Federal Paranormal Unit Bundle: Shape Shifter Paranormal Romance (31 page)

FIVE

Tony slammed his fist into a tree, denting the outside layer. Childish, yes. But dammit, he hurt inside. Why would anyone want to deny their mate? Did she not understand how lucky they were to have found each other?

That explained his mysterious attraction to her these past years. And that fucking phrase and the pizza on the other side of bed that first morning. Oh, shit. Memories of that night drowned his anger and lit his body on fire. He was instantly rock hard with a zipper imprint firmly embedded into his skin.

Not only was Jane his mate, but she’d been the last woman he’d been with. Much to his tiger’s happiness, he’d been the first man for her. Jane. His Jane. They’d done everything that night. Enough that if his memories hadn’t been erased, it would have been the basis for some serious self-love. God. She’d been perfect. So beautiful and willing to give herself to him. So why? Why did she hide it all? It made no sense.

Grumbling, he hopped around, resituating himself. This was no longer funny. Rejection never was funny. Especially when women had always thrown themselves at him. But his heart had always been set and he never wavered.

He sat on a wooden swing at the end of a path from the woods. He questioned his tiger—so you couldn’t remember this either? What good are you?

Tony got a wet chuff in return.
Don’t make me come out there and remind you, human. I’m in charge.
 

Yeah, right. Who can’t do something as easy as open a door, huh?

I will eat your ass for dinner.

I will throw your furry ass in the lake. See how you like to be wet, pussy cat.

First of all, if you throw me in the lake, we both get wet, dumbass. And second, I will keep reminding you of Georgina Hassler and you’ll never have sex again.

Tony shivered with that horrid memory and went completely flaccid. Everything bad that could possibly go wrong the first time having sex as a teen did with Georgina Hassler. His jeans were instantly baggy.

All right, he called a truce with his animal.

Our mate is a beautiful, intelligent woman with the ability to erase memories. She did it for a reason. Find out why and deal with it, human.

Fine.

And apologize to Brock for upsetting his mate. He isn’t just some shifter, and whatever the hell hides under his skin scares the shit out of me.

Yeah, me, too.

Tony entered through the front, a sheepish frown on his face. He sighed, passing a motionless Jane, and dragged his feet into the kitchen. “Hey, guys.”

Cyn looked up from a grocery bag where she was taking out a couple steaks. “Hey, Tony. You okay?”

He tried to tamp down the frustration he felt every time he realized both his bosses knew about him and Jane. “Yeah. Sorry about the outburst.”

Brock started to growl and Cyn threw him a look that shut him up instantly. “Brock, how about you take your time getting the rest of the groceries from Jane’s truck while I have a little chat with Tony.” Brock narrowed his eyes at her. She narrowed hers back. “You’ll get over it, big guy. If you’d rather talk to him, go ahead.”

Brock’s eyes popped wide and he spun toward the hallway. “When hell freezes over.”

Cyn grinned. “That’s what I thought. Take your time.”

“See ya tomorrow,” he grunted.

Cyn motioned Tony to sit at the table with her. “Here’s something that might interest you. Brock and I are mates.”

He chuckled at her words. Was this supposed to be a surprise reveal? “I sorta guessed that.”

“Good,” she smiled and patted his hand. “You’ll also find it interesting that we mated over ten years ago.”

Tony snapped back in his chair. “Ten years? But Brock has been single ever since I’ve known him. I’ve never seen him with a woman.”

Cyn let out a little sigh. “That’s a small relief, yet it fills me with guilt and heartache.” She glanced down at her hands on the table, then up at him with remorse clear in her gaze. “At the time, I thought I was doing the right thing, but I’ve suffered the time we were apart and so did he, unnecessarily.”

Tony’s confusion grew. “Why?”

She twined her fingers together. “Because I’m the reason he’s been alone and probably lonely. But I’m back.”

Tony smiled. “So he won’t be a dick in the mud anymore?”

Cyn leaned back in her chair and laughed, her eyes no longer sad but bright with happiness. “I wouldn’t tell him that, if I were you. But no, hopefully he won’t be a
stick
in the mud any longer.”

“What happened? Why were you apart so long?”

She frowned and a faraway look came over her face. “Before Brock and I were to marry, I found out my family carried a particularly nasty gene that could degenerate the mind over time, leaving the person both insane and dangerous.” She met Tony’s gaze with sadness. “It was not what you want to learn after you accept the proposal from the only man you’ve ever loved. I didn’t want Brock having to deal with me if that gene took my mind, but mostly, Brock wants a family…” She paused.

Tony shrugged as if she made no sense. “That’s what usually happens with mates. That’s what I want. Why were you worried?”

She exhaled slowly. “I’m afraid any children I have will inherit that gene. I’d be condemning them to a horrible future, and if not them, then maybe their children.”

His heart lurched. She was right. Did Jane have something wrong with her family she was afraid of? “But there are other ways to have kids. Adoption.”

Cyn’s smile was sad. “Think about it, Tony. Would your tiger accept a cub that wasn’t his own?”

Holy shit. He hadn’t thought about that.
Well
? His tiger remained quiet. That was the answer then. He looked away. Fuck. “I get it, now.”

She squeezed his hand on the table. “So you see, Tony, there are reasons for things, even if you don’t know what they are.”

He sighed heavily. “What are you and Brock going to do?”

She shrugged. “We just started talking about it. But one thing is certain, I’m not leaving again. He’s my mate and my love. I’m sticking with him forever.” Brock came around corner.

“That’s what I want to hear.” He sat four bags of groceries on the table between the two and dipped behind them to kiss Cyn. A long kiss.

“Okay, guys. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone before I get thrown across the room again for saying something wrong.”

Brock grunted but gave Tony an understanding nod.

* * *

From his chair in the living room, watching Jane and the front door, Tony smelled the beginnings of a delicious steak dinner. Damn, it would be nice eating a woman’s cooking again. He was getting too old for greasy pizza or Chinese take-out every night.

After checking on Jane and tucking the blanket around her, he made for the alluring smells. Cyn looked up from the stove. “Tony, just in time. You and Brock set the kitchen table and we’ll eat in here.”

Cyn put medium-sized steaks on two plates and chicken tenders on another. “Jane definitely isn’t a meat-eating shifter. This is all the meat she had for the entire week, it seems.”

Tony scooted his chair to the table, staring down at the filet on his paper plate. “Well, at least she has good taste.”

After a few bites, Brock looked at Tony. “We’re taking a chance by staying here. But Cyn says we shouldn’t move Jane because of her ribs. She doesn’t want to puncture a lung, in case the injury is worse than it seems.”

“I agree with that.” Tony nodded.

“We need to come up with a plan for tonight in case whoever took Jane comes back. I’ve had my senses out since we got here, making sure no one unexpected drops by.” Tony grimaced. He’d been so worried about Jane, he hadn’t even thought about someone coming back to the cabin.

“We should be all right. Whoever held Jane probably thinks she drowned in the river, but they may check anyway. When seeing three large SUVs in the driveway, they should take a hint and stay away. But humans can be idiots. So I’ll keep alert my way, and you sit in the front room and keep watch in case anyone gets by.”

“Sounds good to me.” Tony shrugged. “I know we’ve been over this, but does Jane have the ability to heal faster than a regular human?”

Cyn looked at Brock chewing on his food, thinking. “A little maybe. She’s mostly of the human species, except for the advanced brain functions and a few differences in reproduction.”

That caught Tony’s attention. “What reproduction differences?”

“Tony,” Cyn started.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, okay. I forgot. No questions.”

After a few minutes of strained silence, Cyn stood, plate in hand. “It’s been a long day, guys. I’m going to turn in. Tony, we’ll take the guest room with the queen mattress. See you in the morning.”

* * *

Tony popped awake, but didn’t move. His tiger listened for anything except crickets or small animals burrowing or skittering. Nothing. He squinted an eye open to peek around. Not a movement. Something woke him. What?

Jane let out a soft moan. Tony was at her side in an instant. He smoothed his hand down her cheek. “Jane. Hey,
preciosa
, you need to wake up.” Her head rolled to the side along with a sigh. He smoothed hair from her face. “Come on, Jane. Come back to me.”

SIX

Something smelled delicious. Oh, god, so amazingly good. It was…no. Tony’s scent filled her senses. What the hell?

“Tony?” The word came out a soft croak.

“Hey, baby. There you are.” Soft hands brushed her cheeks.

Wasn’t she at her mother’s cabin? She remembered packing and buying groceries for the week. This one week out of the year she absolutely dreaded. But staying isolated, far away from Tony during this time, made it livable these past ten years. Barely. But he was here and her brain was fuzzy.

“Why are you here?” Tony took her face in his hands and focused her attention on him. His closeness awakened the heat within her. A desperate hunger roared to life inside her.

“Jane, sweetheart, I don’t care how insane you and the kids get. If Brock can handle it, so can I.”

Her brows scrunched. He made no sense. “What the hell are you talking about?” Her hands pushed his from her face. The desperate need to have him inside her, cooling her heat, and making her his, overwhelmed her system. “Don’t touch me. I can barely handle myself as is.”

He sat back on his heels. “Whatever reason you had for hiding our being mates from me all these years doesn’t matter. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Guilt, remorse, heartache slammed into her. Her cheeks warmed and she turned away. If only it were that simple.
Maybe it is
. Could it truly be? Would he ever understand her feelings and how much she wanted to help those in need? “Tony, I—”

“Look, Jane, I’d like to know why you did what you did, but you don’t have to tell me. I’ll still love you.” He rolled her head his way. “
Mi amor
, I have and always will love you, no matter what.”

God, what could she say to that? Maybe he’d change his mind if he knew she wasn’t of Earth. “Tony, did I mention that night we had together that I’m an alien?”

His brow rose. “We can get married. You won’t be deported, I promise.”

Her lips twitched and she shook her head. “Wrong alien.” She licked her dry lips. “Another planet.” Her sides ached, along with her heart.

“Uh, okay.” Tony nodded, very contemplative. “I’m a tiger. Tiger beats alien. I win. We’re mating.” He flashed that smile that always made her day better, brighter.

A laugh barked from her and she cringed with a harsh suck of air, mouth silently open, eyes squeezed close. Tony flailed his hands above her. “What? Jane! What’s wrong?”

Her lips move like a fish out of water. The stabbing pain in her side kept air from her throat. She lay back. Tony tried to help, but only got in the way. She slapped his hands away, for everywhere he touched turned to burning desire. Sweat dripped from her face.

“Tony… I hid our mating because I don’t want to end up like my mother. She was chained to a house with over a dozen kids and couldn’t have a life of her own. She was a diaper changing machine and I can’t bear to lose myself like that.” She let out a sigh. “I want to do more, be more. Help others. That’s my calling. My mom’s life won’t be my life. It won’t. What’s left of it, anyway.”

Tony’s body stiffened. “What does that mean?”

Oh, shit. Her heat was coming on strong. She wasn’t thinking when she said that. “Look, Tony…” She massaged her temples. Did she want to go into all this? But she knew Tony; he was a tiger with a bone. He’d never let it rest. “Nature on our planet has evolved so those who reach fifty-five, thirty-five Earth years, who haven’t produced a chemical hormone received from getting pregnant, die to allow the younger women to mate with men. Less competition, I guess.” She met his gaze and took a breath. “Tony, I am going to die if I don’t have a baby, but I want to help those without a voice. I have very little time left unless I decide to procreate.”

Tony sat back on his knees, staring at her. “Tony, are you okay?” Horror painted his expression, then determination, as if he made a decision. In a flash, Tony was pulling and untucking the blanket around her nude body. “Tony! Stop! What are you doing?”

“I’m saving your life, baby. Give me just a minute. Well, not a minute. I can go longer than that.” Tony slapped her hands away, unsuccessfully. “I’ll make sure you live,
preciosa
, if I have to make love to you every night for a month.”

“Tony, stop!” Her body instantly exploded in consuming need. A desire so strong ripped through her lower abdomen. She breathed out a sigh, trying not to move and make it worse. Combining the painful need with her injury translated to every kind of pain possible.

“Jane, sit back. Relax, love. I’ll stop. For now.”

Her mind fought the part of her brain that controlled instinctual behavior. Teeth clenched, she said, “Stay away. I can’t—” She couldn’t mate him.

“Jane, listen to me.” A warm tingly sensation from his fingers skittered down her neck and collarbone. She looked into her mate’s caring eyes. “Jane, let me help you get through this.”

She felt the binding around her loosen. His hands slid under her blanket and up her ribs. Then his lips were on her shoulder, tracing the curve of her neck, up to her jaw and stopping at her lips. He flicked his tongue over her bottom lip and groaned.

Near-blinding agony combined with the pleasure of finally having her man touching her again consumed her. She gasped. His hands cupped her breasts, taking his sweet time fondling her nipples and then down her belly.

“You’re just as beautiful,” he whispered over her lips, “as I remember.”

Her body melted into the sofa and her legs widened for him. “Tony…”

He pressed his lips over hers, taking her tongue and sucking it gently. He spread her pussy lips open, rubbing a finger over her clit. Her body shuddered. He slipped two digits into her channel, using another to continue pressing at her clit. Her pussy sucked on his fingers. God, it felt so good to feel him touch her. She clutched at his shoulders, her hips rocking to every thrust of his fingers.

Her belly quivered, need consuming her. Fire laced her blood. Breaths pumped hard in her lungs. He continued to kiss her, licking her lips, sucking them between his teeth and growling in a way that made her muscles tense.

“Baby, you’re so slick,” he grunted, his fingers going in and out of her sex. He met her gaze and a golden flame lit in his eyes. “I want to watch you come again.”

She gasped, her eyes half-closing and her hips working harder, faster to keep pace with his fingers. “Oh my god.”

She yanked his head down, pressing a kiss over his fuzzy beard and loving the feel of the rough hair growing on his face. She’d dreamt of touching his face for years, feeling his beard between her legs and watching him fuck her like the animal she knew he had inside him.

“Let go,
mi amor
.”

My love. She was glad she understood his Spanish love words or the meaning would have been lost on her. Fortunately, she had every language used on Earth and her home planet filed in her brain for any necessary use.

His fingers worked her pussy, one digit flicking mindlessly over her sensitive clit, making her restless. Tension wound so tightly inside her she lost her breath, her body unable to move as it turned stiff with the need to let go.

“Sweetheart, come. Let me watch you fall.”

He tweaked at her clit and her world tilted. She shut her eyes and let sensations she hadn’t felt in too long take hold of her. Pleasure cascaded through her limbs, leaving her gasping for air and weak. As her body continued to unravel, smaller explosion of bliss continued to rock her to the core.

Tony covered her mouth with his to keep her screams silent. Her heart rate and breathing slowed. A warm, but not yet satisfied, feeling rolled through her. The fog from her heat lifted, replaced by overwhelming exhaustion. Memories of her recent past turned on. She gave a weak gasp and grabbed Tony’s attention.

“Tony. We have to save the girl. Tony…” She felt so sleepy. Her eyes wouldn’t stay open.

“What girl? Jane. Jane!”

She gave in to the dark calling her.