Bonded

  As the door closed behind the final Enforcer, the captain began to gather his papers together and Reno took one final glance at the file before him.

  “So Al was our leak.” Reno summarized in one statement what had taken over an hour to say in the staff meeting using official lingo. It was strange to think of the lanky DC officer as being a covert Purist. The man had always seemed too laid back to orchestrate anything so complicated. But it turned out he’d been accessing confidential files using Brandi’s computer terminal and passwords. When a raid was planned, he’d forwarded the information so key leaders would be out of the area, and selected ‘fall guys’—men of minor importance within the organization—remained behind to be ‘captured.’

  It was a perfect set up, leaving a trail that led back to Brandi Johansson, should anyone ever become suspicious. What Al hadn’t counted on was Brandi finally leaving the unit. In a rush to gather as much information as possible, he’d gotten sloppy and Bradley Owen had caught the man red-handed.

  “Yeah, Zimmerman had us all fooled. We suspected Brandi since she’s from Kolding’s Pass and it seemed to be the central point around which all the other eastern Purist pockets were found.”

  “And me? I was a suspect by association?” Reno thought back to how the captain had questioned him that night at the bar about his relationship with Brandi. It had seemed odd at the time—the captain didn’t concern himself with his men’s personal lives—but now it made perfect sense.

  Fielding grunted. “I’m not a captain for nothing. I could see you were more than a little attached to her, even if you weren’t willing to admit it. And your bickering could have been a cover. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about—I consider you a friend—but I couldn’t rule it out either.”

  Reno nodded, not holding a grudge against the man. The good of the pack, or in this case, Lycan society as a whole, always took precedence over the individual. “You know, Al was always pushing for Brandi and me to hook up and I could never figure out why. But it makes sense now. If we were together, she wouldn’t leave and he wouldn’t lose his source. And, he probably hoped to eventually use me to get access to inside ACS information as well.”

  “Maybe. You know, it will take time to ferret out all the remaining Purist packs, but at least they don’t have anyone on the inside anymore. And with so many of the central leadership in detention, the extremes we’ve been seeing should start to diminish.”

  Reno nodded and started to push his chair back, thinking their meeting was now concluded. “Was there anything else?”

  “Not so fast. Rehashing the case wasn’t why I asked you to stay.” The man paused and drummed his fingers on his desk. “How are you getting on lately?”

  “Fine. My leg’s almost as good as new. I’ll be ready for active duty in a week, according to the physiotherapist.”

  “And Damien? He’s planning on staying on?”

  “Sure. He and Beth are happy together. She doesn’t mind if he has to go away on a case now and then.” Inwardly, Reno frowned wondering why he was being asked these questions. It was all information the captain already knew or could access if needed.

  “You talk to Brandi lately?”

  The question raised Reno’s hackles. His relationship—or lack of one—with Brandi wasn’t anyone’s business. “No.”

  When he didn’t elaborate, Fielding sighed. “There’s something I want to show you.” The captain set two reports on the desk top. He stared at them for a moment as if debating what to do and then finally slid them over to Reno. “You know, they say not to share these with Enforcers and generally I agree. It’s a bunch of mumbo jumbo and can fuck up a man’s thinking, but I think in your case the rules need to be bent.”

  A quick glance at the labels told Reno what they were. Psychological profiles. He gave the captain a questioning look.

  “They’re yours. Read them.”

  Reno shoved the reports back towards the captain, a muscle working in his jaw. “I’ve read my psych report before. Once was enough.”

  The captain left the profiles where they were in the middle of the desk, leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head. “One of those is from when you entered the Academy. The other is from when you came here.”

  Reno gave a curt nod. “I remember taking the tests.”

  “Rumour has it that when you were a cadet, you broke into the files and saw the results of the first one.” Fielding looked at him with raised brows.

  Reno shrugged wondering what the point was. “Old news and the seven year statute of limitations has passed. You can’t even prosecute me for break and enter.”

  Fielding grunted. “A youthful prank, but what you saw screwed you up big time. I don’t suppose you took long enough to read the whole damned thing.”

  “No. One look was enough. It labelled me a potential rogue. What else is there to say?”

  “It made you feel you were damned for life, right?”

  Reno didn’t answer, merely clenching his hands into fists. He could still recall that day, the icy coldness that had washed over him when he read the label. Rogue. It was the next thing to a death sentence in his pack. Wild. Uncontrollable. Demon-spawn. Little wonder he’d been sent to the Academy. He’d thought it was because he’d shown leadership potential when instead they had been trying to get rid of him. There would be no returning home; he was cast out. Feelings of loss and despair had washed over him and…

  The captain cleared his throat, the sound bringing Reno back to the present with a start.

  “Look here.” Fielding leaned forward, flipped open the file and tapped the first set of papers. “See here? The word potential is highlighted and on the second page it lists the factors that led to them making that conclusion. Now look at this one.” He pointed to the second set. “After exiting the Academy the label was changed. While you have some rogue tendencies, it states they’re well under control and actually give you an edge when it comes to leadership potential.”

  Reno frowned and pulled the papers closer, scanning the words the captain had pointed out. A small spark of hope flared in him but he instantly extinguished it. Interesting but not earth shattering news. He eased back in his chair, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankle, his hands relaxed at his side. “Why are you telling me this now? Why not eight years ago?”

  “You were an Enforcer. One of the best I’d ever had. You did your job, showed no signs of distress. You accepted who and what you were. I figured there was no need to mess with your mind. Words on a piece of paper don’t mean much to me. It’s a man’s performance that counts.”

  “But now… ?”

  Fielding shrugged. “Things change, you’ve changed. You’re restless, your wolf’s apathetic. I can see it in your eyes.”

  Reno clamped his lips tightly shut. He wanted to deny what the captain was saying but it was true, damn him.

  The captain gathered the papers and stared at them for a moment before neatly stacking them. “You know, two years ago I showed this report to someone else.”

  Reno shifted in his chair, anger flaring that others were privy to information he was just getting now. He struggled to keep his tone even. “Isn’t this considered confidential information… sir?”

  “Usually, but this was a special case. The person had a vested interest in the diagnosis.”

  “And exactly who was this ‘special’ case?” His stomach gave a funny flop and he tensed as if anticipating a blow.

  “Brandi.”

  “Why?” Reno shot the captain a sharp look. He’d tried not to think about Brandi these past two weeks. In fact he’d made a studious effort to avoid running into her. She was back at Lycan Link but beyond that he had no idea what she was up to and had planned to keep it that way.

  “She needed to see it.” Fielding’s answer was so bland, so matter of fact that it set Reno’s teeth on edge.

  “She needed to see it, but I didn’t?” He growled the words, no longer caring about t
he rules for respectful behaviour towards a superior officer.

  “There was a legitimate reason.”

  “And what was that?” Reno gripped the arms of the chair, barely holding on to his temper over what seemed to be the captain’s purposely vague responses.

  The man didn’t answer his question, instead throwing a different one at him.

  “How do you feel about her?”

  He opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. What was going on here? In all the years he’d worked for the captain, the man had never once asked a personal question and now he wanted to know about his love life?

  “You care for her, don’t you?”

  Reno exhaled noisily then gave a quick nod. God, was everyone privy to his feelings? He’d only figured it out himself a short while ago.

  “Good, because she cares for you, too. Enough to admit to something extremely personal that only she and I know about.”

  Reno bristled, not liking the idea of the captain having inside knowledge—extremely personal knowledge, whatever the hell that meant—about her.

  “You met back at the Academy didn’t you? During a fighting match?”

  “Not exactly. It was a self-defence demo for a course I was running. She was a stand in for my assistant.” The memory brought a brief smile to his face.

  “Any injuries or bloodshed?”

  He frowned, searching his memory. “No… Well, she scratched me.”

  “Uh-huh.” The Captain stared at him expectantly and Reno frowned having no idea what the captain was getting at.

  “It was a minor injury.” Reno shrugged. “I didn’t even report it.”

  “Any chance she ingested some of that blood?”

  “No. It was on my cheek and… ” Reno suddenly stopped talking and recalled how he’d nuzzled her neck. Could his cheek have brushed her lips?

  “Any arousal at the time? A chance that bonding hormones had been activated?” Captain Fielding continued to toss out questions, but by this time Reno had finally connected the dots.

  “Shit!” He jumped to his feet, knocking his chair over. “Why the hell didn’t she tell me?” And with that he stormed out of the building.

  Hell and damnation. He was blood bonded to Brandi Johansson. She’d been nosing about in his brain for the past three years! Privy to his every thought and feeling. And she’d conveniently forgotten to tell him.

  Anger raced through him, heating his blood and clouding his thinking. How dare she? Had she been laughing behind his back each time he’d thought about her? Had her taunts been on purpose just to rile him so that afterwards she could chuckle over the feelings that raced through his mind? Did she know how often he’d dreamed of her? Of kissing her? Of burying his hands in her thick curls and taking her over and over?

  He was in his car now, starting the engine before the door was even completely shut. His tires squealed in protest as he wheeled the vehicle out of the parking garage and drove towards Brandi’s apartment. She’d better be there. If she wasn’t he was staying until she showed up and then… then they were going to have it out. No one messed around with his mind like that. No one.

  Chapter 34

  Brandi stared around her small apartment and sighed. Right now, the normally neat abode was in complete disarray. Boxes lay strewn about, various cupboards and drawers displayed their contents. She was packing in preparation for moving to her new job, and couldn’t quite believe how much she’d accumulated in the few short years she’d been there.

  Of course, if she’d chosen to live at Headquarters this wouldn’t have been a problem. There were furnished apartments available at Lycan Link, but she’d always preferred having some separation from her job. And with several other weres living in the building, it wasn’t as if she was completely alone.

  She placed the armload of towels she’d been holding in a box and then plucked one out to blot her face with. A heat wave had descended upon the area; the thermometers displayed disgustingly high numbers and the breeze did little to cool sweat-soaked brows. Her apartment felt like an oven and her exertions weren’t helping any.

  Gathering up the hair that had escaped the makeshift knot on top her head, she pinned it back into place, pleased to have the hot tresses off her neck. Any relief, no matter how small, was welcome. Her loose tank top and shorts were the minimum of clothing she could wear, even having forgone undergarments in favour of coolness. As she paused in front of the small oscillating fan she’d placed on a table, she vowed her next apartment would definitely have an air-conditioner.

  Deciding she needed a cool drink before continuing, she padded to the kitchen and then dallied over her choice so she’d have an excuse to leave the fridge door open longer. The cool air spilling from it felt heavenly on her over-heated skin. Finally, she grabbed a bottle of juice and reluctantly closed the door. Packing wasn’t her favourite way of spending her day off but it had to be done. In just forty-eight hours she would be on her way to a new life.

  She forced a smile onto her face hoping an outward appearance of happiness might encourage a similar feeling in her heart. Unfortunately, it didn’t work and the smile faded away. There were so many memories here. Sipping her juice, she walked around the room trailing her fingertips over an item here and there: a mug a co-worker had given her for her birthday, a picture she’d purchased with her first paycheque, a silly wolf statuette she’d won as a prize at the staff picnic the previous year.

  A lump formed in her throat as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. Was she really making the right decision by leaving? Or was she just running from her problems? She nibbled her lip and considered the situation for what was likely the hundredth time.

  She was going to miss everyone dreadfully and her wolf constantly whispered for her to stay. In her mind’s eye she could easily envision a happy future where she and Reno were together. But daydreams weren’t reality. When her alarm summoned her each morning the warm body in her arms always turned into a pillow. And when she walked the halls of Lycan Link she only saw fleeting glimpses of Reno, as he seemingly took complicated routes through the building in an obvious attempt to avoid her.

  No. Leaving was the right choice; Reno wanted nothing more to do with her. She was alone and would remain alone for the rest of her life. The brief relationship she’d felt blooming between them had died in Kolding’s Pass; and staying here at Headquarters would prove nothing.

  Firming her lips she set down her juice and forced herself to continue the job. She sealed a box with packing tape and grabbed a marker to write a label on it. Then she’d attack the next drawer in the kitchen.

  A loud banging sound startled her into dropping the marker. Someone was pounding on her door.

  Brandi sighed, not in the mood for visitors when she still had so much to do. She started towards the door but had barely taken two steps when it crashed open. A man stood framed in the light from the hallway.

  “Reno!” Her shock at seeing him was momentarily overshadowed by the sight of what he’d just done to the door. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She rushed over to examine the frame, unceremoniously pushing him out of the way. Just as she’d feared, he’d broken the lock and splintered the wood around the latch! “Dammit Reno, look what you did. Couldn’t you have waited two seconds until I opened the door? Now I’ll have to pay to get this fixed!”

  She turned to scold him further but the words caught in her throat. Anger radiated from him and seemed to grow even stronger as he darted his gaze about the room.

  “Why are you packing?” He snapped the words at her and while she bristled at his demanding tone, a sense of self-preservation had her reining in her temper. Everything about him had her instincts on alert; his stance, the jut of his jaw, the rhythm of his breathing. It wouldn’t take much to set him off and she had no desire to be the person to do that.

  “Because I’m leaving. I’m going to Renwick—it’s a little town not far from Kolding’s Pass—to be the DC agent for the area.” She
walked around him warily, picked up a tea towel and began to fold it, trying to appear calm. What was going on with him? That Reno had a temper was a well-known fact but he always seemed in control of it.

  “That kind of move takes months to arrange.” There was a definite tone of accusation in his voice and she struggled not to snap back at him. Go easy, she warned herself.

  “Usually, but I asked if they’d put a rush on it and by some miracle everything fell into place. Look Reno, I’m kind of busy so if you have something to say, please say it and then leave.” She tried to brush past him and get a new packing box but he grabbed her arm.

  The heat of his palm burned as it lay against her skin and she felt his thumb brush back and forth in a small caress. Tingles of awareness spread through her. Her heart began to race, an ache grew inside her and she fought against the need to step closer, to rub against him.

  Dammit, she’d spent the last few weeks trying to banish all memory of him from her mind and body but just one touch and she was craving him all over again.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” She stared meaningfully at his hand, trying to inject a cool disdain into her voice.

  “You tell me.” He growled the words at her and she looked up at him with a frown.

  “What?”

  “Don’t you already know? Can’t you just tiptoe through my mind and tell me?”

  Brandi felt the blood drain from her face. He couldn’t know. Not after all this time! The blood in her veins quickly changed from being heated with desire to the iciness of fear. Her lips seemed to go numb and she had to force the words through them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She started to step back but stopped when he tightened his grip on her arm in warning.

  “Yes, you damned well do. The captain told me, so don’t even bother to try and lie about it.” He pulled her closer, brought his face into her personal space. “We’re the next fucking thing to blood bonded!”