Branded by Lust: 4 (Night Seekers) (15 page)

Shifting his hands, he pulled her closer yet and drifted his
fingers toward the hot cleft of her ass. Probing with an easy touch as he
continued to lick and suck, he found the tight ring of her anus and pressed the
tip of one finger against it, just breaching the opening.

That was all it took. She exploded, her entire body shaking
with the force of the climax. Logan continued to work his tongue inside her
with furious strokes while his finger teased and tormented her rear opening. A
cry of raw passion ripped from her throat. Nothing existed except this untamed
feeling racing through her as she poured into Logan’s mouth.

And then the tidal wave of sensation subsided, leaving her
trembling and weak. She collapsed forward, Logan catching her against his
chest. He took her mouth, sliding his tongue inside, her taste still on its
surface, mingling with the traces of his own liquid that still remained.

Mate!

She wanted to shout the word but she was too exhausted. Her
muscles were limp and unresponsive as she lay in Logan’s arms. She could stay
here forever, she thought. And she knew with certainty it was the place she was
meant to be.

As the heat from her orgasm ebbed shivers raced over her
skin, Logan yanked the covers up to cover them. He rolled to the side, moving
her so she ended up spooned against his body, his muscular arms wrapped around
her.

“Sleep,” he said, his voice soft against her ear, his breath
like a warm breeze.

“I can now.” A tiny smile curved her lips. “That was good.”

His laugh was low and deep. “Good is too weak a word for it.
We drank from each other, Rebecca. You’re in my body now just as I’m in yours.
We belong together. Forever. Does that work for you?”

“Forever,” she agreed sleepily, astonished that they had
gotten to this point so quickly.

“Mine,” he murmured, licking the nape of her neck. “Mate.”

As she drifted off into dreams the word echoed in her brain.

Mate!

* * * * *

Jade turned off the television and headed for her bedroom.
When the doorbell rang and she opened it to see Logan standing there all her
hormones stood up and cheered. But Logan refused her invitation, standing
firmly outside the storm door while he said what he’d come to say. Then he was
gone to that bitch waiting in the truck.

Well, fuck him. She didn’t need him.

She headed for her bedroom, stripping off her clothes along
the way and tossing them onto a chair. Pulling one of her satin sleep shirts
from a drawer, she carried it with her to the bathroom. Following her regular
routine, she cleaned the makeup from her face and creamed her skin thoroughly.
No matter how tired she was she never sloughed this off. She was well aware that
with each passing year it became more and more important to take meticulous
care of herself. You couldn’t market the goods if the packaging was flawed.

Not that she was having a lot of success marketing it at
all. When she hadn’t succeeded in getting Logan Tanner to the altar there
hadn’t really been much left for her in Overlook. But the cities had gobbled
her up. She was only one of hundreds with top graphic skills in Houston and
Dallas and San Antonio. And she hadn’t been able to catch one of those rich
Texas ranchers who figured out early on she didn’t love cattle or the hard work
that went into raising them.

The rodeo circuit hadn’t been any kinder. She’d gotten a
good job with a firm that did promotions for rodeos but again she discovered
that horseflesh and sweat didn’t turn her on. She’d come back here to regroup
and figure out her game plan. What was it about men that they didn’t want a
strong woman in their lives?

A piece of conversation flashed in her brain.

“You’re not strong, Jade. You’re a maneater. It’s not
becoming. No one wants to keep a crocodile in his bed.”

Well, fuck them all. She’d re-create herself and find the
right man. She just hadn’t looked in the appropriate places.

She slipped into her sleep shirt, brushed out her hair and
headed downstairs to pour a glass of wine. Something to soothe her jumpy
nerves. She hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything before but maybe she
could find one of the old movies she liked to lull her to sleep. A client was
coming by in the morning to discuss a new project with her. Usually all her
work was done over the internet but this happened to be a local woman who had
been a friend of her mother’s so she invited her for coffee and a meeting.

In the kitchen she pulled the half-empty bottle of white wine
from the fridge and took a glass from the cupboard. She was pouring the amber
liquid when she heard a sound on the back porch. Setting the bottle down on the
counter, she walked to the window in the breakfast area, pulled back the
curtain and peered out into the darkness.

Nothing.

Why did she worry, anyway? She’d had a great security system
installed so no one could get through without tripping an alarm. Oh sometimes
an animal stepped on a sensor but they usually didn’t hang around.

Picking up her glass, she took a slow, savoring sip and
licked her lips. Delicious. She topped off the drink and headed toward the
stairs when she heard the sound again. Not quite an animal yet not—something
else.

Of course it’s an animal, you idiot. Probably a raccoon foraging.
I’ll make short work of him.

She fetched her shotgun from the front hall where she’d
taken to keeping it, unlocked the back door and peered out into the night. She
barely had time to turn her heard when an inhuman sound ripped through the air
and an apparition that defied even the worst nightmares appeared on the back
porch.

Jade was sure her heart stopped beating. Her throat froze so
she couldn’t even scream. Before her brain could react and tell her to lift the
shotgun a roar unlike anything she’d ever heard split the air, the creature was
on her and a pain worse than she’d ever felt in her life ripped through her.

A warm hand stroking the curve of her ass wakened Rebecca.
She hummed to herself as the hand followed the lines of her body, down to her
knee and back up over her abdomen to cup her breasts.

She wriggled back against the hard male body spooning her
and smiled at the even harder cock pressing against the cleft of her buttocks.
She felt pleasantly sluggish, as if warm molasses flowed through her veins
rather than her equally heated blood. A general feeling of lassitude claimed
her and she wondered if they could just stay in bed forever.

“Too bad we have to get up.” Logan’s low voice rumbled in
her ear.

“I was just thinking the same thing. Are you sure we can’t
just stay here like this?” She pushed back against him, doing her best to
entice him to change his mind.

“I wish.” His hand moved back to grab his cock and rub the
head up and down the length of that hot crevice. “My mind is definitely on
things other than trekking around in the snow and hunting weird creatures.”

Rebecca tried to reach behind her to wrap her fingers over
his but he nudged her hand away.

“Hold that thought.” His chuckle was edged with hunger.
“Later I’ll let you do that, and happily.” He kissed her shoulder then nipped
lightly at the flesh. “We need to get moving. But I promise to make it up to
you later.”

Rebecca moved her body around to face him. “Did you mean
what you said last night?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “About?”

She lowered her gaze. “About…mated. And my being yours.”

He touched her chin with two fingers and tilted her face up
so she had to look at him.

“Don’t ever doubt those words, Rebecca. Just because you’re
not a shifter doesn’t mean we aren’t meant to be together. Look at the mixed
couples already living at Desolation Ranch. They’re totally committed to each
other.” His lips curved in a very sexy smile. “Look at your own sister. At
Clint and Sophia.”

She nodded, agreeing with him, but she had to be absolutely
sure he meant what he said.

“Is it possible for a non-shifter to feel that same internal
tug? That same blending of souls?”

“Of course it is.” He brushed her mouth with his. “Don’t you
feel it?”

“I do. I just wanted…” Her voice trailed off.

“To know I really meant it when I said we were mated? Oh you
damn well know it. You’re mine. Forever. When a shifter mates, whether with its
kind or a human, it’s just like when the full-out wolves mate. For eternity.”
He slid one hand between them to touch her pussy, smiling when he found it
already wet. “I took your essence into my body last night, just as you did
mine. That was more than just an act of sex. That was a binding. It made us
one.”

He gave her ass a light smack.

“Ouch! What was that for?”

“To remind you we have business to take care of and that
we’ll get to this later.” He pinched her clit lightly between thumb and
forefinger. “But we will get to it. That’s a promise.”

“Hey!” Rebecca yanked at the covers as Logan tossed them
back. “It’s cold in here.”

“The better to wake you up.” He rolled out of bed and tugged
her along with him. “Come on. I want to call Ben and see if we can stop by
before we all head to the sheriff’s office.”

“You want to see if he’ll be honest with you about being a shifter,”
she guessed.

“I think he is but I need to confirm it. And let him know I
am also.”

Rebecca swallowed a giggle. “I’ll bet that’s an interesting
conversation. What do you say? ‘Just wanted to know if you change into a wolf
frequently’?”

“Not exactly,” he tossed over his shoulder as he headed for
the bathroom. “We’ll know the right words. Believe me.”

“What about me?” she asked, following him. “Should I make
myself scarce?”

He stopped and turned around so suddenly she ran into him.
He rested his big hands on her shoulders. “We won’t have any more secrets
between us, Bek. And I want to make it plain to Ben that you’re mine. My mate.”
He grinned. “Just in case he gets any ideas.”

“You don’t think he got the idea we’re together since I’m
staying with you?”

Logan shook his head. “You could just be a guest, a member
of my team working with me. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding about
this.” He took a moment to give her a hard kiss before turning away again.
“I’ll call him as soon as I get some clothes on.”

Eve had breakfast sandwiches wrapped in aluminum foil and
go-cups filled with coffee ready and waiting for them.

“I didn’t figure you’d take time to sit down and eat this
morning,” she told them. “And you sure can’t drink the coffee Sheriff Danvers
has in his office. It’s not even good enough for battery acid.”

“Thank you,” Rebecca told her. “We really appreciate this.”

“Just find out what killed that nice ranger,” she called
after them as they headed out the back door.

They had barely pulled up in front of Ben’s house and
climbed out of the truck before the man pulled his front door open. “Have you
had coffee?” he asked. “I brewed a fresh pot.”

They kicked the snow off their boots before walking into the
house, then stepped out of the boots in the hallway.

“We have,” Logan said, “but I never turn down a cup of fresh
coffee.”

When they had steaming mugs filled with fresh hot liquid in
hand they arranged themselves around the kitchen table. No one said anything
for a moment. Rebecca would have laughed if she hadn’t known how rude it would
be. They were like two animals sizing each other up.

And really, isn’t that what this is?

“Your nickel,” Ben said. “You called and said we needed to
talk.”

“Okay.” Logan leaned forward, hands cradling his mug. “I need
to ask you something and I’m trying to figure out the best way to do this.”

“Funny. I have a question too. You go first.”

Rebecca watched Logan choosing his words carefully.

“One of the many things I learned early on as a rancher was
that animals could easily be identified by their scent. Horses smell different
than cattle, cats aren’t like dogs, well, you get the idea.”

Ben watched him, his face never changing expression.

Logan took a long swallow of his coffee. “Animals often are
drawn to each other by scent. The appearance might be different but if the
scent is the same then they identify with each other.”

“Is this leading somewhere?” Ben asked, then forced a grin.
“Or are you just trying to tell me I need a shower? You didn’t have to make a
special trip for that.”

Rebecca chuffed out a sigh. “Oh for god’s sake, Logan. We
haven’t got all day here. Just ask him. Or I will.” She looked at Ben. “When
you and Logan shook hands did you get any special vibes from him? And I’m not
talking about gaydar here.”

Both men stared at her then at each other, gaze intent as if
trying to read answers in the other person’s eyes.

Logan’s hands tightened around his mug. “Wolf,” he said at
last.

Ben hesitated for a long moment before he nodded. “Wolf.”

The tension eased out of the room like the air from a
deflating balloon.

“Well, thank god we got that over with,” Rebecca told them.
“Now we can talk without that hanging over our heads.”

Ben looked at her then back at Logan. “She knows.”

Logan nodded. “Yes. And she’s seen me shift.”

Ben’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.”

“No, he’s not,” she broke in. “Lord, you men would waste a
day dancing around an issue. Ben, my sister is married to a shifter. And the
group Logan and I are part of, Night Seekers? Several of the members are also
shifters. Two of the others are married, one to a human, one of them to another
shifter. So now can we just please get all this crap out of the way and
concentrate on finding the devil beast before it kills someone else?”

Logan burst out laughing. “And to think I once thought you
were reserved.” He turned back to Ben. “When did you find out and how did you
handle it in the Marines?”

“With a lot of planning,” the other man answered. “I found
out about it when I was ten years old. My mother was a shifter from a long line
of them in the Canadian Northwest. I don’t even remember now all the history
she told me. But she made me proud of it, as did my father who was one hundred
percent human. She also taught me about the herbs that could control it. When I
was deployed to Afghanistan she researched what I should look for over there to
help me.” His laugh was rueful. “And I volunteered for a lot of night duty that
no one wanted. What about you?”

“Both of my parents were shifters. I discovered my father
and the pack alpha had been locked in a battle and my folks broke away for
their own safety. We lived a pretty guarded life. We also kept a stash of herbs
on hand. My mother grew them until the internet took over and we could order
them online.”

“We have a good supply now,” Rebecca pointed out. “Dakota
Grey, Jonah’s wife, is an herbalist and grows them behind the ranch that’s the
team base. She also sells them online if you want her information.”

“I’ll take it from you,” Ben said. “I have a source right
now but I’d rather switch to one I have a connection with.”

“So here’s the thing,” Logan said, bringing them back to
business. “We can scout the area during the day but I often think the
snowmobiles and off-road vehicles scare the beast away. The last three times we’ve
got one of them—and I‘ll get back to that in a moment—we’ve tracked it at
night. Our team members have shifted and tracked it in their wolf form.”

“And you think we’d find traces of it if we do that here?”

“I think we’d have a good shot at it.” He finished his
coffee and pushed the mug away. “We’ve learned two important things since the
team was formed. One, the beast kills in threes before it leaves the area. Two,
we thought twice we’ve killed it only to have it pop up someplace else a good
distance away.”

Ben’s jaw dropped. “You’re shitting me.”

Logan shook his head. “I wish.”

“What kind of evil person would do something like that? He’d
have to be insane.”

“We’re convinced that’s the answer,” Rebecca told him.
“Which means even if we catch this monster our job is far from over.”

“There’s another factor,” Logan added. “A friend of Mark
Guitron’s wife, Chloe, disappeared in south Texas not far from the scene of a
Chupacabra kill. She still hasn’t been found.”

A sick look crept over Ben’s face. “You think this deranged
scientist is making her part of the breeding process?”

“Scares the shit out of you, doesn’t it?” Logan commented.
He started to say more but his cell phone chimed in his shirt pocket. He pulled
it out and pressed the button to answer. “Tanner. Yeah. What?” Rebecca watched
his face turn pale. “Jesus. Okay. We’re with Ben Crater. We’ll bring him along
too. Yes. Leaving right now.”

He shoved the phone back in his pocket and sat there a
moment, stunned.

“What?” Rebecca asked. “Who was that?”

“Sheriff Danvers. We’ve got another body.”

“Whose?”

His throat muscles worked as he swallowed. “Jade Robinson.”

“Oh my god!” Rebecca felt sick. “I didn’t like the woman but
I’d never wish this on her.”

“Damn it.” He smacked his fist on the table. “I fucking told
her to be careful.”

Rebecca touched his arm. “Logan, this is not your fault.
From all the kills we’ve seen, being careful obviously just isn’t enough.” She
pushed back her chair and stood up. “Come on. Let’s get to the scene. Ben, you
want to ride with us?”

“I think I’ll take my own truck and follow you, but thanks.”

He collected the mugs and set them in the sink, turned off
the coffeemaker and walked to the front door with them. “As soon as I lock up
the house I’ll get the truck cranked up.”

* * * * *

The scene around Jade Robinson’s house was crazy with
activity. Logan spotted three vehicles with the sheriff’s department logo on
them, the van the coroner used and another van that had to be the forensics
unit. A crush of civilian vehicles were scattered every which way as
rubberneckers tried to see what was going on.

One of the deputies had strung yellow crime-scene tape
around the entire area winding around to the back of the house. And now three
of the deputies stood guard against the growing crowd that wanted to feed its
curiosity.

Logan and Ben parked their trucks on the shoulder of the
road opposite the house. When one of the deputies stopped them Logan spoke
quietly to him and in a moment the man lifted the tape so the three of them
could enter the area.

“Sheriff’s in back with the others,” the deputy said.

They trudged almost reluctantly to the rear of the house.
Logan knew he and Rebecca were aware of what was waiting for them. He’d tried
to warn Ben but nothing could really describe the terrible nightmare of a
victim’s body.

They rounded the corner to find Danvers, another deputy, a
photographer whose cap identified him as part of the forensics team, and the
funeral director who doubled as the coroner. They were unusually quiet and
every one of them looked green. But none of them came close to being as sick as
Ben when he walked up to the body lying half-in and half-out of the open back
doorway. In seconds he had staggered to a tree and bent over, losing his coffee
and whatever else was in his stomach.

The body was nearly identical to all the other victims he’d
seen. The throat bore two puncture wounds and the body had been opened cleanly
from chest to groin with the entrails pulled out. And from the absence of blood
it was apparent that Jade’s blood—like that of all the other victims—had been
drained by the beast.

“Holy shit.” Ben, still a little shaky, had come up behind
him. “Nothing human did that. I don’t think it was even your run-of-the-mill
animal predator.” He took a step back. “This is not like anything I’ve ever
seen before.”