Shifted Temptations (5 page)

"You didn't? Well, where
in the hell is it then? I can't find it anywhere."

“I was shaking my head
at your behavior, not as an answer."

With his fist at his hips and eyes narrow, I almost laugh at the picture he made. He was in a tantrum just like a toddler and he was looking like one too.

"Yes, I drank the last of the coffee, Jordan. There was only enough for one cup and I had planned to hit the grocery store later, unless you wanted to go instead?"

Shaking his head he said, "No, you go. Damn it! I've been up all night wor
king and I needed that coffee."

Jordan continued
his snit, but I wasn't moving. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"So really
, that's why there was no coffee this morning. You have been drinking it all night to stay up."

Imitating my stance by crossing his own arms, he stared defiant. "Yes."

"What project are you working on?" I asked confused. "I wasn't aware we had anything pressing at the moment."

Jordan looked away, his tough facade crumpling a little. "Nothing you need to worry about."

"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously.

Something was definitely up and I would get to bottom of it. Jordan had been
working nonstop for the past week and I assumed it was to get his mind off other things, though I wasn't so sure anymore.

"I believe I a
m a part of this company too, so I think I will worry about it."

Jordan closed his eyes and pinchi
ng the bridge of his nose sighed loudly. "You are not going to let this go, are you?"

"Absolutely not. What's going on, Jordan? You've been working crazy hours lately. I thought it was just to get your mind off of..."

Jordan threw up a hand, halting what I was about to say. "I don't want to talk about that."

Palms up, I placated, "Alright, alright. I'll skip it for now, but it is
something we need to talk about...soon," I warned.

And after the mess with work was finished, we would be discussing it soon
er than Jordan thought. I was not about to let it go that easily.

"Fine, we got a call fromTeij."

The name had my back up instantly. My muscles bunched, readying for action. The hairs at the back of my neck prickled in preparation of the change.

Jordan and I were part of a secret
, special operations team called the
Alpha Division
, commanded by Teij and fronted by the U.S. government. There were quite a few of us stationed around the world trying to live under the radar and ready to go at a moment's notice. And every one of us was out of the ordinary.

"Mission?"

"Possible mission, but you haven't been called on."

My brow wrinkled. "Why?"

"Teij got a call from Mark,” he said, purposely misunderstanding my question.

My brow wrinkled as I thought about
whom that was. "Mark? You mean Markus Stone?"

The name brought back harsh memories.
We both grew up with Mark in the small town of Wilde Mountain, Virginia, but he was far from a childhood friend.

He nodded an affirmative.

"Explain."

"Seems things aren't going so well back home."

I snorted. "Doesn't surprise me."

Things were never going well back home.
Somehow, both Jordan and I got the short end of the stick when came down to fathers. Jordan’s father, Lee Hunt, was a nasty man that used his fists on his wife and child whenever a drop of alcohol passed his lips. Unfortunately, the man downed his liquor more often than not, and his wife stood up for him time and time again.

My father, however, never laid a hand on me. No, he would never dirty his hands or reputation in such a way. Alexander James Wright Sr. was a model citizen and politician. His only goal in life was to be a leader in the small community. Too bad his wife was a loose drunk a
nd his son a perpetual failure.

No, my body never took the brunt of his fist
s, but my mind almost snapped at the emotional abuse hurled at me day after day. Jordan and I had not wasted time leaving that hell whole. We had been gone sixteen years and had not heard a word from anyone from our past, until now.

"Yeah, well it has
gotten a whole lot worse." Jordan walked over to his desk and sat on the corner facing me. "From what I gathered it seems that, after we left, new laws were announced in Wilde Mountain. One was no outsiders."

“Humans were never welcome outside of marriage, but
what about spouses?"

"Nope, they sent them away, children too if they took after their human parent and
weren’t able to shift."

Our kind was wary of humans
. The few that did find and marry a human mate were treated as lower class. Both Jordan and I had a 'mixed' heritage. Our mothers were human and our fathers were were-cats, jaguars to be exact. We knew all too well how cruel the full bloods of our community could be.

I never understood why my fa
ther chose to mate with a human, Jordan’s father either. Both men made no secret of how they felt about humans and half bloods. They considered us nothing but scum on the bottom of their shoes.

Not all families
acted that way. Most full bloods that mated with a human were happy, respectful spouses. Many of the more prominent shifters in the community looked down upon them.

However
, even with the harsh treatment from the unsupportive full bloods, those mixed couples stayed. They thought it would be easier for the cubs to grow up with their own kind. Now, it seemed, those families were being ripped apart.

"My God, w
hy would they do such a thing?" My gaze narrowed. "What does this have to do with a mission? And why am I not being called in?"

Jordan ignored my last question instead answering the first. Of
course, he knew I wouldn't give up so easily, but I wanted all the information I could get.

"Mark told Teij
that after we left, a committee was assembled. They believed associating with humans was weakening the race and voted that to become more powerful, they needed stronger blood."

My mouth dropped in horror. "You mean..."

"Yep, they're practically forcing incest in a way. There are not that many of us anymore." He paused, "There aren't that many full bloods, I mean."

We sat in silence a moment thinking of the implications of such a
law. I shuddered in disgust. Those families must have been in pure hell. To be separated by your loved ones...

"Why haven't they just left?" I asked. "When the human spouses and children were kicked out, why didn't their families go with them?"

"Not allowed. Law says no full blood may leave Wilde Mountain. Mark said they had a few try and the punishment was severe."

"Damn, I always hated that
place, but I never thought they would resort to such cruelty."

"I didn't either."

I raked my fingers through my hair in frustration. “Isn’t the community the least bit concerned that these humans will start talking? They have to be angry enough.”

Most of those humans I would consider good people, but the way they were treated could very well mean trouble for our kind. Our secret must be kept. The whole of the human race was not ready to kno
w what lay in their back yard, not yet.

"So what is our mission?" I figured if I kept asking
, eventually Jordan would tell me the details. He also didn't miss the fact that I said our mission not just his. He raised an eyebrow, but did not argue.

"Not sure yet. Teij said stay ready, he wi
ll call when it's time. Right now, these are only rumors. It could be awhile before anything is decided."

I stared at him long and hard
, looking for deception. Jordan's gaze never wavered. He was telling the truth. I gave him a sharp nod. The conversation was over for the moment, but when the time came, I would get my answers. There had to be a damn good reason for keeping me out of a mission and I wanted to know what in the hell was going on.

Jordan stood up and smiled tightly. "Don't worry about t
he coffee. I'm going to sleep."

"Wait," I called just as he turned down the hall to his bedroom.

"What?" He asked turning around. Great, I thought, he looked irritated again.

"We have one more thing to
discuss." I raised an eyebrow.

Jordan ran hi
s hands over his face. "Not now Alex, I'm tired. We can talk when I wake up."

I nodded, but he didn't see me. He had already headed back to his room. I
was not going to argue with him. I would let him sleep, for now, I thought. I would argue with him later.

Rubbing the back of my
neck, I looked around the office. Jordan and I had started a computer programming and web development company years ago, before the
Alpha Division
approached us
.
We kept the company running, using it not only as a cover, but also for the extra money.

Things were
in order and there were no projects needing my attention. It was a good thing too. My brain felt fried with everything that was going on.

It was times like these, I reflected, that I wished I could talk to Sam. Hell, I missed her. That was exactly what I wanted to talk to Jordan about. We did do her wrong
and I wanted to make it right.

I couldn't help but remember our last conversation, or I should say fight. I was surprise
d, yet please when she confessed to caring about us, but when she told us how we didn't do anything except fuck anymore, I felt like a total bastard. She was right, of course. Jordan and I had decided we should not get too serious with Sam. We had not wanted to get her messed up in our complicated lives. It was too dangerous, and she deserved so much more.

S
he was pregnant. Past tense maybe, since she decided on an abortion. That thought alone made my eyes water. Damn, I should not have stayed away so long. I could have stopped her, but I didn't and I would live the rest of my life regretting that decision.

A sudden urge to
see her, to make sure she was all right, came over me. I hoped that I could get to her in time. Maybe she had not made an appointment yet. I hoped.

I quickly left the office and turned toward Jordan's door, but stopped. He was asleep already, I was sure, so I couldn't talk to him first. My fingers connected with my scalp as I ran my hands through my hair and Sam's words hit me
like a brick over the head. 'He speaks for you now?'

"No," I said allowed, he doesn't. Yes
, we usually made our decisions together, but I did not answer to him. I made my own choices.

W
ith that thought, I left and headed down stairs to Sam's apartment. I stared at the door a moment, wondering what kind of reception I was about to receive. I knew she had to be angry, but seeing her fuming was better than not seeing her at all.

I raised my fist and knocked, but steppe
d back when the door pushed in.

"What
in the hell is she doing leaving her door open like this?" My growl echoed through the empty hallway.

Pressing on the door, I peaked inside and calle
d, "Sam?" There was no answer.

Stepping inside, I
froze. The place was eerily quiet and it was obvious no one lived there anymore, but I had to check.

The only things in the living room were the heavy furniture that came with the house, no books, or little ceramic figurines she used to put on the shelves.
I found the kitchen in the same condition. The drawers, fridge and cabinets were all empty.

Slamming a cabinet hard
, I turned and practically ran to the bedroom and stopped dead in the doorway, breathing heavily. Not from exertion, but shear panic. The bed was gone, the drawers were open and empty along with the closet.

I leaned against the jam and cursed. My eyes stung and I fought the urge to cry like a baby. How strange, I thought. I knew I cared for the damn woman, but now that
she was gone, it felt like more.

I laughed
aloud and it sounded harsh in the silent, empty room. More, was that not what she had asked for? How ironic that I would have such a sudden craving for the same.

My nostrils flared as I breathed in deep, trying to catch a hint of Sam's sweet scent. It was there, just barely, but my extraordinary senses made it easier to find. She smelled of jasmine and innocence. She was so pure, so good,
nothing like the monster I was.

How I wished she were with me so I could bury my nose in the crook of her ne
ck and breathe her in so deeply it would solidly lodged her into my being. My dick hardened at the memory of doing just that.

I shook my head realizing how
much I took for granted. All this time I had been kidding myself. Sam already permanently imbedded herself into my soul and I would forever feel the weight of my mistake.