Seduced by a Shifter Page 2

  To Ben, the female shifters got the short end of the stick. They might have some heightened strength and senses, but neither skill was as keen as the males’. The women also couldn’t shift. At all.

  Most males shifted from human to wolf under the full moon, an instinctive pull that allowed the beast the joy and freedom to run wild. Some of the males, like Ben, not only gained enough control over their animal to suppress the moon shift, but they retained the ability to change forms outside of the full moon.

  The caveat was that the creature hovered just beneath their skin. These men were a little more dangerous, a tad more assertive, and extremely fierce in their protection of those they cared about.

  And most of those men were all in this very room.

  In an overstuffed chair situated at an angle so he could oversee the room sat his alpha, Dean Kinigos. It was in his house that Ben now stood. On the brown micro-suede sofa perpendicular to a massive stone fireplace where an inviting fire popped merrily away sat the owner of the local hardware store, Jack Hodgins, the silver in his hair starting to outpace the thick brown. Next to him was Josh Renner, his lanky frame and youthful appearance belying his strength, both of body and mind. Josh taught at the local school and during the fall, also coached the school football team. It afforded a strategic position to keep an eye on the rough-and-tumble juvenile shifters. Crazily enough, Josh enjoyed it.

  Looking slightly uncomfortable in grease-stained overalls was Eddie Toler. No doubt the call for the meeting forced Eddie over to Dean’s place before he could head home to change. It was possible he felt his dingy attire lacked the respect due to being in his alpha’s presence, and in his own home. But to Ben, it meant Eddie was a good, hardworking man who came when his alpha called him.

  Mack Valenzuela appeared out of the kitchen, a square of white in his massive hands. The firefighter was built like the truck he was named after and as he passed Ben he sent him a short nod in greeting, his dark eyes alight with irritation. With an easy flip of his wrists, Mack lay a heavy sheet on the loveseat, separated from the sofa by a heavy wood coffee table. “Would you sit down, Eddie? You don’t want to hurt Kaylie’s feelings, now, do you?”

  Eddie shot his brown eyes to the kitchen archway, as if the woman in question was silently glaring out into the room, keeping tabs on everyone. Ever since Dean married Kaylie, thus making Kaylie the Lupa of the Pack, many of the shifters used the threat of hurting her feelings with a sort of gleeful deviance when the situation suited them. In this case, Eddie’s unease was a palpable feeling that radiated out to the other gathered men, so much so that they too were beginning to feel uncomfortable. With an audible sigh of resignation, Eddie sat and Mack eased down next to him.

  The last of the eight leaders, Vince DeNoza, also came from the kitchen with his hands filled, only he held a large tray of thick sandwiches, the scent of hot roast beef and cheese with the slight spice of green chili making Ben’s mouth water. He snagged one as Vince passed by, knowing how greedy shifters were when it came to food.

  “The best we could do on such short notice,” Kaylie said from behind the Italian restaurant owner, her voice softly chiding. But it wasn’t just the sight of Kaylie that caught everyone’s attention—it was the sleeping baby nestled in her arms. At only three weeks of age, little Lukas Kinigos already drew a crowd of admirers, men and women, shifter and human alike. As the only son and firstborn of their alpha, Lukas was akin to a prince in their world. With his thatch of black hair and eyes already turning the deep, startling green as his father’s, the little boy was a precious treasure to the pack.

  Ben swallowed and took another hearty bite of his sandwich, fascinated by how Dean’s eyes grew tender with love as he watched his wife cradling his son. Just over a year ago, Dean’s control had been fragile at best, his beast too close to the surface for comfort. Until Kaylie. Now, though his face remained hard, his eyes teased as he flicked his thumb at Zan. “Don’t blame me.”

  “Hey.” Zan blustered, straightening at the accusation. “I’m not the one who had to do five thousand background checks before agreeing to help.” Eyes as green as his brother’s turned to stab Caleb.

  Unfazed by the blame game, since acting like bickering siblings was part and parcel of a tight-knit pack, Caleb reached for one of the sandwiches Vince set on the coffee table next to another tray with bottles of water and soda.

  “I’m not about to let my men handle a situation I don’t know every detail about. That includes background checks on those involved.” Caleb’s voice was low and solid, not just in deference to the sleeping child but because that was who Caleb was: strong, solid, and very protective of his pack. He could easily be alpha of his own pack or even challenge Dean for the position to run the Woodcliff Pack, but Ben knew the sheriff had too much respect and liking for Dean to do that. They all did.

  Plus, no one else wanted that kind of responsibility.

  Caleb was content to be Dean’s second in command, his job as town sheriff more than satisfying his beast’s dominate and protective instincts. And next week they would become brothers-in-law when Caleb married Kaylie’s sister, Tess.

  Ben tried not to think of the wedding and the fact that three of his friends had found and claimed their mates within the last year. It made his own beast antsy, and the man envious.

  “This is wonderful,” Ben murmured to Kaylie around a mouth full of meat and cheese, not only to break free from the sudden bleakness that threatened to ruin his good mood, but because the food was indeed good. The hint of spicy heat only added to the flavor.

  “Thank Vince. He made it.” Kaylie walked over and leaned against the armrest of Dean’s chair, his hand immediately reaching out to gently stroke his son’s head. “I was busy feeding Lukas.”

  Dean blinked and tore his gaze from his child. “You fed him while Vince and Mack were with you?”

  At the incredulous tone, Kaylie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dean. I plopped out my boobs in front of everyone.”

  “Kaylie, please.” Vince winced. “You’ll get me killed, or worse, exiled from the pack.”

  Settling in for a great show, Ben watched the interplay of his pack members as he lowered himself onto the thick carpet next to Jack. He popped the last bit of food in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. These people were his friends, his family. Their dynamic didn’t shift, yet somehow remained heartfelt and lively, reinforcing Ben’s bonds to his pack and their warmth. Roaming, as some of his kind did when seeking a mate, was not in the cards for Ben. He’d miss his pack too much to be happy anywhere else.

  It wasn’t until Kaylie mentioned his name that he pulled himself from his thoughts. Her words, though, had him sputtering with disbelief.

  “Except Ben. I’ve seen him naked.”

  Now the center of attention by curious eyes, all except Dean’s, who appeared ready to slice his throat open, Ben choked. “Christ, woman. I was all of eleven, coming out of a shift. And you shouldn’t have been there anyway.”

  Jack chuckled, slapping a paternal hand on Ben’s shoulder and squeezing fondly. “I remember that. Kaylie was spending the night with my Joanie and Ben lived next door to us. When Grace Anderson called me in a panic, I hopped the fence to find the poor boy stuck in mid-shift and his father snoring away on the grass, naked as the day he was born. Once I got Ben settled and calmed down, I turn to see the two girls, eyes wide in shock, mouths open like gaping fish, as they peered through the fencing.”

  Unrepentant, Kaylie shrugged. “We were curious.”

  “Curiosity killed the cat,” Dean narrowed his eyes at Kaylie, but the gleam of heat and something more was unmistakable.

  “And satisfaction brought it back. How many times do we need to have this discussion?”

  “Until it sinks in.” Dean laid a hand on Kaylie’s thigh and she leaned down to press a lingering kiss on her husband’s forehead.

  “Now that my work of mayhem is done,” Kaylie said, “I’m going to put our son to bed and let you get o
n with your meeting.”

  Amid a chorus of good nights, Kaylie passed Ben and, ignoring his retaliatory gaze, whispered under her breath, “Good luck.” Now, instead of thinking how he could get his hands on some naked baby pictures of Kaylie to plaster around town, Ben instead wondered just what had transpired before his arrival.

  “As always, I thank you for coming. I do realize this meeting was on short notice and plan to be brief, as you all have other things to do.” Dean looked at each of his leaders as he spoke, shifting the group easily from playtime to business. “This meeting and subsequent result is at Zan’s request, so I will let him explain.”

  Intrigued, Ben reached for another sandwich and a soda, setting his eyes on the former secret ops shifter.

  Zan didn’t hesitate. “An acquaintance of mine has requested my help. Our help. Pack help, obviously.”

  “Acquaintance?” Ben raised a brow. Given Zan’s background, an acquaintance could mean anybody, or anything. And not necessarily of the virtuous kind.

  Zan zeroed in on Ben. “Suffice it to say we’ve worked with each other in the past to mutual satisfaction.”

  Ben just raised his second brow. “And you think that’s going to make me feel all warm and fuzzy?”

  “Stop.” Dean sliced a hand through the air. “Zan. Quit being so dramatic. And Ben,” he added, freezing Ben’s smug smile in place. “Be quiet and let Zan speak.”

  After a halfhearted sneer, Zan restarted. “All right. Here it is. Rome Felix is a government agent in the middle of an investigation. His only witness was put into hiding until the trial, only the arms dealer got a judge to dismiss the case based on insufficient evidence and this witness of his has been located. Rome has asked for permission to bring his witness here for protection until the investigative team can reorganize their case.”

  “And…” Caleb prompted.

  Zan smiled, and it wasn’t pretty. “Rome wants to use his witness as bait to lure his prey here. It’s a damn good bet this Valen person will never see the inside of a cell unless an irrefutable crime as been committed. Like attempted murder.”

  “So what are we supposed to do?” Eddie asked, sipping water. “I mean, we’re not the protective services.”

  “No, but we’re the next best thing.” Zan looked at each shifter in turn. “We’re stronger, faster, and have keener senses then any human. We’re a small-town community and can spot outsiders in the blink of an eye. We have the ability and know-how to protect Rome’s charge, because we know how to protect our own. I’ll be bringing in two from my former crew to handle the assignment, but I’ll need all of you to keep your eyes and ears open for anything unusual or for anyone asking a lot of questions. And maybe some protection duty from a few of you.”

  “I’m assuming he’s a shifter if he’s seeking pack help. But doesn’t he have his own pack that could look after his witness?” This from Josh.

  “Ah.” Zan hemmed. “Actually, his pack isn’t in the States.”

  “Zan,” Dean warned.

  Zan’s lips pursed as if he were about to impart something unpleasant and Ben’s wolf crouched in wariness. “Rome’s a feline shifter. From Peru.” Amidst the grumbling and snarls he raised his voice. “As you know, feline shifters don’t have packs. They’re usually loners, but Rome’s family has remained close. In fact, they run a wildlife preserve in the northwest part of Peru. And frankly, all of you should know better than to be biased about a group of people before you ever meet them.”

  Because human males who could change into a wolf didn’t make them bad people. It just made them different.

  Jack spoke into the silence. “Regardless of this man’s heritage, it strikes me that someone needs our protection. Period. I do, however, wish to know more about this witness. As in, were they part of the, ah, criminal group?”

  Rather than Zan, it was Caleb who answered. “Far from it. Willow Yancy is a young lady, a human, who knows nothing about our kind. A ballet dancer just making a name for herself when she became caught in the middle of this. Tess actually saw her dance once a couple of years ago in some small production and remembered her. Said the girl had the most innocent eyes she’d ever seen.”

  “What happened?” Vince asked. His own daughter had shown an interest in dance several years ago when she was a kid, and as any loving and indulgent father, he’d given her full rein.

  “She was shot, twice. Blew out her knee and took a chunk of her hip bone. She’ll never dance again.” Zan’s face tightened with anger. “What would you do if your daughter, sister, or one of our pack females not only had her dream taken away so carelessly, but nearly lost her life?”

  “Kill the fucker,” Mack muttered, low and harsh. Vince and several others echoed his sentiments. To them, women were treasured. Didn’t matter the size, age, race, or ethnicity. A female kept the males grounded, soothed. Without them, they might easily lose control over their beast, and a wild, dangerous animal running amok with a human’s intelligence was a terrifying prospect. Multiply that by thousands, and the result would easily equal mass destruction.

  “Where are they staying?” Ben wanted to know, already mentally calculating how this was going to play out. While he felt pity for the girl, and would do what was required of him without complaint, he wasn’t looking forward to becoming a damn babysitter, which, taking into account Kaylie’s whisper, meant he’d already been nominated for the role. Round-the-clock protection for an undetermined time period meant his prospects at hooking up with a couple of snow bunnies was going downhill at full speed.

  “We’re putting them in one of the finished cabins by the lodge,” Dean said, referring to the three newly constructed buildings situated by the ski lodge. “Zan’s cohorts will take one of the other cabins and the third will be kept available to us to use as needed. Ben, I’ll need you to be liaison with this Rome, which also means you’re first up on protection duty. Mack will take the next four-hour shift, followed by Vince, Jack, Eddie, then Josh. Once Scott and Joe get here, we won’t need to be on site, though I do want us all to keep our eyes and ears open at all times. For as long as it takes.”

  Before Ben could question the reason why Brandon and Caleb weren’t added to the protection roster, Dean added, “Brandon, Zan, and the other cops will have enough on their hands with the influx of tourists for skiing season and the heightened aggression of the shifters prior to the full moon. Caleb will be too crazed with wedding and honeymoon plans.”

  “I am not crazed,” Caleb groused.

  “Please. Until that female says ‘I do’ and you’ve got her committed in every way, you’re crazed. I know. I’ve been there. And Tess is Kaylie’s sister, after all. They’re both too damn independent for our comfort.” The last was muttered, as if Dean actually disliked having an independent mate.

  Ben didn’t get it. When, not if, he found his mate, independence was one trait he prayed she possessed in spades. In his twenty-nine years he’d done a lot of thinking of his perfect mate. She wouldn’t crowd him or question him about his crazy jobs—which changed according to season and what Dean needed him to do—or when he wanted to shoot hoops with his friends. As long as she remained faithful, she could do whatever made her happy, just as long as that happiness didn’t depend on Ben.

  Ben had grown up with co-dependent, possessive parents. The bakery in town they once owned had been sold when their warped need to be each other’s sole interest had turned deadly. Ben could still remember the winter he’d turned fourteen, when the cruel accusations his parents hurled at one another escalated to a fever pitch. His father had stormed out of the house in a rage, threatening to kill them all. Two hours later he was dead from a snapped neck. Based on the evidence, he’d been speeding on the icy mountain roads, lost control of his vehicle, and been thrown through the windshield onto the unforgiving hard concrete highway.

  They also found an empty bottle of whiskey on the passenger floor.

  While his mother had reverted to a quiet, almost childl
ike dependency after her husband’s death, Ben had stepped out into the world with his arms wide open. Wolves were social creatures, needing touch from their pack members to reinforce bonds and soothe their beasts. His parents had stifled his animal’s needs, and their own, by their unhealthy dependence on each other.

  Shaking the memory off, Ben wiped his hands impatiently on a napkin and rested more comfortably against the front of the couch. “And when will they be here?” Because the night was still young and this meeting was about to be adjourned.

  The sound of slamming vehicle doors made his libido sink, as did his hope at catching up with Pete and the snow bunnies.

  Babysitting duty was about to begin.

  Chapter Three

  To say Willow felt a little nervous as she followed Rome inside the two-story house nestled deep within the Colorado mountains was an understatement. The sheer number of vehicles parked in the large clearing in front of the home forewarned her that something akin to a party might possibly be taking place.

  “Are you sure we’re expected?” Willow whispered, struggling to untie the wet laces of her new boots with cold fingers. Since she’d had to start all over in the clothes department once ensconced in the Witness Protection Program, and believing it would only be for a short time, Willow had only purchased the necessities to tide her over. Unfortunately, the winter temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona, was a far cry from that of the Colorado mountains. Stopping at a Walmart for warmer clothes meant most everything she now owned was stuffed in either her single suitcase or jammed in one of the many plastic shopping bags that littered the truck.