Broderick, a wolf Shifter in a muscle shirt that showed off his tatts and knotted shoulders, stepped out onto the porch.
Rebecca pushed past Walker and strode toward the house. The brush of her body, the scent of her hair, brought too vividly the memory of leaning against her in the dark, the house solid behind her. He’d felt every curve of her, the press of her chest with every breath.
Their faces had been an inch apart, Rebecca’s hot brown gaze holding his, then sliding to his lips. His heart had thudded, blood hot. The urge to take her mouth, to mold her body with his hands, to sink into her softness, had undone him.
He’d made himself tear away from her and walk back into the Den, his cock hard and straining, his body aching. The sparring was supposed to have worked off their steam—instead, it had ramped it up. Even a brutally cold shower in the Den’s bathroom hadn’t helped.
The storm had hit as he’d stood under the freezing water, wind shaking the Den, rain pounding. Then it was over, the storm dispersing as quickly as it had come. His encounter with Rebecca had felt like that—a pulsing maelstrom, over before he’d realized it had begun.
This morning, when Elizabeth had invited him inside for breakfast, Rebecca had barely spoken to him. She’d said, “Oh, hey, Walker,” while chewing a slice of toast, then ducked into the kitchen and hadn’t emerged until Walker had been ready to leave.
Now Rebecca walked toward the house without hesitation. “Broderick, we—”
Broderick was off the porch and in front of her in one rapid move. He was taller than Rebecca by half a head, and though Rebecca was no weak, petite woman, Broderick was a male Shifter enraged.
Screw this. Walker left the invisible do not cross line and headed for them.
“Don’t you understand territory, Becks?” Broderick was rumbling in his broken-gravel voice. “This is mine. Yours is over there.” He lifted an arm, tight with muscle, to point down the street toward Ronan’s house.
“Don’t give me territory crap,” Rebecca said, unworried. “I’m an unmated female, and he’s human. We can’t take your territory even if we wanted to. Shifter law.”
Broderick’s gray eyes narrowed. “Have you noticed that we don’t live in the wild anymore? If humans want our territory, they’ll just take it.”
“Not today,” Walker said. Broderick’s hot alpha stare came to rest on him, but Walker had trained himself not to flinch. The Taser holstered on his belt helped with his confidence.
“So, tomorrow, then?” Broderick’s voice bore a sharp growl.
Rebecca broke in. “Can you two calm the testosterone and listen for a sec?” She put her hands on her hips. Broderick reluctantly dragged his gaze from Walker and returned it to Rebecca. “We came to talk to you about Joanne and her sister.”
Another low growl, one that had Broderick’s eyes turning from intense gray to Shifter white. “Why didn’t you say so?” Broderick flashed his warning look over Walker again before he shrugged. “Come in. Wipe your feet. Aunt Cora just did the floors, and she’s one mean wolf if you get them dirty.”
Chapter Eight
Walker always found it interesting to walk into a Shifter’s house for the first time. Interesting in an I could be killed if I look at something the wrong way kind of deal.
Broderick McNaughton and his family were in a pack now led by a female called Glory, who’d taken over when the last pack leader had been killed. The Lupines in Broderick’s pack had been leery of having a female lead them at first, but they were taking to it. Glory wasn’t just any female, however—she was a force of nature, and her mate was Dylan Morrissey. Whoever messed with Glory messed with Dylan, and even Broderick was content to let things remain status quo.
Broderick lived in this house with his aunt and three younger brothers. They took up the whole bungalow, four big males squeezing in with one female who somehow kept them all in line. The family was powerful, high in their clan. If Glory or any of her future offspring fell, Broderick would be pack leader, and he knew it.
Broderick seemed to fill the space around him, dominating the house. He didn’t have to posture much—he stood easily in his jeans and sleeveless shirt, and everyone knew he was in charge.
He didn’t invite them to sit down, though Aunt Cora brought out some iced tea in cold glasses.
“You two must be thirsty,” she said to Rebecca and Walker. She was on the small side for a Shifter, gray haired and tiny compared to her nephews. “You drink that while Broderick looks up the word hospitality.”
Broderick rolled his eyes but said nothing. Walker sipped the tea politely, knowing it meant a breakthrough. Aunt Cora would never have offered if Broderick hadn’t okayed it. This was his way of indicating he was willing to talk.
“You speak a lot with Joanne?” Walker asked, ice clinking in his glass.
“Yeah, I do.” Broderick straightened, his brows drawing together. “What about it?”
Rebecca laughed, the throaty sound conjuring up the fantasies Walker had had in the shower last night. Even the freezing water hadn’t been able to shut them out.
“Don’t broadcast any harder,” Rebecca said to Broderick. “You like her.”
“I feel sorry for the kid,” Broderick rumbled. “She’s worried about Nancy, and no one has done a damn thing to help her.”
“The police have investigated,” Walker pointed out, though he privately agreed they hadn’t done much.
“Huh.” Broderick’s scowl deepened. “The minute they figured out that Nancy was a Shifter groupie, they backed off. They pretty much said it was her own fault she got snatched.”
“I don’t know,” Rebecca said. “I remember the cops searching through Shiftertown fairly thoroughly for a while. Joanne had them convinced a Shifter had stashed her sister somewhere. Remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” Broderick conceded. “They were pains in our asses. Didn’t help find Nancy, though, did it? They were looking in the wrong place. Then they just gave up.”
“I plan on looking in the right place,” Walker said. “Which is where you come in. What has Joanne told you? I’d like to talk to her as well.”
Broderick’s belligerence returned. He stepped to Walker, towering over him, but Walker had learned a long time ago that height really didn’t have anything to do with strength of will or ability to win a fight. He currently saw four different ways he could take down Broderick before Broderick could do much damage. Walker wouldn’t even have to spill his tea.
“Leave Joanne alone,” Broderick snarled at him. “She’s been through enough.”
“Easy,” Rebecca said, becoming a solid wall at Walker’s side. “We only want to find her sister. No one’s touching Joanne.”
“Believe it or not, I’m trying to help,” Walker said. “It’s my job.”
Broderick didn’t look appeased, but on the other hand, he didn’t go for Walker’s throat.
“If you can help fill in the gaps,” Walker went on, “maybe we can all figure this thing out together.”
The community appeal didn’t soften him, but Aunt Cora looked up at her nephew and said, “Do it for Joanne, Brod. I like her.”
Broderick wasn’t the type to admit defeat, but he gave Walker a grudging nod. “Joanne and I already looked,” he said. “Nancy is a true groupie. Dresses up, goes to Shifter bars. Made it her goal to not go home until she had a little Shifter sex. She went to every Shifter bar in Austin, and then spread out across Hill Country and down into San Antonio. She had friends she’d take road trips with, going to Shifter bars across South Texas. She was obsessed.”
Broderick’s disapproval radiated from him. From what Walker had observed, Broderick wouldn’t turn down a willing groupie, but he clearly didn’t like them. As Rebecca had said last night, many Shifters simply used groupies for easy sex.
“Then we check the Shifter bars across South Texas,” Walker said.
“You think Joanne and I haven’t?” Broderick asked, but his hostility had eased a little. “W
e talked to her friends, went to the bars, talked to the Shifters there. Not that they were interested in telling me much.”
Not surprising. If Broderick had swaggered in as he usually did, expecting to take charge, he’d likely ended up in more fights than conversations.
“No kidding,” Rebecca said, echoing Walker’s thoughts. “Did you find out anything at all?”
“Sure, we did. Nancy was popular, but the Shifters she was regular with hadn’t seen her in a while. Even in her favorite bar, she hasn’t been around much.”
“Which is her favorite bar?” Walker asked. That was the place to start—where Nancy was the best known. Broderick might have gotten stonewalled when he threw his weight around—diplomatic questions could work better.
“Place called Shooters. Out east of San Antonio. I went there twice, took Joanne the second time, to see if she recognized anyone. Nothing.”
Walker might find the same nothing, but it was a place to start. “Thanks,” he said sincerely.
“If you’re going out there, I’m coming with you,” Broderick said. “So is Joanne.”
Rebecca put her hands on her hips. She was wearing a black T-shirt this morning with a V neckline that clung to every curve.
“Oh, right,” she said. “What’s your idea of questioning? Slamming a Shifter up against a wall and banging his head until he answers? Walker and I were going to try something a little more subtle.”
“Like what? Turning into a giant bear?” Broderick demanded. “Lots of Lupines down there. If you knock them out with bear smell, they won’t be able to answer you.”
“Lupines think they have such great senses of humor,” Rebecca said, shaking her head. “I just have to smile at them, shithead. And Walker has his Taser. We’ll get answers.”
Broderick’s eyes narrowed. “So you’ll take off your shirt, and Shifter Bureau here will Taser them while they stare at your breasts? Real subtle, Becks.”
Walker lost his patience. “I’m about to go for the Taser right now,” he said sternly. “Broderick, I’ll welcome your help as backup—Joanne will know Nancy’s friends and conquests better than I or Rebecca. But as backup—right? A little covert ops will help us more than you smacking people around and Rebecca flashing them.” Not that the last thought didn’t make Walker tighten. “Call Joanne. Set it up for tonight.”
Both Rebecca and Broderick looked at him in surprise, and so did Aunt Cora, clearly not used to humans giving orders.
Too bad. Walker had a job to do, and arguing about who was in charge only slowed things down. He’d learned that a long time ago. In his line of work, people argued, people died.
Aunt Cora was the first to respond. “Sounds like a good plan. I’ll call Joanne, if you’re going to stand around playing who’s alpha Shifter all day.” She turned and headed for the landline phone that rested on a table near the stairs.
Broderick heaved a sigh. “I’ll do it, Aunt . . . Leave it, all right? Damn it.” He broke away from Rebecca and Walker, striding to his aunt, closing his hand around the receiver the same time she did. “I said, I’d call her.”
Rebecca grinned, dark eyes sparkling. “Let us know, all right?” She set down her mostly empty glass of iced tea and started for the front door.
Did she have to saunter like that everywhere? Hips swaying, jeans clinging to her sweet ass?
Walker dumped the rest of the iced tea down his throat, hoping the cold of it would dampen his fire. He needed to hurry and find Nancy Greene and get out of Shiftertown before he died of combustion.
***
Back at the house, Walker outlined his plans. He sat at the dining room table, near the ring in the wall Ronan had once cuffed him to, and spread out his notes.
Walker chained to the wall had been as calm and confident as Walker sitting here today. He’d known then that he’d eventually get away, just as he knew now that he was in charge. The man’s confidence filled the room.
Every other person from Shifter Bureau that Rebecca and Ronan had dealt with had been nervous, and overcompensated with pushiness and obstruction. They’d had to face many of these assholes as they’d worked to bring the foster cubs to Austin. No one had wanted the care of Scott, Cherie, and Olaf, but Shifter Bureau had made Ronan jump through many hoops to get them officially accepted into this Shiftertown and allowed to live in his house.
Walker was nothing like those bureaucrats, maybe because he was on the military attachment side, and he’d been assigned to the bureau, not there by choice. Whatever the reason, Walker was calmly competent, taking charge without being obvious about it.
Rebecca had hoped they’d discuss their plans together, alone, in the Den. She’d been a mess inside since he’d pressed her against the wall last night in the dark, his lips a breath from hers. His body had been firm, no softness. She’d wanted to run her hands over every plane of him, lick his mouth, then take his hand and lay it over her breast.
She’d wanted it so much she’d lain awake all night thinking about the encounter and how it might have gone differently. Walker could have let Rebecca open his jeans, he might have hooked her knee over his arm, raising her leg so he could thrust up into her. It would have been quick and hot, dirty sex over too soon. But she’d have savored it the same as if it had lasted for hours.
Rebecca swallowed and tried to keep from breaking into a sweat. Fortunately, everyone in the room was fascinated with Walker, and not looking at Rebecca.
Another reason to talk to him alone—besides her hormones—was that the whole family decided they had to get in on the discussion. Elizabeth was off running her store in SoCo, but Ronan was home. He held his cub in his giant arms, while the three foster cubs and Elizabeth’s younger sister, Mabel, gathered around and “helped.”
“If you’re going covert,” Mabel, whose hair was fuchsia this month, said, “you can’t march inside a Shifter bar and start questioning people, like Broderick did. You have to blend in.” Her smile widened. “You have to go as a groupie.”
“Don’t look at me,” Rebecca said, hands raised. “I can’t pass for a groupie, no matter how much makeup I put on. Shifters will be freaked out as soon as they scent me coming, as it is.”
“Then you shouldn’t go at all,” Ronan said, his bear growl filling the room.
“Yes, I should,” Rebecca said quickly. “You think Walker can infiltrate a Shifter bar without Shifter backup? They’ll eat him alive.”
“She’s not wrong,” Mabel said, her eyes narrowing as she scanned some of Walker’s notes. “I know that bar, Shooters. Humans who aren’t groupies don’t go there. It’s Shifter dominated, if you know what I mean. In fact, I should probably go with you. I know how to do the whole groupie thing.”
Walker, Ronan, and Rebecca answered at the same time. “No!”
Mabel looked annoyed. “I’m a grown woman. I can go where I want to.”
Ronan answered before the other two could. “You’re the sister of my mate, and if you go, she’ll kill me. You’re staying out of this one.”
Mabel’s frown deepened, but it said a lot about how much Mabel had calmed down since Ronan and Elizabeth’s mating that she subsided and didn’t argue.
“She is right though,” Walker said once everyone was quiet. “We do need an excuse to wander around the bar asking questions. If groupies are the only humans who go in, a groupie will go in.”
“Joanne,” Rebecca said. “She knows how to make up like one. She passed for a groupie for a long time before any of us caught on.”
Walker was shaking his head, his eyes sparkling with humor. “Not Joanne. I don’t want to risk her. I was talking about me.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. “You?”
“Yep.” Walker grinned at her shock. “Dress me up, and I’ll go in as your date.”
Chapter Nine
Everyone but Rebecca embraced the idea. Mabel and Cherie—the two were nearly the same age—excitedly brought down Mabel’s makeup kit, and they started transforming Walker wh
ile the others watched.
Rebecca sat on the other side of the table, not sure what she was feeling as the rest of the family surrounded Walker and gave advice.
“More whiskers,” Ronan said. “There you go.”
“His eyes aren’t right,” Scott put in. “You want him a Feline groupie? Or a bear?”
“No one goes as bear groupies,” Mabel said with a scoff. “It’s Feline or Lupine.”
“Why not?” Olaf asked. He stood at the edge of the table, small hands on the wooden surface as he looked up through the sea of adults working on a very patient Walker. “Don’t people like bears?”
“I don’t know, sweetie,” Mabel said. “The groupies I know do Feline and Lupine, and mostly Feline. Maybe it’s easiest to find cat ears? Our store sells a lot of them.”
“I think this is a bad idea,” Rebecca said.
No one paid her any attention, except Walker, who gently moved Mabel’s hand aside to look at her. “I don’t. I can’t go in as an ex-special forces, military attachment to Shifter Bureau. They might figure it out sooner or later, but we’ll learn a lot before they do, if they think I’m a harmless idiot.”
Harmless? Half of Walker’s face was painted, his left eye outlined in black—Mabel had drawn eyeliner to a point on his temple, giving him an ancient Egyptian look. His eyelid was shaded in dark grays, his light blue iris standing out like a diamond in shadow.
The tip of his nose was black, a cat-like upside-down triangle. Mabel had spread a pale foundation over his face, softening the roughness of it, before she’d started drawing in the whiskers. She’d gone over his lips with black lipstick.
Mabel was skilled, and Walker didn’t look harmless. He looked sexy, a man out shopping for a Shifter to be with.
With the other half of his face not made up, Rebecca could see what he’d look like once he’d found his lady for the night. His makeup would smear as he kissed her, the paint getting all over her face. They’d be standing up against a wall, or down on a bed, while they put hands and mouths all over each other.