Mating Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novel (33 page)

“And you are Erin Flynn, newest enforcer in North America. Jayce called to let me know you would be here soon, though I
expected
a call from you.” His head swiveled to Noah and his dark eyes turned hard.

They were the same height so the two men just glared at each other. She could practically see the flood of testosterone rolling off them. Despite the differences in their appearances, because Noah had certainly been blessed with his mother’s features too, the tall broad-shouldered Scottish shifter was obviously Noah’s father. It was stamped in the harsh, defined facial features.

Angus looked to be about forty by human standards, but Erin knew he was at least three hundred. Very old for a shifter and
very
powerful. He’d have to be to control New Orleans for as long as he had, which had been since the Jazz Age. Almost a century ago and long before most humans had known of paranormal beings’ existence.

Clearing her throat and drawing the big shifter’s attention back to her, she took a subtle step forward, placing herself in between father and son. One of Noah’s hands settled on her shoulder in a way she knew he meant to be proprietary, something his father didn’t miss. The feel of Noah touching her like that should have annoyed her. Instead, it soothed her inner wolf in a way she decided to ignore.

Angus’s eyes flicked to Noah’s hand then back to her face so quickly she would have missed the knowing look if she hadn’t been watching him closely. Let the old Alpha make of it what he wanted.

When it was clear that Noah didn’t plan to respond to his father’s statement, Erin continued. “We need to talk about what’s going on. Unless you approve of what’s happening in your city.” It wasn’t a question because no one in their right mind would want things to continue the way they were in New Orleans. But she wanted to gauge his reaction.

Those dark eyes flashed with raw anger and for a moment she saw the wolf lurking beneath the man’s surface. “Six pregnant female shifters missing . . .” His jaw clenched once and she could feel his power radiating for an instant. There was a reason he was an Alpha. “Whoever is responsible will pay.” As he spoke, she heard the animal, not the human, talking to her.

And he was right. Someone would pay. But not by his hand. By an enforcer’s.
Hers.

Erin’s eyes narrowed. When she got her hands on the culprit or culprits, they’d be judged. And they’d sure as hell suffer for their crimes. Preying on a pregnant female, regardless of species, was the lowest of the low. All the women had been taken while alone. Two from their homes, one from a park, one right outside her real estate office, one from a grocery store parking lot, and one from a restaurant while her mate was in the vicinity. The two homes had been disturbed, but no serious damage. And the others taken had left behind purses and keys at their abduction sites. It was the only reason anyone had any idea of the locations of the kidnappings.

Meli was the last shifter who had been taken and she was the only one linked directly to Angus’s pack. The only lupine. It was the main reason the Council had sent Erin here. Angus was a powerful Alpha. The other five missing shifters were all feline with no pack or political pull. Erin had memorized their basic information and was determined to bring them all home, regardless of their species or anything else.

The feline grabbed right before Meli was so
young
. Her name was Ciara. At twenty-five, newly mated for a scant six months, she was two months pregnant and the only redhead in the bunch. Her appearance didn’t matter to Erin, but when she’d looked at the girl’s picture, it had jarred her straight to her bones. Reminded her of herself, back when she’d been naïve and pretty damn innocent about how truly awful people could be. People she’d trusted.

Something heavy settled on Erin’s chest. Hurting a woman in that state when she was weaker, defenseless . . . it was just so wrong on every level. The heaviness seemed to grow inside her, pressing down until it was hard to breathe. The women must have been so terrified.

Noah had been silent, but his hand flexed once on her shoulder and she didn’t miss the soft growl he let out. He wanted blood as much as she did. The feel of his fingers clenching around her pulled her from her thoughts and back to reality.

She was going to hunt whoever was behind this like the monsters they were. But first she had to figure out who was behind the disappearances and why. She just hoped Noah would let her handle this investigation her way.

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