “What are you talking about? You can’t fight fate. If you don’t want others to know, then we need to separate now or the bloodlines will become tainted. That’s what your mother is afraid of.”

What is that supposed to mean? What isn’t she telling me?

“So all this is because she is afraid that cats and wolves are going to mate? You and me?”

Tess huffed, letting her shoulders slump down.  “Yes. You would have a werecat that could pass on a dormant wolf gene, or a wolf that could pass on a dormant cat gene. That scares people.”

Tainted bloodlines. That would scare the council members—at least some of them. But what did that have to do with he and Tess? They weren’t mates. Could they even procreate if it came to that? Tess seemed to think so.

Tess walked up to him and met his gaze. She reached out and stroked a finger down his cheek and rested it on his lips. “Mates can’t deny each other forever. Once they cross paths, it’s only a matter of time before they give into their desire.”

Nate’s eyes dipped down to her lips. He swallowed, fighting the urge to claim her soft lips.

“After that, you have fourteen days to accept or deny your mate,” Tess continued.

“I know how it works,” he reminded her. Everyone over the age of twelve knew how mating worked. Not that anyone he knew had ever found a true mate. Everyone he knew that was mated had chosen someone within the pack that they were attracted to. True, bonded mates yearned for each other. They couldn’t live without each other. Most importantly, they bore a mark that signified the pair belonged together.

“Okay,” she frowned. Tess shook her head and sighed, withdrawing her hand.

He groaned inwardly, already missing her soft silky touch. Nate reached out, catching her hand and placing it back on his lips. He placed light kisses to her fingertips. Need overwhelmed him and he pushed her back, crushing her against the doorframe.

She gasped as his mouth crashed against hers. Her arms wrapped around him, and she hitched her leg on his waist. She was so warm.
I need her.
A wave of hunger swept over him. He fought the impulse to rip her clothes from her body.

“Nate,” Tess whispered as her hands pushed him away. “We can’t,” she panted. Her eyes swirled as her gaze dipped down to his lips. Tess wavered, her leg gripping him tighter, drawing him closer to her center. She wanted this too. Why is she fighting this?

Her eyes held his though, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Tess’ eyes narrowed as she shoved him away. “Don’t play games,” she hissed.

What? Where is this coming from?

She spun around and whipped her hair to the side, exposing her lean neck. What is that? He took a step closer and placed a hand over the tiny mark.
No.
That wasn’t there last night. Questions tumbled through his mind in rapid succession. Is that what I think that is? A mating mark. She’s my mate? How did that happen? Is that even possible she’s a cat and I’m a wolf?

“We can’t,” she repeated. “If we... if we lose control again, we’ll be accepting our bond. We’ll be mated. There’s no going back from that,” she murmured in a hushed tone. She pulled away, walking briskly down the corridor. “I’m getting some air.”

Nate scrubbed a hand over his face. It all made sense now. The undeniable attraction, and the constant yearning to touch her—to be with her, it was his wolf trying to accept its mate. From the second they met, he and Tess were fighting an uphill battle. Their coupling last night was bound to happen sooner or later. The more time they spent together, the more their bodies would crave the completion of the bond. They didn’t have to complete the ritual. There was always a choice, but he would never care about another woman the way he did Tess.

He had two choices. Accept his mate and risk losing his home and family. Or, denying her and living a life full of regret, but in the safety of Sanctuary’s walls. If only he could have both.

T
ess lapped at the water from the stream, allowing the icy liquid to soothe her burning throat. The need to run had overpowered her, and she’d lost track of time, pushing herself further and faster than usual. Her body ached from the grueling run, and she wished she could curl up in her bed and take a nap. But, the thought of going back to the compound wasn’t appealing. Before she faced Nate, Tess needed to figure out how she felt about their bond.

She huffed as she picked up her right front paw and licked between the pads. Her breathing returned to normal, and she closed her eyes, setting her paw on the ground. Lowering herself to the muddy earth, she allowed herself to relax.

You’ve really made a mess of things now. You’re mated to a werewolf whose family despises you, and will most likely kill you the first chance they get. Your own family is missing—maybe dead. Time to start thinking of a game plan Tess.

She opened her eyes and stared into her reflection on the water. The black cat that gazed back at her looked worn and tired. Nate’s rejection stung. He didn’t seem like he wanted to consider a relationship with her.
He’s a wolf and you’re a cat. Can you blame him?
Their mating would put him in a predicament. What would the other shifters at Sanctuary do? She swiped her hand over the clear water, causing it to ripple. They would never accept her. It had been clear from the beginning that her stay at Sanctuary was temporary. No one wanted her there. Not even Nate.

Her heart clenched, and she gritted her teeth. She wasn’t sure she wanted to mate with him either. Mating was forever, even more sacred than marriage. She barely knew Nate. But that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t consider it. There was a draw to him. He made her comfortable. When she was with him, she felt things she’d never known before. His ability to make her laugh, to make her comfortable, and help her to feel whole was intense. Both the human, and the cat in her, craved Nate. No other man had ever caused that kind of reaction in her. What am I going to do? It doesn’t matter. If he’s set against bonding then why should she bother trying to change his mind? It had to be his choice. They both needed to decide on this. Together. Hopefully, he would reciprocate the same feelings. An ache blossomed behind her eyes. Maybe it was time to focus on her other worries.

As far as her family was concerned, she didn’t know what to think. They would come here if they could. The more days that passed, the more doubt crept in. What if she was the only one who made it out? She shook her head; she didn’t want to think about that. Someone was alive. They had to be. She had to keep searching.
Have hope.

Tess looked over at her clothes that lay strewn out in the grass. She’d run for a while in human form before transitioning, and sprinting through the woods on all fours. At least she’d had the good sense to bring her clothes with her. It was well past lunchtime, and she hadn’t found any prey in the woods. There was a town not too far from here. She’d passed by the outskirts on her run. Maybe she could search the town and ask a few questions while she was there. It would give her something to do other than returning to Nate, and she might get some leads on her family’s whereabouts.

Standing up, she stretched her lean, sleek black legs forward, and then leaned back. Tess closed her eyes as she crouched down. She imagined her human form, starting with her toes. Her hind legs snapped as the bones started to shift. Transitioning was a pleasure pain, enjoyable, and freeing all at the same time.

She wiggled her back as her vertebrae broke and reformed and finally blinked her eyes as they too shifted. The twigs dug into the soft flesh on her knees as she crouched on the ground. Fully changed, she stood up and walked over to her clothes, dressing quickly. Now, it was time to do some recon and get something to eat. Her stomach rumbled in agreement.

“Don’t move,” a male voice growled from behind her.

Tess froze as a gun clicked. Slowly she turned on her heel and met the eyes of two men. She gnashed her teeth together.
Good going. You were so consumed in your problems you let two hunters get the jump on you.

“Are you alone?” a man asked as he took a step forward.

Tess licked her dry lips, but didn’t answer as she met the man’s brown eyes. He was young, probably in his early twenties like her. The other man was older, possibly the younger’s father. Their eye color and build were identical. If they were family, she could use that against them.

“He asked you a question,” the older man snarled. He took a step closer to her, pointing the large silver barrel directly between her eyes.

Tess glared at him. Nate was too far away to help her, and hell would freeze over before she gave away his position.

“Looks like we’re going to have to do things the hard way,” the older man beamed. He motioned for the other man to join him. The younger one took a step forward, handing over a small device.

She shuddered, instantly recognizing the taser. Her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing their every move.
Please make a mistake.

The older mans hand wavered, lowering the gun as he shifted his gaze to take the taser. This was as good an opportunity as any to act.
I’m dead either way.

Lunging forward, she gripped the older man’s wrist and jerked it up. The gun went off near her ear. She winced as the bang echoed through her eardrum.
Don’t lose your focus.
Using her strength, she shoved the man backwards, knocking him onto the ground. The gun fell out of his hands, and she dove, scooping the weapon up, and chucked it as far as she could.
I’d prefer not to get shot again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other hunter rushing her. She whirled around, lifting her leg and kicking the younger man. Tess sprung forward, shifting her mouth and eyes to their feline form. Hissing she tackled him to the ground, gnashing her sharp canines at him.

Her enemy thrashed beneath her, his hands flying to her shoulders as he tried to push her away. She snapped her teeth at him, trying to latch onto any part of him she could. Her teeth were sharp, all she had to do was bite into an artery, and his blood loss would be catastrophic.
Come on Tess get one good bite in. You’ve got two of them to worry about.

A hand wrenched in her hair, yanking her away from her victim. She swung her elbow backward, connecting with something solid. Tess spun, grunting as the action caused some of her hair to be ripped from her head. She balled her fist and punched. Pain exploded in her knuckles as the man’s head snapped back. Blood spurted from his nose.
Gotcha. Now got to get a few more hits in.
He spit on the ground as he stalked toward her. She backed up, making it so she could see both of her assailants.

“
Don’t let them out of your line of sight. That’s when they get the upper hand,”
her father’s voice shouted in her head.   Anger surged through her as she recalled her dad. He was a good man, and he didn’t deserve to be hunted and killed by these mercenaries.

She shook her hand, hissing at the men as it transformed into a long, sleek black claw. Her eyes darted between the two of them.
Come on cowards. Make a move. I dare you. Not so brave without your gun are you?
 

The younger man lunged forward. She ducked under his arm, diving beneath it. She spun and raked her claws across his back. He howled in pain and the older man hollered, going to the younger’s aide.
That’s it worry about him and forget about me.

Tess jumped forward, catching the elder hunter by the arms. She drove her knee up into his groin. The man sputtered as he tried to catch his breath. She flexed her claws and then jammed them into the mans chest.