Saved by Wolves (Shifters Meet Their Mate Book 1) (14 page)

He huffed again, a distinct apologetic note in the sound. Then he left her side and gave a low, yet sharp bark in Jackson’s ear. Jackson, who hadn’t looked up during her panic attack, rolled to his feet and trotted off. Shift change. That meant it was around 2 a.m. If she didn’t get some sleep, she’d regret it come morning. They were planning to head out at first light, which was less than five hours away.

Curling up on her side under the blankets, Kirra closed her eyes, hoping that without Jackson there to distract her, her mind would calm down. Minutes later, Marcus claimed a spot at her back, insulating her against the chilly wind. Through the blankets, she felt one of his paws rest on her hip and wondered if he knew how comforting it was.

E
verything was a mess. Jackson barely restrained himself from throwing back his head and howling his frustration at the fading moon. He had no time to become a cliche.

He’d roamed the perimeter of the campsite for hours, hoping that a solution to all of his problems would present itself in a blinding flash of brilliance. That’s not how his brain worked, though. He was more the plodding along, one step at a time, nose to the grindstone kind of guy. Flashes of brilliance weren’t in his wheelhouse.

Being in Wolf form didn’t help his thought processes. The animal in him wanted to claim Kirra and cart her away, far from the threats of the lab, the military, and even the Cats. His human brain knew that wasn’t reasonable, but at the moment, he was having a hard time remembering why. Jackson padded into the camp site, careful to move silently. Pressed up against Kirra, his head resting near hers, Marcus didn’t even twitch. Jackson clamped his teeth together at the cozy sight. Couldn’t Marcus smell his scent on her? He should know to stay away.

His pants were still folded on the log where he’d left them. After snagging them with his teeth, Jackson went back to the privacy of the trees to shift. The others were asleep, and shifting in public had never bothered him before, but for some reason he was feeling exposed, vulnerable.

The shift was fast and brutal, as it always was. Muscles and bones separated, stretched, and reformed. Fully human again, he braced his legs wide and leaned against a birch, attempting to focus his thoughts. The thin tree swayed at his weight, and he adjusted his feet for balance.

Things had not gone as planned. Actually, when he’d woken that morning, his only plan had been to spend more time with Kirra. Then it had evolved to getting her attention before Marcus did, and then the Cats had interfered and the plan had morphed to saving Kirra and knocking their skulls together until they rattled. That part had been satisfying, although he still didn’t agree with letting them go, protocol be damned.

So, those on-the-fly plans had gone all right. It was later that everything had gone off the rails. Yes, he’d told Marcus he was interested in bedding Kirra to get her out of his system, but no plan had been involved when he’d kissed her. And he definitely hadn’t been thinking when he’d taken her by the river. At the memory of her uninhibited response, her soft skin and warm tongue, his heart thudded and arousal stirred. He’d been there, in the moment, with her, no thinking or plan involved. And it had been heart-stoppingly good.

And it could never happen again.

She was human.

In the heat of lust, seduced by her clean yet heady sent and gorgeous curves, he’d chosen to ignore that crucial fact. But there was no denying it when she began to talk about her history and why she’d searched them out. Humans and shifters didn’t mix socially, politically, or physically, and there was plenty of evidence to back it up. Even if he wanted to go against years of customs and claim her as a mate, they could never have children. And he needed a family of his own.

It would never work.

Decision made, Jackson took a deep breath of the refreshing morning air and nodded in satisfaction. He’d help her convince the council to rescue her sister and any others held in the lab—places like that and the people who ran them should be erased from the earth—but he’d do it while keeping her at arm’s length. And he’d smother any unwelcome feelings that welled up.

Easy.

“T
here it is,” Marcus said, pointing at a valley in the distance. Morning mist hung heavy in the air, but if she squinted her eyes, Kirra could just make out a cluster of buildings, maybe ten in total. A mountain range hemmed it in on the north, while low hills like the one she was standing on bordered the other sides.

“It’s larger than I expected,” she said, taking advantage of his stopping to sit down and massage her burning calves and quads. They’d been going at a steady pace for the last three days, and while she felt she was getting stronger, hiking up the hill had taken a toll on her already abused muscles.

“One of the houses belongs to a couple who take care of the place year round. The rest are for council members and their packs—and sometimes for humans officials, although the alphas prefer to meet them on human territory. Are you all right?” Marcus asked, seeming to just notice she’d parked herself at his feet.

A stubborn knot in her calf finally loosened. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just admiring the scenery.” She waved at the meeting place. “We’re what, an hour away?”

“More like two,” he said. “But I think we’re in luck. I was afraid the meeting would have broken up by now, but there are people hanging around the main building. They wouldn’t be there if the meeting was over.” He paused, a slight furrow appearing between his brows. “Of course, if they’re still there, that means the meeting isn’t going smoothly. I’m not sure what we’ll be walking into.”

Whatever it was, it couldn’t be worse than what she’d left behind.

“Should we wait for Jackson?” she asked.

Marcus cast a quick glance behind them, then shook his head. “Nah. No telling how long he’ll be. He’ll catch up. Besides, I don’t know about you, but I’ve found the last few hours rather peaceful. He’s not exactly the light-hearted type, but he’s been moody as a bear lately.”

“I noticed,” she said. “Do you... do you have any idea why?” She thought she knew why he was avoiding her—he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea about what happened between them and become a clinging, lovesick leech, but she didn’t know why he was avoiding Marcus.

“No idea. And I’m not going to drive myself crazy worrying about it.” Marcus extended a hand, and she let him help her up.

And there was another problem. Marcus was bending over backwards to be nice to her. When she needed help climbing over a jagged deadfall or crossing a stream, he was there without needing to be asked. When she shivered at night, he curled up behind her, her own personal furnace. And when Jackson strode off ahead or behind, effectively ignoring them, Marcus distracted her with jokes and funny stories about shifter life.

He was being the perfect man. The perfect gentleman. Perfect boyfriend material. And she was falling in love with him one bad joke at a time.

And she’d slept with his partner. Who she also had feelings for.

How had she ended up in such a tangled mess? Every time she looked at Marcus, her throat felt thick and her chest tightened. It was crazy. Other than a brief peck on the cheek, they’d never even kissed. She had nothing to feel guilty about.

A faint trail wound down the hillside, weaving around boulders, bushes, and thin trees with root systems that looked at risk of tearing from the ground in a strong wind. Going downhill was a relief after trudging uphill, and Kirra picked up speed, spreading her arms for balance, Marcus right on her heels.

When she reached the base of the hill, she tried to locate Blue’s Hollow, but trees blocked her view.

Marcus took the lead again. Stomach churning with nerves, but glad step one of her plan was almost over, Kirra followed.

***

T
hey stopped at the edge of a thicket just outside of Blue’s Hollow, where they had a partial view of the area. Not only were there more buildings than she’d thought, there were a lot more people as well.

“Stay here,” Marcus said. “I’m going to check out what’s going on. If Lash and that idiot partner of his got here first, the Cats might be pissed off and looking for us. You’ll be safer out here.”

“Won’t they... smell me?” After days of hiking with only the occasional quick wash in freezing cold water to wipe away the worst of the grime, she was rank to her own nose. Shifters could probably sense her miles off. That thought was uncomfortable. How could Marcus stand to be around her?

“You’re downwind. Unless someone approaches from behind, you’ll be fine.” So saying, he left her.

Kirra crouched behind a bush and made a gap in the leaves to peer through. Within seconds, Marcus was approached by a burly man and a lean, muscular woman with flowing black hair. The man wore sweatpants and a short-sleeved white tee identical to the ones Marcus and Jackson favored—maybe they bought them in bulk—but the woman sported form-fitting jeans, a bomber-style jacket layered over a black V-neck shirt, and heavy boots. Badass squared. They greeted Marcus with open smiles until he started speaking. She couldn’t make out the words, but it was easy to guess the content, as they followed him back to the thicket after making sure no one was paying them any attention.

“What’s this all about, Marcus?” the woman said in a low, yet clear voice once they cleared the perimeter.

“You’ll see.”

Kirra scrambled to her feet, brushed futilely at the dirt embedded in the knees of her jeans, and turned to face the newcomers.

They stepped around a tree and spotted her, and their friendly expressions melted into identical scowls. Their eyes bore into her, but their words were for Marcus.

“She’s human,” the man stated in a voice even deeper than Jackson’s.

Kirra bit back the smart-ass comeback that burned on the tip of her tongue.

Marcus clasped her wrist and tugged Kirra closer to the guards. “Kirra, this is Ash—he was Jackson’s partner before me—and this beauty over here is Daisy. She’s my second cousin—although I can never remember exactly what that means.”

“My father is your mother’s cousin,” Daisy supplied in a dry tone, running a hand through her dark hair and giving him the wry smile of someone used to dealing with his charm and bs.

Someone had named this Amazon Daisy? Standing at least six feet, with cheekbones that looked carved from marble, she towered over Kirra, and if there was anything flower-like about her, she was hiding it well. Her words were casual, but she held herself ready, stance staggered, weight on the balls of her feet, arms loose. Ready to attack or defend at the first sign of a threat. She didn’t carry a weapon, but Kirra guessed it was because she didn’t need to.

“Right,” Marcus said. “Anyway, this is Kirra.” He slung a friendly arm over her shoulders. “She’s here as my guest. Under my protection. Mine and Jackson’s.”

“Under your protection? I always knew you were a bit loco, but now you’ve tipped right over into insane. What were you thinking bringing her here, Marcus?” the woman said, slowly shaking her head. “You’re asking for trouble.”

“Maybe, but we didn’t have any choice. We need to talk to the alpha ASAP.”

“They’re in the meeting hall. We’re under strict instructions not to interrupt.”

“Any idea how much longer the meeting’s going to be?”

“Jackson’s here?” Ash interrupted, scanning the area.

“Yeah, he’s around here somewhere. Follow the sound of trees breaking and innocent creatures scurrying for cover.”

“He’s not that bad,” Kirra said.

“That’s up for debate.”

Daisy waved her hand to get their attention. “They’ve been in the meeting for hours. Lots of rumors about what they’re talking about, but no one knows for sure. Yesterday they went until long past sundown, until Frank left. He was a bit pissed off. Broke the door down on his way out,” she clarified at Marcus’s questioning look.

Marcus grinned. “I’d say he really has to stop doing that, but I’ve won the betting pool the last three times. I’m sorry I missed it.”

Abandoning his search for Jackson, Ash focused on Marcus. “Why do you need to talk to the alpha? And why are we hiding?”

Marcus’s grin faded away. “It’s literally a life and death matter, and the Cats might be involved. They tried to kidnap Kirra on Vincent’s orders. We think he was going to turn her over to a nasty group of humans.” He raised a hand to stave off their questions. “We don’t have time for this. How can we get the alpha out without drawing suspicion?”

Ash rolled his shoulders and frowned, shaking his head, while Daisy rolled her shoulders back and straightened her spine. “Get her to the mess hall and I’ll get the alpha there. You’re going to owe me, though. And I’ll collect.”

“I don’t doubt it for a minute,” Marcus said.

Without a backwards glance, Daisy loped off.

“Which building is the mess?” Kirra asked.

“It’s two to the left of the meeting hall,” Marcus said.

“There are about twenty people between us and it,” she said. At least she assumed they were all people—several large Cats were prowling the grounds, a Wolf basked on its side in a spot of sun, and what she thought was a condor was perched atop one of the buildings. If they weren’t shifters, they were the most domesticated wild animals she’d ever seen. “Won’t they be able to tell I’m human? He did.” She jutted her chin at Ash.

“You should be safe as long as you don’t get too close to anyone,” Ash said. “They won’t be expecting a human, so they’ll likely dismiss any scent they catch, especially if you’re with Marcus and me.” He trained his gaze on Marcus. “If Jackson’s scent wasn’t thick on her, I’d be walking away from this. Daisy is right. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

Jackson’s scent was thick on her? Three days later? Kirra’s face burned so intensely it projected heat. She ducked her head, willing the blush to subside. It didn’t obey.

In her peripheral vision, she watched Marcus open his mouth and then close it, scowling. Without a word, he urged her out of the protection of the thicket. Staying between the men, she tried to walk with confidence, as if she belonged there, but was careful not to meet anyone’s eyes. As they passed two Cats who had planted themselves by the entrance to one of the buildings, her adrenaline spiked and she instinctively reached out for power. Only the faint hum organic matter gave off responded to her call, and she cut it off immediately. Draining others of their natural power was wrong, and she wouldn’t do it, even if her own stores were depleted, leaving her feeling exposed and defenseless.