Alpha Hunter (23 page)

“That’s the challenge,” he agreed. “I’ll give it some thought. Lor is more likely to agree if we approach him with a detailed plan.”

His willingness to help thrilled her. He
wrapped her hand around his upper arm and she snuggled against his side. “My hero.”

He chuckled and pushed the door open so she could exit the hospital.

“Can I ask you a question?” They followed the sidewalk along the front of the building on their way back to the grassy area where they’d arrived.

“Why do you feel the need to ask if you can ask the question?”

“Because it’s kind of personal.”

His stride slowed as he looked down at her. “Nothing is too personal for us to share.”

“What happened last time you were on Earth? I heard through the grapevine that you didn’t want to come back.”

He sighed, his steps dragging even more. “
I killed my half-brother’s life mate.”

His tone was matter-of-fact, his expression composed, but
sorrow and regret blazed across their link. She stopped walking and faced him. “How? It couldn’t have been intentional. You’re not capable of murder.”

“Many missions require soldiers to work with Mystics, but resentment runs deep on both sides. They think we’re needlessly arrogant.”

“I can’t imagine why.” She smiled, hoping to ease the tension coiling around them like a massive constrictor.

A wan smile quirked his lips then he went on
. “And we think they’re too fast on the trigger most of the time.”

“Stereotype
s have to start somewhere. They’re sweeping generalities, but they often hold a kernel of truth.” He took her hand and started walking again, so she prompted. “What was her name, your half-brother’s life mate?”

“
Larria. She was a good soldier, smart and meticulous. They’d talked about starting a family when she got back.”

Her throat tensed and she scrambled for a way to ease his pain. This must have been how he’d felt while they battled her demons, helpless and frustrated. Rather than pelting him with questions, she patiently waited for
the rest of the story, but he fell silent and just kept walking. “I trusted you with the darkest time in my life. I need you to do the same.”

He looked at her, eyes gleaming in the darkness. They’d reached the greenbelt so he released her hand
and clenched his fists. “I was tracking one of the renegades. They called themselves the ‘dirty dozen’ and this bastard was the worst of the lot. A team of soldiers was doing their best to keep up in a vehicle. Larria was driving. The renegade led us into an ambush. All of the soldiers were injured. Larria died. I escaped with scrapes and bruises.”

“Did you desert them, flash to safety or something like that?”

“Of course not.” His shoulders squared and righteous indignation ignited in his gaze.

“
Then how was her death your fault?”

“I should have seen it coming. It was so obvious, but I was obsessed with th
at particular renegade. He’d outwitted me twice before and I was going to make damn sure he didn’t slip through my fingers again.” He took a deep breath before admitting, “My pride cost Larria her life and my half-brother has made it clear that he will never forgive me.”

“It was a tragedy, maybe even a mistake, but it’s not right that he blames you.”

He shook his head, the shadows gradually clearing from his eyes. “I’ve tried to convince myself of that for years, but it won’t bring her back. Nothing will. And the rest of my family felt obligated to choose sides. We were never close, but none of them have spoken to me in almost four years.”

“I’m sorry. I think your family is being horribly unfair, but I’m glad you shared this with me.”

“I want you to trust me.” He drew her into a light embrace. “If that requires some uncomfortable conversations, then I’ll just have to grin and bear it. Anything else you’re dying to know but haven’t yet asked.”

“Tori said Lor has a sample of her DNA. Can you use that to find out if our father was ever caught, and what happened to him if he was?”

“I want you both to think about it for a day or two. Once that door is opened, it can’t be closed again. Make sure you really want to know before I go digging around in the past.”

“Fair enough.”
She wrapped her arms around his back and pressed against his warm body. “Can we go home now?”

He chuckled.
“Absolutely.”

* * * * *

“Welcome to the Bunker.” Morgan Hoyt made the greeting sound dramatic. She was a tall, vivacious redhead with bright blue eyes. She wore dress pants and a crisp white shirt that did little to conceal the generous curves beneath her conservative clothing. Likewise her severe hairstyle and lack of makeup failed to disguise her natural beauty. Morgan was one of those disgusting women who looked good when she tumbled out of bed.

“Thanks,” Angie muttered, trying not to hate Morgan until they had a chance to know each other.
“Am I allowed to know where this place is or is it classified?” She echoed Morgan’s dramatic inflection.

Morgan
smiled. “One of the disadvantages of being teleported everywhere you go?”

“Exactly.
It’s disorienting.”

“We’re in Arizona
, about seventy miles southeast of Las Vegas. Most of this complex is underground. That’s why we call it the Bunker.”

How could she
sound so matter-of-fact about a top secret facility? Perks of being a black ops agent, apparently.

“Have there been any new developments in the past two weeks. We’ve been off
world.” Blayne sounded as nonchalant as Morgan. Angie was sure she would get used to her expanded concept of reality eventually. Still, she wanted to hold on to that sense of wonder as long as she could.

“Yes, and none of them are good. I’ll let you two settle in and then I’ll brief you on the most recent happenings.”

Morgan led them to a room about twice the size of the ship’s cabins. The room was strictly organized and ruthlessly uncluttered, but it would be infinitely more comfortable than the alternative.

“There’s a private bathroom through that door.” She motioned to the
ir left. “You’re welcome to use the gym and the mess hall serves three meals a day. It’s not fancy, but you should have everything you need.” Her gaze swept over Angie’s full-skirted dress and motorcycle boots. Angie had grown so accustomed to the unique style that she’d turned down Aria’s offer to take her shopping. Aria insisted that she keep the dresses, so Angie saw no reason to exploit her generosity. Besides, the borrowed outfits allowed a freedom of movement she’d never found in jeans. Not to mention that her lack of underwear kept Blayne squirming. “You might blend in better if you change into fatigues. Uniforms are available in the commissary.”

“Thank you.
” Angie had never been one to readily conform, yet she’d also learned to choose her battles. This didn’t seem like a conflict worthy of her efforts. “That’s another limitation of teleportation. Luggage gets complicated.”

“No doubt.
Well, take your time. Dinner was about an hour ago, but the staff can scrounge together a sandwich or something if you’re hungry. I’ll be in the situation room when you’re ready for the briefing.” She offered them a warm smile and then departed.

“She’s
not what I expected.”

“
Because she’s young or because she’s attractive?” Blayne grasped her hips and pulled her toward him.

“
You’re not supposed to notice things like that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved even closer.

“
Like you don’t ogle Odintar?” Despite the growl in his tone, humor shimmered in his eyes.

She grinned. “Odintar is a flirt. Morgan was all business.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m blind. More importantly, I’m not interested—in Morgan that is.” He started to pull up her skirt, but she playfully slapped his wrist.

“Not
yet. Morgan is waiting for us.”

“You’ve never heard of a quickie?”
He laughed and pinched her behind.

“We show up all tousled and flushed and she’ll know exactly what we were doing.”

“I don’t care.” He lifted her, holding her in midair until she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I can’t get enough of you.” He supported her weight with one arm and bunched up her skirt with his other hand. She wasn’t wearing panties, so his fingers soon slid across bare skin.

“We should wait.” No sooner had the words left her lips than she covered his mouth with hers and let desire flood her senses. They’d made love that morning, but it didn’t seem to matter. She couldn’t get enough of him either.

Their mouths fused and their tongues tangled as he pressed her back against the nearest wall. Her body melted and ached, instantly ready for him. It was ridiculous how easily he aroused her and how hard he worked to satisfy her. He was selfless and patient, never allowing himself pleasure until she was mindless and desperate for one last orgasm.

His hand eased between their bodies and he
teased her folds, groaning into her mouth. He stoked her for a moment, focused on her sensitive clit, then growled and frantically unfastened his pants. It was no easy feat, but suddenly his cock was pressed against her opening.
I need…you.
His desperation was so out of character that it excited her even more than his gentleness.

He slid in slowly, filling her completely with one sustained stroke. He tore his mouth away from hers and stared into her eyes. She wasn’t sure if it was intentional or if he was simply so fired up he couldn’t control his body, but his shift melted away
, leaving his natural appearance.

A thrill raced through her body
, making her shiver. Honest, open. She was joined with the real Blayne for the first time. He pulled back slowly then thrust in hard as his gaze began to swirl. His hands clasped her hips, holding her firmly as his need sank into her mind.

He’d warned her that it would never be just sex for him and each time they joined she felt his attachment more clearly. He didn’t just want her body and enjoy her personality. He needed her with obsessive intensity.

Mine
. The word reverberated through her with each thrust of his hips.

She should be terrified by his possessiveness, but she wasn’t. It felt natural, almost soothing. She pushed her hands into his hair, gasping as the silken strands caressed her fingers and arms.

His strong, steady rhythm kept her firmly lodged against the wall and focused her attention on the powerful slide of his shaft. He belonged inside her. The realization unfurled, stealing her breath. He completed her, provided a part of her true self she hadn’t realized was missing.

“Oh Blayne.”
She gasped and closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the raw emotions bombarding her mind. He was sharing himself with her completely, stripped of artifice and pretense. He expected nothing in return, but she was powerless to resist. She opened her mind, allowing him deeper and freeing their empathic current. Sensations flowed as they were meant to, bathing her in heat and wonder.

“Yes.” He moved faster, his fingers digging into her flesh.

She tilted her hips and arched her back, savoring the heightened intimacy. It felt amazing, physically stimulating, yet there was so much more. They poured into each other, mixing and melding, finally free. Her body gripped his with rhythmic pulses, overcome with the sensory deluge.

He slowed, desperately fighting for control, unwilling to end so quickly.

“Don’t fight it,” she whispered. “We have the rest of our lives to do this again and again and again.”

Hope and relief snapped the last thread of
his control. He stared into her eyes as his hips pumped with staccato urgency. “I’ll hold you to that.” He barely got the words out before his pleasure exploded in her mind. His cock jerked and his seed burst deep inside her.

They clung together
, breathless and panting, neither willing to move.

The rest of our lives?
A smile teased the corners of her mouth as she realized the phrase no longer frightened her.

“Now all I want is to strip you naked and lick every inch of your body.”

She shivered, but pushed away from the wall. “That’s the problem with quickies. They tend to leave you wanting more.”

He separated their bodies and set her on her feet. “Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll go find the commissary.”
Energy rippled along his body, reestablishing his human appearance and dressing him in cargo pants and a solid black T-shirt.

“That is so not fair.”

He just smiled and left the room.

The shower felt wonderful, but her mind was distracted by what had just happened between her and Blayne. She had to be careful not to lead him on. He was convinced she was his mate, that they were destined to spend the rest of their lives together. The idea had insinuated itself into her mind until she felt almost comfortable with the possibility, but
she didn’t trust the euphoria to last.