In truth, Nicole considered him her surrogate older brother. And over the past years, they’d been drawn even closer together by their mutual grief.
Which had been a wonderful thing, until he decided to poke his nose into her business.
Folding his arms across his chest, Soren allowed his gaze to slowly wander down her too-slender body. Wearing a pair of black spandex pants and a black turtleneck, with her tawny hair pulled into a ponytail, she knew that she looked like a teenager. An image that was only emphasized by her fragile features and the wide hazel eyes that were heavily fringed by black lashes.
She ruthlessly used her harmless appearance to her advantage. Being underestimated was a weapon as potent as her claws and fangs.
“Going somewhere, Nikki?” Soren drawled.
She scowled. She no longer used that name. Nikki had died with her son. Now she was Nicole.
“Soren.” She struggled to contain her frustration. Usually, she could reason with her friend. But he was a male. Which meant that he could be annoyingly stubborn at the most inconvenient times. “Why aren’t you with the others?”
“Why aren’t you?” he countered.
She shrugged. “I wasn’t in the mood for a party.”
“It’s not a party,” he corrected her. “It’s an opportunity for the shifter community to learn to work together.”
She gave another shrug. “I’m not in the mood to…” she lifted her hands to give air quotes, “work together.”
His features softened with sympathy. “No, you’re angry and hurt and drowning in the past,” he said softly. “A toxic combination.”
Nicole instantly flinched at his pity. She refused to think of herself as a victim. She was a warrior.
“You’re our Beta, not an Omega,” she snapped.
“It’s a shame we don’t have one,” he growled. They all felt the hole in the center of the Pack that came from the lack of an Omega. “They might have helped to heal you.”
She gave a sad shake of her head. “There’s no cure for mourning.”
Soren grimaced. “Look, Nikki-”
“Don’t call me that,” she interrupted in sharp tones.
“Holden ordered us to keep a low profile for a few days,” Soren continued.
“That’s exactly what I intend to do,” Nicole said with absolute honesty. She made it her life’s goal to fly beneath the human’s radar.
He rolled his eyes. “That means staying in the compound and not deliberately provoking the SAU.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I can’t.”
His brows snapped together. “Nikki. I’m not saying to stop your vendetta, just give it a rest for a few days.”
“I’m going tonight, Soren.” She tilted her chin. “One way or another.”
“Why? What’s so special about tonight…” Soren’s breath caught and his eyes widened as he realized the date. Her son had been murdered precisely seven years ago. “Oh, shit.”
“I’m not going to do anything stupid,” she said.
He looked anything but convinced by her assurance.
“Just suicidal,” he muttered.
She shook her head. She may be reckless at times, but she wasn’t trying to get herself killed. No way in hell. She still had a mission to complete.
Stepping forward, she placed a hand on her friend’s arm, not too proud to beg.
“Let me go, Soren.”
There was a tense moment when the Beta struggled against his loyalty to his Alpha. After all, he was a male who understood what it was like to lose someone he loved.
“Dammit.” He deliberately stepped to the side. “I hope you know that Holden’s going to put my balls in a vice?”
“Cora is a lucky cat,” she said with a small smile.
“Yeah, yeah.” He studied her with a somber expression, reaching out to lightly touch her cheek. “Come home to us, Nikki. We need you.”
Waiting until the male had grudgingly turned to disappear into the shadows of the trees, Nicole reached up to adjust the high neck of her sweater that hid her collar. The piece of metal marked her as a shifter, along with the brand that marred her forearm.
To be caught without the collar was a death sentence.
She shuddered, forcing herself to focus her thoughts on the future, not the past. And that included getting out of the compound without being seen.
Moving forward, she knelt next to the fence, closing her eyes as she concentrated on her heightened sense of smell. She caught the sharp tang of pines, and the musky scent of the fallen leaves that carpeted the ground. More distant was the acrid odor of smoke, and the meat that was sizzling over the fire.
There were no humans near.
Nicole didn’t hesitate. It wouldn’t be long before one of the human guards passed by during their regular sweep of the area. She wanted to be miles away from the compound before they arrived. Once she was in Denver, she should be able to pass as a human.
Shoving aside the rock that hid her exit, she entered the tunnel and shimmied through the narrow passageway that ran beneath the fence. She came out behind a line of Dumpsters that the guards had shoved close enough to the compound to make sure the shifters would be continually assaulted by the stench of rotting garbage.
Bastards.
Cautiously crawling out of the narrow opening, Nicole quickly ran through the darkness, her soft boots barely making a sound. It was nearly an hour later when she arrived at the long metal shed where the SAU kept their vehicles—as well as their weapons. It was a new building that they’d built to replace the one Nicole had set fire to the year before. She had planned to blow this one up tonight, to mark the anniversary of her son’s death.
Instead, she had a new mission.
Easily avoiding the cameras they had placed around the open yard surrounding the building, she headed toward the extra cars that were left in the back. Less than five minutes later, she had a Jeep hotwired and was heading along the outskirts of Boulder.
When she’d heard that Soren and Cora had actually discovered the headquarters of the SAU, she’d barely been able to contain her excitement.
For years, she’d tried to track down the secret lab. The covert government agency had a dozen different buildings spread throughout the country. Hell, they had at least three in Denver alone. That’s where most of the staff had offices, and where the mundane work was accomplished.
But she’d always known there was more they kept hidden.
And now she had the opportunity to find out for herself.
Sticking to the side streets in case the Jeep got turned in as a stolen vehicle, she at last parked at Chautauqua Park. It was several miles from the headquarters, but it would allow her to approach the place without being noticed.
With a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, she hopped out of the Jeep and headed up the trail. Instantly, she was surrounded by the smells and sounds of the forest.
The tight ball in the pit of her stomach eased a fraction at the soothing peace of her surroundings. Inside, her wolf pressed against her skin, demanding to be released. This wide- open space with plenty of room to run was exactly what a shifter craved.
With effort, she resisted the temptation.
She needed to pass as human.
At least for now.
Moving at a swift pace, Nicole traveled in a wide arc that would lead her to the deepest part of the park before she was angling back toward Boulder. She didn’t have the exact coordinates, but she’d overheard Soren talking to Holden. She had a general idea of where she was going.
She was just at the point of turning back towards civilization when there was the rustle of pine needles, and a form was suddenly blocking her path.
A very large, very male form.
God almighty. She skidded to a halt. How had he managed to sneak up on her? She hadn’t heard a sound. And she could still barely catch his warm, slightly tangy scent.
Had he appeared out of thin air?
Unnerved, Nicole took a step back; her head tilting as her heart slammed against her ribs. Yow. Somehow, she’d expected such a large man to look like a Neanderthal.
Instead, he was…beautiful.
Extravagantly, breathtakingly beautiful.
His hair was long enough to brush his broad shoulders and shimmered like white-gold in the moonlight. His features looked as if the hands of an artist had sculpted them. He had a wide brow over eyes that were as dark as a midnight sky. His nose was narrow, and his cheeks were chiseled, almost as if he had Asian blood in his distant ancestry. Even his lips were perfect. Full and sculpted with a sensuous curve.
Feeling as if she’d been struck by lightning, she allowed her gaze to skim down to the big body that rippled with muscles beneath the faded jeans and gray hoodie he wore.
Heat sizzled through her, making her toes curl in her soft boots. What was it about this guy? She’d never felt such an intense reaction before.
Okay. He was gorgeous. And fiercely male. But still…
Her awareness of him was completely over the top. She’d clearly gone too long without a lover.
Nicole abruptly shook herself out of her inane thoughts. Dammit. She was here with a purpose. And this man, no matter how delectable, wasn’t part of her plan.
“Excuse me,” she said politely, waiting for him to step aside. Seconds passed as he simply stood there, staring at her. “If you don’t mind.” She gave a shooing motion with her hand. “You’re blocking the path.”
The stranger slowly lifted his brows as if wondering whether she had a screw loose.
“Obviously, that was the point,” he said, his voice husky with the faintest hint of an accent.
Yum.
No. She gave a shake of her head. Not yum. He was an oversized hurdle in her plans for the night.
She planted her fists on her hips. “Is there a problem?”
He remained silent as he did his own visual tour of her body, blatantly allowing his gaze to linger on the soft swells of her breasts before returning to meet her glare.
“What are you doing out here?”
Nicole forced herself to take a deep breath. She was supposed to be a normal human out for a stroll. Which meant she couldn’t shift into a wolf and bite him on the ass.
“Just hiking through the woods.”
“At this hour?”
She shrugged. “Is that a crime?”
He nodded toward a sign that was sticking out of a bush beside the path.
CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
“This area is off-limits to the public.”
She narrowed her eyes. The sign had a weathered look that told her it’d been there for months. Maybe even years.
“Why?”
He arched a brow as if surprised that she wasn’t scuttling away like a good little girl.
“The trails were damaged during the last rainstorm.”
Nicole leaned to the side, peeking around his large body. “They look fine to me.”
The air seemed to vibrate with the force of his growing annoyance. Good. She’d hate to be the only one irritated.
“Until they’re repaired, they’re too unstable to use,” he said, his jaw clenched. “If you want to hike, you need to head north or west.”
No doubt the wise thing to do would be to walk away. She was wasting precious time. And, of course, there was always the danger that he was a part of the SAU.
But the inexplicable sense of awareness that pulsed between them also made her wolf protest at backing down. Almost as if her animal didn’t want to appear weak before this man.
“If this area is closed, what are you doing here?” she’d demanded before she could halt the words.
He gave a lift of his shoulder. “I’m a Park Ranger. I’m here to make sure little girls don’t get hurt by going where they don’t belong.”
“Really?” Nicole arched a brow.
She didn’t know much about the world outside the compound, but she was certain that anyone in authority would be wearing a uniform. Or at least have a vehicle.
“Really.”
“Shouldn’t you have a badge or something?”
His eyes had seemed to glow in the dark a moment before he leaned forward.
“Let me escort you back to your car.”
She took another instinctive step backward. She might be a predator, but there was something about this man that warned her to be careful.
“No need.”
“Are you sure?” His husky voice was laced with an unmistakable warning. “I wouldn’t want you to get lost.”
Okay. Enough was enough. The man didn’t appear to work for the SAU. Otherwise, he would be dressed in their uniform and flashing his badge to run her off. But he might very well be protecting a marijuana crop that he’d illegally planted on public land.
Or be finding a place to bury a body.
Either way, he may very well become violent if she didn’t do as he asked. And as much as she loved a good fight, she couldn’t risk being injured. Not tonight.
“I think I can find my way,” she drawled.
“Good. You need to head home.” He sent her a dark glare. Did he sense she was plotting to circle around him and continue on her way? “Now.”
“Fine.” She held up her hands in faux surrender. “Have a super awesome night.”
He narrowed his eyes, his arms folded across his massive chest, as she turned to stroll away.
“Park Ranger, my ass,” she muttered, loud enough for him to overhear.
“Don’t come back,” he called out.
She didn’t bother to glance around. Instead, she lifted her hand and flipped him off.
Childish? Yeah, maybe.
But the man disturbed her on a cellular level.
Fiercely scrubbing all thoughts of the stranger from her mind, she headed down the trail, waiting until she was certain he wasn’t following before she darted into the thick forest. Then, stripping off her clothing, she tucked them under a pile of leaves before shifting into her wolf form.
Agony, along with a thrilling euphoria, shivered through her. Her bones popped and her tendons ripped as the magic pulsed through her veins, altering her form in blast of fur and fangs.
Standing on four legs, she took a second to gain control of her balance before she was loping through the trees. She’d hoped to wait until she was closer to the SAU to change. A stray woman hiking through the park didn’t attract nearly as much attention as a tawny female wolf.
But she wasn’t going to be stopped again.
Her senses were much more acute in her wolf form. And even better, she had long, sharp teeth to deal with any aggravating men who tried to stand in her way.
****
Tucker continued to stare at the pathway long after the female had disappeared.
He told himself that the urgent need to follow her was nothing more than concern for his Pack. They’d managed to remain hidden for years. Not only from the humans, but also the shifters living in the compounds.
It wasn’t that they didn’t feel compassion for those who’d been branded and collared by the SAU. Hell, they were doing everything in their power to bring an end to the prejudices against their people. But things were reaching a critical point. The last thing they needed was some nosey shifter blowing their cover.
Yep. It was all very logical that he was anxious about the female wolf making a sudden appearance where she didn’t belong. But that didn’t actually explain why his heart was thundering or why his cock was hard as a fucking rock.
Sucking in a slow breath, he allowed the warm scent of woman and wolf to seep through him. Delectable. And dangerous. Very, very dangerous.
His bear stirred, restlessly urging him to track the female down so he could continue to smell her.
And maybe have a little taste…
“Trouble?” A male voice floated from behind him.
Tucker gave a sharp laugh as Sinclair, the current Alpha of the Unseen Pack, moved
to stand at his side. The wolf shifter was three inches shorter than Tucker with long, dark hair, a lean face that was always three days past the need for a shave, and ice-blue eyes.
He looked like a biker who’d just rolled out of bed, but anyone stupid enough to underestimate him was soon taught a painful lesson.
“Trouble on two legs,” Tucker told his friend.
Sinclair tilted back his head, sniffing the air. “A wolf shifter,” he growled. “What the hell was she doing out here?”
“She claimed she was hiking.”
Sinclair’s dark brows snapped together. “In the middle of the night?”
“Yep.”
Tucker could sense Sinclair turning to study him, but his focus remained on the trail. Almost as if his bear were willing the female to return.
“What do you think?” Sinclair demanded.
“She sure as hell wasn’t here to hike,” he said.
“Damn.” Sinclair abruptly began to pace from one side of the path to the other, his nervous energy prickling in the chilled air. “We’re too close to finding the proof we need to show that it was the humans—not the shifters—who were responsible for the Verona Virus. We can’t let anyone fuck up our plans now.”
Tucker forced himself to turn and face his friend. He needed a distraction before his bear managed to overcome his logic and he gave in to his male impulse to track the female down and drag her back to his cave.
“What’s the word from Mira?” he asked.
“I’m supposed to meet with her tonight,” Sinclair grudgingly admitted.
Tucker arched a brow. Mira Reese was a computer nerd who worked at the regional CDC in Fort Collins. This was the second—or maybe third—time this week she and Sinclair were meeting.
That seemed a little…excessive, considering it was an hour drive for the young human woman.
“Has she managed to get any files decoded?”
Sinclair shrugged, his expression impossible to read. “She wouldn’t have asked for a meeting if she didn’t have any new intel.”
Tucker snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Sinclair halted his pacing long enough to meet Tucker’s amused gaze. “What’s that supposed to mean?”