Under the Bayou Moon (3 page)

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Jacques Bertrand studied the man pacing before him with hooded eyes. He hated cowards, and Michael Palermo reeked of it. Michael was obviously a rich, pampered, pretty boy with poor self-control, a fact that happened to work to Jacques’s benefit.

It almost seemed unreal that as his thirtieth bayou moon approached, things seemed to finally be looking up for him.

“I just need to umm, speak with my sister about this.”

“Is she aware that I now own your share of the Tiki Grand?”

Michael turned red and fidgeted behind the large wooden desk, which looked too mature for him. He was of average height, with tan skin and ebony hair. His clothes looked expensive yet disheveled, and unless his senses were playing tricks on him, Michael Palermo was a tad bit high.

“Since she manages the day-to-day operations, I think it’s best to discuss things while you’re here…i-in case she h-has questions.”

Jacques continued to stare at the man without reacting. He always found silence did more to unnerve a person than any amount of brute force, and he wanted him nervous. The more nervous Michael was, the more information he’d be able to obtain.

The elevator pinged and Jacques froze. Without warning, his skin began to itch the way it did before he shifted. The urge to shift had steadily decreased the farther he’d gotten from the bayou. Their pod’s priestess had warned him this would happen. It was dangerous for a gator shifter to stay away from the bayou for long periods. Eventually, the desire to shift could become so suppressed, a gator shifter could lose the ability altogether. The only exception was for gator shifters who’d never shifted before.

Jacques had been away from the bayou for two weeks, and in that time he hadn’t wanted to shift even once. It was as if his beast had been slumbering. Yet at that very moment, he was nearly on the verge of a full shift. Jacques tried to keep a measure of control but knew his urge to shift could only mean one thing. His mate was nearby and in just a few minutes would finally be in the same room with him. He’d nearly waited his entire life to meet her. Her disappearance had become somewhat legend in the bayou.

“H-here she is now,” Michael said, stuttering and hopping up from his chair like a scared rabbit before striding toward the office doors.

The doors opened and Michael stood in front of the occupant. Jacques was already on his feet, arms held loosely by his sides.

“I have some business to discuss with you, so please be nice, Angel.”

His sensitive hearing picked up Michael’s whisper before he ushered his sister into the room. The moment Jacques saw her, he could feel his skin grow cool and rough. He didn’t need to glance down to know dark-green leathery patches were spreading down his arm and peeking out from the cuff of his shirt, ready to creep up the back of his hand. He balled his hand into a fist and tried to get control of his beast before it was too late. He could feel the texture change on his shoulders, back, and chest. It was her. Without a doubt, he was face-to-face with his mate, and she was beautiful.

“Angel, this is Jacques Bertrand.”

Angel. Yes, indeed she was an angel. Her skin was the color of the golden sunset on the bayou. Wide, cat-like eyes with perfectly arched eyebrows looked up at his six-feet-two-inch height with curiosity and caution. He was a big man and was used to uneasy stares. As she drew closer, he noticed her solid curves and the clean smell of a lush rain forest. What a contradiction since Las Vegas was in the middle of a desert. He liked it.

“H-hello.” She nodded at him before looking at Michael.

“Angel, have a seat,” Michael encouraged, motioning to the chair next to Jacques.

“Angel is my adopted sister,” Michael nervously explained, trying to give an explanation for the differences in skin tone.

Angel sat down, looking at them impassively. He couldn’t read her emotions, which threw Jacques off. He should have been able to read her thoughts. If they were mates, their consciousness should have formed an instinctual bond. He looked at the base of her neck and saw the flutter of her pulse there. She was not immune to him after all.

“Angel, I’ve decided to sell the business.”

“What?”

That got her attention. She sputtered, struggling for words.

“Yes, I’ve sold my share of the Tiki to the Bertrand family.”

“Wait, I’m sorry. Come again? What do you mean sold? The Tiki was
not
up for sale, Michael.”

“Well, my half was. I grew up in a casino and I’m tired of it.”

“You didn’t even offer to sell it to me!”

“Listen, I called you in here to introduce you to your new business partner. You never wanted me in the business anyway. So now I’m out.”

Angel got up from the chair she’d occupied so briefly. Jacques could feel the energy change in the room. All of a sudden the air was thicker. He looked at Michael, who was attempting to leave. No, he wouldn’t feel it, but the beast in him did. Angel was hurting. Angry and hurting, and Jacques struggled with the beast within who wanted to calm his mate.

She plunked her right fist on her hip.

“How dare you put this at my door? You’ve been gambling away all of your money and now you sell your half of the casino to this, this thug, and you expect me to believe you did it of your own free will? How much do you owe?”

“My business is just that! I don’t owe you an explanation. Have a great life…sis!”

Michael turned his back and started walking to the door.

“You fucking ungrateful coward.”

In the blink of an eye, Angel was around him and lunging for Michael’s back with an inhuman snarl. The sound must have taken Michel by surprise because he jumped and swung around in time to see Angel shift into a gator. Jacques lunged for her and held her down on the ground. Angel snapped at Michael’s shoe before he could move. Michael screamed loudly and then passed out. Jacques struggled to keep her from doing the unconscious man any harm. Lord almighty she was magnificent. Her powerful tail whipped around, and she tried to roll him so she could be free. Instead he held her and probed her mind. He had to link with her before someone came to find out what all the noise was about.

“Get off of me! Get off of me! What’s happening?”

Finally, a connection.

“Calm down,
cher
, before someone comes.”

“W-what’s happening to me? What have I done?”

The fear was evident in the vibes she was sending his way.

“Shhhh, it’s okay. You shifted, that’s all.”

“Shifted? Into what? Why is my vision so crazy? What happened to my voice?”

“You’ve got to calm down, Angel. I’ll explain everything, but first calm down. It’s the only way I can help you. You’ve got to breathe, okay?”

“But…”

“Trust me,
cher
, you’re going to be okay. Just breathe and focus on my voice.”

Jacques continued to cover her and talk to her as she calmed. Before long, she was human again. Which was another matter altogether. In human form she was naked as the day she was born. Angel was now all soft and jiggly curves. Her body was warm and damp beneath him. The fragrance she was wearing combined with the dampness of her skin made him want to lick her from head to toe. His cock stiffened against the crease of her bottom. Without thinking, he moved against her and moaned.

“Get off me, you pervert!” she gritted out through clenched teeth.

Jacques rolled away from her immediately in shame. What in the hell had gotten into him? He wasn’t the type to maul women. He wasn’t raised that way.

Angel got up from the floor with her back to him and walked over to one of the large windows framing Las Vegas like a picture. Her body was alluring, but what caught his attention was the circular sunburst pattern at the base of her spine. He’d seen it before on his own mother. It was the mark of a female sovereign. The mate of a pod ruler, her markings were deep tan, just a bit darker than her skin. He longed to run his tongue along the mark. It would be the most sensitive spot on her body. A spot guaranteed to arouse her. Jacques’s hand went to the prominent bulge in his pants and he shifted himself. He watched her with hooded eyes, aroused even in this chaos. Her waist was narrow, leading into wide hips, a nicely rounded ass, and well-shaped thighs and calves. The grunt he’d been trying to keep at bay broke free of his suppression. She jumped a bit but didn’t turn around.

Her hands were shaky as she jerked a curtain panel from the rod. The clasps gave way and the silky, gold-colored curtain panel slid to the floor. Angel quickly wrapped the panel around her body before turning to face him.

Her eyes went immediately to Michael. She began to move toward him.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Why not? He might be hurt.”

“He’s fine.” Jacques walked closer to her, but she held up her hands to stop him.

“Who are you? Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

“I’m not afraid of you because I know who and what you are.”

Angel’s eyes scanned his face as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

“What am I?”

Her question was a whispered plea. He could feel fear vibrate out from her body.

Her beautiful reddish-brown eyes looked everywhere but at him.

“I think you have an idea already, but just so we’re all on the same page, Angel, you’re a gator shifter. Something tells me this isn’t your first time shifting.”

She sank to the floor in a puddle of golden fabric. Shaking her head in disbelief, she closed her eyes.

“No, I’m normal.”

Jacques snorted. “Well, hell, of course you’re normal.”

Jacques moved toward her to reassure her.

Mmmmm.

Michael’s groan stopped him in his tracks.

“Listen, he’s going to be a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“We don’t allow non-shifters to see us. And if they do…”

“No! You can’t.”

“What choice do we have? Do you think he’ll just keep quiet about what he saw today? I can’t risk it.”

“Maybe he won’t remember,” she said hopefully.

Jacques knew better than to chance it. Michael had seen Angel do a full shift. That was something most people wouldn’t forget. Their pod had rules, the primary of which was
never
be discovered, and if you are, don’t let them live.

Jacques moved toward Michael. He wouldn’t drag it out, it would be painless.

“No!”

Angel was on his back, pulling on his shoulders and pummeling his head. He quickly rolled, bringing her beneath him, effectively pinning her to the carpet. Jacques held her arms above her head to keep her still.

“No, please, don’t kill him,” Angel implored.

Michael moaned again. He’d be awake soon. Jacques would have to move fast.

“Angel, leaving him alive would do more harm than good.”

“He’s my baby brother. I promised my father I’d look out for him.”

A stray tear slid from the corner of her left eye. Her golden skin held red undertones from both exertion and emotion. Breasts, heavy and full, strained beneath the silken fabric that encased her like a chrysalis. Her body was as soft and warm as a mossy glade on the banks of the bayou and his beast wanted her, he wanted her. No, he needed her.

“Mr. Bertrand. If you let him live, I’ll sell you a portion of my half of the Tiki.”

The idea of having a controlling share in a Las Vegas casino was enticing. For years he’d wanted to branch out of New Orleans and Gulf Port, and Las Vegas had been a personal goal. Finding Angel had been primary on his list. Finding her in Las Vegas owning a casino had been lady luck smiling down on him. To say it had killed two birds with one stone was an understatement.

Michael had been a weak link. He owed some very dangerous people a lot of money. It hadn’t taken much for Jacques to purchase his debts and then exert enough “pressure” to get him to sell his portion of the Tiki to settle those debts. He’d even kicked in a few extra million to sweeten the deal. Michael had willingly signed on the dotted line.

Jacques planned to use his ownership in the Tiki to get Angel to New Orleans. Even though he wanted a foothold in Vegas, he’d be willing to sell Angel his half if she agreed to come back to Louisiana with him. Where he hoped to woo her and eventually mate with her.